Wandering Monsters: Binding Elementals

I am already not a very big fan of elementals in Next, because last I heard for some reason the air elemental has eyes—two at that—and a mouth, and earth and fire elementals have humanoid shapes. Now I guess they change their names and shape when they are bound into service, as if there is some kind of bondage protection program.

Why? Why does summoning an air elemental keep it as an air elemental, but when you tell it to do something it becomes an invisible stalker? Why are not all air elementals normally invisible, except when moving and attacking? That actually sounds like a really cool. Characters would want to ready actions to attack it when it moves or attacks, and while they
could use dust and debris to make it easier to spot, it could use it to
make ranged and area-effect attacks.

Give us a base elemental template, with elemental traits and some general shapes that we can use. Basically let us build our own elementals based on our needs. This would also make it easier to add new elemental traits and shapes later on, so that we do not end up with a bunch of stat blocks for the basic elementals in one monster manual, then a bunch more in another one: all you need to do is just add a block of traits and let us figure it out. Also, make it possible to just summon and bind whatever elementals we want. Bonus points if it is more interesting and engaging than a suite of specific summoning spells.

Equally confusing is the elemental myrmidon. So, someone summons an elemental spirit and…binds it into plate armor? Okay. Again, why? Why does it have to be plate armor? Why does it have to be armor at all? I thought golems were fueled by elemental spirits. This just sounds like they wanted to make sure that we still had use for our archon minis. Admirable, except that it is not particularly compelling, nor does it make sense.

I envision archons as the primordial’s first attempt at creating life. They are rough, vaguely human-like. They would not necessarily be wearing armor or wield weapons. In this case genasi would be the improved version. I could see them as cursed genasi, or even incredibly old genasi. Maybe elementals got trapped on the material world for centuries and are simply trying to emulate life. If you want them to be soldiers, why not just make them similar to Eberron’s warforged, just with an elemental theme?

Legends & Lore: Building a Better Subclass & Game Math

One of the earliest goals I can recall for Next is to have modular complexity. So whether you like “simple” fighters or 4th Edition’s martial exploits, both should be doable, ideally at the same time. Granted we have not seen how this will work, or how everything compares in actual play, but since the designers are still sticking to this mission statement I guess they have something worked out.

Yes, I am skeptical about that goal, and adding the option to build your own subclass to the list does not help as D&D has never had a good history of balancing features. I am not just talking about making them equal with other options at the level that they can be gained (both in and outside of the class that provides them), but
making them viable later on, playing well with each other (which can
create broken or over-powered combinations), or even doing what
they are supposed to be doing.

Still the ability to pick and choose your features, instead of being stuck with an inflexible progression is something that I have been wanting from D&D for awhile now. I have said plenty of times that my main dislike for most of the non-wizard classes is because everyone who picks a class will get stuck with the exact same thing. Sure you sometimes get to pick a few things on the side, but that minor tinkering does little to properly evoke any kind of interesting concept. I feel 4th Edition came the closest in giving me what I want, but I would much prefer something more along the lines of Dungeon World, FATE, or Shadowrun.

Another interesting bit is how they are approaching the game math: attack bonuses, saving throw and skill DCs, stuff like that. The math in D&D has for the most part been pretty wonky, especially in the last two editions:

• In 3rd Edition monsters were essentially micro-classes. Each type had its own Hit Die and base attack bonus, saving throw, and skill point progression associated with it, which made monster building a nightmare for a variety of reasons. It might have too many hit points, an insanely high saving throw, an ability might have an insanely high attack bonus or save DC, and/or you might just have to lump on bonus feats to shore up its numbers “because”.
• 4th Edition made things simpler, and in my opinion more elegant, by simply having its math based on the monsters role and level. This made it much more likely that a monster would do what you wanted it to, and challenge the players as much as you wanted with minimal “swing” factor and fuss. The only problem I had was that monsters tended to have very similar attack bonuses and defenses across the board, and pretty much level up with you, making your half-level bonus just a pointless number-based arms race.

It has been mentioned several times that hit points, instead of attacks and save bonuses, would be the key method to reflect your character growing in power. The idea is that by reining in all the numbers, your character can still be hurt by a lowly goblin at any level. I like this in theory because it bugged me how in 3rd Edition you would need to pile a bunch of class levels and/or extra Hit Dice on a monster to make it work, or how in 4th Edition that goblins started as level 1 monsters, and if you wanted to throw them at the party at higher levels you wold just level them up to wherever the characters were.

Since that mace can deal anywhere from 1d6 + 2 to 3d8 + 6, with an ongoing 10 (save ends), you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?

That does not mean that the numbers will not grow. They will, just usually not by much. Attacks, checks, and saves will have an expected range of +1 to +6, but “strong archetypes” like a dwarf’s Constitution saves and a clerics Sense Motive checks can hit up to +12. That is actually a pretty big range, which concerns me because in past editions the bonus could make tasks that you would expect to be challenging trivial, if you even need to make a d20 roll at all. I am also wondering that if attacks cap at +6 while skills can get twice as high, how that will affect characters trying to do “stunty” things in combat, like swinging from a chandelier, flipping a table, etc.

It is nice to see them acknowledging that things like save-or-screw effects can drastically change the course of a battle. I remember playing in an Eberron campaign where a party of seven fought a pair of cockatrices, but due to a string of unlucky attack rolls and saving throws everyone but the half-orc barbarian got petrified. The problem is that they are still keeping save-or-screws in the game. Reduce the saving throw DC all you want, but having a character’s life hinge on the results of a single die roll is still going to result in random, anticlimactic deaths.

Whatever happened to the whole hit point threshold thing? It is not as elegant as 4th Edition’s multiple saves, but it still sounded better than what we got in 3rd Edition and before.

Frankly I do not understand why monsters arbitrarily adhere to their mythological origins. If you looked at a medusa you got turned to stone, period, so why did previous editions grant you a saving throw at all? Why does it either petrify you completely, or do absolutely nothing? 4th Edition had a great model, where you had to fail multiple saving throws in order to die. It added tension, and made it easier to use them without a total party kill (you had a chance to run if things started to go south).

Even Shadowrun‘s basilisks have to sustain their gaze, gradually turning you to stone depending on how many more hits they got on their opposed attribute test, and when it stopped you would gradually return to normal. This meant that you could use them more often, without having to stash a stone to flesh spell nearby in case someone rolls poorly (hopefully not the spellcaster). It also makes them more interesting, because they do something other than just tear out chunks of hit points.

I am also really bothered that spell DCs are going to factor in the spell’s level, like how they worked in 3rd Edition. This was precisely one of the many problems with spells in 3rd Edition (not that I have ever liked D&D magic), and why it was incredibly important that you either kept taking wizard levels, or prestige classes that gave you full spellcasting: you needed those higher level spells, with their higher DCs, to improve the odds of your spells sticking against higher CR monsters because of their increased saving throws. At this point all I can hope is that we will get a magic module that makes it interesting and/or sensible.

Finally for skills I think that the skill die is great for avoiding the issue of past editions, where eventually the bonus could eclipse the DC. I also think that each skill should have its own skill die, instead of just using one die for everything, and that there should be more opportunities for increasing skills. You could have skill increases across character level in general, and include categories of skill pickups and increases into the classes. So fighters could use a level up to add or increase a physical skill, while wizards can do lores.

Epiro: Episode 109

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Its terrible, scarred, vicious cover.

Cast 

• Corvus (human ranger 4)
• Iola (wood elf monk 4)
• Perseus (human paladin 4)
• Yllian (high elf wizard 4)
• Josh’s Human Wizard (human wizard 4)

After an almost two-month long hiatus—mostly due to conflicting schedules—we finally managed to get back to Epiro, our D&D Next playtest campaign that admittedly does not always play by the playtest rules.

Picking up where we left off the characters were still heading towards Copper Cairns to get paid for guarding a supply caravan, as well as investigate the combination of an escaped criminal and cryptic message from a stone giant they met at Goathill Quarry. 

No one ever said being an adventurer was easy. Or simple.

They had finally hit the last stretch of the journey when they saw a plume of smoke in the distance. After dealing with wights and manticores they would probably have preferred to ignore it, but it was near the road anyway so what could it hurt? From a distance they could tell that it was a caravan not unlike their own, except for the part where it had been torched. This was bad enough, but when they got closer they could see that the charred elven remains had been partially eaten. Ominous enough, but no one could be sure if they had been cooked before or after whoever was responsible decided to chow down.

As Corvus busied himself peeling some valuables from the remains, he noticed tracks leading away from the wreckage. Gnoll tracks, to be specific, which explained the chew marks. There were quite a few of them, so he would have little trouble finding them…assuming they wanted to. Normally they would not, because gnolls are pretty horrible creatures that like to eat you, but figured that there might be survivors. The rest of the caravan did not want to stop, because on one hand they had already been delayed a couple of times, and on the other hand gnolls, so told them to be careful and catch up later.

“Unless you get eaten. Then please stay dead, or at least  do not come back as a super-powered zombie that  somehow gets powers based on being partially eaten.”

Their destination was a tower in a field a couple miles away. Pretty idyllic, really, except for the numerous corpses mounted on crosses scattered about. From a distance they could see shapes moving about the rooftop, and figured that sneaking would net them better chances. Thanks to the tall grass and my allowing Corvus to make a group Stealth check they were able to sneak up to the keep undetected. At the tower’s base Corvus could hear muffled screams coming from within; hopefully when they found whoever was being tortured there would be enough left to make this rescue worthwhile.

Crovus took point trying to scale the wall, using his climbing kit to make it easier on everyone else, but dislodged some stones about halfway up. A gnoll peeked over, getting an eye-full of arrow, and was dead without the 2d10 + 1d6 damage the combination fall and spikes would have dealt. As Corvus tried to orient himself another leaned over the ledge and took a shot at him. Given that he was dangling from a rope he was a pretty easy target, but at least it missed his eye (and failed to drop him 20 feet onto a cluster of spikes). Iola flew up the side of the tower, and with a well-placed spinning kick pitched him over the edge as well.

By the time more gnolls arrived the party had made it to the top. One of them grazed Yllian with an arrow, and he responded with a salvo of magic missiles. It did not kill them, but came pretty close, and allowed the rest of the party to polish them off with minimal effort. While Corvus stopped to pick up his ball bearings—because Kamon not only purchased but remembered to use them at some point—and the rest of the party fished about for loot, Yllian did not miss a beat, casting light on his sword and charging down the stairs.

The first room he found was a bedroom judging by the piles of furs and the wet-dog stench. The smell was bad enough on its own, but there were also a pair of surprised-yet-armed gnolls waiting for him. As before one landed a hit with a spear, but before he could respond with some more magic missiling Corvus rolled a bunch of bearings down after him. Fortunately they were more effective this time, but unfortunately this increase to efficacy swung both ways, sending everyone toppling to the floor. Yllian got back to his feet first, and with a souped up pair of missiles took them out in a method that Xykon would have approved of (more so because they did not teleport away).

This routine of gnoll-icide continued for a couple more rooms: Yllian would find a room, kick open the door, get hit, and magic missile whatever was inside. The last room was a, uh, room where live captives were “prepared” and stored for later, and Yllian barged in just as a gnoll had finished giving a human the good old Kalima. He took a cleaver to the chest (in retrospect I really should roll for disease), and to add insult to injury (literally) everyone else in the party bum-rushed them before he could decide with spell slot he wanted to use next.

The only survivor was the as-yet-unnamed freshly generated wizard. Elves were pretty rare despite the party composition, but he also recognized Yllian’s family signet and mentioned that he was traveling back to Delos with them as part of a failed diplomatic mission. With no one else to relay the news, Yllian realized that he needed to find his people and explain to them that they would not be getting any help from Epiro against the hobgoblins. With that he said his goodbyes, gathered some supplies, and started making his way back to Sidon so he could catch a caravan to Delos. The new wizard was more than happy to tag along, what with the recent wizard vacancy and all.

As they gave the place a once over before leaving the new wizard on the roster noticed an axe on the ground. It looked like it was made from bone, blackened metal, and a pale, leathery material. Probably human skin, because that is how fiends roll. He cast detect magic on it, revealing a dark, sinister aura, and then picked it up so that he could better examine it, which is generally not a smart move when it comes to things bearing sinister auras. Nothing really seemed out of place to him—even the stuff that should have—and he decided to keep it, because who knows when a hellish axe might come in handy?

Behind The Scenes 

Josh wanted to switch up his wizard from illusions to evocations, which meant that we had to find a way to get his new character in the game. Given that I had planned almost nothing for today’s session this worked out fine, because it gave me something to work towards. Initially I figured that I would kill him in some spectacular/anti-climactic fashion, like falling off of the tower onto the spikes below, but since everyone was expecting something like that I decided to buck the trend and have him survive to maybe come back another day.

This session went really fast and loose, with nary a mini or grid in sight. Iola got to fly, which was nice, but otherwise really just punched things, which was boring. I let Corvus make a group Stealth check so that they would at least have a chance to sneak up on the tower. It took a lot longer, was a bit harder, and probably not too “balanced”, but I had long since gotten tired of the heavy armor guy ruining everyone’s fun the second or third time running my homebrewed version of Keep on the Shadowfell.

As with the last session I let Josh use a combination of detect magic and Recall Lore (magical lore) to try and figure out what a magic item did. I like that Recall Lore gets a shout out in the Magic Items pdf, but think that there should be more reliable methods besides a specific spell. It would be pretty simple to build items so that some properties can be intuited using skill checks, especially if a character spends time examining them during a short or long rest. Specific spells could be useful for an immediate bypass or if the check fails, maybe for certain cases.

Here is an example of what I mean, using the cursed axe from the session (which I just made up on the spot):

The Pincer of Namtar 

This axe was given to a gnoll chieftain by a glabrezu named Namtar, but it was taken when he was betrayed by an up-and-coming member of his pack. It is powered by the blood of sentient creatures, become inert if it goes for more than a day without any. Namtar can communicate through the axe, offering anyone who wields it power, usually in a time of desperate need. He might want your soul, but could just as easily require that you kill someone or destroy something, because as a demon he is not so much about deception or long-term planning. At night the wielder dreams of using the axe to achieve greatness.

Divine Sense: The axe can be detected by divine sense as a fiendish presence.
Detect Magic: The axe is gripped by a dark, sinister aura. It seems to resonate with murderous intent. A Recall Lore (forbidden lore) check reveals that this aura is demonic in origin.
Examination (forbidden lore): Due to the construction of the axe—a combination of bone, flesh, and blackened metal—it is likely that this axe was forged on an infernal plane.
Short Rest (forbidden lore: This axe is definitely otherworldly, specifically wherever demons come from. Blood empowers the axe, especially that of angels and the devout. If it goes more than a day without quenching its thirst it grows dormant.
Extended Rest (forbidden lore): A glabrezu created this axe, which serves as a focus for it in the material world. Anyone who bears the axe can speak with Namtar…and vice versa.

(Particularly high checks might reveal more, such as the demon’s name.)

Curse: With the exception of uneasy memories and nightmares, viewing the axe is harmless. Once you touch it however, you will not willingly remove it, instead making any excuse possible to hang on to it. If you examine the axe with magic and determine that it is demonic or evil, you will not divulge this information, simply stating that it seems strange.

Property: The axe thirsts for blood. When the axe has been fed at least one drop of blood from a living creature, it gains a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls for the rest of the day. This bonus can increase depending on the bargains made and how well you serve Namtar.
Property: When you kill a living humanoid creature with this axe, it deals +1d6 damage for the rest of the encounter. If the creature was a good celestial, or otherwise the divine servant of a good deity (or otherwise notably devout), this bonus increases to +1d8. This bonus increases along with the enhancement bonus (so at +2 it deals +1d6 damage, +3 deals +3d6, and so on).

Property (Attuned): You can cast chaos hammer once per day per attuned property you have with the axe (including this one).
Property (Attuned): You can use the axe to carve through magical effects. This functions like a detect magic spell, except you must strike the object with the magical effect in question (so it may not be good to use in all situations). This ability works once per day per attuned property you have with the axe (including this one).
Property (Attuned): Once per day the axe can shout a word in Abyssal, which functions as a power word: stun, except that it does not work on fiends.
Property (Attuned): Once per day Namtar summons demons to assist you. You are representing Namtar in this instance, so if you embarrass him or treat them poorly then you will have to answer to him.

D&D 4E: Seekers of the Sand

In an effort to try and get paid for my efforts I finally put something up on Drivethrurpg today (technically yesterday, but it was not approved until today): Seekers of the Sand.

It is a collection of “desert”-themed evocations for the seeker–because I know everyone is chomping at the bits for more seeker stuff–that fill up your Heroic tier selections, along with a paragon path if you go past that point, and some magic items to round everything out.

It runs five bucks, because when it was about half as long someone I showed it to said that they would pay that much if I added more stuff, so I did. It did not reflect the cost of me Photoshopping my own cover. That luxury is free.

Lemme know what you think. Hopefully it is worth the cash and I did a good job balancing them against existing powers (there is a 3-page preview, so you can check out almost half of it for free). I have some other thematic stuff in mind for other classes, so if this is something that interests the 4th Edition crowd that would be good to know.

A Sundered World: Shaman Playbook Draft

We have shown you quite a few locations within A Sundered World, so this time I figured we would change gears and give you a preview draft of the shaman playbook (note that there are level 6-10 moves, but I want to get the initial stuff hammered out first).

Shaman
Before the Sundering spirits inhabited all manner of objects, from rocks to trees to rivers to mountains. When the Sundering hit many of these spirits many went insane when they were not outright destroyed. A number survived, though most were wounded by the event. Shamans discover these weakened spirits and give them a new home: their bodies. In exchange the shaman is empowered by the spirit, able to do things that she could never do otherwise.

Stats
Your maximum HP is 8+Constitution.
Your base damage is d8.

Starting Moves
Choose either dwarf, elf, halfling, or human, then choose a spirit companion.

Spirit Companion
You have made a bond with a spirit companion. It can speak any languages you do. Unlike an animal the spirit is about as intelligent as a human. Normally the spirit dwells within you, offering you its strength and sharing your senses, but it can also manifest itself to act independently. Choose one of the following spirit archetypes:

[ ] Bear
Bear is strong and tough. When your spirit is withheld your Armor increases by 1 and your melee attacks gain the Forceful tag.

[ ] Snake
Snake is fast and slippery. When your spirit is withheld you take +1 to evade danger, slip past someone, or escape from someone’s grasp.

[ ] Tiger
Tiger is swift and ferocious. When your spirit is withheld you can run as fast as a horse, and your melee attacks gain the Messy tag.

[ ] Wolf
Wolf is a stalwart warrior and companion. When your spirit is withheld you take +1 when you stand in defense of a person or you and an ally attack the same enemy.

Your spirit’s aspect determines what sort of benefits it grants while manifested in the world. Choose one aspect:

• Might: When the spirit aids someone in combat, they deal +1 damage.
• Tough: When the spirit protects someone, they gain +1 armor.
• Tracker: When the spirit helps someone track a creature or detect the presence of creatures or objects using its sense of smell, take +1.
• Wise: When the spirit imparts its wisdom, take +1 to Spout Lore.

You start with these moves:

Summon Spirit Companion
You can conjure your spirit companion at any time, causing it to manifest itself nearby. While it is manifested you lose the benefits of your Spirit Companion archetype, but you and others can gain the benefits of its aspect. Due to your spiritual connection you both share the same hit point total.

Spirit Healing
When your spirit invests a bit of its energy to heal you or someone else, roll+CON. *On a 10+ the target regains 1d6 hit points. *On a 7-9 the target regains 1d4 hit points, but your spirit is exhausted. Choose one:

• Take -1 ongoing to use this move until you rest for the night.
• You cannot summon your spirit companion for the next hour or so.
• You take 1d4 damage.
• You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.

Speak With Spirits
You are capable of hearing the voices of the spirits that inhabit the Sundered World. When you attempt to communicate with the spirits of the world, roll+CHA. *On a 10+, they are helpful and will provide you with information about the surrounding region that they know. *On a 7-9 they will help you, but want something in return. The GM will tell you what. *On a miss the spirits of the general area are offended; take -1 ongoing to use this move until you leave or you make amends.

Alignment
Choose an alignment:

Lawful
Adhere to the traditions of your clan or the tenet’s of your spirit companion.

Chaotic
Willfully break or violate your clan’s traditions, or disregard your spirit’s teachings.

Neutral
Help an animal or spirit of the wild.

Gear
Your load is 9+STR. You start with dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight), and a totem symbolic of your animal spirit, tribe, or clan. Choose your clothing:

• Loose-fitting leathers (0 armor, 1 weight) and 5 coins
• Thick hide armor (1 armor, 1 weight)
• Carved wooden shield (+1 armor, weight)

Choose your armament:

• Rune-carved staff (close, two-handed, 1 weight)
• Massive club (close, +1 damage, two-handed, 2 weight)
• Spear (reach, thrown, near, 1 weight)
• Pair of claw bracers (hand, +1 damage, two-handed, 2 weight)

Choose one:

• Adventuring gear (1 weight)
• Poultices and herbs (2 uses, 1 weight)
• Halfling pipeleaf (0 weight), 3 antitoxin (0 weight)

Bonds
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
____________ helped me find my spirit, either intentionally or accidentally.
____________ does not get along with my spirit.
____________ could benefit from the spirit’s wisdom.
Your spirit knew one of ____________’s ancestors. Did they have a good or bad relationship?

Advanced Moves
When you gain a level from 2-5, choose from these moves.

Ambush
When you summon your spirit and immediately have it aid someone in combat, that person takes +1 forward.

Chimeric Spirit
Choose another spirit archetype. You can only gain the benefits of one spirit archetype at a time, and it takes a few minutes of meditation to change the archetype.

Cunning Spirit
Choose one move from the ranger class list.

Dual Nature
Choose another aspect for your spirit. It can bestow either benefit to you or your allies.

Heightened Senses
While your spirit is withheld take +1 to Discern Realities made to spot something, and you can see in the dark.

Imposing Spirit
Your spirit gains the Large tag, and your size increases a bit as well. In addition when your spirit is withheld you deal +1 damage, and when it it manifested it deals +1d4 damage.

Improved Aspect
The bonus from one of your spirit’s aspects increases by 1.

Mentor Spirit
Maybe your spirit is encouraging, or maybe it is overly critical of your every move. Regardless when you try to do something and miss, take +1 forward the next time you attempt that action.

Nurturing Spirit
When you use Spirit Healing, on a 10+ it heals 1d8 hit points, otherwise it heals 1d6 hit points (even on a miss).

Restraining Attack
Your spirit’s attacks are capable of pinning enemies down, whether by grabbing, constricting, or tackling. When your manifested spirit aids someone in combat, on a 10+ the target is also restrained until the spirit lets it go or it manages to escape.

Spirit of the Land
Choose one move from the druid class list.

Shielding Spirit
When your spirit surrounds a creature to shield it from harm, the target gains 2 armor and any damage to the target is instead dealt to you.

A big problem was trying to figure out the mechanical benefits of the spirit companion. I wanted it to be different from the ranger’s animal companion and hirelings, as well as not be as complex as another character (one version had the spirit companion able to use basic moves). Obviously there could be more archetypes and aspects, but I want to see if this is something that people even like before adding more.

Wandering Monsters: Other Elementals

The first look at elementals pertained to generic elementals and genies. I said way back then that I disliked how some of the elementals had a combination of two eyes, a mouth, and/or a humanoid shape. Genies were equally confusing, if for different reasons: apparently they can all fly, create objects, and are “cunning merchants”.

Who knew?

Anyway this week we take a look at just a pair of elemental-ish critters, the salamander and xorn (the Sea of Ash gets an honorable mention).

Taken from the article salamanders are both cruel and nasty elemental creatures that look like muscular humanoids stacked on top of a snake. Their entire body is covered in wisps of flame that “rise from their skin like spines”, and they wield spears that conduct the heat from their bodies, probably making them deal fire damage, or bonus fire damage. Basically a sufficiently monstrous monster that players can kill and rob without the slightest twinge of guilt.

Just like baby kobolds!

They are good smiths, hate azers, and are sometimes enslaved by efreeti (which is a love-hate relationship). Though I am generally not a fan of races being universally good at something, the latter two bits of flavor I guess could be handy for adventure hooks, but given that azers are probably just as bad I am not sure who I would side with in a fight between them, and I really cannot see anyone being sympathetic to freeing a bunch of salamander slaves.

The most interesting thing in the article about them is that wizards will sometimes summon one in order to force it to craft a metal object. I can see this being a necessary step in making some fire-based magic items, so hopefully we get something more in depth, instead of a boring, instantaneous summoning spell. Shadowrun has rules for conjuring and binding spirits, so just do something like that. It is a lot more interesting than an infallible, highly specific spell.

Of course they are utterly immune to fire, as well as for some reason resistant to non-magical weapons (though strangely, genies lack this resistance). Bleh.

If salamanders come from the Sea of Ash, I would envision them being made from igneous rock or charcoal. Maybe something like a combination of rock and lava, having them solidify in an area that is “too cold”. Instead of wisps of smoke that look like spines, I would have just be something like obsidian blades. They would not be evil by default, because there is no reason for them to be evil by default. Chaotic works out fine, as it fits the destructive fire-theme.

I make it a point of mentioning it every time I see them, I am not a fan of complete immunity and with how resistances work in Next. I would give them a high, granular fire resistance and remove the weapon resistance. As they get older their fire resistance would increase, and they could also start gaining weapon resistance.

Xorns are strange-looking critters that I inexplicably have three minis for. They spend their time “swimming” through the Plane of Earth, eating metal and gems. They can elect to leave tunnels when they burrow, which are somehow used by other creatures as living places even though they are only Medium-sized. I like how the article describes the Plane of Earth as “mountainous”, as it means that it may not just be an endless expanse of dirt.

Pictured: Nothing of interest.

Like salamanders they sometimes get enslaved by dao, who make them build things. Maybe we should add slavery to the list of genie traits? At any rate it is interesting that they can mold stone like clay. Gives them something to do besides eat. It would be nice to see this ability as inherent, instead of just “x/day—stone shape“. Not allying themselves with Ogremoch, yet being able to be coerced into service is also nice, as it allows you to include them as a kind of misunderstood monster.

Strangely they are immune to fire and cold, and resistant to lightning and slashing damage. Not sure why, except that this is what they had in 3rd Edition, maybe even 2nd Edition. Unlike 3rd Edition they are kind of vulnerable to a slew of very specific spells like stone to flesh, rock to mud, and passwall. Why can they only can be somewhat affected by spells that affect rocks, but are still fully affected by spells that affect living things?

I also wonder if other earth-themed creatures will share any of these vulnerabilities, or if they will just be arbitrarily assigned when a writer remembers them.

Like the crystal skull’s magnetism.

Naming Conventions & Background

The Perks of Being A Myth Junkie

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In the Forgotten Realms, there is the kingdom of Cormyr, which is essentially Camelot with war wizards. This works well for FR. You can use names like King Azoun IV and Cormyr instead of Arthur Pendragon and Camelot, because ultimately the archetype of a kingdom built on the ideals chivalry and justice is a familiar one to fantasy readers.

The Forgotten Realms is a new coat of paint on a familiar canvas, and that’s one of the things that makes it a great, classic fantasy setting. The intention of a Sundered World however, is to take these familiar archetypes, chuck them into the blender and spatter them on the wall.

I think that if we are going to go full-gonzo with the setting, then there needs to be a solid ground of recognizable mythology to work from. An ascetic society of warrior philosophers made up of bipedal, humanoid snails is cool enough, but if we call it “Tibet” then suddenly we make a deeper connection to it as an audience, because it is grounded in something familiar. Likewise, I think that as a GM if you lead players to a fallen palace filled with mad angels, it makes more of an impact if you call it Mount Olympus, than if you call it “Holandeus Sozz” or something.

Many epic fantasy stories end with the heroes preventing a giant, world-shaking catalysm of cosmic proportions. The thing I find cool about a Sundered World is that the story ultimately begins with someone’s failure to save the world. I think that it’s important for the world’s background to be something familiar to many fans of fantasy and mythology, so that where the world is presently has more impact.

Furthermore, on a more practical level I wouldn’t want to inadvertantly tread on anyone else’s IP, so going with public domain concepts, like Netherworld instead of Shadowfell, or Apollo and Thor instead of Pelor and Kord, is wisest move. 

The other consideration, is that we fully expect readers who want to use our material will take the basic ideas and spin somethings off in wildly different directions,which is great. I think it is easier to replace concepts, if we use something more instantly recognizable. D&D settings have many analogs to real-world legendary kingdoms and heroes, as well as divine pantheons, so this way it becomes easier to plug a Sundered World into your Greyhawk or Nentir Vale games.

Gizmoduck5000

What Is In A Name

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Quick: if I say Thor, who (or maybe what) do you envision? Chances are you are thinking of a big guy in a viking helmet wielding a big hammer. He might have a beard, too. What about Zeus? Probably a bearded guy in a robe packing a lightning bolt. How about the Stormcaller? While you might still envision Thor or Zeus, there are quite a few other thunder gods that might pop into your head.

Names carry a lot of weight beyond simple visuals. Mention a culture that worships Thor and people are likely to run with the whole viking concept; longships, runes, horned helmets that I hear tell they did not routinely wear into combat, etc. This is fine if your vision is exactly the same, or similar enough, but what if your vision of the culture only borrows a bit from it, if anything at all?

What if your Thor wields a wooden spear that calls down lightning wherever it strikes, or what if he just channels lightning? What if he is a level 30 stormsoul genasi fighter with a +6 thundering warhammer? What if he is a women, or a troll? Female troll? And this only addresses the physical appearance; what about the personality and history? At what point does using the name Thor become meaningless and/or misguiding?

I ran into this problem when running Epiro. I told players that it would be a kind of Greek-ish setting, by which I meant that I would use Greek names, weapons and armor would look Greek, and that there would be lots of Greek monsters like manticores and hydras. Unfortunately players started assuming that the king of the gods would be Zeus, and he would look human, and bone everything in sight.

(The players have yet to encounter a god, so all I will say is that most of these assumptions are false.)

This would have been fine if I was trying to push a fantasized Greek campaign, but this was not the case. I was trying to make it easier for the players to mentally visualize some things, but there were still wizards, druids, clerics that worship one god (and can constantly and reliably call in favors without repercussions), paladins, plate armor, a lack of unique monsters (like the minotaur, manticore, hydra, medusa, etc), and so on.

This is not to say that I am against drawing from real world languages, or even using real world names. If a fantasy culture is intended from the get-go to at least look reminiscent of a real-world one, then names (along with description and other images) can help reinforce that mental image. Sidon sounds kind of Greek, while Dorsen sounds kind of Celtic. Mes-Atbaru conveys the idea of an ancient place, before recorded history, but I do not get a clear picture of any particular culture.

Mount Olympus on the other hand conveys a very specific place, at a specific time, with a specific history and culture. If that is what you want, good, but if not then I see no issue coming up with your own evocative name that better fits your wants and needs. I think that A Sundered World could benefit from a strong mythology, ideally one that will get creative juices flowing and inspire both stories and characters. I even think that it is fine to draw inspiration from existing mythology. Where I disagree is by recycling stories and names with strong associations. 

For the most part, anyway.

Some names like Oberon and Titania I am actually pretty okay with. I still think they are not entirely necessary, but neither name paints a clear picture of an appearance and history or seems too firmly rooted in “our world”. At least nowhere near as much as Odin does. Same goes with Asmodeus and Autocthon. I think that by using evocative but not immediately identifiable names, you will be able to drag and drop them into whatever game you want without having to change much or deal with the baggage.

The short of it is that when it comes to names and mythology, avoid the obvious stuff. If you want to convey a culture, use names that do not heavily imply too much…unless of course that is your intended goal.

Antioch

Legends & Lore: Roleplaying

Though Dungeons & Dragons is the iconic role-playing game, there is not much in the game that really rewards or enforces a consistent personality, motivations, goals, etc.

I do not remember if XP penalties were really a thing in older editions, and 3rd Edition had a vague system of awarding 10-50 XP per character level depending on how well the Dungeon Master felt you did. Given how much XP you needed to level up it could be quite awhile before you saw any payoff, which basically amounted to “you might level up one session before the rest of the party”.

Other games provide ways to reward you for taking the time to develop your character, or just as part of creating your character: for example Dungeon World has bonds that you can cash in for XP throughout the
course of the campaign, FATE (which is basically free) has aspects that you can invoke for a reroll or flat bonus to a check (which cost points that you can regain when the Storyteller screws you over by invoking one of your aspects), and Exalted has its motivations and intimacies.

A common complaint I hear is that Dungeons & Dragons is not a “real” role-playing game, that basically all you do is kill things for XP and treasure. I disagree with this sentiment, but can see where they are coming from, and given the praise I often hear about bonds and aspects it is surprising that it took almost 40 years for Dungeons & Dragons to (probably) pick up on this trend.

The proposed system consists of bonds, flaws, and ideals:

• Bonds are your characters ties to the world. 
• Flaws are your weaknesses.
• Ideals are the things that keep you going when everything sucks.

This sounds…promising. It is not anything new or particularly awe-inspiring, but it is still good to see the game “officially” offer something more rewarding and interesting than XP for your time and efforts. Really the only thing that I dislike is that so much of it seems to springboard off of alignment. Given that alignment is supposed to be optional, I hope that this system will also be completely usable without having to reference alignment at all.

Flaws are a concern. I have never had a good experience with flaws: generally players would try to take flaws that would likely never come into play in order to scrape together enough points to buy an extra perk or what-have-you, or just ignore them entirely. I am hoping that they are more like the bad side of a well-developed aspect in FATE, something that you have to take (ideally derived from a bond or ideal) and the DM can potentially use against you, or at least as an adventure hook.

On the plus side there will apparently be several random tables for you to roll on and/or use as inspiration for writing your own stuff. Speaking of inspiration…

You can gain inspiration by doing things that reflects your personality, goals, or beliefs, and burn it to gain advantage on things linked to the action. It kind of makes me think of stunting from Exalted, and based on his description I like more because the bonus is normally small and immediate; you can only one one “inspiration” at a time, so it will be interesting to see if players will bank one as soon as possible and just save it for a key moment in the encounter. If the bonus is used up immediately, I think it will encourage more consistent attempts.

Of course this is just the basic mechanic for rewarding specific kinds of role-playing. According to Mearls there will be variations and more complex modules. It is encouraging nonetheless to see at least something built into the core of the game, and hopefully other modules will provide more gratifying mechanics. Really I would be fine with what would essentially amount to d20-fied aspects.

Luansidhe – The Faerie Moon

Before the great Sundering, the realm of Faerie was a lush, verdant mirror to the Prime Materia, brilliantly teeming with life and ruled by capricious spirits. The ancient tales of the Fey say that the faerie lands had grown out in all directions from Duan, the great World Tree and that the rest of the myriad worlds of the multiverse were but fruit on the end of her branches.

Perhaps it was the splitting of Duan’s trunk by the ax of the celestial Chernobog that allowed the Sundering to happen in the first place, but when the veil between worlds was violently torn, the other planes bled into the faerie causing mass devastation. Mortal beings from the Prime ransacked faerie enclaves, while entropic energies from the Netherworld wilted and withered the flora of the perpetual fey springlands.

Panicked…the Fey sought refuge in the last strong of vestige of energies that had permeated their former home, on the great moon Luan. Many of the surviving fey became refuges on the land they renamed to the Luansidhe (Faerie Moon), planting a godtree sapling at each pole, and using their magicks to reshape her face into a more hospitable land for them to settle upon. The fey Summer Court, planted their tree on the light side of the moon, while the Winter Court planted theirs on the dark side of the moon, with the unaligned fey settling the lands between, and the monstrous Fomorians living within the moon’s subterranean core.

Summer Court

The fey of the Seelie Court settled in the lands surrounding the Dayspring Tree on the moon’s northernmost point. The Dayspring Tree absorbs darkness and toxicity through it’s vast system of roots, while radiating a warm, healing aura from it’s foliage that gifts the fey people with vitality and longevity. The impurities that are consumed by the great trees roots are distilled into it’s fruit, the juices of which are a deadly poison that is highly prized by assassins across the multiverse.

Because of their proximity to the Dayspring Tree’s bright, reinvigorating light the fey of the Seelie Court eventually became known as the Summer Court. The fey of the Summer Court are primarily comprised of high elves, satyrs, centaurs and wood nymphs. They revere inspiration, passion, valor and all things that ignite the flames of the heart. Summer fey are widely regarded as producing the most beautiful songs and poetry in the multiverse, but they are also the most openly warlike and imperialistic. They revel in acts of love and pleasure, particularly with members of other species, and celebrate acts of daring and bravery.

Summer Court fey are also renowned for their skill at magically shaping their darkwood trees into weapons and armor. Even their ships are constructed entirely of magically shaped wood (think Jurian tech from Tenchi Muyo). Each Summer Court “Dryark” has a Dryad navigator who establishes a connection with a sapling planted by a fey pilgrim along a path known as the Hamadryad Way”, which then draws the ship toward it in an inexorable fashion.

The court is ruled by the Summer King, known as Oberon “The Black-Handed” and his consort Titania. The Black-Handed is named for his withered and burnt sword hand, an injury he had sustained in a great, ancient battle by plunging a sword wrought entirely of cold iron into the heart of the Fomorian King Arawn – an act that freed the fey people from the cruelty and subjugation of the Fomorians and made Oberon a hero and king.

Winter Court

The Winter Court was once known as the Unseelie Court in the time before the Great Sundering. Long ago when there was a single unified fey court, The Winter Queen Mab was the consort of Oberon. Though the fey don’t prize monogamy as mortals do, the Black-Handed’s indiscreet dalliance with the mortal songstress Titania was an insult that the prideful queen could not bare. In a rage, Mab fled the court for the lands of the Goblin King Conchobar, taking fully 1/3 of the court with her, and for centuries thereafter dedicated herself to thwarting and undermining Oberon’s court.

After the Great Sundering, the Unseelie Court settled the lands surrounding the Eventide Tree, which devours life and light through it’s leaves and branches, while bleeding a gloaming coldness into the very ground that in turn protects it’s denizens from enemy incursions, which is what keeps the forces of the often indignant Summer King at bay. The fruit of the dusk tree can be distilled to make healing potions and other curatives. It’s said that this fruit is an important reagent in rituals that grant eternal youth to mortals, such as the one that granted the Summer Queen Titania her immortality.

Winter Court Fey are guileful and full of pride. They view deftly executed games of intrigue as the highest form of art, and revere cunning, ruthlessness and subterfuge above all. Though they are prone to cruelty and they have no love of mortals, the fey of Winter are not abjectly evil as much as they are insulated and self-interested. This survival mechanism is a necessity in a society where deception, manipulation and casual betrayal are a part of daily life.

The Winter Court Fey, comprised of high elves, changelings and goblinkin, tend to be skilled spies, negotiators and mercenaries. The watershapers of the court can form beautiful sculptures of water richly dyed which are then magically frozen into solid, dry and unmelting ice crystal. In fact, even the weapons and armor of Winter Court warriors are also made from magically shaped and hardened Ice Crystal.

The Winter Court do not have their own means of transdomain conveyance like the Summer Courts’ Dryarks. Instead, they have a reflecting pool which acts as a magic portal between their capital city of Frostspire, and it’s twin pool in the city of Silverspire at the edge the Bhalen’lad Cluster, where they hire transport to other domains as needed. As a result of this open pathway, they maintain primacy in trade relations with the mortal races.

Ironheart

Ironheart is the name for the cold iron core of the Luansidhe, as well as the home of the imprisoned Fomorian scourge and their king, Arawn the Heartless.

However, the first inhabitants of the moon’s core were the cyclops. In the most ancient of times, cyclops were a race of beings created by the clockwork Primordial Antikythron to act as custodians of it’s giant mechanical body of spontaneously forming pistons and gears. Slowly, the cyclops attained sentience and will of their own, after which Antikythron banished them along with it’s other organic components, becoming a self sustaining monstrosity of independently functioning mechanisms.

The liberated cyclops took refuge on the faerie moon in the time before the sundering, where they lived and worked and crafted, often making forays planetside to trade with the denizens of faerie. When the fey rebelled against their cruel Fomorian overlords, the cyclops formed a treaty with Oberon, fighting alongside the various faerie tribes and helping construct a prison that would hold their mutual enemies for eternity.

The prison of Ironheart is designed as a sphere of pure cold iron, which feeds upon the innate magical energies of the Fomorians, keeping them in a dormant state. Though still physically imposing beings, the powerful magicks that helped them rule over the other fey and threaten the cyclops and races beyond the realm of Faerie are dampened.

After many centuries, the fey forgot about the treaty they held with the cyclops, and after the Sundering they quickly moved to colonize the moon which resulted in a great war between the former allies. To make matters worse, the Dayspring and Eventide trees that were planted to terraform the moon fed on the energies leeched from the Fomorians by their prison, which weakened their magical bonds and allowed them to escape. The Fomorians made a pact with their former gaolers and joined forces with the cyclops, but were ultimately defeated once more by the combined might of the Summer and Winter Courts as well as the Wyld.

Ironheart no longer keeps the Fomorians imprisoned and dormant, but it does serve as their home, having become a great subterranean city in the years since the Sundering where they dwell along with their cyclops allies. The city is ruled by Arawn the Heartless, whose cold iron pierced heart was replaced by another godtree sapling, which fused with the ancient Fomorian king keeping him alive, and giving him great powers and an empathic link to the godtrees of both fey courts. He and his subjects are always scheming ways to reassert dominance over the faerie and peoples beyond the moon.

The Wyld

The lands between the warm embrace of the Summer Court and the Grasping, icy talons of the Winter Court are known as the Wyld. It is a vast expanse of lush, overgrown forestland that is inhabited by wood elves and other fey, as well as firbolgs and awakened animals who live together in independent tribal communities.

The denizens of the Wyld revere freedom and independence above all things, and recognize no king or queen. Though they have no unified ruling body beyond the leadership of their individual tribes, the free fey of the Wyld are unified in support of the Horned King, a sort of folk hero who defies and thwarts the expansion of both Summer and Winter, as well as incursions by Arawn and his Fomorian scourge. This is done through the Wyld Hunt, a practice of meticulously planned and executed guerilla strikes upon the forces and infrastructures of their enemies.

Whereas the Summer Court fey are masters of light and wood magic, and the Winter Court fey are masters of ice and water shaping, the Wyld Fey are masters of magical animal husbandry. Among their number are many awakened animals, such as intelligent, talking beavers and scholarly bison. Wyld Fey are able to form powerful bonds and partnerships with wild animals, who help them cultivate crops, build villages and even fight in battle. Imagine a stampeding army of firbolgs with stone tipped spears charging forth on angry dire bear mounts.

Some Wyld Fey shamans are even able to summon Astral Narwhals for passage tot he outlying territories and planetoids if the ancient beasts deem the fey’s cause worthy enough.

No one knows for sure the true identity of the Horned King. He appears as a cloaked and hooded figure in hunter’s leathers with stags horns growing from his cowl, and wielding a mighty lightning spear or ornate bow. Some say it is the once mortal bard Taliesin, former husband of Titania who was cuckolded by Oberon. Some say it is Duan, spirit of the original god tree, some say that the Honed King is just a symbol and a diversion, and that it matters not who is beneath the hood.

The Illusory Moon

The Dream Moon, otherwise known as the Monstrous Moon, or the Illusory Moon is the shadow of Luan, the body of an ancient primordial and sister to the world tree Duan. Before the sundering, both Luan and her shadow were visible to the people of the Prime, Fearie and the Netherworld, but after the sundering it can only be seen from the Faerie Moon.

The Illusory moon slowly and inexorably orbits the Luansidhe in phases, much like the moon did before the sundering. Each phase lasts close to a century, and the fey people have come to fear the Dream Moon’s waxing and rejoice in it’s waning. Despite it’s name, and it’s incoporeal body, the Illusory Moon is no mere illusion. Though their nature is uncertain, things most certainly live on that moon. The ancient tales call the Illusory Moon the mother of nightmares, and that Luan had sacrificed her life to keep the Monstrous Moon imprisoned within a pocket dimension. It is said that the nightmarish nature of the Dream Moon is what caused the fey to learn the practice of trancing in order to escape the danger of sleep.

Adventure Hooks

• Pirates and sellswords paid with leprecaun gold have been taking over Ark Branches along the Hamadryad Way, meanwhile Cyclops have annexed the reflecting pool in Silverspire. Why are the Fomorians trying to cut the Faerie Moon off from the rest of the multiverse? Are they finally declaring all out war, or up to something more insidious?
• A prince of the Summer Court has absconded with a princess of the Winter Court into the Wyld. But is this a simple case of star-crossed lovers, or is this a plot of the Horned King and the wyldlings to undermine the power of the Courts?
• The Dayspring Tree has been poisoned! It is held within a sleeping state during the waxing fullness of the Illusory Moon, it’s boughs and branches quivering in the throes of constant night terrors, tainting the land around it. Who could have done this and why? Surrounded by foes on all sides, the heroes will have their work cut out for them solving this mystery.

D&DN Q&A: Feats, Feats, And More Feats

I mentioned earlier this week that I am getting to the point where I think that feats should just be dropped from the game, and this week’s Questions & Answers column does nothing to dissuade me from this stance. Part of it is that classes will get a variable number of opportunities to boost their already easily “cappable” ability scores, but most of it is the feat philosophy of “you need to only take one feat to be good at a certain thing”.

This is similar to an issue I had in 3rd Edition regarding multiclassing, where you could pick up a level in wizard and spontaneously learn every cantrip and a bunch of 1st-level spells, or nab a level in fighter and know how to wear every
form of armor and wield most weapons. What makes it even more bizarre is that
you do not need to know anything about either of these things beforehand.

I get that the pair of example feats have not been “developed or edited”, but why does Great Weapon Master require no prior knowledge of how to use any weapons at all? Why does Heavy Armor Master only require that you know how to wear medium armor. According to the article you will need to wait until 4th-level to pick a feat, but does it make any sense at all that a wizard of all classes can become a “master” of big weapons, or a dwarven wizard can be a “master” of heavy armor?

If a player wants to become a master with two-handed weapons and/or armor, then should that not require access to a class that is iconically good with weapons and/or armor? Like, if a wizard wants to get better at weapons she should pick up some fighter levels, which would ideally allow her to pick from a suite of weapon features to more gradually emphasize her training. Same goes for the reverse, where a rogue could dabble in illusions and the like by snagging a few wizard levels.

Of course this approach would require an overhaul of the classes, giving them more options at more levels (or some, as is the case with most of them so far). It would also require spellcasting that remains viable even if you take only a few levels, unlike how it worked in 3rd Edition where in almost every case you had to have full spellcasting. These would both be welcome changes, as I think it would allow for more organic, interesting concepts that editions before 4th made it difficult if not impossible to realize.