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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6083534" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 307: May 2003 part 4/9Heroes of Cormyr: Greyhawk may have moved out now, but the Realms is still getting multiple articles nearly every issue. Even individual regions get more detail than most other campaign worlds. So here we go again, showing what benefits you can get by swearing loyalty to a larger organisation, rather than just wandering wherever fortune takes you. Let's see if it feels worth it given the rules you'll have to abide by.Battlepriests get full BAB, 2 extra domains, and a load of social effects that make them good for fighting in the frontlines and keeping the troops healthy and motivated. In this case, sacrificing a couple of spellcasting levels seems entirely worth it. Council Mages are a short one for the high level wizards who get Vangerdhast's personal approval. With the ability to cast co-operatively to raise DC's, easy access to high level spells through their connections and a bonus to dispelling checks, they're definitely strong team players who can bring the strategy to a big party. Let's hope the player is as good a planner as the character should be. Noble Adventurers have the interesting distinction of being the only 4 level prestige class I've ever seen. While they last, they're just plain better than regular fighters in nearly every way, so you want social status and power, you'd be dumb not to go for the classy option. Moon Drovers have the really perilous job of harvesting catoblepas herds for death cheese. Fortunately, by 2nd level, they're immune to to their death gaze, but you'll need to survive a few levels of regular cleric before you get that. Still, since they keep full spellcasting, and there's people around who can raise you, I think a few months milking the warthogs is a worthwhile way to spend your summer holidays. Royal Scouts are for particularly patriotic rangers, hunting down any monsters that enter the royal woods and serving as messengers the rest of the time. With lots of low skill requirements, you'll probably need to multiclass to get in, but once again, they're worth it. So this is a particularly twinky collection, appropriate for those who like to multiclass a lot to squeeze every inch of optimisation out of their character. Good thing they are region specific then. Elminster's guide to the realms: A bridge as an adventure location? Haven't had one of those since issue 131. Another underused idea when you consider how good a flashpoint for dramatic encounters they make. Be there tolls, trolls, treacherous footing or stuff hidden beneath, getting across can definitely be a challenge for low-mid level adventurers. Of course Ed wants to create a persistent world, so this particular bridge is in no danger of collapsing anytime in the next few centuries. But it does have a regular problem with bugbear bandits, a whole load of little hidden compartments, triggered magic mouths that proclaim odd stuff to people crossing, and a really nasty marsh underneath to suck down people who try to go around it. If you're high enough level to laugh at all of those, there might also be an extradimensional gate to a dragon's lair if you touch the right stones in the right order. As usual, this is aimed at characters of all levels and the idea that you can cross multiple times and still find something new to keep it from being just another flavor encounter. Still, even if it is formulaic, at least he's found another real world thing that deserves more attention in game. I'm sure billygoats everywhere will thank him for it.</blockquote>

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