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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6123139" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 315: January 2004part 8/8Countdown to Eberron: Having provided articles for so many old settings, they would seem a little remiss if they forgot to keep in the teaser for their next one. So while they have cut out most of their regular columns, this remains to keep the fires burning. They're still being pretty damnably vague about actual specific NPC's, monsters or geography, but they're very specific indeed about the tone and inspirations. The influences are largely cinematic rather than literary, with pulp and swashbuckling dominant, but not forgetting the medieval stories. After all, even if the world has advanced to this magitech place with huge cities and bullet trains connecting them, it's still built on a D&D fantasy world, with a corresponding history.  In fact, that's a good encapsulation of their approach in general. It's not only everything in the house including the kitchen sink like the Realms, it's everything and the kitchen sink, and then they raided the toolshed afterwards on top of that. Mechanically, this is the case as well, with all the regular classes, spells and monsters being there, plus new stuff like action points from d20 modern, and a class devoted to handling magic item making better. Like Shadowrun, 40k or Rifts, this is going to be an expansive setting that you can fit all kinds of stories and playstyles into, rather than a tightly focussed one. The time for specialisation is over. They've got to try and please everyone or go home. Which means we leave this issue with me pretty certain they won't be returning to those days of many settings supported simultaneously, no matter how well this gets received. As long as their marketing department prizes unity over diversity, that's how they'll have to market things. Sage advice: Can you cast beneficial spells on a golem (Not if they allow SR. They aren't smart enough to let down their immunities.)Can you dispel Evard's black tentacles (Yes, thankfully. Always remember your safe word, kids. )Do the tentacles have miss chances. Where are they. (Not from cover or concealment, because they're everywhere. Fear the eruption) Can you use metamagic feats on spells from a staff (No)Can you use high arcana powers on staff spells (Not in general. There is one little exception. Course, if you're an archmage, you can build your own custom staff with automatic inherent metamagic. Don't be lazy. Customize your build. It's so much more satisfying.)Does damage from Harm risk the massive death rule (Skip recommends no. The whole point of the spell is to leave them barely alive and at your mercy. If they're dead, then you can't torment them further so easily. Where's the fun in that?) Do you have to pay 5,000 xp every time you use a wish (At the very least. Wishes are like horses. Always look them in the mouth, because they do not come cheap, and a wish is a terrible thing to waste. ) Can clerics use spells in items from domains they could have chosen, but didn't (Nein. Das ist Bloody Stupid, ya. You are crap rules lawyer, ya. YOU VILL GROVEL FOR FORGIVENESS ON YOUR KNEES BEFORE SKIP, YA?! Mmmm. Das ist Gut.)  Dork tower can't switch off the gaming urge. Well, this issue was certainly a substantial improvement on the last 5, with a considerably more interesting theme and quirky articles, but it was still very much a mixed bag, much of which was frustratingly shallow. Still, it shows both ambition and variety, both of which are very welcome indeed, and it reminds us just how many fans these settings have. Overall, it's a good start to the year. Let's see if the rest of it is also an improvement on last year.</blockquote>

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