DragonMagazine298.pdf

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DUNGEONS &

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MAGAZINE

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MAGIC

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A CLASSIC RETURNS

DROW

A LIVING GREYHAWK TM EXCLUSIVE

ISSUE 298

$5.99US $8.99CAN

0 74808 01823 9

CHAINMAIL BLOWOUT

A powerful new drow fac-

tion invades your campaign.

BE A BETTER DM

Run a perfect session without

preparation.

EXPERT RULES

Sage Advice tackles difficult

rules questions.

ELVES

DEATH

THE VAULT OF THE

Group Publisher

Johnny Wilson

Editor-in-Chief

Jesse Decker

Art Director

Lisa Chido

Associate Editor

Matthew Sernett

Assistant Editor

Stacie Fiorito

L IVING G REYHAWK Editor

Erik Mona

Circulation Director

Pierce Watters

Production Director

John Dunn

Production Designer

Theresa Cummins

Ad Traffic Coordinator

Dawnelle Miesner

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Peter Bergting, Phil Foglio, John Kovalic,

Mike May, Tony Moseley, Marc Sasso,

Anthony Waters, Jonathan Wayshak,

Aaron Williams, Sam Wood

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Jim Bishop, Eric Cagle, Johnn Four

Clifford Horowitz, Robin D. Laws,

Wade Nudson, Chris Pramas,

Fredrick Wiening, Skip Williams

10 0

D RAGON (ISSN# 1062-2101) is published monthly by

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Printed in the U.S.A.

ON THE COVER

Marc Sasso proves that D&D is all

about leather-clad drow jumping off of

an exploding bridge. The full-page

reproduction of the cover is on page 24.

6 august 2002

DRAGON CONTENTS

Issue 298 • August 2002 Vol. XXVII • Number 3

GAME ROOM

FEATURES

10 Scalemail

Drow become demon elves

and our readers duke it out.

24 Flesh for Lolth

The secret life of the dark elves:

Torture, evil, and culling the weak

shape the lives of the drow.

16 At the Table

The secrets of the spider-

themed Cave of Pain.

34 Bestiary: Punishments of Lolth

In the bowels of the Underdark,

there is one certainty: Lolth

punishes.

20 Paizo, Paizo, Paizo

D RAGON ’s new publisher shows

how things haven’t changed.

44 Sinister Tools

Wicked weapons, deadly poisons,

and other gruesome devices from

the cities of the Underdark.

WIZARDS’ WORKSHOP

88 Chainmail

The Kilsek drow invade D&D.

52 The Ashen Compact

An alliance of evil turns good

adventurers into living weapons

trained to destroy the drow.

94 DM’s Toolbox

Prepare to improvise.

98 The Play’s the Thing

Spot D&D’s common problems.

62 Shades of Death

Necromancers of any alignment

plus two new necromancer class

combos: the pale commander and

the savage shaman.

10 0 Nodwick

10 2 Silicon Sorcery

Battlerealms prestige classes.

10 6 Dork Tower

10 8 Sage Advice

Master more rules of the wild.

113 Advertiser Index

10 2

114 What’s New

LIVING GREYHAWK

JOURNAL

70 The Vault of the Drow

Descend into the depths of

depravity in the dark

elf metropolis.

Demon Elves?

“What do you mean, ‘demon elf?’ aren’t

we fighting drow?” So the session began.

Our group, exploring the fringes of the

ancient city Chael-Rekshaar after the suc-

cessful retrieval of one of the ancient turi-

bles of Te-Altus, had finally managed to

track the spider creatures we knew to be

in the area.

Once in the small cavern complex, we

met the first of a series of ambushes, and

each time we were attacked, it became

more and more apparent that the crea-

tures we were fighting were some horrible

blend of elf, demon, and spider.

We were in the Underdark, mind you,

so I had expected drow. The standard, ECL

+2, cast- daylight -before-you-start-beating-

on-them drow. What the other players and

I found was a lot more complex than that

and a more integral part of the campaign.

It might not seem like much of a varia-

tion to go from dark-skinned drow to pale-

skinned, spider-eyed demon elves, but our

DM, game designer Andy Collins, wanted

the race of Underdark-dwelling elves in his

campaign to stand apart from drow yet

blended seemlessly with the history of the

campaign world. As we played through the

adventure, seeing more and more mon-

strous spiders, choldriths, fiendish spiders,

elves with grafted spider legs, elves with

spider eyes, shape-shifting elves quick to

turn into spiders, and others, it never felt

like we were fighting drow. These waves

of attackers were, in game terms, identical

to drow, with templates applied when

appropriate. Fiendish elves, were-spiders,

and fiendish were-spiders who worship an

ancient demoness named Lolth sound a lot

like drow, but by presenting them in a dif-

ferent way, they found a place in the game

world that drow never could.

Drow aren’t the only element of D&D

that begs for creative uses in different

campaigns. Our For Your Campaign and

For Your Character sidebars in recent

issues show how some ideas can be

adapted, but they’re at best the tip of the

iceberg. Join in the discussion of how the

ideas from D RAGON and D UNGEON can fit

your game on the message boards at

www.wizards.com.

READERS

TALK BACK

SCALEMAIL

Standing Alone?

Simply put, Issue #296 kicked arse!

Starting with the wonderful cover art of

Sam Wood’s dragon slayer, I knew I was

in for a treat. The four prestige classes

presented in “Dragon Hunters” were

very cool and can easily be adapted to

fit into any game. “Worshipers of the

Forbidden” was very interesting and

creepy. The picture of the screaming

face at the top of the article really set

the tone for it. Such a dark image of

insanity and danger . . .

The real reason I’m writing, however,

is Thomas Harlan’s story, “The Tomb.” I

enjoyed the story of Harold Godwinson

and his journey in the Holy Land during

the Crusades. I think it’s a wonderful

idea and presented very well. I like the

conflict of religion and nationalism pre-

sented in his stories. Is “The Tomb” part

of a book series? If so, I’d be very inter-

ested in getting the books.

barian or ranger whose family was slain

by a dragon. In this case, the mechanics

of the class run counter to the roleplay-

ing elements inherent in the class.

To qualify to become a vengeance

sworn, a character must have lost a

loved one to a dragon or been killed by

a dragon. That’s great! Such a require-

ment makes sense. However, the other

requirements are onerous and illogical.

True, if one plans to be a vengeance

sworn, the path is simple: Assign a 13 to

Intelligence, take one barbarian level, six

ranger levels, buy the appropriate skills,

take the appropriate feats, and make

sure to get killed by a dragon (or make

sure that Uncle Ben is killed by a

dragon). How many people, however,

plan to be vengeance sworn? Why must

vengeance sworn have Expertise, the

only fighting feat not usable in a rage?

The Expertise requirement also forces

the vengeance sworn to be smart

(Int 13). Since when do revenge and a

pact with a deity require brains? The

Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting

requirements force a vengeance sworn

without a ranger level to have a

Dexterity of 15. Why are Dexterity and

Two-Weapon Fighting so important? If a

ranger ability had to be chosen, why not

favored enemy: dragons? That require-

ment makes roleplaying sense, at least.

Even the base attack bonus requirement

of +6 is a bit high. It makes sense if the

vengeance sworn are pure warriors, but

many who would swear vengeance

against dragons have other strengths.

What is most galling about the design

of the vengeance sworn is that nothing

about the concept calls out strictly to

barbarian/ranger/druids more than

fighters, wizards, rogues, or any other

class. Compared to another memorable

vengeance-based prestige class, such as

the fiend slayer from D RAGON #287, the

vengeance sworn comes up short.

Phill Calle

Tamarac, FL

Ben Dowell

Mattoon, IL

Thomas Harlan’s historical fantasy sto-

ries from issue #296 and #284 share

the same world as his novel series, but

not the same characters. If you like the

short stories, you’re sure to enjoy the

novels as well.

Short Sighted

When I read the initial flavor text for the

vengeance sworn prestige class (in

D RAGON #296), the dragon hunters who

had lost a loved one or even their own

lives to dragons, I was impressed: “Born

from the aftermath of dragon-wrought

tragedy, death, and destruction, the

vengeance sworn focus their hatred of

dragons and their desire for revenge

into a divinely sealed oath that drives

them beyond the limits of mortal

endurance.” However, the flavor text

also notes that rogues, monks, wizards,

sorcerers, and other arcane spellcasters

rarely become vengeance sworn, and

the requirements all but assure that they

don’t. I don’t understand why a wizard

whose family was slain by a dragon

would be any less vengeful than a bar-

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The vengeance sworn prestige class isn’t

positing that only particular classes can

feel vengeful toward dragons, as your

To inquire about subscriptions, email dragon@pcspublink.com or call 1 (800) 395-7760. In Europe, email subscriptions@tnsofres.com To contact D RAGON about editorial concerns, email

scalemail@wizards.com . Letters reproduced in the magazine may be edited for clarity and length. All letters must include your full name and home city. Due to time constraints and the

volume of letters received, individual responses are not always possible.

10 august 2002

[ SCALE MAIL ]

letter implies. However, like most pres-

tige classes, this one was designed with a

particular character type in mind. In this

case, the prestige class is intended for

melee-minded characters who also have

the ability to cast divine spells. The

description of the vengeance sworn

makes it clear that these characters are

relentless, driven, battle-hardened, and

comfortable in harsh environments. The

barbarian, ranger, fighter, and druid

classes fit these aspects to some point,

and certainly even more so when com-

bined into a multiclass character.

Remember that your DM has the final

say on any game aspect. If you’d like to

change the focus of the vengeance

sworn or some of the requirements, ask

your DM.

that I had to respond. The extreme

immaturity evident in some of the letters

was very disturbing to me, especially

because they relate to a game that I

always thought appealed to a better

class of person than that.

One particular letter relates an over-

heard conversation wherein a male

gamer couldn’t buy the April issue

because it has a bare-chested man on

the cover. I actually had to go back and

dig out my copy of that issue to take a

second look at this supposedly awful dis-

play, because I couldn’t remember notic-

ing a problem with it. When I looked

again I saw why I couldn’t remember

anything. There was no problem. I

thought it was a fine piece of artwork.

Better than some covers, not as good as

a few others I’ve seen. I can’t under-

stand why anyone would have a problem

with this cover. I find it sad that some

people could be so insecure that they

would not buy a magazine over such an

inoffensive piece of art. I hope no one

ever makes them read a Conan the

Barbarian comic—they might be trauma-

tized for life.

I also found the tone of that letter dis-

turbing. The idea that this cover was

somehow retribution on male gamers for

the scantily clad women portrayed in the

industry over the years was petty. So

we get to see what it feels like for the

females? I’m a male gamer, and I wasn’t

bothered in the least by that cover, so

why are they bothered by others?

Another letter in “Scale Mail” asks

that only female flesh be shown on the

covers out of respect for the tender

sensibilities of the male majority. I’m not

even sure how to address this one. The

only response I can think of is: Grow up!

What it all comes down to, or should

come down to, is that art is art. If it’s

done well, looks good, and isn’t porno-

graphic, then it shouldn’t be a problem.

Calvin Camp

New Berlin, NY

The Legacy Lives On

I’m writing in response to the deluge of

art-related complaints you seem to

receive each month, particularly in

regards to the cover art from the April

issue (#294). I can’t understand how any

male who is secure in his masculinity

could be put off by the artwork on the

April cover. Sure, it depicts a scantily

clad male with incredibly buff features,

but hasn’t anyone out there ever

watched movies like Conan the

Barbarian ? Barely clothed, hulking males

are as much a part of the genre’s legacy

as gorgeous women in skimpy chainmail

bikinis. Besides, it’s just cover art; buying

the issue in no way suggests anything

about your masculinity.

Personally, I have loved the cover art

(and interior art) of each issue of

D RAGON , which I have purchased since

the new edition came out. It is vibrant,

alive, and a welcome change from the

old, “medieval” style, which, though

time-honored and proven, can get a little

stale after twenty-odd years. Keep up

the fantastic work, folks!

Tristan Kasper

Rochester, NY

Take a Growth Pill

I’ve been a reader of D RAGON Magazine

for almost twenty years, and until now,

I’ve never written in to express my

opinion. This time I had to. I just picked

up the June issue of D RAGON (#296) and

started skimming through it. I only made

it to page twelve before I was so

appalled by the content of “Scale Mail”

We could go on and on with gobs of let-

ters we received in support of the cov-

ers from issues #293 and #296, but we

think you get the idea.

Seeking Fiction?

I have a question regarding the fiction

you include in your magazine. Is it possi-

ble to send you some of my stories?

To inquire about subscriptions, email dragon@pcspublink.com or call 1 (800) 395-7760. In Europe, email subscriptions@tnsofres.com To contact D RAGON about editorial concerns, email

scalemail@wizards.com . Letters reproduced in the magazine may be edited for clarity and length. All letters must include your full name and home city. Due to time constraints and the

volume of letters received, individual responses are not always possible.

12 august 2002

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