(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 265: November 1999
part 4/7
Countdown to 3rd edition: 9 months to go. We don't get much new info about 3e itself this time. Instead they talk about the Gen Con where it was announced. And if you think they're going to put on a big show, you're damn right. They've roped in both original founders to promote it, which I suspect was a significant factor in the 3e changeover having a bigger uptake than 4e. They've also deployed vast numbers of playtesters to iron out the kinks, but of course are leery of changing things so fundamentally that the game no longer feels like D&D, which means the fighter/spellcaster divide in versatility and high level power is still all too well in place. Basically, they're pulling out all the stops, to make sure as many people know about it and think the idea is cool as possible. The only holdouts will be people who are entirely out of the loop or consciously choose to reject the new edition. We've come a long way since the last edition change, and the way the media works is very different. They are not going to mess around.
Earthstokers: They decide to take a break from putting a huge special feature at the start this month, but they're still leading with their biggest and best material, and putting extra effort into the artwork for it. And it is pretty interesting. An order of druids that specialise in monitoring and regulating seismic activity? That's a valuable niche that the Complete Druids Handbook never filled. And since volcanos and earthquakes can cause massive amounts of damage, I can see certain players drooling at the idea of wielding their powers. Of course, this is tempered by the need to not use their powers in a manner harmful to nature overall (which doesn't mean they can't wipe out the occasional uppity human settlement) or lose them. This is a pretty entertaining read, and the writer obviously has both enthusiasm for the subject and real world research, but it also has some substantial mechanical flaws that really should have been caught in editing. The kit confuses mage schools and priest spheres in a way that makes it's intentions unclear, the new dragon type fails to distinguish which of it's spell slots belong to which class, and the whole thing adds a somewhat clunky extra subsystem for tracking seismic energy onto the game. So this will definitely appeal to those who like that old skool verve, but does need a bit of errata to actually be usable in a game. Pay more attention, Dave.
Primitive PCs: They haven't mentioned the whole every monster can become a PC in 3e thing yet. That's bound to raise a few eyebrows. In the meantime, time is ticking away, and there's still a whoie ton of humanoids that never got PC stats, that would be well suited to it. I'm betting this is the kind of thing they'll step up in the last few 2e issues. Course, they might not be any good statistically. But that kind of judgement is what I do. Let's see if these guys can be tamed.
Gibberlings aren't very bright, but given their strong horde instincts, one that's separated from their companions might fall in with a group of adventurers, although they'll never really lose their simple and direct thought processes and tendency to scream their way through a problem. They have pretty standard goblinoid class options and limits, so they're not going to keep up at high levels.
Grimlocks are rather more versatile, although they'll need to develop a custom method of recording their spells if they want to be wizards. Their lack of sight and enhanced other senses will be crucial in playing them, but otherwise they're not that special statistically. I think the talking points they have are significant enough though.
Mold Men are pretty alien, and their main flaws revolve around bridging that gap enough to relate to meat-based lifeforms. They do have pretty substantial benefits though, Immunity to electricity, piercing weapons, and anything that affects animals, they could mess with quite a few standard tactics to their benefit. That can definitely be fun for a PC.
Quaggoths are fairly typical humanoids, apart from having moderate psionic talents in their spiritual guys instead of shamen. Still, they're very much of the sort that'll be good at 1st level thanks to their natural weapons and armor, and then rapidly fall behind at higher levels. It ain't easy, having a genetic tendency towards mookism.
Su-Monsters get a bit of revisioning, suggesting the author has a real soft spot for them. Their adrenalin shot when defending their family won't apply as adventurers, but their climbing, natural weapons, and psionic talents certainly will. They have some pretty decent tactical options a less mobile race would really struggle to match.
Troglodytes of course have to deal with the social issues their odor creates. (don't put them in a party with a Grimlock in particular.) Still, I'm definitely surprised they haven't been done before, since they're one of the old staple monsters that have been around forever, and have fairly decent powers. I guess the social stigma of excessive BO is more of a consideration to the average geek than you'd think.
Yeti also have social issues, but not as severely, and lose some of their powers outside their native climate, so they're another one that definitely won't be settling down with the other adventurers. Once gain, their level limits aren't great though, which I think fits into the general primitivism thing. While cunning, these guys just don't have the capacity for advanced learning to build a sophisticated culture on their own. So I think the rules do fit the fluff in this case, making this collection interesting, but not really able to fill out an entire party on their own. Spices and seasonings, that's the ticket. The magazine provides an epic selection for your game to choose from, but it'll never replace the corebooks.
part 4/7
Countdown to 3rd edition: 9 months to go. We don't get much new info about 3e itself this time. Instead they talk about the Gen Con where it was announced. And if you think they're going to put on a big show, you're damn right. They've roped in both original founders to promote it, which I suspect was a significant factor in the 3e changeover having a bigger uptake than 4e. They've also deployed vast numbers of playtesters to iron out the kinks, but of course are leery of changing things so fundamentally that the game no longer feels like D&D, which means the fighter/spellcaster divide in versatility and high level power is still all too well in place. Basically, they're pulling out all the stops, to make sure as many people know about it and think the idea is cool as possible. The only holdouts will be people who are entirely out of the loop or consciously choose to reject the new edition. We've come a long way since the last edition change, and the way the media works is very different. They are not going to mess around.
Earthstokers: They decide to take a break from putting a huge special feature at the start this month, but they're still leading with their biggest and best material, and putting extra effort into the artwork for it. And it is pretty interesting. An order of druids that specialise in monitoring and regulating seismic activity? That's a valuable niche that the Complete Druids Handbook never filled. And since volcanos and earthquakes can cause massive amounts of damage, I can see certain players drooling at the idea of wielding their powers. Of course, this is tempered by the need to not use their powers in a manner harmful to nature overall (which doesn't mean they can't wipe out the occasional uppity human settlement) or lose them. This is a pretty entertaining read, and the writer obviously has both enthusiasm for the subject and real world research, but it also has some substantial mechanical flaws that really should have been caught in editing. The kit confuses mage schools and priest spheres in a way that makes it's intentions unclear, the new dragon type fails to distinguish which of it's spell slots belong to which class, and the whole thing adds a somewhat clunky extra subsystem for tracking seismic energy onto the game. So this will definitely appeal to those who like that old skool verve, but does need a bit of errata to actually be usable in a game. Pay more attention, Dave.
Primitive PCs: They haven't mentioned the whole every monster can become a PC in 3e thing yet. That's bound to raise a few eyebrows. In the meantime, time is ticking away, and there's still a whoie ton of humanoids that never got PC stats, that would be well suited to it. I'm betting this is the kind of thing they'll step up in the last few 2e issues. Course, they might not be any good statistically. But that kind of judgement is what I do. Let's see if these guys can be tamed.
Gibberlings aren't very bright, but given their strong horde instincts, one that's separated from their companions might fall in with a group of adventurers, although they'll never really lose their simple and direct thought processes and tendency to scream their way through a problem. They have pretty standard goblinoid class options and limits, so they're not going to keep up at high levels.
Grimlocks are rather more versatile, although they'll need to develop a custom method of recording their spells if they want to be wizards. Their lack of sight and enhanced other senses will be crucial in playing them, but otherwise they're not that special statistically. I think the talking points they have are significant enough though.
Mold Men are pretty alien, and their main flaws revolve around bridging that gap enough to relate to meat-based lifeforms. They do have pretty substantial benefits though, Immunity to electricity, piercing weapons, and anything that affects animals, they could mess with quite a few standard tactics to their benefit. That can definitely be fun for a PC.
Quaggoths are fairly typical humanoids, apart from having moderate psionic talents in their spiritual guys instead of shamen. Still, they're very much of the sort that'll be good at 1st level thanks to their natural weapons and armor, and then rapidly fall behind at higher levels. It ain't easy, having a genetic tendency towards mookism.
Su-Monsters get a bit of revisioning, suggesting the author has a real soft spot for them. Their adrenalin shot when defending their family won't apply as adventurers, but their climbing, natural weapons, and psionic talents certainly will. They have some pretty decent tactical options a less mobile race would really struggle to match.
Troglodytes of course have to deal with the social issues their odor creates. (don't put them in a party with a Grimlock in particular.) Still, I'm definitely surprised they haven't been done before, since they're one of the old staple monsters that have been around forever, and have fairly decent powers. I guess the social stigma of excessive BO is more of a consideration to the average geek than you'd think.
Yeti also have social issues, but not as severely, and lose some of their powers outside their native climate, so they're another one that definitely won't be settling down with the other adventurers. Once gain, their level limits aren't great though, which I think fits into the general primitivism thing. While cunning, these guys just don't have the capacity for advanced learning to build a sophisticated culture on their own. So I think the rules do fit the fluff in this case, making this collection interesting, but not really able to fill out an entire party on their own. Spices and seasonings, that's the ticket. The magazine provides an epic selection for your game to choose from, but it'll never replace the corebooks.
Once again I approve strongly of this column, and just wish it was a bit longer, so I'd have more to talk about. 
