Let's read the entire run

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 310: August 2003


part 6/9


Fiction: The knells of Tancras Moor by Michael A Stackpole. The fiction this month is a good old example of those stories where the protagonist turns a deal with the devil around, and via cleverness and willpower, manages to not only get the better end of it, but hold the supernatural creatures to their deal and actively screw them over. But that doesn't mean he gets a particularly happy ending, or indeed an ending at all for that matter, as he now has to wander the world, with considerable supernatural power, but no real friends, and the burden of great responsibility and temptation always with him. This is a fairly entertaining bit of franchise bait, in other words, setting up the backstory of the kind of protagonist that could get into all sorts of scrapes and misadventures. It's also more than a little derivative of the Fool Wolf stories, but I'm not going to hold that against it too much, as it does take the idea of spirit bonded people in an animistic universe in a different direction. I wouldn't object to seeing it again.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 310: August 2003


part 7/9


DM's toolbox: Johnn covers the easily overlooked topic of guides this month. They can be avoided because it's easy to put them in the GMPC camp, or because players are dumb enough to think they can muddle it all out themselves. Nevertheless, in a realistic campaign, it can make a lot of sense to hire one when exploring a new region. The key is to leave them as just guides, not someone who has all the answers and can deal with any monsters in the area better than the PC's as well (although knowing how to not rile them up and avoid starting a fight in the first place makes a lot of sense. ) And the usual stuff about building a personality for them and playing them in an interesting way, just like any character. Anyone who's used to playing in a game full of hirelings (who often have shorter lifespans than the main character) shouldn't have a problem with this. It's just the ones used to 2e style play that might be the problem. Don't make them more important than they need to be, but at the same time, don't just make them tools in the hands of the players. Another variation on the general theme of character building, I think this manages to have enough useful specific bits in amongst the general advice to retain it's value.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 310: August 2003


part 8/9


Dungeoncraft: Monte talks about the map-first method of dungeon building. Just as with plot first, you do need to have an idea behind what you're doing, as it makes things much more coherent than just adding rooms and figuring out what goes in them afterwards. Of course, you could say that it started out as one thing, and then got repurposed, but if you're coming up with stuff like that, I think you're well on the way to building an interesting story and environment anyway. What also helps is to imagine what it looks like and then draw it, rather than just sketching, and think of it in three dimensions, rather than entirely separate levels on different sheets of graph paper. The map is not the territory, and hopefully, your environment and description of it'll be good enough that the players think of it in that way as well. As with Johnn's advice, this is fairly familiar, and the difference is mainly in the flavour of the retelling. You use this kind of article as a checklist to make sure you aren't forgetting something obvious when you build your adventures, and to see how playstyles are evolving over the years. And as we already know, their official stance is back to the dungeon, but in practice we're still keeping most of the lessons we learned in 2e about building more elaborate characters and stories. That's about the tone of it here. Let's see where it takes us next.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 310: August 2003


part 9/9


Sage advice is back from the month off, and has spent the time mastering the new rules. Now Skip is Official again! Skip, aahh, the eternal sage! All praise the eternal sage. None can rival Skip. None can defeat Skip. None can go on longer, none can be more definitive. Through decades of trials, Skip has triumphed over every puzzle, and Skip will continue to triumph long after you, and all Skip's former companions are gone. Now, back to work. Skip has a rep to maintain, and the big city waits for no-one.

What's the difference between EL, ECL and CR (EL is how tough an overall group of creatures is, ECL is class level plus however much extra power a monster gets from it's racial abilities. CR is how hard an individual monster is to beat in a fight. )

Why are ECL's and CR's so different. (Because some abilities have more impact when PC's have them, and use them all the time. PCs are different starts to rear it's ugly head again after nearly vanishing in 3.0 )

When does a monster go epic (When its total HD exceed 20. This may require them to be considerably higher than 21st level.)

What levels would an ECL 15 minotaur have (You are correct. 8 racial levels, plus 7 class ones.)

What class abilities are considered special attacks (Anything which hurts or hinders someone. Heh.)

What counts as multiple attacks for monsters ECL (More than one attack. If any of them do more than 1d8, you also get another +1 to ECL. Is that so hard.)

Do anthromorph felines lose the pounce power. (Yes. Their legs aren't suited to it.)

Can a gold dragon with levels in sorcerer also learn higher level cleric spells (yes, but complicatedly. )

Does a human with the reptilian template still get their normal powers (yes. Templates do not take stuff away unless they say they do. )

How do racial HD figure in multiclass XP penalties (Ignore them. Monsters have enough problems without that crippling their advancement as well. )

Why do ogre mages get regeneration listed twice (Because they get better at it)

Does manyattack apply to full attacks as well as standard attacks (no)

What good is improved manyshot. (At epic levels, it's very useful. Endless iteration is not to be sneezed at.)

Can precise shot and rapid shot be used with manyshot (Yes, no. Look at action types for compatibility.)

Can you add your strength bonus to manyshots with a composite bow( Yes. Just call Skip Odysseus.)


What's new looks into the future. Odds of success are vague. They really should get better prophets.


As I feared, this issue rushes through a whole load of topics in a shallow and unsatisfying way, which is a particularly sharp contrast with the incredible degree of focus in the last issue. Warrior types once again don't get particularly impressive amounts of customisation when compared to spellcasters. Speaking of which, let's head to the next issue to see if they get the same treatment, or if there's obvious favouritism going on here.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 311: September 2003


part 1/9


106 (108) pages. Wizards · Sorcerers · Clerics · Druids · Bards. Yup, The spellcasting classes are already getting favoritism by being less thinly spread. My worst fears about this changeover are being realised. This issue'll probably still be pretty shallow compared to normal themes, and spellcasting classes'll get better stuff than fighty ones. I want out of here. As usual though, I have to go all the way through instead of skimming lightly off the top or teleporting all the way around. Let's get through the remaining 2 parts of this update so we can get to some new ideas again.


Scan Quality: Good, unindexed.


In this issue:


Wyrms turn: In an issue that's all about covering the old classes again, it's ironic that the editorial is about new directions. They do genuinely want to unearth new ideas for articles that make them feel the same kind of excitement they did when they were readers. But it's not that often a submission like that comes along, and it gets harder each time. Still, they certainly managed it with the Incursion material, so they're hopeful someone has an ace up the hole that they're willing to submit. And that they can spot the ideas that'll work if given a good polishing, not just consign them to the bin, which is always a worry. Yeah, I'm hoping that too. As usual, it seems like their heart is in the right place, it's just that the submissions aren't always what they need, so they have to fall back on formula. Now we just have to get through this month. Sigh.


Scale Mail: Our first letter, not too surprisingly, is from someone who was wowed by the githyanki incursion material. Indeed. :nods: We shall see if it sticks in people's memories 20 years later.

Second, we have a complaint that they often put the cover artwork on top of the magazine's name these days. They never used to do that, although that's probably because they couldn't before the days when the magazine was produced on computer, allowing them to manipulate everything in layers and create transparencies without physically cutting stuff up, which is a risky process with expensive cover plates. I don't have a problem with it the way I do spraying promotional stuff everywhere, but I can see why it would irritate others.

Equally amusing is someone trying to reassure them that all the bitching they see on internet message boards isn't something they need to worry about, and certainly not something they should dignify with a direct response. You do need to remember that you only see the loudest and most obsessive voices there. As long as the general public is cool, you're cool.

Not funny at all, on the other hand, is someone complaining in no uncertain terms about the many spell nerfs in 3.5. Yeah, this is one complaint that's got real legs, as plenty of people feel really strongly on both sides of the issue. And if they think 3.5 went too far in this, they'll definitely hate what 4e did. You really do need spells that stick around and are a bugger to get rid of if you want to emulate many literary sources.

And we finish off with yet more pop culture references. Ho hum. I think this topic has had it's day.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 311: September 2003


part 2/9


Zogonia want to be an equal opportunities team. Yeah, they'll need to do some serious affirmative action for that to work. And then they get a second strip, where another joke is punctured. Purility sucks.


Up on a soapbox: Gary's been off for a good few months, but it's like he was never away, with another comfy old story about his adventures with his kids and friends. This time, it's Luke, aka Melf, that gets the spotlight. Being one of Gary's kids, this obviously meant he got to be one of the most frequent players, and attain some of the highest levels in the entire campaign. But he had his share of challenges and setbacks along the way, including the permanent loss of some of his best magical items. It's a reminder that a campaign shouldn't just be a constant accretion of new gear with higher and higher plusses. You should be using up scrolls and wands, spending money on hirelings and parties, and sometimes having stuff stolen and needing to deal with that. Yet again, the lesson here is not to spoil your players. Sure, they should usually win overall, but losses and casualties should be a very real threat that force them to keep their game sharp, lest they find themselves thrown back to the rookie leagues by a few spectres. And if that does happen, you shouldn't let it deter you. As long as you're alive, you can claw your way back up again. Even injuries and losses that are crippling in reality can be fixed with the right magic. Persist, and your victories will be all the sweeter.


Sneak Preview - D&D Miniatures: Chainmail ground to a halt about a year ago after only a couple of supplements. Now it looks like they're relaunching the D&D skirmish game without the setting, and with the rules even further simplified for larger scale action, plus a greater emphasis on the collectible side of things. While Chainmail might not have been a success, they obviously made enough money from selling the minis to give them another try, only with broader, more generic targeting. While they're trying to create a cool set of teasers here, there is that real elephant in the room that WotC hasn't been as good with settings as TSR, and is a lot more ruthless about dropping them when they fail to perform, even if their sales are on a level a smaller company would be absolutely ecstatic about. And since I did like what I saw of Chaimail's setting quite a lot, that's particularly disappointing here. Sure, you can probably still use the old minis with the new game and vice versa, but the romance is gone, and all that's left is the challenge of collecting 'em all, which no longer really does it for me.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 311: September 2003


part 3/9


Sneak preview - Eberron: Ah, now this is something I can be more positive about. WotC's first (and for the moment, only) new D&D setting to get a full product line of support just like the good old days. Ok, so they didn't create it all themselves, instead selecting it from many many submissions in a competition, but that still means it had a lead creator with a degree of star power in a way the first 3 AD&D campaigns did, and the later ones didn't. And like Planescape, they certainly put a lot of effort into molding it's distinct visuals, even as they made sure everything D&D had at least a small place there. Those sketches make up most of this teaser article, making it pretty obvious that this is going to be a nice long buildup before the whole thing is released. They also make it obvious that the place is going to be higher tech than any previous D&D setting, yet still full of fantastical elements. Robots, railroads and dinosaur riders, oh my. I definitely want to see more of this in the last 4 years of the magazine. Hopefully it'll get it's fair share of articles after it's released as well as before.


Arcane ancestry: We start off with some stuff that will appear in future books. A whole bunch of bloodline feats for Sorcerers. Along with the expected Dragon, Fae and Fiend blood that they might have got their powers from, there's also 4 elemental bloodines, with some fairly predictable boosts if you want that kind of theme without selecting Gensai as your race. Each theme gets 2 feats, and there's a bunch of general ones like social bonuses with creatures of your bloodline or extra spells. It's all pretty formulaic. This is definitely a case where having fewer bloodline types with more feats each would work better, giving you a greater ability to build your character up and have them become increasingly inhuman as they level. I'm not really that impressed. They'll implement this better later, making this another work in progress article.

 

[LordVyreth]

Sneak preview - Eberron: Ah, now this is something I can be more positive about. WotC's first (and for the moment, only) new D&D setting to get a full product line of support just like the good old days. Ok, so they didn't create it all themselves, instead selecting it from many many submissions in a competition, but that still means it had a lead creator with a degree of star power in a way the first 3 AD&D campaigns did, and the later ones didn't. And like Planescape, they certainly put a lot of effort into molding it's distinct visuals, even as they made sure everything D&D had at least a small place there. Those sketches make up most of this teaser article, making it pretty obvious that this is going to be a nice long buildup before the whole thing is released. They also make it obvious that the place is going to be higher tech than any previous D&D setting, yet still full of fantastical elements. Robots, railroads and dinosaur riders, oh my. I definitely want to see more of this in the last 4 years of the magazine. Hopefully it'll get it's fair share of articles after it's released as well as before.

So, unreason, did you ever try your hand at the infamous setting contest? I put forth four ideas myself. One I used as a single adventure in my current campaign, one became the basis of my next campaign, the third got sprinkled into that next campaign as well, and the last ... well, I'm embarrassed to even think about.

 

[(un)reason]

Dragon Issue 311: September 2003


part 4/9


Arcane alterations: Surprisingly, Wizards get the smallest article this month. Also surprisingly, it's an OGL one drawing upon a 3rd party product. Monte Cook's distinctive system of ceremonial feats and spell templates from Arcana Unearthed gets converted back to regular D&D. Triply surprisingly, it's not just a straight conversion, but also adds some more variant spell template ideas that you could easily use in both d20 variants, such as adding knockdown to your spells, or making them able to reliably affect incorporeal creatures. Useful stuff that probably doesn't merit adding a whole level onto your spells like normal metamagic feats. Most of them do have a gp cost though, so you won't be able to use them non-stop. So while you'll be able to get a decent amount of use out of them, this thankfully isn't power creep. It's just a shame that unlike the previous article, this one won't be appearing in official books. They might be doing a bit of borrowing, but WotC are still surprisingly loath to use the OGL to pillage the ideas of others for their own profit. Strange, really.


Faces of faith: Like Paladins last issue, Clerics get the most dramatic variants this issue, with a whole bunch of alternative/specialist classes. Ancestral Speakers get to draw on skills from their ancestors in the same way as WoD werewolves, and are really good at actually communicating with undead instead of driving them off, which seems a more productive solution. Arcane Disciples gain wizard bonus feats and spell selections, making them possibly even twinkier than druids. Aspirants try to become gods rather than serve them, and get fewer but more flexible spontaneous spell conversions. They make perfect Athar. Benevolents lose turning for even better healing and buffing powers. Crusaders get Fighter bonus feats and Paladin smiting, making both of them redundant really. Evangelists cast spells spontaneously, getting a fairly limited selection of spells known, but tons of domains. Most of these do look better, and certainly more flexible than the undead turning you sacrifice, (presuming you don't plan to take divine channeling feats) making this further power creep for people who think clerics still aren't cool or game-dominating enough. Like specialist wizards, taking them seems a very good idea indeed if optimisation is your thang.

 

[(un)reason]

So, unreason, did you ever try your hand at the infamous setting contest? I put forth four ideas myself. One I used as a single adventure in my current campaign, one became the basis of my next campaign, the third got sprinkled into that next campaign as well, and the last ... well, I'm embarrassed to even think about.

I didn't find out about that until too late. I was just coming out of my white wolf obsessive phase at that point, so I wasn't paying close attention to what was going on in D&D land.