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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6259134" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 358: August 2007part 4/6Checkmate!: Huh. We've had a fair few updates from Dragon's previous edition articles lately, but this is the first definite Polyhedron one I've spotted (although you never know, since I've only really skimmed them so far.) Using chess pieces to create a themed set of monsters/magical items was done in issues 82 and 90 of Polyhedron, with different stats in each. Course, it could be independent generation, but it is very interesting that they did it twice, while Dragon never did, despite having four cool chess themed covers back in the day. Very worth noting, especially since Erik edited Polyhedron for a bit before being promoted here. Let's see how this interpretation differs from previous ones. Pawns are of course individually weak, and can only move directly towards an enemy, which makes maintaining a tactical formation difficult. however, if they can stick together, they become quite effective, gaining more bonuses the more of them adjacent to each other there are. 8 in a row can stand fast against any mook level army all damn day, and will likely level up after such a feat of heroism. Knights get to make odd angled moves through occupied spaces without provoking attacks of opportunity, which is very fitting. They also get the power to protect allies from harm, which seems appropriate for their name. Once again, the tactical applications of their tricks once translated to D&D play seems quite interesting, and very worth thinking about. Bishops move diagonally as if it was straight, and straight as if it were diagonal, which only really makes sense if you're playing with minis on a grid. Lure them into a place with narrow corridors to slow them down quite a lot. They also buff all their allies automatically, and have cleric spells to do so more, so you might want to try and take them out first. Rooks get to charge in a straight line attacking multiple opponents along the way, and fall on people to do more damage when finally defeated, leaving a permanent zone effect there until the rubble is cleared. Once again, that's an interesting mechanical development that shows attention paid to recent supplements. Queens have immense speed and mobility, plus the ability to inflict extra damage when moving, plus 9th level sorcerer spellcasting. Sounds like they do indeed enjoy the flexibility their chess namesake has and then some. Better hope you have a high level team with plenty of diversity if you're up against this one. Kings are powerful, but not nearly as fast or flexible, and bear the weight of knowing that if they get defeated, the whole set goes down, so they retreat rather than fight wherever possible. So this set manage to both capture the feel of a chess set individually, and have quite interesting tactical tricks that mean they're much more than the sum of their parts if played smart. They also feel very 4e in terms of overall design, making this a very forward thinking article, in contrast to the ones looking back or filling regular series surrounding it. Since it presents a different type of combat encounter to most sets of new monsters, this definitely merits it's place even this late in the game, showing some thing are timeless and can be used for inspiration any time. The ecology of the Kaorti: Ahh, the bloody far realm. Essentially 3e's designer's way of one-upping the pretty 1-2e cosmology, and putting more Lovecraft in the game at the same time, saying there's another place out there that's bigger than everything you've seen so far put together, and there's nothing you can do about it but go mad. Still rather ambivalent about that particular add-on. Here we have another variant on the "You will be assimilated, and your whole world too" business. Still, at least this world is just as nasty and maddening to them as they are to us. The attempts at being evocative may work this time, but they come at the expense of both settling rules issues and expanding on their stats, and providing inventive tactical ideas, which used to be a real strength of the last few years' format. What crunch there is is pretty cool as well, but there isn't nearly enough of it. I really am not that keen on the directions this column has taken in recent years. Lets hope they don't stick too closely to the current formula for the final instalment, and get some big name or other in to go out with a bang.</blockquote>

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