MongooseMatt
First Post
Hi guys,
The latest instalment of the Encyclopaedia Arcane crashes onto the scene this coming week and it is a goodie - Drow Magic, Sorcery of Endless Night. Whether you are a Games Master seeking to inject more black hatred into your Drow or a player spellcaster who is lucky (?) enough to have stolen some of their arcane secrets, this volume of the Encyclopaedia will let you into some of the most vile and depraved secrets of these elves.
Written by Patrick Younts, Drow Magic kicks off with an Overview of their spellcasters and magicks, inspecting the relationships between wizards, sorcerers and the Dark Weavers, a new core class that bridges the gap for Drow between the arcane and the divine. There are new rules for spellcasters trying to identify strange Drow magicks and a guide to the sorcerer breeding programs instigated in their cities. An overview is also provided to Black Ceremony Magic (more on this later).
The next chapter covers the Dark Weaver core class. For Drow only, this character is second only to priestesses in the eyes of the Dark Mother of Spiders. Preparing spells as a wizard, the Dark Weaver chooses a Favoured Path (such as Corruption, Death Rite, the Predator or a host of others) which grants him further powers and spells unique to him.
Other Drow spellcasters have not been ignored, however, and a range of new prestige classes and feats will allow Games Masters to create some truly horrific combinations to face his players as they delve into the black cities. These include the Drow Ceremony Master, Crouching Spider, Path Master, and Mind Spider. Feats such as the Death Collector allow Drow to substitute organs and flesh for material components, while the Power of Blood avoids the need for verbal and somatic components after an act of violence.
Drow Spells is the largest chapter in the book and it is these, beyond all else, that will shape what Drow spellcasters are truly capable of. There is a superb illustration of what a Night Bolt is capable of, while Red Hourglass, Shriek of Abject Hatred and Spider Totem will all bring new horrors to your players.
Next up is Black Ceremonies, the deepest and darkest magicks of the Drow, where they combine their powers to bring forth the greatest destruction. Some of the DCs required to enact these ceremonies can reach DC 100 - worryingly, the Drow are perfectly capable of reaching these high numbers! A full system is included for Games Masters to create their own black ceremonies but several have been provided to show just what is possible - and some of this is real 'end of world' stuff! Awaken the Dark Mother shatters the walls between dimensions to bring forth an avatar of the Drow's black goddess. Black Dawn may take an entire year to complete but, when done, it snuffs out the sun and stars themselves. Corruption transforms a surface elf into a Drow. Death Rite, cast after a battle, ensures no one can be raised or resurrected to trouble the Drow again. As you can see, powerful stuff just crying out to have scenarios based around them.
The book winds up with Help for Games Masters, a guide to integrating Drow Magic into existing campaigns without making the underground race all dominant (well, that is what the players are for!).
Encyclopaedia Arcane: Drow Magic is priced at $14.95 and is available this coming week from all good games stores and book shops.
The latest instalment of the Encyclopaedia Arcane crashes onto the scene this coming week and it is a goodie - Drow Magic, Sorcery of Endless Night. Whether you are a Games Master seeking to inject more black hatred into your Drow or a player spellcaster who is lucky (?) enough to have stolen some of their arcane secrets, this volume of the Encyclopaedia will let you into some of the most vile and depraved secrets of these elves.
Written by Patrick Younts, Drow Magic kicks off with an Overview of their spellcasters and magicks, inspecting the relationships between wizards, sorcerers and the Dark Weavers, a new core class that bridges the gap for Drow between the arcane and the divine. There are new rules for spellcasters trying to identify strange Drow magicks and a guide to the sorcerer breeding programs instigated in their cities. An overview is also provided to Black Ceremony Magic (more on this later).
The next chapter covers the Dark Weaver core class. For Drow only, this character is second only to priestesses in the eyes of the Dark Mother of Spiders. Preparing spells as a wizard, the Dark Weaver chooses a Favoured Path (such as Corruption, Death Rite, the Predator or a host of others) which grants him further powers and spells unique to him.
Other Drow spellcasters have not been ignored, however, and a range of new prestige classes and feats will allow Games Masters to create some truly horrific combinations to face his players as they delve into the black cities. These include the Drow Ceremony Master, Crouching Spider, Path Master, and Mind Spider. Feats such as the Death Collector allow Drow to substitute organs and flesh for material components, while the Power of Blood avoids the need for verbal and somatic components after an act of violence.
Drow Spells is the largest chapter in the book and it is these, beyond all else, that will shape what Drow spellcasters are truly capable of. There is a superb illustration of what a Night Bolt is capable of, while Red Hourglass, Shriek of Abject Hatred and Spider Totem will all bring new horrors to your players.
Next up is Black Ceremonies, the deepest and darkest magicks of the Drow, where they combine their powers to bring forth the greatest destruction. Some of the DCs required to enact these ceremonies can reach DC 100 - worryingly, the Drow are perfectly capable of reaching these high numbers! A full system is included for Games Masters to create their own black ceremonies but several have been provided to show just what is possible - and some of this is real 'end of world' stuff! Awaken the Dark Mother shatters the walls between dimensions to bring forth an avatar of the Drow's black goddess. Black Dawn may take an entire year to complete but, when done, it snuffs out the sun and stars themselves. Corruption transforms a surface elf into a Drow. Death Rite, cast after a battle, ensures no one can be raised or resurrected to trouble the Drow again. As you can see, powerful stuff just crying out to have scenarios based around them.
The book winds up with Help for Games Masters, a guide to integrating Drow Magic into existing campaigns without making the underground race all dominant (well, that is what the players are for!).
Encyclopaedia Arcane: Drow Magic is priced at $14.95 and is available this coming week from all good games stores and book shops.
