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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5894635" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 275: September 2000part 4/7Fiction: Songbirds by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. As we've found before, the problem with powerful inscrutable supernatural creatures is that they often do have motivations other than just dicking around with humanity, and idiosyncratic weaknesses that we don't share, it's just that they aren't particularly inclined to explain themselves. And given what resourceful bastards we can be, that's quite justifiable. So it proves here, in a story when humans are entirely deserving of what's being done to them (or at least, their ancestors were, and arguing matters of collective culpability between species that have dramatically different lifespans is another interesting moral issue that has a lot of interesting stories in it.) and the fact that they don't know why this is happening means they're all the more likely to make the same mistakes again. The result is going to be a tragedy for someone, possibly everyone. And since this does go for the harsh ending, while dropping hints all through about what's been going on, I think it is pretty well written. I find myself wishing it was longer, so it had time to build the message up a bit more subtly, which is definitely a good sign. Nodwick & co make it down to D2, the home of the drow. Things get worse from there on in. All they can do is press onwards, and hope they wind up in D3, not D02 know no limit. The abyss doesn't know what's going to hit it. Arcane 7ore is another column suffering from the new attempts at cool, in the process looking ironically dated. The individual spells look like they've been torn out of a book, which does make them easier to distinguish, but also makes it feel more like a scrapbook than a professional product. It is a bit iffy. Since this is a new edition, it's back to the basics without shame in topic. Combat spells! Forget fashion, let's kick ass muthafunkers! Mass Strength is bear's strength for your whole party. Seen you before, and going to see you standardised in the future. Finally, they're connecting back up to the big threads. Weapon Shift is another updating. Slashing bad against your current enemy? Go bludgeoning instead. Simple and easy. Rapid Strikes is a cut down version of haste. You get extra attack. That's it. A reminder that haste was only really nerfed critically in 3.5. Enjoy your revamped capabilities while you have them. Burning Sword is one of your basic energy type damage adders that'll be so popular in neverwinter nights. More power! Bypass those annoying damage resistances! Diamondsteel adds to your equipment's AC and Hardness. It's actually fairly unimpressive for it's level, but since it's on your stuff rather than you, it'll likely stack, which is pretty important now. For the dedicated defence specialist then Lesser Spell Immunity is another one fairly unchanged from the old edition. ignoring one 1st or 2nd level spell? Not to be underestimated, but requires very careful choosing. Shieldbearer makes the shield float around you, allowing you to get the full bonus of even a massive one, while still using both hands for weapons. Yeah, you really can have your cake and eat it. Wizards can cut through the knottiest impasse. Heroics gives you a bonus fighter feat. This means they can smoke an unassisted fighter in terms of targeted versatility. Wizards might be supreme, but a party of multiple classes working together still smokes a monoculture. Battle Hymn isn't a particularly impressive buff for it's level. Ought to have made it properly synergistic if they join in, like old versions. Dolorous Blow gives you better crits. The making this subsystem a default opens up a whole new avenue for overlapping buffs to exploit. Yay. Bristle gives your armor nasty spikes. This is actually scarier than last time, as they attack as well as defend. As they're pretty low level too, that's quite a nice one to add to your repertoire, especially for a multiclass fighter/mage.  Indomitability gives you a temporary reprieve of death. Make sure you have a good cleric in the team if you don't want it to be a noble sacrifice eventually. Hurl lets you boomerang your daggers and stuff. Invaluable if you have expensive magic weapons. One that could become a staple if you use thrown weapons at higher level. Yup. I think the back to basics approach worked this time round, even if I can spot where the spells have been done before last edition.</blockquote>

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