Laeknir's page

Hi all,

I'm probably what many might call an old "grognard" from back in the days of AD&D and Greyhawk. For many years, my favorite thing was the Forgotten Realms. Getting back into gaming now, 4E and Forgotten Realms just don't interest me anymore. I've tried 4E, but it feels restrictive to me somehow. As for the 4E Realms, the recent changes (on top of some 2E and 3E changes I didn't like to begin with) don't have any appeal for me, really.

So I guess what I'm wondering is... should I get into Pathfinder, will it appeal to an old grognard like me? Bear in mind, the only thing I know about Pathfinder is that it's an extension of 3.5E in some ways. I don't know about Golarion at all, other than "it's a fantasy setting".

I can say, I never really liked Eberron's tone. I did like MERP and Rolemaster in the old days. I loved Greyhawk and the original Forgotten Realms. Ravenloft was ok, but not my favorite. I didn't get to play much of 3.5E when it was the big thing, but it was ok.

So, what do you think? Would Pathfinder and Golarion be to my tastes? If so, what do you think I should start with, to test the waters?

Looks like they're starting up a comics-style crossover event that will be dotted through the "new D&D home world" (not Greyhawk but the one in core 4E rules), Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, and Eberron.

It's the Abyssal Plague world-spanning event!

With some more tidbits here:
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/dramp/2010july

Thoughts, opinions? Is it the RSE that will destroy the Realms once and for all (since FR novels are still canon?), or a simple marketing ploy to get people to purchase products from different settings, or just something fun that will be a good thing?

Someone in Germany received the book (it's been released there apparently), and they've posted a very spoiler-heavy thread detailing the fate of Eilistraee, Qilue, Cavatina, the Lady Penitent, and in fact the goodly members of the drow race.

It's possible that it's not true, but it has the ring of what WotC's been doing lately.

If true, I imagine a lot of people (particularly fans of Eilistraee and the "goodly" drow) will be quite angry.

Here at WotC: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1038413

I should be getting the book from Amazon in a few days and will be able to confirm if it's true or if it's a spoof (that is, assuming the June 3rd release date is correct for the US).

"Highlights" (very heavy spoilers):

Out of curiosity, will the release of 4th Edition D&D affect your purchase of the various D&D novels published by WotC?

Is this funny? Is this meant for marketing?

Gnomes switched with Tieflings in 4E

Okay, it's been a while and I can't find these answers readily. Could someone point me in the right direction?

When an outsider is slain on the prime material, like a Balor demon for example, is it permanently dead? For some reason I have this 100-year banishment thing coming to mind.

Seems like whether or not the outsider is summoned or is brought physically (like through a Gate spell) makes a difference, but I can't remember. Is this right?

When demons and devils die (are killed) on their own plane of origin, like demons being fought in the Abyss, are they permanently dead?

When PCs hit 20th lvl, or any level for that matter, are they considered "outsiders"? In other words, is there any level when a player killed away from their home plane might just "pop" back to their home plane upon death and be "banished" from the plane where they just bit it? (For some reason, I'm thinking variant planescape or something... players usually just die on the plane their visiting, right? And maybe follow rules specific to that plane for deaths of mortals, no?)

Am I mixing someone's old home brew rules with 3.5 stuff? or 1st or 2nd edition with 3.5 rules? I think so, but heh... I can't remember. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

I think the other thread on paladins is continuing to drift too much into the general "paladins and LG alignments" topic. I would really like specific responses to my questions about having a pally in STAP and what to do if he (rightly, I think, according to who and what he is) refuses to make abyssal "deals" as written. As the GM, do I absolutely need to have good planar ally alternatives for the abyssal allies they could recruit?

I really don't want this to become another thread about "well, pallies are LG, so they are... (some theoretical thing)". For the sake of argument, let's say that the pally I'm DMing for will probably be a paladin of Pelor, and I'm not the kind of DM who is afraid of pushing them into a Fall if they go bad. However, I'm not someone who would insist on a Fall if they can logically show me that they're still consistent with working toward the greater good and aren't being hasty in taking the easy path.

I would love opinions on specifically whether or not a pally could logically get through some of the infernal deals without it counting as a step toward a Fall. For example, is there a way for a pally to actually make the deals (as written) with Iggwilv or Malcanthet - if not, what deals would the evil baddies agree to? I'm totally okay with making it hard, morally ambiguous, making the pally soul-search, all that good stuff, but what minimum agreements would Iggy and Mally grudgingly agree with given that it's their own domain and all?

Laeknir

James Jacobs wrote:

Paladins can play Savage Tide as easilly as they could play Shackled City or Age of Worms. Will there be elements in Savage Tide that make paladins uncomfortable? Absoltely. Will there be encounters that become more dangerous and more difficult to accomplish if there's a paladin in the party. Certainly. That's nothing new, though, as far as D&D campaigns are concerned. Paladin players will definately be faced with some difficult moral and ethical decisions, but isn't that one of the things players of paladin characters expect (or even look forward to)?

I love RPing moral conflict and all... but from just a practical standpoint, supposing a Paladin gets far enough in the STAP that they're talking to Iggwilv etc, is there any option left to them at that point? Aren't players pretty much required to make the various (evil) deals such that they can confront the big D? Seems like making most (if not any) of those deals would just be a deepening fall for a Paladin.

Is there a way for any party member to win through the AP without making the evil agreements at that point? As an example, a Paladin might try to put conditions on Iggwilv's demand for a future favor - could he get away with it, or is s/he locked into an open-ended "anything you want, Iggwilv"? And later into it, how could a Paladin possibly interact in Malcanthet's court? Would s/he just stay on the boat?

I'm just trying to be ready for it when this part of the AP happens. I'm not arguing that I *shouldn't* DM someone's fall, but I'm just wondering how a clever pally might or could weave through the STAP's "dealmaking" without losing their abilities. Not having DMed an abyssal adventure quite like this, I'd love some ideas.

Just a few of my thoughts on the demise of Dungeon and Dragon. I’ve been playing tabletop paper-and-pencil D&D since Chainmail (i.e. before it was technically D&D). I have most issues of Dragon, and was a charter subscriber to Dungeon. From its inception, I loved the concept of a magazine tied to the brand, generating adventure ideas specifically for the setting. I’ve been with them through all the various editions, changes in leadership, and company changeovers. Things change and evolve, and sometimes they die. But this is the first time I’ve seen a company kill two industry icons without announcing something really amazing as a replacement. It seems incredibly ill-considered unless they have really, really good feedback on some kind of customer tryouts for this new product. Having heard no such “review leaks” from the messageboard community, which usually has someone anonymously willing to break alpha or beta secrecy, the idea may be something completely in-house.

So… will this new Pathfinder fill the void? I’m sorry, but I just can’t immediately leap onto the bandwagon for an OGL product. I’ll check it out when it arrives at the store and make my decision then. Frankly, I’ll miss taking my D&D magazines to coffee shops and slowly perusing each issue. I won’t be able to take them with me to the park for a little light reading, or have something to read between classes. There’s something psychologically important about having a tactile product, and the recent manic push of many publishers toward “online delivery of content” won’t change that. Should I print out a PDF on my own paper with my expensive ink cartridges? That may happen once in a while, but these online content developers should really take a hard look at how often they, themselves, enjoy doing this very thing. It’s cheaper for the publisher, certainly, but on the pragmatic side it’s not going to happen for most consumers, and most people won’t consistently like it after the initial online honeymoon is over.

It’s been suggested that the decision to end both icons of the industry also has something to do with the customer-pull of MMORPGs and the corporate desire to generate a similar monthly income. It’s too bad that the current D&D-branded MMORPG falls short of others, however, and if they’re going to re-tread that path it will be a hard sell for most online gamers. But perhaps it is something else, something truly novel, that they have in mind.

I have to say, though, that what I dislike even more than the loss of the magazines is the somewhat smarmy WotC “we have something great, but we’re not telling you yet” announcement. Frankly, this attitude is insulting. It’s astounding to me that a company would put the hatchet to two long-standing products (each with a pretty loyal following) without simultaneously announcing the revised “better” product. Somehow, I can’t help feeling herded toward the one touted substitute, Pathfinder, while at the same time being given a pat on the head and told to “just wait for the ‘amazing’ online delivery” by some corporate suit.

So, business being business, I will choose to wait for Pathfinder on the shelves and make my judgment then. Am I not supporting Paizo by waiting? No, WotC hurt Paizo by not renewing their license. If it’s good content, I’ll consider buying it then. But it’s the best I can do considering it will be completely OGL content. As for this new and mysterious “online delivery model” as-yet-to-be-announced, if it’s going to big PDFs they can forget it. If they’re developing a new MMORPG, it had better be much, much better than what they have now. If it’s something else, well… it had better knock my socks off. In any case, I’m not holding my breath.

Disappointed to see the end,

Laeknir

I'll soon be helping someone roll up a Fey'ri character, but I can't find a couple of key bits of info. Could someone help?

I have the Monsters of Faerun supplement, which details the Fey'ri, but it isn't very clear on level adjustments. Somewhere, I read that the level adj could be either +2 or +3, depending on the fiendish abilities chosen. Is there another supplement that clarifies this, or has a more official word on LAs for fey'ri than Monsters of Faerun?

Are there any typical issues that you've run into, as either players or DMs, when working with Fey'ri characters that affect gameplay in a negative way? If so, what kinds of things were done to address them?

All input appreciated! Thanks.

I've received issue 143 of Dungeon, but I never received issue 142. Sometimes my mail can be really slow, so I try to be patient, but I'm guessing now that it was lost in the postal system, or maybe stolen.

Is there any way that I could get issue 142?

Just wondering here - my group started AoW way back in, I'd say late Oct'05, and we're just now finishing up the Kings of the Rift (number 10 of 12). We've had more than a few PC deaths along the way, and we don't get to play every week. But this seems really long to me, compared to other campaigns I've run. Are others having this experience? My players do like to do a lot of non-combat roleplaying, and we're doing Eric Boyd's Forgotten Realms version of the AoW (with some minor changes). Perhaps that's it? Don't get me wrong, it's been amazingly fun, I'm just wondering how long others' AoW campaigns are going time-wise?

What would the great seer Alaundo cast? ;-)

I have a wizard NPC who serves as a "seer" (well, a foreshadowing agent from time to time), and needs a few spells that are precognitive for future-foreshadowing. Not "perfect" future-telling, but perhaps "seeing the many threads of fate" in a probabilistic sense.

What might be the best spells, spell-like abilities, or methods for this, other than an unabashed DM PlotDevice? I don't have access to all of the supplemental books, but if they're in the ballpark I'd like to hear ideas from those also.

Also, what other kinds of related spells might such a wizard have collected in a spellbook, as a "Seer" during his or her lifetime?

For my players' AoW game, I want to create an interesting, new, and recurring villain - perhaps a devil spawn - and I'd like to get your input! I'm thinking maybe a child of Belial and maybe a warped human priestess or sorceress? One of the PCs is a paladin of Lathander, and I think a "temptation" angle might be interesting... but I'd be fine on switching to another diabolic or daemonic parent if someone has a really spiffy idea.

Yeah... I know this is a concept that's been done to death, so I want to make this more than just a typical devilspawn. Any thoughts...? I just bought the BoVD for extra source material, and there are some very interesting possibilities there. But I don't have access to Exalted Deeds or Complete Divine, unfortunately.

Here are some things I'm working with: my AoW is set in the Forgotten Realms (just started Whispering Cairn), and the players are all standard PC types (no monstrous characters or the like... just three humans, an elf, and a half-elf). We're also very role-play heavy (not rule-heavy). Progress in levels is done more slowly, with several plotlines running at the same time (with AoW being the major plot). They like a lot of character development. Most importantly, since it's FR, I don't really want the villain to be a carbon copy of "Aliiza" originally from Hellgate Keep.

Eventually, I'll want to scare them with a possible rebirth of Myrkul and Bhaal... and actually, I just might do this, just to start an Epic campaign extension.

This is the first time I've run a really dark campaign, with so much evil, undeath and vileness, and I want to lay it on thick! I'd appreciate ideas and feedback - thanks!

Completely out of left field... but I'm wondering if this might bother anyone else?

There seems to be a trend in DnD artwork (not sure how recent, but a fairly long time now) where the ears of Elvish characters are *really* super pointy, and they're all depicted to be rather short as a people. Does this seem odd to anyone else?

I suppose when I think of "elves" - their height or their ears - I usually think of LOTR elves from either the cartoons or movies (even the recent LOTR movie!), or maybe even something akin to vulcans from Star Trek. I've never really pictured them as being short. To the contrary, I've always thought of elves as being rather taller than humans.

For DnD art, my "picture" of an elf would be a lot more like the way half-elves are depicted in DnD: at least as tall as humans, with mildly pointed ears. And not having the really long 4-5" tapering ear-points... these in particular seem far too exaggerated, more like how I'd envision tiny Fey creatures from the brothers Grimm.

In creating the elves for DnD, was this a conscious decision? Was it to perhaps make them intentionally different from other games, books or movies? In my games, I usually just tell my players about "my world's" difference in elves from the standard PH descriptions in DnD. But I'm curious if the usual DnD artwork for elves has bothered anyone else. I don't mean to start a weird war or anything... I'm really just curious about others' impressions and the reasons for the difference.

Just curious if anyone might know when the "hinterlands of Waterdeep" Web enhancement from WotC might be posted to their site? (Or did I just dream this up on my own, and I'm hopefully awaiting something that hasn't even been planned? ;-)

WotC just posted a WE on their site with a big list of the "Nobles of Waterdeep," but I was seriously hoping that the first WE for Waterdeep would be the hinterlands.

Having a Waterdeep "hinterlands" WE would be really, really helpful for the Realms adaptation of the Age of Worms. I have a vague memory that someone said the hinterlands would be made as a WotC WE... but if I've completely fabricated the idea, what might be the best way to request this from WotC?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but is there a description listing the distances (in miles or km) between:

Diamond Lake and the Whispering Cairn
= "within a day's travel?"

Diamond Lake and Alastor Land's old homestead
= "ten minutes away?"

Whispering Cairn and the abandoned mine office
= "ten minutes apart?"

I'm more interested in actual mileage, if it's been posted or discussed somewhere, since my players are extremely anal retentive when it comes to travel distances. Thanks!

Many of the singles minis have been unavailable for a really long time... months in fact (e.g., the fully painted singles DnD minis from Dragoneye...almost none have been available for at least 2-3 months).

Will the Dragoneye singles minis (other than the Abyssal Maw) be offered again at some point? Please say when, if possible. Thanks!

Just wondering how other DMs might handle these issues...

a) the players are encouraged to attack the lizardfolk 1-2 groups at a time, so it doesn't end up in a TPK or HPK. But the keep is relatively small. If the players attack one side, aren't the other lizardfolk on the other side likely to hear that attack? Or are they too far away, and the PCs meant to do repeated hit-and-run attacks?

b) how did the guards keep their former wizard friend (now a spawn) locked up in the basement without the new sorceress finding out? Her bedroom is... next door.

c) what if one of the PCs is turned to stone by cockatrice bite (after a failed save)? Stone to Flesh is a 6th lvl Wiz spell, beyond the abilities of anyone currently in Diamond Lake to rectify, and a scroll would be prohibitively expensive, right? Just seems like it would unnecessarily doom an unlucky PC, from one little bite... and there are two of the beasties.

Quick question on the Faceless One. It may be that I've just glossed over this in reading, but... what happened to make the Faceless One look the way that he does? I doubt that the players would actually be able to find out, but I'm intrigued by this. Is this just his "normal" look, is he an aberration, or has he been up to some kind of weird magical experimentation, medieval rhinoplasy, or ?

As possibly one of the old-timers to D&D on this board (I have an original copy of basic D&D, and -somewhere in mothballs- its precursor Chainmail), I just wanted to write and say that the AWAP looks to be one of the best things I've seen come along for D&D in quite a while. It truly has the flavor that drew me to the original game, so long ago (an immersion-story / dungeon crawl), and it has a tremendous amount of versatility for those DMs who like to tinker around! Erik's ties between the small town of Diamond Lake and the Free City are simply inspired, and offer a lot of great role-playing opportunities (especially for DMs who like a lot of behind-the-scenes plotting). I also think that Eric Boyd has done a great job in offering an adaptation to Forgotten Realms. He offers some very interesting ideas and possibilities here. Some have said that the use of Daggerford as an alternate is somewhat controversial, but the great thing about D&D is that these are really just guidelines for adapting and tinkering with that town... IMO the original Daggerford in N5 (Under Illefarn) and the later adaptation module "Daggerford" gave the town some unusual qualities, like most (all?) of the Elves worshipping human deities, so I see this as a great DM opportunity to update the older module/town into a much more viable and believable part of the Forgotten Realms. Boyd's future hints of the triad cult involving Bhaal-related prophecies, seriously dangerous heretic-fanatics, and the use of Efreet in place of the Dukes is genius - and will be great fun for my players. The manor-house supplement in Dragon was a really useful tie-in, and again reminded me of the (dare I say it?) Golden Age of D&D! So, just a quick note of kudos to the entire AWAP team that's made this possible: keep up the excellent work!