Troy Taylor's page

I have an article coming out next month (that one is going to be totally awesome) and theoretically in two more issues soon after.

Great. I look forward to reading anything that is totally awesome.

I did the cleric Class Act this month! Any comments on it, anyone?

-Amber

I was really intrigued with the idea that a holy symbol might be something other than a wood pendant hung from the neck. I especially liked the fingerless gloves for the fire domain. I have a trident-carrying cleric of Procan in my campaign. I think the chaos domain amulet is right up her alley. I intend to ask if she wants to incorporate it into her character.

Was this your first article, Amber?

I find that nearly every group I'm with has at least one arcane sneak, that is, a spellcaster that likes to the dart in an out thing like a rogue, but hit with spells instead of sneak attack. Since I'm being charitable, we'll call them "Opportunists."

Asmo

It can be real memorable encounter. It was for my players.

I played Irontusk as a survivor. He won't fight to the death, but he was really adroit at hopping from barge-to-barge, tipping things over and luring the PCs into traps.

I was afraid he'd have to be killed, but as it happened, both Irontusk and two the lead chasers all ended up in the drink. He tried to bargain, but another player just bonked him on top of the head whenever he tried to pop out of the water. After fishing him out, Irontusk told his tale, sending the PCs onto the next encounter.

What helped was rebuilding the map on 1-inch squares and having it all laid out for the players. It made it a lot easier for them to conceptualize jumping from boat to boat, the distances involved, and what awaited them when they landed.

One PC with max ranks in balanced successfully jumped onto one of those posts sticking out of the water. It enabled him to head off Irontusk. (Not that it helped much. Irontusk pushed him into the water).

Greyson

I've been thinking about the burning the curtains trick.

Any PC holding a burning torch in front of them and trying to light a curtain (bending over to light near the floor, I suppose) would 1) have vision obscured by the flames 2) not be in a defenseable position. It seems those PCs would be vulnerable to sneak attacks, especially, if the twins in the room tumbled to get close in.

When I DM'd it, the attackers used the curtains to their advantage and got in several near-lethal attacks. It was a significant challenge for Low-level PCs to get past, even when they are working together.

Also: the Green Dagger is an old building. Setting curtains on fire is a good way to burn the whole darn building down.

Has anyone incorporated the 7 Deadly Domains from Issue 323?

What campaign world was it used in?

What characters used the domains? NPCs or PCs?

Which of the 7 were used?

Overall, what was your experience?

I too love adventures and materials set in ancient Greece and Rome. But these eras do not seem to have broad audience appeal (much to my dismay).

I think that's odd, since movies have been devoted to the subject (Gladiator, Troy, Alexander)

Here are some resources you can use while waiting for Dragon's editors to deliver on your request:

Deities and Demigods: has lists of monster for ancient greece (and egypt if your Roman campaign goes there).

Arms and Equipment Guide: has lists of weapons specific to bronze-age adventures.

Aquela.com, D&D designer James Wyatt's site, has a campaign setting devoted to first-century Rome.

Former D&D designer Sean Reynolds has a pdf coming out devoted to Ancient Greece.

There is also a 2nd edition sourcebook, probably out of print, with suggestions on a Roman campaign.

For myself, I draw a lot inspiration from literature and movies. I'm a big fan of Thomas Harlan's Oath of Empire series, which envisions a Rome with D&D-type magic. And there's plenty of game inspiration by watching Spartacus, Ben-Hur, Cleopatra and the Robe.

Hope these ideas helped.

As long as James Ryman keeps doing covers, I'm a happy camper.

Add my voice to those who want 1-inch grid maps for encounters.

Taverns, street corners, sewer hidey holes, an exotic dungeon locale, an unholy shrine, mountaintop ridgeline, a throne room, a dueling court, a wizard's sanctuary, a waterfront, a fortification, a mausoleum. Just keep them coming. There's no end to the applications.

Like the maps of mystery, these feed the imaginations of DMs, who can utilize them as standalone encounters or to be used to enhance published adventures.

I've waited to read a few Will Saves before casting my vote. For now, I say keep it. A column such as this isn't intended to serve everyone.

(I doubt that all Entertainment readers like Stephen King's back page column. But he gives a fan+insider's perspective on the industry, rather than the same old box office report).

Likewise, Will is exploring life+gaming issues. Could anyone write this? Sure. But that's not the point. The point is someone other than a gaming insider is sharing their gaming experiences. That has merit, even if you don't agree with his viewpoints.

Does Will need to stretch himself? Explore other aspects and themes? Yes, and I hope he does. So far, he's only scratched the surface. There's a lot of material to be mined here, but it will take a lot of hard work (and insight) to really make this column jump.

But as I said, for now, I want to see more.

I do agree on the art critique mentioned earlier. No more drawings of Will in his undies. I read the magazine during my lunch break ... and that wasn't a pretty experience.

I concur on the recommendation for a contest. I've always thought Dungeon lacked that sense of gaming community that is so inherent in Dragon. What a wonderful opportunity to build that!
Besides, I like the idea of these iconics growing organically, rather than having them presented defacto as was done for third edition.

I agree johnnype. The Istivin material was well done.

If you liked Istivin, you should try to get a copy of 114, which had a write up and adventure set on the class "lost world" setting Isle of Dread, and 109, which detailed the port city of Hardby. Both were excellent and offer great starting points for any D&D campaign.

As a rule, I think the Class Acts should remain devoted to the core classes.

When a magazine establishes a standing item, such as Class Acts, it should maintain consistency. There are several reasons, not the least of which is to present a format that a new reader (and potential subscriber) can count on receiving in future issues. Retention and consistency are important for building a readership base.

As long as the feature continues to serve a purpose, and I think Class Acts does, both for new players as well as experienced ones, then it is important not to deviate from the format.

That said, some readers of longstanding appreciate a surprise every now and then. Maybe after Class Acts has run for a year, the editors might consider one issue in the course of the year devoted to non-core classes. That would work especially well in a themed issue, say one devoted to planar adventures, Oriental adventures, or one in a particular setting.

Knock. Never leave home without it.

D&D is our group's staple, but these appear on our table with some regularity...

Wheel of Time

Oriental Adventures

Swashbuckling Adventures

Talisman