Legacy of Acererak

[Fallen Seraph]

The legendary demilich Acererak was supposedly slain years ago by a band of fearless adventurers. But his legacy lives on. Could you be one of those touched by the demilich in some way? And is Acererak truly gone from this world?

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20090119

Well this article is certainly full of stuff.

Backgrounds (it also states there will be Backgrounds in PHB2):

• Accursed Lineage
• Adventurer's Scion
• Curious Archaeologist
• Lost Kin
• Necromancer's Chattel
• Restless Dead
• Touched By Darkness

Feats:
Heroic:

• Cleansing Challenge
• Divine Boon
• Divine Purity
• Greater Turning
• Purifying Light
• Radiant Touch
• Student of Moil

Paragon:

• Stunning Rebuke
• Radiant Hunter
• Shadow Born Warlock
• Undead Ward

Heritage (they give a bonus to something and augment at-wills):

• Ghost Touched
• Radiant Soul
• Raven Queen Devotee
• Shadow Soul
• Undead Hunter
• Zombie Veteran

We then get some fluff on the "Bleak Academy"

Then monsters:

• Apostles of The Devourer (3 Monsters)
• Mistress Ferranifer (1 Monster)
• Devourer's Spawn (2 Monsters)
• Shadow Sentinels (2 Monsters)

Then some fluff about the "The City That Waits" and two monsters that inhabit it:

• Moilian Dead
• Blackfire Creeper

 

[FireLance]

I must say that I like the way that backgrounds are handled here as opposed to how they were done previously. Perhaps the only tweak I would make is to prevent the +2 bonus to a skill from stacking with a racial bonus to the same skill.

 

[love.christine]

I'm curious to know if there is going to be a variant power source for spellcasters known as Moil[ian] in the PHB2.

 

[The_Fan]

My one quibble: They totally reversed the moil zombies. I'm normally not a stickler for sticking to the old editions, but they're supposed to be a subversion of the standard "kill it with fire!" paradigm players have. Using fire on them should make the situation worse, or at least not help you much. I may just switch their resistance and vulnerability. Other than that, great article.

 

[Jack99]

The Shadow Watcher is going to be so much fun using!

 

[Rechan]

Wow, I thought this was just going to be fluff about the Tomb of Horrors. I didn't realize this was actual stuff.

There were backgrounds for the Scales of War AP. Hmmm. I wonder how many will be in PHBII.

However, they're just so freaking fiddly. I hate the bonuses. For instance, Necromancer's Chattel gives +2 vs. conditions with the Fear keyword. Well, unless the DM remembers that you have this background, and therefore you're resistant to Fear, then he's likely not going to tell you "This power the monster is using has the Fear keyword." ANd you're likely to forget it to bring it up, or not ask him if monster X is using Power with Fear Keyword. (That, and aside from some warlock powers, I can't think of any Fear-based monster attacks that have condition effects you save against).

I'm glad to see a return of the At-Will modifying feats from the Gladiator article.

I like Radiant touch. Tricking out Class features with more variety is cool. As is the feat that does 2 radiant to a Divine Challenged undead. It makes it much easier to make a Raven Queen paladin.

 

[FireLance]

However, they're just so freaking fiddly. I hate the bonuses. For instance, Necromancer's Chattel gives +2 vs. conditions with the Fear keyword. Well, unless the DM remembers that you have this background, and therefore you're resistant to Fear, then he's likely not going to tell you "This power the monster is using has the Fear keyword." ANd you're likely to forget it to bring it up, or not ask him if monster X is using Power with Fear Keyword.

Well, one of the things I like about them is that you don't need to use the fiddly bonus if you don't want to. You could just add one of the suggested skills to your class skills, or get a +2 to checks with one of the suggested skills instead (or learn a language, if the option is there). In addition, the optional benefit for this specific background is just a weaker version of the halflings' Bold racial trait, so the same issue will come up if somebody is playing a halfing PC anyway. In any case, the DM should probably narrate the power in a way that would prompt the player to ask whether it's a fear effect (as they should for eladrin PCs and charm effects, and dwarf PCs and poison effects).

(That, and aside from some warlock powers, I can't think of any Fear-based monster attacks that have condition effects you save against).

One I can think of offhand is a dragon's frightful presence.

 

[Jack99]

However, they're just so freaking fiddly. I hate the bonuses. For instance, Necromancer's Chattel gives +2 vs. conditions with the Fear keyword. Well, unless the DM remembers that you have this background, and therefore you're resistant to Fear, then he's likely not going to tell you "This power the monster is using has the Fear keyword." ANd you're likely to forget it to bring it up, or not ask him if monster X is using Power with Fear Keyword. (That, and aside from some warlock powers, I can't think of any Fear-based monster attacks that have condition effects you save against).

There are a few, but not many:
Bloodfiend's Terror Gaze
Beholder's Fear Ray
Aftereffect of some dragons' frightful presence (dracoliches' presence have no save)
Wailing Ghost's Death's Visage and Terrifying Shriek
Tormenting Ghost's Burst of Terror
Larva Mage's Horrific Visage
Mummy Lord's Awe Strike
Eye of Gruumsh's Eye of Wrath
Rakshasa Nobles Frightful Phantom
Sphinx' Frightful Roar

 

[Hawke]

Neat! All kinds of new goodies, and it isn't just kept to one kind. Definitely give this article a thumbs up and being unfamiliar with the tomb of horrors directly (just what i've read third hand) I wasn't expecting to be too impressed. This is a nice corollary to the genasi/warforged article!

 

[Klaus]

Crap, I can't log in!

Anyone care to tell me what the Curious Archeologist background is about?