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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 4820045" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 124: August 1987part 2/5Sage advice: How big or small can you get using polymorph self ( DM's choice, but remember they can't exceed the hit dice limit)How many times a day can hellhounds breathe fire (as often as the random roll lets them. It's like 4th ed, only nonstandardised.)Can't completely dicing a troll stop it from regenerating (No. Even if it's put miles in the negative, it can still come back if you don't kill it with fire. Trolls are bastards to get rid of.)Will remove curse make a magic item useful. (if it was cursed in the first place. If it was designed specifically to screw you over, it still will. Ha ha. ) How do you keep a sword with a different alignment? ( don't touch it with your skin or try and fight with it. I recommend selling it on as soon as possible. ) How far can you abuse geas and quest. (Moderately. Not as far as you think. ) Can you remove Quests and Geases with dispel or remove curse (no. You need the specific counterspell. They are specifically designed to be a right nuisance to deal with. ) How do you build a stronghold ( The costs and construction times are right there on page 23. Beyond that, you'll have to design the details yourself. Reading the evil overlord list before you do would be a good idea, even if you think you're a good guy. ) How much does it cost to build a wall (page 23, again. Pay attention, people.)Why was the method of calculating will scores changed (because Frank Mentzer thought making the battle purely mental would be a better idea. Yes, this screws over fighters. Intelligent swords are a pain in the ass. Live with it. Or write to him to complain, not me. Oh, wait, he doesn't work here anymore. )Is the sling range listing right (Yes. We claim Historical Accuracy. Do you doubt our claims? )Why do galleys suck at riding out storms (because their sides hang low, and they waggle too and fro. You'll have to get a giant to put your ship over it's shoulder like a regimental soldier if you want to avoid sinking. )Why are saving throws and thief abilities worse in Mentzer ed than Moldvay (Because Moldvay was a more of a twink. You remember Giants in the earth, don't you? Seriously though, it's so high level characters still have room to advance. 36th level is a long way, and we have to ration out your bonuses more carefully correspondingly.) Sailors on the sea of air: Airships! Another cool fantasy topic we haven't seen stuff on in Aaaaages. A cool idea, with plenty of fictional sources for you to draw on for inspiration, multiple methods by which they could be constructed, and plenty of ways in which they can be used to drive the plot. Ed agrees with me, and is quite willing to insert them into the forgotten realms. Indeed, he would later go on to create an entire nation of mages that make heavy use of skyships to travel around and trade with the rest of the world. But at the moment, it's the thayvians that have their hands on a mysterious bit of ancient magitech. He's a lot more specific than he used to be about realmslore, mentioning many familiar faces and places, and filling in a fairly substantial detail in the history of the Seven Sisters. (Mary sue metaplot off the starboard bow sir! Shall we open fire? ) He's also quite detailed about the construction and functioning of his sample ships, making sure that they aren't too powerful, but players would have a decent chance of creating and maintaining one, and could also salvage their components and turn the various effects on them to imaginative ends. So this is both a flavourful and very gamable contribution from the master, well suited to kick off this special with. On a wing and a prayer: Of course, skyships are big, expensive, much coveted and frequently a bugger to maintain. You're unlikely to be able to justify giving a group possession of one (as opposed to riding on someone else's) until name level or so. But there are other methods. Such as Gliders. These can function even without any magical intervention, but a little levitation spell can hugely increase your flying range and maneuverability. They might be fragile and require quite a bit of training, but they're accessible to low level characters, and can be quite useful in some adventures, while giving the DM plenty of easy excuses that keep players from using them all the time. (Ahh, the joys of the weather) Definitely an idea worth considering, both for players and their adversaries (Goblins and Kobolds using makeshift gliders to drop stuff on attacking parties seems curiously appropriate, somehow. ) and the writer manages to strike a nice balance between the cool stuff and the realistic inconveniences. Once again, a highly enjoyable contribution.</blockquote>

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