Just got Dragon 315 - Campaign Classics

[Spatula]

If they're going to use action points, then I hope they make a new mechaninc for it and not use the horrid one from D20 Modern, where you spend them and they're gone. It's like permanently reducing your hit points to use a class ability. Ugh!!

The horrid mechanic of having a pool of points that can be spent to influence die rolls predates d20 Modern by more than a decade. And you do realize that you get more action points every time you gain a level, yes?

 

[Ranger REG]

d20 Modern gives you a LOT of Action Points per level, and you can carry any unused portions over. I don't know if Eberron will be the first to feature advanced classes and prestige classes (usually they offer more AP per class level) in a Wizards' published fantasy campaign for D&D.

It's up to you to decide when is it the right time to spend it but at least it is not so severe as Star Wars Force Points (1 per level, maximum 5 if not Force-Sensitive).

Besides, we D&D gamers are doing fine without Action Points anyway.

 

[dlane001]

What about Al-Qadim?

Any word on the street about add'l Al-Qadim adventures or campaign materials? Would love to see more asian (go Green Ronin!) and middle-eastern flavored materials. Am disappointed so far in the available d20 middle-eastern stuff. It is all "Tolkein with a desert."

-Derek

 

[KaosDevice]

They had a cool article on Al'Qadim. I really enjoyed it, new character class, sort of an intermediary between the geni and mortals. A side bar about the creation of the world. This was one of may favorite issues of Dragon recently.

 

[dlane001]

They had a cool article on Al'Qadim. I really enjoyed it, new character class, sort of an intermediary between the geni and mortals. A side bar about the creation of the world. This was one of may favorite issues of Dragon recently.

Did you think it was well-balanced? The old sha'ir from 2nd Edition was a bit strong at higher levels, but horribly weak at lower levels, even weaker than a normal 2nd ed magic user.

I want this issue so bad. GenCon in a day and I'm running a 3e Al-Qadim session there. Probably won't get my issue soon enough for it to be useful. Damn the timing!

-Derek

 

[Alzrius]

According to this issue's editorial, so much material was submitted for this project that much had to be turned away, to be used in later issues. Also, in same editorial, the May issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazines will release the 3.5 revision of Dark Sun. And the April Dragon will feature a 3.5 update for Oriental Adventures.

Best news I've heard since...well, since I heard about this issue! I'm especially pleased to be getting a new 3.5E Dark Sun (I know the guys over at www.athas.org have been working hard on that, and I do feel bad for them that they're about to be eclipsed by this, but this Dragon and Dungeon release for Dark Sun is still the best news for the setting I've heard for a while). I am, however, somewhat wary at the same time, since I still remember the watered-down version of Spelljammer we got last time. Still, there's a difference between using less than half of a magazine to reintroduce an old world, and two magazines.

Also, thalmin, when that editorial said Oriental Adventures, they did mean Kara-Tur, right? It seems likely, since WotC no longer owns Rokugan, but I'm not sure.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

Indeed, very interesting.

I'm hoping for a 3.5 update of Mystara someday.

Another question, is the material abou tthe various settings taken from the various 'official' sites devoted to the settings? (like the Vaults of Pandius for Mystara, or athas.org ofr Dark Sun)?

I can only speak for the Red Steel article (that's the one I wrote). The material wasn't taken from Vaults of Pandius or any other site. Although I read and keep up with the various Mystara sites and boards, the only source materials I had for this article were the original "Voyage of the Princess Ark" articles and the original boxed set - there wasn't room for anything else!

 

[Olive]

Also, thalmin, when that editorial said Oriental Adventures, they did mean Kara-Tur, right? It seems likely, since WotC no longer owns Rokugan, but I'm not sure.

I thinky ou'll find they mean the book. The 3e OA book. Which WotC published and have the rights to use, regardless of the Rokugan content.

 

[Vocenoctum]

One of the problems there is that you can't just spend all of your (characters') time in space...it'd be like having sea-faring characters who never sailed into port. Spelljamming characters have to make land-fall on a planet sometime, and then it becomes rather hard not to mention that the other game worlds' planets are out there.

Another aspect of SJ that seems to be largely ignored is that it often got seen as an extension of a planet-side campaign. Realms characters could get a spelljammer and never want to leave their sphere, or even go too far from their planet. For them, spelljamming was just Forgotten Realms in the sky, etc.

It was always funny, that Spelljammer had FR, but FR didn't really have Spelljammer. They go on and on about the long route to Kara Tur, and about sailing for months to find Maztica....

A speljammer could make it in what, hours? days?

For me, Spelljammer was D&D in space. We ditched Crystal Spheres in favor of just calling them Solar Systems.

It was a nice take on D&D in space though, with all the societies and such. I always liked Pirates of Gith

 

[Zjelani]

Another question, is the material abou tthe various settings taken from the various 'official' sites devoted to the settings? (like the Vaults of Pandius for Mystara, or athas.org ofr Dark Sun)?

Nope, this occurred totally independant of the official sites. There's been communication issues to the point where I was talking with the Paizo folks at GenCon Indy about how Planewalker is working on the official Planescape 3.5, and one of them replied "You're allowed to do that?!"

But I know the Athas.org folks have talked with Paizo some, not sure how much comminication is still going on, however. Also, I'm trying to stay in touch both to involve Planewalker as well as being an author, so there's hope. In fact, I've been getting better response from Paizo about working together than from WotC (probably due to the insane workload they have their licensing people/person under). But it's probably up to each official site to make themselves known rather than expecting Paizo to know about them.