I really enjoyed the new assassin's poisons. I'm not sure how effective they are mechanically, but I love the flavor and story behind them. The unearthed arcana was great, although I would have liked it to be about 50% longer to give a more in depth treatment of each topic along with some examples. The ecology article is excellent and especially like the ritual that summons a gargoyle. Rituals are one of my favorite part of the game and this one is a great addition to my big-binder-o-rituals....
View full commentI really enjoyed the new assassin's poisons. I'm not sure how effective they are mechanically, but I love the flavor and story behind them. The unearthed arcana was great, although I would have liked it to be about 50% longer to give a more in depth treatment of each topic along with some examples. The ecology article is excellent and especially like the ritual that summons a gargoyle. Rituals are one of my favorite part of the game and this one is a great addition to my big-binder-o-rituals. The Inn of the Welcome Wench is a classic location and this writeup is a welcome addition to the lore. Change the names and you could easily drop this info into any campaign or adventure. Great issue, thanks!
I like the prehensile tail - I use something like that (in my games Kobolds are deamonlings). I don't like the connection to dragons - I don't like the weakest creatures to be tied to the most powerful in some contrived family bond. To be clear, I have nothing against Kobolds. In fact, some of my best monsters are Kobolds! I believe Draconians (Dragon Lance) cover the humanoid-dragon niche quite well. Anyway, you forgot to post the picture of a Kobold from 2e - you know, the one with...
View full commentI like the prehensile tail - I use something like that (in my games Kobolds are deamonlings).
I don't like the connection to dragons - I don't like the weakest creatures to be tied to the most powerful in some contrived family bond. To be clear, I have nothing against Kobolds. In fact, some of my best monsters are Kobolds! I believe Draconians (Dragon Lance) cover the humanoid-dragon niche quite well.
Anyway, you forgot to post the picture of a Kobold from 2e - you know, the one with the big bulgy eyes...
Today I find that I am more disliking the poll questions then the editorial itself. I like some things, if not most, but the poll questions do not compensate for that. I get to tell you whether i hate them or like them or in between, but not a way to state which parts i like. So, unless i write something, my vote can be interpreted incorrectly. All that would be needed is to add in one or two more poll questions to see what i did or did not like to get a more focused answer would have been...
View full commentToday I find that I am more disliking the poll questions then the editorial itself. I like some things, if not most, but the poll questions do not compensate for that. I get to tell you whether i hate them or like them or in between, but not a way to state which parts i like. So, unless i write something, my vote can be interpreted incorrectly. All that would be needed is to add in one or two more poll questions to see what i did or did not like to get a more focused answer would have been better. And use check box options so that we are not locked to one answer. Don't get me wrong, I like the direction I see wizards going, just dont pidgeon hole the poll questions like this one here to be so black and white. Keep options in the polls to show the shades of grey like you have in other polls. Otherwise I'm afraid to answer. Anyways, just my thoughts on better getting our opinions especially if i dont have time to write "what i really mean" after each vote.
As someone who really likes the concept of golems, and constructs in general, I would really like to see them become more flexible for campaign use. If not specially "Golems" it would be nice to have a range of constructs across a wide range of levels. I feel like just lifting the 3e ones is a waste of potential for something better. For example, how often is the berserker rage of clay and flesh golems really relevant to gameplay? It's only really there to be an obstruction for PCs that...
View full commentAs someone who really likes the concept of golems, and constructs in general, I would really like to see them become more flexible for campaign use. If not specially "Golems" it would be nice to have a range of constructs across a wide range of levels.
I feel like just lifting the 3e ones is a waste of potential for something better. For example, how often is the berserker rage of clay and flesh golems really relevant to gameplay? It's only really there to be an obstruction for PCs that might want to make golems of their own. And really, why should they suffer for that? It would be awesome to play a kind of arcane puppet master with a powerful golem ally as an alternative to the summoner or necromancer concepts.
As for their spell immunity, it's a tough call for me. As an Ogre Battle fan, I'm used to the idea of a golem as a ponderous, physical wall whose weak spot is actually magical assault. On the other, there's of course the DnD tradition of an ageless, magic-resistant juggernaut. Still, while it's good for casters to get taken down a bit every once in a while (speaking as someone that loves casters) no one should ever be completely shut-out of a fight, nor have to resort to cheesing to remain relevant. I think the solution is to give them resistances, but exchange immunity off several golems for other abilities that provide interesting, even puzzle-like challenges. for instance, maybe clay or stone golems constantly heal so long as they are in contact with natural earth or stone, and let iron golems be the bulwarks on which spells shatter. Give flesh golems the potential for intelligence maybe. Just take the chance to make them something more.
Hieronymus Bosch's demons are fairly Far Realm to me, not unlike D&D obyriths like the sibriex, ekolid, or Obox-ob. Compared to the typical devils and demons of D&D, yes, they are scarier, and I think it's because of HOW the monster/human/inanimate shapes are combined: Not scary: keeping all the human regions (face, arms, legs, torso) in about the same positions they are on a human. Scary: thwart that familiar lay-out. Give it a human face, but put it in places that shouldn't...
View full commentHieronymus Bosch's demons are fairly Far Realm to me, not unlike D&D obyriths like the sibriex, ekolid, or Obox-ob. Compared to the typical devils and demons of D&D, yes, they are scarier, and I think it's because of HOW the monster/human/inanimate shapes are combined:
Not scary: keeping all the human regions (face, arms, legs, torso) in about the same positions they are on a human.
Scary: thwart that familiar lay-out. Give it a human face, but put it in places that shouldn't have any, or an inanimate object where a head should be, give it a silhouette that mocks expected proportions and bestiality: a human head wearing an ornate crown on an emu's body with 6 legs isn't a human or a bird, and it sounds bestial, but wearing an ornate crown hints at culture and relative intelligence.
Please keep this format. I don't mind waiting for a complete magazine rather than having to check to see which articles are available and which are not. It was a waste of time.
Discovering you'd done this mean my first download of any Dragon or Dungeon content in more than a year. Thank you so much; it's so much easier to keep track of whole issues, rather than hundreds of individual articles. I hope you keep doing it this way!
Just give me for once aloot of information about utter east (Thommar, Ulgarth,Parsanic, Doegan, Konigheim and Edenvale), Semphar, Murghôm, Ra-Khati and Khazari. those countries are part of Faerûn continent and I Find it very disturbing to find almost no source of information about those countries in any forgotten realms campaign guide. In forgotten realms Next I have very high expectations to se new informations for Dm and players about those countries and I hope (wishfully that) Ed looks in and...
View full commentJust give me for once aloot of information about utter east (Thommar, Ulgarth,Parsanic, Doegan, Konigheim and Edenvale), Semphar, Murghôm, Ra-Khati and Khazari. those countries are part of Faerûn continent and I Find it very disturbing to find almost no source of information about those countries in any forgotten realms campaign guide. In forgotten realms Next I have very high expectations to se new informations for Dm and players about those countries and I hope (wishfully that) Ed looks in and give us wonderful source of information about east of Faerûn and Utter east of Faerûn..
I'm a guy. I like pretty women. But all these bikini-clad or bare-midriff adventurers are ridiculous. It makes NO SENSE. It breaks immersion. And it makes it that much harder for many girls or young women to find D&D approachable. Also, as a guy who likes playing funny characters, I think the occasional funny-looking guy or gal is perfectly appropriate. D&D is about adventure, but there should be room for other elements, and one of those is humor. Don't make D&D so...
View full commentI'm a guy. I like pretty women. But all these bikini-clad or bare-midriff adventurers are ridiculous. It makes NO SENSE. It breaks immersion. And it makes it that much harder for many girls or young women to find D&D approachable.
Also, as a guy who likes playing funny characters, I think the occasional funny-looking guy or gal is perfectly appropriate. D&D is about adventure, but there should be room for other elements, and one of those is humor.
Don't make D&D so 1-dimensional (or even 2-dimensional). Leave some room in it for the real world to creep in, where sometimes you fall in love with the average-looking but wonderful girl...
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- Jeff
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