Word of Wizards - April Editorial Calendar

April Editorial Calendar

The calendar of freebies and subscriber treats is here and not a day too soon. After having a brief look, there a few highlights that will be welcoming us into April.

First, the freebies.

Excerpts for Arcane Power will continue until it is released on the 14th, then we move on to another core book; Monster Manual 2! This should be a very exciting preview.

We can also expect to see the usual monthly features such as Steal This Hook! Spotlight Interviews and the previews for April and Beyond. Other than the weekly Penny Arcade/PvP podcasts, this month's Vicious Venues will also be hosted as a podcast which sounds interesting. There is also a Scales of War advice column but I'm not so sure if it's going to be useful at this stage.

An interesting curiosity is the Fool's Grove which doesn't seem to indicate what it is but I'm guessing it's a written version for this month's Vicious Venues.

Now for the Insider goods,

There are interesting articles that are coming up on Dragon such as Ecology of the Deva, Familiars, Arcane Schools and Creature Incarnations: Orcs. But the main highlight would most definitely be able to do a couple of playtest for Player's Handbook 3.

The first playtest is for Dualclassing. It would be very interesting to see how 4E is trying to bring back this antiquity mechanic and how will it differentiate from multiclassing now that we also have retraining rules.

The second playtest is yet to be announced but it is either the monk playtest being moved ahead of schedule (initially set in May) or it could be a whole class altogether.

All in all, it looks like a good month is ahead of us.

Any thoughts or predictions?

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Cosmic Magic

Arcane Power Excerpts: Cosmic Magic

Sorcerers will have 2 new magic source options when Arcane Power is released. They are the Storm Magic and the Cosmic Magic. In today's excerpt, we take a look at what Cosmic magic can do.

Flavor wise, cosmic magic is suppose to draw its power from the sun, moon and stars. Your blood resonates with the cycle of these celestial bodies and your power is affected by their cycles.

A Cosmic sorcerer is strength based with its two class features using your Str mod for benefits which is weird in flavor but interesting in terms of mechanics. As you as you are not wearing heavy armor, Cosmic Persistence allows you to swap your Str mod with your Dex or Int mod to your AC. Cosmic Power adds your Str mod as a bonus to your damage rolls for your arcane powers that scales at the beginning of each tier level.

Another interesting aspect of the Cosmic sorcerer is that they have to choose a phase after every short or extended rest. There are 3 phases; sun, moon and stars, in that order. Whenever the sorcerer is bloodied, he automatically changes his cycle to the next one in order. So for example, when a sorcerer chooses to be start in a sun phase and gets bloodied, he enters into the moon phase. He can also switch to the next phase if he uses a daily.

Each phase grants the sorcerer a resistance, a special ability and an extra effect to certain spells.

For example, a Cosmic Sorcerer that is in the Stars phase gains resist 5 radiant. In addition, whenever an attack misses the sorcerer, he can teleport a number of squares equal to his Str mod. When he uses Dazzling Starlight (level 13, encounter), not only is the target unable to take immediate and opportunity actions, it is also dazed until the end of your next turn.

In the moon phase, the sorcerer gains resist 5 psychic and gains AC bonus equal to the number of conscious enemies adjacent to the sorcerer. When he uses Moon Cage (level 13, encounter), he gets to add his Str mod for damage.

Overall, it looks like a pretty neat concept with an interesting mechanics but keeping track of this might be an added hassle. Another thing to note is that this build seems to be made for the dragonborn which is a strange niche to fit since they already have the Dragon magic source.

Please share any thoughts that you have about this.

Questing's Reading - 29/3/09

This has been a very happening week over at the RPG bloggers community and a couple of great announcements has been made.

Firstly, this has been going around the blogsphere but I'm plugging for them the first time here, the Open Game Table RPG Bloggers Anthology is now up for sale and it is a great product which brings together the best RPG blog posts in 2008 (kudos to the The Core Mechanic for a great job).

Seeing the potential of what bloggers can produce together with the Open Game Table, the blogger community is called together for their second joint project. It's still in its early stages but do check out what we are planning next (Newbie DM & Mad Brew Labs).

It has also been a great week of readings unfortunately assignments have not only managed to eat up my blogging time but also my reading as well (I don't want to see another business report on the feasibility of Telstra entering the Indian market). Still, there's been a couple of great echo chambers going on involving spouses and some gamers are quitting 4E.

I hope you'll forgive me if I didn't include a blurb for your posts but I would recommend these readings to you.

6D6 Fireball
Cheating - Why We Do It
An interesting video on why we cheat.

What if 4e was Free?
Chris asking the question and making the predictions.

At Will
Failure is an Option: When to Use Skill Challenges
Gamefiend giving some really great tips on when to use skill challenges and when is it only necessary.

Tools of the Trade: iplay4e
A very handy tool to create a html version of your Character Builder files.

Bard of Valiant
Using Weather
Introducing some useful weather generators for putting weather into your game.

An Old School Interview with Chgowiz - Part 1
Chgowiz in School - Part 2
The Bard interviewing an old school blogger and his thoughts on various things. Look out for more interviews with different bloggers in the future!

Bat in the Attic
From the Attic: films and shows
Some old school that are inspirational for gamers.

By Decree of The Czar
So I'm going to try to get wifey to play D&D....!

Caputuring Fantasy
Should You Create a Second Character?
Some things to look out for when playing two characters in the same game.

Chad Perrin: SOB
D&D: The more things change, the more they change
A look at the evolution of D&D through the editions.

Chgowiz's Old Guy RPG Blog
Egyptian tomb map resource
Take a 3D tour through egyptian tombs for dungeon inspirations.

Darran Sims
[Actual Play] Getting my wife to play role-playing games
A report of having his wife join a game.

DND Corner
How Much Realism is Too Real?
How different palyers have different expectations on the realism of the game.

What To Do When You Are Sick Of Your Character
Some options when you don't want to play your character anymore.

Backstabbing, It Could Be Fun!
When players should backstab each other.

Dungeon Mastering 101
D&D Game Day: 4E and I May be Done
More Thoughts About 4E
Ok That Tears It - 4E and I are Done!
This gamer has call it quits from 4E, find out why.

Dungeon's Master
Dice
Some humorous ways we treat our dice.

Skill Focus: History
A good list of ideas on how to incorporate the History skill into skill challenges.

ENWorld Blogs
RPGs That Changed Gaming Forever
A list of RPGs that changed the gaming industry and the way we game.

Exchange of Realities
The Basics of Intelligent Magic Items
Giving Personality to Intelligent Magic Items
Living With Your Intelligent Magic Item
Avoiding the Hazards of Intelligent Magic Items

Ravyn thinking on the intelligent magic items.

Gaming Brouhaha
Old vs. New D&D - A Direct Comparison

Gaming In Code
Monster Morale
A houserule for determining when the monster should run.

HeroPress
Seeking Inspiration...
Introducing a great site with landscape pictures for inspirations to your next adventure locale.

Jonathan Drain's D20 Source
Why Timmy Can Only Stab Once A Day
Making sense of why the martial power source has dailies.

LivingDice
Fakiness: Bring Back Tripping in 4th Edition!
A plea to bring Tripping rules back for 4E.

Role-Playing Resource: The Internet Medieval Sourcebook
A university internet archive on medieval matters.

Lord of the Green Dragons
The Uncanny
A couple of links to essays on the Uncanny Valley.

Monster and Manuals
Gaming Advice #1: Dont' Be A Dick Head
The first rule of being player.

RoleplayingPro
Campaign Set-Ups and Openers

How To Handle A Bad Game Session

RPGCentric
Why Play is Vital -- No Matter Your Age
Another video talking on the importance of play in our growth.

RPG dumping ground
Festival!
How to make festivals fun in your game.

RPG on Blitz Hobby-ing
GM Styles, Part I
A look at his longest game master's gaming style.

Stargazer's World
Dungeoncraft Links
A couple of links for tips on homebrewing.

tenletter
[Academic] Antagonistic Players and Irrational Good Behaviour
An academic look at player behaviour in the gaming context.

The Art of the Near TPK
Race/Class Synergy in 4e: PHB2 Classes
A look at good racial combinations with classes from the PHB2. There are a couple of interesting observations.

The Bone Scroll
But I'm Your Long Lost Brother
Why being part of a family is good for your character.

The Core Mechanic
4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Needs Blue Bolts from Heaven

The Dwarf and the Basilisk
Top Five D&D Campaign Settings
A list of his top five campaign settings. Potentially a meme?

The Fine Art of the TPK
To be, or not to be, in character
How to promote roleplaying in the group and why do some gamers shun it.

The Geek Emporium
Fun Character Ideas That You May Not Have Tried

The Heroes of Fallcrest and other stories
Why I am addicted to DDI after only 2 days
From DDI hater to lover.

The RPG Corner
Gaming in the 21st Century
A look into the future of gaming?

UncleBear
Shemping: Using Recycled Characters

System Matters, Old School & 4th Edition

Roleplaying and Respect

Unnatural20
Skill Challenges, Unnecessary and Problematic
Samey Battles From Dwarves to Dragons

A couple of reasons why 4E isn't meant for everyone.

Wired.com
Review: Open Game Table - The Anthology of RPG Blogs Vol. 1
The Open Game Table Anthology being reviewed by Geek Dad.

Xeveninti
For now, I'm done with 4e

Word of Wizards - 28/3/09

It's been one heck of a closing week over at Wizards. We had a double podcast week. Excerpts have been pouring in from Arcane Power and Dungeon Delve. We also have the art galleries from Player's Handbook 2, Dragon 373 and Dungeon 164 and even a rules update for Player's Handbook 2 and Open Grave.

Too much to handle? Well here's the rundown for the last week of March.

Monday (23/3/09)
Player's Handbook 2 Art Gallery & Dungeon Delve Map Gallery
Arcane Power Excerpts: Vestige Pact
March 2009 Character Builder & Compendium News
D&D Podcast: Author Reading (March 2009)

Wednesday (25/3/09)
Vicious Venues - Incandescent Smithy
Dungeon 164 Art & Map Gallery
D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep6

Thursday (26/3/09)
Player's Handbook 2 & Open Grave Update

Friday (27/3/09)
Dungeon Delve Excerpts: Orc Stronghold
Arcane Power Excerpts: Summoning
Dragon 373 Art Gallery

We haven't got the new editorial calendar for April so who knows what could be installed for us next week?

Word of Wizards - Dragon 373 Art Gallery

Dragon 373 Art Gallery

The art gallery is up and here's some posters I've made using some of the artworks. (Click to cast Enlarge Image)

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Summoning

Arcane Power Excerpts: Summoning

Today's excerpt gives us a look at how summoning magic works in 4E and a couple of summoning spells.

A summoned creature appears within a range indicated in the power and is considered an ally. It has the same defenses and HP equal to the summoners bloodied value. The creatures speed is determined by the summoning power.

A summoned creature does not have any healing surges but its summoner can spend a healing surge for it if a power allows the creature to do so. If the summoned creature is destroyed at 0 HP, the summoner loses a healing surge. Summoned creatures last until the end of the encounter unless stated otherwise in the power entry or can be dismissed as a minor action.

Summoners must command their summoned creatures to attack which takes up an action according to the power. The attack is made using the summoners modifier but the damage is dealt according to the power. Some summoned creatures can also make skill checks which also uses the summoner's modifier. All summoned creatures can also be commanded with a minor action to perform general actions such as crawling, escape, fly, open or close a door or container, pick up or drop an item, run, stand up, shift, squeeze or walk.

While summoning spells are mostly daily powers, summoners also use conjurations which are either at-will or encounter powers. Conjurations don't have any HP value or needs to be command by the summoner but they cause an effect over a certain area over a shorter period of time like a summoned ally.

For examples, Astral Wasp (level 1, encounter) is a conjuration that occupies a square within the target's square and deals 1d10+Int damage to the target. Until the end of your next turn, if the target moves out of the occupied square or ends it turn more than 2 squares away away from the occupied square, it takes damage equal to your Con.

Summoners can Summon Fire Warrior (level 1, daily) which appears in an unoccupied square within 10 squares. The Fire Warrior has a fly speed of 6 and has +2 to AC and Fortitude. As a standard action, it can attack one creature with Int vs. Reflex for 1d8+Int fire damage. It can also make opportunity attacks to make the same attack.

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Orc Stronghold

Dungeon Delve: Orc Stronghold

Wizards has released a complete 3rd level delve even though Dungeon Delve has already hit the shelves. Perhaps sales aren't doing too well for this book?

As a little added extra, they've also included a pack of the pregens that were used in this year's D&D XP which has the Elf Sorcerer, Goliath Barbarian, Razorclaw Shifter Druid, Gnome Bard, Half-Orc Avenger, Deva Shaman, Tiefling Invoker and Warforged Warden.

Word of Wizards - Player's Handbook 2 & Open Grave Update

Player's Handbook 2 Update PDF
Open Grave Update PDF

Barely a couple weeks old and there's already an errata for the Player's Handbook 2. Although the changes are on the 2 controversial expertise feats but they are very minor additions to prevent it from giving stacking bonuses for weapons/implements that belong to more than one group.

The update for Open Grave is just detailing the Zombie Plague for the infected zombie template.

You can find these updates at the links above or from the Official D&D Updates page.

Word of Wizards - D&D Podcast: Author Reading (March 2009)

D&D Podcast: Author Reading (March 2009)

This week first podcast is an author reading by Richard Baker on his latest Forgotten Realms novel, Corsair which is the second book in the Blades of the Moonsea trilogy.

This reading is taken from a chapter where Geran heads towards the ruined city of Zhentil Keep. Yes. Zhentil Keep is destroyed. Again.

There's also a sample chapter for download at the link.

Word of Wizards - D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep6

D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep6

After clearing the fiery trap and dispatching the rest of the crossbowmen, Binwin manages to find himself caught into another spiky deathtrap.

As they continue on, the party has to solve a puzzle in a room with a strange cauldron and varied colored goblins skulls to open a huge door that is locked. After long deliberation and discussion with the clues that they found, one of the Acquisition members plops in a combination of 3 colored skulls into the cauldron and pray for the best.

Then, the door opens. I'm impressed that they didn't have to rely on the magical scroll for hints.

Upon making their dramatic entrance to the final chamber, they find themselves surrounded by goblinoid undead and a cloaked figure who is in the middle of a ritual to bring back the lover of the Lady Hawk. The Orcus cultist also carries something that is related to the Acquisition's first adventure.

The fight goes underway and they seem to take down the minions easily but will there be more surprises awaiting them if they attack the cultist?

Word of Wizards - Dungeon 164 Art & Map Gallery

Dungeon 164 Art Gallery
Dungeon 164 Map Gallery

The map gallery provides both marked and unmarked maps which is always a good thing and here's a poster I made from the art gallery.

Word of Wizards - March 2009 Character Builder & Compendium News

March 2009 Character Builder & Compendium News

The Character Builder and the Compendium data has been updated to include the Player's Handbook 2, the previous issues of Dragon and Dungeon and P3 Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress.

Other than the new races and classes from the PHB 2, they've also added a new feature to accommodate the new rules for backgrounds. They've also improved some of the UI.

For the Compendium, they added some filters to search by categories and also a deity page.

Word of Wizards - Vicious Venues - Incandescent Smithy

Vicious Venues - Incandescent Smithy

This month's Vicious Venues takes us to an azer metalsmith's fiery forge. Bazrigg and his cousin, Araryd have build their own workshop where heat is always at an unbearable temperature for most but it is just comfortable for them.

This article tells DMs on where to incorporate the workshop into their campaign and what hooks can be used to bring your PCs to meet with the azers.

The location is well detailed and stat blocks are provided together with tactics if combat breaks in the workshop and you don't mind the heat.

Races At War: Elf

This is my contribution to this month's blog carnival on War hosted by The Book of Rev. This is meant to be a series that will examine each of the races from the Player's Handbook from a war perspective, their behavior during war and some of their war gears. These posts are based on information found in the official 4th edition books and articles by Wizards of the Coast. It is mainly intended to be used as a reference and are therefore by no means official content. Comments are very much welcomed (and needed).

Background

At the dawn of creation, elves and eladrin were a single race dwelling both in the Feywild and in the world, and passing freely between the two. When the drow rebelled against their kin, under the leadership of the god Lolth, the resulting battles tore the fey kingdoms asunder. Ties between the peoples of the Feywild and the world grew tenuous, and eventually the elves and eladrin grew into two distinct races. (Player's Handbook, pg. 41)

Unlike the dwarves, elves are a race that were a consequence of war.

While the eladrin remained in their crystalline towers, the elves entered into the world to live amongst its trees in the forest. As the races grew distinctively apart, the elves slowly learned to live in harmony with their new homeland. Although the spirit of the fey still lives in them, their being grows closer to the natural world.

Elves revere the natural world. Their connection to their surroundings enables them to perceive much. They never cut living trees, and when they create permanent communities, they do so by carefully growing or weaving arbors, tree houses, and catwalks from living branches. (Player's Handbook, pg. 41)

Unlike their eladrin cousins, elves eventually adapted closer to the primal spirits and call forth its powers rather than relying on the arcane. Instead of living in beautifully architecture and fortified homes, elven communities are mostly defenseless unless they are within natural barriers.

Their bond with nature had healed their wounds from the war with the drow and once again the elves had found peace and harmony.

Since then, elves have become a simple people, enjoying the simple life provided by the bounties of nature and consider themselves as guardians of their natural homes. They may be care-free but are not complacent. Their eyes watch closely for any threat that would dare come near their borders.

Elves are very cautious and suspicious towards armed strangers in their forest. They are curious at best but most of the time, they would shadow the alien visitors for days without them knowing to gauge their intentions. They will pay close attention to details like what are they wearing, the weapons they carry, their actions and most importantly, how they treat the nature surrounding them. Anyone that makes it clear that they will bring destruction to the forest will confirm the elves' suspicions and they will report back to their community that a threat has appeared.

The elders of the community would discuss among themselves on how this threat is perceived and what punishments would be suitable for these defilers. They will no tolerate anyone that put the survival of the community at stake.

Elves in Times of War

Despite how unpleasant war can be, a threat to their homes, families, or friends can make elves grimly serious and prompt them to take up arms. (Player's Handbook, pg. 41)

All elven communities rely on nature to survive, whether it's by foraging or hunting and all adult elves are either proficient in using a weapon or have good knowledge on the lay of the land as part of their survival skills. Some elves even form good relationships with the beasts and the plants of the forest and could call upon them as allies in times of need. This makes every elf have something to contribute in the time of war, physically or tactically.

Slender and agile, elves revere nature and roam the wilderness, hunting creatures that threaten their lands. (Monster Manual, pg. 106)

Elves generally don't have a word for 'war' which is an ancient concept that predates their race before they split from the eladrin. Instead, when elves go to war, they use the word 'hunt' to describe such a conflict. The mission of the 'hunt' is to kill their enemy (which they call them as 'prey') before they find their community. Elves rarely evacuate their homes since it can be difficult to find another suitable place in the forest that can sustain them.

There is another concern when an elven community is on a 'hunt'. Elves are very prone of wandering into the wilderness for weeks and months before returning to their community because of wanderlust. It is often when the elders call for a 'hunt' that many of their own are somewhere in the forest. This is where those elves that have ties with the natural world would send our messengers to track down their kin through animals and plants. Wandering elves would eventually heed the call and rush back to the defense of their homes.

If there is a 'prey' that is great enough to threaten another community, elders would send out runners and arrange a meeting with elders from that community for help. Although each community is still responsible for their own defenses but cooperation is very common among elvish tribes to bring down a greater 'prey'.

Elven Military
Elves don't have a formal way of organizing an army since their numbers are often small and they don't have a strict chain of command. They are simply organized into small groups consisting of archers and scouts that are called 'packs'. Most elven hunters are very deadly archers but the scouts are melee combatants that are known for their two-bladed fighting skills. Those that are bonded to nature can form their own packs with their animal companions that are equally aggressive and ferocious in bringing down their prey.

There is no hierarchy within a pack and they operate based on respect and mutual understanding. Each pack must report to a 'Packmaster' who coordinates their attacks, discusses the tactics and places where they would waylay on their prey and plan a line of retreat. Although the packmaster is the one with the most experience and knowledge, they do not override any suggestions made by a younger member from a pack if they have a better plan. These decisions are made based on very strong agreements and understanding among the packs that will executed them.

Elves in the Battlefield
Elvish packs rely heavily on stealth and camouflage. When they arrive on a pre-determined spot where a prey is bound to pass through or set up camp, the elves would quickly set up an ambush. They find as many positions with a lot of cover as they can and each pack takes their place in each of them. Once they are in position, the packs would wait silently only communicating by imitating animal noises that blends with the environment or using animals for those who are naturally inclined.

Elves can be very patient when waiting for an enemy to approach and are not unnerved even if facing against a number that is much greater than their own. They are very confident of their strengths and they know that nature is always on their side. Elves strike when the prey is most unprepared or not on their guard even if the prey has been there for hours.

Elvish attacks are sudden and end quickly. Archers from unknown corners would start firing their arrows with deadly accuracy, killing their prey from every angle on the battlefield and scouts would charge out to slaughter the enemy. Once they have lost the element of surprise, the packs break for the nearest cover and leave behind a trace of their fallen foes and not a single traceable track.

After that, the packs would make their way to rendezvous at an agreed location and plan for their next attack until the prey is taken out or driven from their homes shrieking in fear of elvish ambush.

Tactics & Strategy

Wild and free, elves guard their forested lands using stealth and deadly arrows from the trees. They build their homes in close harmony with the forest, so perfectly joined that travelers often fail to notice that they have entered an elven community until it is too late. (Player's Handbook, pg. 40)

The basis of an elvish hunt is guerrilla warfare. The elves would either use fear to drive away their prey from their homeland or constantly pepper them arrows until the prey is killed. Along the way, elves are also master hunters and lay booby traps for areas that are too small for an elven ambush.

The main objective of the 'hunt' is to prevent it from finding or reaching their community, so elves would also place false tracks that would lead their prey on a detour or to a perfect spot where another pack is waiting for an ambush.

Packs are also allowed to maneuver independently around the prey and make small scale skirmishes with them but never stray too far from the rest of the other packs and the pack master. Packs also don't generally stay in one place for long in fear that the enemy might send out vanguards to hunt down the packs.

Packs also take turns to attack the enemy as they have a rotating system which keep the pressure on the prey. Some packs and their packmaster follows the prey closely to make contact while another group of packs and its packmaster could be preparing an ambush in another site. The lack of a need to sleep for elves also means that their skirmishes can happen at any time of the day and night and can seem relentless to the enemy.

If the elves are not able to drive the prey as they reach closer to the community, all the packs would gather together for one last final stand.

War Gear

Ages ago, after they entered the world and became separated from the eladrin, elves found it necessary to survive in the hostile wilds. Grace and awareness became their strengths. The bow became their chosen weapon for hunting and stealthy warfare. (Martial Power, pg. 68)

Elven archers are legendary for their accuracy and deadliness. It is said that entire armies can easily be mowed down by elven arrows alone if they present themselves as such an opportunity. Elven archers are even known to hit hard on the run, even while retreating, enemies are hesitant to pursue knowing that an arrow could lodge in between their eyes as a reward for trying.

Legendary elvish archers are said to be so spiritually linked with their arrows and bow that they could guide them to seek an enemy as if it has a mind of its own. Other legends speak of an elvish arrow being able to take down multiple foes at once.

Elven battle armor (Player's Handbook, pg. 230) tends to be light and are usually made of leather or hide which are worn by elven archers so as not to impede on their movement for stealth or during a quick retreat. Packmasters wear Wildleaf Armor (Adventurers' Vault, pg. 55) which is fashioned from fallen leaves that gives them greater maneuverability over even the most treacherous terrain.

Scouts wear heavier armor who needs them for greater protection in melee but it is normally not any heavier than chainmail. However, it is known that elves who live near by the river and seas wear heavy Coral Armor (Adventurers' Vault, pg. 43) which allows them to swim and breath in water. Elves are one of the few armies that can employ amphibious tactics because of this.

For those that are naturally inclined to the forest, they favor the Loamweave Armor (Adventurers' Vault, pg. 48) which is cloth weaved in together with soil that grants them greater control over the earth.

Every elf also wear a pair of enchanted elven boots (Player's Handbook, pg 246) and an elven cloak (Player's Handbook, pg. 250) which makes them stealthy or hide better under cover.

Elven beast masters also bring packs of grey wolves (Monster Manual, pg. 264) for a 'hunt' and sometimes they form their own packs.

Word of Wizards - Player's Handbook 2 Art Gallery & Dungeon Delve Map Gallery

Player's Handbook 2 Art Gallery
Dungeon Delve Map Gallery

I haven't been able to flip through the Player's Handbook 2 yet but if the art is any indication, I would be mystified by it. The artwork for this book is outright awesome and would make very cool character illustrations. The best part is there are tons of them (all 98 of them!). Although they were a few recognizable recycled artwork from previous edition books, this collection is definitely worth collecting. Even better if you are a subscriber since you can get them all in one pack.

However, I can't say the same for the Dungeon Delve maps. Tell me something, Wizards. What good is it if you provide me with all the maps from each delve THAT ARE MOSTLY MARKED?! Alright, maybe it's because you don't want to give away free tiles but if that's case then what is the whole point of having a map gallery at all?

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Vestige Pact

Arcane Power Excerpts: Vestige Pact
My prodigious predicting powers for today's excerpt have proven to be true. The new warlock pact that will be introduce in Arcane Power; the Vestige Pact.

Some of us may already know where does the concept of vestiges come from but for those who don't, let me reiterate. Vestiges were introduced in 3.x in the Tome of Magic which was a book of alternate magic rules. One of the classes that was featured was called a Binder who called upon sentient entities which are manifestations of legendary and powerful beings or as they are called vestiges. Each vestige provides a power or ability that unique to their own background or identity and a Binder could switch between a long list of vestiges according to his needs.

This excerpt reintroduces the concept of the vestiges as a warlock pact and the binder as a warlock build. Just like the warlocks in PHB 1 (oh god, now I have to start numbering them), a warlock's pact will predetermined his at-will power but the benefits of his pact boon is determined by the vestige that you are currently activating (more on that later) after you have reduced a cursed enemy to 0 HP.

A Vestige Warlock gains Eyes of the Vestige for his at-will which is ranged 10, Con vs. Will, 1d6+Con psychic damage and curses either the target or another target within 3 squares that is in line of sight of the first target.

If that target is already cursed previously, you deal your Warlock's Curse extra damage to the cursed target rather than the target of your attack.

That's not all. The Eyes of the Vestige also deals an extra effect depending on the vestige that you are currently activating (just like your pact boon).

Now, a warlock must choose a vestige after every short or extended rest. For starters, the warlock can choose from 2 vestiges; King Elidyr, last king of Nerath or, Zutwa, a manifest life force. Each of these vestiges will augment the extra effect of your Eyes of the Vestige.

King Elidyr's augment is granting an ally who hits your Eyes of the Vestige target a saving throw before the end of your next turn. Zutwa's augment grants you your Prime Shot bonus on the target until the end of your next turn.

Other vestiges will also affect your pact boon benefit except for these two. But this is where it gets interesting. The other vestiges are put in as daily powers. The excerpt has two level 5 daily powers which calls upon the Vestige of Ugar and the Vestige of Xandor. Each of these powers still deals a certain attack and have their own effects like a normal daily does but a warlock can only activate the vestige if they have killed a cursed enemy.

Once activated, the vestige will change the augment of the Eyes of the Vestige and grant a different pact boon benefit. In which case, Vestige of Ugar allows you to move the zone effect created when you use it as daily power by 3 squares while the Vestige of Xandor allows you to make a saving throw or gain temporary hitpoints equal to your Con mod if there are no effects to be saved from.

If this sounds familiar to you that's because it works very similarly to how rage is being handle for the barbarian in PHB 2.

Overall, I'm impressed with this build. I was slightly skeptical that they wouldn't be able to replicate the feel of the Binder into 4E and was curious to see how they did it. After seeing this, I think they have nailed a very good conversion of the Binder concept to work well with the 4E mechanics.

Next, we'll be looking at summoning for wizards.

Questing's Readings - Player's Handbook 2 Edition

This week, the Player's Handbook 2 is finally released and gamers had a chance to try out the new classes in their FLGS that were participating during the WorldWide D&D Game Day.

If you've been following up to the launch of the book, you may notice that some of us got our hands on a copy of it before the release and they've been showing us their shinies. Now that the book is out, some other bloggers have also managed to get themselves an early copy.

If you are not sure if you want to buy the Player's Handbook 2 or just can't wait to know what's in it before it arrives at your doorstep, this week of Questing's Readings special edition is just for you.

It's filled with previews of the classes, reviews of the book, how to use the book in your game and even a chance to win a copy!

So take it away.

A Hero Twice A Month
Learning to Fly: Addendum
Rob is spreading his wings with the Player's Handbook 2.

At Will
Player's Handbook 2 First Impressions
The gamefiend sharing his first impression about the PHB 2 and talks about the power sources.

Campaign Mastery
50 Barbarian Hooks for Player's Handbook 2
No previews for this one but as a consolation, here's 50 ways to incorporate barbarians into your game.

cbpye.net
The Player's Handbook 2: Page-by-Page (Part 1)
Christopher talks about the races chapter and a bit about the artwork.

CriticalAnkleBites
The PHB2 Druid - Nature's Schizophrenic
Building a druid character and answering some questions about the class.

Critical Hits
Avengers: Batman is a Divine Striker
A preview of the Avenger.

PHB2 Roundtable: Classes
Dave and a few other bloggers share their thoughts on the new classes.

PHB2 Roundtable: Races and Other Topics
Dave and the bloggers again on the new races, backgrounds and feats.

Flames Rising
Player's Handbook 2: A Look at the Shaman
A preview of the Shaman.

Game Cryer
Player's Handbook 2
The Game Cryer, Chris Perrin reviews the PHB2.

Geek's Dream Girl
Spring Break Bard Contest: Win a D&D 4e PHB2!
E is giving out a copy of the PHB2 if you can come up with a concept for the bard. If you're reading this here for the first time, then hurry! She's picking a winner on Monday.

Gnome Stew
Player's Handbook 2 Preview: A Veteran GM's Take on GMing and the PHB 2
Have fears about what your players will be able to use with the PHB 2? A GM's review of the PHB 2 and how will it affect your game.

Icosahedrophilia
Celtic connections in Player's Handbook 2
Finding the pot of celtic themes at the end of the Player's Handbook 2 rainbow on St. Patrick's Day.

Incredible Vehicle
I has the P to the H to the 2, 4 real
A good look into the racial and class combinations from the PHB2.

Musings of the Chatty DM
Players' Handbook 2 Preview: The Warden
The Chatty DM can't stop talking about the Warden.

Newbie DM
What should new DM's expect from the Player's Handbook 2?
The Newbie DM giving us a summary of the book's content and what to look out for as a DM.

Stupid Ranger
The Sorcerer: Destruction Personified
A preview of the Sorcerer class.

Customizing Your Character with the PHB2
A preview of the new options in the PHB 2; backgrounds and the variant ritual book.

PHB2, Races New and Old!
A look at the new races, Deva, Goliath and Shifter in the PHB 2 and the racial paragon paths.

Striking a Musical Chord
Stupid Ranger raving on about her beloved bard.

PHB2 Release Day is upon us!!
Dante listing down his favorites from the PHB2.

The Core Mechanic
Players Handbook 2: The Invoker ... a REAL Bad Ass
A preview of the Invoker class.

Uncle Bear
Player's Handbook 2: Bring on the Bards
A preview of the bard.

Player's Handbook 2: Gnomes Return
Uncle Bear rejoicing the return of the gnomes.

Player's Handbook 2: New Races
Introducing the new races.

Player's Handbook 2: New Classes
A summary of the new classes.

Questing's Readings - 22/3/09

Other than the recent release of the Player's Handbook 2 and WorldWide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day, it's another week filled with good reads, advices, ideas and opinions on all things related with RPGs from the RPG Bloggers Network. This week, some of the old timers are taking a step back to relive some of their memories while the younger ones are starting to look at what's install for the game in the future. There's also a few interesting posts on archetypes too.

You may have also noticed that this blog has also gone through quite an upgrade and a serious change of layout. For the time being, I think I'm done with it but don't be too surprised if you see any more minor changes along the way (hoping that I don't break anything). What do you think?

Anyway, here's this week's roundup that I hope you'll enjoy.

6D6 Fireball
How to get into the Bucket of Links
Chris giving the criteria of what would be included in his list of link love but what's more important is that there are a few good blogging advice in them.

Advanced Gaming & Theory
Running NPC Hirelings, Followers & Henchmen Responsibly
A good look at differentiating, hiring, paying and providing for various sorts of hirelings, followes and henchmen.

At Will
The New Breed: Ugly Face
The New Breed: Undisciplined Badass
A very nice take of introducing new archetypes, how to build them and how to roleplay them.

Bard of Valiant
10 Activities for a Bad Economy
Times getting rough for adventure? Here's ways to make money.

Religion and TV Tropes
Using TV tropes for your religious organizations.

Plot for Clerical Adventures!
Using movie plots to create a religious themed adventure.

Bat in the Attic
Peering into my Crystal Ball
Technologies that will save RPGs from dying.

Capturing Fantasy
Playing Characters Outside Your Gender
Some good ways on how to roleplaying a different gender.

Dave Noonan's Blog - Nnnooner!
So where did these roles come from, anyway; An Intro
So where did these roles come from, anyway; Part 2
So where did these roles come from, anyway; Part 3

Dave Noonan telling us how roles got into D&D.

Dungeon Mastering
4 easy steps to running a game for first-time players
4 quick steps to make new players get into the game.

Crank it to 11: Amping Up Your Bard!
Now that the bard is back, here's some ideas on how to play them.

Dungeon's Master
How Many Classes Are Too Many?
Wimwick raises the question? Do we need that many classes for 4E?

Why Wizards Missed The Boat With The Insider
Wimwick sharing his disappointment with the Insider and where did it fall short.

Split the Party
Making the split party work well in skill challenges.

Playing Really Smart Characters
Some ideas on run characters with better intelligence than your player.

Exchange of Realities
This Is Common Courtesy, Right?
Ravyn reminding us some basic gaming appointment manners.

Greywulf's Lair
Like it's 1981 all over again, part one
Like it's 1981 all over again, part two
Like it's 1981 all over again, part three
Like it's 1981 all over again, part four
Like it's 1981 all over again, part five
Like it's 1981 all over again, part six
Like it's 1981 all over again, part seven
Like it's 1981 all over again, part eight
Like it's 1981 all over again, part nine

Greywulf showing that you can play 4E the old school way.

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer
Tell Me What You Want and We'll Make It Happen
Creating opportunities from your players' wishes.

LivingDice
Player Archetypes: What is the Best Mix For A Role-Playing Game Group?
Trask makes a list of what kind of players that would make a great gaming experience.....and the ones that don't.

Musings of the Chatty DM
Robin Laws' Revisted: Part 7, Running your Game
Chatty DM reflecting on the advice from Robin Laws when running a game and what do you need to pay attention to.

Neitherworld Stories
The Perils of Dual GMing
Stuart sharing some problems that he ran into while dual DMing.

RoleplayingPro
Can Anyone Stand Up To The 800-Lb Gorilla?
Will D&D always be on top of the RPG industry and why should it?

RPG Blog II
Interview with Pathfinder Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn
Zach scores big with another great interview with the designer of Pathfinder RPG and talks about various other things.

Gaming In 1991: Heroic Worlds
A introduction to a book on RPGs during the 90's; Heroic Worlds.

Reference: What DnD Alphanumberic Module Codes Meant
A list of RPG product abbreviations.

Gaming In 1991: Top RPGs
A list of recommended systems and settings during 1991.

Gaming in 1991: Dave Arneson Speaks
An excerpt of what Dave Arneson wrote in 1991 on the relationship between D&D and Chainmail.

Stargazer's World
Converting videogames to the gaming table
Some thoughts on how to convert videogames into tabletop RPGs.

Tales of the Rambling Bumblers
RPG Rules and the Direction of Causality
A very written view on whether the game rules create a world or does a world create the rules?

tenletter
Assembling the Heroes
How to avoid party conflict from creating relationships with the characters.

The Bone Scroll
Failure is Sometimes an Option
There are times when the DM has to throw in the towel or reconsider his options.

The Core Mechanic
10 House Rules to Make Grognards Like 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons
Grognards playing 4E? Try some of this.

Using Google to Measure Interest in Dungeons & Dragons
An interesting observation on the popularity of D&D in Google.

The Gamer Traveler
RPG Blog Carnival: St. Patrick's Day
A mini-blog carnival in celebrating the Irish holiday.

The Geek Emporium
A Return to Glory...A New Revolution In Game
A look into several politcal/government systems and how to spark a revolution.

What Makes A Good RPG System
Sharing his thoughts on what makes a good RPG system.

The Geek Gazette
It's Just a Game
Frustrated that your game never goes according to plan? It's part of the game.

The Keep on the Gaming Lands
The Lego Box Campaign
Mike Mearls giving out ideas on how to turn the H adventure series into a sandbox.

Carefully Prepared Improvisation
Mike Mearls giving some tips on improvising.

The Spirits of Eden
Character Archetype Terms You Never Heard Of
Anime in D&D? How about anime character tropes?

Whitehall ParaIndustries
Rationales for Mechanics
The reasons why do RPGs need mechanics.

Looking back: Rationales for Mechanics
Looking for other reasons why RPGs need mechanics.

You want to be something different...
Take your favorite novels, movies, TV series or comics with bad endings and make it right.

Designing for Generational Campaigns: Part 1
How to design campaigns that last through in-game generations.

Direction of Causaility
A response to the Rambling Bumblers post on causality.

Word of Wizards - 21/3/09

The Player's Handbook 2 is finally released and everyone is satisfying their primal urges. It's also World Wide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day today, so if you haven't bought the book, you could certainly test out the new classes in your nearest participating FLGS. Otherwise, you can tune in to the action over at the War Pig Radio and listen to their coverage of the international event.

This week, we also take a trip down the memory lane with the bard and the druid that have made their return in 4th edition in the PHB 2.

In the meantime, we're starting to get a first look at Arcane Power but the excerpts so far have been pretty disappointing. We also had an interview with Susan Morris, the lady behind the Practical Guide to Faeries and a fiery podcast with the crew of Acquisition Inc.

An important announcement was made this week with Stephen Schubert being officially appointed as the new Lead Developer for D&D, taking the spot that was left vacant since Mike Mearls was made Lead Designer.

Don't want to miss out on anything this week? Then here's the rundown.

Monday (16/3/09)
Excerpts: Arcane Power Rituals

Wednesday (18/3/09)
D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep5

Thursday (19/3/09)
WotC Names Stephen Schubert as D&D Lead Developer

Friday (20/3/09)
D&D Alumni: Druid & Bard
Spotlight Interview - Pip & Susan Morris
Excerpts: Arcane Hunter

Next week will be another big week with some good content coming in. First off, we will have more Arcane Power excerpts rolling in, starting off with a new warlock pact (the Vestige pact?) on Monday. There is a possibility that it will be a double podcast week and perhaps the monthly Vicious Venue will be up too.

Wizards will also be releasing the map and art galleries of Player's Handbook 2 and Dungeon Delve which is hopefully useful.

Subscribers can look forward to a Martial Power 2 playtest document on Monday too!

So see you all then and happy WWDDGD!

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Arcane Hunter

Arcane Power Excerpts: Arcane Hunter

Another excerpt from Arcane Power came in yesterday and this time we are taking a look at a paragon path for the Swordmage; the Arcane Hunter. As an additional prerequisite, the swordmage must also have the Aegis of Ensnarement class feature which is a new aegis that will be in the book.

The Arcane Hunter learns how to refine their magical strikes to exploit the weaknesses and overcome any resistances that the enemy may have. By using special magical techniques when engaging an enemy, the hunter can easily sense a way to defeat even the toughest opponent that may seem impenetrable to magical attacks.

Once they have discovered an enemy's weakness, they can use a Knowing Strike (11th level path feature) that allows their attack to ignore all resistances and the insubstantial quality when they spend an action point to make that attack.

If a hunter scores a critical, they have landed a Perfect Strike (11th level path feature) which deals an extra damage equal to the target's highest vulnerability.

An experienced hunter has an Exploitive Eye (16th level path feature) that allows him to reduce the resistance of an enemy by 10 (to a minimum of 0) if they have any.

Arcane Hunters learn to Exploit Weakness (Level 11, Encounter) that deals 3[W]+Int and an extra damage equal to the highest vulnerability of an enemy.

They can also maintain an Elemental Stance (Level 12, Daily) which gives any enemy that the hunter hits a vulnerable 5 towards an element of the hunter's choice when he uses this power as long as he is in the stance.

The most dangerous of Arcane Hunters have a Flaw Seeking Strike (Level 20, Daily) which deals 3[W]+Int and ongoing 5 damage of any damage type that is one of the target's vulnerabilities (save ends). If the target does not have any vulnerabilities, they take 10 ongoing damage of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder (save ends). On a miss, the target takes half damage and ongoing 5 damage with a damage type of the hunter's choice (save ends).

Overall, I find this class not so great as it really depends on what type of enemies that the party is fighting. DMs would have to pay attention to anyone who is taking this paragon path to make it worthwhile for them and even then it only pays off by 16th level.

Word of Wizards - WotC Names Stephen Schubert as D&D Lead Developer

WotC Names Stephen Schubert as D&D Lead Developer

Wizards have officially appointed Stephen Schubert as D&D Lead Developer last week, taking over the job of Mike Mearls who was assigned as Lead Designer last year.

Stephen was working as a programmer and system analyst for 8 years in IBM before entering Wizards as an Associate Developer in 2004. His credentials so far have been developing work for Weapons of Legacy, Dungeon Master's Guide 2 for 3.5 and the D&D Miniature Game.

He is now a main contributor to the design and development of monsters for 4th edition with his name appearing on the Monster Manual and the upcoming Monster Manual 2.

All the best in the new position.

Word of Wizards - Spotlight Interview - Pip & Susan Morris

Spotlight Interview - Pip & Susan Morris

An interview with the author, Susan Morris and her tiny researcher, Pip, who were behind the Practical Guide to Faeries. Pip shares more about the faeries in the Feywild and how he venture deep into faerie society in order to get his information while Susan talks a bit more about her career, her childhood (probably that's how she met Pip), the book and where the series is headed.

The next installment on the series, Pratical Guide to Dragon Magic, is due to be released on September 2010 and there seems to be a plan for more guides in the series. I think this is really a series to give to your kids if you want them to grow up to be a gamer.

Word of Wizards - D&D Alumni: Druid & Bard

D&D Alumni: Druid & Bard

Among the new classes that are in the Player's Handbook 2, there are 2 of them that has been with the game throughout all the editions; the bard and the druid. This article is a look back at its history, the concept and the roles they played in the various editions.

It is very interesting to see some of the old mechanics of these classes and how they have evolved over the years with different design philosophies. It also gives a little insight on what was likable about these classes which were narrowed down into the theme that they would take in 4th Edition.

Overall, an interesting read about the history behind these classes and it certainly brings back some nostalgia like the 2nd edition druids and bards which I could recognize.

Word of Wizards - D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep5

D&D Podcast: Penny Arcade/PvP Ep5

After finally clearing up the first room of enemies, rummaging through the barrels and chests and finding the clues to the mosaics on the wall, the Acquisition concludes that there is a crypt which rest the body of the Lady of the tower.

In the next room, they are faced with four statues that spit out gouts of flame from alcoves with a couple of crossbowmen on the other end of the room. Without a thief, the Acquisition had to figure out a way to handle the situation.

Fey Step is really handy for this but a charging flaming dwarf is cool!

After dispatching the crossbowmen. Now they have to figure out how to deactivate the traps for the rest of the party to get through. In the meantime, what's with the sarcophagus?

Races at War: Eladrin

This is my contribution to this month's blog carnival on War hosted by The Book of Rev. This is meant to be a series that will examine each of the races from the Player's Handbook from a war perspective, their behavior during war and some of their war gears. These posts are based on information found in the official 4th edition books and articles by Wizards of the Coast. It is mainly intended to be used as a reference and are therefore by no means official content. Comments are very much welcomed (and needed).

Background

In a time long before other great empires, eladrin faithful to Corellon fought bitter wars within the Feywild against the followers of Lolth and other evil fey. (Martial Power, pg. 128)

Like their counterparts in the world, eladrin have had to fight and die to defend their way of life. (Martial Power, pg. 59)

The eladrin knows about wars all too well in fact, the eladrin may know war possibly better than most other races would have you believe. War has caused many irreversible damage to the eladrin as a race. Many Eladrin cities and lives have been lost to war which until today are not fully recovered.

The first war of the eladrin was with the drow. It was a war that almost destroyed them but the eladrin managed to pull through in the end and drive them from the Feywild. Although the story of the eladrin's hard earned victory against the drow are inscribed on the ruins of the Spiral Tower, it was a victory that had its price. The war had shattered their people. The people of the fey are no longer one. The eladrin watched from their shining cities in the Feywild as the elves leave for a better home in the forest of the natural world.

Despite their victory, war never escapes from the eladrin.

The intelligent races do their best to bend the Feywild to their will. The main rivals attempting to rule the Feywild are the eladrin in their shining cities and the fomorians in their subterranean fortresses. (Manual of the Planes, pg. 36)

Today, many eladrin cities are greatly under the threat of the Formorians who seek to destroy them and ransack their vaults for highly prized magical artifacts and power. The eladrin stand ever more vigilant to guard their cities from the formorians and the vengence of the drow. The eladrin will never be caught off guard.

Eladrin in Times of War

As is commonly known, the foundation of eladrin society is the extended family, or House. Although most eladrin spend decades of their youth in one of the isolated stone and crystal cities dotting the endless shadow of the Feywild forest, an eladrin’s true allegiance is to his or her House and its nobles. Those nobles in turn often swear allegiance to one of the eladrin archfey. The eladrin archfey are titular monarchs only. (Manual of the Planes, pg. 39)

War can be a politicized matter for the Houses. The results of war usually involves high number of casualties and sacrifices on the resources of the House which can undermine the House's standing and influence among other Houses. However, if victory is gained, the Houses that participated in the war would gain higher recognition and favor.

When war is inevitable, the nobles of each House would deliberate among themselves, weighing the potential benefits and losses of joining in the war. Eladrin take the long view and calculate the benefits to be gained over decades and centuries. War can be the pivotal point which will turn a minor House into a ruling House of the city or be the drastic end of a House's bloodline. The reputation and survival of the House is taken consideration before the welfare of the city and its citizens.

Once the decision is done, Houses would openly declare their stance on the war and decide whether to join or to abstain. A House that joins the war will call for capable volunteers to form a militia. Gender and profession is not an issue. Anyone that is capable of swinging a blade or slinging a spell are worthy candidates.

If a House chooses to abstain, all of its members are prohitbited by the law of the House to be involved in the coming conflict. A ruling House cannot force other major Houses to change their decision but they can influence the minor Houses to switch sides.

There are exceptions to this however. It is not uncommon to hear of rebellious members of an abstaining House joining the war for other personal reasons and ideals. Such disobedience are severely punished by the House if found out that may involve being exiled from the House.

Houses also pledge themselves as subjects of an archfey and an archfey has the power to override a Houses' decision on whether to join or abstain. However, the fickleness and the agenda of the archfey can be so hard to grasp, even for eladrins, that the occurence of such an event is considered rare. Archfeys tend to only make a decision to join a war if it threatens the Feywild more than their eladrin subjects.


Eladrin Military

Each settlement is a city-state unto itself because the settlements are scattered at great distances across the Feywild. The cities sporadically attempt to create formal alliances, but none of the alliances are strong or of a long-lasting nature. Both the distances involved and the eladrin character run counter to such efforts. (Manual of the Planes, pg. 39)

Every eladrin city is responsible for their own defense and adopt different strategies of organizing their own military. The city of Astrazalian has a uniformed regiment of soldiers and a navy under the command of its ruler while ruins of Shinaelestra are guarded by free spirited rangers. However, the size of these city militaries are usually small when compared to the threat of the Formorians and other racial armies. The militia of the Houses is the one which builds the bulk of the army.

House militias and the city army are distinguished rather clearly. House soldiers signify themselves with banners from their House while the city army carries the banner of the city. This is intentionally done so that each House could easily claim any credit if there are benefits to be won after the war. Each militia has their own chain of command which are headed by an eladrin noble such as a Bralani or Ghaele. This in effect means that an eladrin defense force is actually made out of several armies in addition to the city army. The leaders of each army still convene with one another and plan their strategies as a collective force but still retain their respective anatomies on the field.

The standard infantry is called a Fey Knight while a standard spellcaster is called a Twilight Incanter.

Apart from regular soldiers, Houses also deploy squads of highly trained and specialized members of their House to the field. These are warriors and wizards that are dedicated to a specific martial or arcane arts that are highly efficient outside the formal struture of organized militaries. Squads are basically a combination of various skills provided by each member which makes it a deadly attack force. It is said that Houses that provides a squad is the equivalent of providing 100 regular troops. The usage of squad tactics has turned the tide of battle before in the long line of eladrin wars.



Eladrin in the Battlefield

Combined with their intellect, bravery, and magical power, this loyalty makes them powerful and respected allies. (Player's Handbook, pg. 39)

Despite all their motivations behind a war, eladrin are far from cowardly warriors. On the contrary, it is their bravery that tends to make eladrin armies lead the attack first. Eladrins fight fiercely but also cunningly. They are very aware of any comrades in need of aid and would hurry to their side to prevent their lines from breaking.

Eladrin battles are very dynamic and unconventional. When a battle commence, some eladrins take to the skies and fly over to their enemies, arrows and eldritch energy are fired by archers and Incanters while the Fey Knights march slowly and suddenly teleport into battle. The battle is joined quickly by a bright flash.

Despite the appearance of haphazardness and lack of coordination, eladrin battle plans are rhythmetic and flows like a musical piece to which the soldiers are dancers armed with swords on the dancehall of the battlefield.

Tactics & Strategy

Ossandrya was an eladrin squad commander when the Last Battle of the Spiral Tower began. Drow and demons had taken the mythic site during a protracted battle that saw the eladrin fighting on many fronts. Several fruitless assaults on the enemy-held tower cost Ossandrya’s superiors their lives. With reinforcements unavailable, the eladrin commander was forced to lead the remaining troops against the drow. She devised a multipronged attack that utilized the eladrin’s fey step, taking the biggest risks on herself and having no regard for the tower’s ultimate fate. In the end, Ossandrya’s efforts proved successful. Although the Spiral Tower was reduced to a blackened spindle bereft of magic, the eladrin drove the drow out for good. (Martial Power, pg. 128)

Although soldiers are neccesary for most of the fighting but it is the squads that can turn the tide to victory. Squads are used as precision strike teams that have specific battle objectives which they reach by teleporting. They either cause confusion by distracting enemies or have a commanding officer to kill. They do it fast and disappear fast. They are the sharp tones in the musical Eladrin battle plan.

Squads add a whole new dimension to the battle as highly trained independent soldiers. They sometimes coordinate with other squads to achieve an objective and strike without anyone noticing as they teleport in and out of the battle. Once their objectives are completed, the squad joins into the regular fight, using their deadly skills and powerful magic to mow down the enemy lines.

War Gear

Each eladrin learns to wield the longsword, the traditional weapon of the eladrin people. They have martial disciplines that teach an eladrin to channel the innate magic in his or her spirit, as well as that stored within the elements. (Martial Power, pg. 59)

Eladrin weapon crafters are very skilled in making fine steel blades that are elegant and exquisite as the longsword is a mark of an eladrin's identity. Every longsword is created and balanced according to the current capabilities and skill of its wielder and every eladrin can tell if a longsword belongs to her simply by holding it. Even the longswords of a Fey Knight are easily differentiated from each other.

However, weapons crafters are also known to produce fey blades which are used eladrin rangers who trained to fight with two swords. They are trained to adapt their capabilities to match their weapons created by master crafters.

Eladrin weaponers often make bladed weapons in matched pairs. Whether two identical blades, one heavy and one light, or a double sword, the weapons are made to look good together. More important, they are balanced together so that they seem to fit perfectly in the wielder’s hands. (Martial Power, pg. 135)

As for armor, Eladrin warrios favor the chainmail and they have very refined techniques which makes them stronger and lighter called Finemail (Adventurers' Vault, pg. 6). A more advanced technique is used to create a Weavemail (Adventurers' Vault, pg. 6) which looks like a embroided shirt that is stronger and more resistant to attacks. Beholding an army in eladrin armor is often a breath taking sight as every link sparkle like stars in the faintest of nights.

For their spellcasters, they wear Feywaeve armor (Player's Handbook, pg. 212) using a special thread found in the Feywild that are woven together by special eladrin techniques.

Squads tend to wear enchanted eladrin boots (Player's Handbook, pg. 246) which allows them to teleport further.

Eladrin's don't generally use any war beast in battle but their nobles tend to be accompanied by Wild Hunt Hounds (Monster Manual, pg. 161). It has been said in legends that some eladrin armies have Knights riding on Griffons which have been known to be difficult to tame.