Accessory - Dragon Magazine #390.pdf - 300-399 - mone0

ISSUE 390 | AUgUSt 2010

A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT

CONTENTS

Features

5 Dark Sun: PlAyIng tEmPlArS

By Robert J. Schwalb

The authority of the templars keeps the nobles and common folk in line, but

templars have more than just a writ to enforce their monarch’s will.

28 ClassaCts: Warlords

By Robert J. Schwalb

It takes courage to claim leadership’s mantle and strength to hold it. The

ability to lead is not something that can be learned. It is a virtue.

16 Dark Sun: thE SlAvE thEmE

By Matthew Sernett

The cities of the sorcerer-kings crouch upon the backs of slaves. Few dream of

escape, and fewer still accomplish that dream.

33 WInnIngraCes: eladrIn

By Tim Eagon

To eladrin, magic is Corellon’s supreme gift, but Corellon is not the only path

to magical power. The artificer and the warlock also have their places.

22 ClassaCts: BardItems

By Rodney Thompson

Bards need to split their magic treasures between implements and weapons.

Items that combine the two into one are especially desirable.

37 WInnIngraCes: gnomes

By Robert J. Schwalb

Stealth and guile, wit and cunning are tools gnomes use to survive. Gnomes

are known for bringing diverse and surprising talents to their roles.

24 ClassaCts: sorCerers

By Claudio Pozas

The Shivs of Sorcery are an assortment of eclectic but single-minded

sorcerers who imbue magic into their daggers to become skirmishing

strikers.

41 WInnIngraCes: droW

By Arnie Franke

The bloodthirsty social order of the drow permeates every aspect of their society,

including their institutions of learning.

Columns

edItorIal

By Steve Winter

The lucky few get to attend Gencon. We got a rock

... so let’s make rockade!

44 PoWerPlay: deadgods

By Pierre Van Rooden

Although gods seem to be unconquerable beings, they do die. Even when

they’re gone, they can continue having an effect on the world.

78 amPersand

By Bill Slavicsek

In this month’s round of articles, Bill shows off

the Essentials Slayer, the Rules Compendium , the

Dungeon Master’s Kit , and Monster Vault .

51 guIlds&grouPs: smokeandWhIsPers

By Daniel Jones

Some suspect that the war between Bael Turath and Arkhosia never truly

ended. The Circle of Smoke and Whispers knows it for a fact

88 CountdoWntoessentIals

By Mike Mearls and Bill Slavicsek

Mike discusses the design elements and process

that went into the Rules Compendium , Dungeon

Master’s Kit , and Monster Vault .

55 FICtIon: lordoFthedarkWays

By Ed Greenwood

Manshoon is determined to become Lord of the Darkways, no matter how

many lives it costs.

94 desIgn&develoPment: darksun

By Richard Baker and Rodney Thompson

Rich and Rodney describe how arcane defiling,

psionics, and the lack of metal impact the new

Dark Sun Campaign Setting .

ontheCover

Illustration bySteve Prescott

97 ConFessIonsoFaFull-tImeWIzard

By Shelly Mazzanoble

D&D’s “Player-in-Chief ” shares her experiences at

Gencon and thoughts on becoming “a gamer.”

101 d&dalumnI

By Bart Carroll

A look back at the origins of Dark Sun and how it

inf luences the current game and setting.

Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten realms, Eberron, D ungeon , D ragon , 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

E D I T oR I A L

390

OFF TO GENCON …

Dragon

Augu s t 2010

Editor-in-Chief

Steve Winter

OR NOT.

Senior Art Director

Jon Schindehette

Web Production

Bart Carroll

Contributing Authors

rachel Cirricione, tim Eagon,

Arnie Franke, Ed greenwood,

Daniel Jones, Shelly mazzanoble,

mike mearls, Claudio Pozas, Pierre

van rooden, robert J. Schwalb,

matthew Sernett, rodney

thompson, James Wyatt

It’s Gencon week,

which means that

for the next six days,

the R&D Depart-

ment is going to be

only about half full.

I’m one of the sad

few staying behind,

exercising my stiff

upper lip and pre-

tending that I have

so much work to do

that even if I’d been

put on the travel

list, I couldn’t possibly afford the time away from my

desk (which is true, by the way, but I’m hardly unique

in that regard). Really, I’m looking forward to using this

quiet, meeting-free time to gain ground on some of the

tasks that have piled up on my desk since I stepped into

this job, like answering email and reviewing article

pitches.

Even without a trip to Indianapolis, August promises

plenty of other excitement to keep my spirits up!

It starts off with today’s fiction, “Lord of the Dark-

ways,” by Ed Greenwood.

We have our customary assortment of “Class Acts”

and “Winning Races” entries, this month covering drow,

gnomes, eladrin, bards, and sorcerers.

Bill Slavicsek and Mike Mearls reveal more of what

you can expect from D&D E ssentials . They’ ll be talk-

ing about this in Indianapolis, too, of course, but D&D

Insiders will get information that won’t be covered

there. With four installments of “Ampersand” and three

of “Design & Development,” we can traverse a lot of

ground: the fighter (slayer), Rules Compendium , DM’s Kit ,

and Monster Vault all get detailed treatment.

But the really big news is Dark Sun, which hits the

street (and the dealers’ shelves at Gencon) running with

the Campaign Setting , Creature Catalog , and Marauders

of the Dune Sea , a terrific adventure by Bruce Cordell.

We’re backing that up with articles on playing Athasian

templars and slaves, plus another Dark Sun adventure

for everyone who just can’t get enough of heat and

trouble. one unofficial, seat-of-the-pants method for

predicting the success of an upcoming product is count-

ing how many friends ask for free copies. If that metric

is at all reliable, then Dark Sun is going to be hot. I hope

I can come up with enough books to satisfy everyone.

Finally, here’s a loosely Dark Sun-related movie

plug. I’m a sucker for adventure movies from the 1930s,

with their lost worlds, nefarious villains and cults, stoic

heroes, and monumental sets. Just recently on Netf lix,

I ran across the 1935 version of She , based on the clas-

sic story by H. Rider Haggard and produced by Meriam

C. Cooper, who made the original King Kong just two

years earlier. In She , a small team of explorers heads

for the Arctic in search of a fabled ‘f lame of everlast-

ing life.’ The lost culture that they discover in a secret

valley ringed by unscalable cliffs of ice isn’t much like

Athas in most ways. on the other hand, its art deco

style is wonderfully alien and weird. The palace guards

are daunting in their animal headdresses and leather

harnesses. The high priest is both imposing and tragic.

And of course, Queen Hash-A-Mo-Tep, “She Who Must

Be obeyed,” is an early prototype of the all-powerful

sorcerer-queen who achieves everlasting life at the cost

of a portion of her humanity and sanity.

The acting is stiff, the choreography is f limsy, and

the story is entirely familiar. Yet you should watch this

movie for the amazing sets and costumes, the way it por-

trays a savage, alien culture, and the sheer adventure

of it all.

Developers

Jeremy Crawford, Stephen

Schubert, greg Bilsland

Editor

miranda horner

Cover Artist

Steve Prescott

Contributing Artists

Alexey Aparin, Wayne England,

Chad King, Slawomir maniak,

William O’Connor, David rapoza

Cartographers

Jason A. Engle, Sean macdonald,

mike Schley

Publishing Production

Specialists

Angelika lokotz, Erin Dorries,

Christopher tardiff

Web Development

mark A. Jindra

Executive Producer,

D&D Insider

Christopher Perkins

Director of RPG R&D

Bill Slavicsek

Special Thanks

richard Baker, michele Carter, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes,

Bruce r. Cordell, Peter lee, Kim mohan, Cal moore,

Stephen Schubert

SORCERER-KINGS

By Robert J. Schwalb

Illustration by David Rapoza

Civilization rests in the bloated city-states scattered

across the only inhabitable lands left on Athas. In

all but one metropolis, power rests exclusively in the

hands of the tyrants known as the sorcerer-kings,

each an ancient being of nearly godlike power whose

command over his or her subjects is absolute or very

nearly so. Although some sorcerer-kings are wor-

shiped as gods and seem as immortal as the deities

long lost and forgotten, sorcerer-kings are no more

divine than are any creature in the world. They are

subject to the same limitations, errors in judgment,

and whims other creatures face. They might teach

their subjects they can be in all places at once, but

the truth is these powers are neither omniscient nor

omnipotent. It is in their interest to dispel any doubts

about the power they wield and to ensure those

people living under their rule remain obedient and

loyal subjects, because as powerful as these individu-

als are, the death of King Kalak in Tyr proves they are

neither invulnerable nor eternal.

The insurance all sorcerer-kings have comes

from the templars who serve them. These men and

women, who are usually human, are selected from

the masses to act as the tyrant’s eyes and ears and to

represent his or her interests in the city-states and

manage the affairs of government. Templars free the

sorcerer-kings to pursue their own secret agendas

and indulge in the fruits their exalted station affords.

To the templars it falls to lead the armies, negotiate

trade agreements with the merchant houses, and

manage resources while also enforcing the laws and

controlling the slaves. Much responsibility falls onto

the templars’ shoulders, but much wealth, status, and

power goes to them too.

The authority invested in the templars might be

enough to keep the nobles and common folk in line,

but the templars have more than just a writ to enforce

the monarch’s will. Sorcerer-kings invest magical

power into their prized subjects, lending them the

tools they need to keep the city-states secure. Many

templars learn just enough magic to protect their

masters’ interests and perform in whatever capac-

ity they are assigned, but a few possess true power,

gained through profane rituals and dark ceremonies

wherein the sorcerer-king makes available the magi-

cal source from which he or she draws power. These

warlocks are the most dangerous of a sorcerer-king’s

retinue because they can call up their master’s might

without fail and without fear of ever losing it. It is

these individuals who deserve the most scrutiny and

who are the subjects of these pages.

Augu s t 2010 | Dragon 390 5

TEMPLARS OF THE

Accessory - Dragon Magazine #390.pdf

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