D&D 2nd Edition Reprints

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

As seen on Tenkar’s Tavern this morning (seriously if you want up to date news on items in the OSR niche of the RPG world, you need to add Tenkar’s Tavern to your feed), the 2nd edition D&D reprints have popped up at Wizard’s site. The Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monstrous Manual are all there, going for $49.95 per book. Looks like the currently advertised release date is 5/21/2013.

Reprints

So far we’ve seen the 1st edition D&D reprints, the 3.5 D&D edition reprints and now the 2nd D&D edition reprints surface. It certainly seems Wizards is going through their back catalog and re-releasing older editions to the market. They likely have little choice but to do this. It is a relatively easy way for them to get some revenue while they are in this lull between editions. By announcing D&D Next so early for the sake of the playtest, they certainly have made a large dent in their 4e sales.

Reprints and Me

I’ve picked up the 1st edition reprints. I was most attracted by those when they were first announced, but then decided I did not want to pay that much. Not that the price was bad, it was more my frugal side than disagreement with their pricing. Amazon tempted me with their prices, but I resisted. Then at Gen Con I found a booth that was selling them for slightly less than one could get them at Amazon. I could not resist and picked all three of the 1e reprints up.

I wasn’t tempted at all by the 3.5 reprints. I have my 3.5 books still and Pathfinder fills any need for this era of gaming for me. I have picked them up at the local Barnes and Noble, but still did not feel the need to purchase them.

The 2nd edition reprints falls into the same area as the 3.5 ones did with me. I still have my 2e books and do not really feel the need to replace them with the reprints. I am sure that many have their roots in 2e though and will feel compelled to pick them up.

There are two products if re-released in this manner I would purchase. The Rules Cyclopedia and a re-release of the Moldvay boxed set. Moldvay is what I cut my teeth on and I have somehow never picked up a Rules Cyclopedia. The local Half Price Books had one marked up to $50, but it was in horrible shape.

The Reprint Decision for Wizards

I understand why Wizards has chosen to release reprints. They need something to generate revenue while folks wait for D&D Next to come out. Given the amount of 4e books I see at the local Half Price Books, I suspect a lot of folks have been unloading their 4e books. I also suspect it is hard to sell a 4e book at the moment with the new version on the horizon. Selling reprints gives Wizards an easy way to generate some short term revenue while the playtest continues.

I do have to wonder if they further fracturing their market though with all of the previous editions coming back out to the market. I would suspect they are bound to lose sales to these older editions. Of course, maybe they folks they are selling these to would never have made the move to D&D Next, so they are just subsidizing D&D Next development with the dollars of gamers who likely would not have made the move to the new edition to begin with.

I do not have a horse in this race, so for me the reprints work out just great. I managed to get my 1e reprints for a great price and I have hope they will at least release a Rules Cyclopedia. With talks of some of the older module series coming back in print, I can use those with whichever system I am playing at the time. So it is a win situation for me. We’ll see if it is a win situation for Wizards of the Coast when D&D Next is released in 2014.

DCC Monster: Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

Things have been a bit hectic for me this week, but luckily one of my Dungeon Crawl Classics players stepped up with a creature he created for a one-shot game he ran! Continuing The Iron Tavern’s apparent tradition of posting DCC RPG related content on Fridays, I introduce Dustin Clark’s Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast for your game!

Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast

Init +2; Atk tentacle +1 (1d3) and tentacle +1 (1d3); AC 12; HD 1d8+2; MV 20’; Act 2d20; SP Infravision, half damage from non-magical weapons and fire; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C

The Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast is a minion of the demon lord Thaggnaer, not quite a demon itself but the spawn of the Breeding Pits of Thaggos. Thaggnaerian Snare-Beasts feature the head of a featherless, crimson skinned four-beaked bird with three eyes, and have the torso, legs, and shell of a turtle and reddish tentacle arms like those from an octopus. The Snare-Beast walks upright but hunched over, with its pitch black shell not quite allowing it to stand straight. It can see perfectly in the dark, and is partially resistant to fire damage and damage from normal weapons.

This hideous cross-breed of featherless bird, turtle and octopus lurches forward, struggling against its shell to walk upright and lashing out with fierce, strong tentacles. It’s four-beaked mouth chatters and clips incessantly as it drags itself across the floor towards you.

Greater Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast

Init +0; Atk 4 (four) tentacles +1 (1d6); AC 13; HD 2d8+4; MV 20’; Act 4d20; SP Infravision, half damage from non-magical weapons and fire, constrict automatic (1d8 dmg if two or more tentacle attacks hit); SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +2; AL C

The Greater Thaggnaerian Snare-Beast is a larger, slower and even more aggressive brother to its smaller namesake. This greater form of outsider is nearly a demon in strength, and has two additional tentacles for arms, and a slew of smaller tentacles hanging grotesquely from its neck and stomach.

Castles and Crusades Sale

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

I just received an email tonight that Troll Lord Games is running a 40% off sale over at RPG Now. The sale is to celebrate the launch of their most recent Kickstarter for Codex Celtarum. The Codex Celtarum is a 144 page book for Celtic Mythology and includes over 150 new spells and more for your Castles and Crusades game. Castles and Crusades is of course a rules-light fantasy RPG game making use of the Siege Engine.

In addition to offering a large portion of their catalog at 40% off, they are also offering a bundle where any purchase of the Players Handbook comes with a free copy of Gods and Monsters.

Whether you are an existing player of Castles and Crusades or a new to the system, this is a great sale to take advantage of to build up your collection!

Malloc: A DCC Patron

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

photo by: dmahr on flickr, gimp filters by jft

I seem to have a trend of posting Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG related content on Fridays. Continuing that trend, this week I present a patron write-up I did for my online campaign. The idea source for this patron came from materials from Purple Sorcerer Games written by Jon Marr.

Malloc made an appearance in one of the early Purple Sorcerer Games adventures. Jon provided me with some additional insight for how he saw Malloc and his motivations which I morphed into this complete patron write-up. I have two wizard characters that claim Malloc as their patron, sometimes much to their dismay!

And with that, I hope you enjoy Malloc the Creeper!

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Malloc the Creeper

Also known as the Dark World Tree, Malloc works his roots into dark nooks of the world with intent to gather knowledge and further increase his preparedness to exert his power and control on worldly affairs. Malloc has a near insatiable desire for knowledge and information and uses those that call him their patron to gain this knowledge. Malloc is not beyond exerting his own destructive power to broker exchanges of information for safety of entire towns and structures.

Malloc’s jealousy also leads him to be locked in a bitter rivalry with Yddgrrl, the World Root. Though Malloc is often thought to be uninterested in nature, he seems to have a certain affinity towards particular trees and seeks to protect them with destructive force when necessary. Some say Malloc is jealous of Yddgrrl’s much closer bonds to nature than Malloc’s own.

Malloc expects his followers to search out forgotten knowledge and report it to him using whatever means, including force, are necessary to gain this knowledge. Malloc rarely communicates his desires in a forthcoming manner to his followers preferring cryptic messages through speaking trees, faceless figures, and scrawled messages in flesh. Malloc is prone to jealousy if any of his patrons seek to stray from his patronage. Feeling it as a loss of an information source he will frequently strike out in a devastating display of power to rein in or punish a follower from leaving his patronage.

Invoke Patron check results:

12-13	Malloc responds to the call but is quickly distracted by something else that comes to his attention. Before he leaves he grants the caster significant insight into the weakness of the creature the caster is fighting. This insight provides a +4 on spellcaster checks for the next 1d4 rounds.
14-17	Malloc is annoyed and admonishes the caster severely before begrudgingly causing the caster’s skin to become bark-like (AC +4) and an increase of 2d3 to the caster’s Strength ability. These effects last for 1d4 turns and the ability score increase can be spellburned.
18-19	Malloc responds to the call and appreciates the dire circumstances that led to his calling. He grants insight to the situation the caster and his allies are in and grants each a +4 to attacks, skill checks, and spell checks for 1d4 turns.
20-23	Malloc sends forth root-like tentacles that burst forth from the ground regardless of the type of surface and grapple nearby objects and creatures. The roots cover a 20′ radius centered at a point the caster dictates. These summoned roots slow the enemy’s movements by half and causes a -2 to all attack, skill, and spellcraft checks. Those trapped in the grasping roots must make a DC 18 Strength check to escape their grasp.
24-27	Malloc sends a pair of dark roots out of the ground near the caster’s legs. These dark roots wrap around the caster’s ankles with some strength. From the initial round and for each round the caster does not move from this position the caster receives 1d4 hit points in healing and 1d2 ability point damage healed. Once the caster moves, the root-like tendrils curl back down into the ground.
28-29	Malloc calls forth several powerful roots to press forth from the ground at a location dictated by the caster. These roots will target the creature closest to that point and attempt to grab them (Atk +10, plus grab). Once a root has successfully grabbed the victim they will work together to pull the victim back beneath the ground. It takes 1d3 rounds for the roots to suffocate the victim underground. A DC 20 Strength check escapes the roots.
30-31	A massive tree is summoned forth by Malloc at the location desired by the caster. This tree (see below), with a great, gaping maw, erupts from the ground over the course of 1d3 rounds. When fully surfaced it stands 40′ tall with numerous leafless limbs. 8 of these limbs proceed to make attacks on any opponent the caster orders it to. The caster can dictate each of these 8 attacks but can perform no other action on his turn when doing so. The tree remains summoned for 1d4 turns.Tree, avatar: Init +2; Atk bite +10 melee; Dmg 2d12 and swallow on critical; AC 15; HP 58; MV 5′; Act 8d20; SP: Free bite attack if victim delivered by limb. SV Fort +8; Ref +0; Will +8; AL NOne of three things (1d3) happen when an opponent is struck by one of the limbs.1) The limb grabs the victim and then proceeds to hurl the victim with great force. The victim takes 2d8 damage (DC 16 Reflex Save for Half).2) Upon grabbing the victim the limb begins to squeeze the victim with tremendous force. The victim takes 4d4 squeezing damage (DC 15 Strength Check to take Half damage; DC 18 Strength check to escape the root)3) The limb grabs the victim and begins squeezing. The victim takes 4d4 squeezing damage (DC 15 Strength Check to take Half damage; DC 18 Strength check to escape the root). On the 2^nd round the root will deposit the victim in the tree’s maw.
32+	Malloc’s ire has been raised and he unleashes his destructive force in a startling display to protect those who call him patron. An earthquake caused by many roots and tendrils erupts all around the spellcaster and his allies. The earthquake focuses on a 400′ radius area around the caster, though the caster and his allies are shielded from the effects of the earthquake.Outside this protective sphere all must make DC 22 Reflex saves to avoid falling into deep fissures causing 3d6 damage from the fall. For those that succeed on their Reflex save they must make another one each round until they are outside the area of effect.Once in the fissures they begin to close and shift causing 6d6 crushing damage over the next 6 rounds. Two successful (not necessarily in a row) DC 18 Strength checks are needed to begin escaping the crushing forces of the fissure. For each round in the fissure the victim is subject to another 6d6 damage.This quake also causes structural damage to any buildings caught in the ferocity of the thrashing roots causing this earthquake. Towers and multi-level structures are likely to sway, possibly collapsing in ruin. Foundations of one-story buildings are sundered, heaving portions of the building up and others sinking below the earth’s surface.

Patron Taint: Malloc

Malloc strives to turn his petitioners to be more like him in resemblance and form. When patron taint is indicated, roll 1d6 on the table below. When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of effect, there is no need to continue rolling anymore.

Roll	Result
1	The caster’s skin become rough and almost scratchy to the touch. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster’s skin transitions from being scratchy to appearing and feeling like smoothed bark (-1 Agility checks, +1 AC). If this result happens a third time, the caster’s skin transitions to that of actual bark (-2 Agility checks, +2 AC).
2	The caster’s hair begins to become stiff and bristly to the touch. If this result is rolled a second time, small twigs become part of the caster’s hair with small leaves. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster’s hair becomes composed entirely of small twigs and leaves. If the caster chooses to shave their head, the small twigs and leaves will return in their entirety by morning.
3	When the caster casts a spell the immediate area (20′ radius) tremors. No damage is caused, but items rattle and clink if they are not secured. If this result is rolled a second time, when the caster casts a spell the immediate area (20′ radius) trembles, small cracks appear in the ground and small, non-secured items topple over. If this result occurs a third time, when a spell is cast by the caster the immediate area (20′ radius) suffers a minor quake, the ground heaves from roots thrashing about in the ground causing the area to become difficult terrain. DC 12 Reflex saves are required by those in the immediate area to avoid falling prone and there is a chance of minor structural damage.
4	The caster finds himself becoming more possessive of his belongings. Being asked to share his belongings are met with great annoyance. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster shows much more annoyance and vocal distrust of others wanting to borrow or use his things. The caster will refuse to share or let others use his belongings. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster refuses to loan his belongings out. The caster also become always suspicious that people are after his belongings. When situation arise that others are pressuring him to share his belongings, the caster must make a DC 15 Will save to avoid the incident from escalating into outright conflict.
5	The caster finds himself unable to hydrate orally and must resort to pouring water or other beverages on his feet. Liquid poured on the caster’s feet is readily absorbed and used by the caster’s body for hydration. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster finds it more difficult to obtain nourishment orally. Though the caster can eat and obtain some nourishment the caster obtains more nourishment by pouring nutrient rich liquids on his feet. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster can no longer eat or drink normally for sustenance. All nourishment must be through some form of liquid or nutrient rich liquid poured on his feet and absorbed by this body.
6	The caster has an insatiable desire to venture forth after a piece of lost knowledge. The caster receives a vision of the object that holds this knowledge and a vague idea of location. The caster must retrieve the object from the vision and study it (Minor Quest – 5-7 days in duration). If this result is rolled a second time, a revelation comes to the caster regarding the object retrieved from the first occurrence. The caster must now find a second piece of information that will help determine the meaning of the first. (Medium Quest – 25-30 days in duration). If the result is rolled a third time, the caster receives another cryptic vision which the caster must decipher involving the two objects previously obtained. (Major Quest – 3-6 months).

Patron Spells: Malloc

Malloc grants the following three spells to those that petition him:

Level 1: Snarling Roots

Level 2: Forest Perception

Level 3: Quaking Roots

Spellburn: Malloc

Malloc exacts a cost for those that seek his aide at times of need. When a caster utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4 on the table below or build off your own ideas to create an event specific to your situation.

Roll	Results
1	Malloc needs blood. Roots push their way up through the ground and wrap around the caster’s legs for 2 rounds. During this time the caster is unable to move, though he can still cast. The roots drain blood from the caster (expressed as Stamina, Strength, or Agility loss).
2	Malloc is creating another avatar of himself and requires teeth as a component. The caster must remove one or more of his own teeth as an offering to Malloc which will be used to bring the maw of Malloc’s avatar to life. For every 2 points of spellburn the caster must sacrifice one tooth.
3	Much as tree limbs and roots crack, Malloc wishes to exact this punishment through the cracking of bones in the caster’s body (expressed as Stamina, Strength, or Agility loss).
4	Malloc seeks to exact his mark on the caster and carves the word Malloc on the caster’s body. The depth and size of this mark is determined by the amount of points expended in this spellburn.

Snarling Roots
Level: 1 (Malloc) Range: 125′ Duration: 1 turn per CL Casting Time: 1 round
General	Malloc has creeping roots beneath the ground ready to be summoned when the need presents itself. The caster conjures forth an area of snarling roots that impede his enemy in both movement and actions.
Manifestation	Roll a 1d4: (1) thick gnarled roots, cluttered with dirt pierce the ground; (2) thin, brownish green roots with freakish agility and speed protrude from the ground; (3) a large ball of roots shoot from the caster’s hands and arcs through the air to the target area; (4) a swirling mass of greenish brown vapor is hurled from the caster’s hands exploding into a mass of roots at the target area.
1	Lost, failure, and patron taint.
2-11	Lost. Failure.
12-13	A 10′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation is needed. Creatures within the area lose 5′ from their movement rate and suffer a -1 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 13 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
14-17	A 20′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within lose 5′ from their movement rate and suffer a -1 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 15 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
18-19	A 20′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within move at half their normal movement rate and suffer a -2 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 17 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
20-23	A 40′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within move at half their normal movement rate and suffer a -2 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 17 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
24-27	A 50′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within move at half their normal movement rate and suffer a -4 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 18 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
28-29	A 60′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within move at half their normal movement rate and suffer a -4 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 20 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
30-31	A 60′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within move at one quarter their normal movement rate and suffer a -6 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 20 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.
32+	A 80′ radius area becomes entangled with roots coming up from the ground. No prior vegetation needed. Creatures within are unable to move and suffer a -6 to attack, skill checks, and spell checks. A DC 22 Strength check allows targets snarled to move and act without penalty for one round.

Forest Sensing
Level: 2 (Malloc) Range: 500′ (+500′ per CL > 1) Duration: 1 turn per CL Casting Time: 3 rounds
General	Despite Malloc’s often loose ties to nature, he is fully capable of bending the will of nature to serve his needs in the quest for knowledge and information. With the power of Malloc the caster is able to tap into the senses of nearby plants and trees, hearing what the plants hear as if the caster was present.
Manifestation	Roll a 1d4: (1) The caster’s ears turn into leaves for the duration of the spell; (2) A thin root sprouts from the ground and gently wraps itself around the caster’s leg for the duration of the spell; (3) a globe of green, misty light is conjured during the casting of the spell erupting in a fine spray of water; (4) the caster’s skin turns a mottled greenish-brown for the duration of the spell.
1	Lost, failure, and patron taint.
2-11	Lost. Failure.
12-13	Failure, but spell is not lost.
14-15	The caster indicates an area with some form of plant-life within the casting range of the spell. The caster is now able to hear normal conversations and ambient sounds occurring near the target plant for the duration of the spell. Once a plant is chosen the spell cannot be redirected.
16-19	The caster indicates an area with some form of plant-life within the casting range of the spell. The caster is now able to hear normal conversations and ambient sounds occurring near the target plant for the duration of the spell. If the caster wishes to change the target of the spell, he may do so until the duration of the spell expires.
20-21	The caster indicates an area with some form of plant-life within the casting range of the spell. Through the plant the caster has amplified hearing allowing the caster to hear normal and whispered conversations and ambient sounds. If the caster wishes to change the target of the spell, he may do so until the duration of the spell expires.
22-25	The caster indicates an area with some form of plant-life within the casting range of the spell. Through the plant the caster is able to hear normal conversation and ambient sounds. In addition, if the caster does not normally know the language spoken, the caster understands the language for the duration of the spell. The caster can retarget the spell until the duration of the spell expires.
26-29	The caster can indicate multiple targets that listen (up to CL). Through each of these plants the caster is able to hear normal conversation and ambient sounds occurring near each of the targeted plants. The caster is able to supernaturally make out and process each of these conversations without difficulty. Once chosen the targets cannot be re-selected.
30-31	The caster is able to select multiple plants for listening and retarget as desired for the duration of the spell. The caster can also choose to have a particular person followed from plant to plant for the duration of the spell automatically. Through the plant the caster is able to hear normal and whispered conversation and ambient sounds. In addition, if the caster does not normally know the language spoken, the caster understands the language for the duration of the spell.
32-33	The caster is awash in overheard conversations and sounds from all plant-like entities within range of the spell. Within the first minute of casting the caster much choose the number of targets equal to his CL and amount of points spellburned to continue listening to for the duration of the spell. Once the targets are chosen the caster can continue to hear normal and whispered conversations, ambient sounds and comprehend the language spoken from that target for the remaining portion of the spell. Targets can be re-chosen until the spell expires.
34+	The caster is able to listen to all surrounding plants in the range of the spell. The caster is able to supernaturally able to process all of this information without difficulty and does not need to choose targets. All normal and whispered conversations and ambient sounds are heard and the caster is able to comprehend all languages obtained in this manner. These effects last for the duration of the spell.

Quaking Roots
Level: 3 (Malloc) Range: 225′ Duration: 1 round per CL Casting Time: 1 round
General	Malloc’s ire has been raised and his wrath shall be felt. The caster calls upon Malloc’s power to summon forth powerful roots to thrash about causing the very earth itself to quake.
Manifestation	Roll a 1d4: (1) A tangled ball of roots is conjured between the caster’s hands which is hurled to the target area of the spell; (2) a spiraling vortex of roots is launched from the caster’s position to the target area of the spell; (3) a sphere of fine, black dirt showers upwards from the ground at the target site immediately prior to the quake starting; (4) the sound of multiple stones cracking echoes sharply through the air around the caster.
1	Lost, failure, and patron taint.
2-11	Lost. Failure.
12-15	Failure, but spell is not lost.
16-17	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 20′ radius. These roots flail about possibly striking creatures in that area (3d6 damage, DC 12 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake from the thrashing, -1 to attack rolls, skill checks and spell checks.
18-21	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, large, powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 20′ radius. These roots flail about, actively seeking to strike creatures in the area (4d6 damage, DC 15 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake from the thrashing, -1 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks.
22-23	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, very large and powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 30′ radius. These roots flail about, actively seeking to strike creates in the area (5d6 damage, DC 16 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -2 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks.
24-26	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, very large and powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 40′ radius. These roots flail about, actively seeking to strike creates in the area (6d6 damage, DC 18 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -2 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks.
27-31	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, extremely large and powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 45′ radius. These roots flail about, actively seeking to strike creatures in the area (8d6 damage, DC 20 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -3 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks.
32-33	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, very large powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 50′ radius. These roots flail about actively seeking to strike creatures in the area (10d6 damage, DC 22 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -4 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks. Structures within the effects radius begin to exhibit signs of minor structural damage.
34-35	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, very large powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 60′ radius. These roots flail about actively seeking to strike creatures in the area (15d6 damage, DC 25 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -5 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks. Structures within the effects radius begin to exhibit signs of major structural damage.
36+	In an area of the caster’s choosing within range of the spell, very large powerful roots erupt from the ground in a 80′ radius. These roots flail about actively seeking to strike creatures in the area (20d6 damage, DC 30 Reflex for half). In addition the ground begins to shake violently from the thrashing, -6 to attack rolls, skill checks, and spell checks. Structures within the effects radius exhibit significant structural damage up to and including collapse.

Review: Dungeons of Golarion

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

This review is a repost of my original review of this product for the Seekers of Secrets Pathfinder blog. The original review is no longer available on that site and I wanted to preserve the post here at The Iron Tavern.

Price: Print – $19.99 / PDF – $13.99
Audience: GMs
Crunch: 3.5/5
Fluff: 5/5
Overall: 5/5 (not an average)

Dungeons of Golarion is a 64 page book that is part of the Pathfinder Campaign Setting series of books from Paizo. The book looks closely at six different megadungeons within the Inner Sea region of Golarion, the Pathfinder Campaign setting. These megadungeons include Candlestone Caverns, Gallowspire, Hollow Mountain, Pyramid of Kamaria, Red Redoubt of Karamoss and Zolurket Mines. It also lists 17 other dungeons within Golarion each with a short paragraph about the dungeon.

The six megadungeons each get ten pages that include an overall layout map of the dungeon, history, descriptions that cover the entrance and brief overview of each level, a section on denizens, traps, treasures and finally adventure hooks.

While the descriptions of each level are brief, there is plenty of information to help a GM discover the feel of each level. The balance between having the feel for the dungeon and being able to design your own level is excellent. Just enough information to get the ideas flowing rapidly without forcing the GM into being restrained by overly defined levels.

The book is heavier on the fluff side, but there is some crunch sprinkled in to keep the more crunch inclined interested. Amongst the chapters on the six megadungeons there are new denizens, new traps and new magic items and such to work with. For the Numeria fans there is also some information on robots that comes from the section on Red Redoubt of Karamoss.

The art and cartography are up to the usual Paizo quality. The maps and dungeon layouts look great, though one of the dungeon layouts includes a key that indicates each square is 10′ when really the map is not entirely to scale. Minor issue and does not affect the quality of the map itself. The art work has several images that are sure to inspire heroics within the dungeon!

I have very little to complain about in this book. While not a huge fan of the amount of technology in Red Redoubt of Karamoss with its Numeria based technology, it is a well done section and I am sure fans of technology from Numeria will enjoy it! And the book does warn for those that are not fans of the fantasy blending into technology it is might be best to avoid that dungeon or the book offers a couple of alternatives of how to scale down the technology if desired by the GM.

I found the Gallowspire write-up very interesting and certainly a dungeon to challenge the highest level Pathfinder characters. An interesting sidebar in this section notes that several of the levels in Gallowspire contain threats beyond levels the currently published Pathfinder ruleset cover with some levels going to CR24+.

I found the Dungeons of Golarion a very enjoyable read. It offers a plethora of plot hooks for all of these dungeons and really gets the GMs mind turning. There is enough detail on the dungeons to give a GM a solid start to designing a megadungeon to haunt their players for an entire campaign. And for those who might not game in Golarion the dungeons within could easily be dropped into your campaign world of choice.

I rated the crunch portion of the book a 3.5 out of 5 simply due to the amount of crunch in the book. What was in the book was good, but those looking for a crunch heavy book are apt to be disappointed. From the fluff perspective I rate the book a 5/5. There is history included behind each dungeon and enough plot hooks to keep a GM busy for a long time. This leaves me with an overall rating of 5/5 as I do expect the Campaign Setting series of books to be much more about the fluff than the crunch!

Dwarven Cleric for DCC RPG

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Jeffrey Tadlock

Just before the holidays, Dak (of Crawl! Fanzine fame) posted in the DCC RPG Google+ community about expanding some of the demi-humans race as class options. The one that intrigued me was allowing the Dwarf as written to be the dwarven fighter or warrior and adding a dwarven priest or cleric.

I found myself with a bit of time over the holidays and took a stab at the dwarven cleric class option for Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. I tried to blend the dwarf class with the cleric class without ending up with something too powerful. I think I am close on the right blend while maintaining some dwarven flavor.

If it needs toned down a bit more I would look at the number of spells again. I’ve reduced them some, but I think I might have room to reduce those some more. Of course, I cut down a lot of the base dwarven class, really keeping a much slower progression rate for Mighty Deed of Arms than a standard dwarf as an ode to being a dwarf.

I have not been able to run this through an actual playtest yet. I am hoping to talk the judge for my new DCC RPG local game to letting me try it out. In either case, give this class a read through and let me know what you think. Feedback is welcomed!

CC License, Arty by *YamaO at Deviant Art

Dwarven Cleric Class

Like their fellow dwarves, dwarven clerics were raised far underground in dwarven mines, strongholds, and great cities. Subscribing to the orderly and rigid life that keeps dwarven society functioning, the dwarven cleric took an interest in the gods of the land. In addition to years of martial training and learning crafts, the dwarven cleric was instructed in centuries religious knowledge and ritual.

The dwarven cleric is a valued member of dwarven society. Life beneath the surface is treacherous. Mining accidents, natural cavern collapses, and near constant skirmishes with other denizens of the dark guarantee physical injury that drive demand for the healing care of a priest. Simply boosting the mental fortitude amongst dark and confined caverns is one of the facets of a dwarven cleric that add to their worth to the dwarven society.

With their martial training, spells, and luck of the gods to aid them during battle, dwarven clerics are an anchor to the foothold these demi-humans claim under the mountains. These features also serve to make them stout adventuring companions.

Hit Die: A dwarven cleric gains 1d8 hit points at each level

Weapon Training: Much like their brethren, dwarven clerics prefer battle with a weapon and shield. With time spent training split between martial and religious training a dwarven cleric is only trained in the following melee weapons: battleaxe, club, handaxe, mace, spear, and warhammer. A dwarven cleric is also trained in these missile fire weapons: crossbow and sling. Dwarven clerics wear whatever armor they can afford.

Alignment: The dwarven life produces many more lawful dwarves due to the structured clan life of dwarves. Coupled with learning the tenets of the religious way dwarven clerics are slanted even more heavily to a lawful alignment.

Rare are the dwarves who stray from the lawful path after studying the ways of religion, but chaotic dwarven clerics do exist. These dwarven clerics have typically rebelled strongly against their roots or some say been tainted by the patrons and deities they serve.

Neutral dwarven clerics are even rarer and tend to be dwarves that have little direction in their lives. These dwarven clerics frequently find themselves more beholden to natural elements than lawful or chaotic deities.

Attack modifier: The dwarven cleric starts with a static modifier for attack rolls. At 3rd level the dwarven cleric gains a deed die, like the Dwarf. At 3rd level, this is a d3. The dwarven cleric rolls the d3 on each attack roll and applies it to both his attack roll andhis damage roll. The progression of this deed die is at a reduced rate compared to Dwarven or Warrior classes.

Caster level: Caster level is typically the level of the dwarven cleric. This level can be modified under certain circumstances. It is not unheard of for a dwarven cleric to seek out holy relics of their faith to increase their caster level.

Magic: Dwarven clerics are able to call upon the favor of his god. This ability allows the dwarven cleric to channel his chosen god’s power as a magical spell.Dwarven clerics are also able to call upon their deity to lay on hands and turn unholy. See the Cleric entry in the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG rulebook for a complete description of clerical magic.

Divine Aid: In addition to channeling a god’s power as a devout worshipper, a dwarven cleric can beseech his deity for divine aid. Faithful followers recognize that beseeching a deity directly is an extraordinary act. To request divine aid, the cleric makes a spell check at the same modifier that would apply were he casting a spell. This extraordinary act imparts a cumulative +10 penalty to future disapproval range. Based on the result of the spell check, the judge will describe the result. Simple requests (e.g. light a candle) are DC 10 and extraordinary requests (e.g. summon and control a living column of fire are DC 18 or higher.

Mighty Deed of Arms: Dwarven clerics have been exposed to martial training during their religious studies. Like Warriors and Dwarves, they can perform Mighty Deed of Arms in combat. See the warrior entry in the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG rulebook for a complete description.

Infravision: A dwarven cleric can see in the dark up to 60’.

Slow: A dwarven cleric has a base movement speed of 20’.

Underground Skills: Lives led underground train dwarves to detect certain kinds of construction. When underground, dwarves receive a bonus to detect traps, slanting passages, shifting walls, and other new construction equal to their class level.

A dwarf cleric can smell gold and gems. A dwarf cleric can determine the direction of a strong concentration of gold or gems within 100’. Smaller concentrations, even down to a single coin, can be smelled up to 40’ away if the dwarf concentrates.

Luck: A dwarven cleric’s luck applies to the armor class.

Languages: A dwarven cleric at 1st level knows Common, the dwarven racial language, plus Angelic if Lawful, Demonic if Chaotic or the choice of either if Neutral. A dwarven cleric knows one additional language for every point of Int modifier, as described in Appendix L of the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG rulebook.

Action Dice: A dwarven cleric receives their second action dice at 6th level. A dwarven cleric’s action dice can be used for attack rolls or spell checks.

Table: Dwarven Cleric

Level	Attack (Deed Die)	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Ref	Fort	Will	1	2	3	4	5
1	+0	1d8/III	1d20	+0	+1	+1	2	–	–	–	–
2	+1	1d10/III	1d20	+0	+1	+1	3	–	–	–	–
3	+d3	1d12/III	1d20	+1	+1	+2	3	2	–	–	–
4	+d3	1d14/III	1d20	+1	+2	+3	4	3	–	–	–
5	+d3	1d12/IV	1d20	+1	+3	+3	4	4	1	–	–
6	+d4	1d14/IV	1d20+1d14	+2	+3	+4	5	4	2	–	–
7	+d4	1d16/IV	1d20+1d14	+2	+4	+4	5	5	3	1	–
8	+d4	1d20/V	1d20+1d16	+2	+4	+5	6	5	3	2	–
9	+d4	1d24/V	1d20+1d16	+2	+5	+5	6	5	4	2	–
10	+d7	1d30/V	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+6	7	6	5	3	1

Table: Dwarven Cleric Titles

Level	Title by Alignment
	Lawful	Chaotic	Neutral
1	Acolyte	Supplicant	Celebrant
2	Brother	Beseecher	Beseecher
3	Friar	Zealot	Zealot
4	Vicar	Oracle	Matriarch
5	Warrior Priest	Everlasting	Indoctrinator

EN World Says RPG Market Shrinking

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Jeffrey Tadlock

EN World posted the State of EN World address today. One portion of the article posted addressed the state of the RPG Industry today. The key portion from the article:

“And what of the RPG industry in general? [ … ] The industry as a whole is shrinking – I say this not because I know it, but because I’ve heard it: first from Ryan Dancey at the end of 2011, who predicted it (“The effects on the TRPG market are now quite visible. At GenCon 2011, the number of companies that were paying full time salaries for TRPG game designer/developers was reduced to a short list”); followed by Mongoose’s Matt Sprange at the end of 2012 who confirmed it (“The current RPG market is miserable. There really is no other word for it…. If the top tier games are selling at these levels, then something is seriously wonky in the market.”)

So with the dominant game apparently changing, and the market itself drastically shrinking, it looks like the environment is a very different one to just a short few years ago. I’m no expert; nor do I have any special insight or data (though if there was the usual mass-layoff at WotC this Christmas, I missed it – maybe that’s a good sign?) but this seems to be what folks in the industry are saying. Let’s hope it’s not as drastic as it sounds!”

I’m sorry, really? First, while I thought the Ryan Dancey series at EN World this year was an interesting perspective into the RPG industry, it was only one viewpoint. Seeing as some of Ryan Dancey’s points in his original articles were that MMOs were breaking the TTRPG social circles and VTTs were failing, I obviously have to take his points with the grain of salt.

The social media circles I am in are filled with people talking about RPG gaming of all sorts! My twitter feeds are full of gaming related tweets, #rpgchat typical trends on twitter, my G+ circles move too fast to keep up and at least one RPG community on G+ is 3400+ strong and growing. While I know MMO numbers are strong and millions play, I would hardly say MMOs have broken the social networks of Tabletop Gamers. The social scene seems stronger today than it has been for a long time!

Even within Ryan’s articles he acknowledges the evolutionary path is digital for RPGs. Now this I agree with. But a shifting market does not necessarily mean a market that is drastically shrinking.

Next up the EN World article cites Matt Sprange of Mongoose games as another indicator of a shrinking market. Yes, Matt says RPG sales have been, but one must keep reading his post:

“On the other hand, RPG sales among PDFs, spearheaded by DrivethruRPG.com, are fairly booming.”

Matt was talking about print releases of product, he admits PDF sales are booming. This hardly confirms the RPG market is shrinking. It confirms the RPG market is evolving!

I can understand WotC’s sales might be hurting a bit. They are finding themselves in the awkward position of being between editions during an extended playtest of the next version. They also are not offering PDFs of their products even though this appear to be the direction other players in the industry are heading.

Paizo certainly appears to have moved into the heavyweight position for the moment. They churn out steady product and allow people to purchase their product in PDF form.

One only needs to look at Kickstarter to see RPG products are moving in other ways. Dungeon World had 2400+ backers, Fate Core is currently 5,100+ backers, Reaper’s Minis was at 17,000+ backers, and many more examples of RPG related products selling well there.

I think it is a little premature to say the RPG market is shrinking unless one is just not keeping up with how the market is evolving. Basing this on print sales, or even on how D&D and Pathfinder related products are doing is not an accurate barometer anymore. There are many more venues to support RPG products from the small guys and for systems that might not be “mainstream”. If you are a company still producing D&D compatible product it might seem the market is shrinking, but it might be you are missing out on some of the other markets.

The RPG market is likely more fractured than it used to be when WotC was the predominant creator, but I am not quite buying the market has shrunk.

Review: Faiths of Balance

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Jeffrey Tadlock

Price: Print – $10.99 / PDF – $7.99
Audience: Players (and GMs)
Crunch: 3.5/5
Fluff: 4/5
Overall: 4/5 (not an average)

Faiths of Balance is a 32 page book that is part of the Pathfinder Player Companion series of books from Paizo. The Player Companion series of books have a player focus, but have a good amount of useful information for GM’s as well. This book looks at the major neutral gods in the Golarion setting as well as a brief look at some of the minor deities. Also included in the book are new character traits, feats, spells and magic items with a focus on those members of the neutral faith.

The book starts with covering the seven major neutral gods in Golarion – Abadar, Calistria, Gorum, Gozreh, Irori, Nethys and Pharasma. The Green Faith is also included in the major god section. Each god receives two pages in the book that include a brief overview of the god, why adventurer’s might follow them, typical classes that follow them, goals, what identifies worshippers, the type of devotion, how other faiths get along with followers, taboos, two traits and a little about the church of each god.

The next section briefly covers eight minor deities with a short write up. A brief description of the deity is given, including their favored weapon and a new trait for a follower of the minor deity.

Next are organizations that claim allegiance to the major gods, though not officially sponsored by the church. Each major god has an organization covered in this section.

The last portions of the book include new religious feats, channel foci, minor magical items and new spells. A sidebar within the magical item section contains the paladin code for Abadar and the final section of the book covers religious holidays for each of the major deities.

This book is heavier on fluff than crunch, but with two new traits for major deity and one new trait for each minor deity and dedications sections for feats, magic items and spells there is plenty for a crunch-loving player to find in this book and not be disappointed.

Paizo continues with artwork that pulls a reader into a fantasy world, leading with a wonderful cover featuring Imrijka, the half-orc inquisitor, by Lucas Graciano. The artwork within the book is also of usual Paizo quality.

I found the major deity section full of ideas that would help any character have a better feel for their deity of choice. Whether it be more information on how followers of one deity would react to others to the types of classes drawn towards certain deities to information about the church itself. The information would help me play a accurate follower or as a GM help me shape my NPCs and give a more representative feel of the various neutral faiths.

The minor deity section will be useful to those who prefer to follow those deities, though the detail is brief concerning them. The information in this section could also prove useful to a GM that wants to work in a plot involving NPCs or followers of these minor deities.

The organization section of the book is a great resource for GMs who would like to introduce these loosely affiliated organizations into their game. I found The Companies of the Red Standard an order of mercenaries sworn to Gorum particularly interesting and several ideas floating around of how I could work brushes with this organization into a campaign. I am sure several other of the organizations mentioned in the book will provide ideas for GMs for their own game.

Of the new spells, magic items and feats I found myself most interested in the new channel focus items. Channel focus items were introduced with the Pathfinder Player Companion Adventurer’s Armory and is an object that can act as a holy symbol. The special ability of the channel focus item can be activated by the use of a channel energy. I find this an interesting concept and liked seeing more items available for use. For some reason the whip just calls out for a divine follower of Calistria!

All in all I felt Faiths of Balance was another strong offering by Paizo. While geared towards use by the player I think a GM can find plenty of information to be useful to their campaign as well, especially if the neutral based deities were going to play a larger role in their campaign.

I rated the crunch portion of this book a 3.5 out of 5. Between the new spells, traits, feats and magic items there are several options to help get the feel you might want for your character with a neutral deity focus. I feel the book is stronger from the fluff perspective and offers much to both the player and GM to further understand the nuances of the neutral deities. I am rating it a solid 4 out of 5 on the rating scale. I rate the book as a whole a 4 out of 5 – another solid book from Paizo for players and GMs alike!

Feat Overload

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Jeffrey Tadlock

Over the weekend Keith Davies posted on G+ that between the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide, Ultimate Magic, and Ultimate Combat there were 704 feats. Think about that for a moment. 704 feats.

How Many Feats?

I did a quick check over at d20pfsrd.com and a quick check showed 650+ feats. I did not bother to see where our discrepancy was, even if the number had only been 500+ feats the number is a stunning amount of choices.

As Keith notes in his post, a character can only take so many feats over the course of the character’s career. Let’s take a 20th level human cleric. They can only make use of 1.7% of the available feats over the life of their character. You lose access to a feat if you do not play a human. If you play a 20th human fighter you can only make use of 3.4% of the available feats. Nevermind the fact that a lot of campaigns do not even reach 20th level.

I suspect those numbers go down quite a bit depending on the character. There are many feats that are assumed “basic” feats for a lot of character classes. If you want to play an archer type there are several assumed feats that come from the core rulebook an archer needs to have. This reduces the number of new feats the character can choose from other sources. The same applies for caster’s when you factor in metamagic feats and such they will want to pick up.

While we may have a plethora of feats to choose from, a list that seems to grow with every new product release, it does not change the fact the character cannot choose more feats. A typical character cannot gain access to 98.3% of the currently available feats. It does not matter whether a character is trying to add some roleplaying creativity or trying to make a stronger character – the majority of feats are going to be unavailable to a character due to limited slots.

More Options is Better, Right?

Many people will see this number of feats and say more options is always better. I do agree with the premise that more options for a character to choose from during the course of combat, roleplaying encounters or anything else can be a good thing.

However, I think as we see so many feats and mechanical options added to the game we actually limit a person’s options. By defining such specific areas of the game with feats dictating what you can or can’t do without it we have actually narrowed the scope of what a character can do. The GM loses his flexibility to let a player try creative things with his character as there is a greater chance a feat is required to accomplish that task.
Beyond this narrowing definition of what can and can’t be done by adding feats, there is the matter of option paralyzation. A person building a character today has 650+ feats to choose from. This is an overwhelming amount of options to choose from. Where do you see your character in 5 levels, 10 levels, or 15 levels? Making sure you follow the right feat chains early on is important to not hindering yourself later.

Creative Options, Not Mechanical Options

I want to see the option for creativity from players. I do not want to see a multitude of mechanical options that actually define specific areas of the game so much that it in turn limits player creativity.

We need to move the rules up a level and away from this near microscopic zoom on player’s actions. Abilities should be broader to cover more general areas of expertise. Mechanics should be broader and less defined to give more space to play in creatively. Let the player’s say they want to try some dazzling action and let the judge adjudicate how that will happen.

A good example of this blending of broad mechanic with creative play with open spaces in the rules is the Mighty Deed of Arms mechanic from Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. A warrior-type gets a “deed die” to roll along with their normal attack. The die scales upwards as the character levels. A character can declare a “special” action and if a result of 3 or higher comes up on the deed die the character can pull the action off to some degree.

This is a simple mechanic, gives a player some idea of how success will be determined, but does not restrict the player with needing narrowly focused feats to pull things off. Instead the judge and player use the dice roll to help determine the success. This mechanic probably replaces 100+ fighter type feats with one simple to use mechanic. Creativity is restored to the player to solve problems or do cool things during combat.

Find the System For You

I was a big 3.x D&D fan. The system really worked well for me and I feel it provided the framework I needed to run a fun game. Then the option books started coming, and coming, and coming. The system began to bog down for me. There were too many feats, too many builds, too many prestige classes. I started to feel constrained.

Then Pathfinder came along. I loved just having the core rulebook. My energy was back, it was like 3.x was before the ever churning supply of option books. But then Pathfinder started following the same path. More option books, more feats, more spells, more, more, more… It seems the time has come that Pathfinder has started to make me feel constrained again. It has become more about knowing the expanding ruleset than creating fun adventures and characters.

I am not here to change Pathfinder. There are a multitude of systems out there that do fit my changing style of play. I do not need to wage a campaign to change Pathfinder or any other system. I simply need to identify what type of mechanics frustrate me and look at any number of systems that seem a better fit for me. There are many such systems.

RPG Superstar 2013 Voting

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Jeffrey Tadlock

It is the time year again for Paizo’s RPG Superstar contest. The deadline for first round submissions has passed. I’ve participated in previous years, but the inspiration for creating a Pathfinder Wondrous Item was not flowing for me this year and I did not enter.

This year the format is a little different. Usually there is a panel of judges that review all of the items that were entered and choose the top 32. This year the Paizo community gets to vote on the items and the more popular items will go before the panel of judges to be whittled down to the top 32.

The voting screen pops up two of the submitted items in a head-to-head vote. You read both items,decide which you think is best and vote for it. Voting multiple times is encouraged and after you vote you are presented with another two items to vote on.

I’ve been over there a time or two to vote on a few items. It has been sort of fun to see what other folks have come up with! Some ideas are really cool and others are sort of out there. Seeing how much attention is paid to the mechanics and format of the entry is interesting as well.

If you find yourself with a bit of spare time over the holidays, swing on by the voting page for RPG Superstar 2013 and vote on a few items. Make sure to read the FAQ (don’t worry it is short) and see if you pick up any ideas for your own game!