Dragon #373 (4e).pdf

ISSUE 373 | March 2009

A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT

CONTENTS

Features

5 art oF the Kill

By Robert J. Schwalb

Assassins lurk around every corner in some games. Now learn how

your character can master the art of the silent kill himself.

24 Party Building 101

By Robert J. Schwalb

With Player’s Handbook 2 on shelves this month, it’s time to re-

examine party composition, and see what your group really needs.

35 Code x oF Be tr ayal :

the ButCher oF nessus

By Ari Marmell

This article details the archdevil Alloces, creator of some of the

Nine Hells most hideous—and useful—monstrous creations.

45 Bestiary: Monsters oF alloCes

By Ari Marmell

The companion to this issue’s Codex of Betrayal features new

monsters created by the archdevil Alloces to supplement the armies

of the Nine Hells.

ColuMns

53 eCology oF the sharn

By Brian R. James

This classic monster of the Realms gets new treatment

as a monster for any D&D campaign, as well as

updates on the activities of sharn in the Forgotten

Realms.

4 editorial

62 design & develoPMent: raCes

By James Wyatt

D&D’s newest race from Player’s Handbook 2 , is unveiled

and discussed in detail.

66 de s ig n & de v eloPM en t:

PriMal Power

By Mike Mearls and James Wyatt

Mike, James and other members of RPG R&D discuss the

primal power source.

70 ConFessions oF a Full-tiMe wizard

By Shelly Mazzanoble

Shelly continues her quest to become D&D’s first player

representative

75 d&d aluMni

By Bart Carroll and Steve Winter

A look back at D&D through past editions.

78 rPga rePort

By Chris Tulach

The Living FR campaign is in full swing. Learn more

about how to get involved!

on the Cover

Illustration by Jason A. Engle

81 aMPersand

By Bill Slavicsek

Bill previews another upcoming release, and discusses

more of the changes in store for D&D in 2009.

Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten realms, Eberron, D u n g e o n , D r a g o n , d20, d20 System, Wizards of the coast, all other Wizards of the coast product names, and their

respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the coast, Inc., in the U.S.a. and other countries.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of america. any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is

prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events

No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. For more Dungeons & Dragons articles, adventures, and information, visit www.wizards.

com/dnd

EDITORIAL

373

MARCH OF THE

Dr agon

March 2009

Editor-in-Chief chris Youngs

MONSTERS

Senior Art Director Jon Schindehette

Web Specialist chris Sims

18 Fortitude save or take 2d8 points of Strength damage. The save

DC is Constitution-based.

Web Production Bart carroll, Steve Winter

For her latest Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard

column , Shelly Mazzanoble interviewed several mem-

bers of R&D. Her takeaway, in part, was a realization

of just how long folks in R&D have been playing Dun-

geons & Dragons . In many cases, it’s been decades.

I share that longevity, extending back to 2nd grade.

For me, few things are as satisfying s f lipping through

the pages of a 1st Edition Monster Manual . Of course,

nostalgia reigns supreme. This is the edition I started

playing, so the illustrations have always resonated

with me, long after the mechanics themselves are a

distant memory.

A few years back, a few of us started a 0-edition

campaign to break out the original pamphlet rule-

books and see how the game first played… with no

small measure of difficulty and confusion, I recall.

Despite setbacks, a few (including Steve Winter) have

continued the campaign. I participated in a recent 1st

Edition campaign, run by folks who share fond memo-

ries of those immortal black-and-white rulebooks. But

while it’s always fun to get together with friends and

roll some dice, playing earlier editions of the game

also brought back memories of their rules issues.

Of course, I now also play and DM 4th Edition cam-

paigns. In one recent session, we faced a creature

going back to the game’s earliest days. Let’s see if you

can guess what it is from its description through the

editions:

They are hideous creatures that lurk in the deep caverns of the

world.

Graphic Design Bob Jordan, Breanne Miller

Again, once hit, players were forced to recalculate their

Strength scores and all dice modifiers dependent on

Strength—on the f ly. In my opinion, that’s the true damage

caused by a 3rd Edition roper: frustration around the table.

And heaven help you if, after re-calculating your Strength

once, the roper then hits you with a second strand. The

last thing any DM wants is for the table to grind to a halt

as rules need to be arbitrated and recalculations made.

Correction: The last thing any DM wants is for the table

to grind to a halt for any reason . Left with this, it may have

been easier to simply not use ropers in an encounter in lieu

of other monsters.

So, how did the roper play out in our recent 4th Edition

session? It beat the stuffing out of our party, actually. It

grabbed us, weakened us, drew us closer and bit us. It did

everything a roper was always designed to do, and it did

so without grinding down the game. I hadn’t faced a roper

since my earliest days of 1st Edition, and I loved it.

My sincere belief is that 4th Edition allows monsters to

be played more easily than ever before—without sacrific-

ing their core concepts. I’ve experienced this in multiple

4th Edition games, as “classic” monsters hit the table and

played true to their concept: ropers, stirges, bulletes. Even,

or perhaps especially, dragons. I’ve never had the privilege

of facing the tactical nightmare that is the beholder, but I

can’t help but believe they too play better than ever at the

table.

I think we always knew these classic monsters would

remain in the game, appearing in 4th Edition’s Monster

Manuals . To no small extent, they had to remain. It’s just

especially satisfying to see them back at the table as well.

So what are your favorite monsters from past editions that

Contributing Authors Bart carroll, Ed Greenwood,

ari Marmell, Shelly Mazzanoble,

These cigar-shaped monsters can stand upright in order to

resemble a pillar or stalagmite or f latten themselves at full

length upon the f loor so as to look like nothing more than a

hump.

robert J. Schwalb, Matthew

Sernett, chris Sims,Bill

Slavicsek, chris Tulach, Steve

Winter, James Wyatt

How long did it take you to guess that these descrip-

tions were referencing a roper?

Back in 1st Edition, here’s how the mechanics of

the roper played out:

Developers

Stephen radney-MacFarland,

Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert,

rodney Thompson

Editors Miranda horner

Cover Artist Jason a. Engle

The roper has six strands of strong, sticky rope-like excretion

which it can shoot from 2”-5”. A hit causes weakness (50%

from strength in 1-3 melee rounds), and the roper then draws

its prey into its toothy maw where it is quickly devoured. The

chance for breaking a strand is the same for opening a door,

but every round the roper will drag the victim 10’ closer. They

are unaffected by lightning, take half damage at most from

cold, but are very susceptible to fire (-4 on saving throw).

Contributing Artists John christopher, howard Lyon,

James Zhang, ryan Barger,

Eva Widermann

Web Development

Mark a. Jindra

D&D Creative Manager

christopher Perkins

Executive Producer,

D&D Insider

Ken Troop

Good lord. Strength damage occurring over time?

Then it drags its prey? And you can break a strand, but

it still drags you closer? The roper is certainly a classic

monster, but mechanically… what exactly is happening

here, and when?

Director of RPG R&D

Bill Slavicsek

Special Thanks

richard Baker, Greg Bilsland, Logan Bonner, Michele carter, Jennifer

clarke Wilkes, andy collins, Bruce r. cordell, Jeremy crawford, rob

heinsoo, Peter Lee, Julia Martin, Mike Mearls, Kim Mohan, David

Noonan, Stephen radney-MacFarland, Peter Schaefer, Stephen

Schubert, chris Sims, rodney Thompson, rob Watkins, James Wyatt

These yellowish-gray monsters appear to be a mass of foul

corruption.

In 3rd Edition, the roper’s strands were codified as

follows:

They are altogether evil and far more intelligent than most

people would judge by their appearance.

Weakness (Ex): A roper’s strands can sap an opponent’s

strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC

TH E KILL

O By Robert J. Schwalb

Oblivious to the fact he was dead, the noble sucked grapes

from the stem and rested his feet on the back of a slave.

His killer, Rook, stood unseen in shadows cast by an

overhanging balcony. The bolt that would soon nest in the

noble’s neck sat in the hand crossbow held in Rook’s irm

grip, its black shaft green with venom.

Rook didn’t move, and his target remained blissfully un-

aware that in a moment Rook would quench his life’s lame

with all the concern of a lamplighter snuing a streetlight

at dawn. The noble laughed at a jest. The painted courte-

sans tittered. Rook’s inger kissed the trigger.

The crossbow made only the faintest sound as it re-

leased the bolt. A dark streak, a surprised grunt, a clatter-

ing goblet, a sharp intake of breath, and screams. It was

over. Rook vanished into a black pall, slipping through

his drow-born supernatural gloom to make good in his

escape. Another ofering to the Raven Queen—another

wretch silenced and sped to whatever lay beyond.

Free from the noble’s manor, Rook slipped between

two row houses. The streets came alive with shouts and

the whistle blows of the watch. Rook ran down a crooked

avenue. He remembered his companions, good and noble

souls all, awaited him at the Salty Mug. Their employer

was to meet with them at dawn to discuss their next

expedition. It wouldn’t do for his comrades to know about

his nocturnal adventures. They wouldn’t understand the

price exacted by his cold mistress and the penance he

must still pay for betraying her so long ago.

March 2009 | Dragon 373

ART OF

illustrations by Jason A. Engle, John Tyler Christopher

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