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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6216175" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 343: May 2006part 4/6Fiction: Rivals by Richard Lee Byers. You know, this is the first bit of fiction they've had all year. I suppose that demonstrates once again how they're gradually narrowing their focus again after experimenting with new columns last year. It's another Forgotten Realms one as well, with an emphasis on action and banter over any deep philosophical insights. A grim and embittered half-golem and a not so grim dwarf cleric/ranger have to deal with a very typical case of being hired and betrayed by Mr Johnson, and learning to trust one-another in the process. It saddens me that as they're trying to bring back setting stuff in the regular articles, this department continues to become more formulaic and bound by the rules of the game. Can WotC not leave them at least this free of brand promotion? The ecology of the ettercap: Attercop, attercop! But enough of the Tolkien references (which this ecology certainly doesn't miss. ) D&D is it's own game, honest. And this does indeed put some new spins on the creature, both in terms of history, ecology, and statistics. Just because they're evil, doesn't mean they aren't a part of nature, and a surprising number of them become druids, which makes their tricks even scarier. With rules for treating their offspring as swarms, several ingenious new traps, and a new spell, the new crunch is well above average in usability, and adaptability to other creatures. With their strong social tendencies, they're another creature that when combined with various spider allies and advanced variants, could be a decent driver for an entire adventure. So this is a pretty solid ecology that builds on the existing stuff about them nicely. Wormfood: Oooh. A rather more unique shopping list than the usual monster, magic item, and spell lists that we have become so accustomed to over the past 30 years. A bunch of unique, and exceedingly powerful individuals for you to contact when using Gating. One of the few spells that is still more about the flavour and the potential consequences than strict mechanical balance. You can have all sorts of fun with this, and it's definitely an underused bit of the game. Looks like they do have something nice to offer as you approach epic levels after all. Barabog is a Titan Barbarian who is even more wild and unpredictable than the average titan. As long as the task involves smashing stuff, and you can provide good catering, he'll be happy to help out. Furnace master Gendinom is a truly massive fire elemental, who of course likes to burn stuff. But not just any old stuff. No, just as Barabog wants new food, Genidorm wants new and unique things to burn. Which means quests will never get simpler no matter how many times you summon him. Selauff, on the other hand, just wants money and good conversation, like any Brass Dragon. She'll make sure you pay your debt to her, no matter how tedious it gets. Syranus is a Solar Ranger, which seems like slightly overicing the cake. He'll work for free if your mission coincides with his, or just bugger off if it isn't. No wishy washy compromises here. Walkyrie XVII is an inevitable bounty hunter. If you distract him from his current mission, he will not be amused. On the other hand, if you can offer useful info, he'll return the favor. Xitomat is a coatl monk from Celestia. Exactly how he teaches martial arts compatible with the human form is a bit of a mystery, but teach he does, and quite effectively too. If you want him to help you out, you'd better be prepared to show off your chops or be treated to a long tedious lecture. Sounds like fun to play out.</blockquote>

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