Hello again, and welcome back for those of you attending D&D Experience. For those players who made it to the show, we've set up the following message board thread to collect your impressions and feedback; for most, this was your first chance to sink your teeth into 4th Edition, and we're looking forward to your thoughts about the game.
We've also had our staff fielding their old Gen Con threads on the message boards, with the following staff blogs, which are available for your perusal.
And since this is the Previews column, we wanted to mention that our online catalog has been updated throughout the rest of the year (yes, even before Amazon.com this time . . . mostly). We'll be highlighting each of these products in depth during the coming months, but here's your chance to see everything coming out this year for the game beyond the release of the 4th Edition core rulebooks -- including Tome of Treasure, Draconomicon I, and the DDM expansion, Demonweb.
And now on to our current releases!
Last time, we gave you the introduction from Keith Baker, as well as the Ages of the World. There's a bit more now to show off, with the official excerpts selected by authors Logan Bonner and Chris Sims:
Of course, what's a little more Eberron between friends? We've given you the elves, so here's a quick look at the dark elves as well -- Eberron's drow.
Wait a minute -- Mysterious Lairs? Oh my, no. Set VI is correctly titled Fane of the Forgotten Gods, and we wanted to provide you with a look at some of the actual tiles coming in this set.
There's the guard room (complete with card game in progress -- after all, how do you think guards occupy themselves while waiting for the PCs to assault them -- actually guarding things?). Plus a myriad selection of dungeon hallways, pillars, statues, odd corners, and some very handy dungeon dressings such as a warning gong and trapdoors that are both closed and gaping open.
Yes, our little gnome still has his lair, and he can decorate it to his heart's content. Set VI provides the little fellow with some truly creepy pieces as well -- I'm sure he'll find just the right place for that wall of severed arms.
A month before DDM releases its next set, Star Wars Minis comes out with the Legacy of the Force expansion:
| Generations after the death of Palpatine, new Sith Lords arise to challenge a resurgent Empire and destroy the last of the Jedi, but the legacy of the Force lives on. Dark side battles light side in an all-out struggle to control the galaxy and determine the fate of the Force. Help establish the Legacy of the Force in your own corner of the Star Wars universe! |
As the name indicates, the expansion draws upon characters from the Star Wars: Legacy comic book series, whose story takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi -- well after, in fact, since the expansion includes bounty hunter Cade Skywalker, descendant of Luke Skywalker (and with bounty hunter in his name, this automatically makes him a chase figure as far as I'm concerned). Beyond the comic series, Legacy of the Force also introduces characters from across the Star Wars Universe -- three of which the Star Wars team provided us for preview: a Luke, an Emperor, and a Mandalorian.
Let's start in ascending order of point cost.
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Mandalorian Gunslinger: Yes, bounty hunters are automatic chase figures for me . . . as is any Mandalorian. The gunslinger wears the traditional armor of his people, though more vividly painted than the previous Mandalorians we've seen in the Bounty Hunters set. As a 17-point gunslinger, this figure wields dual pistols Jango Fett-style, with a nice blend of offense (Cunning Attack, Deadly Attack, Double Attack) and defense (Evade) -- suitable skills for a mercenary.
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Luke Skywalker, Legacy of the Light Side: Ah, Luke -- how far you've come from your Luke Skywalker, Rebel days. Compared to his various incarnations this version has a moderate 39-point cost, with powers to match: good offense, including Double Attack, Careful Shot, Accurate Shot, and Greater Mobile attack, which allows him to move after multiple attacks; defense, with Stealth and Lightsaber Deflect; and Jedi Mind Trick, allowing Luke to preemptively activate an enemy.
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Emperor Roan Fel: Ruler of the new Galactic Empire, Fel waged war against the Galactic Alliance along with the help of the new Sith Order -- and won. Though his cost is a higher 57 points, Fel offers a powerful array of abilities, especially when leading a crew of Imperial Knights: He gains +4 Attack when an allied Knight is within 6 squares, and he also grants adjacent followers the Bodyguard ability, which keeps him alive that much longer. Offensively, he boasts Opportunist and Triple Attack, which when combined gives a possible 90 points of damage against an activated enemy. Plus, Fel wields the Cortosis Gauntlet, bane of Force-users everywhere; on a roll of 17+ when blocking a lightsaber, that enemy is -20 Damage for the rest of the fight.
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March: The Legend of Drizzt (Collector's Edition, Book II)
Here are the stories that started the legend. R.A. Salvatore would later extend the history of Drizzt back to his birth and early Menzoberranzan years in the (chronologically speaking) first three books of the Legend of Drizzt series, Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn -- but the world's first introduction to the dark elf ranger came with The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem, collected together here in this new omnibus.
If you've never read the tales of Drizzt, this is the perfect place to start. The Crystal Shard first appeared in 1988, bringing forth characters that would leave an indelible mark upon the Forgotten Realms: Regis, Wulfgar, Cattie-brie, Bruenor Battlehammer, and of course Drizzt Do'Urden -- several of which have since been immortalized as D&D Minis, including Icingdeath the white dragon. Streams of Silver followed in 1989, and The Halfling's Gem in 1990, both of which featured the canonical assassin of the Realms, Artemis Entreri.
Personally, these books hold a special place on my bookshelf, and not merely for the iconic characters they introduced. At the recommendation of a college roommate, I started reading R.A. Salvatore back in the summer of 1993 -- so thankfully by then I had a small backlog of his novels to catch up on, heading down to a park every day to read them before my shift at the local Six Flags amusement park (ah, summer jobs). That was a great way to spend a summer, and I've since re-read these books several times over; I'd recommend the same for anyone who's not yet given them a try (though judging by R.A. Salvatore's popularity, that's not very many).
For more information on the author, head to rasalvatore.com. You can also hear the author himself in our D&D Podcast: Episode 6, discussing Road of the Patriarch.
April: D&D Minis
This April, we have two releases coming out for D&D Miniatures. First, there's the Starter Set, which contains everything you need to play a skirmish: die, battle maps, damage counters -- as well as the Young Green Dragon, Yuan-Ti Swiftscale, Dwarf Battlemaster, Elf Warlock, and Human Sellsword minis. If you're looking for an advance look at the new rulebook, you can already find that online, as well as hear discussion of the rules changes with Lead Designer Stephen Schubert in D&D Podcast: Episode 19.
Second, there's the latest expansion set, Dungeons of Dread. Peter Lee unveiled the latest preview minis already, but we wanted to add three more: a Small, a Medium, and a Large.
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On the Small side, how could we resist the latest kobold: the Archer? Perhaps nothing better plays on the kobolds' slightly less than courageous nature by arming them with a sniper's shortbow and having them pester enemies from afar. As their card flavor text states: "An archer is the embodiment of kobold battle strategy. Why go toe-to-toe when an arrow from the darkness works better?" When Meepo, Dragonkeeper leads his Kobold Soldiers and Champions into battle, he now has a batch of Archers to cover their inevitable retreat.
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For Medium, there's the latest addition to the warforged race, the Warforged Infiltrator. Instead of a kobold shortbow, this fellow's armed with a hand crossbow -- the greatest weapon ever devised by the 1st Edition drow, now in the hands of this covert agent. With the warforged's metal visage and green cloak, he reminds us of a certain villainous someone, no?
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And at Large, we have the picture-perfect Oni. This fellow is modeled after the Monster Manual's ogre mage, all the way from his underbite to his jagged-bladed greatsword. A look at the Oni's stat card also provides some clues as to his powers . . . and the housekeeping between editions (back in 2006, Mike Mearls wrote his Monster Makeover article redesigning the ogre mage, even mentioning possible inclusion of lightning bolt).
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But here's the thing. As I mentioned, if you've been to D&D Experience or read the reports online, then you've already seen the entire set with photos making their rounds across the Internet. So what the heck -- Stephen Schubert gave us permission to provide a look at the entire set as well . . . or at least one more quick picture. The dragons, the drow, the tieflings, and dwarves -- here they are in all their assembled glory!
Gamer Lifestyle
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Interested in contributing to Gamer Lifestyle? In essence, this column should serve as a cultural report on things of potential interest to the D&D community. And we request your participation. Find out more at the Dragon Editorial: Gamer Lifestyle.
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GDC Game of the Year: Portal
We have two ceremonies of note for this edition of Gamer Lifestyle -- the first being the Game Developers Choice Awards, presented at this year's GDC conference in San Francisco; a full list of winners may be found here. With congratulations to all nominees, I wanted to focus on the big winner of the night: Game of the Year recipient, Portal.
For console gamers around the office, this is a hugely popular game at the moment, winning praise from (among others) Director of Online Media, Ilja Rotelli. Developed by Valve, Portal is a quintessential puzzle-solving exercise, with participants navigating their way through the Enrichment Center of (aptly named) Aperture Science Laboratories. Puzzles are solved through use of the portal gun (or the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, to be precise) which opens blue and orange-ringed apertures. There are also objects to move around, such as the Weighted Companion Cube (popular enough to merit its own facebook page and spinoff merchandise... to the jealous outrage of Donkey Kong's barrels).
Albeit a straightforward premise, there's still potential adaptability to your D&D games. How would your players manage if they were invited to a research facility or estate of a wizard, where they would test their skills against a gamut of challenges? Imagine a lab-controlled version of the Tomb of Horrors, with scientists behind the scenes observing -- or perhaps even wagering on -- the PCs' progress. Naturally, the PCs would be assured the tests are safe, administered under strictly controlled conditions . . . of course, there may just happen to be an accident at the lab, or the scientists could turn out to be working secretly for the PCs' enemies.
There's also the wonderful possibility of developing the portal gun for PCs to play with, whether confined to the laboratory or for use abroad, creating a paired set of portable holes within proximity of one another. As in Portal, application of such a gun could lead to creative problem-solving by the PCs . . . though DMs may wish to limit its usage by a set number of charges, or keep it within a d20 Modern campaign.
The 80th Academy Awards
There are no red carpets for PCs and no paparazzi asking who their armorer is or what sword they're wielding.
Arguably, there should be.
After all, what self-respecting adventurer doesn't get into the business in search of fortune and fame? (Avenging family honor and general altruism go only so far.) The fortune part is well covered in the game, with treasure, magic items, plus the increased power and abilities that come from experience.
But what about the fame?
True, a PC's level oftentimes comes with a presumed air of power (what 20th-level warlock strolling into town isn't treated much more deferentially than a 2nd-level one?), and past sourcebooks such as Heroes of Battle have implemented a kind of honor system with Victory and Recognition points. Still, where's the actual public reception for good deeds done?
For the most part, I imagine that when PCs are treated to the rare awards ceremony, it resembles the conclusion of Star Wars: A New Hope: with local dignitaries somewhat perfunctorily handing out medals of honor. Instead, I'd suggest a change of presentation style with a ceremony closer to that of the Oscars (bear with me here, folks). In the PCs' home city, the PCs' exploits and victories may be tracked and tallied in comparison to all other local adventurers, and so awarded on a competitive basis. In other words, the party warlock might not receive an honor based solely for his part in a successful quest, but instead when his exploits are tallied against all other warlocks operating out of the city, kept track of by government agencies or private institutions.
Much of the time, NPCs are either substantially weaker than PCs, or are outright adversaries; the idea of friendly competition between them, however, promotes the idea of a world filled with heroes, among which the PCs are striving to stand apart. DMs can also foster a sense of friendly competition among party members if the PCs are the only eligible candidates for certain, smaller awards (more suitably presented at the local tavern, not the city ballroom -- kind of like RottenTomatoes.com's Razzies). If your campaigns run a year or longer, the DM (or party historian) might keep track of the total number of critical hits scored by each of the PCs, with the winner earning recognition at the end of the year. Likewise, awards might be set aside for total 1's rolled (don't forget to describe the failures [or string of them] when they happen -- stories could be told for years after memorable misses), most dramatic death, best quips, and so forth. After all, fortune is nice and all, but glory also has a place in your characters' (and possibly players') hearts; as the DM, it's your duty to make sure they're suitably recognized.
Best Picture: No Country For Old Men
If there's some agreement here at Wizards that Portal deserved game of the year honors, there's less consensus when it comes to the Best Picture Oscar. The Academy's 80th Best Picture award (as mentioned by presenter Denzel Washington) went to the Cohen Brothers' No Country for Old Men. (The Academy's 1st Best Picture award? 1927/8's Wings, according to the Oscar database, which won the category "Outstanding Picture." The first movie to win as "Best Picture" wasn't until 1962's Lawrence of Arabia . . . so Denzel, or his speechwriter, was a bit off.)
I love the Cohens. Love them. Raising Arizona remains my favorite comedy. My drink of choice is still a White Russian, never failing to prompt some Big Lebowski quip from whomever I'm with. After watching O Brother Where Art Thou, my girlfriend insisted that I run out and buy the soundtrack -- further insisting when I did that she couldn't wait until she got out of the shower to hear it, but moved the stereo into the bathroom with her. The Cohens are among the most imaginative writers and directors of our time, and their movies reflect this, but not when it comes to No Country for Old Men.
And here's why. (Warning, spoilers follow.)
My problem with the movie, ultimately, is with the narrative -- for roughly 4/5ths of the movie, the audience follows along with Llewelyn Moss. At a key moment, Llewelyn is suddenly yanked out of the picture by the (truly bizarre) assassin, Anton Chigurh. To this point, much of the movie followed the back and forth between these two characters, and that Chigurh ultimately prevails is fine by me. What I couldn't accept was the suddenness of their resolution -- and that it happened off-screen. The idea that the point of the movie (as others have argued with me) is that there is no "hero," or that Tommy Lee Jones' police officer picks up as protagonist where Llewelyn left off . . . none of these explanations solved my dissatisfaction. It's the exact way I felt during the series conclusion of The Sopranos -- while those in favor of the sudden cut to black argued that it signified the "real life" of gangster Tony Soprano and his neverending fear of someday getting whacked, I felt differently. Simply put, I felt cheated.
In any case, there's still opportunity to mine No Country for adventure hooks. Llewelyn starts off innocently hunting out on his own and comes across a drug deal gone bad. Likewise, the PCs somewhere on their travels may similarly come across unexplained carnage. Should they choose to stop and help (or help themselves to whatever MacGuffin was left behind), your own version of Chigurh may start tracking them down as well. Though your assassin will be armed with something other than a captive bolt pistol, having an assassin who uses some unconventional piece of hardware to off his victims would likely be a detail remembered by your players.
Lost
Of the television shows discussed in the Wizards Outlook folders (that notorious hotbed of controversy), Lost typically generates the most discussion. (Want a quick survey as to what other shows rear their heads in these folders? Most recently The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Journeyman [cancelled], Jericho [cancelled], and Heroes [in need of a stronger 3rd season than its 2nd]). For awhile, there was even a lunchtime group that met to talk through the previous evening's show. Why the interest? In my opinion, network television just doesn't get any better than this. I'll actually plan my viewing time around certain shows, and this is one of them. Lost is not for everyone -- especially if the concept of new twists constantly introduced and only periodically resolved would drive you to a state of annoyed insanity.
To me, however, the show perfectly walks that line between advancing the story and keeping things suitably vague and mysterious. They're marooned on a haunted island -- how do you maintain that intrigue season after season? At first, the characters' flashbacks helped, providing a way to get off the island and introducing the secrets of each castaway (as important to the story as the mysteries of the island itself). Now we've come to know most of the characters, but instead of resorting to new backstory secrets and trying to tie them further together in increasingly convoluted ways, the writers have started giving us flash-forwards. And I'm just as fascinated to find out what happens after the Oceanic 6 leave the island as I was finding out what happened before they arrived.
It's one of the most brilliant storytelling structures I've experienced. That the producers have announced a known end to the show (coming a few seasons from now, around episode 100), also lets me know that the story is going somewhere definitive -- that some ultimate resolution will happen at a fixed date. Unlike the narrative disappointments of No Country for Old Men and The Sopranos (mentioned above), this has been an extremely rewarding series to follow.
In this abbreviated season, we've learned that six of the castaways have returned to the mainland, their rescue presumably facilitated by the mysterious boat offshore. This being Lost, of course, the rescuers aren't as innocent as they'd have the castaways believe -- and in recent episodes, mastermind Ben has not only hinted that the "rescuers" are dangerous, but that he already has a mole planted among them.
How can Lost play into your D&D games? A shipwreck scenario on a semideserted island could certainly work . . . albeit for a finite period of time (I'm thinking sessions as opposed to an entire campaign). Ultimately, you want your players to feel heroic, not at the mercy of outsider rescuers; so however they affect their rescue, they should certainly be the agents in charge (whether it's finding a critical means to send help, or outright finding transportation or a magical gateway off the island). That said, while leading up to their rescue, having the PCs find out what the island has to offer can lead to a complicated investigation: Perhaps a colony of island dwellers (with oddly advanced laboratories -- tying in with Portal, above)? Or bizarre fauna hunting the party? Or the island itself might show certain disturbing signs of sentience, ghosts, and time-alteration.
Lower Regions and More
Finally, let's look at Alex Robinson's Lower Regions, a graphic novelette from the creator of Box Office Poison and Tricked. For readers not familiar with Robinson's works, Box Office Poison and Tricked are both graphic novels set in the real world (in the case of BOP, with all too real problems). Lower Regions is a bit of a departure, as it details a dungeon crawl of the cover's nameless (and well endowed) barbarian in her quest. I'll direct your attention to the author's website, with sample pages. Note that it's an entirely dialogue-free adventure -- I suppose in the vein of G.I. Joe #21: Silent Interlude.
Also, after the exploration of the GDC and the Oscars above, we should look at one more awards ceremony that merits mentioning while we're talking about graphic novels and the like. If you're interested in even more comics and graphic novels to explore, the inimitable Ain't It Cool News has compiled its 4th annual awards, where they look at their favorite single issues, series, artists, and writers throughout the past year. I've long held the reviewers at Ain't It Cool News in high regard -- and that was even before Massawyrm's review of 4th Edition -- and so I give good credence to their recommendations.
About the Author
Bart Carroll is loathsome beyond description and has no redeeming features. His body resembles that of a huge, bloated buffalo and gives off an offensive odor. The author's neck is long and thin, and perched atop it is a big head uglier than that of a warthog. His legs are thick and stumpy, much like a hippopotamus. The author's tail is strong and snakey, however, and moves with amazing swiftness to strike enemies.