Let's read the entire run

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 269: March 2000


part 6/7


Sage advice: Do delvesonns lose con when they use identify (yes)

Can knock open a saddlebag (yes)

Just how immune are Yathrinshee to undead powers (only the innate ones. Learned stuff doesn't count. )

Do you have to spend points to raise your thief skills to a positive number (not if you don't want to. Not every thief has to know everything)

Can you choose high-level skills from crossover groups (no)

Is 2d6 the number of undead turned or the number of hit dice. What happens if it's a mixed group. (One roll, 2d6 HD of creatures, lowest HD get affected first. It's good for mook clearing, but bosses, not so much.

How does spell failure work for Dragon Sages. Surely they don't get more likely to fail the wiser they are (No. You're adding on in the wrong place. See the normal chance of spell failure, then add to that. )

My multiclass characters are trying to twink skills and powers by skimping on one class and using the points to buy extra proficiencies useful for the other one. (remember to strictly enforce the minimum spending limits. at each stage. Other than that, suck it up. Min-maxing is a big part of the fun of a point buy system. )

Does grand mastery with missile weapons give you another extra attack (yes indeed. Peow peow peow.)

Can non fighters use combat mastery (A little bit. Not the top levels. We have to keep some niche protection. )

What level do you need to be to get the various levels of weapon mastery (it varies. Not that high, though. This aint BD&D, where you had 36 levels to spread things over.)

Do cyclops really do 410 points of damage with their boulders (no. 4d10. Even you figured that one out pretty quick)

How do you deal with two conflicting surprise chances (turn their respective changes into modifiers to your d10 roll. This only becomes a problem if they also ask you to use different dice for the roll.)

Can heat metal actually melt metal. (no. it retains the same shape, although it may get softer. This is magic, not real world physics, etc etc. )

Can you memorize more than 9 spells per level if you have bonus stuff, or is that the limit (It is not the limit. You may continue to increase your firepower to disgusting levels. )

Does a shield of missile attraction affect all missiles on both sides (no. Only the ones aimed at you. Skip really wishes people wouldn't misinterpret the premise)

Can berserkers berserk in bear form. (no. They're scary enough already)

Can you cast spells while wearing gauntlets of ogre power (yes)

Can priests supercharge their spells under the spell point system as well (sure. This may not always be beneficial though. )

How do you decide which table is best for multiclassed characters (Oh, you. :limpwristed punch on the shoulder: You get to totally pick and mix! Whichever save is better for each category! )

Do boots of speed allow you to track faster (Absolutely)

Can you cast spells through clairvoyance (No. Not even if the area is in range. It's still not proper line of sight. Skip isn't letting you weasel around this one, no matter how many letters you send in. )

What does oil of sunlight do (What doesn't it do! Uh, yeah. Skip's not sure either. It's an important ingredient in making kickass magical items, but doesn't do much on it's own. Think what sunlight could logically do. )

How do you pronounce Flind (Windbagstandley-Nunchuckingtonarai)

What happens if you attack someone with a cloak of displacement and roll a natural 20. (if you'd miss, you still miss. No head severing if you can't find the neck. Clive Anderson is totally safe.)

What counts as the home plane for priests of philosophies (use your common sense. What plane seems the best fit. The other alternative, just letting them be at full power anywhere, is just soooo broken. Skip couldn't possibly allow that.)
Just how immobilized are entangled characters. (far less than paralyzed ones, but more than stunned ones )

Can my priest carry a plant with him so he can use entangle anywhere (It'd have to be a pretty big plant. You are remembering encumbrance, aren't you. Maybe it could be an extra long still living grass skirt or something. Much kinky nightmare fodder in that concept.)

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 269: March 2000


part 7/7


Role models returns after a couple of months off, and it appears they lost their old writers abruptly, with editors Dave Gross & Chris Perkins taking on extra duties to compensate. Now that didn't turn out particularly well in the final days of the video games column, and the contrast here is fairly apparent as well. Where last year's columns often managed to fit three different ideas into a two page spread, this concentrates on a single one, and still feels like it has more trouble fitting it into the space provided. Still, much of that is because there's a lot of photos this time around, showing off their custom setup from multiple angles. And instead of encouraging you to make your own scenery on the cheap, they're engaging in product placement, advertising Master Maze scenery. It's not quite as big and obvious a step down as when Dave took over Libram X from Jeff, but it's not particularly promising, as it's putting commercialism over DIY spirit. He has improved since taking over, but I can still blame him personally for not being as good as Kim or Roger.


Silicon Sorcery: This month's computer game conversion isn't monsters or items, but random encounters. That's somewhat amusing, and not something they've done before. It also means you actually get more new creatures getting abbreviated stats than a regular bestiary entry would give you. In fact, they pack 8 encounters onto 2/3rds of a page, filling up the rest of the spread with promotion for the game, a fantasy sim game called Majesty. So this packs in quite a bit of useful information for gaming, but like the last article, still feels like they're engaging in product placement, quite possibly paid for by the companies, above and beyond the usual advertising. Well, I guess all the extra colour they've acquired in the last couple of years needs to come from somewhere. Call it a mutually beneficial arrangement. Still, it does feel like they're ramping up their count of blatant commercialism again. Sell sell sell.


KotDT engages in X-treeme rules lawyering. Dragonmirth is increasingly modern in its style of humour. Shop keep fails to respect the grognards. Course, they'll be even older now.


Coming attractions: Diablo graduates to AD&D with Diablo II: The awakening. This is really going to fuel the cries of ZOMG they're turning D&D into a computer game. They also start to set up things for the edition change with The Apocalypse Stone. You want to end your campaign now for the reboot, this'll help you go out with a bang.

The Realms is half rehash, as is becoming standard. The second book of the Cleric Quintet is rereleased. And the new book is Realms of the Deep. An anthology of stories around the recent aquatic invasion, this should fill in lots of little perspectives on the same big event. Let's hope the editing stays up to scratch.

Dragonlance starts to move forward again, with yet another massive cataclysm. Weis and Hickman are back together for Dragons of a Fallen Sun. Still, at least we'll get the old magic back soon now, even if it involves yet more ridiculous revelations and some deicide.

Alternity also gets into the computer game business, with a Starcraft conversion. Blizzard are already pretty big names, and they're going to have a long association with D20. Muahaha.


What's new is on a very familiar kick, in more ways than one. Growf.


This issue does very much feel like they're making an effort to round off the last edition, tie up as many loose ends as possible, leave no avenue unexplored. It really reminds us that 2e was easily the edition that had the most settings, supplements, articles, and weird bits and pieces produced for it. Many of them were pretty flawed in hindsight, but there's just so many that surely you can run the game you want by picking selectively. If you were going to play one game for the rest of your lifetime, you could do so much worse. What other games got this kind of completion and sendoff? Well, it's still not quite over. Will april see any funny surprises this time around, after the last two years of staidness? Give us something else to remember you by.

 

[LordVyreth]

They also start to set up things for the edition change with The Apocalypse Stone. You want to end your campaign now for the reboot, this'll help you go out with a bang.

My DM used that in our college campaign, though we were in 3rd Ed by that point. Can't entirely say it went over well.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000


part 1/7


132 pages. So we're finally three quarters of the way through this journey. And as with the 2/3rds mark, this is purely a postdated landmark that doesn't feel particularly significant sandwiched between the 1999 annual and the 3e changeover issues. Still, it looks like the topic is high level and planar stuff, both of which are topics I'm quite fond of. High level stuff in particular could do with a few more articles before we wave out the old and in with the new, as material suitable for levels 20+ is pretty scarce. Hell, Dungeon hasn't even got any 2e adventures that go above 15th level. So let's see if this bumper sized issue has any suitably impressive articles.


Scan Quality: Excellent, indexed.


In this issue:


The wyrms turn: Here we get a good reminder exactly why high level campaigns got short shrift in 2e. 1: they were too busy trying to be sensible and mature, prove they'd outgrown all that twinky nonsesnse. 2: The rapidly expanding plethora of settings and character options made people more likely to switch games regularly rather than sticking with one to high levels. So this is a series of jokes about the more silly end of obscene power, where the players run roughshod over the world, rather than finding new enemies that present a suitable challenge. If the current editors have this kind of attitude, it's no wonder you have to pretty much make it all up, or use BECMI D&D instead, which did take the whole epic deeds during the endgame thing seriously. (although not completely without whimsy) This doesn't make me confident it'll get the gravity it needs. Mind you, it is april, so maybe we'll get amusingly unbalanced instead. As long as it's not boring, anyway, that's the really important thing.


D-Mail: We kick off with some more edition change concerns that just go to show how differently people can wind up interpreting the same teasers, even though they're not particularly ambiguous. Oh, and the new format for upcoming products sucks, because it doesn't give as much info as the old one. Not disagreeing on that one.

A letter asking them to go back to the old school. While they're adding a bit more old style flavour than they did in the mid 90's, they still want to move forward, so expect mixed results on this one. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

A letter generally praising them, but also telling them where they're oversaturating the market. Rest assured, they will take a break, and then find new markets to oversaturate next edition. In fact, they have one planned already. You thought new races and kits were bad. Wait until you see how many prestige classes they put out! Muahahaha!

A letter from someone pissed off about all their expensive stuff becoming obsolete. THEY'RE NOT BUYING IT!!! Ironically, the things they're complaining about in 2e are going to be fixed in 3e. They may have to eat crow in a few months.

Another letter of general praise. Oh, and lechery. You really don't want to go out with a Drow. The drama quotient in their race is off the charts, and that's on a good day. No amount of slow-aging hotness is worth that.

Another request to bring back reviews. Sorry. They're feeling outclassed by the internet these days. It's not like they're your only avenue for communicating about RPG's in general anymore, and you can probably trust them to be more objective, and able to rant more amusingly without worrying about censorship. So on reflection, nope, not going back.

A question about the balance of new clerics from someone who's noted some have more domains than others. Already accounted for. And you wouldn't have an all cleric of a single god party, (most adventures'd be no challenge ) so it's unlikely to become an issue.

And finally, someone asking about book reviews. As with RPG reviews, they don't plan to bring them back, but they may be doing some more articles converting stuff from books in the future, as they have been with computer games. Gotta keep their eye on their core competencies all the time! Otherwise disastrous things might happen again!


Nodwick is really starting to find his employers predictable.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000


part 2/7


Forum: Mark Anthony Sims thinks thieves need much better kits to make them as cool as the other classes. Their complete handbook was one of the dullest in that respect. Correct, but leaving it a bit late.

Josef McCoy thinks having something to fight against is more important than having something to fight for. Once again we see that people work together better if there's a clear and defined opposition.

Jason Bartlett thinks high level begins in the low teens, and characters ought to be able to increase proficiency scores as well as abilities through practice. Give them more room for independent change.

Matthew Avery talks about having an evil character in a mixed party. It can work, providing they have other aspects to their personality as well, and don't act like stereotypes. As ever, family can bind together bickering and disparate individuals into a common cause.

Bryan A. Morgan-Armstrong points out just how much MA sucks at the moment in D&D. Unarmed combat doesn't really work on creatures that have negative effects purely by touching you. This is why the ability to attack unarmed as if you are armed is well worth spending a feat slot.

Victor P. Archer Jr hopes that speciality priests and standard clerics are better balanced next edition. Man, the complete cleric's handbook ones sucked compared to the others. Thankfully, that will not be a concern, as they've already said a few pages ago.


ProFiles: Sean K Reynolds may look sinister, but he's a nice guy in real life. He still loves creating cool bad guys in the game, though, thinking carefully about their capabilities and psychologies, plans and methods, which make them adversaries that really challenge the players, and make them properly hate them and want to kick their ass. What better kind of person than that to handle the 3e Monster Manual. He's another of our profilees who's best work is yet to come, and even this profile seems to recognize this, talking a lot about his upcoming projects. But he has produced some cool stuff already, such as The Green Goblin's guide to Crime for the Marvel superheroes game. And since he becomes one of the driving forces behind Paizo and eventually Pathfinder, we'll be seeing lots more of him over the next decade of reviews. Another enjoyable read, that still has quite a bit missing in hindsight.


Up on a soapbox: Gary's latest target is those who decry Hack-and-Slash gaming. Fighting in your RPG's is nothing to feel ashamed of. D&D's whole experience system revolves around killing things and taking their stuff, so it's not as if you can avoid it if you want to advance your character. Plus the way levels, damage and hit points escalate, it makes it quite possible to have a nice extended fight where you mow down lots of lesser enemies. Now, if you were talking about a White Wolf game, where damage advancement generally grows faster than your ability to absorb it, death can come very quickly if you get into a serious fight, and the experience system rewards showing up and playing your character well, not fighting, then getting into a holding patten where the same guys manoeuvre socially around each other for years, politicking and pushing for an advantage makes a lot more sense. So this is really a continuation of his opinion back in 1985, where he already though the pendulum had swung too far towards roleplaying, and away from the game part of the equation. Really, both are valid choices, as long as the group is having fun, and you shouldn't look down on the other side. After all, you might want to play differently at some point if you get bored, and burning your bridges with tribal rivalries will hurt you in the long run. And as for criticising the intelligence of people who like fighting - hey, they're the ones doing more math and rules manipulation aren't they. So valid points, made in an amusing fashion, that go against current opinion and make you think. Absolutely perfect material for an april article.


The kingless land: Ed Greenwood's new novel series gets a bit more promotion, with this excerpt from the first book. And like the reviews said, this is almost pure action, which doesn't really let us get to know our protagonists well. Wait a minute, this isn't an article, this is a fricken 6 page long advert. Tor books obviously thinks Dragon readers are a prime ground for buyers. Which is probably right. Still, 6 pages! That must have been quite expensive. Still, someone's got to pay for these expanded issues, and they haven't raised prices for a few years. If they're shelling out, we might as well put up with them. I know a few pages I'll be skipping over if I read this again.


PC Portraits: Tony Diterlizzi takes on the challenge of high level characters. Now while there is a lot of positive things you can say about his artwork, they don't quite capture the gravity that you think of when someone says cosmic reality bending power. They do do otherworldly well, though, as you should know by now. Needs moar glowy things and other obvious magical adornments to signify that they're decked out to the gills and not to be messed with. Colour would definitely help too. Or maybe they've moved beyond that, and would rather avoid the attentions of every young punk looking to prove themselves. You never can tell with these really high level characters.

 

[M.L. Martin]

ProFiles: Sean K Reynolds may look sinister, but he's a nice guy in real life. He still loves creating cool bad guys in the game, though, thinking carefully about their capabilities and psychologies, plans and methods, which make them adversaries that really challenge the players, and make them properly hate them and want to kick their ass. What better kind of person than that to handle the 3e Monster Manual. He's another of our profilees who's best work is yet to come, and even this profile seems to recognize this, talking a lot about his upcoming projects. But he has produced some cool stuff already, such as The Green Goblin's guide to Crime for the Marvel superheroes game.

AUGH!

No, that's not directed at you; that's directed at WotC, for 'pulping' this and so many other cool-sounding MSHAG products.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000


part 3/7


Countdown to 3rd edition: 4 months to go. Having covered the other three class groups in the preceding months, now it's Fighters turn. And you can see why they put them last. While they did get upgraded compared to 2e, with substantial increases in their flexibility, they're really still falling behind compared to Clerics and Rogues, and never getting anywhere near Wizards. Plus feats are one of the more radical departures from the previous edition, so they needed to ease in the changes to skills and multiclassing first. Still, you can't say the public didn't take to them pretty enthusiastically, as they became THE primary cross-class means of customising your character, with meeting prerequisites and planning ahead to get a good build crucial if you want to maximise your power. And nowhere is that more important than for fighters, where if you build them right, they might be able to beat wizards in damage output in a busy day with multiple encounters, but they'll still suck at utility stuff. Everyone is better, but some are more better than others.


Revenge of the Sheens: We follow up on last year's Man vs Machine article with another collection of robotic creatures from Bruce Cordell. After all, with only 4 creatures detailed there, going straight from 4 HD to 16, there was a huge mid-level gap which needed filling if you want to make this plot work for a whole campaign. So this is much needed, and pretty welcome. It proved popular last year, so they made sure it got a follow-up before the edition change. Supply and demand in action.

Rollers are another tough as nails giant robot, with massive saw hands that can do quite large amounts of damage. If there were decent roads in fantasy campaigns, they could move quite fast, but over rough terrain, you can probably outrun them. Well, isn't that convenient for the PC's if they're not powerful enough to fight them, or there's lots heading towards a town, and they need to arrange an evacuation. I see the plot possibilities already.

Burrowers stay underground and attack you with their tentacle arms like groundsquid. This means they are a bit tricky to finish off, since they'll just beat a retreat and return later if you take their arms out. Better prepare those digging powers if you want to take them out for good.

Phasers are even trickier to pin down, as they shift dimensionally, grab you, and then do the cheap trick of throwing you into the ground and watching you go boom when you rematerialise. That's a means of instadeath you don't see exploited much, and seems very likely to frustrate players even more than phase spiders. I think some evil laughter is very fitting at this point.

Propagators invade your body and slowly kill you before animating your remains. Zombie Robots! Awesome! Since they're a lot tougher than regular zombies, and their infection and regeneration powers are pretty nasty, they're also one that may scare players who don't know their weaknesses.

Arcanosheen are spellcasting robots powered by the rendered brains of live wizards. They're pretty rare, but easily the smartest and most versatile of the sheens, making them the obvious choice for a big boss, after the players have got used to them being relentless, but limited in quite a few ways.

Power Trees are a bonus monster not designed by Bruce, instead being the winner of the design competition. They're gigantic, slow many-limbed things that recharge other sheens. At 36 HD and AC -8, taking one out is definitely a task for the highest level parties only. Otherwise, you'll have to take the long slow route of attacking the support structures before you can go for the core. Maybe tricking a dragon into fighting one would work.

While they concentrate on the monsters this time around, they don't neglect the player side, also giving us a very interesting new kit, and two new "magical" items. Want to be an angsty cyborg always afraid that your mechanical side is going to take over and turn you into a slave to the hive, but with damage reduction and the ability to command dumber machines? Sounds like a good premise for a trilogy at least to me! But seriously, this builds on last year's article nicely without being dependent upon it, making both of them more awesome by association. It's not quite the equal of the nine hells trilogy or the princess ark series, but it's still some pretty neat adventure building. I think this definitely marks Bruce as a developing writer to watch.


Leaders on followers: An examination of D&D's often wonky system of characters getting followers and a domain automatically when they hit Name level? That's worthy of a parody, certainly. And Robin Laws does not disappoint, taking the bickering sages thing to a new level. A whole convention of high level characters metagaming, riffing off each other and inserting anachronisms into each other? Sounds like fun to me. Absence has definitely made the heart fonder here, as this is the first pure april fool article in a good 4 years, and I do find it genuinely funny. Part of that is because it knows the rules, and the way they often turn out in practice, and does seem to have a genuine affection for them underneath the mockery. Plus despite being rules free, it does have a few cool ideas about what you could do with your minions, who can't really compete in a fight with anything that challenges you. You still need scouts, transport, someone to manage your domain, people to be arbitrarily cruel too, etc etc. So with two great articles in a row, this issue is off to a pretty good start. Will they be able to combine whimsy and usability and go for a hat trick?

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000


part 4/7


When worlds collide: Ahh, now this is a reasonably influential little article, which got converted to 3e and appeared in Unearthed Arcana with very few changes, when I compare them. The idea of multiverse spanning campaigns where you play different incarnations of the same eternal champion is a pretty awesome one, but something that still needs work to implement well. They tried in in the Amazing System, but that was clunky as hell. They made a small step in Dark Sun, which is repeated and built upon here. But what you really need is a system which allows you to tweak both characters and world physics while remaining balanced overall, and mathematically quantifying those changes. In short, what you really need is GURPS. But the vast quantity of fairly compatible D20 variants that'll spring up in the wake of the OGL are also a big improvement on D&D as it is. So this is an idea who's time is about to come, but still needs a bit more network externalities to really work. Masque of the Red Death, Buck Rogers, and Alternity are all interesting in their own ways, but they do show the limits of the current system when you try and change it too much. Very worthy of note indeed. So that does indeed make a hat trick of significant and very different articles, which is something I haven't said in a long time. If this issue can keep the quality and notability up, it has a pretty good chance to get into the top 10 overall.


The hidden faces of evil: James Wyatt does a second article in quick succession. This one is somewhat less notable, as it's part of their current crop of ones looking back, collecting and summarising information from the tons of supplements the old edition has, with a few little additions. Not that it isn't a pretty compelling read, as it shows how you can get AD&D fiends to be the subtle tempters of mythology. Actually, to be honest, they're overqualified, especially the baatezu, who's array of innate powers lets them deceive and control weak-willed mortals almost casually, and they can expect the rest of the hierarchy to help fulfil and enforce any deals they make. Yugoloths and Tanar'ri don't have it quite as easy, but most of the higher-ups have at least some tricks that let them be more than a supertough engine of destruction. And if they've learned magic or psionics, which they have plenty of time to do, the sky's the limit. And when the time comes to cease being subtle, well, that's what summon cascades are for. Basically, if they focus their attention on your world in any numbers (and don't cancel out each other's machinations with endless plotting and betrayals or attract celestials to clear up the mess) your world is screwed. In the meantime, that gives adventurers plenty to do. So this is a pretty cool article, much of which is going to be invalidated next edition, but the general principles will remain valid. It deserves it's own praise, even if it is looking back more than forward.


Arcane Lore: As befits an april issue, we have a bunch of joke spells from one of our long-hated characters, Zagig Yragerne. Ok, so not all of his worst moments were actually Gary's fault, particularly WG7, but he was hardly blameless in this matter. Anyway, we're finally getting the contents of one of his spellbooks, not that we really want too. As usual, it's been passed from person to person (again, with rather less enthusiasm than usual, as they find themselves eager to get rid of it. ) before getting lost, so your players can find it. Be afraid if you do.

Zagig's Canned Laughter turns your whole life into a badly dubbed sitcom. Yup, this is very much in character with the guy who completely ripped off alice in wonderland. Damnable meta wizards.

Zagig's Amusing Alteration temporarily alters your face in cartoon fashion. Course, he might not let you know it'll be gone by next scene, which would be rather scary. Damn, don't you just want to kick his ass right now.

Zagig's Gender Shift, on the other hand, is incredibly useful. Finally, switching sex is easier than coming back to life or becoming a whole different species. If you went through the tomb of horrors, you might want to get your hands on this book temporarily just for that. At last, one of AD&D's great practical problems is sorted out, barely in time. Like a few of the demihuman pets of last issue, that is an unexpected gem amongst the vast amounts of dross.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000


part 5/7


Bazaar of the Bizarre: Ooh. A whole bunch of nifty planescape artifacts. For a third time in quick succession, it's a collection of decidedly mixed benefits. But when the theme is suits of ultra badass magical armour made by abyssal lords (see, now that's a good highly specific theme they're unlikely to duplicate precisely again.) expecting them not to have drawbacks, especially if you try and do good with them, is a futile task. This seems like the perfect set of items to have for your sentai team of upper-ranking bad guys, given their sadism and variety.

The Battlemonger makes you very popular with gnolls and undead, along with kickass offensive and defensive abilities. The only drawback is a little cannibalism craving that it inflicts. Well, you'll be slaughtering things anyway. Waste not, want not.

The Black Prison removes your biological needs and makes you regenerative, but can't be removed. Of course, it does nothing for the mental strain of this new lifestyle, and eventually you'll go mad. Hey, you'll still be serving the cause of chaos and evil wherever you go, perhaps even moreso, so no skin off their nose.

The Horned Casque is Baphomet's contribution. It gives you the expected minotaurish powers, plus the social benefits in dealing with them, plus gorgon breath, a terrifying bellow, and summoning powers. And all it asks in return is courage and mass slaughter of gnolls. Surely you can show a little confidence under the circumstances.

The Immolator bursts into flame when worn, and wants you to burn stuff. Ahahahahaha! Another curse that'll hardly be a curse unless you're trying to be a good guy.

The Infinite Panoply is as shifty and treacherous as it's maker, Fraz-Urb'luu. It'll disappear when you need it most, but until then it can disguise itself, shapeshift you, and reflect attacks back on the attacker.

The Juggernaut is 12' tall and essentially makes you into a mini necromecha and commander of undead armies. It'll eventually drain your lifeforce and turn you into undead yourself, but there are worse ways to go.

The Lady's Favor is zuggtmoy's fungal protection. As it instantly corrodes any weapons that touch it, it's a very effective one indeed. On the other hand, it's one of the more quickly lethal ones, as it infects you with fuzzy mold. Give to expendable minions.

The Lavashu is basically the venom symbiote, only stickier and harder to remove from the host. It'll probably take control of you, so you really don't want to touch this after beating the previous occupant.

The Pelagic Ageis is Dagon's method to offer power, and eventually turn you into his slave. Along with the expected water powers are tentacles and forcefields. Use with great caution.

The Raptor Cuirass gradually hollows out your bones, as befits it's avian theme. In the meantime, you get flight, talons, whirlwind summoning and bird control. Another position the evil overlord will cycle through regularly in their lieutenants.

The Rime Guard is freezing, both to you and those around. Fortunately, it'll turn you into a were-polar bear after a while, so problem solved.

The Spiderspawn is Lolth's one. Unlike the others, she's quite particular about who wears it. Boys need not apply. On the plus side, spider-powers. Which means you have to be rivals with The Lavashu's wearer. Abyssal politics is fun.

The Wizard Ward is Demogorgon's contribution. It'll gradually transform you into a giant snake, but in the meantime has both magic resistant and reptilian themed powers. Once again, there are worse ways to go and you get to have lots of fun in the meantime.


Dragon's bestiary: Some more official Greyhawk stuff here this month. Iuz may have been beaten back in recent supplements, but he's not defeated by a long way. He's already developing new monstrosities to replace his losses. Do you want to see what they are? Better prepared than not, you know.

Blackroot marauders are corrupt tree creatures. They're poisonous and resistant to plenty of stuff, so they'll rampage happily across a battlefield or just wander and cause devastation as ordered.

Dirtwraiths are an abyssal import. Like Abyss ants, they're doing worryingly well in the prime material plane, taking control of plants and turning areas into wastelands as they spread. If it was anyone other than Iuz, I'd wonder what he plans to do with lands wrecked like that, but we know he's not the most rational of planners.

Hounds of kyuss, like his regular spawn, are horrible disease ridden things that will kill you nastily and use your body to generate more of them. And they make a horrible noise too. Even if you control one, you really really don't want to stroke it.

Murdakus are bizzarely two-faced dragons created by Iuz's magics. They have a number of biological quirks, some useful, and some exploitable. They feel nicely like actual beta technology almost as much a problem as a boon for it's creators, bringing this cool little monster collection to a close. Looks like Iuz is in no danger of conquering the world any time soon if this is the best he can manage.

 

[David Howery]

I always thought Iuz was one of the major things that made Greyhawk as cool as it was... an evil demi-god right there on the world, doing his best to conquer everything in sight. Rather Sauron-ish, but still cool. Plus, he had Mongol-ish horse archers on his borders. Mongols vs. demons, does it get any cooler than that?