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I just want to say that after reading the preview blurb in #351, I have never anticipated a Dragon Magazine more in my life. And I've been alive a loooong time. 37 years. that's 259 to a werewoof! Too bad I have to wait so long. A month!
AAAAAAARG!!!
As a werewolf you should be used to waiting for increments of about a month....
Kobold Press
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I just want to say that after reading the preview blurb in #351, I have never anticipated a Dragon Magazine more in my life. .... Too bad I have to wait so long. A month! AAAAAAARG!!!
Trust me, this article has been a looooong time coming. I started writing it back in October of 2005. It takes time to distill big books into (meaty) articles.
Just saying.
Sweet. I'm definitely buying this issue of Dragon solely for this article (not that the rest of the magazine won't be top-notch). I read Perdido Street Station these last few months and it rocked my socks; I would love to have the opportunity to play in a campaign like that.
After looking up this author's works on Wikipedia and the rest of the internet, I must say that this is shaping up to be the greatest Dragon issue anticipation-wise. I haven't read China Mieville's works before, but I certainly will if the articles are good.
You absolutely won't be disappointed. The books are brilliant.
For my money, "The Scar" is the most accessible, as the first 100 pages or so of Perdido Street Station are a bit ponderous.
--Erik
Yep. I read "The Scar" first and loved it! Good gateway book into China Mieville's twisted twisted mind.
Spoiler demand!
What's the CR of a Slake-Moth?
Yeah, this is gonna be a long month...
Loosely, the order is Perdido Street Station, The Scar & The Iron Council. Though each stands alone, that's the chronological order. I am told that a character from Perdido Street Station has a minor part in The Scar, but otherwise they don't cross over.
And "GNNNNNNG!" sounds like a good description of SM power levels to me :)
Loosely, the order is Perdido Street Station, The Scar & The Iron Council. Though each stands alone, that's the chronological order. I am told that a character from Perdido Street Station has a minor part in The Scar, but otherwise they don't cross over.
Also, there's a short story in Mieville's "Looking for Jake" anthology that picks up on the post-Station history of Jack Half-A-Prayer and Too Abstract Yagreth. Incredibly bittersweet, but amazingly done nonetheless.
I just hope there's a decent amount of non-Mieville articles in the magazine. I don't mind an article or two on a best seller fantasy novel, but devoting a lot of pages contents to it isn't really enticing.
I just hope there's a decent amount of non-Mieville articles in the magazine. I don't mind an article or two on a best seller fantasy novel, but devoting a lot of pages contents to it isn't really enticing.
Got my issue today and you're going to be disappointed just like I was...quite a number of pages are devoted to it. I hope this isn't a recurring theme. In fact, the regular Eberron and FR (not a big fan but it's cool) are a great idea but I'd like to see a regular installment for GREYHAWK that seems to be forgotten about except for the core deities.
I just hope there's a decent amount of non-Mieville articles in the magazine. I don't mind an article or two on a best seller fantasy novel, but devoting a lot of pages contents to it isn't really enticing.Got my issue today and you're going to be disappointed just like I was...quite a number of pages are devoted to it. I hope this isn't a recurring theme. In fact, the regular Eberron and FR (not a big fan but it's cool) are a great idea but I'd like to see a regular installment for GREYHAWK that seems to be forgotten about except for the core deities.
The issue was said to have been themed after the books. With a gazateer(Sp), interview, bestiary, and race guide, how can you expect very little of the magazine to be dedicated to it.
Personally, I'm glad it's not just some little article.
What's a decent amount?
Judging by what I've read about his works, two or three issues would be a decent amount to cover it all.
Maybe they need to make a book... ;)
You know, I haven't read in depth into the whole slew of articles, but I have to say, I'm sure I can think of some uses for a crossbow that fires saw blades, or a race of humans that has been rebuilt with magical mechanical parts.
My birthday is coming up soon...(hint hint)
I think that there are less drastic ways to fix whatever problem you might be having than having it rebuilt with magical parts . . . er . . . wait, you meant the crossbow didn't you?
Anyone got the issue yet? It's driving me crazy. I still haven't got the mail today, so for all I know, I could be reading it this afternoon...but I doubt it.
Anyone who has it: How is it?
I just now read the issue. My advice: if you haven't read the books, don't bother with the article. The rest of the issue seems pretty solid, though (I particularly love the illustrations in the Savage Tidings, as I have all the artwork for STAP).
I just now read the issue. My advice: if you haven't read the books, don't bother with the article. The rest of the issue seems pretty solid, though (I particularly love the illustrations in the Savage Tidings, as I have all the artwork for STAP).
How is it not good without having read the books? Does it go too in-depth in plotlines.
(PS: Yeah, I didn't get it today. Literally every single magazine that any of my family members subscribe to came...but not Dragon. [D'oh!])
I don't know, I didn't read the books and some of the ideas I got I was thinking about using. I definately liked the buzzsaw crossbow weapon, though I probably won't use it as a Cactacae weapon. I generally DM Forgotten Realms, and I can definately see this, and maybe even the electrical charge weapon as inventions for Gond worshipers.
Some of the monsters and races don't work as well without their backgrounds, but I think I may end up using Cactacae (likely just calling them Cactus Folk) as a race in Maztica, to throw in another sentient monster species that isn't common to Faerun.
I'm still thinking about it, but I think I might have a way of introducing Remade into the campaigns I run at some point as well, since I am using some of the material from Chaositech as the basis for a heretical cult of Gondsmen that use Chaositec and are actually backed by Talos. I can see Remade popping up around this cult.
The Slake Moths also jump out as something nasty that I want to use at some point in time as well. Heck, they could easily be creatures created by, or modified by, the Night Parade.
Granted, I can't use the city Gazetteer directly in my game, but honestly, reading through it has made me think that I might want to pick up the books and give them a read.
To anyone who has read the articles AND the novels:
I got Perdido Station and The Scar for Xmas and am halfway thru Perdido. Will the articles ruin any of the plotlines or will it enhance the reading experience? I was planning to read Perdido then the articles and then the Scar because that takes place outside of the city, I believe. But I might read the articles if it makes the city that much cooler.
Thanks for any input.
How is it not good without having read the books? Does it go too in-depth in plotlines.Sorry to hear of your delivery woes, Max. Basically, the article assumes you'll scrap your existing campaign setting and use the new maps and PC races that are provided, which I don't doubt are extremely cool in the novels, but on their own are just kind of silly, like a goldfish flopping on a table instead of swimming in his fishbowl. Fans of the novels have an intense interest to see how their favorites monsters, etc. are statted up, much as I spent hours on D&D stats for the guys in Zelazny's "Lord of Light," right after I read that. But, let's be honest, if I'd never read the book and someone showed me all the stats for it, I'd probably just shrug and go on to something else.
Sorry to hear of your delivery woes, Max. Basically, the article assumes you'll scrap your existing campaign setting and use the new maps and PC races that are provided, which I don't doubt are extremely cool in the novels, but on their own are just kind of silly, like a goldfish flopping on a table instead of swimming in his fishbowl.
How is it not good without having read the books? Does it go too in-depth in plotlines.Funny enough, I actually am just running my next campaign in the world, though I'm not dropping the other races and monsters etc.
I plan to run a campaign in Bas-Lag, but an altered one that still has the other races from D&D. More of a Bas-Lag meets D&D than a pure Bas-Lag. I'm hoping that it'll turn out cool.
Btw, does anyone mind telling me what EL the remade are? If I can't get the magazine, I can at least plan out what ECL my antagonists are going to be.
What races are in there exactly?
The preview says only four: Khepri, Vodyanoi, Cactacae, and Remade.
in the city-stats sidebar, it keeps mentioning chaos-touched. What's that? A template? And in the sidebar about spellcasters, it says Thaumaturges are different from sorcerers, but never explains how. Any help on these?
Other than those two gripes, great articles. I have to read these stories.
§
No new feats in Class Acts, me very sad :'( It's what I look forward to (not more general feats for core material, I like more new feats for the non-core material). That along with a bulk of the magazine on a novel series makes this sad issue for me...but then again, can't win them all. I am drooling for the next issue which'll more than make up for this one to me :D
Why aren't the articles on novels series ever about Forgotten Realms novel series or Eberron novel series? Those would be much more acceptable.
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Kobold Press
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What races are in there exactly?The preview says only four: Khepri, Vodyanoi, Cactacae, and Remade.
Which is true for PC races, but there's also a monster article in there that describes Bas Lag monsters (but that's easy to use for any setting). That's where the slake moths, garuda, flesh elementals, grindylow, and others are described.
Director of Games
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in the city-stats sidebar, it keeps mentioning chaos-touched. What's that? A template? And in the sidebar about spellcasters, it says Thaumaturges are different from sorcerers, but never explains how. Any help on these?
Other than those two gripes, great articles. I have to read these stories.
§
There are a few options for Chaos-touched, but the best one is probably to use the half-farspawn template from Lords of Madness. As for the thaumaturges problem, we had a work around for this, but it got cut for space. Alas, we did not have all the room we wanted in this one, but we got close. The best way to approach thaumaturges (to simulate China's world), is to reduce their spellcasting capability by roughly half (slowing down their acquisition of new spells and slots) and giving them skills more like an expert. In addition, they should probably loose big flashy spells like fireball and gain some cure spells, and other spells from the cleric lists. Note that actual clerics (those with divine powers) are never really mentioned in China's books and should probably be omitted, but this has serious reprecussions to the game world. The thaumaturge solution helps, but other alterations would need to be made.
Sorry for the confusion on these bits, they slipped through our nets.
Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon
Which is true for PC races, but there's also a monster article in there that describes Bas Lag monsters (but that's easy to use for any setting). That's where the slake moths, garuda, flesh elementals, grindylow, and others are described.What races are in there exactly?The preview says only four: Khepri, Vodyanoi, Cactacae, and Remade.
So 8 monsters are:
-slake moth-weaver
-garuda
-flesh elementals
-grindylow
-3 others.
Sweet. By any chance, is one of the three not yet mentioned a handlinger? (I still haven't got my hands on a copy of the Scar, but I've looked up the monsters on Wikipedia. Curse my impatience! :P)
Are they gonna have the henway?
Haven't heard of that one.
PS OOH! The hotchi would be cool too. Or those mosquito-people. (Long name that starts with "A". Can't quite remember it...)
How would one stat up a Mafaden (sp?)? A lion with the head of a cobra or other poisonous snake. A safe bet may be a lion with a poisonous bite benefitting from reach 10', perhaps.
Never mind...bad joke.
"What's a henway?"
"about 3 pounds."
;)
It seems that I addressed your joke in just the right manner to make it not work. I must have rolled a natural 20 on my Disrupt Joke check. (Would that even be a skill?)
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Kobold Press
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The hotchi would be cool too. Or those mosquito-people. (Long name that starts with "A". Can't quite remember it...)
Anophelii? Maaaaybe.
As to the hotchi and handlingers.... I dunno, I think some monsters may have been cut for space. Or at least, I turned over 10.5 monsters, and I see the cover image for 352 says "8 Deadly Monsters". I wonder which ones got the axe.
The hotchi would be cool too. Or those mosquito-people. (Long name that starts with "A". Can't quite remember it...)Anophelii? Maaaaybe.
As to the hotchi and handlingers.... I dunno, I think some monsters may have been cut for space. Or at least, I turned over 10.5 monsters, and I see the cover image for 352 says "8 Deadly Monsters". I wonder which ones got the axe.
It mentions the slake moth and the weaver in the description of the article. So those are definite.
Finally got it today!
Glee!
The articles are great, the class acts are cool, and the comics are hilarious. Mr. Baur, you really have outdone yourself with these Bas-Lag articles.
(Oh, and the handlinger did make it into the cut. Whatever was cut, they left the best as far as I can tell.)
Finally got it today!
Glee!
The articles are great, the class acts are cool, and the comics are hilarious. Mr. Baur, you really have outdone yourself with these Bas-Lag articles.
(Oh, and the handlinger did make it into the cut. Whatever was cut, they left the best as far as I can tell.)
Are there two seperate entries for handlingers (left and right) or are they treated as one entity?
Are there two seperate entries for handlingers (left and right) or are they treated as one entity?
Let's see. They have telepathy, but sinistrals can use it to break a dextier's bond with its host. The dextier gives the host a breath weapon more-or-less, and enhances their strength. Oh, and the dextrier allows the host to fly. Otherwise, they're the same.