say it enough times and it'll come true? ;)
Yes, keeping my hopes up :D
The magazine isn't even out yet and it's generating a buzz here and on ENWorld's forums.
I am forever amused that I finally pick up the new issue of Dragon, that I have been waiting all month for... And as soon as i see the preview for the following month, I jump right into expectation for that follwoing issue (as happened when I picked up the current issue and saw that Modrons were going to be in the next).
Great job with that whole "keep em wanting more" routine you seem to have going! Every issue I find at least one thing I totally love!
I'm guessing it's the Monodrone, Duodrone, Tridrone, Quadrone, Pentadrone and Decaton being covered in this article.
I wonder if they're going by the rule that rogue modrons no matter what type they were before, become Quadrones once they become rogue.
I'm guessing it's the Monodrone, Duodrone, Tridrone, Quadrone, Pentadrone and Decaton being covered in this article.
I wonder if they're going by the rule that rogue modrons no matter what type they were before, become Quadrones once they become rogue.
I think you may be right since those would be the most common 6 types. As for the rogues, I wonder how they did handle that one?
That is indeed an awesome cover. Incidentally, I love covers with white backgrounds, like the one with the Black Egg a while back.
I can't stand modrons.
However, since the tide of opinion is aginn me, I'll do like a tree and get outta here.
I'm with you 100%. Why not introduce man-sized weeble-wobbles into your game, too, whle you're at it? Or giant Fischer-Price people? Lego villains?
I'm with you 100%. Why not introduce man-sized weeble-wobbles into your game, too, whle you're at it? Or giant Fischer-Price people? Lego villains?I can't stand modrons.
However, since the tide of opinion is aginn me, I'll do like a tree and get outta here.
Not all of them look like what people keep saying they look like. When people complain about the look of modrons, you're talking about probably 4 types of modron as opposed to all 15 (including Primus).
Primus looks awesome, as does the tertian modron from Dungeon #144. Decatons are neat, too, as are many others. I've noticed when people complain about modrons it's always when they see a picture of a monodrone, duodrone, or quadrone and nothing else.
It's like hating dragons because someone saw a green dragon and they hate the color green without giving a glance at the other dragons nor reading the material on dragons to see how good they actually are.
Question for my fellow DMs. What's a good way to get modrons into the game? They aren't evil or at least scheming, and don't they just sit around Mechanus all day enacting Primus' plan?
2 obvious ways:
The PCs, for some reason, need to go to Mechanus to find out what the modrons are up to.
Primus begins enacting his plan (whatever that may be), which means the modrons do something to the PCs.
Well, the modrons march across the entire great wheel of the planes every 17 or 289 years (depends on which sourcebook you ask.) They are seeking information for the greater dissemenation of law. The Planescape module "the great modron march" made excellent use of this as a plot device, and the idea is still ripe with more.
Also, Modrons actively strive to understand the multiverse and convert it all to perfect order. They will seek out knowledge, try and observe the unknown, and gather resources for their war against the forces of chaos. They have vast mineral mining operations on mechanus and potentially prime worlds, and any prime world unlucky enough to contain gates linking mechanus and their target is likely to find themselves in the path of a relentless modron army.
I just thought of an awesome idea: a Modron Binder! After Primus' death he/she/it became a vestige. So why not have a sub-cultural group (like a cult) in Modron society who look to have a closer relationship with their god by joining together physically with Primus?
ooh - that *is* a cool idea!
Wonder if Erik's keeping a tally of the modron fans? Heh heh... ;)
YOINK!
I am stealing that binder idea for my next campaign.
That subcultural group would most likely be rogue modrons, seeing as modrons who are doing what they should be doing are taking orders from their superiors.
But yes, that was one of my thoughts when I saw the rogues making a return... a rogue modron binder, and Primus was definitely on his hit parade of vestiges!
the art's by diterlizzi??? Sweet!
*lets off a planescape fanboy squeal of joy*
the art's by diterlizzi??? Sweet!
*lets off a planescape fanboy squeal of joy*
Squeeeeeeeeee!!
Must...not...mug...mailman...
Go forth, and Wikipedia shall enlighten you.
Go forth, and Wikipedia shall enlighten you.
thx. i get it now
Go forth, and Wikipedia shall enlighten you.thx. i get it now
Now that you know, you now have to say how cool they are so the Dragon staff can produce the rest of the modrons ;)
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I really cannot fathom WotC's removal of Modrons from their sourcebooks. What have they been replaced by? Formians!
Modrons - love 'em or hate 'em - at least they generate a response. Everyone knows who they are and what they're about. But Formians? What have WotC done with Formians in way of support in any of their sourcebooks?
In Planescape days, Modrons were recognisable, had character, they made a difference. Formians just don't have anywhere near the same kind of appeal.
What better way of raising something to cult status, than denying it from the public? In my mind, the current Modron frenzy is a beast completely of WotC's making, likely the complete opposite effect than the one they had hoped for.
Thank you Paizo for this article - I can't wait to get my hands on it!
Bring back the Modrons!
So, I just read my copy of Dragon 354. In its entirety (Okay, I skipped the Dragonmarks & Sage advice). Ahh, I love nap time. The cover is GREAT. I love that cover, and it ties soooo well with DiTerlizzi's work (heck, the same modron's on the cover as on page 41!). The whole scheme of the article is well written, good work Ken. This is something that NEEDED to happen (but I am a PS fan). Even better, the picture into Regulus at the beginning of the article was a nice thing (something I don't recall seeing in any sourcebook).
Without giving away too much, the Modrons and Formians don't like one another. Violently don't like one another. Calling all planewalkers: Let's squash us some Bugs!
to Erik and everyone else at Dragon:
I do have to promote the second half of the article (or maybe this should be in thirds... :) I wanna see the rest of the modrons in this detail!
Thanks for listening to this barmy from the gatehouse.
/d
You've got to publish the rest of these! I demand it!
Okay...it was really my intend to chip in here and say how much I love this issue and how it's the best Dragon I've read in a while, but then I read this:
"It is out intention to move you from the territory that we, as the true native inhabitants of this plane, should be attending to. While we bear no particular malice toward you, and find your techniques and regimented work ethic laudable, we find it needful to inform you that we will utilize lethal force should you decide not to accept our offer to accede this particular region to us.
We will await your answer, and should you choose the less amicable means to resolve this conflict, we will make available to you a properly designated agent to draw up the terms of our conflict. You have twenty hours to respond to this notice of intent, at which point, should we not have an answer, we shall construe your silience as intent to move this conflict to its next logical step."
And now I'm going to just roll around for a while until the laughing fit subsides...so you all just talk amongst yourselves.
I'm gonna' get this framed.
Let me chime in and add my voice to the throngs of folks who are begging for the remaining modrons to be redone! I loved that article (and, as an aside, seems like some of that material could be used in combination with "The Elders" article).
Now I have to dig up my Dragon Archive CD-Rom and find the Modron Magic article!
Kobold Press
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the art's by diterlizzi??? Sweet!
*lets off a planescape fanboy squeal of joy*
Actually, no. The art is by someone else, but very much in Tony's style. And there's a sidebar about how Tony first heard about the modrons coming to Planescape.
Great article all around. Congratulations, Ken!
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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The critical (and sales) success of the Black Egg Dungeon issue directly inspired my idea for this cover. Sean and Andrew Hou pulled it off perfectly (the Alfred E. Neuman reference is thanks to Sean).
--Erik
Hmmm... I always found the black egg cover to kinda plain. I do love the Modron cover though.
Well I've looked over the Modrons in the article, compared them to the 3.0 Modrons, and compared them to the Tertian in Dungeon #144.
I've noticed the conversion of the Base Modrons had their stats altered, HD remained the same (pentadrone increased by 1 HD), skills altered, and their attacks altered. They also received a unique ability such as the monodrone's Focused Strike, the duodrone's Surge of Strength, and the quadrone's Repetitive Attack.
However, the Quadrone has its 4 attacks, but the Pentadrone only has one slam attack instead of 5? Was this intentional? I assume it's because it can use its paralyze breath every 5 rounds and its higher Strength score and hit points (due to having the Construct trait)?
Or was the number "5" accidentally omitted from the line?
Also, the pentadrone doesn't have its damage reduction as it did in its 3.0 version. I assumed it would've been "DR 5/adamantine or chaotic" as would make sense converting a CR 5 DR 10/+1 to a 3.5E DR for a CR 5 creature (and using the tertian as an example of the DR for modrons).
Also, it states that modrons have resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10 yet the Pentadrone has resistance 20 to these. But the Tertian from Dungeon #144 has his at resistance 10. Was the Pentadrone intentionally supposed to have resistance 20 or was this an error?
Other than that, things seem fine. I am preparing myself for the possibility that we might not get a conversion of the Hierarch Modrons soon (and the worse possibility of never getting a conversion of the Hierarch Modrons) so I have been analyzing these guys to see how I could personally convert the Hierarchs myself if it ever comes down to that.
Some clarifications from the editors would be necessary though. :D
Whoohoo! My issue arrived today! Finally! Modrons!! Now I must sit and read! :D
Want a poster of the Modron. Pretty pretty please?
Now, here's an interesting conundrum. Eberron says that there's a place for everything somewhere in it. Where would the modrons fit? There isn't really a plane of mechanical things in Eberron, and I don't think they would properly fit as creations of House Cannith.
Now, here's an interesting conundrum. Eberron says that there's a place for everything somewhere in it. Where would the modrons fit? There isn't really a plane of mechanical things in Eberron, and I don't think they would properly fit as creations of House Cannith.
Either make Regulus a "demiplane" within Khyber's depths, or just put the Modrons in Daanvi, the Perfect Order.
Now, here's an interesting conundrum. Eberron says that there's a place for everything somewhere in it. Where would the modrons fit? There isn't really a plane of mechanical things in Eberron, and I don't think they would properly fit as creations of House Cannith.
I wondered if those would be cut. I did have a paragraph explaining how to fit them into Forgotten Realms and Eberron. They weren't so much "just stick them in this plane" as re-imaging them for the setting. So I'll have to go back to my draft and find those two paragraphs and post them. But I do believe they wound up in Daanvi basically. However, I adjusted their role and the whole Tenebrous/Primus thing to integrate into the setting more.
I like that Modron article as well - these creatures are strange, and surely a better representation of pure law than those bugs (even if I can see that a hive mind is surely something to consider for absolute law). And weaving the planescape background into it makes them a lot more useable.
I just wondered about the hp notation for the modrons: constructs have d10 (IIRC), and even the monodrone has 15 hp? What am I missing here?
Stefan
Now that the modrons have been done all I need to see is an adventure featuring a war between the modrons and slaadi. It would make the Blood war look like a Sunday picnic!
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I just wondered about the hp notation for the modrons: constructs have d10 (IIRC), and even the monodrone has 15 hp? What am I missing here?
Stefan
Constructs get bonus hit points to make up for their lack of a Con bonus. I think medium size constructs get +10.
I also loved this article.
Now that the modrons have been done all I need to see is an adventure featuring a war between the modrons and slaadi. It would make the Blood war look like a Sunday picnic!
I can see a slaad article on this, detailing like 2 slaad lords. I really want to see Ygorl and Ssessendam (sp?).
the slaad lords coming back would be great! about as cool as the yugoloth lords making an appearance!
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Let me just add another voice to the chorus of praise for issue 354. Modrons are something that the game has been missing since 3.0's release, and it's great to see them back in at least some form. And let me also add another request for an article on the Modron Hierarchs, or maybe even two, if you can only stat 4 or so castes an issue.
Modrons are, at least to me, proof that humor can exist in D&D without derailing the game. Just like the "goofy" races from Spelljammer, Modrons are proof that there is a place for a smile on a player's face, as well as the grimace of combat.
Just stopping by to show some Modron love.
I absolutely love all the new Planescape content in Dragon and Dungeon during recent months, and Return of the Modrons in #354 is easily my favorite article/art in ages.
Keep up the awesome work guys :D
P.S I'd so totally buy a poster of the #354 cover art ;)
P.P.S If you find someone to write a Formian vs Modron adventure I'll buy two copies that month to show my appreciation. lol
More Modrons, please? As a big fan of Modrons from the early days of Planescape, I'm glad they finally got updated to the new edition. Now I'm just waiting for the Modronomicon to come out...(I could be waiting a long time, I know.)