TEXT: ISSUE 377  |  JUly 2009
  A Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game Supplement
  
  Features
  Contents
  16
  5
  29
  38
   5 
  Player’s Handbook 3 Debut: the Psion
  By Bruce R. Cordell
  Featuring commentary from the staff that worked on the new 
  psion class, this article supports the psion class debut in the D&D 
  Character Builder and D&D Compendium.
   16 
  tu’narath, City oF Death
  By Robert J. Schwalb
  The githyanki city has been profiled before, but visit it for the 
  first time in 4th Edition. This article supports the Scales of War 
  Adventure Path in Dungeon.
   29 
  Familiars oF eberron
  By Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
  The arcanists of Eberron have their own unique take on familiars. 
  Explore new options for your artificer or other arcane character.
   38 
  DisCiPles oF VengeanCe
  By Robert J. Schwalb
  The members of this organization seek justice in all things. This 
  article features new feats, magic items, and paragon paths for your 
  retribution specialist.
  ®
  
   50 
  bestiary: legenDary eVils
  By Logan Bonner
  It’s often difficult to find more ways to use those Huge 
  minis in your collection, but this Bestiary focuses on 
  providing more options for the biggest of foes.
   61 
  exPlore airsPur
  By Matthew Sernett
  Airspur, city of genasi, is one of the Forgotten Realms’ 
  newest. Learn more about Airspur in the first of a 
  multi-part series on the city.
  Columns
  50
  61
  70
  on the CoVer
  Illustration by Cyril Van Der Haegan
     4 
  eDitorial
     70 
  Class aCts: the ranger
  By Bruce R. Cordell
  The ranger is one of the most popular strikers in 
  the game. Get some new options for your two-
  weapon fighting ranger.
    73 
  Design & DeVeloPment: PsioniCs
  By R&D Staff
  Learn about the goals and design challenges 
  involved with 4th Edition’s newest power source.
    77 
  Design & DeVeloPment: EbErron
  By R&D Staff
  The new Eberron Campaign Guide is here. Get the 
  inside scoop on 4th Edition Eberron here.
    79 
  ConFessions oF a Full-time WizarD
  By Shelly Mazzanoble
  D&D’s “Player-in-Chief” shares more of her 
  wisdom and insight.
    83 
  rPga rePort
  By Chris Tulach
  The Living FR campaign is in full swing. Learn 
  more about how to get involved!
    86 
  amPersanD
  By Bill Slavicsek
  Bill discusses more of the changes in store for 
  D&D in 2009.
  Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dungeon, Dragon, 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 
  is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  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 o R I A L
   
  Editor-in-Chief 
  Chris youngs
   
  Senior Art Director 
  Jon Schindehette 
   
  Web Specialist 
  Chris Sims
   
  Web Production 
  Bart Carroll, Steve Winter
   
  Graphic Design 
  Keven Smith
   
  Contributing Authors 
  logan Bonner, Bruce R. Cordell,  
   
   
  Shelly Mazzanoble, Stephen  
   
   
  Schubert, Robert J. Schwalb,  
   
   
  Matthew Sernett, Bill Slavicsek,  
   
   
  Chris Tulach, Jennifer Clarke 
   
   
  Wilkes, James Wyatt
   
  Developers 
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
   
   
  Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert,  
   
   
  Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson
   
  Editors 
  Jeremy Crawford, Miranda Horner
   
  Cover Artist 
  Cyril Van Der Haegen
   
  Contributing Artists 
  Zelda Devon & Kurt Huggins, 
   
   
  Empty Room Studios, Michael  
   
   
  Franchina, Mclean Kendree,  
   
   
  William Kormarck, William  
   
   
  O’Connor, Eric l. Williams,  
   
   
  Kieran yanner
   
  Cartographers 
  Robert lazaretti, Sean Macdonald
   
  Web Development 
  Mark A. Jindra
   
  D&D Creative  Manager 
  Christopher Perkins
   
  Executive Producer,
   
  D&D Insider 
  Ken Troop
   
  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, Torah Cottrill, 
  Jeremy Crawford, Mike Donais, Rob Heinsoo, Peter lee,  
  Mike Mearls, Kim Mohan, Cal Moore, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
  Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert, Matthew Sernett,  
  Rodney Thompson, Rob Watkins, James Wyatt
  377
  Dr agon
  July 2009
  Exclusively Yours
  It’s good to be loved
  It’s an exciting time for D&D Insider. Last month, 
  Bill revealed that we were releasing the revenant -- a 
  new PC race -- in June’s issue of Dragon. This was 
  our first, true D&D Insider exclusive. The thing is, 
  we didn’t really explain what “exclusive” means. In 
  terms of our content release plan, “exclusive” means 
  it won’t be appearing anywhere else.
   
  But what does “anywhere else” mean exactly? 
  Sometimes, we get so excited about an announce-
  ment that we just make the assumption you’re right 
  there with us. Allow me to clear up any confusion.
   
  Question #1: Does “exclusive” mean the revenant 
  will not appear in a future print product?
   
  Answer: Yes, that’s correct. The revenant will only 
  appear as part of D&D Insider. We’re not planning to 
  pick up the mechanical elements of the race for any 
  print product. The revenant article (and the compiled 
  issue containing that article) will be the only places 
  you’ll find this content. However, that does not mean 
  a print adventure might not feature a revenant vil-
  lain or that a novel won’t feature a revenant character 
  down the line, hypothetically speaking.
   
  Question #2: Will content that appears as a D&D 
  Insider exclusive ever have additional support?
   
  Answer: Yes, and support articles will likewise 
  be exclusive to D&D Insider. You won’t see revenant 
  feats or paragon paths, for example, appear down the 
  road in a print product. We already have plans in the 
  works for an article this fall that features new rev-
  enant racial feats, and we’ll treat the revenant like any 
  other race in the game. As an article warrants, we’ll 
  provide revenants with new character options.
   
  So we’ve covered our approach for support for the 
  revenant and, I hope, allayed fears about the plans 
  for exclusive content as a whole. But what about the 
  assassin? For starters, everything I said about the 
  revenant above is also true of new classes exclusive 
  to D&D Insider. Plus, we have an ambitious support 
  plan for the assassin. Since we know there won’t be 
  new assassin powers appearing in a power source 
  supplement or Player’s Handbook, we’re already plan-
  ning to support September’s two complete builds 
  with more support just a few months after. Plus, 
  early next year, we plan to introduce a third assassin 
  build. once the assassin is out and about, we’ll also 
  be accepting new submissions for the class -- new 
  class-focused articles, new Class Acts, and so on.
   
  Finally, we’ve noticed a number of conversations 
  about the necessity or value of the assassin class to 
  a game that already features a strong rogue option. 
  I’ve now seen the assassin first hand, and let me tell 
  you: this is no rogue. The assassin plays, looks, and 
  just fundamentally feels different from any other 
  class in the game. We try to avoid introducing a class 
  that steps on the toes of another or, worse, makes 
  a party experience untenable (assassins don’t need 
  to be evil). The shadow power source opens up new 
  play options for future design, and you’ll soon see for 
  yourself how the assassin taps into these concepts. 
  The class is inextricably linked to shadow magic. I’m 
  so stoked about the new class that I actually started 
  plotting my character’s demise, just so I could roll up 
  my next character: a revenant assassin.
   
  Now that you know the shadow power source is 
  on its way, what other classes or races do you think 
  fit that concept? And what’s your vision of the per-
  fect assassin?  
   
  Send your feedback to dndinsider@wizards.com!
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  5
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  The Psion
  illustrations by Cyril van der Haegan and 
  Christine MacTernan
  Mechanical Design by Bruce R. Cordell
  Commentary by Andy Collins,  
  Bruce R. Cordell, Mike Mearls,  
  and Stephen Schubert
  Welcome to the first official debut article featuring 
  content drawn from Player’s Handbook® 3. 
   
  Most of the world must wait until March 2010 
  to learn the secrets of the psion class. As an Insider, 
  however, you can start playing a psion today . . . eight 
  whole months before the book hits the shelves!
   
  But we’re not stopping with a single class: over the 
  next several months, Insiders like you will see over 
  100 pages of debut content taken from Player’s Hand-
  book 3. Next month it’s the githzerai race (including a 
  racial paragon path and several racial feats), and then 
  we’re on to more class, race, and feat debuts until Feb-
  ruary of 2010.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  6
   
  This article—and future debut articles—follow a 
  different format from those you’re used to seeing on 
  Dungeons & Dragons® Insider. Rather than simply 
  presenting entire sections of text verbatim, we’ve 
  blended book content with commentary from the 
  designers, developers, and editors who worked on it. 
  Think of these entries as the commentary tracks for 
  your debut content.
   
  For this article, we have commentary from Player’s 
  Handbook 3 Lead Designer Mike Mearls, Player’s 
  Handbook 3 co-designer (and all-around psionic guru) 
  Bruce Cordell, Player’s Handbook 3 Lead Developer 
  Stephen Schubert, and Andy Collins, manager of 
  D&D® development and editing (and part of the 
  Player’s Handbook 3 development team).
   
  Purely mechanical items, such as powers and 
  feats, appear only as list items accompanied by brief 
  descriptions and/or flavor text; the mechanics of 
  these items appear in the D&D Character Builder 
  and D&D Compendium.
   
  Let us know what you think of this article, and 
  how we can make future debut articles more infor-
  mative and entertaining by sending feedback to dnd-
  insider@wizards.com.
  Commentary
  andy Collins: The psion entered our discussion of 
  classes way back in the early days of 4th Edition design. 
  A theoretical “telepath” class shows up in an internal 
  document entitled “Building a Party” dated June 3, 
  2005—only a few weeks after concepting for the new 
  edition began—as an example of a potential controller. 
  We knew even then that the psionic power source was 
  unlikely to appear in the initial Player’s Handbook, but we 
  realized that we had to think early about where the game 
  was going after 2008.
  mike mearls: This role decision was perhaps the easiest 
  part of the class’s design. The most traditional and iconic 
  manifestations of psionic powers in D&D and lore match 
  up perfectly with the controller role. Whether your psion 
  controls the minds of your foes—like the telepathic psion 
  detailed in this article—or psychically slides them around 
  as if they were toys (using the second build, which you’ll 
  see in Player’s Handbook 3), you’re acting exactly like a 
  controller.
  andy: While the psion is the second class we’ve shown 
  that uses the psionic power source—the monk, appear-
  ing in playtest form in Dragon #375, was the first—this is 
  the first class to embrace a key new mechanic shared by 
  most psionic classes slated to appear in the game: psionic 
  augmentation. 
   This system, described in more detail below, allows a 
  psion great flexibility in determining the precise effect 
  of his or her powers. This is a throwback to previous 
  editions of D&D, but the new system addresses the short-
  comings of a purely point-based power system as you’ll 
  see below.
  Bruce Cordell: We wanted the psion to have class 
  skills that befit the class’s story concept as a practitioner 
  of esoteric skill and also demonstrate their talents of 
  discernment. These skills also complement the psion’s 
  primary ability scores.
  Psion
  “I can bend the desires of mortals and immortals to my 
  will.”
  Class traits
  role: Controller. You can mentally influence the 
  actions of your foes, and you can toss your enemies 
  around the battlefield with psionic force.
  Power source: Psionic. You direct psionic energy 
  from within your own mind, focusing that power 
  through meditation and contemplation. Your magic 
  works on the minds of others or manifests your will as 
  a physical force in the world.
  Key abilities: Intelligence, Charisma, Wisdom
  armor Proficiencies: Cloth
  Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, simple ranged
  implements: Orbs, staffs
  bonus to Defense: +2 Will
  hit Points at 1st level: 12 + Constitution score
  hit Points per level gained: 4
  healing surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier
  trained skills: From the class skills list below, choose 
  four trained skills at 1st level.
   
  Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy 
  (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), 
  Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis)
  Class Features: Discipline Focus, Psionic Augmenta-
  tion, Ritual Casting
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  7
  Psions are the quintessential manipulators of psionic 
  power. Psions unleash the potential locked within 
  every conscious mind, move objects with just a 
  thought, and assume command of even the least 
  desire of their foes. Psions manifest their secret 
  wishes when others can only dream about them.
   
  You know the mental pathways that lead to amaz-
  ing edifices of altered reality. You could be a brash 
  human youth flush with your mental ability’s first 
  flowering, a tattooed cenobite enrolled in a secret 
  psionic academy, a fey enchanter using ancient tech-
  niques to beguile your foes, or perhaps a specially 
  trained inquisitor who has learned one secret too 
  many.
   
  A flare of mental energy warms you, the thoughts 
  of friends and foes glitter like stars all about you, and 
  your thoughts themselves are weapons half sheathed. 
  If a god can reshape the world and you can enthrall a 
  god, what does that make you?
  Psion Class Features
  Psions have the following class features.
  Discipline Focus
  Psions focus their studies and meditations toward 
  perfecting or understanding a particular concept or 
  manifestation of psionic power. You choose a Disci-
  pline Focus, one of which is presented here.
   
  telepathy Focus: You gain the powers distract 
  and send thoughts.
  Psionic Augmentation
  Through discipline and careful study, you have 
  mastered a form of psionic magic that offers greater 
  versatility than other characters command. You know 
  a broad array of at-will attack powers, each of which 
  is a channel through which you can pour as much 
  or as little psionic energy as you choose. You chan-
  nel psionic energy into a reservoir of personal power, 
  represented in the game as power points, that you can 
  use to augment your at-will attack powers, replacing 
  the encounter attack powers that other characters use 
  and giving you greater flexibility in combat.
   As a psion, you acquire and use powers in a slightly 
  different manner from other classes. You do not gain 
  encounter attack powers. Instead, you gain at-will 
  attack powers that can be augmented by spending 
  power points.
   at-Will attack Powers: At 1st level, you choose 
  two at-will attack powers and one daily attack power 
  from your class, but you don’t start with any encoun-
  ter attack powers from your class. You can instead 
  augment your psion at-will attack powers using power 
  points. These powers (and certain others, notably the 
  encounter attack power you gain from a psion para-
  gon path) have the augmentable keyword, which is 
  defined in the sidebar on page 8.
   You gain new psion at-will attack powers, instead 
  of new encounter attack powers, as you increase in 
  level. At 3rd level, you choose a new psion at-will 
  attack power. At 7th, 13th, 17th, 23rd, and 27th level, 
  you can replace one of your augmentable psion at-will 
  attack powers with another one of your level or lower. 
  The power you replace must have augmentations.
   Power Points: You start with 2 power points. You 
  gain 2 additional power points at 3rd and 7th level, 1 
  additional power point at 13th level, and 2 additional 
  power points at 17th, 21st, 23rd, and 27th level. If 
  you gain power points from another source (such as 
  your paragon path), add them to your power point 
  pool. You can use your power points to augment any 
  Commentary
  Bruce: This class draws its primary inspiration from 
  the class of the same name that appeared in the 3rd 
  Edition Dungeons & Dragons game, which in turn was 
  based on a mixture of real-world “psychic” talents and 
  fictional representations of people with mental talents. 
  The previous version of the psion had six flavors (think 
  “builds”) of psionic power, but for Player’s Handbook 3, 
  we chose to focus on just the two most iconic builds 
  of mental abilities. The first, telepathy, debuts here; 
  the second, which focuses on force-based effects, will 
  appear in Player’s Handbook 3.
  andy: These two powers appear in the D&D Character 
  Builder. The first draws the attention of an enemy at a key 
  moment, while the second allows short-range telepathic 
  communication. (If you’re thinking that the telepathic 
  psion makes a great addition to your stealthy strike team, 
  you’d be correct.)
  mike: We’ve found that, in play, the wizard’s cantrips are 
  a great way to get across the power he or she wields outside 
  of combat. Spells like mage hand are useful in a variety of 
  situations, and they really highlight that you’re dealing 
  with a character who doesn’t just use arcane magic, he or 
  she commands it.
   For the psion, we wanted to do something similar. Psions 
  don’t just use psionic magic in combat. They master a 
  number of subtle abilities used as part of their daily lives. 
  Some of these manifest as the Discipline Focus.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  8
  Commentary
  Stephen Schubert: Here’s the gist of that long entry: 
  	 •	As	a	psion,	you	don’t	have	encounter	attack	powers.
  	 •	During	each	encounter,	you	use	power	points	to	aug-
  ment one or more of your at-will powers, increasing their 
  potency.
  	 •	If	you	use	your	power	points	to	maximum	efficiency,	
  your output during any given encounter—damage, con-
  trol, and so on—will approximately equal that of any other 
  character.
  	 •	Alternatively,	you	can	spread	your	points	over	more	
  powers. This reduces your damage output, but gives you 
  lots of useful tricks during the fight.
  mike: We went with power points for two reasons. First, 
  points were the “fuel” of psionics in 3rd Edition D&D. 
  They provided an alternative magic system, and we 
  wanted to hit on the same compelling features that made 
  psionics popular before.
   Second, we wanted to push the game in a new direction. 
  our design for Player’s Handbook 2 mostly stayed within 
  the typical bounds of the Player’s Handbook. With Player’s 
  Handbook 3 due for release almost two years after the 
  first Player’s Handbook, we thought it would be time to 
  show people something really different. We don’t plan on 
  making every Player’s Handbook feature a completely new 
  take on powers, but we want to keep that door open.
  andy: The key difference between the power point 
  mechanic in 4th Edition and that used in 3rd Edition is 
  that the new class doesn’t entirely rely on power points 
  as the resource dictating when powers become unavail-
  able for the day. Whereas the 3rd Edition psion’s power 
  points were a daily resource—when they’re gone, the class 
  couldn’t use any more powers that day—the new psion’s 
  power points are a per-encounter resource.
  augmentable power you have, regardless of how you 
  gained the power.
   You regain all your power points when you take a 
  short or an extended rest.
  level 
  at-Will attack Powers 
  Power Points
  1 
  Choose two 
  gain 2
  3 
  Choose one 
  gain 2 (4 total)
  7 
  replace one 
  gain 2 (6 total)
  13 
  replace one 
  gain 1 (7 total)
  17 
  replace one 
  gain 2 (9 total)
  21 
  — 
  gain 2 (11 total)
  23 
  replace one 
  gain 2 (13 total)
  27 
  replace one 
  gain 2 (15 total)
  Running out of power points now is no more limiting 
  to the psion than another character exhausting his or 
  her encounter powers: the psion can still use unaug-
  mented at-will powers or turn to daily powers until 
  the encounter ends.
  Look for more discussion of the new power point 
  mechanic in an upcoming Design & Development 
  article on the psionic power source.
  A power that has the augmentable keyword has 
  optional augmentations, which you can use at the 
  cost of power points. An augmentable power fol-
  lows these rules, unless the power’s description says 
  otherwise.
   
  Decide First: you must decide whether and how 
  to augment an augmentable power when you choose 
  to use the power, before you make any attack rolls or 
  apply any of the power’s effects.
   
  Power Point Cost: An augmentation speci-
  fies its cost in power points. you must spend the 
  required power points when you decide to use the 
  augmentation.
   
  one at a time: you can use only one augmenta-
  tion on a power at a time, so you can’t, for example, 
  spend 3 power points to use both a 1-point and a 
  2-point augmentation on a single power.
   
  replace base effects: When you augment a power, 
  any change to the power is noted in the augmentation 
  and replaces specific entries in the base power. An 
  augmented version of a power is otherwise identical 
  to the base power.
   
  unaugmented: When you use an augmentable 
  power without augmenting it, the power is referred to 
  as unaugmented for that use (some effects apply only 
  when a power is unaugmented). A power that doesn’t 
  have the augmentable keyword is never considered 
  unaugmented.
   
  at-Will attack Powers: When a power or some 
  other effect lets you use an at-will attack power, you 
  can choose to use one of your augmentable at-will 
  attack powers, but you must use it unaugmented.
   
  When a racial trait grants you an at-will attack 
  power of your choice and you choose an aug-
  mentable at-will attack power, the power loses its 
  augmentations. However, the power does not lose 
  the augmentable keyword. This means the power is 
  unaugmented when you use it, unless you augment 
  it by some other means.
  The AugmenTAble Keyword
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  9
  Ritual Casting
  You gain the Ritual Caster feat as a bonus feat, allow-
  ing you to use magical rituals (see Chapter 10 of the 
  Player’s Handbook). You own a ritual book, and it con-
  tains a 1st-level ritual of your choice.
   
  Choose either Sending or Tenser’s Floating Disk. 
  Your book also contains that ritual, which you can 
  use without expending components once per day.
  Implements
  Psions employ orbs and staffs to focus their psionic 
  energy into their powers. When you wield a magic 
  orb or staff, you can add its enhancement bonus to 
  the attack rolls and the damage rolls of psion powers 
  and psion paragon path powers that have the imple-
  ment keyword. Without an implement, you can still 
  use these powers.
  Creating a Psion
  All psions rely on Intelligence. Psions also benefit 
  from a high Charisma or Wisdom, depending on 
  which expression of the class they favor. Psions often 
  choose feats, skills, and powers to complement the 
  ability score related to their choice of focus.
  Telepathic Psion
  As a telepathic psion, you focus on influencing your 
  enemies’ minds. You choose powers that persuade 
  foes to mistake friend for foe, that crush minds in 
  your psychic grip, and that take control of an enemy’s 
  will. Your attack powers use Intelligence; make it 
  your highest ability score. Powers tailored for your 
  build often use Charisma, so it should be your sec-
  ond-best score. Select powers that help you control 
  Commentary
  mike: When we create a new class, we try make it look 
  and feel different from others. Part of that process comes 
  down to armor, weapons, and implements. Armor choice, 
  of course, also has a mechanical element, since it has a 
  direct effect on AC. Weapons and implements are also 
  a mechanical feature, but they don’t have quite as big 
  an impact on how a class plays. We see it as a method to 
  make a class feel a bit different, but we also have to bal-
  ance it against making sure that a PC of a new class has 
  enough options for magical implements.
  andy: The orb implement provides a nice throwback 
  to the crystal-themed psions from previous editions 
  of D&D. Your psion’s orb doesn’t have to be a perfect 
  sphere—maybe it’s a beautifully faceted crystal that pro-
  vides a conduit for your psionic power.
  Stephen: At one point during the evolution of the class, 
  we considered something like “circlet” as a new imple-
  ment option. 
  mike: That’s true. Ultimately, we decided not to create a 
  new implement because we felt we’d be reinventing the 
  wheel. There was no clear, mechanical push for a new 
  implement, so we simply focused on the existing imple-
  ments that provided the best match for a controller.
  mike: We thought a bit about how best to express the 
  psion via ability scores. A Charisma-based psion would 
  have been more of a raw conduit of power, a mind 
  that might lack discipline but makes up for it with raw 
  strength. In the end, Intelligence provided a better feel. 
  Psions are more like Vulcans, clinical and intellectual, 
  than like Klingons, forceful and instinctual. In D&D 
  terms, going with Intelligence also provided a better 
  match with races that seemed like they should excel at 
  the class, such as eladrin, devas, and githyanki.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  10
  your enemies and make the best use of your high 
  Intelligence and Charisma scores.
   
  Suggested Class Feature: Telepathy Focus
   
  Suggested Feat: Precise Mind
   
  Suggested Skills: Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, 
  Insight
   
  Suggested at-Will Powers: memory hole, 
  mind thrust
   
  Suggested Daily Power: mental trauma
   
  Player’s Handbook 3 will contain tips on creating 
  the second build of the psion as well.
  Psion Powers
  Your psionic powers are called disciplines. You tap 
  into your mental reservoir to affect the world around 
  you and your enemies’ perception of it.
   
  These powers often target a foe’s Will defense (as 
  befits the mental theme of the build).
   
  Psychic damage is prevalent. Many of the powers 
  appearing below daze, dominate, or stun their targets; 
  by contrast, few telepathic-build powers immobilize, 
  slow, or knock prone. A small but notable subset of 
  powers causes the target to attack its ally (essentially a 
  minor form of domination). 
   
  The telepathic psion’s utility powers tend to favor 
  personal defense (intellect fortress, mind shadow, mind 
  over flesh). If you enjoy helping your allies, though, 
  utility disciplines such as skill empowerment or psychic 
  chirurgery may be up your alley.
  The full text of these powers appears in the D&D Character 
  Builder and the D&D Compendium.
  Psion overview
   
  Characteristics: Brandishing the might of 
  your mind, you unleash psionic powers against 
  your foes. your powers allow you to manipulate 
  a foe’s mind with telepathic commands and scat-
  ter a group of enemies with telekinetic bursts. 
  you can augment your at-will powers by spend-
  ing power points, providing you more options 
  than nearly any other class.
    religion: Ioun, the god of knowledge, is often 
  considered the patron of psionic magic, and 
  many psions worship her. Telepathic psions who 
  live by tricking their foes often follow Sehanine, 
  and psions who view the practice of psionic 
  magic as an art form pray to Corellon. Other 
  psions choose deities based on ideals beyond 
  their choice of class: Psions who believe fiercely 
  in justice worship Bahamut, and those who 
  seek to expand the power of civilization wor-
  ship Erathis, for example. Evil psions (and a few 
  unaligned ones as well) often worship Vecna, the 
  god of secrets.
   
  races: Psionic power is most prevalent among 
  humans, who are quick to exploit even a hint of 
  latent psionic talent. However, many fey adven-
  turers use psionics to beguile and bewilder their 
  enemies, and both gnomes and eladrin are com-
  monly telepathic psions. Tieflings, perhaps as an 
  expression of their diabolic heritage, also enjoy 
  manipulating the minds of their foes.
  Commentary
  andy: The powers and feat listed here all appear in the 
  D&D Character Builder and D&D Compendium.
  andy: You might notice that we avoided including many 
  overtly anachronistic power names. Unlike previous ver-
  sions of psionic powers, we want these powers to sound 
  fantastic, not scientific. 
  Stephen: The telepathic psion’s powers share a number 
  of common mechanical themes.
   As a controller, the psion focuses on ranged and area 
  attacks. However, the class also has a few close blast 
  attacks reminiscent of the mind flayer’s mind blast power.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  11
  Level 1 At-Will Disciplines
  Dishearten 
  Psion attack 1
  You insert thoughts of defeat into your foes’ minds, sapping 
  their will to fight.
  Compendium entry
  memory hole 
  Psion attack 1
  You sift through your foe’s mind for the mental representation 
  of yourself within it and brutally rip it out.
  Compendium entry
  mind thrust 
  Psion attack 1
  You unleash a psychic assault on your foe’s mental pathways. 
  You can increase the assault’s intensity to weaken your foe’s 
  defenses.
  Compendium entry
  Level 1 Daily Disciplines
  mental trauma 
  Psion attack 1
  You assault your enemy with a psychic bolt, impairing its abil-
  ity to withstand further assaults on its mind.
  Compendium entry
  ravening thought 
  Psion attack 1
  You craft an insidious idea barbed with contradictions and 
  horrors and project it into the mind of your foe. The thought 
  then tries to invade other foes’ minds.
  Compendium entry
  Level 2 Utility Disciplines
  intellect Fortress 
  Psion utility 2
  A shimmering fortress of mind-generated force springs into 
  being, deflecting certain attacks.
  Compendium entry
  skill empowerment 
  Psion utility 2
  You send currents of energy into your ally’s mind and body, 
  empowering your comrade to achieve exceptional deeds.
  Compendium entry
  Level 3 At-Will Disciplines
  betrayal 
  Psion attack 3
  You weaken your foe’s sense of self and force it to betray a 
  comrade.
  Compendium entry
  id insinuation 
  Psion attack 3
  You send tendrils of thought burrowing into your foes’ minds, 
  compromising their resilience. By increasing the size of the 
  tendrils, you can make your foes more susceptible to harm.
  Compendium entry
  Level 5 Daily Disciplines
  Crisis of identity 
  Psion attack 5
  You pull on the invisible threads of your foe’s self-knowledge, 
  scrambling its mind and confusing its alliances.
  Compendium entry
  hypnotic Pulse 
  Psion attack 5
  You emanate a hypnotic ripple of psychic influence among 
  your foes.
  Compendium entry
  Level 6 Utility Disciplines
  mind shadow 
  Psion utility 6
  Your enemies’ ability to pay attention to you fades. You recede 
  to the edge of their vision as nothing but a blurred shadow.
  Compendium entry
  steadfast stanchion 
  Psion utility 6
  You clamp invisible wedges of force onto space itself, tethering 
  yourself and your allies against forced movement.
  Compendium entry
  Level 7 At-Will Disciplines
  Force grasp 
  Psion attack 7
  You grasp your foe with a hand of shimmering force, slowing 
  it. You can hold the foe in place if you infuse the hand with 
  enough power.
  Compendium entry
  mind break 
  Psion attack 7
  You lance your foe’s mind with mental trauma, which makes 
  it vulnerable to psychic damage. If you choose, you can strip 
  away its psychic resistances.
  Compendium entry
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  12
  Level 9 Daily Disciplines
  mind blast 
  Psion attack 9
  You blast your foes with a torrent of psychic energy, which 
  sends shock waves through the air like heat waves off desert 
  sand.
  Compendium entry
  sensory onslaught 
  Psion attack 9
  You overload your foe’s senses with a blaring, flashing, odorif-
  erous mental onslaught that only it can perceive.
  Compendium entry
  Level 10 Utility Disciplines
  intellect leech 
  Psion utility 10
  You force a short-range telepathic connection on your foe. 
  Every time your enemy’s mind is damaged, you draw invigo-
  rating energy from it.
  Compendium entry
  mind over Flesh 
  Psion utility 10
  You draw on your reservoir of psionic power to bolster yourself 
  against a debilitating effect.
  Compendium entry
  Level 13 At-Will Disciplines
  Dual hallucination 
  Psion attack 13
  You pull disquieting images from your foes’ minds and com-
  bine the images into horrific hallucinations, which you use to 
  disorient those foes.
  Compendium entry
  mind Wipe 
  Psion attack 13
  You fray your foe’s offensive abilities with a psychic lance of 
  disruption.
  Compendium entry
  Level 15 Daily Disciplines
  Dominate 
  Psion attack 15
  A silvery ray of psychic compulsion lances into your foe’s in-
  nermost thoughts, dazing it long enough for you to assume 
  control of its actions.
  Compendium entry
  Psychofeedback 
  Psion attack 15
  You sever one of your foe’s mental pathways, causing searing 
  pain. You can exploit that mental wound whenever the foe 
  harms your friends, renewing your own vitality.
  Compendium entry
  Level 16 Utility Disciplines
  Precognitive step 
  Psion utility 16
  You can see the shades of things to come a heartbeat before 
  they occur, granting you a sliver of time in which to alter 
  events.
  Compendium entry
  Psychic Chirurgery 
  Psion utility 16
  You send a charge of psionic energy into yourself or an ally, 
  delaying an adverse effect.
  Compendium entry
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  13
  Level 17 At-Will Disciplines
  Forced opportunity 
  Psion attack 17
  You jolt your foe’s psyche, disrupting its concentration and 
  allowing an ally to strike the foe during the lapse. By channel-
  ing more psionic energy, you can create an opening for several 
  allies to exploit.
  Compendium entry
  Psychic brand 
  Psion attack 17
  You manifest a glowing symbol over your enemy’s head. The 
  symbol moves with your foe, helping reveal its location. At 
  your choosing, the symbol can intensify your foe’s pain.
  Compendium entry
  Level 19 Daily Disciplines
  Psychic Crush 
  Psion attack 19
  You crush some of your enemies’ mental processes. The en-
  emies’ bodies spasm with the pain that lingers.
  Compendium entry
  Psychic leech 
  Psion attack 19
  You plunge a thread of command into your foe’s mind, forcing 
  the foe to turn on its ally. You draw psionic power from your 
  foe, and you gain vitality if the foe hits its companion.
  Compendium entry
  Level 22 Utility Disciplines
  mind over earth 
  Psion utility 22
  The ground falls away as you effortlessly propel yourself 
  upward.
  Compendium entry
  rejuvenate the mind 
  Psion utility 22
  When you catch your breath, you experience a rush of psionic 
  vigor.
  Compendium entry
  Level 23 At-Will Disciplines
  Daggers of Pain  
  Psion attack 23
  You send shards of psychic aggression ripping through your 
  enemies, scarring their minds. When those foes move, you can 
  intensify the pain.
  Compendium entry
  sudden Control 
  Psion attack 23
  With a thought, you force your foe to attack one of its com-
  panions. With greater concentration, your control becomes 
  absolute.
  Compendium entry
  Level 25 Daily Disciplines
  mind switch 
  Psion attack 25
  You project a fragment of your consciousness into your en-
  emy’s mind, disorienting the enemy and creating a temporary 
  clone of your will within it that you can use to channel your 
  magic.
  Compendium entry
  thrall 
  Psion attack 25
  Psychic energy pierces your foe’s sense of self, distracting the 
  foe so that you can assume control of its actions.
  Compendium entry
  Level 27 At-Will Disciplines
  Concussive Detonation 
  Psion attack 27
  You unleash a blast of force, which tears into your foes, leav-
  ing them off balance. You can focus the blast to knock your 
  enemies senseless.
  Compendium entry
  Psionic Veil 
  Psion attack 27
  You pull a veil over your foes’ senses, hiding yourself and your 
  allies. With a little more power, you can blind your enemies.
  Compendium entry
  Level 29 Daily Disciplines
  microcosm 
  Psion attack 29
  You blast your foe with a cacophony of conflicting images 
  and muscle commands, replacing its perception of reality with 
  sights, sounds, and smells that don’t exist.
  Compendium entry
  soul break 
  Psion attack 29
  You sear your foe with an ebony ray of psychic compulsion, 
  giving it the choice to remain under your domination or pay a 
  terrible price.
  Compendium entry
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  14
  FeATs
  The full text of these feats appears in the D&D Character 
  Builder and the D&D Compendium.
  PArAgon PAThs
  Cerulean Adept
  “The walls of the world are thinner than most suspect. 
  Demons and undead are bad enough, but things far worse 
  seek to break through and feast on reality. I won’t allow it.”
   
  Prerequisite: Psion
  An order of protectors called the Keepers of the 
  Cerulean Sign formed long ago to face the threat of 
  the Far Realm’s collision with reality. The keepers 
  achieved a great victory and fenced out an invading 
  sovereignty of madness behind potent seals. But as 
  often happens, without an imminent threat to face, 
  the protectors slowly faded from history, and their 
  most potent weapons, artifacts known as the Seven 
  Cerulean Seals (also called the Seven Keys), were lost 
  or destroyed.
   
  But the Far Realm remains. Its presence is a 
  barb in reality’s side. Some say psionic power itself 
  is the world’s answer to the Far Realm. Just as a 
  body unconsciously fights off sickness, the universe 
  prepares for some future battle by sowing psionic 
  potential among its denizens.
   
  Your psionic ability alerted you to the grow-
  ing aberrant threat at a young age. Despite being a 
  psionic weapon against aberrant spawn, you sought 
  out even more potent weapons. While in the depths 
  of a psionic trance, you glimpsed the original Ceru-
  lean Seals. There is little hope of recovering them, 
  but you formed an image of them in your mind and 
  created a copy. Like one of the seals, your copy—a 
  Cerulean Sign—consists of a stylized white tree on a 
  sky-blue background. Though imperfect, it is enough 
  to empower you. You have taken up the sign and 
  pledged yourself to the world’s defense.
  Cerulean Adept Path Features
   
  Cerulean Sign Focus (11th level): You gain a +1 
  bonus to Will.
   
  Cerulean action (11th level): When you spend 
  an action point to use an at-will attack power that has 
  a 1-point augmentation, you can use that augmenta-
  tion without spending a power point.
   
  Paragon Power Points (11th level): You gain 2 
  additional power points.
  Psion Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  benefit
  Discipline adept 
  — 
  use each Discipline Focus power twice per encounter
  Dominating mind 
  11th level 
  Dazed, dominated, or stunned foe takes –2 to first save
  exchange Power 
  send thoughts 
  use send thoughts to transfer 1 power point
  Precise mind 
  — 
  hit with augmented power to gain +2 to attack with 
   
   
   
  unaugmented powers
  Psychic Defense 
  11th level 
  hit with unaugmented at-will power to gain +2 to defense
   
   
   
  against melee attacks
  tower of iron Will 
  21st level 
  When you score a psionic critical hit, gain +4 to defenses
  Commentary
  andy: Player’s Handbook 3 includes an array of feats 
  designed for the psion. Some complement a specific 
  build, while others are useful to psions of every flavor. 
  andy: Player’s Handbook 3 presents four paragon paths 
  for the psion, two of which debut here. 
   of course, your paragon-tier psion isn’t limited to only 
  these two path choices; you might also select a racial par-
  agon path (such as those presented in Player’s Handbook 
  2) or use multiclassing to select a path associated with a 
  different class.
  Bruce: When we began concepting psionics as they 
  would appear in Player’s Handbook 3, we wanted the 
  “story” of psionics to be just as compelling as the mechan-
  ics—and in fact, for the two to inform one another. Rather 
  than just saying, “psionics are now part of the world 
  and here are the classes that use it,” we wanted to know 
  why and how the power source came to be. We knew 
  this knowledge would help push the class design in new 
  directions.
   We hit on the idea that psionics appeared as a sort of 
  collective unconscious immune response of the world 
  itself to the gradually worsening impingement of the Far 
  Realm on the natural cosmos. The psionic and/or psychic 
  nature of many of these threats, such as mind flayers 
  and aboleths, drew a similar response in the world—first 
  just here and there, but as time wore on, more and more 
  instances of psionics appeared. It is as if the cosmos itself 
  is preparing soldiers for some future catastrophic war.
   The cerulean adept paragon path speaks directly to that 
  story concept. The story of the Keepers of the Cerulean 
  Sign first appeared in the Lords of Madness sourcebook 
  for 3rd Edition D&D, then migrated into the Forgot-
  ten Realms novel series that begins with Plague of Spells. 
  With these antecedents, the cerulean adept and its many 
  anti-aberration abilities pretty much wrote themselves.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  The Psion
  15
   
  all-Seeing eye (16th level): When you attack 
  with an augmented psionic power, you can score a 
  critical hit on a roll of 19–20. When you attack an 
  aberration with an unaugmented psionic power, you 
  can score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.
  Cerulean Adept Disciplines
  The full text of these powers appears in the D&D Character 
  Builder and the D&D Compendium.
  Cerulean blaze Cerulean adept attack 11
  You brandish the Cerulean Sign, channeling its radiance to 
  shove your foe back so hard that it falls. By channeling a bit 
  more energy, you can affect more enemies.
  Compendium entry
  harden mind 
  Cerulean adept utility 12
  By focusing on what’s real, you shut out the psychic tumult 
  damaging you.
  Compendium entry
  seal the 
  Cerulean adept attack 20 
  threshold
  You emanate a blaze of cerulean fire and shoot it toward your 
  foe, engulfing that enemy in the fire’s fury. The fire continues 
  to burn those tainted by aberration.
  Compendium entry
  Uncarnate
  “This shell of skin, organs, and bones is only a vessel—one I 
  yearn to leave behind to be free of the limitations of matter.”
   
  Prerequisite: Psion
  An uncarnate’s ultimate goal is to become a being 
  of pure mind, unbound by the limits of corporeality. 
  “The flesh is weak, but the mind is strong” is an apho-
   
  Discarnate Form (16th level): When you spend 
  at least 4 power points to augment a psionic power, 
  you become insubstantial until the end of your next 
  turn.
  Uncarnate Disciplines
  The full text of these powers appears in the D&D Character 
  Builder and the D&D Compendium.
  Phantom hook 
  uncarnate attack 11
  You let fly a psychic harpoon, which disrupts both flesh and 
  incorporeal matter with equal reliability.
  Compendium entry
  shed body 
  uncarnate utility 12
  You cast aside your body, briefly becoming a creature of pure 
  thought.
  Compendium entry
  Dissolve the Flesh 
  uncarnate attack 20
  You concentrate on the matter making up your foe. With a 
  psionic strike, you destabilize that matter, and your foe begins 
  to dissolve away.
  Compendium entry
  about the author
  Bruce r. Cordell is an origins award-winning game 
  designer for Wizards of the Coast LLC. His long list of profes-
  sional credits includes the Draconomicon™: Chromatic Dragons 
  supplement, the new Forgotten Realms® Campaign Guide, 
  and several Forgotten Realms novels.
  Commentary
  Bruce: The uncarnate paragon path speaks to the tri-
  umph of mind over body. In a book detailing psionics, 
  this concept cries out to be explored. Different fantasy 
  and science fiction books have touched on this same con-
  cept, such as Julian May’s novel Jack the Bodiless and in at 
  least one episode of Babylon 5.
   To become a creature of pure thought seems to be the 
  goal of many an evolved race; why shouldn’t the same be 
  true for an individually evolved psion who wants to press 
  her mind’s power to the limit?
  rism among many psions, but uncarnates take it as 
  their guiding truth. They seek to become discarnate, 
  to grow into creatures of pure thought held together 
  by psionic will.
   
  Uncarnates don’t seek the paths of undeath that 
  some arcanists choose. Though uncarnates using 
  their abilities are sometimes mistaken for wraithlike 
  spirits, such spirits are bound by the chill chains of 
  undeath, not the self-generated will of psionic might.
   
  You set yourself possibly the greatest psionic chal-
  lenge: to maintain the clarity and power of your mind 
  as you slowly work at forgetting the flesh that sup-
  ports it. In the end, it’s only the mind that matters.
  Uncarnate Path Features
   
  Flicker into nothing (11th level): When you 
  spend an action point to attack with a psionic power, 
  you become insubstantial until the end of your next 
  turn.
   
  misty Step (11th level): Your psionic attacks 
  ignore the insubstantial quality.
   
  Paragon Power Points (11th level): You gain 2 
  additional power points.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  16
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  i
  n an age before mortal reckoning, 
  there was war. A world, long forgotten and 
  held in thrall by illithid overlords, groaned 
  under the mind flayers’ influence. From 
  this realm, the illithid’s slave-warriors sailed 
  the Astral Sea, scouring the infinite plane for new 
  worlds to conquer and new chattel for their mas-
  ters’ unspeakable appetites. For eons, these mortals 
  endured losing generations to endless conquest and 
  endless war.
   
  Yet for all the crushing oppression, these thralls 
  were no meek servants, and time and again, they 
  rose up to fight against those who would control their 
  destiny, and each uprising met devastating defeat. So 
  these people endured, gathering strength, fighting 
  the illithid, yet always feeling their shackles tighten. 
  Their suffering might have continued unabated until 
  the end of days, but a hero rose among them, uniting 
  them and revealing the weakness in their decadent 
  masters. A few joined her at first, but her legend 
  would not be contained and not long after, the slaves 
  on all worlds rose up as one to topple the illithid 
  empire. A mighty achievement to be sure, but what 
  would follow would secure Gith’s place as one of the 
  most dangerous mortals the worlds have ever known.
   
  Tu’narath—also called the one in the Void, the City 
  of Death—has names that echo throughout the planes, 
  carrying with it the message of death and conquest, 
  as well as of merciless warriors bound to a fanati-
  cal leader. Home to the githyanki, it is their greatest 
  and most influential city, dwarfing all of their other 
  settlements in size, wealth, and power. The githyanki 
  by Robert J. Schwalb
  illustrations by Adam Paquette & Brandon Leach, Empty Room Studios, 
  and Michael Komarck ✦ cartography by Robert Lazzaretti
  Tu’narath 
   City of Death
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  17
  are a formidable people in their own right, but their 
  lost leader’s legacy and the mad rule of their eternal 
  Lich-Queen fill them with ruthless ambition, a thirst 
  for conquest and bitter revenge, and a fierce inde-
  pendence that prevented them from surrendering. 
  Tu’narath embodies their unfailing spirit, and as long 
  as it stands, the githyanki cannot fail.
  A hisTory oF wAr
  “Our history is written in the stone beneath our feet, the 
  silver swords in our hands, and the legacy left by our 
  brilliant leader.”
  — Zetch’r’r, Leader of the Shasal Khou
  Tu’narath’s importance to the githyanki cannot be 
  understated: It was the first city founded after their 
  flight from their lost world and has stood as a shin-
  ing beacon ever since—albeit it is a malevolent light 
  at best. Its origins go back to the earliest ages, in the 
  confused and contradictory days before civilization 
  blossomed on the D&D® world. To understand how 
  and why the githyanki found this sinister city, one 
  must look to their very origins.
   
  Generations spent in thrall to the mind flayers 
  left an indelible mark on the people who would one 
  day become the githyanki and githzerai peoples. 
  Exposure to the Far Realm’s corrupting influence 
  combined with budding psionic power sparked by 
  their world’s reaction to the threat from without set in 
  motion the evolutionary catalyst needed to transform 
  these peoples from their humble roots to become the 
  warriors they are today. Their mind flayer masters 
  recognized their potential, and thus they used their 
  slaves as foot soldiers in their conquests to expand 
  their influence across the planes.
  The Eternal Crusade
  Gith’s uprising achieved what had before been 
  impossible. Her cunning leadership and single-
  minded purpose helped her deal the deathblow to 
  the mind flayer masters, giving her people the pre-
  cious gift of freedom.
   
  Even with the success, Gith knew others lan-
  guished in the illithid’s clutches. If her people 
  surrendered their hatred to rebuild their devastated 
  world, the mind flayers might return with even 
  more numbers and with other warriors to fight their 
  battles. Gith had no doubt the mind flayers would 
  exterminate them all. The answer to this lingering 
  threat was to hunt down the illithids and destroy 
  them root and branch.
   
  Gith declared an Eternal Crusade, calling her 
  people to join her in her genocidal mission. The 
  githyanki were warriors, and fighting was all most 
  understood. The people were past being farmers and 
  crafters; they were killing machines. The promise of 
  vengeance gave the githyanki something to do and 
  also gave them a way off their desolate world, which 
  was scorched and ruined by their uprising.
  Zerthimon and the Civil 
  War
  Gith’s people despised the mind flayers, but not all 
  agreed the Eternal Crusade was in their best inter-
  est. The people had just come through a devastating 
  war, their world was destroyed, and few among them 
  had the wherewithal to begin the process of rebuild-
  ing. Furthermore, not all wanted to perpetuate the 
  warrior society that had gained prominence because 
  they saw it as an aberration forced on them by their 
  former masters.
   
  Although not widespread, these misgivings had 
  already taken root among the people, owed in part 
  to Gith’s most outspoken critic: Zerthimon. A phi-
  losopher and warrior who had distinguished himself 
  in the uprising and thus gained a small following 
  of adherents, he taught a different path. He agreed 
  the mind flayers would return, but argued that the 
  same methods used to overcome them would be of 
  little use in stopping another invasion. He taught the 
  best defense was to embrace the new power within 
  and unlock its secrets. only then could the people 
  fight their oppressors. Zerthimon’s position gained 
  adherents as it spread throughout the camps until he 
  amassed a sizeable following—enough to dismantle 
  the Eternal Crusade before it began.
   
  For a time Gith tolerated Zerthimon; she would 
  not see the freedom she had won dashed with a new 
  tyranny, even if tyranny was for her own people’s 
  good. Her followers did not share her patience, how-
  ever, and soon heated arguments erupted into open 
  violence to silence the voice of opposition. Before Gith 
  could react, the sporadic skirmishes exploded into 
  civil war, and once started it appeared that it would 
  find no end until one or both sides were destroyed.
   
  The fighting raged for years, and terrible magic 
  reduced what was already a wounded world into an 
  uninhabitable cinder. With no end to the violence in 
  sight, both sides withdrew. Those who followed Zer-
  thimon, the githzerai, fled to the Elemental Chaos, 
  and those sworn to Gith, withdrew to the Astral Sea. 
  Though the plane divides them, the old hatreds burn 
  still and the people have stood sundered, with little 
  hope of reconciliation for thousands of years.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  18
  The One in the Void
  Adrift in the Astral Sea, the githyanki had their 
  burning hatred and their arms, but no home and 
  few resources. They wouldn’t wander long though 
  before fate, luck, or circumstance put a new home in 
  their path. Githyanki scouts discovered the petrified 
  remains of some dead god, perhaps a casualty from 
  another war, or a god whose people were destroyed. 
  Gith led her people to the floating hulk and there 
  established Tu’narath’s ancestral encampments.
   
  As fortuitous as finding the hulk was, the 
  githyanki who settled in the folds and rocks knew 
  they were much diminished from the war against 
  their kin. In such small numbers, they couldn’t hope 
  to fight the Eternal Crusade, let alone raise new for-
  tresses or even feed themselves. The situation was 
  dire, but there would be a glimmer of hope in the sac-
  rifice of the githyanki’s glorious leader.
  The Pact
  The githyanki struggled to survive. They lacked 
  resources, so they had to scavenge for supplies. They 
  had no means to navigate the Astral Sea, so they had 
  little luck finding the materials they needed. To make 
  matters worse, ancient abominations, those twisted 
  remnants from the war of creation, raided their 
  camps, claiming more and more lives and undoing 
  what little progress the githyanki were making. It was 
  clear they wouldn’t survive without help.
   
  With enemies looming at all sides, the githyanki 
  needed an alliance. Gith sent out representatives to 
  treat with various powers residing in the Astral Sea. 
  They had little luck: The githyanki were too warlike, 
  too evil, and too few for a god or some other agency to 
  step forward to give them aid, but the githyanki did 
  have success in the Nine Hells. Vlaakith, Gith’s most 
  trusted advisor and confidant, had spent weeks nego-
  tiating with Dispater to recruit an infernal legion to 
  shore up the weakened githyanki legions. Dispater’s 
  price, the souls of all githyanki, was far too high for 
  Vlaakith to pay, but the archdevil had other ways 
  to manipulate the exiles. In a show of goodwill, he 
  offered to arrange a meeting between Gith and Tia-
  mat’s red dragon exarch. Tiamat and Asmodeus had 
  been occasional allies, and the Dark Lady lent the 
  Nine Hells her abishai in exchange for information, 
  treasures, and the occasional assistance. Dispater 
  believed the githyanki could negotiate a similar bar-
  gain with the Lady of Avarice and even offered his 
  city to host the negotiations.
   
  Vlaakith carried Dispater’s offer back to Tu’narath 
  and discovered her dubious offer was the best they 
  had achieved, with all other roads leading to dead-
  ends. With little choice, Gith journeyed to the Nine 
  Hells and there met with Ephelomon. Dispater acted 
  as the mediator and observer. Ephelomon offered to 
  send a wing of red dragons to aid the githyanki in 
  exchange for the githyanki’s assistance should Tiamat 
  require it. To cement their pact, Ephelomon would 
  forge a scepter to give Gith dominion over the drag-
  ons. Before they could finalize the terms, Dispater 
  suggested to Ephelomon if he would entrust so many 
  dragons to the githyanki, should he not gain some 
  insurance? Dispater proposed Gith remain with him 
  in the Nine Hells for as long as Tiamat upheld her 
  side of the agreement. If either side breaks the alli-
  ance, Gith and the red dragons on loan would be free.
   
  Ephelomon saw the wisdom in this proposition, 
  and Gith agreed but with a condition. Gith required 
  the githyanki be free to choose their own destinies 
  and never be subservient to the Dark Lady. Finding 
  nothing objectionable in this, the githyanki gained 
  their infamous alliance and Dispater got his soul.
   
  Before Ephelomon left Dis with the scepter, he 
  asked the dragon to deliver her final command. 
  Armed with Gith’s request, the exarch traveled to 
  Tu’narath, leading a flight of dragons to the githyanki 
  city. There, the dragon gave the scepter to Vlaakith, 
  because Gith had named her the successor, and 
  revealed the leader’s last command: Carry on the 
  Eternal Crusade in my name.
   
  The red dragons made the difference and with 
  their help, the githyanki beat back the astral stalk-
  ers and other threats. As well, the dragons could 
  move through the Astral Sea with ease, and so the 
  githyanki could raid other dominions for foodstuffs 
  and supplies and found new outposts. In the follow-
  ing years, Tu’narath evolved from its humble origins 
  into a magnificent city, and so have the githyanki 
  grown in power and influence, becoming one of the 
  most feared peoples in all the Astral Sea and beyond.
  The lich-Queen oF 
  Tu’nArATh
  When Vlaakith came to power after Gith’s imprison-
  ment in the Nine Hells, she started a millennia-long 
  dynasty. Vlaakith was the first of a long procession of 
  Vlaakiths who would rule the city and the githyanki. 
  Some were strong, others weak, but all added to 
  Vlaakith’s legacy until the name transcended the 
  person and became, in effect, a title.
   The last ruler to bear this name is Vlaakith CLVII, 
  and her reign has lasted a thousand years. When she 
  came to power long ago, she was much like her pre-
  decessors: ambitious, cunning, and committed to the 
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  19
  Eternal Crusade, yet there was something different 
  about this Vlaakith. She liked power. She didn’t see 
  herself as holding the throne for Gith, but rather she 
  saw the throne as hers, and she was not about to give 
  it up to a less worthy heir.
   
  Not long into her reign, she performed the Lich 
  Transformation ritual, but her undead state did little 
  to quell her growing paranoia. Vlaakith saw enemies 
  everywhere, even in the faces of her most trusted 
  advisors. To protect herself, as well as to sustain her 
  long life, she began a pogrom to eliminate potential 
  rivals, wresting their souls from their bodies and 
  animating their remains into undead thralls. By the 
  time her practice became known, few were left to 
  challenge her, and the rest have lived with Vlaakith 
  CLVII for their entire lives and see her as more than 
  their queen—and every bit a part of githyanki identity 
  (as is their city).
   
  Vlaakith’s custom made her throne secure, though 
  it had profound consequences on the Eternal Cru-
  sade. Eliminating the best and brightest githyanki 
  has a leveling effect on githyanki society. Although 
  it’s hard to call any githyanki mediocre, few stand-
  outs exist among those who dwell in Tu’narath. The 
  ranking officials are lickspittles and sycophants, and 
  corruption is rampant in the highest levels. Worse, 
  support for the Eternal Crusade wanes. Expeditions 
  still set out from Tu’narath, but fewer and fewer 
  return with new mind flayer skulls.
   
  A shadow hangs over Tu’narath now. Each passing 
  year sees Vlaakith’s madness growing. She has with-
  drawn from public view, spending most of her time 
  in Susurrus, the Palace of Whispers, where, if rumors 
  can be believed, she works dread magic sending 
  tremors to shake the city. In her stead, fanatic mages 
  and inquisitors, calling themselves the Ch’r’ai move 
  through the city, speaking of the Lich-Queen in terms 
  more fitting for a god than an undead tyrant and exe-
  cuting any they suspect of treachery. To make matters 
  worse, dragon-githyanki abominations infest the city 
  and are permitted to go wherever they please because 
  they have the Lich-Queen’s blessing and are thought 
  to be her favored subjects. Unrest and outrage grows, 
  casting a terrible pall on the ancient city.
  Tu’nArATh And The 
  scAles oF wAr
  The Lich-Queen is dead. Emperor Zetch’r’r rules the 
  githyanki in Tiamat’s name. The city is infested with 
  foreigners, and Vlaakith’s heir hides within a rebel 
  faction. Tu’narath groans.
   
  The Scales of War adventure path presents a 
  different city than the one presented here—a com-
  munity ravaged by upheaval, external influence, and 
  the mad designs of a dead monarch. Building on the 
  events described in Chris Perkins’ “The Lich-Queen’s 
  Beloved” presented in Dungeon® Magazine issue 
  #100, the adventure path takes one possible outcome 
  and projects it 25 years into the future.
   
  Having ruled the githyanki for a thousand years, 
  the Lich-Queen was no longer content with the 
  limitations imposed on her by her rotting body. Her 
  longevity would not last forever. Her command over 
  the githyanki was not complete, and enclaves in 
  the Astral Sea’s far-reaches were free from her rule. 
  She wanted more power, more influence, and true 
  immortality. To this end, she would become a god.
   
  Vlaakith long suspected a divine spark lingered 
  in the dead god’s petrified remains, and she believed 
  that if she could tease it out, she could claim it for 
  herself and complete her apotheosis. Her paranoia 
  equaled her ambition and as she sought this ulti-
  mate transformation, her trust in her dread knights 
  and commissars wavered. Using terrible magic, she 
  formed a master race—a perfect fusion of githyanki 
  and dragon to be her loyal children. She used these 
  duthka’gith as her personal retinue and replaced her 
  guards with these wild and unpredictable warriors.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  20
   
  Her seclusion coupled with the gradual spread 
  of what many githyanki saw as abominations sowed 
  the seeds of unrest in the city. Tu’narath had always 
  housed opponents to Vlaakith’s reign and her 
  designs, seeing her power as a mockery of Gith’s 
  ancient intent, but these groups lacked the numbers 
  or resources to oust the Lich-Queen. It seemed to 
  these rebels that if they acted, there would be support 
  for their coup after all.
   
  The strongest and most radical opposition came 
  from the Sha’sal Khou. They hoped to reunite the 
  githzerai and the githyanki into one people and 
  continue the Eternal Crusade as Gith had intended. 
  Zetch’r’r, their leader and decorated knight, shel-
  tered his followers in a Citadel, gathering strength 
  and resources for the time when his followers could 
  strike and then begin his reign as leader over all the 
  gith peoples.
   
  The Ch’r’ai, however, tightened their net, closing 
  in on the rebel faction and if the Sha’sal Khou did not 
  act fast enough, they would fail before they began. 
  Zetch’r’r did the unthinkable: He turned to foreigners 
  for help. Using mortals who had fought the githyanki 
  in the past gave him a way to eliminate the Lich-
  Queen without implicating his organization.
   
  As Zetch’r’r organized the assassination team, 
  Vlaakith worked to complete her divine transforma-
  tion. Terrible rituals sent tremors through the city. 
  Just before she completed her transformation, the 
  adventurers struck, destroying her and thwarting her 
  designs. The resulting quakes nearly destroyed the 
  city, toppling her dread palace and flattening a great 
  many buildings all around. But tremors were nothing 
  compared to the shockwaves resulting from the real-
  ization of Vlaakith’s death.
   
  Ztech’r’r moved to fill the Lich-Queen’s void, but 
  his ideas were too strange for the common githyanki 
  to embrace. Unable to rally the military societies to 
  his claim, he faced a half-dozen rivals, each with con-
  siderable strength. Worse, many suspected his hand 
  in the Lich-Queen’s death, and his treachery further 
  weakened his position.
   
  Zetch’r’r would not be thwarted and could not 
  allow his city to fall or his dreams to die. His war-
  riors were too few and his faction crumbled around 
  him. In desperation, he turned to the githyanki’s 
  oldest ally, Tiamat. By altering the pact’s terms, he 
  hoped to gain the red dragons’ aid and thus claim 
  the city by force.
   
  The Dark Lady coveted the githyanki, always 
  resentful of Dispater’s influence and the poor bar-
  gain her exarch made long ago. So when Zetch’r’r 
  approached her, she welcomed him, but this time 
  she demanded the githyanki oaths of service and the 
  githyanki’s absolute loyalty to her. Knowing the alter-
  natives worse than making such a terrible bargain, 
  Zetch’r’r consented to the new terms and returned to 
  Tu’narath with Tiamat’s armies in tow. Tu’narath fell 
  in a single day and Zetch’r’r named himself emperor.
   
  Zetch’r’r had hoped to outwit the Dark Lady 
  and use her legions to help him restore his people 
  and continue the Eternal Crusade as he had always 
  hoped, but Tiamat had other plans. She cared noth-
  ing for the githyanki’s old grudges and was far more 
  concerned about her plan to destroy her hated rival, 
  Bahamut. To this end, she bent the githyanki, making 
  them her slaves. The emperor realized his miscalcula-
  tion, but is powerless to correct it. If he fights against 
  the Dark Lady, she will take the city by force and 
  worsen the githyanki’s lot. So he holds his throne, 
  hoping to find some way to remove Tiamat’s influ-
  ence before his people are lost.
   
  Zetch’r’r, though, has far larger problems than Tia-
  mat’s influence. The alliance he brokered invalidated 
  the first pact between Gith and Ephelomon and in 
  doing so freed Gith from the Nine Hells. The famed 
  hero’s body had long rotted away, leaving Gith to 
  languish in Dispater’s dungeons as a damned. Rather 
  than letting her soul discorporate in the Shadowfell, 
  Gith instead returned to Tu’narath to take charge of 
  the city.
   
  Gith might have invaded Zetch’r’r’s body or the 
  Commissar’s and saved Tu’narath if it wasn’t for a 
  young woman. A ghustil, who is a member of an 
  uncommon githyanki group that apprehends loose 
  divine energy infusing the Astral Sea and bends it 
  to their will, ensnared Gith’s soul and in doing so 
  invited the powerful entity into her body. Gith anni-
  hilated the young woman’s mind and seized the body 
  for herself. Given her low status, she knew she could 
  not hope to defeat Zetch’r’r without help.
   
  There were factions aplenty for Gith to subvert 
  to her cause. She gathered the remaining members 
  of the ch’r’ai, claiming to be Vlaakith reborn. She 
  then turned to the sha’sal khou, offering to complete 
  The Dark Lady coveted the githyanki, always  
  resentful of Dispater’s influence and the poor bargain  
  her exarch made long ago.
  
  Tu'narath
  Mlar (Artisan)
  District
  G'lathk
  (Farmer)
  District
  Merchant
  District
  Military
  District
  Military
  District
  Military
  District
  Military
  District
  Military
  District
  Military
  District
  Susurrus
  (Palace of Whispers)
  Flying
  Fortress
  Docking
  Towers
  Astral
  Shipyards
  Kran'i'toc
  (Citadel of War)
  K'radystar
  (Citadel of the
  Void's Eye)
  The Will of Gith
  (Commissar's Stronghold)
  Naval Docking
  Towers
  Naval Docking
  Towers
  Red Dragon Caves
  0                 1,300 feet
  =
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  21
  what they began and restore the gith people. Gith as 
  Vlaakith amassed even more followers, drawing to 
  her the disaffected and oppressed warriors who were 
  fed up with Zetch’r’r’s excesses. But even with her 
  swelling forces, Gith knew she needed more help. As 
  Gith’s power grows, Tu’narath faces another uprising, 
  but if Gith succeeds, it could very well be the last they 
  face as the Crusade begins anew.
  geogrAPhy
  From afar, Tu’narath is a drifting mass surrounded 
  by floating bergs and stony motes. As one draws 
  nearer, the rocky hulk’s disturbing shape comes 
  into view, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to 
  a massive corpse, with crowned head, six radiat-
  ing arms, and a torso crumbling away to a spray of 
  floating debris. The city itself covers the whole rocky 
  surface, wrapping around its sides and underneath, 
  from the head down the torso until the ground 
  gives way to the broken tail. Streets wind and twist 
  through packed districts, overcrowded with tall 
  towers, mighty fortresses, and countless edifices to 
  githyanki military might.
   
  Floating fortresses of varying sizes and shapes 
  clutter the area around the husk. Each fortress mir-
  rors the architectural austerity found in the city. 
  Stark towers are fitted with spines and looming walls, 
  which provides an intimidating welcome to be sure.
   
  Around Tu’narath, gravity remains subjective, but 
  when one closes within 200 feet, the mass exerts 
  force causing creatures “fall” to the city. Down in 
  Tu’narath is the ground, so even as one walks around 
  the city to its “underside,” there is no risk of falling. 
  Since the city depends on astral vessels for transport 
  and trade, Tu’narath constructed six arms extending 
  beyond its queer influence to act as 
  docking stations.
   
  Although the hulk seems to drift 
  through the Astral Sea, it is in fact 
  locked in a fixed position, marking the 
  very place where the god was slain. 
  The astral currents swirl around it as 
  does the wreckage making circuits 
  around it. Tu’narath cannot be moved 
  by any means. Nor can it be taken from 
  the Astral Sea.
  The One in the 
  Void
  one can only speculate about the 
  dead being’s identity, but most agree 
  it was a god who passed from memory 
  eons ago. Choosing this site to be the 
  home of the greatest githyanki city in 
  the Astral Sea was a matter of conve-
  nience, because it provided the largest 
  surface for the githyanki refugees and 
  offered an excellent staging ground 
  for new offenses into other worlds. 
  The githyanki didn’t care that their 
  city stood on a dead god because most 
  regard the divine with scorn and 
  derision. The dead god added to the 
  githyanki’s sinister reputation.
   
  Generations spent on the petrified 
  hulk have unveiled few secrets about 
  the deity’s identity. The githyanki 
  refer to their host as the one in the 
  Void. Its long silence and no objec-
  tions to the githyanki presence 
  reinforces their beliefs it is dead. Yet, 
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  22
  not all believe all life has fled the corpse and that 
  some spark remains—some awareness that might stir 
  to wakefulness on some distant day. The occasional 
  quake and the subtle tremors suggest there is a rem-
  nant that can be unearthed.
   
  Planar cosmologists argue about the one in the 
  Void’s true identity. Most agree the god was a casu-
  alty in the ancient war between the primordials 
  and gods. Perhaps it is a fallen divinity destroyed by 
  the elemental host when it rose up to smash down 
  heaven’s gates. Since the husk’s name is lost, and 
  given the long years the githyanki have inhabited it, 
  this theory seems possible.
   
  Some speculate the god is none other than Nerull, 
  lost god of the dead. As legend tells, a mortal woman 
  challenged the wicked god and slew him in battle. 
  Since the Raven Queen’s apotheosis occurred at 
  some indeterminate point in the past, the one in 
  the Void could very well be the lost god of the dead, 
  but it doesn’t explain why the god’s corpse floats in 
  the Astral Sea and not in Pluton, the deity’s former 
  dominion.
   
  Another possibility is that the one in the Void is an 
  exiled god’s physical remnants—a deity whose essence 
  was ripped from its flesh and imprisoned in some far-
  flung location. Sundered in this way, the one in the 
  Void awaits its soul’s restoration to its body. Insane folk 
  and the mysterious Chained God’s adherents aside, 
  this possibility seems far-fetched at best.
   
  It’s also possible that the hulk is in fact a dead and 
  forgotten primordial. The gods slew many primordi-
  als in the War for Creation and the remnants from 
  this ancient war linger still. Whether the hulk is a 
  primordial, an empty shell, or a dead god is still a 
  point debated and one with no clear answer.
  Finding Tu’narath
  The githyanki are raiders and pirates bent on conquest 
  and destruction. They have gained many enemies 
  across the planes, and some are powerful enough to 
  cause trouble. The githyanki do not advertise their 
  city’s location, preferring isolation to interacting with 
  the Astral Sea’s other denizens. The city boasts a few 
  permanent teleportation circles, but the sigil sequences 
  to these portals are guarded secrets.
   
  For all their xenophobia, the githyanki do realize 
  their limitations and understand that for them to 
  survive as a race, they must have contact with other 
  peoples. Tu’narath does permit merchants and visi-
  tors to the city, but with extreme limitations. Those 
  permitted passage into Tu’narath guard the city’s loca-
  tion with all the same enthusiasm as the githyanki 
  because revealing it invites swift retribution from the 
  githyanki and no one wants this attention.
  Githyanki civilization’s nexus, Tu’narath stands as a 
  symbol of their strength and also as a warning to those 
  who would stand against them.
   
  Population: 100,000; githyanki are the dominant 
  people in Tu’narath and are found in all its districts 
  except in the Market District. The commercial center 
  sees travelers from across the planes, each permitted 
  to live and trade in the city by special dispensation 
  from a military commander. Counted among these 
  peoples are devas and tieflings, dragonborn and 
  humans, angels, devils, elemental creatures, immortal 
  creatures and everything between. Red dragons in 
  scores round out the population.
   
  government: Despotic Monarchy. Vlaakith is the 
  last in a long line of tyrants to bear her name. Her reign 
  has lasted a thousand years, and she owes her incred-
  ible longevity to her apotheosis into a lich. Vlaakith 
  does not often interact with her people except when a 
  githyanki grows powerful enough to attract her atten-
  tion, at which point the githyanki is brought before the 
  Lich-Queen and is destroyed.
   
  The city’s governance falls to commissars who 
  command the military societies dominating life in 
  Tu’narath. Each commissar has absolute authority in 
  his or her district and dispenses justice in whatever 
  manner he or she feels appropriate.
   
  Defense: Most githyanki serve in the military with 
  allegiance to a society found in the military districts. 
  Military societies raise armies consisting of warriors, 
  gish, and warlocks. Foremost of these warriors are the 
  githyanki knights who ride dragons into battle. Eight 
  floating fortress are arranged around the city and each 
  has a full company and two to four pact dragons to 
  intercept foreign vessels coming too close to the city.
   
  inns: The Morningstar Inn; Iron House; The Dragon’s 
  Den; others. The Morningstar Inn is the most expensive 
  but most popular establishment in the Market District.
  Taverns: The Winesink; Filthy Dredges; Nectar House; 
  others.
   
  supplies: The Market District is the commercial 
  center in the city and one can find just about anything 
  they could want. Merchants sell from established 
  shops, open-air markets, or from carts along the 
  streets. Businesses cluster together along streets 
  set aside for trade. Kyndl street, for example, offers 
  alchemical supplies, poisons, and ritual ingredients.
   
  temples: There are no temples in Tu’narath.
  Important Structures: Susurrus, the Palace of Whis-
  pers; the Citadel of War; Citadel of the Void’s Eye; 
  Statue of Gith.
  tu’narath
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  23
  Entering the City
  Since they lack reliable transport by the use of tele-
  portation circles, to reach the city, a traveler must 
  learn its coordinates and make the journey. Portals, 
  pools, and curtains in the Astral Sea make crossing 
  the distance easy if a navigator knows where to go. 
  Such travel requires several jumps across the Astral 
  Sea to distant (and dangerous) locations until the city 
  comes into view.
   
  Finding the city is but the first hurdle. one just 
  doesn’t fly up to Tu’narath and start looking around. 
  As a traveler nears the city, astral skiffs and githyanki 
  mounted on pact dragons close to engage the visitor. 
  The githyanki destroy foreigners at a whim and take 
  what they want from the wreckage, so a traveler must 
  act to put these sentinels’ at ease. Those who show 
  proper deference and respect, and who also show 
  they have something to offer, are escorted to a Float-
  ing Fortress where the travelers can negotiate with 
  the garrison commander for a trade exemption grant-
  ing access to the city’s Merchant District.
   
  There is no set price for what a trade exemption 
  costs. Prices range from a modest 2 gold pieces and 
  climb as high as an astral diamond. The cost depends 
  on the commander, the merchant, and the cargo to 
  be delivered to the city. Merchants with goods in high 
  demand can get into Tu’narath for a reasonable fee, 
  while those with useless or impractical materials face 
  such a prohibitive cost that venturing further would 
  prevent any profit at all. on occasion, visitors might 
  receive special permission to enter the city without 
  having to acquire the exemption, but such occasions 
  are rare.
  Exploring the City
  The Merchant District is all that a visitor can expect 
  to see in Tu’narath. Foreigners are never permitted 
  beyond its walls, and to ensure visitors abide by these 
  restrictions, githyanki warriors monitor the district’s 
  gates and patrol its walls. Those caught beyond the 
  Merchant District face execution, torture and execu-
  tion, or thralldom and eventual death.
  The City’s Atmosphere
  Tu’narath was first founded as a stronghold and 
  mustering place for the githyanki raiders. Later 
  it grew into the teeming metropolis it is today. Its 
  military origins are manifest in the city’s architec-
  ture and layout. The buildings are all fortified, with 
  steep walls that bristle with long spikes, and that are 
  fitted with slim, tall windows—perfect for warlocks 
  and archers to harry invaders. Narrow streets wind 
  through the pressing buildings and if the city comes 
  under attack, the githyanki can block off roads, thus 
  sealing off enemy units for the githyanki to sur-
  round and annihilate.
   
  For all its military aspects, Tu’narath has a gothic 
  beauty. Statues stand in the few squares, capturing 
  githyanki heroes mounted on vicious red dragons, 
  past Vlaakiths and other legendary figures. Battle 
  scenes cover walls and buildings, showing githyanki 
  warriors battling githzerai, mind flayers, slaad, and 
  other creatures.
   
  Since there isn’t much space for growth, the 
  githyanki build up. Most buildings have several sto-
  ries all supported by flying buttresses, with graceful 
  bridges connecting the upper levels. The Astral Sea 
  shines with faint light, enough to see by, but in the 
  cramped corridors formed by ominous buildings, the 
  gloom becomes pervasive and is broken by the occa-
  sional lamp or everburning torch.
   
  Tu’narath presents a macabre face, filled with 
  austere and cruel citizens, but the city possesses an 
  impressive, dizzying landscape that is designed to 
  both celebrate and inspire githyanki achievements. 
  To its inhabitants, it symbolizes all the githyanki 
  believe in and hope to achieve, and those dwelling 
  here would gladly lay down their lives in its defense.
  Merchant District
  Shabby and chaotic, decaying buildings rise from a sea of 
  tents and stalls.
  The Merchant District is the most cosmopolitan 
  quarter in the city. Confined by steep walls manned 
  by grim warriors, the district has extinction’s threat 
  casting a pall over it. Even so, commerce thrives here, 
  and it has a peculiar exuberance not found anywhere 
  else in the city. The Merchant District is the one place 
  in the city where nongithyanki are permitted, and 
  as such the githyanki leave it to the merchants and 
  foreigners to live as they wish. one can find repre-
  Statues stand in the few squares, capturing  
  githyanki heroes mounted on vicious red dragons,  
  past Vlaakiths and other legendary figures.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  24
  sentatives from every mortal race, including humans 
  elves, dwarves, and gnomes, clogging the open-air 
  markets. This diverse population is made stranger 
  still by the planar peoples hailing from across the 
  cosmos. Bladelings and maruts hire out as mercenar-
  ies, while angels flit between the towering buildings 
  on errands for their masters on the streets below. 
  Devils run bordellos and pleasure dens, tempting 
  travelers with dubious offerings, while efreeti repre-
  sent sprawling mercantile syndicates rooted in the 
  fabled City of Brass.
   
  Although set aside for commerce, the Merchant 
  District is also a home. Artisans keep permanent resi-
  dences here, while inns and tenement towers provide 
  long-term accommodations for foreigners who would 
  make the city a temporary home. Foreigners are not 
  permitted to own land in Tu’narath and so anyone 
  who would stay here must rent their domiciles from 
  a nilghar (landowner). Few nilghar reside in the 
  Merchant District, and they rely on proxies to handle 
  business dealings, with many skimming tidy profits 
  from their business dealings.
   
  Finally, the Will of Gith houses Vlaakith’s commis-
  sar and his staff. Although Vlaakith rules the city in 
  name, it falls to the commissar to govern in practice. 
  Here one finds all the administrative offices and the 
  Commissar’s personal garrison.
  Queen’s District
  Endless tombs and towering statues surround Susurrus, the 
  Palace of Whispers.
  Crowning the one in the Void is the Queen’s District. 
  This district is a somber and brooding place, differ-
  ent from the crowded streets characterizing every 
  other area in the city. Most available space is given 
  over to the city’s necropolis, where tombs and monu-
  ments form a sprawling maze. Smaller administrative 
  buildings stand amid them, and here the Lich-
  Queens servants barrack and train. Each building is 
  constructed with defense as the foremost concern, 
  sprouting spikes and fitted with narrow windows.
   
  Susurrus, the Palace of Whispers, commands 
  attention from any who would explore this dis-
  trict, for it is a magnificent structure that speaks to 
  Vlaakith’s arrogance and power. Constructed from 
  the dead god’s massive skull, it stands behind Gith’s 
  likeness, standing one-hundred-feet-tall and carved 
  from solid obsidian. The palace itself is an impreg-
  nable fortress, reinforced with obsidian walls and 
  guarded by Vlaakith’s personal retinue. There is but 
  one way into palace and it is through the statue’s legs.
   
  The corridors and chambers form a veritable 
  labyrinth inside Susurrus, and each is decorated with 
  idols, statuary, and other relics from civilizations 
  the githyanki defeated. one can find petrified mind 
  flayers, githzerai skulls, and stranger and darker 
  treasures gifted to the city’s tyrant. A chamber is 
  filled with statues carved for each Vlaakith who has 
  ever ruled Tu’narath, some rooms are formed from 
  illithid flesh, several abattoirs are littered with rotting 
  corpses, plus torture chambers and other such rooms 
  exist. And through it all, one hears endless whispers—
  maddening voices echoing and wailing in the palace’s 
  very walls.
   
  As impressive as Susurrus’s rooms are, the throne 
  room puts it all to shame. It is a gargantuan hall 
  supported by four wide obsidian pillars from which 
  hang the Lich-Queen’s latest victims. A mosaic pat-
  tern covers the floor leading up to the tyrant’s throne, 
  which is positioned between two alcoves filled with 
  treasures. These alcoves act as nests for wingless red 
  dragon guardians. Vlaakith’s throne and the dais on 
  which it stands are made from mind flayer skulls. 
  The seat’s cushions are sewn from purplish leather 
  formed from an elder brain the Lich-Queen slaugh-
  tered in her youth. It is here where the Lich-Queen 
  confers with her subjects and passes judgment on 
  those who have wronged her.
  Glathk District
  A stinking mire of desperation and melancholy rising from 
  stunted fields and steaming holes burrowing into the city’s 
  rocky core.
  on the side opposite the Merchant District stands 
  the Glathk District. Nowhere else in the city does 
  the githyanki’s cruelty shine so brightly. This hell-
  ish place is home to those captives who must toil 
  and endure profound cruelties on behalf of their 
  githyanki captors. The surface is patchwork muddy 
  fields and deep, cavernous tunnels. The fields are 
  used to grow some grains and also to house the 
  slaves and dragon livestock (old, sick, and injured 
  slaves), as well as the farmers unfortunate enough 
  to be born to this lot. Tunnels lead to moist caverns 
  where the glathk grow fungi that forms a staple in 
  githyanki diet.
  Mlar District
  A vibrant community of artists and artisans, the Mlar 
  District serves as the heart of Tu’narath’s industry
  Adjoining the Merchant District and surrounded by 
  the brooding Military Districts to all sides, the Mlar 
  District produces vital goods for Tu’narath. Named for 
  the artisan class, this quarter is an active place, with 
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  25
  rumbling factories belching black plumes into the air, 
  dirty workers trudging through streets beneath stone 
  gargoyles’ watchful eyes where they leer from ornate 
  buildings, and bustling shipyards, where skiffs and 
  carracks stand in varying states of completion. There 
  is beauty here too. The people have a unique aesthetic 
  and cover every surface with some stonework or 
  plaque bearing a motto or extolling labor’s virtues.
  Military Districts
  Severe fortresses, bristling towers, training compounds, and 
  the pride of Gith stand firmly in the Military Districts..
  With its militaristic society, it should come as no 
  surprise that the Military Districts are both the most 
  impressive and the most numerous in Tu’narath. 
  Divided into six separate areas placed to lock down the 
  city should it come under attack, the districts house 
  warrior companies and provide training for trainees.
   
  A district comprises several different military soci-
  eties, and each displays its achievements in statuary 
  and bas-relief carvings adorning their walls. The soci-
  eties are competitive and each tries to outdo the other 
  in their achievements and victories. Although these 
  relations can become heated, they do not break into 
  violence lest they draw the Lich-Queen’s ire.
   
  Each society has a complex hierarchy of war-
  rior companies and their terrths). one can also find 
  knights, gish, warlocks, and other key personnel. A 
  supreme commander leads the society. Since negotia-
  tions with other supreme commanders and strategic 
  planning occupy their time, supreme commanders 
  depend on captains to handle the companies under 
  their command.
   
  In addition to the military compounds, the mili-
  tary districts also contain key citadels for the city’s 
  elite. Kranitoc, the Citadel of War, trains the gish. 
  Githyanki who display a talent with magic are sent 
  to this foreboding structure to weave their arcane 
  talents with martial training to make them invaluable 
  additions to a company. The Citadel of the Void’s Eye 
  performs in the same capacity but for those githyanki 
  who possess psionic abilities.
  Other Areas
  The aforementioned districts make up Tu’narath, but 
  other key areas are here as well. Though none are as 
  populated or large enough to qualify as a district, they 
  offer a critical service to the city’s survival.
   
  astral Shipyards: The githyanki owe much of 
  their success in exploring the Astral Sea to their 
  innovations in ship design. The astral shipyards are 
  where artisans, laborers, and mages construct these 
  vessels, and one can find astral skiffs, astral carracks, 
  warships, spelljammers, and other vehicles moored to 
  piers. Githwarriors watch over this work from guard 
  towers, and nearby floating fortresses can dispatch 
  pact dragons and riders to intercept any attacks on 
  this key area.
   
  Docking towers: opposite the Astral Shipyards 
  and across the city are the docking towers. This 
  area is the primary artery into the city, and visitors 
  must pass through this area before progressing to 
  the Merchant District beyond. Visitors must endure 
  intense screening at various checkpoints and it’s not 
  uncommon for people to disappear—snatched by the 
  githyanki secret police.
   
  naval Docking towers: Radiating out from 
  the Queen’s District are the Naval Docking Towers, 
  where Tu’narath’s warships dock. Soldiers must pass 
  beneath the shadow cast by Susurrus to reach their 
  ships, reinforcing the ideals and beliefs that have long 
  giThyAnKi shiPs
  The githyanki boast an impressive fleet of astral 
  warships. The nimble astral skiff (Manual of 
  the Planes page 159) is the smallest and most 
  numerous. Other vessels are far larger, transport-
  ing entire companies into battle. The workhorse 
  transport is the astral carrack.
  Astral Carrack 
  Gargantuan vehicle
  HP 400 Space 8 squares by 20 squares Cost 225,000 gp
  AC 4; Fortitude 20, Reflex 2
  Speed fly 6 (hover), overland flight 10
  Pilot
   
  The pilot must stand at the ship’s wheel, typically at 
  the rear of the topmost deck.
  Crew
   
  In addition to the pilot, an astral carrack requires a 
  crew of twenty, all of whom use a standard action 
  each round to help control the vehicle. Reduce the 
  ship’s speed by 2 for every 5 missing crew members. 
  At fly speed 0, the astral carrack sails out of control.
  load
   
  Two hundred Medium creatures; five hundred tons of 
  cargo.
  out of Control
   
  An out-of-control astral carrack moves forward at half 
  speed (not including any modifiers for its astral sails).
  astral attunement
   
  The astral carrack functions only in the Astral Sea.
  ram
   
  The astral carrack is equipped with a heavy ram. The 
  astral carrack deals 3d6 damage per square it moved 
  in its previous turn (Adventurer’s Vault page 16), and 
  the astral carrack and its crew take only one-quarter 
  this damage.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  26
  shaped githyanki society. only military personnel are 
  permitted here and trespassers face intense question-
  ing before suffering an excruciating death.
   
  Flying Fortresses: Surrounding the city are sev-
  eral chunks of astral debris atop which the githyanki 
  build small, fortified citadels. A flying fortress is 
  actually one central structure surrounded by smaller 
  chunks anchored to the largest piece by chains forged 
  from astral driftmetal. The debris comes from across 
  the Astral Sea and other worlds, with some being 
  rugged stone and others being massive statue heads, 
  limbs, smaller petrified creatures, and stranger stuff 
  as well.
   
  The flying fortresses protect the city and act as a 
  net to catch any undesirables before they draw too 
  close. Each fortress has a standing garrison. The for-
  tresses also have two or more pact dragons and riders 
  to engage vessels or travelers coming too close to the 
  city. Most also have one or more astral skiffs and can 
  scramble them should the city come under attack.
   
  A typical fortress boasts a full companyfour 
  combat squads and one support squad. A terrth heads 
  up each squad and reports to the kithrak (captain). 
  In battle, two companies load up into astral skiffs to 
  support the kithrak, who rides a pact dragon. The 
  remaining githyanki provide support from the for-
  tress by using heavy ballistae mounted on the walls.
   
  red Dragon Caves: Half the husk houses red 
  dragons. Claiming the crumbling expanse serving 
  as the dead god’s torso and lower extremities, end-
  less tunnels and caverns provide lairs and hatcheries 
  for the population. Most dragons found here are 
  the lesser pact dragons claiming descent from those 
  first reds who answered Ephelomon’s call. Lesser 
  beasts, inbreeding left them much reduced from 
  their unbound counterparts. Although outnumbered 
  by their diminished kin, many red dragons lair 
  here as well and might lend their services to mighty 
  githyanki knights or can be depended on to protect 
  Vlaakith as per the ancient pact.
  A miliTAnT PeoPle
  Spending any time in Tu’narath puts a visitor in 
  contact with githyanki culture. They share much in 
  common with other advanced civilizations, but the 
  githyanki have customs and beliefs to set them apart.
  Society
  Githyanki society might be evil, but it is ordered evil. 
  Castes define life in Tu’narath, with the upper ech-
  elons occupied by the city’s warriors and lower levels 
  given over to skilled and unskilled laborers. The 
  castes are porous, allowing githyanki to move from 
  one caste to another based on personal achievements 
  and training. It might be rare for a githyanki to rise 
  or fall to another caste, but birth in no way prevents 
  a child from doing so. Even the lowliest glathk might 
  produce a warrior.
   
  The caste system is as old as the githyanki them-
  selves, and it was first established during their 
  captivity. Since the githyanki warriors were accorded 
  the greatest freedoms under the mind flayer oppres-
  sors, and since they fomented the uprising buying 
  their freedom, the warriors occupy the highest caste. 
  Adherence to this system ensures githyanki knows 
  their place. Membership in a caste doesn’t prevent 
  mingling with others, but since the higher castes 
  expect and receive obedience from lesser githyanki, 
  few congregate with others outside their social group.
  Military Caste
  The military caste stands above all others, and the 
  lowliest trainee stands higher than does the greatest 
  artisan in the city. All defer to the military because 
  in them lies githyanki’s strength and their continued 
  commitment to the Eternal Crusade. As one might 
  expect, the military caste uses a complex ranking 
  system. At the bottom are the trainees, those warriors 
  still mastering the fighting arts. Those who survive 
  training become warriors, who are further divided 
  between blooded and unblooded warriors, a distinc-
  tion made in whether or not a githyanki has seen 
  combat.
  silver swords
  Many githyanki warriors wield silver swords 
  in battle, but these weapons are nothing more 
  than silvered weapons used to emulate those 
  mighty weapons gifted to the githyanki knights. 
  True githyanki silver swords are rare and are 
  entrusted to the best warriors because they 
  are hand-crafted by Vlaakith herself. Most are 
  greatswords, but there are longsword and full-
  blade varieties. Finding such a weapon fall into 
  nongithyanki hands is a grave offense, and the 
  githyanki stop at nothing to recover the blade. 
  For details on these weapons, see githyanki 
  silver weapon in the Manual of the Planes (page 
  153).
  Githyanki society might be 
  evil, but it is ordered evil.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  27
   
  The githwarriors are organized into eight-member 
  squads led by a terrth (a sergeant), who oversees 
  continued training and leads them in battle. Five 
  squads and their terrths form into companies led by 
  a kithrak (a captain). Kithrak is the highest rank an 
  ordinary githyanki can attain.
   
  Above the kithraks are the supreme commanders. 
  They gain their positions through their achievements 
  and receive their commissions from the Commissar.
   
  Gish and warlocks have greater standing thanks 
  to fighting techniques learned at the Citadel of War 
  or the Citadel of the Void’s Eye. Gish and warlocks 
  can serve alongside warriors in squads and can attain 
  ranks the equal to terrths and kithraks. Although 
  equal to their warrior counterparts, gish and war-
  locks have greater authority thanks to their advanced 
  training.
   
  Above all the rest in the military caste, on par with 
  the supreme commanders, are the githyanki knights. 
  The very best githwarriors are chosen to become 
  knights, and those who accept must cede their souls 
  to the Lich-Queen in exchange for greater power. 
  Githyanki knights are the elite warriors, and they 
  embody excellence in arms and unswerving loyalty 
  to their queen. Githyanki knights wear the distinctive 
  baroque armor for which the githyanki are famous, 
  wield potent silver swords, and ride powerful red 
  dragons or nightmares into battle.
  Mlar Caste
  Beneath the military caste are the mlar. This tier 
  includes just about everyone not involved in military 
  matters, and so one finds landowners, crafters, mages, 
  seers, healers, and, of course, the artisans. Within 
  this level, rank blurs depending on the individual’s 
  fortunes and circumstances. What unites them all is 
  they have some talent at magic.
   
  Counted among the mlar are the hracknir, a 
  special and much-maligned breed who specialize in 
  harnessing the divine energy permeating the Astral 
  Sea and bending it toward positive uses such as heal-
  ing, treating diseases, and other uses. The scorn they 
  receives stems from the general derision githyanki 
  have for the gods, and the power the hracknir wield is 
  filthy in githyanki eyes.
  Glathk Caste
  Tu’narath’s least citizens are the farmers and labor-
  ers, called the glathk. Lacking any magical or psionic 
  talent and unsuited for military life, these githyanki 
  are a lowly people, enduring wretched and unpleas-
  ant lives feeding the city and raising its structures. 
  Still, the glathk stand higher than the thralls they 
  oversee and for that at least they can be thankful.
  Thralls
  Although the githyanki would rather die than 
  become slaves, they take thralls to use as labor, sport, 
  or as food for themselves and the dragons who also 
  dwell in Tu’narath. Life as a slave is a series of hor-
  rors concluding with a sudden, horrible end. The 
  githyanki pay no attention to racial distinctions: 
  Nongithyanki are the same and there’s no difference 
  between an eladrin and a goblin aside from the labor 
  they can perform and the food they might supply.
   
  Slavery never extends beyond one generation. A 
  slave’s child is free and can leave at anytime. Slaves 
  are permitted to raise their children, but during these 
  years, offspring are expected to work. When the 
  child comes of age, he or she can stay and become a 
  thrall, leave for the Market District, or find some way 
  off Tu’narath. Beyond the city, though, they are fair 
  game. Few escape capture and are killed or enslaved 
  with Tu’narath still in sight.
  Law and Order
  There can be no question about morality in Tu’narath; 
  it is a city occupied by evil individuals under the 
  rule of a profoundly evil regime. Githyanki are cruel 
  and malicious, but each understands the limits 
  imposed by their station and status within the larger 
  community. Society and law are indistinguishable, 
  and violating a social expectation is tantamount to 
  murder in a more reasoned and just community. 
  Where social boundaries keep most githyanki in line, 
  fear contains the rest: Punishments are too horrific 
  and lingering to contemplate. Tu’narath has little 
  crime as a consequence. Where disputes arise, a com-
  missar or his representatives can settle them.
   
  Nongithyanki have no rights and no recourse for 
  assault, murder, or theft. Foreigners learn to treat the 
  githyanki with respect and deference. Foreigners who 
  commit infractions against the githyanki find even 
  less justice, because the city responds with crushing, 
  brutal force whenever a citizen, even a lowly one, 
  suffers at a foreigner’s hand. The laws for these perpe-
  Nongithyanki have no rights and no recourse for  
  assault, murder, or theft.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Tu’narath, City of Death
  28
  trators are little more than a staggering list of terrible 
  punishments for a long list of crimes ranging from 
  meeting a githyanki’s gaze to murder to “behavior 
  unbefitting a guest,” the catch-all crime for removing 
  undesirables. Military commanders dispense justice, 
  but the worst criminals are brought before the Com-
  missar to face whatever disturbing and excruciating 
  end the city’s commanding officer can devise.
   
  Disputes between nongithyanki enjoy the clos-
  est the city has to an actual justice system. When a 
  crime is reported, both the accuser and the accused 
  are brought before a district official, or, for the most 
  egregious crimes, the Commissar. Both parties get 
  a moment to state their case and the officer passes 
  judgment. Usually, the accused meets a bloody end, 
  but the officer mmightay order both’s execution, 
  such as when thorny disputes prove too difficult to 
  untangle or when the judge would remind foreigners 
  to keep their problems to themselves.
   
  one rule stands above all: Githzerai and mind 
  flayers are to be killed on sight. If any dare enters the 
  city, Tu’narath rises up in response and crashes down 
  on the unwelcome foes with tremendous force. There 
  is no mercy: There is only vengeance.
  Religion
  The gods are not welcome in Tu’narath. Vlaakith 
  CLVII stamps out any fledgling religions, executing 
  any who would bend a knee to anyone other than 
  herself. Even without Vlaakith, the githyanki have 
  proved to have little interest in the gods. Thus, reli-
  gion is unlikely to ever gain a foothold in the city.
   
  Religious disinterest stems from many reasons, but 
  two stand at the forefront. First, the githyanki live in 
  the Astral Sea and so come into contact with divine 
  beings and their agents. Proximity to these powers 
  makes manifest the gods’ imperfections and thus, to 
  the disciplined and militant githyanki, makes them 
  undesirable objects of veneration.
   
  Second, subservience to the gods could be charac-
  terized as slavery. The gods demand honor without 
  earning it; what have they done for the githyanki? The 
  gods also demand service and obedience, tyranny’s 
  hallmarks. The gods are powerful, but such power is 
  not enough to compel service.
   
  Even though atheism is ingrained within the 
  githyanki people, from time to time, a few do turn to 
  the gods as a route to power or in the hopes of succor 
  from cruel treatment from their kin. The gods served 
  are almost all evil gods, with Tiamat, Bane, and 
  Vecna being the most common. If these githyanki are 
  discovered, they must forfeit their lives, so many flee 
  to practice their faith without interference.
   
  Githyanki fill the religious void with a peculiar 
  veneration for their heroes. Vlaakith CLVII expects 
  near worship from her subjects, and she might 
  demand more if her plans succeed. Aside from the 
  Lich-Queen, all githyanki hold Gith as the greatest 
  warrior to have ever lived. Although they do not raise 
  temples or hold services for their lost leader, they 
  believe Gith will one day return and lead them to the 
  ultimate conquest, forging an empire to span worlds 
  and let the githyanki become the true masters of all 
  things. Thus they wait, looking ahead to that uncer-
  tain time when their hero shall return. Little do they 
  realize the time foretold is at hand.  D
  About the Author
  robert J. Schwalb is a freelance game designer with over 
  one hundred design and development credits to his name. 
  His most recent works include the Player’s Handbook 2, P2 
  Demon Queen’s Enclave, Manual of the Planes, Martial Power, 
  Draconomicon I: Chromatic Dragons, the Forgotten Realms 
  Player’s Guide, and numerous articles in Dragon and Dun-
  geon magazines. Robert lives in Tennessee with his wife 
  Stacee and his crack kill-team of ninja cats.
   
  Robert would also thank Charles Stross for coming up 
  with the githyanki in the first place and Chris Perkins and 
  James Wyatt for making the githyanki kick all kinds of ass.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  29
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  Familiars 
  Artifice
  by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
  Illustrations by Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon, and 
  Empty Room Studios artist Peter Lazarski
  Heart-of-Beasts turned his head as the telepathic warning 
  shouted. There, from the shadows—an arrow coming 
  straight at him. The artificer brought his three fingers 
  together in a clutching motion, and a silver hammer sprang 
  to make an instant adjustment. A temporary flange spun 
  the projectile out of its deadly path.
   
  Anger was the prescribed emotional response, 
  the warforged remembered. He clashed his jaw in a 
  threatening fashion, and his eyes gleamed more brightly 
  as he summoned a swarm of clockroaches to deal with the 
  ambushers.
  In Eberron, as elsewhere, arcane practitioners 
  sometimes bind spirits to physical forms to serve as 
  assistants, guardians, or simple companions. The 
  circumstances of that world allow familiars to take 
  shapes not found in other lands. In addition, artificers 
  (particularly those of House Cannith) extend their 
  expertise to craft and enhance familiars in ways 
  unknown to other sorts of arcanists.
   
  Some of the more bizarre forms of familiar are 
  associated with particular organizations, or are so dis-
  turbing to common folk that those in their company 
  are regarded with suspicion or outright hostility. It’s 
  one thing to have an owl on your shoulder or even a 
  dog-shaped construct at your heel; openly carrying a 
  by
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Familiars by Artifice
  30
  horror of Xoriat or an icon of the Blood of Vol is not 
  likely to win the hearts and minds of those you meet.
   
  Familiars were introduced in Arcane Power. This 
  article expands the selection of familiars, including 
  many that are well suited to artificers, as well as some 
  that work well with arcane leaders. It also debuts the 
  familiar bloodsmith paragon path, as well as new 
  magic items for use with familiars.
  Crafted Familiars
  Not every artificer is a tinker, but even those who lean 
  toward battlesmithing often add personal touches to 
  their familiars that mark them as unique to artificers. 
  When you bind a spirit to a familiar’s body, it takes on 
  distinct characteristics. Many artificer familiars are 
  homunculi of one sort or another. Warforged artifi-
  cers might even duplicate parts of their own bodies to 
  serve as familiars, such as disembodied hands (“Get 
  Familiar,” Dragon® #375) or warforged faceplates 
  (see below), or they might fasten animated objects to 
  themselves when the familiars are in passive mode.
   
  When you choose a familiar for your artificer 
  character, take a moment to think about how it looks 
  in addition to assigning it a quirk or a personality. 
  Here are a few ideas; feel free to choose one, or let it 
  serve as inspiration for a personal touch of your own.
   
  A beast is a typical familiar that is crafted to your 
  specifications when you bind the spirit to it. An 
  object, such as a lantern or a skull, is a spirit bound 
  to an item, or it’s an ordinary familiar that takes the 
  shape of an object. A homunculus is a Tiny construct, 
  often humanoid-shaped. An abstract familiar is a 
  piece of its master’s will, such as a chaos shard or a 
  lingering nightmare.
  eberron-sPeciFic 
  FAmiliArs ouTside 
  eberron
  Although they originated in the Eberron® campaign 
  setting, artificers can exist in any D&D® campaign. 
  Many of the animated objects, mechanical creatures, 
  and infused items presented here work just fine in 
  any setting. Some, though, have specific Eberron 
  associations and need some adjustment for use in a 
  game not set in that world.
  Shardbound Familiars
  Dragonshards are inextricably bound up with the 
  world of Eberron, but the concept of infusing a famil-
  iar with the power of a magical substance or crystal 
  can work in any game. 
   
  one possibility is to bind a small quantity of fan-
  tastic terrain to a familiar. You can reproduce the 
  effect of the Shardbound Familiar (Eberron) feat 
  by infusing your familiar with a bit of phase mist 
  (Dungeon Master’s Guide® 2, page 61). Energy crystals 
  (Manual of the Planes™, page 22) can simulate the 
  effect of a Siberys shard or Khyber shard.
   
  Alternatively, you can replace the appropriate 
  dragonshard with a gem or precious stone that you 
  link to the desired plane. A diamond or sapphire, 
  for example, could be connected to the Astral Sea; 
  an opal with the Elemental Chaos; and amethyst or 
  topaz to the world.
  Dragonmark Reflection
  It’s easy to replace a dragonmark with a magical 
  tattoo. The strongheart tattoo (Adventurer’s Vault™ 2, 
  FAmiliAr QuirKs
  abstract
  •	 Swirling	cloud	that	sometimes	echoes	its	
  master’s face
  •	 A	glow	or	aura	surrounds	its	master	while	in	
  passive mode
  beast
  •	 Resembles	an	ordinary	example	of	its	kind,	
  but its eyes glow with mysterious arcane light
  •	 Has	an	identifying	item	worked	into	its	body,	
  such as a skullcap or harness
  homunculus
  •	 Built	of	scraps	from	the	workshop
  •	 Looks	disturbingly	like	its	master
  object
  •	 Has	facelike	markings	on	one	surface
  •	 Hums,	pulses,	or	clanks	while	active
  PArAgon And ePic 
  FAmiliArs
  Some familiars can be gained only at 11th level 
  and higher, or at 21st level and higher. you can 
  replace your current familiar with a new one 
  when you reach a new level. Basically, treat 
  this as though you were retraining the Arcane 
  Familiar feat.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Familiars by Artifice
  31
  page 86) is a good choice to stand in for a Mark of 
  Making, or you can devise tattoos with powers similar 
  to dragonmarks.
  Eberron Creatures
  Familiars derived from natives of Eberron can read-
  ily be replaced by similar creatures found in your 
  campaign world. A bantam fastieth could instead 
  be another quick Tiny reptile, such as a needlefang 
  drake (Monster Manual®, page 90). A minor foul-
  spawn need not be connected to Xoriat but can be a 
  Tiny version of another foulspawn from the Monster 
  Manual, or any sort of weird aberrant creature. The 
  lingering nightmare, instead of the residue of a quori 
  possession, might be the echo of a night hag’s dream 
  haunting.
   
  Warforged can exist in any setting, so familiars 
  based on their components are not limited to Eber-
  ron. In a world without warforged, animated pieces of 
  armor could work just as well.
  Eberron Organizations
  A few of these familiars refer to organizations unique 
  to the world of Eberron, such as the Blood of Vol and 
  the Silver Flame. However, nothing in their abilities 
  requires that campaign setting to use. A crawling clot 
  could be representative of a different necromantic 
  organization, and a silver lamp could just as easily 
  represent Pelor or Amaunator as the Silver Flame.
   
  The Magebred Familiar feat requires member-
  ship in House Vadalis or the Mark of Handling as a 
  prerequisite. In a non-Eberron campaign, you might 
  replace these with Mounted Combat or member-
  ship in an organization that is similarly dedicated to 
  enhancing natural beasts.
  new FAmiliArs
  Each familiar description includes the benefits that 
  familiar provides.
   
  Constant Benefits: A familiar provides you with 
  these benefits as long as it has at least 1 hit point, 
  regardless of its current state.
   
  active Benefits: When your familiar is in active 
  mode, in addition to taking the actions available to it 
  in that mode, it provides its active benefits.
  Heroic Tier Familiars
  Bantam Fastieth 
  Familiar
  A bipedal lizard with powerful running legs, this creature is a smaller 
  cousin of the Talenta mount.
  speed 8
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Athletics checks to jump.
   
  you can make a running jump after moving only 1 square.
  active benefits
   
  Fastieth activity: When you use a move action for any 
  reason, you can move the bantam fastieth its speed.
   
  running Companion: When you start your turn adjacent 
  to your familiar, you gain a +2 bonus to speed until the end 
  of your turn.
  
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  Familiars by Artifice
  32
  Bloodthorn Vine Barb 
  Familiar
  Inhabitants of Xen’drik sometimes transform the island’s deadly 
  vegetation into companions.
  speed 5 (forest walk)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Heal checks.
   
  you gain forest walk (you ignore difficult terrain if it’s the 
  result of trees, underbrush, plants, or natural growth).
  active benefits
   
  bloodthorn Drain: Once per encounter as a free action, 
  when you deal damage to an enemy adjacent to your 
  bloodthorn vine barb, you gain 3 temporary hit points.
   
  Level 11: 6 temporary hit points.
   
  Level 21: 9 temporary hit points.
  Clockwork Scorpion 
  Familiar
  With a metallic clattering, this construct scuttles along beside you, 
  stinger raised to inject its stored venom.
  senses tremorsense 5
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls to grab an enemy.
   
  The clockwork scorpion contains a small reservoir that 
  can store 1 dose of a poison or alchemical oil that you can 
  apply to a weapon. you can refill it during a rest.
  active benefits
   
  scorpion’s injection: Once per encounter, when you or an 
  ally hits an enemy adjacent to the clockwork scorpion with 
  a weapon attack, that attack benefits from the effect of 
  the stored substance, which is consumed.
  Dragonmark Reflection 
  Familiar
  This tattoolike familiar is in the image of its master’s Mark of 
  Making, and it overlays the Mark of Making while passive.
  speed 2, fly 5 (hover)
  Constant benefits
   
  you can perform the Arcane Mark ritual as a standard 
  action for no cost, and other creation rituals require half 
  the normal time for you.
   
  you can create alchemical items one level higher than your 
  level.
  active benefits
   
  infuse mark: When you use healing infusion on an ally 
  adjacent to your dragonmark reflection, that ally regains 2 
  additional hit points (if you are using curative admixture) or 
  gains 4 additional temporary hit points when the ally ends 
  the AC bonus (if you are using resistive formula).
   
  Level 11: 3 additional hit points or 6 additional temporary 
  hit points.
   
  Level 21: 4 additional hit points or 8 additional temporary 
  hit points.
  Floating Weapon 
  Familiar
  An animate weapon hovers nearby to threaten your foes.
  speed 0, fly 6 (hover)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Bluff and Intimidate checks.
  active benefits
   
  Defensive stance: The floating weapon has a +2 bonus to 
  all defenses.
   
  offensive Partner: When you hit an enemy adjacent to 
  the floating weapon with a weapon attack, you can shift 1 
  square.
  Gadfly 
  Familiar
  This wee buzzing creation alerts your guardian to an incoming 
  threat.
  speed fly 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Perception checks.
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to skill checks for warding rituals.
  active benefits
   
  gadfly’s bite: Any summoned ally adjacent to the gadfly 
  gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls on opportunity attacks.
  Magpie 
  Familiar
  Natural thieves, these glossy black-and-white birds are the preferred 
  companions of larcenous arcanists.
  speed 2, fly 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Perception and Thievery checks.
  active benefits
   
  thieving magpie: A magpie can make Thievery checks to 
  pick pockets or use sleight of hand. It gains a +2 bonus to 
  such checks.
  Marmoset 
  Familiar
  Some artificers seek these clever creatures from Xen’drik forests for 
  their nimbleness and manual dexterity.
  speed 6, climb 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks.
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to skill checks for exploration rituals.
  active benefits
   
  monkey business: A marmoset can make Thievery checks 
  to open locks or disable traps, gaining a +2 bonus to 
  such checks. It can manipulate thieves’ tools to gain an 
  additional +2 bonus to such checks.
  Octopus 
  Familiar
  A master of camouflage that can squeeze into tiny spaces, an octopus 
  is an ideal spy and assistant, especially to reavers of the Lhazaar 
  Principalities.
  speed 2, swim 6 (aquatic)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Stealth checks.
   
  you can go 6 minutes before you must make Endurance 
  checks to hold your breath, and you gain a +5 bonus to 
  such checks.
  active benefits
   
  octopus’s Flexibility: An octopus can squeeze through gaps 
  as small as half an inch wide.
   
  aquatic: While underwater, an octopus has a +5 bonus to 
  Stealth checks.
  
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  Familiars by Artifice
  33
  Saddle Squire 
  Familiar
  This tiny construct assistant resembles a jockey and carries a replica 
  saddle on its back.
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Nature checks.
   
  While you are mounted, your mount gains a +1 bonus to its 
  speed.
  active benefits
   
  saddle assistance: As a minor action, you can mount or 
  dismount a friendly mount adjacent to the saddle squire.
  Soarwood Wings 
  Familiar
  This animated set of wings clings to your back like a newly emerged 
  butterfly.
  speed 2, fly 6 (hover)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Athletics checks to jump.
   
  you gain a +1 bonus to your fly speed, when you have one.
  active benefits
   
  soarwood lift: Once per encounter as a move action, 
  your soarwood wings fly an adjacent ally (or you, if you are 
  adjacent) up to 6 squares, then lower the creature gently 
  to the ground.
  Summoner Homunculus 
  Familiar
  This entity is a collection of sprockets and wire that can spur on 
  summoned creatures.
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Endurance checks.
   
  you can perform the Unseen Servant ritual as a standard 
  action for no cost, when you have no extant unseen 
  servants. you do not need to master the ritual to use this 
  benefit.
  active benefits
   
  infuse summoned: Any creature you have summoned 
  gains a +1 bonus to all defenses and to attack rolls while 
  adjacent to the summoner homunculus.
  Tome Caddy 
  Familiar
  The bent form of this tiny construct assistant supports a lectern.
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Arcana and Dungeoneering checks.
   
  you can wield a tome in place of another kind of arcane 
  implement you can use.
  active benefits
   
  book bearer: you can wield a tome as an implement 
  without occupying either of your hands.
   
  Summons Focus: Any creature you have summoned gains a 
  +2 bonus to damage rolls while adjacent to the tome caddy.
   
  Level 11: +3 bonus.
   
  Level 21: +4 bonus.
  Warforged Faceplate 
  Familiar
  This tiny construct resembles the armored face of a warforged, and it 
  clings to you with multiple jointed appendages.
  speed 4
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against ongoing 
  damage.
  active benefits
   
  Warforged Watchfulness: While you are asleep, a 
  warforged faceplate remains aware of its surroundings, 
  allowing you to notice approaching enemies and other 
  events as though you were awake.
  Paragon Tier Familiars
  Ambush Vine Shoot 
  Familiar
  Inhabitants of the Xen’drik jungles bond with this climbing plant to 
  exploit that environment’s hazards.
  senses tremorsense 5
  speed 6, burrow 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Athletics checks.
   
  When you climb or swim, add 1 to the distance you move 
  on a successful Athletics check.
  active benefits
   
  Vine’s Clasp: Enemies take a –2 penalty to saving throws 
  to end the immobilized or restrained conditions while 
  adjacent to the ambush vine shoot.
  Crawling Clot 
  Familiar
  Favored by the Blood of Vol, this strange companion is crafted from 
  blood collected during the cult’s sacraments.
  speed 4, climb 4 (spider climb)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Heal checks.
   
  you gain resist 5 necrotic. If you already have resist 
  necrotic, increase it by 2. your resist necrotic increases by 
  2 while you are bloodied.
  active benefits
   
  Clotting Factor: Once per day, if your crawling clot is 
  adjacent to you or an ally when that character takes 
  damage, you can allow your crawling clot to be destroyed 
  so that character can spend a healing surge.
  Dimensional Pet 
  Familiar
  You imbue a homunculus with an elemental spirit that grants a bit 
  of control over the space around you.
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you can read and speak Primordial.
   
  When you teleport, add 1 to the distance you teleport.
  active benefits
   
  Dimensional lock: Once per encounter as an immediate 
  interrupt, you can negate an attempt to teleport made by 
  a creature adjacent to the dimensional pet. That creature 
  cannot teleport again until the start of its next turn.
  
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  Familiars by Artifice
  34
  Living Infusion 
  Familiar
  The bulging body of this strange homunculus resembles a flask.
  speed 4
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Heal checks.
   
  you can perform rituals of the restoration category in half 
  the casting time.
  active benefits
   
  mobile infusion: If the living infusion is adjacent to the 
  target of your healing infusion, each ally adjacent to the 
  target also regains 1d6 hit points.
   
  Level 21: 2d6 hit points.
  Minor Foulspawn 
  Familiar
  This horror of Xoriat resembles an inside-out cat with three eyes and 
  two mouths.
  senses darkvision
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Dungeoneering checks.
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against fear effects.
  active benefits
   
  Foulspawn babble: Once per encounter as a free action, 
  you can deal 1d10 extra psychic damage to a target 
  adjacent to your minor foulspawn that you hit with an 
  arcane attack power.
   
  Level 21: 2d10 extra psychic damage.
  Smith’s Hammer 
  Familiar
  This fine crafting tool assists in performing impromptu repairs or 
  upkeep.
  speed 4
  Constant benefits
   
  If you are an artificer, you begin each day with an additional 
  use of your Arcane Empowerment class feature.
  active benefits
   
  hammer’s ring: Once per encounter as an immediate 
  interrupt, when an enemy makes an attack against you 
  or an ally adjacent to your smith’s hammer, you can grant 
  a +2 bonus to a single defense of that character against 
  the triggering attack. If the ally is a construct, the bonus 
  increases to +3. your smith’s hammer is destroyed.
  Tinker Feyling 
  Familiar
  This diminutive sprite has a natural touch with magic items, making 
  it a favorite of artificers.
  senses low-light vision
  speed 6
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Bluff and Thievery checks.
  active benefits
   
  Feyling’s reservoir: you can use your Arcane 
  Empowerment class feature as a minor action to empower 
  a weapon adjacent to the feyling. This does not grant you 
  any additional uses of Arcane Empowerment.
  Epic Tier Familiars
  Lingering Nightmare 
  Familiar
  Willing servants of the Dreaming Dark sometimes retain a memory 
  of the quori that previously possessed them. That nightmare residue 
  floats like a small cloud nearby, shimmering with its master’s 
  changing mood.
  senses darkvision
  speed 6, fly 6 (hover)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
   
  you gain resist 5 psychic. If you already have resist psychic, 
  increase the resistance by 2.
  active benefits
   
  nightmare Voice: When you hit an enemy adjacent to 
  the lingering nightmare with a fear attack, roll 1d4 to 
  determine the additional effect, which lasts until the end 
  of your next turn.
   
  1: The target is slowed.
   
  2: The target takes a –2 penalty to Will.
   
  3: The target grants combat advantage.
   
  4. The target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
  Silver Lamp 
  Familiar
  This floating censerlike lantern contains a mystic reflection of the 
  Silver Flame.
  speed fly 8 (hover)
  Constant benefits
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to Religion and Arcana checks.
   
  you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against effects 
  created by demons.
  active benefits
   
  silver beams: As a minor action, you can cause the silver 
  lamp to glow or to stop glowing. While glowing, it sheds 
  bright light in its square and in a 10-square radius.
   
  glory of the silver Flame: Once per encounter as a free 
  action, you can deal 2d8 extra radiant damage to a demon 
  target within the silver lamp’s light that you hit with an 
  arcane attack power.
  
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  Familiars by Artifice
  35
  New Familiar Feats
  Artificers in particular often choose feats to enhance 
  their familiars in the same way their infusions 
  enhance allies.
  Enlarge Familiar [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: Artificer, Arcane Familiar feat, 
  16th-level or higher utility power
   
  Benefit: The enlarge familiar power replaces one of 
  your 16th-level or higher utility powers.
  enlarge Familiar 
  Feat Power
  Suddenly, what had seemed a harmless pet rears up to threat-
  en your enemy.
  encounter ✦ arcane, teleportation
  minor action 
  Personal
  requirement: your familiar must be in its active state.
  effect: Until the start of your next turn, your familiar becomes 
  a Small creature with hit points equal to your healing surge 
  value and can flank enemies. It cannot otherwise make 
  attacks. When this effect ends, your familiar teleports into 
  your space and enters passive mode.
  Free-Ranging Familiar [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, artificer, Arcane Famil-
  iar feat
   
  Benefit: While in active mode, your familiar can 
  exist up to 20 squares farther from you than normal.
  Infused Familiar [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: Artificer, Arcane Familiar feat, 
  10th-level or higher utility power
   
  Benefit: The infused familiar power replaces one of 
  your 10th-level or higher utility powers.
  infused Familiar 
  Feat Power
  You infuse your familiar with arcane energy, granting it the 
  ability to render emergency aid.
  encounter ✦ arcane
  minor action 
   
  Personal
  requirement: It is your turn and your familiar must be in its 
  active state.
  effect: you use healing infusion, but your familiar is the origin 
  square for the effect.
  Vigorous Familiar [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, artificer, Arcane Famil-
  iar feat, Mark of Handling feat or member of House 
  Vadalis
   
  Benefit: Your knowledge of House Vadalis’s beast 
  breeding techniques allows you to form your familiar 
  with greater speed and resilience. Your familiar gains 
  a +2 feat bonus to speed and a +1 feat bonus to AC.
  Shardbound Familiar (Eberron) 
  [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: Arcane Familiar feat, 10th-level or 
  higher utility power
   
  Benefit: The dragonshard shield power replaces one 
  of your 10th-level or higher utility powers.
  Dragonshard shield 
  Feat Power
  The embrace of the Dragon Between protects you both in time 
  of need.
  encounter ✦ arcane
  immediate interrupt 
   
  Personal
  requirement: your familiar must be in its active state.
  trigger: An enemy adjacent to your familiar hits you or your 
  familiar
  targets: you and your familiar
  effect: Reduce the damage the triggering enemy does to you 
  by 10, and your familiar takes no damage from the attack. 
  After the attack is resolved, you and your familiar shift your 
  speed and have phasing during this move.
  Shardbound Familiar (Khyber) 
  [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, Arcane Familiar feat
   
  Benefit: Whenever you bloody an enemy adjacent 
  to your active familiar with an arcane power, that 
  enemy also takes ongoing 10 acid, cold, fire, light-
  ning, necrotic, or thunder damage (save ends).
  Shardbound Familiar (Siberys) 
  [Familiar]
   
  Prerequisites: Arcane Familiar feat, 16th-level or 
  higher utility power
   
  Benefit: The Siberys unleashed power replaces one 
  of your 16th-level or higher utility powers.
  
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  Familiars by Artifice
  36
  siberys unleashed 
  Feat Power
  The glory of the Dragon Above shines through your fa-
  miliar in time of need.
  Daily ✦ arcane, Conjuration
  standard action 
  area wall 8 within 20
  requirement: your familiar must be in its active state.
  effect: your familiar is destroyed. you conjure a wall of chill 
  wind and brilliant light up to 4 squares high that lasts until 
  the end of your next turn. The wall’s origin square is the 
  square the familiar occupied. The wall costs 2 additional 
  squares to enter, and enemies take a –2 penalty to attack 
  rolls against targets inside or on the other side of the wall. 
  When an enemy starts its turn adjacent to or in the wall, 
  you can slide that enemy up to 3 squares to a square also 
  in or adjacent to the wall and the enemy is slowed until the 
  end of its turn.
  sustain minor: The effect persists.
  New Magic Items
  Artificers have extended their protective skills to 
  items that can assist or protect familiars.
  safe retreat 
  level 15
  This compact case, jar, or pack provides a safe and comfort-
  able environment for your arcane companion.
  Wondrous item 
   
  25,000 gp
  Power (Daily ✦ teleportation): Immediate Interrupt. Trigger: 
  An attack reduces your familiar to 0 hit points or fewer. 
  Effect: your familiar teleports to the safe retreat and enters 
  passive mode. It cannot enter active mode again until the 
  end of the encounter.
  Familiar Items
  Familiar items are a subset of wondrous items that 
  can be used only to enhance a familiar. A familiar is 
  treated as having a single item slot, which can be used 
  only to equip familiar items. Unless otherwise stated, 
  a familiar can’t normally carry or wield a magic item.
  Familiar’s baldric 
  level 3+
  This jeweled collar or harness identifies your familiar as be-
  longing to you and extends your protection to it.
  lvl 3 
  680 gp 
  lvl 23 
  425,000 gp
  lvl 13 
   
  17,000 gp
  item slot Familiar
  Property: your familiar gains a +1 item bonus to all defenses.
  Level 13: +2 item bonus.
  Level 23: +3 item bonus.
  Familiar’s Cowl 
  level 12
  While cloaked in this dark velvet garment, your familiar 
  avoids the notice of larger enemies.
  item slot Familiar 13,000 gp
  special: your familiar must be in active mode.
  Property: your familiar gains cover against larger creatures 
  whose space it occupies.
  Power (Daily): Minor Action. Until the end of the encounter, 
  your familiar becomes invisible.
  homing Collar 
  level 15
  An enchanted gem in this studded neckpiece allows you to 
  transport yourself instantly to your familiar’s side.
  item slot Familiar 
   
  25,000 gp
  Power (Daily ✦ teleportation): Move Action. you teleport to 
  your familiar’s space if your familiar is in a space you can 
  occupy.
  Familiar Bloodsmith
  “My familiar is more than an extension of my will—it is my 
  own flesh and blood.”
   
  Prerequisite: Artificer, familiar
  You are a master tinker and can create construct 
  familiars of such perfection that they are scarcely 
  distinguishable from living creatures. Essentially 
  homunculi, your familiars incorporate a tiny portion 
  of your own life energy, distilled into a drop of your 
  blood. This life link allows you to feel your famil-
  iar’s pain and drives you to keep it safe and make it 
  stronger. others might think you strange because 
  you spend so much time with your creations, but they 
  don’t understand: These are your children.
   
  Your path features all relate to your familiar, and 
  your powers work only if your familiar is in active 
  mode. Since it’s important that your familiar stick 
  around if you want to make full use of it, take some 
  familiar feats (from this article, the Dragon #374 arti-
  cle “Get Familiar,” or from Arcane Power™, page 139) 
  to increase its defenses and to gain other benefits.
  Familiar Bloodsmith Path Features
   
  Familiar Blood Bond (11th level): Your blood 
  connection with your familiar gives you strength-
  ening feedback while it is near. When you spend a 
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Familiars by Artifice
  37
  healing surge while your familiar is in its passive 
  state, you regain additional hit points equal to your 
  Constitution modifier.
   
  Bloodsmith action (11th level): When you 
  spend an action point to make an arcane attack and 
  your familiar is in active mode, you can make the 
  attack originate from your familiar’s space.
   
  Second Familiar (16th level): You can have two 
  familiars at once, such as a cat and an owl. one of 
  your familiars must be heroic tier, but the other can 
  be any sort that you are eligible to choose. You gain 
  the constant benefits of only one familiar at a time 
  and can switch as a minor action. If you retrain the 
  Arcane Familiar feat to replace a familiar, you can 
  replace both.
  Familiar Bloodsmith Spells
  bloodbond 
  Familiar Bloodsmith Attack 11
  rebuke
  You scream in outrage at the foe that dares harm your famil-
  iar, driving it back.
  encounter ✦ arcane, implement, Psychic
  immediate interrupt 
  melee 1
  special: The origin square of the attack is your familiar’s 
  square.
  trigger: An enemy adjacent to your familiar makes an attack 
  that includes it as a target
  target: The triggering enemy
  attack: Intelligence vs. Will
  hit: 1d8 + Intelligence modifier + Constitution modifier psy-
  chic damage, and you push the target 2 squares.
  rescue 
  Familiar Bloodsmith Utility 12
  Familiar
  As the attack slams into your familiar, you call it to your side.
  Daily ✦ arcane, teleportation
  immediate interrupt 
  Personal
  trigger: An attack reduces your familiar to 0 hit points or fewer
  effect: your familiar teleports to your square and enters pas-
  sive mode.
  bloodbond 
  Familiar Bloodsmith Attack 20
  swarm
  Through your bond, you divide your familiar into a swarm of 
  smaller servants that overwhelm your foes.
  Daily ✦ arcane, Conjuration, implement, zone
  standard action 
   area burst 1 within 20 centered on 
   
   
   
   your familiar’s square
  requirement: your familiar must be in active mode.
  target: Each enemy in burst
  attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
  hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier damage.
  effect: your familiar is destroyed, and the burst creates a zone 
  of minute copies of the familiar that lasts until the end of 
  your next turn. Each enemy that enters or starts its turn in 
  the zone takes 15 damage and is slowed until the start of 
  its next turn. As a move action, you can move the zone 2 
  squares. As a minor action, you can end the zone. When 
  the zone ends, your familiar appears in a square of the 
  zone.
  sustain minor: The zone persists.
  About the Author
  Jennifer Clarke Wilkes has been editing just about every-
  thing at Wizards of the Coast since 1995, and does a fair 
  bit of writing too. Her recent credits include Draconomicon: 
  Chromatic Dragons™, Divine Power™, and Wizards Presents™: 
  Worlds and Monsters. When not editing, she is gaming and 
  feeding her inner goblin.
  Others might think you strange because you spend so much 
  time with your creations, but they don’t understand: These 
  are your children.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  38
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  Disciples of
   
       Vengeance
  by Robert J. Schwalb
  illustration by Viktor Fetsch and Adam Paquette of Empty Room Studios
  In a world littered with the rotting carcasses of fallen 
  empires, justice is often a dim memory from a time 
  when laws protected the innocent and punished the 
  criminals. The tiny settlements enduring today keep 
  the order’s fires burning, but with each passing gen-
  eration, the rot deepens, poisoning civilization’s heart 
  and threatening that one day, all that is good and 
  noble in the world will be ashes and ruin.
   
  The hero is often the only salvation the world 
  has—a burning torch against the cloying darkness 
  and the sword against the neck of tyranny—but many 
  adventurers are fickle protectors. These heroes are 
  drawn along by their destinies to combat evil’s great-
  est champions, and this struggle can carry them 
  beyond the beleaguered world to distant planes and 
  other realities. If the hero cannot or will not stand for 
  the common folk, who will?
   
  Heroes are not the only agents in the natural world 
  to oppose the brimming corruption. others devote 
  their lives to combating the evil stalking the lands. 
  These organizations might welcome adventurers and 
  heroes, but many are made up of ordinary folk who 
  refuse to close their eyes against that which most folk 
  fear. They stand fast, ready to heal the world with fire 
  and sword.
   
  “Disciples of Vengeance” describes one such 
  group, revealing a growing power whose presence 
  and influence now spreads across the world. As their 
  name suggests, its members are those who avenge 
  the fallen, who punish the immoral, and do the work 
  once performed by kings and kingdoms, emperors 
  and empires: They keep the peace when others fail.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  39
  “There comes a time for each man and woman to make a 
  choice. At this crossroad, a person must decide what they 
  will do when injustice reveals itself. Will she cast a blind eye 
  toward cruelty and malice, naively believing she will never 
  suffer the same or does she reject tyranny and sacrifice her 
  life to destroy it?”
  Sir Gerald Sersten, Knight of the Second Moon
  The Disciples of Vengeance grew from dissatisfaction 
  with fear, hatred of evil, and, above all, a desire to 
  see justice restored to a land. When hidden cultists 
  nearly destroyed the city of Beacon with unleashed 
  plagues, the priests of Erathis, Pelor, and Kord, 
  working with the city’s Thieves’ Guild, founded the 
  Disciples as an antidote for what they saw was a 
  spreading sickness in the world. In the century that 
  followed, the Disciples have founded chapterhouses 
  across the countryside, in cities, and in the wild. They 
  see themselves as the light against the darkness, and 
  as long as at least one of them lives, they fight.
  Joining the Disciples of 
  Vengeance
  The Disciples of Vengeance has roots deep within 
  religious organizations across the land and thus it 
  derives most members from those who serve the gods. 
  Typical members include clerics and paladins, but 
  many avengers find the Disciples’ mission to their 
  liking as well. Beyond the divine champions, the Dis-
  ciples welcome anyone with a burning desire to see 
  wrongs righted and the guilty pay for their crimes. 
  Casting such a wide net sees the Disciples recruiting 
  from other walks, including shadowy assassins, cun-
  ning rogues, and ruthless hunters.
  requirements
  alignment: Any non-evil
  skills: Training in Insight or Perception
  minor quest: You must complete a minor quest to 
  prove your suitability as a candidate. The quest might 
  be hunting down and killing a known villain, disrupting 
  a criminal syndicate, or protecting a community from 
  an external (or internal) threat.
  The Disciples of Vengeance were founded to combat 
  evil by any means necessary. Many members believe 
  restoring the rule of law is the surest means to 
  fulfilling the organization’s objective, but not all 
  believe this. Some think the only way to attend to the 
  growing darkness is to turn its tactics back on evil’s 
  perpetrators. As long as members fight wickedness, 
  the organization doesn’t look too closely into indi-
  vidual dealings.
   
  Although its members all identify themselves with 
  the larger organization, each Disciple operates within 
  a smaller segment based on individual talents and 
  interests. These subdivisions might work together 
  from time to time, but they often work apart—so much 
  so that they are often confused as separate entities.
  Crusaders
  Battling evil requires foot soldiers to meet the enemy 
  head-on. For this purpose, the Disciples founded the 
  Crusaders, a knightly order committed to fighting 
  evil at any cost, by any means. Nearly all members 
  are warriors, because the Crusaders demand that 
  candidates demonstrate their talents in mock battles 
  and, later, through actual missions. Player characters 
  who would join the Crusaders are usually paladins, 
  but fighters, some rangers, avengers, barbarians, and 
  clerics are welcome as well.
   
  Crusaders are the organization’s weapons, and as 
  such, they undertake combat missions, putting their 
  enemies to sword and flame. The Crusaders lack the 
  numbers to organize into actual armies; instead, they 
  travel the lands, working with likeminded allies or 
  alone to battle the enemy. They might rouse small 
  forces from townsfolk and farmers, recruit soldiers 
  from local militias, and even call in cooperative mili-
  tary forces when faced with a difficult foe.
  Watchers
  Preparation can make all the difference in the 
  struggle against evil, and the Watchers provide an 
  invaluable service. Spies and assassins, Watchers 
  infiltrate communities, searching for clues and lis-
  tening for tips about cult activity, monstrous threats, 
  and any other development they deem noteworthy. A 
  Watcher can deal with a threat alone, slipping a knife 
  between the ribs or dropping poison in a cup, but 
  sometimes, when faced with an entrenched or mighty 
  enemy, the Watcher reports to ranking members, 
  supplying critical information to the Crusaders or 
  Demagogues.
   
  The Disciples fill Watcher positions with special-
  ists. Thieves, actors, experts, and anyone with a useful 
  talent can find a place in this segment. Player char-
  acter rogues, rangers, bards, or warlocks who join the 
  organization tend to become Watchers.
  The Disciples of Vengeance were founded to combat evil by 
  any means necessary.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  40
   
  Watchers gather information for the Disciples. 
  They are the organization’s eyes and ears, and they 
  position themselves where they can be of most use. 
  Missions can be any number of intelligence-gathering 
  operations, and agents might assume cover identi-
  ties, steal treasures, perform acts of sabotage, or even 
  murder in extreme cases.
  Demagogues
  The final branch in the Disciples of Vengeance is the 
  Demagogues. As their name suggests, they are the 
  rabble-rousers and agitators, and they are gifted with 
  charisma and cunning. They can whip up crowds to 
  violence, stir a rebellion against a wicked tyrant in an 
  otherwise content community, and soften the hardest 
  of hearts with their impassioned speeches.
   
  Candidates with a talent for public speaking find 
  places among the Demagogues. However, this branch 
  is made up with more than just the firebrands. Sages 
  and scholars also wind up here because they can 
  teach other agents the specialized knowledge they 
  need to defeat their adversaries. Wizards, invokers, 
  bards, rogues, and clerics are but a few of the player 
  character classes that might join the Demagogues.
   
  When not researching or teaching, Demagogues 
  might accompany other agents on missions. They 
  negotiate with local officials, recruit new members 
  to the cause, and build support from local popula-
  tions. The Demagogues are the face of the Disciples of 
  Vengeance.
  Disciples of Vengeance 
  Benefits
  Membership in the Disciples of Vengeance has many 
  benefits, with the foremost being an excellent avenue 
  to new adventures. on missions, you might travel the 
  world, visiting far-flung locations to root out evil’s 
  darkest servants. However, some benefits are exclu-
  sive to those who join the Disciples’ cause.
   
  Heroic Tier: Characters can requisition one potion of 
  healing each level.
   
  Paragon Tier: You are entitled to one free use of the 
  Raise Dead ritual, either for yourself or for someone 
  close to you who died while on a mission.
   
  Epic Tier: You can exchange any one magic item 
  you possess for any other magic item of an equal or 
  lower level.
  Playing a Disciple of 
  Vengeance
  As a member of the Disciples of Vengeance, you are 
  expected to go into the world and take the fight to 
  evil. Rather than wait for the enemy tides to wash 
  against civilization’s shores, you are to confront 
  them wherever they can be found. The enemy is an 
  elusive threat, however, so you must be vigilant and 
  suspicious of anyone you meet for harboring unclean 
  thoughts or a devotion to evil powers.
  Advancement
  The organization offers advancement based on merit 
  and nothing else. Those of common birth who prove 
  the better with the sword can outstrip the sons and 
  daughters of kings. How fast you rise and the respon-
  sibilities you gain are up to you. You might be content 
  exploring the fetid dungeons, testing your mettle 
  against cultists, necromancers, and demons of all 
  kinds, or you might prefer greater authority, leading 
  the organization to ultimate victory over evil’s innu-
  merable legions.
   
  Most members are disciples, and all at this rank 
  are equal regardless of which division the member is 
  assigned. Above the disciples stand the apostles. These 
  individuals oversee specific regions and monitor the 
  disciples’ activities within these areas. Apostles might 
  undertake missions, too, but only the most important 
  ones. Above the apostles stand the seraphim. These 
  members rarely go on missions, and instead they 
  manage agents in the field, organize operations, and 
  monitor new threats to the civilized lands.
  Missions
  The Disciples all cleave to the core values upheld by 
  the entire organization. Be watchful for the enemy, 
  for it wears many masks. Destroy the darkness, lest it 
  spread. And, protect the innocent, for in them is our 
  hope for the future.
   
  All missions involve one or more of these values 
  and can include raids into enemy lands, striking 
  settlements controlled by savage humanoids, or 
  extracting powerful mages or priests for interrogation 
  and execution by the Disciples. other missions see 
  Disciples following up reports on subversive activity 
  Rather than wait for the enemy tides to wash against 
  civilization’s shores, you are to confront them wherever they 
  can be found.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  41
  to determine if demonic agencies might be at work 
  or to purge evil churches before they can take root. 
  Aberrant creatures are also common targets, because 
  they are a cancer to the natural world, unraveling the 
  natural order and inviting madness and death.
   
  In all cases, the Disciple must be merciless in his 
  or her work, offering no quarter to the guilty and 
  responding with swift and lethal force to any threat 
  faced. Hesitation is weakness and the order regards 
  any who doubt their cause to be enemies.
  Resources
  Each seraphim dwells in a chapterhouse where other 
  disciples can gather, train, and recover from injuries. 
  These strongholds are fortresses capable of with-
  standing sieges from armies without fear. Within the 
  cavernous halls and endless rooms, one finds cells, 
  libraries, training facilities, and arsenals—all acces-
  sible to disciples. A chapterhouse usually provides 
  accommodations to visitors, but these rooms and 
  kitchens are as spartan as the rest.
   
  Members can make donations to the chapterhouse 
  and gain magic items (up to their level) in exchange. 
  Also, the chapterhouse supplies ritual scrolls for field 
  missions as well as to attend accursed, injured, or 
  dead agents. To gain these resources, a member can 
  receive up to a 10% discount (DM’s discretion) based 
  on the member’s needs.
  Disciples of Vengeance in 
  the World
  “They see enemies everywhere, even in their friends. Their 
  willingness to put anyone who disagrees with them to the 
  sword is as much of a threat as the ones they claim to fight. 
  Why just last week, two disciples blew through the town, 
  but before they left, they hanged old Milos from the old oak 
  tree and burned Liza for witchcraft. Sure, Milos was always 
  a bit strange and locals say Liza danced with demons under 
  the full moon, but where’s the proof?”
   
   
  Edmund Cree, Fearful Peasant
  The Disciples of Vengeance are a relentless force in the 
  world, never flinching, never giving up, and pursuing 
  their enemies no matter the cost. The Disciples use any 
  tactics, even dubious ones, to defeat their foes. They are 
  not above misdirection, treachery, and even the very 
  tools of evil if they help destroy their enemies. The Dis-
  ciples all believe the ends justify the means.
   
  The Disciples see most player characters as poten-
  tial recruits. They recognize heroic capabilities and 
  gladly add new assets to the organization’s arsenal. 
  Goodwill might shift to suspicion if a Disciple’s invita-
  tion is rebuffed and, if not handled carefully, PCs can 
  find lifelong enemies in this organization even if they 
  lead unimpeachable careers.
  Reputation
  No one denies that the Disciples of Vengeance have the 
  best intentionsat least people never deny it to their 
  faces—but many wonder if these vigilantes and self-
  appointed judges do more harm than good. For all the 
  cultists, fiends, and humanoids the Disciples destroy or 
  drive out, bystanders suffer as well. The enemy knows 
  the Disciples will not stop, causing many sinister 
  groups to wreak as much havoc as they can before the 
  Disciples close in for the kill. Worse, the Disciples are 
  not infallible, and zeal sometimes blinds them to their 
  victims’ innocence. In all, the Disciples’ appearance 
  is a bad omen and when they drift into a community, 
  those who know of them and their work expect to 
  suffer before these vigilantes leave.
  The Disciples use any tactics, even dubious ones,  
  to defeat their foes.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  42
  Disciples of Vengeance Lore
  A character knows the following information with a 
  successful History or Religion check.
   
  DC 10: The Disciples of Vengeance is an aggressive 
  organization committed to rooting out and destroying 
  evil’s agents. They are a suspicious lot and when they 
  scent their quarry, they do not easily give up.
   
  DC 20: The Disciples have strong ties to the 
  churches of Erathis, Kord, and Pelor, and other tem-
  ples might support their efforts too.
   
  DC 25: The Disciples comprise three separate 
  orders. The Crusaders are the most common, rep-
  resenting the organization’s military branch. The 
  Demagogues are the instructors, administrators, and 
  spokespeople for the Disciples, using their natural 
  charisma and fervent beliefs to whip up commoners 
  to serve their needs. Finally, the Watchers are the 
  spies. Assassins and informants, they lurk within 
  communities undetected, sending information back 
  to their chapterhouse and eliminating anyone they 
  deem a threat.
  Adapting the Disciples of 
  Vengeance
  As written, the Disciples of Vengeance make for a good 
  tool to unite an adventuring party to a common cause, 
  providing an easy way to introduce new adventurers 
  and carry the heroes across the countryside. However, 
  the Disciples can also work against the PCs. Known 
  for being overzealous, the Disciples might identify the 
  adventurers as threats and harry them periodically 
  over the campaign, serving as nagging foils.
   
  You might play up the group’s sinister overtones, 
  having them burn and execute anyone they accuse of 
  being tainted. The Disciples could be self-righteous 
  tyrants or could be corrupted within, perhaps infil-
  trated by Asmodeus’s cult to turn the organization to 
  the dark god’s wicked agenda.
   
  In the Forgotten Realms, the Disciples might 
  have emerged as a result of the Spellplague, and 
  they could focus their efforts on those who misuse 
  or warp magic for fell purposes. In Eberron, the Dis-
  ciples could easily operate within Thrane as another 
  extremist serving the Silver Flame.
  Disciples of Vengeance
  Whether as allies or enemies, the Disciples are a 
  powerful force in the land and their appearance her-
  alds dark times.
  Firebrand Crusader
  The most common Disciples are the crusaders. Vet-
  eran warriors, they have sworn oaths of service and 
  set out into the world to find the enemy and put it to 
  the sword.
  Firebrand Crusader 
  Level 8 Soldier
  Medium natural humanoid, human 
  XP 350
  initiative +6 
  senses Perception +4
  hP 88; bloodied 44
  aC 24; Fortitude 22, reflex 17, Will 20
  speed 5
  m longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
   
  +15 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is marked until 
  the end of the crusader’s next turn.
  M Crusader’s mercy (opportunity action, when an enemy 
  marked by the crusader moves or shifts; at-will) ✦ Weapon
   
  +15 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is knocked 
  prone.
  M immolate the unclean (standard; requires torch; encounter) 
  ✦ Fire, Weapon
   
  +13 vs. Reflex; 2d4 + 5 damage, and the target takes 
  ongoing 10 fire damage (save ends).
  M torch (minor 1/round; at-will) ✦ Fire, Weapon
   
  +13 vs. Reflex; 1d4 fire damage.
  alignment Unaligned 
  languages Common
  str 21 (+9) 
  Dex 10 (+4) 
  Wis 11 (+4)
  Con 16 (+7) 
  int 8 (+3) 
  Cha 16 (+7)
  equipment plate armor, longsword, 4 torches, flint and steel
  Firebrand Crusader Tactics
  The firebrand crusader engages the closest enemy, 
  using the threat of crusader’s mercy to keep the target 
  pinned down. Should the enemy flee, the crusader 
  trips up the foe and uses immolate the unclean on its 
  following turn.
  Skulking Watcher
  The Disciples dispatch skulking watchers to gather 
  intelligence about enemy organizations. Working 
  alone or in small groups, they uncover the most 
  guarded secrets.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  43
  Skulking Watcher 
  Level 8 Skirmisher
  Small natural humanoid, halfling 
  XP 350
  initiative +11 
  senses Perception +12
  hP 83; bloodied 41
  aC 22; Fortitude 17, reflex 22, Will 20; see also nimble 
  reaction
  saving throws +5 against fear effects
  speed 6
  m Katar (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
   
  +13 vs. AC; 1d6 + 5 damage (crit 1d6 + 11) and the skulking 
  watching shifts 1 square.
  R shortbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
   
  Ranged 15/30; +13 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage.
  Combat advantage
   
  A skulking watcher deals 2d6 extra damage against any 
  creature granting combat advantage to it.
  C Watcher’s scrutiny (minor; 5 6)
   
  Close burst 5; targets one creature in burst the skulking 
  watcher has concealment or cover against; the skulking 
  watcher gains combat advantage against the target until 
  the end of its turn.
  nimble reaction
   
  Halflings gain a +2 racial bonus to AC against opportunity 
  attacks.
  second Chance (immediate interrupt, when the skulking 
  watcher would be hit by an attack; encounter)
   
  The skulking watcher forces the attacker to reroll the attack 
  and take the new result.
  alignment Unaligned 
  languages Common
  skills Acrobatics +16, Stealth +14, Thievery +16
  str 9 (+3)  
  Dex 21 (+9) 
  Wis 16 (+7)
  Con 11 (+4) 
  int 16 (+7) 
  Cha 11 (+4)
  equipment leather armor, katar, shortbow, quiver with 20 
  arrows
  Skulking Watcher Tactics
  The skulking watcher skirts the battlefield, stay-
  ing out of sight so that it can benefit from combat 
  advantage, whether from being hidden or from using 
  watcher’s scrutiny.
  Zealous Demagogue
  Demagogues use stirring speeches and inciting ser-
  mons to raise a community up against their enemies. 
  They can fill their allies with fiery zeal, pushing them 
  to acts of bloodthirsty violence.
  Zealous Demagogue 
  Level 10 Controller (Leader)
  Medium immortal humanoid, deva 
  XP 500
  initiative +5 
  senses Perception +8
  hP 101; bloodied 50
  aC 24; Fortitude 19, reflex 21, Will 24; see also astral majesty
  resist 10 radiant
  speed 5
  m mace (standard; at-will) ✦ radiant, Weapon
   
  +15 vs. AC; 1d8 + 1 damage, and each enemy adjacent 
  to the target takes 5 radiant damage. Also, each enemy 
  that takes damage from this attack is marked by an ally 
  within 5 squares of the demagogue until the end of the 
  demagogue’s next turn.
  C reveal the guilty (minor 1/round; at-will) ✦ radiant
   
  Close burst 5; one creature; +14 vs. Will; 1d8 + 1 radiant 
  damage, and the target grants combat advantage to all 
  enemies until the end of the demagogue’s next turn.
  R regroup (standard; encounter) ✦ healing
   
  Ranged 5; one ally; the target spends a healing surge and 
  can shift 1 square as a free action.
  C Destroy the heretic (standard; 4 5 6)
   
  Close burst 10; targets up to three allies; the target makes 
  a melee basic attack as a free action against an adjacent 
  enemy. An ally that hits also knocks its target prone.
  memory of a thousand lifetimes (when the demagogue 
  makes an attack roll, saving throw, a skill check, or an ability 
  check and dislikes the result; encounter)
   
  The zealous demagogue rolls 1d6 and adds the result to the 
  triggering roll.
  astral majesty
   
  The zealous demagogue gains a +1 bonus to all defenses 
  against attacks made by bloodied creatures.
  alignment Unaligned 
  languages Common, Dwarven,   
   
   
   
  Elven
  skills Diplomacy +16, History +15, Insight +13, Religion +13
  str 12 (+6) 
  Dex 10 (+5) 
  Wis 17 (+8)
  Con 13 (+6) 
  int 17 (+8) 
  Cha 22 (+11)
  equipment chainmail, light shield, mace, holy symbol
  Zealous Demagogue Tactics
  The zealous demagogue prefers to lead from behind 
  its allies, commanding them to strike by using reveal 
  the guilty to choose the target and destroy the heretic to 
  get its allies to wipe out the enemy on its behalf.
  Encounter Groups
  The Disciples of Vengeance depend on local levies to 
  build up their forces to deal with enemy groups. Most 
  Disciples round up militia and townsfolk, deputizing 
  them for a specific mission. Those who fall in service 
  to the cause are acceptable, though regrettable losses.
  Level 6 encounter (XP 1,250)
  ✦ 10 human lackeys (level 7 minion; Monster Manual 
  page 162)
  ✦ 1 zealous demagogue (level 10 controller)
  Level 8 encounter (XP 1,800)
  ✦ 2 firebrand crusaders (level 8 soldier)
  ✦ 10 human lackeys (level 7 minion; Monster Manual 
  page 162)
  ✦ 1 skulking watcher (level 8 skirmisher)
  
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  Disciples of Vengeance
  44
  FeATs
  The Disciples of Vengeance train their followers in 
  many techniques that are also available to heroes and 
  useful to a broad range of character classes.
  Heroic Tier Feats
  These feats are available to any character who meets 
  the prerequisites.
  Courageous Example
   
  Benefit: Whenever you succeed on a saving throw 
  to end an effect, the next ally to make a saving throw 
  within 5 squares of you before the start of your next 
  turn gains a +4 bonus to that saving throw.
  Crusader’s Fury
   
  Benefit: While adjacent to a bloodied ally, your 
  opportunity attacks deal extra damage equal to your 
  Charisma modifier.
  Divine Passion
   
  Prerequisite: Avenger
   
  Benefit: When you use divine guidance and the 
  triggering ally hits its target, the ally deals an addi-
  tional 5 radiant damage.
   
  At 21st level, the ally deals an extra 10 radiant 
  damage.
  Human Resolve
   
  Prerequisite: Human
   
  Benefit: Whenever you spend an action point to 
  make an attack, you gain temporary hit points equal 
  to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
  Hunting Beast
   
  Prerequisites: Ranger, Beast Mastery class 
  feature
   
  Benefit: You and your beast companion ignore 
  penalties to attack rolls from concealment against 
  enemies adjacent to your beast companion.
  Majestic Fervor
   
  Prerequisites: Bard, trained in Religion
   
  Benefit: If the target of your majestic word is not 
  bloodied, it also gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls until 
  the end of its next turn.
  heroiC tier Feats
  name 
  Prerequisites 
  benefit
  Courageous example 
   
  successful save grants ally +4 bonus to ally’s next saving throw
  Crusader’s Fury 
   
  opportunity attacks deal extra damage while adjacent to a 
    
   
   
  bloodied ally
  Divine Passion 
  avenger 
  beneficiary of divine guidance deals extra radiant damage
  human resolve 
  human 
  gain temp hit points with action point
  hunting beast 
  ranger, beast mastery 
  Deny concealment to enemies adjacent to your beast companion.
  majestic Fervor 
  bard, trained in religion 
  +1 attacks to non-bloodied target of majestic word
  radiant rage 
  barbarian 
  extra radiant damage when spends a surge
  righteous Fury 
  trained in intimidate 
  −2 to melee basic attack to gain rattling keyword 
   
  undeniable Crusader Fighter 
  Combat Challenge attacks ignore resistances
  Wrenching abjuration avenger 
  slide instead of pull with abjure undead
  Paragon tier Feats
  name 
  Prerequisites 
  benefit
  retributive action 
  Fighter 
  spend action point; deal +2[W] damage with Combat Challenge
  sniper’s aim 
  ranger, trained in Perception Deal hunter’s quarry damage on a miss with daily attack
  unfailing Courage 
   
  spend healing surge when you spend an action point
  ePiC tier Feats
  name 
  Prerequisites 
  benefit
  Fires of heaven 
  any divine class 
  ongoing radiant damage also deals ongoing fire damage
  limning Challenge 
  Paladin 
  marked targets cannot benefit from concealment or  
    
   
   
  total concealment
  righteous Challenge 
  Paladin 
  Demons and devils you mark take −2 penalty to all attack rolls
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  45
  Radiant Rage
   
  Prerequisite: Barbarian
   
  Benefit: When you spend a healing surge while 
  you are raging, the next melee attack you make before 
  the end of your next turn deals extra radiant damage 
  equal to your Charisma modifier on a hit.
  Righteous Fury
   
  Prerequisite: Trained in Intimidate
   
  Benefit: When making a melee basic attack, you 
  can choose to take a −2 penalty to your attack roll to 
  add the rattling keyword to your attack.
  Undeniable Crusader
   
  Prerequisite: Fighter
   
  Benefit: Attacks granted to you by your Combat 
  Challenge class feature ignore all resistances.
  Wrenching Abjuration
   
  Prerequisite: Avenger
   
  Benefit: When you hit with your abjure undead 
  class feature, you can slide the target instead of pull-
  ing the target, but it must end the forced movement 
  closer to you than where it began.
  Paragon Tier Feats
  These feats are available to any character who is 11th 
  level or higher and meets the prerequisites.
  Retributive Action
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, fighter
   
  Benefit: You can spend an action point as a free 
  action when an enemy you marked triggers your 
  Combat Challenge class feature and you hit with the 
  attack. Your attack deals +2[W] damage.
  Sniper’s Aim
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, ranger, trained in 
  Perception
   
  Benefit: Whenever you miss with a daily ranger 
  attack against your quarry, you can choose to apply 
  your Hunter’s Quarry damage. You can still deal 
  Hunter’s Quarry damage only once per round.
  Unfailing Courage
   
  Prerequisite: 11th level
   
  Benefit: When you spend an action point, you can 
  also spend a healing surge.
  Epic Tier Feats
  These feats are available to any character who is 21st 
  level or higher and meets the prerequisites.
  Fires of Heaven
   
  Prerequisites: 21st level, any divine class
   
  Benefit: Whenever one of your divine attacks 
  deals ongoing radiant damage, the target also takes 
  ongoing fire damage equal to half the ongoing radiant 
  damage, and for the same duration.
  Limning Challenge
   
  Prerequisites: 21st level, paladin
   
  Benefit: Your attacks against targets marked 
  by you with divine challenge or your divine sanc-
  tion ignore penalties from concealment or total 
  concealment.
  Righteous Challenge
   
  Prerequisites: 21st level, paladin
   
  Benefit: Demons or devils marked by your divine 
  challenge class feature or your divine sanction take a 
  −2 penalty to all attack rolls.
  relics oF vengeAnce
  The Disciples of Vengeance have a large arsenal at 
  their disposals, and each chapterhouse boasts magic 
  weapons, armor, shields, symbols, and more. While 
  these tools are important, there are a few items the 
  Disciples cherish above all others. Whether the Dis-
  ciples still possess them is another matter entirely.
  Answerer
  A fine broadsword of exquisite craftsmanship, this 
  heavy blade features a runic inscription in the fuller 
  that names the weapon as Answerer. Two roaring 
  lions serve as a crossbar, and the handle, wrapped in 
  bloodstained leather, ends at a glittering emerald held 
  in a clawed fist.
   
  Ages ago, a master artisan forged a mighty weapon 
  as a gift to his liege. He named the sword Agarach, 
  which means “final word” in an ancient tongue of 
  humanity. So impressed was the lord with this mighty 
  weapon the he demanded the artisan to forge nine 
  copies. The names of each, as well as the deeds per-
  formed by those who wielded them, echo from the 
  past still, but many have been lost—vanished into the 
  Underdark or buried in dragons’ lairs. In the ages 
  since, lesser copies of these rare weapons surface 
  from time to time, but none of these will ever equal 
  the legacy in these arms.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  46
  Quest
   
  Lost Blade: Answerer found its way into the Dis-
  ciples’ hands two decades ago and the first crusader 
  to wield it was the virtuous Alhanzer, a holy knight 
  and merciless crusader against evil. The knight and 
  his weapon were lost when they challenged a despotic 
  stone giant in its mountain fastness.
  answerer 
  level 20+
  Its name engraved in the weapon’s blade, Answerer ensures 
  you have the last word in battle.
  lvl 20 
  +4 
  125,000 gp 
  lvl 30 
  +6 
  3,125,000 gp
  lvl 25 
  +5 
  625,000 gp
  Weapon: Heavy blade
  enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
  Property: While you are bloodied, you gain a +2 bonus to 
  damage rolls with attacks using this weapon.
  Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Trigger: An enemy hits you 
  with a melee attack. Effect: you make a melee basic attack 
  against the triggering enemy. On a hit, you also push the 
  enemy 2 squares.
  Crook of Remembrance
  The Disciples recovered the crook of remembrance 
  when a team stormed a crumbling stronghold used 
  by exiles and outcasts who gathered to worship Cah-
  taeflox the Unclean, a hideous demon lord of the 
  Seventy-Six Plagues. The Disciples burned out the 
  infestation and purified the site, but they learned 
  later that the stronghold, tucked in a shelf in the 
  side of a deep chasm, had stood since the world was 
  young. Some exploration revealed early holy servants 
  used it as a place of study and introspection. Among 
  the few surviving treasures, the Disciples uncovered 
  this odd shepherd’s crook.
   
  The crook of remembrance is a tall staff of smooth 
  white wood, but tiny black writing covers every sur-
  face, from its butt to the tip of the curling hook at 
  the top. The writing includes invocations for divine 
  justice to avenge those who have fallen and those 
  mortals its original wielder failed to protect.
  Quest
   
  the Spirit Within: The Disciples stored the crook 
  of remembrance in one of the chapterhouses along 
  with various other treasures they had recovered. Its 
  removal from the old fortress stirred the spirit within 
  the staff and it rests uneasily in the dark vault. The 
  staff, in its dim awareness, senses a coming apoca-
  lypse and calls out to find a worthy wielder.
  Crook of remembrance 
  level 18+
  Burned into this wooden shepherd’s crook is an endless litany 
  recounting the crimes against mortals.
  lvl 18 
  +4 
  85,000 gp 
  lvl 28 
  +6 
  2,125,000 gp
  lvl 23 
  +5 
  425,000 gp
  implement (staff)
  enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
  Property: you gain an item bonus to Insight and Intimidate 
  checks equal to the item’s enhancement bonus.
  Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Trigger: An enemy re-
  duces an ally you can see to 0 hit points or fewer. Effect: 
  you push each enemy adjacent to that ally 3 squares away 
  from the ally.
  Empyreal Breastplate
  The empyreal breastplate is part of a larger suit of 
  warplate armor (masterwork plate). The other com-
  ponents are impressive specimens of craftsmanship 
  and design, but the breastplate draws the eye. Forged 
  from gleaming white metal, the surface bears relief 
  carvings depicting an angelic host blowing trumpets 
  over a mountain of demonic skulls. In the center is a 
  rising sun, suggesting a new and sublime peace.
   
  The first to wear the empyreal breastplate was 
  Allara, a deva paladin best remembered for slaying 
  the undead dragon of Durgen’s Grotto in the defense 
  of Dyreton. After the heroic victory, Allara joined the 
  Disciples and eventually founded her own chapter-
  house overlooking the community she saved ages ago. 
  It’s believed the armor is there still.
  Quest
   
  Heir returned? Legend holds Allara would 
  return when the world was in the greatest need 
  and don her armor once more in the land’s defense. 
  When the warplate vanishes, its keepers believe the 
  legends have come true, but not all are convinced and 
  some suspect foul play.
  empyreal breastplate 
  level 19+
  The most interesting component in this full suit of armor is the 
  breastplate which bears the likeness of trumpeting angels and 
  vanquished demons.
  lvl 19 
  +4 
  105,000 gp 
  lvl 29 
  +6 
  2,625,000 gp
  lvl 24 
  +5 
  525,000 gp
  armor: Plate
  enhancement: AC
  Property: While bloodied, you gain resist 20 necrotic.
   
  level 24 or 29: Resist 30 necrotic.
  Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Trigger: An enemy hits you 
  with a necrotic attack. Effect: you deal 5 radiant damage to 
  each enemy within 3 squares of you and push each such 
  enemy 1 square.
   
  level 24 or 29: 10 radiant damage.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  47
  PArAgon PAThs
  The Disciples of Vengeance welcome adventurers 
  from a wide range of backgrounds and occupations. 
  Those who join and continue to serve when they 
  enter the paragon tier might find any of the following 
  paragon paths useful toward continuing the struggle 
  against evil.
  Vengeful Crusader
  “I am the righteous sword—the heaven’s blade—and there is 
  no escaping the painful truth of what you have done.”
   
  Prerequisites: Paladin, trained in Insight or 
  Perception
  Hate burns hot in your heart—hate for all those who 
  prey on the weak and who despoil the innocent. Hate 
  for all those who know nothing but evil. You channel 
  this blazing wrath into your attacks to ensure the per-
  petrators pay for their crimes. Those who raise your 
  ire can expect no mercy from you—only death.
  Vengeful Crusader Features
   
  Vengeance’s Imperative (11th level): When an 
  enemy marked by you makes an attack that doesn’t 
  include you as the target, you can shift 1 square 
  toward that enemy after the attack as a free action.
   
  Vengeful action (11th level): Whenever you 
  spend an action point while you are bloodied, 
  you can subject each enemy you can see within 3 
  squares of you to your divine sanction until the end 
  of your next turn.
   
  Vengeful Shield (16th level): Enemies that 
  attack allies adjacent to you take damage equal to 
  your Strength modifier.
  Vengeful Crusader Powers
  Driving Force 
  Vengeful Crusader Attack 11
  Your enemy falls back under your ferocious attack, but if it 
  thinks it can escape your wrath, it is mistaken.
  encounter ✦ Divine, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  target: One creature you have marked
  attack: Strength vs. AC
  hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target is 
  pushed 2 squares. If the target makes an attack that 
  doesn’t include you before the start of your next turn, you 
  can make a charge attack against the target as an immedi-
  ate interrupt.
  Crusader’s 
  Vengeful Crusader Utility 12
  stance
  As your enemies attack, your anger only grows, filling you 
  with righteous indignation that you can use to punish them 
  for their transgressions.
  Daily ✦ Divine, stance
  minor action 
   
  Personal
  effect: Until the stance ends, when an ally you can see takes 
  damage from an enemy’s attack, you gain a +1 bonus to 
  your next attack roll and damage roll before the end of your 
  next turn. This bonus is cumulative, to a maximum of +5.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  48
  Crusader’s 
  Vengeful Crusader Attack 20
  Vengeance
  Your hate guides your attack and delivers a punishing strike that 
  reverberates for the final moments the enemy has left to live.
  Daily ✦ Divine, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC
  hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage.
  miss: Half damage.
  effect: Until the end of the encounter, when the target makes 
  an attack that does not include you, it takes damage equal 
  to your Strength modifier.
  Watcher of Vengeance
  “You cannot hide your crimes, because they are written in 
  your words, your body, and your actions.
   
  Prerequisite: Avenger, trained in Insight or 
  Perception
  Evil wears many masks, adopts many guises, but you 
  make it your business to peer through the illusions 
  and see things as they truly are. You skulk through the 
  shadows, blending into the night to observe the guilty 
  and learn their secrets. Each word and each action 
  reveals strengths and weaknesses, giving you the tools 
  to overcome them when the time is right to strike.
  Watcher of Vengeance Features
   
  Watcher’s Insight (11th level): You gain a +2 
  bonus to Insight, Perception, and Stealth checks. You 
  also gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against charm, 
  fear, and illusion effects.
   
  Vengeful action (11th level): When an enemy 
  you have combat advantage against hits an ally 
  you can see, you can spend an action point as an 
  immediate interrupt to make a basic attack against 
  that enemy. If the attack hits, you deal an extra 2d6 
  damage.
   
  Witnessed Weakness (16th level): When you 
  have any concealment or cover and an enemy misses 
  you with an attack, you gain combat advantage 
  against that enemy until the end of your next turn.
  Whisper of Vengeance Powers
  hidden 
  Watcher of Vengeance Attack 11
  Danger
  You attack with nothing more than a whisper, cutting through 
  your enemy and its defenses in one deadly attack.
  encounter ✦ Divine, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee or ranged weapon
  target: One creature from which you are hidden
  attack: Wisdom vs. AC; if you are hidden when you attack, you 
  remain hidden after the attack.
  hit: 3[W] + Wisdom modifier damage
  Clarity 
  Watcher of Vengeance Utility 12
  of Purpose
  By suffering your enemy’s attack, you gain a renewed sense of 
  purpose and a clear vision of how this foe can be stopped.
  Daily ✦ Divine
  immediate reaction 
  Personal
  trigger: you are damaged by an attack
  effect: you take a move or a minor action. Until the end of the 
  encounter, whenever the triggering attacker hits an ally, 
  you gain a +2 bonus to your next attack roll against it.
  Just 
  Watcher of Vengeance Attack 20
  Punishment
  You strike your foe in such a way that if it strikes back, its 
  wounds worsen, and if it does nothing, it invites disaster.
  Daily ✦ Divine, reliable, Weapon
  immediate reaction 
  Personal
  trigger: you are damaged by an attack
  effect: you make an avenger at-will weapon attack or melee 
  basic attack. On a hit, that attack deals 2[W] extra damage 
  and you can teleport 3 squares. If the attack misses, this 
  power is not expended.
  Zealous Demagogue
  “Repent! Your doom is at hand! Evil’s hold lasts only as 
  long as you permit it. Cast off its despicable touch and 
  embrace the light of truth!”
   
  Prerequisite: Cleric or invoker, trained in Insight 
  or Perception
  The world stands on destruction’s precipice, teetering 
  as mortals abandon the gods for personal gain and 
  the false promises of iniquity. Demons clamber and 
  claw to violate the natural world, while wicked devils 
  seduce and mislead mortals, binding their souls in 
  unspeakable contracts. Shapechangers and aberrants 
  hide in plain sight, concealing their hideous appear-
  ances and horrible agendas behind pleasant masks. 
  Mortals must be warned against this growing corrup-
  tion—must be shown their errors so they can repent 
  and offer prayers and strength to the gods. And if they 
  don’t listen and don’t submit to your divine missive, 
  then it falls to you and your allies to contain their dis-
  belief by whatever means are necessary.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Disciples of Vengeance
  49
  Zealous Demagogue Features
   
  Captivating Presence (11th level): You gain 
  a +2 bonus to Diplomacy, Insight, and Intimidate 
  checks. Also, all allies who can see you gain a +2 
  bonus to saving throws against charm and fear 
  effects.
   
  Zealous action (11th level): When you spend an 
  action point to take an extra action, each ally within 
  3 squares of you who can see you gains temporary hit 
  points equal to one-half your level and a +2 bonus to 
  attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
   
  martyr’s Blood (16th level): While you are 
  bloodied, each ally that can see you gains a +1 bonus 
  to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.
  Zealous Demagogue Powers
  Fanatic Charge 
  Zealous Demagogue Attack 11
  You remind an ally of his or her purpose and fill this ally with 
  a fanatic’s zeal.
  encounter
  standard action 
  Close burst 5
  target: One ally in burst who can see you
  effect: The target makes a charge attack as a free action 
  against an enemy you choose. On a hit, the target deals 
  +1[W] damage.
  imperiled leader Zealous Demagogue Utility 12
  You have nothing to fear, even when the enemy closes in for 
  the kill.
  encounter ✦ Divine
  immediate interrupt 
  Close burst 5
  trigger: An adjacent enemy targets you with a melee attack
  target: One ally in the burst who can see you
  effect: The ally shifts 4 squares to a square adjacent to you. 
  The triggering attack targets the ally instead of you. If the 
  enemy’s attack hits, you regain the use of fanatic charge.
  sudden 
  Zealous Demagogue Attack 20
  Conversion
  Your words strike a chord with the enemy and bring it to your 
  side for a few moments.
  Daily ✦ Charm, Divine, implement
  standard action 
  Close burst 10
  target: One enemy that can see and hear you
  attack: Wisdom vs. Will
  hit: The target is dominated (save ends). The target has a −2 
  penalty to saving throws against this effect.
   
  aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends).
  miss: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends both).
  About the Author
  robert J. Schwalb is a freelance game designer with over 
  one hundred design and development credits to his name. 
  His most recent works include the Player’s Handbook® 2, 
  P2: Demon Queen’s Enclave™, Manual of the Planes®, Martial 
  Power™, Draconomicon™ I: Chromatic Dragons, the Forgotten 
  Realms® Player’s Guide, and numerous articles in Dragon® and 
  Dungeon® magazines. Robert lives in Tennessee with his wife 
  Stacee and his crack kill-team of ninja cats.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  50
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  From titans that soar through the sky 
  tossing thunderbolts to the massive 
  demons that dwell deep in the Abyss, 
  mammoth creatures populate all regions 
  of the Dungeons & Dragons® world. 
  This article gives you more options for 
  using existing Huge creatures throughout 
  paragon and epic levels. There are high-
  level elites turned into lower-level solos, 
  and vice-versa. Each monster has a twist 
  in its storyline so that it plays differently 
  than a normal monster of the type would 
  if it had its level increased or decreased.
   
  All the monsters in this article 
  also appear in the Dungeons & Dragons 
  Miniatures Monster Manual: Legendary 
  Evils set, the first batch of minis where all 
  the Huges are visible in the boosters!
  giAnT
  The following giants provide you with some interest-
  ing options for encounters.
  Frost Titan Avalanche
  Though its power could be even greater than that of 
  other frost titans, a frost titan avalanche is uncon-
  trolled and untrained. Its attacks and defenses are 
  sloppy, but because it has volatile powers, the danger 
  it poses should not be underestimated.
  Bestiary:
   Big Trouble
  by Logan Bonner
  illustrations by Michael Franchina, and Empty Room 
  Studios artist - Vince Chui and Adam Paquette
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Bestiary: Big Trouble
  51
  ening reach, it’s easy for the titan to lock down melee 
  combatants. However, the titan gets bored easily and 
  moves on to other areas of the battlefield (especially if 
  it’s bloodied and can use avalanche rampage).
  Frost Titan Avalanche Lore
   
  arcana DC 22: Some frost titans, known as ava-
  lanches, attack with only their fists and innate cold 
  magic. They’re brutish and wild—feral. In addition 
  to their overpowering melee attacks, frost titan ava-
  lanches can summon ice and snow to bury or freeze 
  their enemies.
  Frost Titan Avalanche Tactics
  A savage creature that lashes out with its bare hands, 
  a frost titan avalanche possesses all the strength 
  and magic of other frost titans, but none of their 
  martial skill. It attacks anyone who comes near, and 
  tosses frost spikes at everybody else. At the start of 
  the battle, the titan throws a frost spike, then moves 
  and charges the nearest enemy. After it moves close 
  to foes, it batters them with cascading avalanche and 
  freezing backlash. Enemies who stay at range annoy 
  the titan, and it doesn’t mind soaking up a couple of 
  opportunity attacks to use frost spike on creatures 
  that keep targeting it with ranged or area attacks 
  (especially fire attacks). Between its aura and threat-
  Frost Titan Avalanche 
  Level 14 Solo Brute
  Huge elemental humanoid (cold, giant) 
  XP 5,000
  initiative +9 
  senses Perception +12
  icy terrain (Cold) aura 2 (or 5 while bloodied); enemies treat 
  the aura’s area as difficult terrain.
  hP 568; bloodied 284; see also bloodied backlash
  aC 28; Fortitude 28, reflex 23, Will 26
  resist 15 cold
  saving throws +5
  speed 8 (ice walk)
  action Points 2
  m slam (standard; at-will) ✦ Cold
   
  Reach 3; +17 vs. AC; 2d10 + 6 cold damage. On a critical 
  hit, the target also takes ongoing 10 cold damage (save 
  ends).
  r Frost spike (minor; at-will) ✦ Cold
   
  Ranged 20; +15 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 6 cold damage, and the 
  target is slowed until the end of the frost titan avalanche’s 
  next turn.
  M avalanche rampage (standard action; must be bloodied; 
  at-will)
   
  The frost titan avalanche shifts its speed and can enter 
  enemies’ spaces. The titan makes a slam attack against 
  each enemy whose space it enters.
  C bloodied backlash (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
   
  Freezing backlash recharges, and the frost titan avalanche 
  uses it. The attack is a close burst 10 when triggered this 
  way.
  C Cascading avalanche (standard; 5 6) ✦ Cold
   
  Close blast 8; +15 vs. Fortitude; 3d10 + 6 damage, and the 
  target is knocked prone. Miss: Half damage.
  C Freezing backlash (immediate reaction, when hit by an 
  attack;  5 6) ✦ Cold
   
  Close burst 2 (5 while bloodied); +15 vs. Fortitude; 1d10 + 
  6 damage, and the target is restrained and takes ongoing 
  5 cold damage (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is 
  slowed (save ends).
  threatening reach
   
  A frost titan avalanche can make opportunity attacks 
  against all enemies within its reach (3 squares).
  glacial Footing
   
  When an effect pulls, pushes, or slides a frost titan 
  avalanche, the titan moves 4 squares less than the effect 
  specifies. Also, a frost titan avalanche can make a saving 
  throw to avoid being knocked prone.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Giant, Primordial
  skills Athletics +19
  str 24 (+14) 
  Dex 15 (+9) 
  Wis 20 (+12)
  Con 22 (+13) 
  int 10 (+7) 
  Cha 13 (+8)
  Encounter Groups
  Though usually encountered alone, frost titan ava-
  lanches sometimes join with elementals or animals, 
  serving as a pack leader of sorts.
  Level 16 encounter (XP 7,000)
  ✦ 1 frost titan avalanche (level 14 solo brute)
  ✦ 2 winter wolves (level 14 skirmisher, 
   
  Monster Manual 2 page 210)
  Storm Titan Thunder 
  Tempest
  Solitary wanderers, storm titan thunder tempests 
  transform themselves into great storm clouds that 
  float over the world or through largely uninhabited 
  areas of the Elemental Chaos.
  Storm Titan Thunder Tempest 
  Tactics
  The titan has two forms, so monitor the powers of 
  each. Here’s a short list for easier reference:
   
  Humanoid Form: Bolt whip, hurl thunderbolt, 
   
  leaping spark, booming bellow, lightning flesh, thunder 
   
  tempest, blood storm.
   
  Cloud Form: Sheet of lightning, blood storm.
  Whenever it can, the titan switches to its cloud 
  form and fires a sheet of lightning. Mix up the order 
  of the titan’s actions. Sometimes use thunder tem-
  pest followed by sheet of lightning (ending the turn 
  in humanoid form), and other times have the titan 
  attack in humanoid form, then transform to cloud 
  form until it’s the titan’s turn again.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Bestiary: Big Trouble
  52
  life. After becoming bloodied, a spark binder creates 
  a shielding armor of stone to keep itself safe. A spark 
  binder isn’t as proud as other storm titans, and it 
  retreats or parleys when it’s close to defeat.
  Storm Titan Spark Binder Lore
   
  arcana DC 26: Possessing innate potential 
  with elemental magic, the storm titans called spark 
  binders manipulate substance they draw from the 
  Elemental Chaos. These troops carry morningstars 
  Storm Titan Spark Binder
  These rank-and-file storm titans bind elemental stone 
  and lightning to create their signature morningstars.
  Storm Titan Spark Binder Tactics
  A spark binder keeps as many enemies as possible 
  within 3 squares of it (in range of shattering morning-
  star and the storm fury aura). It takes several powerful 
  assaults for a spark binder to become afraid for its 
   
  While in humanoid form, the titan keeps moving 
  by using leaping spark. If it needs to move out of close 
  combat, it uses leaping spark to make a melee attack 
  against someone in reach, teleports away, and uses 
  hurl thunderbolt, then uses its move action to fly away
  .Storm Titan Thunder tempest Lore
   
  arcana DC 22: Possessing a closer elemental con-
  nection than their kin, storm titan thunder tempests 
  can transform into storm clouds. They’re usually 
  isolated from other titans, but sometimes lord over 
  weaker creatures, presenting themselves as primal 
  spirits to command tribes of humanoids. other thun-
  der tempests are content to drift in cloud form over 
  the world or in the Elemental Chaos, striking out 
  indiscriminately with lightning and thunder to create 
  fear in those below.
  Encounter Groups
  Since they are less likely to group with other storm 
  giants or titans, thunder tempests work with other 
  sorts of elemental creatures, or they find followers in 
  humanoid tribes.
  Level 23 encounter (XP 28,450)
  ✦ 2 fire archon blazesteels (level 19 soldier, Monster
   
  Manual page 19)
  ✦ 6 shardstorm vortex whirlwinds (level 23 minion 
   
  skirmisher, Monster Manual 2 page 101)
  ✦ 1 storm titan thunder tempest 
   
  (level 21 solo lurker)
  Storm Titan Thunder Tempest 
  Level 21 Solo Lurker
  Huge elemental humanoid (aquatic, giant) 
  XP 16,000
  initiative +20 
  senses Perception +21
  hP 784; bloodied 392; see also blood storm
  aC 36; Fortitude 34, reflex 33, Will 35
  resist 20 lightning, 20 thunder
  saving throws +5
  speed 8, fly 10 (hover), swim 8
  action Points 2
  m bolt Whip (standard; must be in humanoid form; at-will) ✦ 
  lightning, thunder, Weapon
   
  Reach 4; +26 vs. AC; 3d6 + 8 lightning and thunder damage.
  r hurl thunderbolt (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, thunder
   
  Ranged 10; +24 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 8 lightning and thunder 
  damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares and dazed 
  (save ends).
  M/R leaping spark (standard; at-will)
   
  The storm titan thunder tempest makes a basic attack, 
  teleports half its speed, and makes a basic attack against a 
  different target.
  C booming bellow (immediate reaction, when the storm titan 
  thunder tempest is hit by an attack; at-will) ✦ thunder
   
  Close blast 5; +24 vs. Fortitude; 1d12 + 7 thunder damage, 
  and the target is knocked prone.
  A sheet of lightning (standard; recharges when the storm 
  titan thunder tempest uses thunder tempest) ✦ lightning, 
  Polymorph, thunder
   
  Area burst 2 within 20; +24 vs. Reflex; 2d12 + 7 lightning 
  damage, the target is knocked prone, and the target takes 
  ongoing 10 thunder damage and is deafened (save ends 
  both). Miss: Half damage. Effect: The thunder tempest 
  teleports to a square adjacent to or in the burst.
  lightning Flesh (when hit by a melee attack; at-will) ✦ 
  lightning, thunder
   
  Targets triggering attacker; +24 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 5 
  lightning damage, 1d10 + 5 thunder damage, and the 
  target is pushed 2 squares.
  thunder tempest (move;  5 6) ✦ Polymorph
   
  The storm titan thunder tempest takes the form of a 
  Gargantuan thunder cloud, then flies its speed. While 
  in this form, it is insubstantial and can occupy spaces 
  occupied by other creatures. A creature that shares a 
  square with the cloud loses lightning resistance (save 
  ends). A creature that starts its turn in the thunder 
  tempest’s space is slid 3 squares. The storm titan thunder 
  tempest resumes its titan form immediately after making 
  an attack other than lightning flesh.
  blood storm (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
   
  Thunder tempest recharges and the storm titan uses it. The 
  titan’s attacks deal 10 extra thunder damage until the end 
  of the encounter.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Giant, Primordial
  skills Diplomacy +23, Intimidate +23
  str 24 (+17) 
  Dex 22 (+16) 
  Wis 23 (+16)
  Con 20 (+15) 
  int 15 (+12) 
  Cha 27 (+18)
  
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  made from elemental stone chained together with 
  arcs of lightning. These titans aren’t quick to anger, 
  and they can sometimes be reasoned with if encoun-
  tered alone. However, they take their orders from 
  titans more powerful than themselves and attack on 
  sight if they have standing orders to do so.
  Encounter Groups
  Storm titans follow more powerful titans and act 
  as sentries or bodyguards. They work best when 
  grouped with controllers who can keep multiple tar-
  gets within reach of the titans.
  Level 25 encounter (XP 35,000)
  ✦ 1 efreet pyresinger (level 25 controller, 
   
  Monster Manual page 99)
  ✦ 2 storm titan spark binders (level 25 elite brute)
  Storm Titan Archer
  Storm titan archers bind the power of lightning and 
  wind into their bows and arrows, firing great arrows 
  that transform into thunderbolts.
  Storm Titan Archer Tactics
  A storm titan archer stays as far away as it can, firing 
  arcing arrows from the sky. The archer can escape 
  from melee by using reactive bolt or swift zephyr, or rely 
  on its aura to keep foes from approaching. Since the 
  titan can attack from such a long range, it might be 
  tough for PCs to take the fight to it. Consider having 
  the archer enter melee to protect its allies when 
  they’re bloodied, stunned, or otherwise  
  in grave danger.
  Storm Titan Archer Lore
   
  arcana DC 28: Storm titan archers carry bows 
  and enormous arrows crafted for them by other 
  creatures. Some of these titans even enslave dwarves 
  Storm Titan Spark Binder 
  Level 25 Elite Brute
  Huge elemental humanoid (aquatic, giant) 
  XP 14,000
  initiative +18 
  senses Perception +16
  storm Fury (lightning, thunder) aura 4; any creature that 
  enters the aura or starts its turn there takes 10 lightning 
  and thunder damage. Creatures other than storm giants 
  and storm titans treat the aura’s area as difficult terrain 
  and cannot fly.
  hP 576; bloodied 288
  aC 37; Fortitude 38, reflex 35, Will 37
  resist 30 lightning, 30 thunder
  saving throws +2
  speed 8, fly 10 (hover), swim 8
  action Points 1
  m elemental morningstar (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, 
  Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +28 vs. AC; 2d6 + 10 damage plus 2d6 lightning 
  damage.
  r hurl thunderbolt (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, thunder
   
  Ranged 10; +28 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 9 lightning and thunder 
  damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares and dazed 
  (save ends).
  C shattering morningstar (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, 
  thunder, Weapon
   
  The titan splits its morningstar into rocky fragments that 
  hit nearby enemies, then forms the weapon again; close 
  burst 3; targets enemies; +28 vs. AC; 2d6 + 9 damage plus 
  2d6 lightning and thunder damage.
  elemental armor (minor; must be bloodied; encounter)
   
  The storm titan spark binder surrounds itself with 
  elemental stone tethered by arcs of lightning; the storm 
  titan gains resist 15 to all damage. Each time the titan is 
  hit by a melee attack, reduce the resistance by 5.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Giant, Primordial
  skills Diplomacy +25, Intimidate +25
  str 29 (+21) 
  Dex 22 (+18) 
  Wis 18 (+16)
  Con 28 (+21) 
  int 13 (+13) 
  Cha 26 (+20)
  equipment elemental morningstar
  or cyclopses and shackle them in workshops among 
  their cloud castles, forcing them to make the highest-
  quality weaponry possible.
  Storm Titan Archer 
  Level 28 Elite Artillery
  Huge elemental humanoid (aquatic, giant) 
  XP 26,000
  initiative +24 
  senses Perception +19
  storm Fury (lightning, thunder) aura 4; any creature that 
  enters the aura or starts its turn there takes 10 lightning 
  and thunder damage. Creatures other than storm giants 
  and storm titans treat the aura’s area as difficult terrain 
  and cannot fly.
  hP 394; bloodied 197
  aC 40; Fortitude 40, reflex 42, Will 38
  resist 30 lightning, 30 thunder
  saving throws +2
  speed 8, fly 10 (hover), swim 8
  action Points 1
  m Crackling greatsword (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, 
  thunder, Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +33 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage plus 1d8 lightning 
  and thunder damage.
  r arcing arrow (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning
   
  Ranged 20/40; +35 vs. AC; 3d6 + 10 lightning damage. 
  Effect: The storm titan archer makes a secondary attack 
  against a different creature within 10 squares of the 
  primary target, originating the attack from the primary 
  target: ranged 10; +33 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 10 lightning 
  damage.
  R reactive bolt (immediate reaction, when hit by a melee or 
  ranged attack;  5 6 )
   
  The storm titan archer shifts half its speed, then makes an 
  arcing arrow attack.
  R swift zephyr (standard; encounter)
   
  The storm titan archer becomes invisible until the end of 
  its next turn. The titan then shifts its speed, making two 
  arcing arrow attacks at any point during the movement.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Giant, Primordial
  skills Diplomacy +25, Intimidate +25
  str 27 (+22) 
  Dex 30 (+24) 
  Wis 20 (+19)
  Con 23 (+20) 
  int 14 (+16) 
  Cha 22 (+20)
  equipment leather armor, longbow, 20 arrows, greatsword
  
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  Encounter Groups
  Storm titan archers lead groups of melee combatants 
  who keep foes busy on the ground while the archer 
  fires from above. Some also work with demon lords or 
  even gods.
  Level 28 encounter (XP 70,000)
  ✦ 1 primordial colossus (level 28 elite brute, Monster 
   
  Manual 2 page 37)
  ✦ 2 storm gorgons (level 26 skirmisher, Monster 
   
  Manual page 143)
  ✦ 1 storm titan archer (level 28 elite artillery)
  beholder eTernAl 
  TyrAnT
  After a powerful beholder (usually an ultimate tyrant) 
  dies, its story might not end just yet. The most learned 
  of these creatures can, through sheer force of will, 
  retain their independence and power and create new 
  bodies for themselves. These creatures are known as 
  eternal tyrants, since they pursue immortality and 
  rulership over as many creatures as they can.
  Beholder Eternal  
  Tyrant Tactics
  The beholder has already transferred some of its 
  power to its corporeal shell, mostly as protection 
  against attack. Therefore, eye rays with a physical 
  Beholder Eternal Tyrant Shell Level 31 Elite Brute
  Huge animate magical beast (construct) 
  XP 46,000
  initiative +25 
  senses Perception +28; all-around vision,   
   
   
  darkvision
  hP 720; bloodied 360
  aC 43; Fortitude 45, reflex 43, Will 41
  immune disease, poison
  saving throws +2
  speed fly 8 (hover)
  action Points 1
  m bite (standard; at-will)
   
  +34 vs. AC; 4d8 + 12 damage.
  M Jaws of the beholder (free, when an adjacent enemy is hit by 
  any beholder’s eye ray; at-will)
   
  The beholder eternal tyrant shell makes a bite attack 
  against the triggering enemy.
  R eye rays (standard; at-will) ✦ see text
   
  The beholder eternal tyrant shell uses one eye ray power 
  chosen from the list below. Using eye ray does not provoke 
  opportunity attacks.
   
  1—Disintegrate ray: Ranged 10; +32 vs. Fortitude; 1d10 
  + 8 damage, and the target takes ongoing 15 damage (save 
  ends). Aftereffect: Ongoing 10 damage (save ends).
   
  2—telekinetic slam ray (Force): Ranged 10; +32 vs. 
  Fortitude; 2d10 + 10 force damage, the beholder slides 
  the target 10 squares, and the target is knocked prone.
   
  3—Fire ray (Fire): Ranged 10; +32 vs. Reflex; 4d8 + 14 fire 
  damage.
   
  4—acid ray (acid): Ranged 10; +32 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 10 
  acid damage, and ongoing 15 acid damage (save ends).
   
  5—thunderbolt ray (lightning, thunder): Ranged 10; 
  +32 vs. Reflex; 4d6 + 10 lightning damage, and each 
  creature within 2 squares of the target takes 10 thunder 
  damage.
  C Central eye (minor 1/round; at-will) ✦ Charm
   
  Close blast 5; +32 vs. Will; until the end of the beholder 
  eternal tyrant shell’s next turn, the target is marked and 
  takes half damage when missed by an eye ray attack.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Deep Speech
  str 38 (+29) 
  Dex 30 (+25) 
  Wis 26 (+23)
  Con 40 (+30) 
  int 7 (+13) 
  Cha 36 (+28)
  
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  effect come from the shell, and those with a mental 
  effect (or necrotic effect) come from the essence. 
  Unless it has a task to perform, the essence stays 
  near the shell in case it needs to enter the body in an 
  emergency.
   
  Running an encounter with both halves of an 
  eternal tyrant is not for the faint of heart, and such 
  an encounter is probably one of the last encounters 
  of your entire campaign. Plenty of save ends effects 
  are used by the essence, so you might want to prepare 
  cards with the conditions on them and hand them out 
  to players whose characters you hit. Doing this can 
  also keep you from using the same ray over and over, 
  since it’s easy to track which ones have been used in 
  the recent past.
   
  Beholder eternal tyrant essence: This creature 
  is wary of entering melee combat, since it will die if 
  its ghostly form is destroyed. Rather than make sure 
  it can use eyes of the beholder constantly, it stays far 
  from the PCs and uses its eye rays and central eye on 
  creatures it wants to see dead. If a creature moves 
  adjacent to the essence, the essence uses terror ray to 
  force the creature to retreat (and it might spend an 
  action point to use the terror ray again if another crea-
  ture is adjacent), then moves away. When the essence 
  uses its phasing ability, it does so carefully; it doesn’t 
  want to leave sight of its shell, just in case it needs to 
  use mental transference.
   
  Beholder eternal tyrant Shell: This construct 
  possesses a rudimentary intellect that is granted by 
  the essence, which means that the shell isn’t defense-
  less. With an essence or other master nearby, the 
  shell takes orders. otherwise, it fights on instinct. 
  The shell wants to be in melee combat so that it can 
  draw its enemies’ fire. With its central eye, the shell 
  designates targets for both itself and the essence. It 
  can make up for its low brute accuracy with the cen-
  tral eye’s power to make missed eye rays still deal half 
  damage.
  Beholder Eternal Tyrant Lore
   
  arcana or religion DC 28: Mentally power-
  ful beholder ultimate tyrants cling to their intellect 
  tenaciously. In fact, some can sustain psychic shells 
  of themselves after death. When an ultimate tyrant’s 
  soul reaches the Shadowfell, it can use the power of 
  its mind to sever itself from the cycle of death. Such 
  creatures are known as beholder eternal tyrants, 
  and they create new construct bodies for them-
  selves. Doing so can take centuries, and if a beholder 
  could ever complete its body, it would be nearly 
  indestructible.
  Encounter Groups
  Beholder eternal tyrants keep to themselves for the 
  most part, but occasionally they group with aberrant 
  monstrosities or other creatures that possess eternal 
  life. You can make other, more diverse encounters 
  if you have another powerful evil creature defeat a 
  beholder eternal tyrant essence. The creature can 
  assume control over the partially constructed body.
  Level 29 encounter (XP 88,000)
  Beholder Eternal Tyrant Essence 
  Level 33 Elite Artilley
  Huge shadow magical beast (undead) 
  XP 62,000
  initiative +23 
  senses Perception +31; all-around 
   
   
  vision, darkvision
  hP 327; bloodied 163; see also mental transference
  aC 45; Fortitude 43, reflex 44, Will 46
  resist insubstantial
  saving throws +2
  speed fly 8 (hover), phasing
  action Points 1
  m bite (standard; at-will) ✦ Psychic
   
  +40 vs. AC; 4d6 + 10 psychic damage.
  R Central eye (minor; at-will)
   
  Ranged 10; +38 vs. Fortitude; the target can’t spend healing 
  surges (save ends).
  R eyes of the beholder (free, when an enemy starts its turn 
  within 5 squares of the beholder; at-will)
   
  The beholder eternal tyrant essence uses a random eye ray 
  attack against the triggering enemy.
  R eye rays (standard; at-will) ✦ see text
   
  The beholder eternal tyrant essence uses one eye ray 
  power chosen from the list below. Using eye ray does not 
  provoke opportunity attacks.
   
  1—madness ray (Charm, Psychic): Ranged 10; +38 vs. 
  Will; 2d6 + 8 psychic damage, and the target must make a 
  basic attack against its nearest ally as a free action.
   
  2—Withering ray (necrotic): Ranged 10; +38 vs. 
  Fortitude; 2d8 + 7 necrotic damage, and the target takes 
  ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends).
   
  3—terror ray (Fear, Psychic): Ranged 10; +38 vs. Will; 
  1d10 + 10 psychic damage. The target moves its speed 
  away from the beholder eternal tyrant essence by the 
  safest route, then is immobilized (save ends).
   
  4—nocturne ray (necrotic, sleep): Ranged 10; +38 vs. 
  Will; the target falls unconscious and takes ongoing 10 
  necrotic damage (save ends both).
   
  5—Death ray (necrotic): Ranged 10; +38 vs. Fortitude; 
  2d6 + 10 necrotic damage, and if the target is bloodied, it 
  is dazed (save ends). First Failed Saving Throw: The target is 
  dazed and weakened (save ends both). Second Failed Saving 
  Throw: The target dies.
  mental transference (when the beholder eternal tyrant 
  essence drops to 0 hit points)
   
  The beholder eternal tyrant essence is destroyed, and 
  it transfers its mind into a beholder eternal tyrant shell 
  within sight. The shell gains all the eye ray options of the 
  essence (and keeps the eye rays it already had).
  alignment Evil 
  languages Deep Speech
  str 18 (+20) 
  Dex 25 (+23) 
  Wis 31 (+26)
  Con 30 (+26) 
  int 36 (+29) 
  Cha 26 (+24)
  
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  ✦ 1 atropal (level 28 elite brute, Monster Manual page 11)
  ✦ 1 beholder eternal tyrant essence 
   
  (level 33 elite artillery)
  Level 32 encounter (XP 138,000)
  ✦ 1 beholder eternal tyrant essence 
   
  (level 33 elite artillery)
  ✦ 1 beholder eternal tyrant shell (level 31 elite brute)
  ✦ 1 tentacled torments (level 29 controller, 
   
  Forgotten realms® Campaign Guide page 245)
  Level 32 encounter (XP 141,000)
  ✦ 1 ancient red dragon (level 30 solo soldier, 
   
  Monster Manual page 83)
  ✦ 1 beholder eternal tyrant shell (level 31 elite brute)
  demon
  Two different types of demons, the unbound balor 
  and the havoc goristro, are described below.
  Unbound Balor
  When powerful demons cause misery and bloodshed, 
  the forces of good work to kill or bind them. Across 
  the world and the planes, countless powerful demons 
  lie imprisoned within warding circles, in labyrinths, 
  or inside extradimensional spaces within objects. 
  Among these demons are a number of great balor 
  generals. Trapped long ago, they seek to be set free to 
  lead the forces of the Abyss once more.
  Unbound Balor Tactics
  An enemy might release an unbound balor to fight 
  the PCs for it, or the PCs might free the balor by 
  accident. An unbound balor feels no obligation to its 
  liberators and attack anyone who’s nearby. It uses 
  abyssal shackles as often as it can, then attacks the 
  creature it hit (and gains combat advantage from the 
  restrained condition). It uses wildfire whip to place 
  dangerous zones in any place the PCs would prefer 
  to stand. Wingclap and break away let the balor reposi-
  tion itself, but it tries to keep foes within reach of its 
  aura and attacks.
  Unbound Balor Lore
   
  arcana DC 27: Powerful demons can be easier 
  to imprison than to kill. Throughout the course of 
  history, the leaders of demon armies have been incar-
  cerated by binding magic. If freed (intentionally or 
  inadvertently), these creatures don’t stop until they’ve 
  returned to the upper echelons of the demonic 
  hordes. Their combat skills atrophy during long 
  imprisonment, but they retain their great strength 
  and inherent abilities.
  Encounter Groups
  You can use an unbound balor as a “graduation” mon-
  ster—one PCs fight while they’re at the upper end of 
  the paragon tier to usher them into epic play. When 
  Unbound Balor 
  Level 21 Solo Brute
  Huge elemental humanoid (demon) 
  XP 16,000
  initiative +15 
  senses Perception +22; truesight 6
  Flaming body (Fire) aura 2 (aura 3 while the balor is 
  bloodied); any enemy that starts its turn within the aura 
  takes 5 fire damage (10 fire damage while the balor is 
  bloodied).
  hP 816; bloodied 408; see also bloodied wingclap and death 
  burst
  aC 35; Fortitude 35, reflex 31, Will 33
  immune fear; resist 20 fire, 15 variable (3/encounter)
  saving throws +5
  speed 8, fly 12 (clumsy)
  action Points 2
  m lightning sword (standard; at-will) ✦ lightning, Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +24 vs. AC; 3d10 + 5 lightning damage (crit 4d10 
  + 5), plus 5 lightning damage while bloodied.
  M Flame Whip (standard; at-will) ✦ Fire, Weapon
   
  Reach 5; +22 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 5 damage, plus 5 fire 
  damage while bloodied, the target takes ongoing 10 fire 
  damage (save ends), and the target is pulled 4 squares to a 
  space adjacent to the unbound balor.
  M Double attack (standard; at-will)
   
  The unbound balor makes a lightning sword attack and a 
  flame whip attack (in either order).
  M break away (immediate reaction, when damaged by an 
  attack from an enemy within 3 squares; at-will)
   
  The balor makes a lightning sword attack against the 
  triggering enemy, then flies half its speed without 
  provoking opportunity attacks.
  R abyssal shackles (minor;  5 6) ✦ necrotic
   
  Ranged 10; +24 vs. Will; 1d6 + 8 necrotic damage, and the 
  target is restrained (save ends). Aftereffect: The target takes 
  10 necrotic damage.
  C Death burst (when reduced to 0 hit points) ✦ Fire
   
  The unbound balor explodes in a burst of flame; close burst 
  10; +22 vs. Reflex; 5d10 fire damage. Miss: Half damage.
  C Wildfire Whip (standard; recharges when first bloodied) F 
  Fire, zone
   
  Close blast 5; +22 vs. Reflex; 3d8 + 7 fire damage. Effect: 
  The blast becomes a zone of abyssal flames until the end 
  of the encounter. Any creature that enters the zone or 
  starts its turn there takes 10 fire damage.
  C Wingclap (move; recharges when first bloodied)
   
  Close burst 3; no attack roll; the target is pushed 1d6 
  squares and knocked prone. If the unbound balor is 
  bloodied, the target also takes ongoing 5 fire damage. 
  Effect: The balor flies its speed.
  alignment Chaotic evil 
  languages Abyssal, Common
  skills Bluff +16, Intimidate +16
  str 25 (+17) 
  Dex 21 (+15) 
  Wis 24 (+17)
  Con 28 (+19) 
  int 13 (+11) 
  Cha 13 (+11)
  equipment lightning sword, flame whip
  
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  unbound balors are encountered with other crea-
  tures, which is seldom, those creatures are frequently 
  fellow demon prisoners released at the same time.
  Level 22 encounter (XP 24,300)
  ✦ 1 hezrou (level 22 brute, Monster Manual page 56)
  ✦ 1 nycademon (level 22 skirmisher, Monster 
   
  Manual  2 page 57)
  ✦ 1 unbound balor (level 21 solo brute)
  Havoc Goristro
  Devotees of the demon lords (especially minotaurs 
  devoted to Baphomet) summon havoc goristros to 
  sow bloodshed and destruction. Bloodthirsty bullies, 
  these goristros revel in slaughtering weaker creatures.
  Havoc Goristro Tactics
  Though it has the ability to make ranged attacks in a 
  pinch using rent earth, the havoc goristro rushes into 
  melee as quickly as it can. It takes every opportunity 
  to use savage revenge, moving back and forth across 
  the battlefield. Keep the result of your 1d6 roll secret, 
  so the PCs won’t know whether they’ll suffer more 
  attacks when they hit the goristro. The goristro uses 
  havoc stomp when it has several enemies in a cluster, 
  so it can charge one and keep the rest close on its 
  next turn as they spend time standing from prone. A 
  havoc goristro doesn’t care if it provokes opportunity 
  attacks. (And honestly, it’s a solo, so having it take 
  more damage can help keep down encounter length.)
   
  Havoc goristros work best when encountered amid 
  interesting terrain. Frequently, they’re sent to destroy 
  settlements, so consider putting the goristro amid the 
  streets of a town, and include innocent bystanders the 
  PCs can rescue.
  Havoc Goristro Lore
   
  arcana DC 23: Havoc goristros exult in violence, 
  and love to be summoned to the mortal world, where 
  they can kill punier creatures. Minotaur followers of 
  Baphomet frequently summon them. Unlike normal 
  goristros, these beasts are rarely used as underlings 
  or servants, but instead are unleashed as forces of 
  destruction. A cultist doesn’t attempt to control a 
  havoc goristro and will probably flee for its life after 
  summoning such a beast.
  Encounter Groups
  It’s exceedingly rare for a havoc goristro to appear 
  with other creatures. When one does, its allies keep 
  as far away as possible and attack enemies from a dif-
  ferent flank.
  Level 15 encounter (XP 6,300)
  ✦ 1 havoc goristro (level 13 solo brute)
  Havoc Goristro 
  Level 13 Solo Brute
  Huge elemental humanoid (demon) 
  XP 4,000
  initiative +7 
  senses Perception +14; darkvision
  aura of bloodlust (Charm) aura 20; while the havoc goristro 
  is bloodied, a nonbloodied enemy that ends its turn within 
  the aura takes 10 damage if it didn’t hit the havoc goristro 
  that turn.
  hP 528; bloodied 264; see also bloodied outburst
  aC 27; Fortitude 27, reflex 23, Will 24
  resist 15 variable (3/encounter)
  saving throws +5
  speed 8
  action Points 2
  m slam (standard; at-will)
   
  Reach 3; +18 vs. AC; 2d10 + 3 damage.
  r rent earth (standard; at-will)
   
  The goristro rips a chunk from the ground and hurls it; 
  ranged 10/20; +16 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 7 damage, and the 
  target is knocked prone.
  M/R Double attack (standard; at-will)
   
  The havoc goristro makes two basic attacks.
  M blood Fury (standard; must be bloodied; at-will)
   
  The havoc goristro makes 3 slam attacks. It can’t target the 
  same creature with more than two of these attacks.
  M bloodied outburst (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
   
  The havoc goristro uses blood fury, then moves its speed.
  M savage revenge (immediate reaction, when damaged by an 
  attack; at-will)
   
  The havoc goristro makes a charge attack against the 
  creature that damaged it.
  C gouging horns (standard;  5 6 )
   
  Close blast 3; +16 vs. AC; 2d8 + 3 damage, and ongoing 10 
  damage (save ends).
  C havoc stomp (standard; recharges when first bloodied)
   
  Close burst 10; +16 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 6 damage, and the 
  target is knocked prone. Effect: The havoc goristro makes a 
  charge attack against one creature knocked prone by this 
  power.
  alignment Chaotic evil 
  languages Abyssal
  str 23 (+12) 
  Dex 12 (+7) 
  Wis 17 (+9)
  Con 20 (+11) 
  int 6 (+4) 
  Cha 10 (+6)
  Goristro Chattel 
  Level 25 Brute
  Huge elemental humanoid (demon) 
  XP 7,000
  initiative +16 
  senses Perception +24; darkvision
  hP 287; bloodied 143
  aC 37; Fortitude 40, reflex 34, Will 37
  resist 20 variable (1/encounter)
  speed 8
  m slam (standard; at-will)
   
  Reach 3; +28 vs. AC; 3d10 + 8 damage.
  M goring Charge (standard; at-will)
   
  The goristro makes a charge attack: +28 vs. AC; 4d10 + 7 
  damage, and the target is knocked prone.
  C Protective stomp (immediate interrupt, when an enemy 
  moves adjacent to one of the goristro chattel’s allies and is 
  within 2 squares; recharges when first bloodied)
   
  Close burst 2; +26 vs. Reflex; 4d10 + 9 damage, and the 
  target is knocked prone.
  alignment Chaotic evil 
  languages Abyssal
  str 30 (+22) 
  Dex 18 (+16) 
  Wis 24 (+19)
  Con 27 (+20) 
  int 5 (+9) 
  Cha 13 (+13)
  
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  Bestiary: Big Trouble
  58
  ✦ 1 minotaur cabalist (level 13 controller, 
   
  Monster Manual page 190)
  ✦ 3 minotaur warriors (level 10 soldier, 
   
  Monster Manual page 190)
  Goristro Chattel
  Bred as servants (or even pets) for extremely powerful 
  beings, goristro chattel work alongside their masters 
  or guard secret areas of their masters’ domains.
  Goristro Chattel Tactics
  A goristro chattel uses protective stomp when a crea-
  ture moves to attack its master. It tries not to catch 
  its master in the burst, but any other allies are just 
  collateral damage. once bloodied, the goristro chat-
  tel becomes less careful, and it doesn’t always obey 
  orders. If its master is defeated, the goristro chattel 
  rampages without any regard for its own life or the 
  lives of others.
  Goristro Chattel Lore
   
  arcana DC 26: Some goristros are bred and 
  trained as slaves for all sorts of powerful evil crea-
  tures. Though they can be unreliable on occasion, 
  their sheer size and power make them desirable 
  servants. Some claim that legions of these beasts 
  live in great breeding pits within The Endless Maze 
  (Baphomet’s layer of the Abyss).
  Encounter Groups
  Goristro chattel serve as guards for all sorts of high-
  level monsters.
  Level 25 encounter (XP 35,100)
  ✦ 1 deva fallen star (level 26 artillery, 
   
  Monster Manual 2 page 62)
  ✦ 2 goristro chattel (level 25 brute)
  ✦ 1 marilith (level 24 elite skirmisher, 
   
  Monster Manual page 57)
  Level 26 encounter (XP 49,500)
  ✦ 2 dragonborn champions (level 26 soldier, 
   
  Monster Manual page 87)
  ✦ 3 goristro chattel (level 25 brute)
  ✦ 6 sons of winter (level 25 minion, 
   
  Draconomicon page 243)
  green drAgon 
  ArbiTer
  Arbiters are green dragons devoted to upholding 
  laws, which they brutally execute. Green dragon 
  arbiters manipulate their foes into exposing their law-
  breaking, then spring into action once they find the 
  evidence they need. Though most arbiters are evil, 
  some of their number appears across all alignments.
  Green Dragon Arbiter Tactics
  The bread and butter of a green dragon’s attacks are 
  here: the bite, claws, breath weapon, and frightful pres-
  ence. The other abilities have been replaced with ones 
  that make the dragon a better leader. The dragon 
  wants its allies to follow its example, so it drops into 
  melee and stays there. It’s not afraid to take some 
  attacks to protect its allies, since it knows it has the 
  hit points to do so. However, when it’s near death, its 
  green dragon nature might take over, causing it to 
  make a quick retreat, regardless of its allies’ fates.
   
  The green dragon arbiter has ways to discourage 
  enemies from hitting it (invoke justice) or from hitting 
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Bestiary: Big Trouble
  59
  its allies (punishing glare). Use these abilities, and the 
  equalizing law aura, to make the PCs to spread out 
  their attacks more than they normally would. Arbi-
  ters group with as many allies as they can to achieve 
  the best use of punishing glare.
  Green Dragon Arbiter Lore
   
  nature DC 17: With their innate instinct to 
  manipulate and control other creatures, some green 
  dragons become arbiters. These dragons track down 
  and capture lawbreakers. They don’t all serve one 
  particular law. Some enforce devils’ pacts, and others 
  work in the employ of gods of law and of punishment, 
  including Asmodeus, Erathis, and Torog.
   
  nature DC 26: A small number of green dragon 
  arbiters serve the god of justice, Bahamut. For a chro-
  matic dragon, proving its impartiality to the god of 
  metallic dragons is extremely difficult, and only the 
  word of Bahamut allow these arbiters to be accepted 
  as his enforcers.
  Encounter Groups
  Green dragon arbiters work alongside other enforcers 
  of law and balance (like maruts) or with other crea-
  tures employed by the same master.
  Level 22 encounter (XP 24,900)
  ✦ 1 green dragon arbiter (level 23 elite controller)
  ✦ 2 marut blademasters (level 21 soldier, 
   
  Monster Manual page 185)
  ✦ 2 marut executioners (level 22 brute, 
   
  Monster Manual 2 page 162)
  Level 24 encounter (XP 32,500)
  ✦ 1 green dragon arbiter (level 23 elite controller)
  Green Dragon 
  Level 23 Elite Controller (Leader) 
  Arbiter
  Huge natural magical beast (dragon) 
  XP 10,200
  initiative +20 
  senses Perception +19; darkvision
  equalizing law (Psychic) aura 5; while the green dragon 
  arbiter is bloodied, each nonbloodied creature that starts 
  its turn within the aura takes 10 psychic damage.
  hP 432; bloodied 216; see also bloodied breath
  aC 37; Fortitude 34, reflex 36, Will 34
  resist 20 poison
  saving throws +2
  speed 10, fly 14 (hover), overland flight 18
  action Points 1
  m bite (standard; at-will) ✦ Poison
   
  Reach 3; +28 vs. AC; 1d12 + 6 damage, and ongoing 10 
  poison damage and slowed (save ends both).
  m Claw (standard; at-will)
   
  Reach 3; +28 vs. AC; 2d8 + 6 damage, and the next time 
  the target misses, the green dragon arbiter slides the 
  target 3 squares.
  M Double attack (standard; at-will)
   
  The green dragon arbiter makes two claw attacks.
  C breath Weapon (standard;  6) ✦ Poison
   
  Close blast 5; +26 vs. Fortitude; 2d10 + 10 poison damage, 
  and the target takes ongoing 10 poison damage and is 
  slowed (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is slowed 
  (save ends).
  C Frightful Presence (standard; encounter) ✦ Fear
   
  Close burst 10; targets enemies; +26 vs. Will; the target is 
  stunned until the end of the green dragon arbiter’s next 
  turn. Aftereffect: The target takes a –2 penalty to attack 
  rolls (save ends).
  C Punishing glare (immediate interrupt, when an enemy 
  within 10 squares hits one of the green dragon arbiter’s 
  allies;  4 5 6) ✦ Charm, gaze
   
  Close burst 10; targets the triggering creature; +30 vs. Will; 
  the target is weakened (save ends).
  invoke Justice (free, when an ally within 20 squares misses 
  with an attack roll; recharge when the green dragon arbiter 
  is hit by an enemy’s attack)
   
  The ally rerolls the attack roll.
  alignment Evil 
  languages Common, Draconic
  skills Bluff +23, Diplomacy +23, Insight +19, Intimidate +23
  str 20 (+16) 
  Dex 28 (+20) 
  Wis 17 (+14)
  Con 24 (+18) 
  int 18 (+15) 
  Cha 24 (+18)
  ✦ 2 storm devils (level 23 artillery, Manual of the 
  Planes page 127)
  ✦ 2 assassin devils (level 24 lurker, Monster 
   
  Manual 2 page 64)
  legendAry remorhAz
  Solitary remorhazes that inhabit frozen forests in 
  the northern wastes can become legends among the 
  people who live there. These long-lived beasts bear 
  the scars of countless battles against inferior crea-
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Bestiary: Big Trouble
  60
  tures. Since they slaughter anyone they come across, 
  they’re known only in rumors or folk tales. People 
  speak of these creatures in the same hushed, reverent 
  tones they use when describing fearsome dragons. In 
  fact, most ordinary people don’t see the difference.
  Legendary Remorhaz 
  Tactics
  A legendary remorhaz tries to keep one creature 
  grabbed or swallowed at all times, and softens up its 
  other targets with thrashing claws. It uses trample when 
  it doesn’t have a creature grabbed, and it might spend 
  an action point to make a thrashing claws or bite attack 
  right afterward.
   
  Legendary remorhazes live near ice-encrusted 
  water. You can set an encounter with one in an 
  aquatic area, where the creature’s superheated body 
  causes pillars of steam to arise and obscure its true 
  form.
  Legendary Remorhaz Lore
   
  arcana DC 18: Rumors and legends from the 
  frozen north tell of an angry spirit—an enormous 
  engine of destruction that rises up from the icy earth 
  to destroy and devour. The people who live there say 
  it has outlived generations of their people.
   
  arcana DC 23: The details about the beast 
  resemble the traits of a remorhaz. These gigantic, 
  wormlike creatures can burrow through the earth 
  and have superheated bodies. A remorhaz can swal-
  low a person whole.
  Encounter Groups
  A legendary remorhaz appears alone. You can use 
  hazards and terrain to make the encounter more 
  varied, rather than more monsters. Consider putting 
  some tribal warrior minions on the PCs’ side—
  expendable troops who vanish into the fog or under 
  the ice, consumed by the mysterious beast. When a 
  remorhaz does gang up with other creatures, they’re 
  bestial ice creatures.
  Level 17 encounter (XP 8,000)
  ✦ 1 legendary remorhaz (level 15 solo brute)
  ✦ 1 winterclaw owlbear 
   
  (level 14 elite controller, Monster Manual page 212)
  About the Author
  Logan Bonner has a lair that is a series of spiraling tunnels, 
  and at the nexus of these passages lurks Logan Bonner. Any 
  creature passing over one of these tunnels is drawn towards it 
  hypnotically, for the tunnels form a pattern which is hypnotic. 
  When a victim is within the passages, he approaches Logan 
  without realizing it and is charmed by a spell from the game 
  designer unless a saving throw at –4 on the die is made. The 
  charmed victim will then be devoured at Logan’s leisure. In 
  these depths, Logan has produced fiendish works such as 
  Adventurer’s Vault, Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide, Draconimi-
  con, and Arcane Power.
  Legendary Remorhaz 
  Level 15 Solo Brute
  Huge elemental beast 
  XP 6,000
  initiative +14 
  senses Perception +10; low-light vision
  blistering heat (Fire) aura 2; each creature that starts its turn 
  within the aura takes 10 fire damage.
  hP 584; bloodied 292; see also bloodied claws
  aC 28; Fortitude 26, reflex 28, Will 24
  saving throws +5
  speed 6, burrow 4 (tunneling), swim 4
  action Points 2
  m bite (standard; at-will)
   
  Reach 2; +20 vs. AC; 2d10 + 5 damage, and the target is 
  grabbed.
  M swallow (minor; at-will) ✦ Fire
   
  Reach 2; targets a creature grabbed by the legendary 
  remorhaz; +18 vs. Fortitude; the target is swallowed 
  and is no longer grabbed. While swallowed, the target is 
  restrained and takes 10 damage plus 5 fire damage at the 
  start of the legendary remorhaz’s turn. The swallowed 
  creature has line of sight and line of effect only to the 
  legendary remorhaz, and no creature has line of sight 
  or line of effect to the target. The swallowed creature 
  can make only melee or close attacks. If the swallowed 
  creature deals 20 damage to the legendary remorhaz with 
  an attack, or if the legendary remorhaz dies, the legendary 
  remorhaz uses victim purge (no action).
  M trample (standard; at-will)
   
  The legendary remorhaz moves its speed and can enter 
  enemies’ spaces. The legendary remorhaz makes an attack 
  against each enemy whose space it enters; +18 vs. Reflex; 
  2d8 + 6 damage, and the target is knocked prone.
  C bloodied Claws (free, when first bloodied; encounter)
   
  The legendary remorhaz shifts 3 squares, then thrashing 
  claws recharges, and the legendary remorhaz uses it.
  C thrashing Claws (standard;  5 6)
   
  Close burst 1; target enemies; +20 vs. AC; 4d6 + 6 
  damage. Effect: If it isn’t grabbing a creature, the legendary 
  remorhaz makes a bite attack.
  A Victim Purge (minor; must be swallowing a creature; 
  at-will) ✦ Fire
   
  The legendary remorhaz regurgitates a swallowed 
  creature; area burst 1 within 10; +16 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 9 
  fire damage. Effect: The regurgitated creature falls prone in 
  the burst’s origin square and is no longer swallowed.
  ice skitter (move; at-will)
   
  The legendary remorhaz moves its speed and pulls any 
  grabbed creature with it. If the legendary remorhaz is 
  bloodied, the movement doesn’t provoke opportunity 
  attacks.
  enraged heat (immediate reaction, when a creature hits the 
  legendary remorhaz with a melee attack; must be bloodied; 
  at-will) ✦ Fire
   
  The triggering creature takes 10 fire damage.
  legendary tenaciousness
   
  While the legendary remorhaz is bloodied, it can make a 
  saving throw against one effect a save can end at the start 
  of each of its turns.
  alignment Unaligned 
  languages —
  str 21 (+12) 
  Dex 24 (+14) 
  Wis 17 (+10)
  Con 18 (+11) 
  int 5 (+4) 
  Cha 9 (+6)
  
  61
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  By Matthew Sernett 
  illustration by Adam Paquette, Empty Room Studio 
  cartagraphy by Sean Macdonald
  None who have seen it can think of Airspur without 
  envisioning its heights. Its sun-baked streets wind 
  switchback paths down the bright cliffs, its steep stairs 
  cut nearly vertical ascents between buildings, and its 
  suspension bridges arc between earthmotes high over-
  head. Titanic pillars of stone rise from the sea to the 
  level of the land above, and gleaming elemental spires 
  hang with crystalline clarity all throughout Airspur.
   
  Those fortunate enough to have visited also remem-
  ber Airspur as a city of colors and lights. The yellow 
  cliffs tower above an astonishingly blue part of the Sea 
  of Fallen Stars. Cobalt and golden roofs set off pale 
  sandstone structures with gaily painted doors and 
  shutters. Genasi of different hues—each tattooed 
  with glowing lines—promenade in vivid fashions and 
  glittering jewelry. Monolithic crystals, the elemen-
  tal spires that drift in the air, refract the sun’s light 
  during the hot and lazy days and shed colored glows 
  over vibrant nights of wine and dance.
   
  It’s no wonder many consider Airspur the most 
  beautiful city in all Faerûn, nor do they question 
  how it earned its moniker as the Brightest of the 
  Fallen Stars.
  Airspur
  Explore
  Brightest of the Fallen Stars
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Explore Airspur
  62
  AirsPur’s sTory
  Airspur existed as a city-state on the border of Ches-
  senta and Chondath, sometimes allying itself with 
  the other city-states of Chessenta and at other times 
  siding with Chondath. While not initially threatened 
  during the Year of Blue Fire, Airspur saw massive 
  destruction in 1386 DR as the Toril’s sibling world of 
  Abeir replaced much of the nearby landscape. A huge 
  crevasse opened in the city and the sea moved. Those 
  who did not die fled.
   
  Meanwhile, Abeir brought with it most of the 
  genasi nation of Shyr. Long dominated by a pri-
  mordial named Karshimis, the genasi were free 
  to determine their own destiny. They founded the 
  city of Brassune among the blended ruins of the 
  Chondathan city of Rath and Shyr. An initial period 
  of collaboration between the largest families led to 
  nearly two decades of infighting. The Covenant of 
  Monarchy finally resolved this conflict by causing the 
  noble families to elect a line of royal succession.
   
  The first king of AkanÛl was a savvy windsoul 
  genasi named Zavon. His reign ended in the cataclys-
  mic assault of Brassune by the Abolithic Sovereignty 
  50 years ago. This left his daughter, Queen Cyndra, 
  with the duty of repelling the aboleth threat and 
  reforming the shattered nation. This she did in the 
  shelter of the ruins of ancient Airspur, displacing 
  the orcs and half-orcs who had come down from the 
  mountains to reclaim the place.
   
  Queen Cyndra then led her people through a 
  renaissance of sorts. She gained the trust and sup-
  port of the noble families by creating the Covenant of 
  Stewardship and establishing the Court of Majesty. 
  According to the Covenant of Stewardship, the king’s 
  or queen’s power could be checked by the unanimous 
  sional soldiers form the core of its armies and the city 
  watch during peacetime. The rest of Akanuˆl’s military 
  is conscripted from the population, although only a 
  small number of nongenasi are included in the con-
  script catalogs.
   
  inns: Shadow of the Rock, Cliffwatch, Spireview 
  Inn, Rang’s Hostelry.
   
  taverns: Seven Stone Steps, The Hook and Eye, 
  The Wind Clipper, The Drunken Gull.
   
  supplies: Thwaite’s Tack and Gear, Gwind’s Sun-
  dries, Seaside Provisioners.
   
  temples: None. The genasi of Airspur are uncer-
  tain about religion. The difference between gods and 
  primordials or other powerful beings is not firmly 
  established in their minds. Even so, religions of all 
  kinds exist in the city. Priests of real gods and cults 
  of false powers come to Airspur to gain converts, 
  and some achieve results. As yet however, the stew-
  ard of the Sea has blocked the construction of large 
  temples that would take up land otherwise useful to 
  the people or the state, and the Steward of Fire has 
  the city watch occasionally check in on individuals 
  of religious bent who might choose to follow a god’s 
  edicts instead of the city’s laws.
  AirsPur
  The vibrant capital of Akanuˆl, Airspur clings to the 
  cliffs on the east side of a southern bay off the Sea 
  of Fallen Stars
   
  Population: 30,500; another 7,000 live in the 
  nearby countryside. Most citizens are genasi descen-
  dants of refugees from Abeir, the majority being 
  windsouls and stormsouls. Small populations of other 
  races live in the city, particularly half-orcs who lived 
  near the ruins of old Airspur before the genasi rebuilt 
  it. Few dragonborn stay in the city for long due to ten-
  sions between Akanuˆl and Tymanther.
   
  government: Queen Arathane, a windsoul genasi, 
  has ruled Airspur since the death of her long-lived 
  mother. Four stewards control various aspects of 
  the city, and together they can overrule the queen’s 
  edicts. Genasi occupy all important roles of power in 
  Airspur. This is due to the political structure, tradi-
  tions from Shyr in Abeir, and even outright prejudice 
  (particularly against dragonborn who might be from 
  Tymanther).
   
  Defense: The Airspur defenses are divided 
  between three corps: the Sky Guard, the Ground 
  Defense league, and the Wave Riders. These profes-
  vote of four stewards, who would be elected by the 
  nobles every 10 years. These positions of steward-
  ship in turn carry governmental and administrative 
  responsibilities. Queen Cyndra gained popular 
  support and propelled her state’s economy by rapid 
  adoption of new industries suitable to their new lands 
  and the city’s location.
   
  Much-loved by her people, Queen Cyndra died of 
  illness, leaving her only daughter to take up the scep-
  ter and mantle of rulership as Queen Arathane. Due 
  to her youth and lack of political experience, the first 
  decade of Queen Arathane’s rule met with resistance 
  from the stewards and other nobles. Yet in the last 10 
  years, Arathane has shown that she is an intelligent 
  and magnetic leader, causing even her most deter-
  mined opponents to give her respect. Airspur today 
  is famed for its beauty, wealth, and the lifestyle of its 
  genasi citizens.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Explore Airspur
  63
  fourth decade of life, and the question of succession 
  causes a great deal of gossip. Yet the iron-willed Ara-
  thane doesn’t consider it to be a pressing issue since 
  both her mother, Queen Cyndra, and her grand-
  mother bore a child late in life.
   
  adventure Hook: Castan Thellis, a firesoul noble 
  and member of the Firestorm Cabal, has started 
  a rumor that Arathane cannot conceive an heir, 
  and that a suitable replacement should be named 
  immediately for the “good of the people.” The player 
  characters are drawn into this conspiracy when 
  they witness a public rally (secretly orchestrated by 
  Castan) calling for the queen to step down, which 
  turns into an outright riot. After helping to quell the 
  disturbance, the PCs are approached by an emissary 
  of the queen, who asks their help in finding out who 
  is behind the rumors. Success at the investigation 
  might even lead the queen to ask the PCs to aid her in 
  arranging a suitable match—a father to the future heir 
  of AkanÛl.
  Tradrem Kethtrod, 
  Steward of the Earth
  The current Steward of the Earth is an earthsoul 
  genasi, breaking the string of watersouls elected to 
  the position. Until Tradrem, no earthsoul had aspired 
  to a higher position than leadership in AkanÛl’s 
  armies. Coming from a minor noble family, Tradrem 
  feels he has much to prove, and the thoughts behind 
  his earnest face constantly turn to the politics of any 
  given situation.
   
  Tradrem holds Stewardship of Earth, a position in 
  charge of understanding the landscape—both literal 
  and political—in which the genasi find themselves. 
  He heads a group of informants and spies both within 
  and outside AkanÛl, and he commands the efforts 
  Key PersonAliTies 
  And grouPs
  The beautiful capital of a young and robust nation, 
  Airspur produces many influential individuals and 
  organizations. Some of those important powers are 
  presented here.
  Queen Arathane
  The common people of AkanÛl consider Queen 
  Arathane strong and fair. She is roundly praised for 
  continuing her mother’s policies of state support of 
  descendants of the refugees of Shyr. Even the poorest 
  among the genasi can expect shelter and food.
   
  The nobility have a more complex relationship 
  with their queen. Frequently opposed by the stewards 
  early in her rule, she sometimes chafes under the 
  Covenant of Stewardship and frequently seeks ways 
  to achieve her ends without resorting to the Court of 
  Majesty. The Firestorm Cabal represents one of these 
  tactics.
   
  These privateers are sworn to protect AkanÛl, but 
  the group is known to hold Arathane and the stew-
  ards in contempt. Arathane tacitly condones their 
  presence and their occasional antics because of their 
  usefulness as a supplement to the nation’s defenses 
  and as nongovernmental foil against other nations 
  such as Tymanther. Arathane and a dashing deputy 
  commander of the Firestorm Cabal even secretly 
  pursue an on-again-off-again affair that would endan-
  ger both if it became known to the stewards or the 
  leaders of the Cabal.
   
  In addition to friction with the stewards, Queeen 
  Arathane finds herself besieged by suitors and poten-
  tial matchmakers. The queen is approaching her 
  of surveyors and explorers. only the monarchs of 
  AkanÛl and former Stewards of the Earth have a true 
  understanding of the size, means, and goals of the 
  organizations that the Steward of the Earth controls. 
  The power this provides is nominally checked by 
  the fact that the Steward of the Sky can prosecute 
  any illegal activities, but the queen can overrule any 
  prosecution. Stopping that edict requires the Steward 
  of the Earth and the other stewards to vote to pre-
  vent it. In the few decades since the inception of the 
  Covenant of Stewardship, this system has yet to be 
  tested due to loyalty among the noble houses, but as 
  Tradrem seeks to use his powers to their full extent, 
  he might find that he and the queen have reason to 
  exchange favors.
   
  adventure Hook: Tradrem is ambitious, even 
  if he does put the security of AkanÛl first in his 
  thoughts and actions, and he recently sent a pair 
  of spies into neighboring Tymanther. They were 
  captured, unfortunately, but they hold intelligence 
  that Tradrem considers vital to AkanÛl’s security. In 
  addition, the two windsoul spies carried a new magic 
  item said to allow its bearer to listen to distant conver-
  sations and translate them into Common. Tradrem 
  wants his spies and their eavesdropping devices back, 
  and he is willing to reward the PCs well for their 
  service.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  Explore Airspur
  64
  Magnol, Steward of Fire
  Magnol, a powerfully built male firesoul, acts as 
  Steward of Fire. This makes Magnol the second-in-
  command of all military efforts, with the queen being 
  their ultimate leader. Yet peacetime causes his role 
  to look something more like police chief because the 
  armies of AkanÛl serve as Airspur’s city watch.
   
  AkanÛl’s army has only a small core of profes-
  sional soldiers. Most serve as city watch during times 
  of peace, but some make trips to outlying settlements 
  and watchtowers. In times of strife, Queen Arathane 
  calls upon her people to serve as its military. Con-
  scripts have traditionally been drawn only from all 
  able-bodied genasi, but in recent years, Queen Ara-
  thane has encouraged the formation of small corps of 
  citizens of other races
   
  The city watch is divided between three corps: 
  the Sky Guard, the Ground Defense League, and the 
  Wave Riders. The Sky Guard flies throughout the 
  city on the backs of war drakes. For obvious reasons 
  of safety, most of the Sky Guard are windsoul genasi. 
  The Ground Defense League guards entryways into 
  the city, the Catacombs, the Cliff Prison, the palaces 
  of nobles, and on the streets. Genasi of all types serve 
  in the Ground Defense League, but watersouls and 
  earthsouls are the most populous. The Wave Riders, 
  made up mostly of watersoul genasi, act as the harbor 
  guard during peacetime.
   
  Magnol must work in close concert with the other 
  stewards in his capacity as leader of the armies and 
  city watch. He relies upon the Steward of Earth for 
  intelligence and detective work, the Steward of the 
  Sky for legal authority and prosecution, and the 
  Steward of the Sea for his budget and for dealing with 
  violations of trade and taxation without resorting to 
  arrests and jail time.
   
  The division of power and need for cooperation 
  keeps the stewards in conflict. As they jockey for 
  influence in their overlapping spheres, they go to the 
  queen for arbitration. This gives her power because 
  she can decide matters not just upon the legality or 
  justice but upon political favors the stewards owe her.
   
  This kind of politicking sets Magnol to seething. 
  He considers the preservation and growth of AkanÛl 
  the highest duty of all its citizens, and it frustrates 
  him that control of the means to assure that is divided 
  among the stewards and the queen. Magnol would 
  prefer if he or someone he trusts could command 
  it all, but he can’t see a way to achieve that end that 
  wouldn’t weaken AkanÛl or throw it into chaos.
   
  adventure Hook: City militia seized a ship trying 
  to enter Airspur’s harbor without proper authority or 
  paperwork. According to rumor, shortly after examin-
  ing the cargo hold, a militia captain commandeered a 
  war drake to fly directly to Magnol’s office. The stew-
  ard then came to inspect the vessel, just as agents of 
  Myxofin seized it from the militia for improperly filed 
  tax documents. The Steward of the Sea held the ship 
  for no more than an hour, however, before the Stew-
  ard of the Sky’s people claimed the right to seize the 
  ship, asserting that it held a wanted fugitive from jus-
  tice. Not to be outdone, the earth steward’s office also 
  made a claim on the ship, claiming national security 
  was at stake. Now the ship sits in the middle of the 
  harbor, guarded from shore by members of all four 
  stewards, who squabble continuously over its disposi-
  tion. Shortly thereafter, the queen seized the vessel 
  and stationed her own people aboard. Enter the PCs, 
  who are approached by Magnol to sneak aboard the 
  vessel and acquire a particular cask located under 
  heavy lock and key in the hold. Shortly before they 
  depart, agents of other stewards approach the char-
  acters for the same purpose—to seize the mysterious 
  chest. of course, since they’ll be dealing with mem-
  bers of the city militia, Magnol wants none of the 
  guards on the ship hurt.
  Lehaya, Steward  
  of the Sky
  As Steward of the Sky, this windsoul genasi acts as 
  Lawgiver of Airspur and all AkanÛl. Her appointed 
  judges try the cases, and the lawyers that argue them 
  owe their employment to Lehaya. Although this 
  grants Lehaya great power, she has no direct con-
  trol over who is brought to trial. That’s the domain 
  of Magnol and the city watch. Additionally, Queen 
  Arathane’s judgment is the highest law, and she can 
  overrule the courts’ rulings (although she too can be 
  overridden by a unified vote by the stewards).
   
  In practice, Lehaya exercises only light influence. 
  She avoids using the courts to punish enemies and 
  instead offers leniency to those who can give her 
  advantage. Since these individuals are nearly always 
  nobles, she balances her image among the people of 
  AkanÛl by frequently pardoning commoners brought 
  before the court for minor offenses. Her famous 
  mercy has earned her the nickname “Mother Law.”
   
  Lehaya avoids making waves in politics and society 
  to help cover her extracurricular interest: the Virush-
  ead. The Virushead, a creature that unleashes a dozen 
  deadly diseases with each breath, is hidden away in 
  an earthmote and held in magical stasis to prevent 
  the release of contagion. The genasi captured it in the 
  wilds of AkanÛl at great cost, bringing it in stasis and 
  in secret to Airspur under the rule of Queen Cyndra. 
  At that time, it was agreed that the Virushead might 
  be used as a weapon but that it was too dangerous to 
  
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  free from stasis until needed—an opinion with which 
  the current Steward of Fire firmly agrees.
   
  Lehaya sees the Virushead as a powerful weapon 
  against the Abolithic Sovereignty—assuming her 
  mages learn how to control and focus its power. She 
  seeks to develop a disease that affects aboleths and 
  other creatures but leaves genasi unscathed. Yet due 
  in large part to Magnol’s security objections, Queen 
  Arathane outlawed experimentation with the Virus-
  head. The other stewards would not vote to overrule 
  her, so Lehaya has resorted to secret projects. Her 
  trusted agents even clandestinely offer rewards 
  for captured creatures they then use in Virushead 
  research.
   
  adventure Hook: The Virushead has disap-
  peared from its prison, and Lehaya, through an 
  intermediary, approaches the PCs to discover its 
  whereabouts before the plague carrier is turned 
  against the city. To make matters more complex, 
  Lehaya wants the creature returned alive and intact, 
  and failure to do so could earn the PCs the steward’s 
  wrath.
  Myxofin, Steward  
  of the Sea
  Long roads out of AkanÛl are few, and none promise 
  safe passage due to bandits and monsters. Almost all 
  business in AkanÛl comes through Airspur’s port. 
  Farmers in the surrounding countryside send olive 
  oil, wine, fruit, grains, animals, and other goods to 
  the city, and everything else comes to Airspur from 
  the Sea of Fallen Stars.
   
  Myxofin, a male watersoul genasi, oversees the 
  business of the realm as the Steward of the Sea. His 
  agents deal with issues of taxation, gaining building 
  rights for businesses, shipping permits, docking and 
  caravan fees, price fixing, and so on. If it has to do 
  with money, the steward of the Sea is likely involved. 
  This makes the position of Steward of the Sea cov-
  eted, and it takes significant investment of capital 
  and promises to secure enough votes to gain the post. 
  Fortunately, the roles of the other stewards as inves-
  tigators, police, and prosecutors limits the corruption 
  of that election to a level acceptable to the nobles and 
  largely invisible to the common people.
   
  Myxofin is as corrupt as the last three Stewards 
  of the Sea combined, yet he’s also smarter. He reaps 
  profits through dummy business, the black market, 
  and Airspur’s guilds (both legal and illegal) while at 
  the same time distancing himself as much as possible 
  from their operations. Myxofin skims from the skim-
  mers, and money rarely directly enters his hands.
   
  Myxofin’s plans have been so lucrative, in fact, 
  that his success is starting to show. That’s a liability 
  that Myxofin can’t afford. Also, Myxofin’s term will 
  soon end, and he eagerly anticipates enjoying his 
  wealth—something that would be too conspicuous in 
  Airspur. So of course, Myxofin has a plan. His agents 
  have secretly engaged in negotiations with the ambas-
  sadors of the nations that currently have embassies 
  within Airspur: Aglarond, Chessenta, High Imaskar, 
  and Netheril. So far, the Shadovar have been the most 
  receptive to his probes, and Myxofin is looking into 
  acquiring a manse in Sakkors—under a pseudonym of 
  course.
   
  adventure Hook: In his pursuit of property 
  abroad, Myxofin has inadvertently given enemies of 
  AkanÛl access to the city. Now, Shadovar agents have 
  struck twice at ships in Airspur’s harbor, withdrawing 
  before they can be caught. The attacks have shown 
  an uncanny knowledge of the workings of harbor 
  militia patrols, as well as the Steward of the Sea’s own 
  people. The PCs are tasked by the steward’s office to 
  find out who is behind the attacks and how they are 
  always at the right place at the right time. Meanwhile, 
  Myxofin, who knows perfectly well who is behind 
  the attacks, sends rival adventurers to thwart the PCs 
  while he tries to clean up the Shadovar corruption.
  Firestorm Cabal
  The Firestorm Cabal is an organization of privateers 
  pledged by their leaders to protecting AkanÛl. These 
  scouts, mercenaries, and freebooters sporadically 
  guard the nation from all manner of threats on 
  sea, land, and in air. Commoners think of them as 
  champions of the people, but some leaders in the city 
  consider them troublesome rogues, particularly the 
  Stewards of Sky and Fire. In truth, members of the 
  Firestorm Cabal act as both, with many acting more 
  like villains than heroes.
   
  Despite their obvious disrespect for her authority, 
  Queen Arathane ostensibly permits their operations 
  in AkanÛl due to their popularity with her people 
  and their ability to supplement the nation’s defenses. 
  In truth she secretly employs them in all manner of 
  missions that further her political goals or the good of 
  the nation. For example, the Firestorm Cabal engages 
  in border protection, an activity that takes the form 
  of cross-border raids and robbery of caravans from 
  foreign lands. Queen Arathane sees to it that the 
  stewards look the other way when such attacks ben-
  efit her, particularly those that affect Calimshan and 
  Tymanther. The Cabal knows not to impinge on trade 
  too much or to allow a conflict to provoke war. It can 
  count on some protection while within the borders 
  of AkanÛl, but beyond it most nations consider the 
  Cabal’s members as being outlaws.
  
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  The Firestorm Cabal has many safehouses and 
  bases around AkanÛl. Airspur, as the most popu-
  lous area in the country, hosts its Motherhouse. The 
  Motherhouse is the logistical center of the Cabal. 
  Its leaders meet there when not in the field, and the 
  Motherhouse serves as an initial training ground for 
  new recruits.
   
  The Motherhouse hides an increasingly important 
  resource for the Firestorm Cabal. In a secret location 
  behind the cliffs of Airspur, Firestorm Cabal sorcer-
  ers study wild magic. Yet their practices don’t merely 
  pull from the Elemental Chaos as is the case for 
  normal sorcery. Instead these mages take power from 
  the wild magic caused by the Spellplague. Indeed, 
  the Firestorm Cabal makes many excursions with the 
  clandestine intent of seeking out areas and creatures 
  affected by the Spellplague and studying them. This 
  is an outlawed activity punished by a death penalty, 
  and so the Firestorm Cabal takes great pains to hide 
  their successes (and their failures even more so).
   
  adventure Hook: In their quest for new sources 
  of magical power, the Firestorm Cabal inadvertently 
  opened a rift to the Abyss. Worse still, a powerful 
  demon on the other side stepped through and pre-
  vented the sorcerers who opened the portal from 
  closing it. Now, packs of ravaging demons have begun 
  attacking settlements near Airspur, as well as militia 
  patrols near the city. As more and more powerful 
  demons have come through the portal, the threat 
  grows, and the PCs must enter the well-guarded 
  Motherhouse, make their way past still-hostile 
  Firestorm Cabal members, defeat the demons in the 
  depths of the house, and seal the portal.
  Airsteppers Guild
  The vertical nature of Airspur makes moving about 
  the city something of a chore, but windsoul genasi 
  can fly short distances and even float down from 
  great heights without danger. The rapidity with which 
  they can travel led to the formation of a league of 
  couriers called the Airsteppers Guild. While each 
  Airstepper is essentially a freelance messenger, they 
  adhere to the codes of the Guild and wear its signa-
  ture blue-and-white robes while working. Couriers 
  use their windsoul powers to occasionally fly up 
  levels, across gaps, or over obstacles, and they use 
  them to descend distances safely. The competition 
  to reach destinations swiftly, and the time it takes 
  to renew their power of flight, created a culture of 
  parkouring among the Airsteppers, which in turn has 
  been adopted by the youth in the city. Now genasi of 
  all types and even members of other races scale walls, 
  leap between rooftops, or bound down the levels of 
  the cliffs.
   
  The stewards and the queen employ trusted 
  Airsteppers, frequently hiring multiple Airsteppers to 
  work together as guards or decoys to important mes-
  sages. The Steward of Earth and the Steward of the 
  Sea both have a great deal of interest in the informa-
  tion traffic of the city, but each has only a few corrupt 
  Airsteppers in his employ. Most Airsteppers follow 
  the Guild’s rules assiduously—rules that include not 
  examining the package or message carried.
  elemenTAl sPires
  Gleaming crystal spindles hang in the sky above the 
  city and dip down into the cleft in the cliffs that Air-
  spur occupies. These gemlike monoliths, known as 
  elemental spires, came from Abeir when the worlds 
  combined. Now they glitter in the sky all over Akanul, 
  but a surprising number have collected over Airspur. 
  like earthmotes, they unfailingly float in the sky, but 
  unlike earthmotes, they drift in small orbits, each 
  moving around its own arbitrary point in space. 
  During the day they dazzle the eye by refracting and 
  reflecting sunlight, but as the light dims they glow of 
  their own accord.
   
  The elemental spires range in size from a dozen 
  feet tall to nearly a hundred feet tall. There are three 
  colors: yellow, orange, and blue. Each color corre-
  sponds to a specific energy, and the energy is the 
  reason no one builds on an elemental spire. When a 
  creature or object comes within a certain distance of 
  a spire, it lashes out with the energy associated with 
  its color: fire for orange, cold for blue, and lightning 
  for yellow. The larger the spire, the greater the dis-
  tance that it lashes out. The residents of Akanul are 
  well aware of the spires’ danger and know to give 
  them a wide berth.
   
  Instead of using specific mechanics for all levels of 
  play, you can modify the danger of the spires based 
  on the PCs’ level so that the spires remain a threat in 
  whatever adventure you’re running. When running 
  an encounter near an elemental spire, decide the 
  distance at which a spire strikes, and roll initiative 
  for the spire. All creatures within the range at the 
  start of the spire’s turn are attacked. Roll an attack 
  against Reflex with a bonus to the attack roll equal to 
  the PC’s level + 5. Consult the Damage By level chart 
  on page 185 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide® and use 
  the medium damage expression for the PC’s level.
  
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  2. Street of Cerulean Hues
  This long highway snakes along the top of a cliff south 
  of the city that overlooks the Sea of Fallen Stars. It’s 
  famed for its breathtaking view and the breakneck 
  fall to the rocky shore an unwary person can experi-
  ence. The wide cobbled street owes its existence to old 
  Airspur and the empire of Chessenta rather than the 
  travel needs of Airspur’s current residents. Although 
  used by some farmers and merchants, the street is 
  dominated by inns and the pleasant villas of the 
  wealthy looking to have a little more room and a fine 
  view. The Steward of the Sea keeps a palatial second 
  home along the road where he entertains and hosts 
  important guests to the city.
  3. Darkled Depths
  Shadowed by cliffs and a low-hanging earthmote, the 
  dripping neighborhood known as the Darkled Depths 
  gets little direct sunlight and acts as the industrial 
  hub of the city. The earthmote above it wells with 
  water that flows over its sides, and a clifftop stream 
  falls down toward the bay. The genasi harness the 
  locATions
  Buildings in Airspur stand in the coves at the base of 
  the cliffs, climb the nearly sheer face of the rock along 
  long inclined roads, stand tall atop earthmotes and 
  pillars of stone, dot the cliffs’ edges, and even burrow 
  into the sides of the cleft in which the city resides. 
  Genasi buildings utilize the ruins of Ancient Airspur 
  and accentuate the natural environment in inventive 
  ways, layering the genasis’ Abeirian fancies onto the 
  staid columns of old while at the same time highlight-
  ing the beauty of the area. What follows are some of 
  the important areas that exist in this lovely setting.
  1. Court of Majesty
  The Court of Majesty is the royal court for Queen 
  Arathane and her stewards. It convenes around 
  the top of a small earthmote, with each of the five 
  thronemotes floating just above it and around its 
  edges. Those coming to court climb up from a central 
  stair carved in the earthmote and accessed from 
  below by a bridge from a lower earthmote upon 
  which stands the Queen’s Palace. The Court of Maj-
  esty is left open to the air, but in heat or inclement 
  weather, poles and cloth shades are raised. Queen 
  Cyndra set up this court to put the rule of AkanÛl 
  in plain view of the people (particularly the nobles). 
  Queen Arathane would prefer to do without the 
  formality, but the stewards oppose breaking with tra-
  dition because the open-air court puts their influence 
  on full display.
  
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  68
  force of both of these sources of water to fill aque-
  ducts and power mills. Due to the noise, shadows, 
  and dampness, the Darkled Depths serves as home to 
  some of Airspur’s poorest citizens. Many nongenasi 
  live in and around this area due to subtle pressures of 
  prejudice and suspicion.
   
  adventure Hook: A recent spate of burglaries 
  targeting some of the city’s wealthiest nobles have 
  been tracked to the Darkled Depths. Captains in the 
  city militia are hesitant to send their own troops into 
  the city, so the PCs are hired to find out who has been 
  terrorizing the city elite and put a stop to the robber-
  ies. Strangely, the poor residents of the Depths seem 
  unwilling to cooperate. Is this thief a Robin Hood of 
  sorts? Someone with a grudge against the nobility? or 
  someone with a darker agenda in need of funding?
  4. Plaza of Leaping 
  Fountains
  Located on an earthmote that serves one of the two 
  causeways between the cliff sides, the Plaza of Leap-
  ing Fountains hovers several hundred feet above the 
  bay in the most vibrant entertainment district in the 
  city. The open square hosts many fountains that spout 
  water over the walkways, arcing above the heads of 
  revelers and filling the air with cooling mist. Named 
  for the engineering of its fountains, the Plaza is 
  famous for the shops, taverns, inns, and cafes that line 
  it and the nearby streets. If something of note hap-
  pens in the city, it frequently happens at the Plaza.
  5. Catacombs
  The collapse of ancient Airspur exposed buried 
  caves and tunnels beneath the city, leaving them 
  open to the air on the sides of the cliffs surround-
  ing the bay. The genasi have repurposed nearly all 
  these structures as they’ve built buildings along the 
  cliffs. However, they left one series of caverns true to 
  its purpose. These sprawling catacombs housed the 
  Chessentan dead for centuries. Now they hold genasi 
  bones.
   
  The Catacombs remain lightly guarded at all 
  times. Any Airspur citizen can enter them to honor 
  the fallen, but others are discouraged. They have few 
  visitors in any event.
   
  The Catacombs’ farthest reaches continue to be 
  the domain of Chessenta’s ancient dead. These tun-
  nels were considered old when Airspur was under 
  human rule. Genasi studiously avoid them, which 
  makes the distant tunnels a perfect meeting place for 
  criminals and dissidents to genasi rule—assuming the 
  guards can be distracted or bought off.
   
  The half-orcs and orcs Queen Cyndra displaced 
  were not mere squatters; they were in fact the true 
  heirs to Airspur. Before the Spellplague, almost a 
  third of the Airspur’s population consisted of half-
  orcs, and like the other citizens, they fled when 
  destruction came. Unlike many of the other citi-
  zens, they had a place of relative safety to turn to: 
  the Akanapeaks. In those mountains the half-orcs 
  allied themselves with orc tribes, and they eventu-
  ally returned to the city to see what remained. Those 
  not killed in Queen Cyndra’s purge and the attack 
  by the Abolithic Sovereignty have now returned by 
  way of distant caves that link to the catacombs. Many 
  now live peacefully in the city, but others still bear a 
  grudge.
   
  The half-orc dissidents command too few to take 
  the city by force, and their full-blooded orc allies 
  can’t enter the city. Thus, the half-orc’s leaders are 
  attempting to make subtle inquiries into how they 
  might profit from their situation. of course, they can 
  sell goods gained from the buried dead, but assaults 
  by undead have made them wary of too much grave 
  robbery. Ideally, the half-orcs hope to connect with 
  someone willing to take power in the city, selling 
  themselves and their orcs as mercenaries and then 
  using the chaos of battle to revenge themselves on 
  those who wronged their elders.
   
  adventure Hook: A half-orc necromancer who 
  calls himself Deadtusk has emerged from the Aka-
  napeaks through the Catacombs, leading a small 
  army of the undead. The half-orc has swayed a 
  number of orc and half-orc dissidents to his cause, 
  and he plans to lead his force into Airspur, slaugh-
  tering its citizens to bolster his own forces, and 
  ostensibly retaking the city in the name of the dis-
  placed orcs. What his half-orc followers do not know 
  is that he secretly seeks to create a new necropolis 
  on the bones of dead Airspur, and his plans do not 
  include a place for the living of any sort.
  6. Drakeyards
  These stockyards and markets exist solely for the 
  purpose of breeding, rearing, training, and selling 
  drakes. The genasi brought a tradition of drake breed-
  ing with them from Abeir, and several unique species 
  exist only in AkanÛl (for now). Although hobbyists 
  and boutique breeders do a small business in other 
  areas of the city, the Drakeyards handle the bulk of 
  the trade.
  
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  7. Motherhouse
  The Firestorm Cabal Motherhouse consists of a struc-
  ture built against the cliff and well-guarded tunnels 
  beyond. only the most trusted individuals enter the 
  tunnels behind the Motherhouse.
  8. Akanuˆ l Courthouses 
  and Virushead
  This earthmote hides the Virushead deep below the 
  AkanÛl Courthouses. No one is supposed to tinker 
  with the Virushead, so when the Steward of the Sky 
  wants to bring in subjects for testing, she is forced to 
  use cloak-and-dagger tactics—particularly for large 
  monstrous creatures.
  9. Cliff Prison
  The Cliff Prison consists of old Chessentan dungeons 
  in the cliffs near the Courthouses’ earthmote. The 
  genasi of Airspur despise the concept of slavery, and 
  they seek to avoid the appearance of it by keeping the 
  number of prisoners low and hiding those they have. 
  Many terrible crimes are punished by death and 
  many more are punished by banishment (with death 
  being the sentence for return). Most individuals held 
  in the Cliff Prison are awaiting their walk across the 
  Bridge of Justice to their trials. others have commit-
  ted crimes small enough that a stay in prison and a 
  fine were deemed sufficient future deterrence.
  10. Akanawater Falls
  The Akanawater flows from the Akanapeaks and 
  falls down in several splashing levels to the bay. In 
  an already beautiful city, the falls present yet another 
  stunning vista.
  more AbouT AirsPur
  If you’d like to know more about Airspur, check out 
  Dragon #378 when it comes out. This article is the 
  first in a short series about the city, and you’ll find 
  the next installment in the August issue. Yet there’s 
  no reason to wait if you want to start in on adven-
  tures right away. You can get started with your own 
  adventures immediately, or you can play the RPGA 
  adventure “The Depths of Airspur,” first of a number 
  of adventures by RPGA members that takes place in 
  the city. You might also want to read The Restless Shore 
  by James P. Davis. It features a genasi character who 
  grew up in Airspur.
  About the Author
  Matthew Sernett has been a pizza cook, an onion packer, and 
  an assembly line worker in a spring factory—grueling work 
  that was surprisingly good endurance training for being the 
  editor-in-chief of Dragon® Magazine. After ceding that role to 
  others with greater fortitude (keep it up, Chris!), he worked 
  as D&D designer and helped to create 4th edition. He now 
  happily splits his professional time between D&D design and 
  world-building for Magic: The Gathering®.
  
  A
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  C L A S S  A C T S
  70
  Martial training from the legendary 
  Masters of the Verdant Silence
  Ranger
  by bruCe r. CorDell
  illustration by Mclean Kendree
  Decisive and quick, rangers are dangerous warriors 
  whose ability to dispatch foes is legendary. Some 
  rangers who specialize in two-weapon fighting find 
  ways to enhance their martial prowess by seeking 
  instruction from secret masters of swordplay. In the 
  deepest forest cores—untouched by hammer, axe, or 
  saw—wondrous and terrible things abide. There one 
  might find a hidden lodge where Masters of the Ver-
  dant Silence train their students.
   The Verdant Silence is a furtive martial order that 
  safeguards forests and Feywild crossings from corrup-
  tion. The order, the innermost membership of which 
  has never been disclosed, seems generally benign, 
  though a few stories suggest otherwise. Most people 
  believe that the order sets itself against anything that 
  tries to disrupt a forest’s heart, especially those disrup-
  tions that threaten to spill into the Feywild. The order 
  also expends great effort in opposing forces that are in 
  any way tainted by the Far Realm.
   The Verdant Silence differs from other martial 
  orders in several ways, not the least being its highly 
  secretive nature. Additionally, instead of training 
  initiates in the way of the open hand, as some monas-
  tic communities do, the Verdant Silence focuses 
  on weapons, especially two-weapon fighting. The 
  Masters of the Verdant Silence teach their students 
  to incorporate into their martial methods both the 
  subtlety and the violence inherent in nature. Few 
  foes stand long before techniques such as the bending 
  branch, the lashing leaves, and the storm in the trees.
   Word concerning the existence of the Masters of 
  the Verdant Silence has spread. Those rangers who 
  prove themselves worthy of training under the mas-
  ters can learn martial techniques that are sure to 
  dazzle and dismay foes in equal measure. A flurry 
  of swirling swords confuses foes armed with forged 
  weapons as much as it does creatures armed with 
  claws, teeth, or tentacles.
   Rangers who wish to learn more of the Verdant 
  Silence are advised to journey to a forest’s heart, walk 
  quietly and calmly into its green embrace, and then 
  await the masters.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  71
  C L A S S  A C T S
  Level 1 Encounter Exploit
  Plant to the hilt 
  ranger attack 1
  You embed both of your weapons in your foe and use them as 
  grips to swing that foe around to a new position.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC. Make the attack twice, once with your 
  main weapon and once with your off-hand weapon.
  hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you slide the target 
  1 square to a square adjacent to you. If both attacks hit, the 
  second slide increases to 3 squares.
  Level 2 Utility Exploit
  bending branch 
  ranger utility 2
  You resist a foe's attempt to move you, and like a great tree 
  swaying in a storm, you snap back, ready to attack.
  encounter ✦ martial
  immediate interrupt 
  Personal
  trigger: you are pulled, pushed, or slid
  effect: you negate the forced movement. In addition, you gain 
  a +2 bonus to your next melee attack roll before the end of 
  your next turn.
  Level 3 Encounter Exploit
  Confusion of blades 
  ranger attack 3
  Your twin blades become a whirl of slapping, jabbing, and 
  cutting surfaces.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC. Make the attack twice, once with your 
  main weapon and once with your off-hand weapon.
  hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. The attack deals 1 extra 
  damage for each enemy adjacent to you.
  Level 6 Utility Exploit
  Death threat 
  ranger utility 6
  You bring down your quarry and then fix your hunter eyes on 
  another foe.
  encounter ✦ martial
  Free action 
   
  Personal
  trigger: you reduce your quarry to 0 hit points
  effect: Choose one enemy within 5 squares of you. you des-
  ignate that enemy as your quarry, and you gain combat 
  advantage against it until the end of your next turn. 
  Level 7 Encounter Exploit
  lashing leaves 
  ranger attack 7
  Your dancing blades cut your foe deep, leaving wounds that 
  are exacerbated by further attacks. 
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC. Make the attack twice, once with your 
  main weapon and once with your off-hand weapon.
  hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. Until the end of your 
  next turn, the target takes 2 extra damage whenever it is 
  hit. If both attacks hit, the extra damage equals 1 + your 
  Wisdom modifier.
  Level 10 Utility Exploit
  blood of the Fallen 
  ranger utility 10
  Your triumph is like a balm to you.
  Daily ✦ healing, martial 
  Free action 
   
  Personal
  trigger: you reduce your quarry to 0 hit points
  effect: you regain hit points equal to your healing surge value + 
  your Strength modifier.
  Level 13 Encounter Exploit
  storm in the trees 
  ranger attack 13
  You move like a tempest among the pines, slashing at one foe 
  and then leaping at another.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC. Make the attack twice, once with your 
  main weapon and once with your off-hand weapon.
  hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. If both attacks hit, you 
  can shift 2 squares and make a melee basic attack against a 
  different creature.
  Level 16 Utility Exploit
  mirror of steel 
  ranger utility 16
  With your glittering play of blades, you deflect attacks.
  Daily ✦ martial, stance
  minor action 
   
  Personal
  effect: Until the stance ends, you gain a +1 bonus to all de-
  fenses against melee attacks and ranged attacks while you 
  are wielding two melee weapons.
  Level 17 Encounter Exploit
  Canopy of blades 
  ranger attack 17
  You whirl your blades ferociously, cutting your foe and ward-
  ing off attacks.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  attack: Strength vs. AC. Make the attack twice, once with your 
  main weapon and once with your off-hand weapon.
  hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
  effect: you gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the end 
  of your next turn. The bonus increases to 4 if either attack 
  hit and to 6 if both hit.
  
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  72
  C L A S S  A C T S
  Level 22 Utility Exploit
  Verdant silence 
  ranger utility 22
  You call on the peace and calm that lives at the heart of the 
  forest, where the Masters of the Verdant Silence meditate.
  Daily ✦ martial
  minor action 
   
  Personal
  effect: you spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. you 
  instead end each effect on you that a save can end.
  Level 23 Encounter Exploit
  Crashing blades 
  ranger attack 23
  You bring both of your weapons crashing down on your foe’s 
  head so hard that it has difficulty focusing for a moment.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  Primary attack: Strength vs. AC (main weapon)
  hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
  effect: Make a secondary attack against the target.
   secondary attack: Strength vs. AC (off-hand weapon)
   hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. If the primary attack 
  also hit, the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
  Level 27 Encounter Exploit
  seeking roots 
  ranger attack 27
  One of your blades finds your foe, then your other one does so. 
  You cap the attacks by scissoring the foe with both weapons.
  encounter ✦ martial, Weapon
  standard action 
  melee weapon
  requirement: you must be wielding two melee weapons.
  target: One creature
  Primary attack: Strength vs. AC (main weapon)
  hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
  effect: Make a secondary attack against the target.
   secondary attack: Strength vs. AC (off-hand weapon)
   hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. If the primary attack 
  also hit, the target takes 5 + your Strength modifier extra 
  damage.
  Magic Item
  This magic weapon is useful for any ranger who 
  wields two melee weapons.
  Verdant silence Weapon 
  level 7+
  This deadly blade appears as a sharp stylized leaf, set on a hilt 
  of burnished wood.
  lvl 7 
  +2 
  2,600 gp 
  lvl 22 
  +5 
  325,000 gp
  lvl 12 
  +3 
  13,000 gp 
  lvl 27 
  +6 
  1,625,000 gp
  lvl 17 
  +4 
  65,000 gp 
  Weapon: Heavy blade
  enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
  Property: When you are wielding this weapon and hit an 
  enemy twice with a ranger power that requires two melee 
  weapons, you can shift 1 square as a free action.
  Power (Daily): Free Action. Trigger: you are wielding this weap-
  on and hit a target twice with a ranger power that requires 
  two melee weapons. Effect: The target grants combat ad-
  vantage (save ends).
  About the Author
  Bruce R. Cordell is an origins and ENnie award-winning 
  game designer whose long list of professional credits includes 
  the Forgotten realms Campaign GuideTM, Keep on the Shadow-
  fellTM, Draconomicon™ : Chromatic Dragons and Open Grave: 
  Secrets of the Undead™. Bruce is also an author of Forgotten 
  Realms novels, including Plague of Spells, the first book in the 
  Abolethic Sovereignty series.
  
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  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  Psionics
  by miKe mearls anD stePhen sChubert
  illustration by Christine MacTernan - Empty Room Studios 
  and Kieran Yanner
  With the debut of the psion this month, the psionic 
  power source has now officially become part of 4th 
  Edition Dungeons & Dragons.
   
  No, we’re not forgetting the monk, but since that 
  class has only appeared in playtest form so far, we’re 
  calling the psion the first official psionic class for the 
  new edition.
   
  Also with the psion’s debut comes the new power-
  point mechanic associated with three of the psionic 
  classes slated for Player’s Handbook 3, so this seems 
  a good time to talk about the process of design and 
  development that led to the psionic power source.
   
  This article features commentary from D&D Lead 
  Designer Mike Mearls (who led the design of Player’s 
  Handbook 3) and D&D Lead Developer Stephen Schu-
  bert (who led the development team assigned to the 
  book).
   
  mike: Psionics have been a part of D&D since the 
  ancient days of the Eldritch Wizardry supplement to 
  the original Dungeons & Dragons game. They also 
  appeared in an infamous appendix in the 1st Edition 
  Player’s Handbook, allowing any character to get lucky 
  by randomly manifesting psionic powers.
   
  Stephen: My first experiences with psionics was 
  back in a 2nd Edition game in college, where one of 
  my fellow players would always roll for a wild talent 
  for each of his characters.
   
  I thoroughly enjoyed the 3rd Edition psionics 
  system. The versatility of the psionic classes provided 
  the most appeal for me. I liked having a bevy of tools 
  at my disposal, with the means to augment them to be 
  just as powerful as I needed.
   
  mike: But despite its long history in the game, the 
  psionic power source has always existed at the fringe 
  due to real or perceived flaws.
   
  Many gamers wince at psi’s science fiction trap-
  pings. others see it as stepping on the wizard’s toes, 
  an additional magic system in a game already well-
  served by its core rules.
   
  Stephen: Even when my psion’s mind-affecting 
  powers couldn’t hurt the undead templars we faced in 
  Dave Noonan’s Dark Sun campaign, I simply looked 
  at it as a challenge, and eventually found living minds 
  to blast. (Thankfully, that’s not a problem for the 4E 
  psion.)
   
  The weak points of the system began to show 
  at higher levels, where the psion could blast the 
  equivalent of a wizard’s 9th-level spell every round he 
  needed to. Used with restraint, it worked well in play.
  Why Psionics?
  Stephen: When concepting for PH3 began, we 
  decided it would be appropriate to turn up the com-
  plexity dial a notch. By the time the book released in 
  2010, many players would have nearly two years of 
  
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  experience with the new edition under their belt, and 
  plenty of folks would be looking for a new challenge.
   
  mike: For Player’s Handbook 3, we wanted to give 
  something new to folks who might feel they’ve seen 
  everything 4th Edition had to offer.
   
  From this decision came one of the key design 
  themes for the book: flexible options. We knew that 
  psionics would be a good fit for this theme.
   
  You can expect that, going forward, future Player’s 
  Handbooks will broaden the game in similar ways. 
  It’s nice to have an accessible system for the first core 
  rulebook, because that lets anyone play a fighter or 
  wizard without worrying about mastering a more 
  elaborate rules set. As we move forward, though, we 
  can push the complexity and diversity of options.
  Designing Psionics
  mike: We really wanted to do something with 
  psionics that was different from the power sources 
  introduced so far. one of the common complaints I’ve 
  heard about Dungeons & Dragons is that the classes 
  are too similar. I think that concern is more academic 
  than actual—in play, the similar power structure of 
  the classes is generally obscured by the other options 
  available—but there’s still a grain of truth to the 
  perception.
   
  When we sat down to look at how to add psionics 
  to D&D, two key issues stood out:
  	
  •	Don’t	just	add	psionics	to	the	game,	add	them	
  to the world of D&D. Too often, psionics have been 
  treated as a game mechanic without a story. We 
  wanted to avoid that mistake that in 4th Edition. 
  	
  •	Focus	on	why	people	like	psionics.	From	a	3e	
  perspective, that pretty clearly rested on the system of 
  power points (and the versatility they provided). 
  The Psionic Story
  mike: In the history of Dungeons & Dragons, the 
  story of psionics too often has taken second place to 
  its mechanics. Many readers and authors feel that 
  psionics doesn’t integrate seamlessly with the core 
  concepts of a fantasy world.
   
  Rather than treat that as a bug, we looked to it as 
  a feature. The psionic power source—or at least its 
  expression as used by psions and other classes with 
  power points—is something new to the world of D&D. 
  Monks have used psionic power for ages, but they 
  tapped into it when it was relatively weak.
   
  Recently, as the Far Realm’s incursion into the 
  world has grown more aggressive, psionic energy 
  has become more common, stronger, and easier to 
  control. Previously, only monks could tap into it with 
  their rigorous discipline and self-control. Now others 
  can utilize it, from psions who study and unlock its 
  secrets to others who acquire psionic powers seem-
  ingly at the universe’s whim.
   
  As psionic power matured and strengthened, 
  competing philosophies arose regarding its use 
  and purpose. The teachings of early psionicists 
  focused on the correct methods of its use along with 
  the role psionics should play in the world. Some phi-
  losophies preach that psionics are a boon meant to 
  be used for the good of all, while others place psionic 
  users at the top of an unforgiving pecking order. From 
  the wise old master who takes in young students 
  to the power mad conqueror who seeks to build a 
  
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  society where psionicists rule over their lesser peers, 
  these philosophies shape how psionics affect the 
  world.
  Power Points
  mike: Readers familiar with the 3E version of power 
  points might see this mechanic as a radical direc-
  tion for D&D. In reality, power points are simply a 
  new method of representing a subset of the standard 
  array of powers present in the game. The psion and 
  the wizard will deliver a similar amount of punch in 
  a given round, encounter, or day—but the number of 
  options available to the psionic character represents a 
  significant shift in how you play that character.
   
  Stephen: In this new system, power points 
  become the character’s primary encounter-based 
  resource, taking the place of his or her encounter 
  attack powers.
   
  mike: At one point in design, power points fueled 
  both daily and encounter powers. That direction 
  proved untenable, as it led to players “sacrificing” 
  their encounter powers to use a single daily power 
  many times, and vice versa.
   
  By limiting power points to encounter powers, we 
  had a much clearer idea of what a power point actu-
  ally represented. We knew it was some shard of an 
  encounter power and could design and balance them 
  as appropriate.
   
  Stephen: When determining the number of 
  power points a character should have have, we cre-
  ated a simple equation in which two power points 
  approximately equaled one “[W]” in power. of course, 
  the equation isn’t limited simply to damage output, as 
  we’ve already established our general guidelines for 
  how much damage a power could do when the vari-
  ous conditions such as dazed or blinded are applied 
  with them.
   
  once we defined the exchange rate for the power 
  point currency, we could determine how many power 
  points a character needed at any given level to keep 
  up with other characters. Since augmentable powers 
  were replacing encounter powers, we started with 
  a rough and direct translation—you’d have 2 power 
  points for each heroic tier power, 4 for paragon 
  powers, and 6 for each augmentable epic power. As 
  we playtested the augmentable powers, this progres-
  sion migrated to where it is now—very close to 2 
  power points each time a standard character would 
  gain an encounter attack power.
  Versatility
  Stephen: As you can see, characters using power 
  points already enjoy great versatility in their round-
  by-round options. But simply choosing when to turn 
  an at-will power into an encounter power isn’t the full 
  extent of the power point system.
   
  Every augmentable at-will power includes not one 
  but two different augmentation options available 
  whenever your character uses the power. In addition 
  to the full-bore “this is now as good as an encoun-
  ter power” augmentation offered, each power also 
  includes a cheaper augmentation that provides a ben-
  efit applicable in certain situations. This benefit won’t 
  necessarily be useful every round—or indeed, even 
  every encounter—but the minor augmentations offer 
  your character the unique ability to take advantage of 
  current circumstances in a way that others can’t.
  
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  Generally, we expect powers to be fully aug-
  mented most of the time (when augmented at all). 
  That said, we think you’ll find an interesting decision 
  between using less expensive augments more times 
  during the fight versus using augments that cost 
  more points but have a bigger bang or a better effect. 
  This choice doesn’t just support the “options” theme 
  of Player’s Handbook 3—which you’ll see reflected 
  in other sections of the book as well—it reflects the 
  entire theory behind tactical decision-making in 4th 
  Edition Dungeons & Dragons.
  Odds and Ends
  Stephen: Creating a new power point system wasn’t 
  the end of our challenges. We next had to make it fit 
  within the context of the existing 4th Edition game 
  rules. This meant looking for unintended conse-
  quences elsewhere in the game.
   
  For example, when a class has at-will attack 
  powers that can be augmented to have the output of 
  an encounter power, it dramatically improves any 
  effect that improves or keys off at-will attacks—an 
  unintended consequence of the power point system.
   
  To solve that problem, we added the Augment-
  able keyword to all powers allowing power-point 
  augmentation, which states (among other things) that 
  such powers only count as “at-will attacks” when not 
  augmented.
   
  We also created specialized rules to replace the 
  Novice Power multiclass feat and Paragon Multiclass-
  ing system to handle interactions with swapping 
  encounter and at-will attack powers for multiclass 
  characters.
   
  mike: one advantage to an exceptions-based 
  approach to the stuff that glues disparate system ele-
  ments together, such as multiclassing, is that it allows 
  us to build the right tool for the job.
  Complexity in Play
  Stephen: The power point subsystem is one of the 
  most complex rules systems we’ve layered onto 4th 
  Edition’s class system. In any given round, a character 
  can choose between three different at-will attacks 
  and two levels of augments for each of those powers 
  (plus the usual complement of daily or utility powers). 
  That’s a lot of options!
   
  That said, during development I observed that 
  these classes might end up being the easiest to play, 
  once you figure out which power to use in an encoun-
  ter. There’s something pretty straightforward, even 
  reassuring about choosing one power and relying on 
  it repeatedly to get the job done. 
   
  It’s a big challenge for power design and develop-
  ment, since we don’t want to make an easy “go-to” 
  button that is mashed repeatedly in every encounter 
  in preference to the rest of your powers, but through 
  playtesting we think we’ve found a good balance 
  point.
   
  mike: The key to hitting the right level of com-
  plexity was in making sure each 1-point augment 
  is interesting and fun. That pushes you to a design 
  where a small number of points is interesting and 
  dodges the issue of managing more than a couple 
  dozen of the things.
   
  on top of that, the system scales nicely. As you 
  gain more points, your powers become more expen-
  sive. You can micromanage if you want, but most 
  players will burn off their powers in big chunks. You 
  might have a pile of 20 or so points, but that really 
  represents three or four decisions, not 20 separate 
  options.
  The Future of Psionics
  mike: As with all of our power sources, expect to 
  see plenty of support for psionics in future releases. 
  Psionic characters can look forward to more powers, 
  feats, items, paths, and destinies aimed at them, 
  whether those are published in upcoming books or in 
  future D&D Insider articles. And of course, all those 
  options will end up in the D&D Compendium.
   
  In addition to character options, we have a few 
  other secrets up our sleeves to expand on the story of 
  psionics described earlier in this column. But that’ll 
  have to be a topic for another day!
  About the Authors
   
  mike mearls is the Lead Designer for the Dungeons & 
  Dragons roleplaying game. His recent credits include H1: 
  Keep on the Shadowfell and Player’s Handbook II.
   
  Stephen Schubert works for Wizards of the Coast as the 
  Lead Developer for the Dungeons & Dragons game. He has 
  provided development and design work for many 4th Edition 
  D&D products, including the Monster Manual, Player’s Hand-
  book 2, and Monster Manual 2.
  
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  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  by James Wyatt anD Keith baKer
  Keith: Eberron has come a long way over the last 
  seven years. When I submitted my one-page setting 
  proposal to the Fantasy Setting Search, the world 
  didn’t even have a name. Working with James Wyatt, 
  Bill Slaviscek, and Chris Perkins on the original 
  campaign setting book is one of the highlights of my 
  professional career. Since then, dozens of designers 
  and authors have shaped the world into its current 
  form, not to mention the countless players and DMs 
  who have embraced the setting and brought their 
  own ideas to the table. Watching it grow has been an 
  amazing experience for me. 
   
  James: Similarly, working on Eberron all those 
  years ago was a major milestone in my career as well, 
  second only to my work on D&D’s 4th Edition. I love 
  the experience of collaborative creativity, and the 
  Eberron design process offered so many chances to 
  sit in a room full of smart people and bounce ideas 
  around. It also launched my novel-writing, because 
  so many great story ideas bounced around all those 
  rooms that I must have caught a bug or something.
   
  Keith: As proud a parent as I might be, I’ve had 
  many regrets: things we left out of the original Eber-
  ron Campaign Setting; a layout that made it difficult for 
  DMs to share the book with players who wanted to 
  be kept in the dark about the secrets of the world. As 
  a result, I was excited to have a second chance to get 
  this right. 
   
  So let’s look at Five Things I Like About 4E Eberron.
  1. The Last War
  Keith: one thing I really wanted to focus on was 
  the impact of the Last War. For me, this is one of the 
  vital elements of the setting, something that should 
  flavor character background and ongoing adventures. 
  What did your character do during the war? Did you 
  lose family or friends, and what grudges do you hold 
  against other nations? Are you glad the war is over (at 
  least for the moment), or do you hunger for battle? 
   
  Beyond the personal level, we have the broader 
  societal impact of the war: the effect on the evolution 
  of magic, something seen in the development of the 
  warforged and airships; the drastic shift in the bal-
  ance of power between the dragonmarked houses 
  and the monarchs of the Five Nations; the ongoing 
  cold war and the potential for adventure within it. 
   
  The new Eberron Campaign Guide addresses all of 
  these points, looking not just at the history of the war 
  but at its impact on the present day. 
   
  James: one of my favorite parts of the Campaign 
  Guide is the first chapter, which lays out the key 
  themes of the world and helps the reader put them 
  together into a campaign. The section on the Last 
  War in that chapter includes some of the ideas we put 
  in The Forge of War, about using flashbacks, running a 
  historical game, or even incorporating time travel to 
  make the Last War a vivid part of the player experi-
  ence. In the sample adventure that appears at the end 
  of the book, I put the advice we’ve often given into 
  practice: The adventure starts four years before the 
  “present day,” with a flashback to the Day of Mourn-
  ing. That’s something we’ve often suggested to DMs 
  looking to make the Last War a significant factor in 
  the campaign, and I was pleased to be able to pull it 
  off.
  2. The Draconic Prophecy
  Keith: The Draconic Prophecy is something that has 
  always existed in the background of the setting, but 
  many DMs have found it difficult to understand or 
  use. one of our goals with 4E Eberron was to bring 
  the Prophecy into the light — to explain the nature 
  of the Prophecy and the way that it can affect a 
  campaign. 
   
  James: The section on the Prophecy in chapter 1 
  incorporates material we discussed in Dragons of Eber-
  ron, in Keith’s Dragonshards articles, and even in my 
  novel trilogy (which is, after all, called The Draconic 
  Prophecies). But this is the first time it’s been in one 
  place, a comprehensive guide to using the Prophecy 
  as a major theme in your campaign. And we back it 
  up with plenty of information about the major players 
  in the world, where the Prophecy is concerned — the 
  Chamber and the Lords of Dust.
  3. Coverage
  Keith: In general, we were able to provide more 
  information on subjects that didn’t get a lot of love 
  in the original campaign setting. The Lords of Dust 
  get half a page in the original ECS. In the Eberron 
  Campaign Guide, we get an overview of their organiza-
  tion, their methods, descriptions of a number of the 
  overlords, and a full writeup on one of the overlords 
  and his rakshasa exarch. The Blood of Vol is more 
  
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  accessible to PCs. Valenar, Zilargo, and Droaam all 
  get more coverage than they have in the past. The 
  Dungeon Delving section in chapter 1 of the ECG 
  takes the history of the world and shows how this can 
  affect adventurers in a very concrete way, examining 
  the differences between a Dhakaani ruin and a fallen 
  citadel of the Age of Demons. This sort of thing adds 
  depth to the world, and I’m thrilled with the way it 
  turned out. 
   
  James: In the category of “more love,” I’d have to 
  mention the maps. The Campaign Guide includes a 
  drop-dead gorgeous poster map, showing Khorvaire 
  on one side and two encounter locations on the other. 
  The world map, all the country maps (which are sec-
  tions of the poster map), and the maps of places like 
  Sarlona, Argonnessen, and Xen’drik help make the 
  book both visually stunning and extremely useful to 
  the DM.
  4. 4th Edition Elements
  Keith: I’m pleased with the new material that we’ve 
  added to the setting. The honest truth is that I’ve 
  never particularly liked Eladrin. But the story of the 
  feyspires and the Fading Dream really draws me in, 
  and I’d like to play an eladrin just to have a connec-
  tion to that plotline. I don’t want to spoil any surprises 
  for players that are reading this, but there’s a number 
  of new things that I’m itching to use in my home 
  campaign. 
   
  James: We didn’t set out to add much to the world. 
  We didn’t change the timeline or introduce any 
  major new events. But there were a couple of changes 
  from 3rd Edition to 4th Edition that we had to reflect 
  in the world. Those included new character races 
  (eladrin, dragonborn, and tieflings) and a different 
  cosmology. We tried to incorporate these things while 
  doing as little violence as possible to the world as orig-
  inally presented, and Keith was integrally involved in 
  all of that. You won’t find a new dragonmarked house 
  full of tieflings or dragonborn. For all three new 
  races, the suggestion is pretty clear that they’ve been 
  there all along — and in the case of both eladrin and 
  tieflings, that’s actually true. We’re just giving them 
  more of a spotlight now that they’re core races for 
  player characters in the game.
  5. Legacy Material
  Much of the material in the ECG is covered in other 
  sourcebooks. Secrets of Sarlona has more information 
  on that continent than the eight-page section in the 
  ECG, and Dragonmarked tells you more about the 
  dragonmarked houses. But I think the ECG does a 
  great job of collecting the critical information and 
  really providing a basic overview of the entire world. 
  If you want to know everything there is to know about 
  Argonnessen, buy Dragons of Eberron. But if you can’t 
  find it, the ECG provides a good map and a solid 
  foundation to work with, both of which were missing 
  from the original ECS.
   
  James: A corollary to my last point, about how we 
  tried to avoid drastic changes, is that most of the sour-
  cebooks published for Eberron under 3rd Edition are 
  still perfectly useful as resources for your 4th Edition 
  game. If you find contradictions, it’s safe to assume 
  that the newer books take precedence. If you’re look-
  ing for ideas, inspiration, or more information than 
  what the Campaign Guide can cover, those books are a 
  great place to turn.
   
  Keith: There were a lot of tough decisions and 
  debates along the way, and sacrifices were made. We 
  don’t have statistics for quori in the ECG. Given that 
  you can’t easily encounter them in the waking world, 
  it seemed more important to focus on the Inspired 
  and the Dreaming Dark than to devote space to the 
  statistics of these distant spirits. But I still miss my 
  tsucora, and I hope we’ll see the quori at some point 
  in the future. 
   
  James: They’ll almost certainly appear in D&D 
  Insider before too long.
   
  Keith: Dragonmarks were a subject of consider-
  able discussion, as outlined in a previous Design & 
  Development article. The planes were another point 
  of contention — how did we keep the unique flavor 
  of Eberron’s planes while making sure DMs could 
  use materials that referenced the core cosmology of 
  Fourth Edition? 
   
  There were some thorny issues to deal with, but 
  ultimately I’m excited about with the results ... and 
  looking forward to running my next game.
  About the Authors
  James Wyatt is the D&D Design Manager for Wizards of 
  the Coast Roleplaying R&D. He was one of the lead design-
  ers for 4th Edition D&D and the primary author of the 4th 
  Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide. He was one of the designers 
  of the Eberron Campaign Setting, and is the author of several 
  Eberron novels.
   
  Keith Baker has been an avid fan of Dungeons & Drag-
  ons since grade school. His life took a dramatic turn in 2002 
  when he submitted the world of Eberron to the Wizards of 
  the Coast Fantasy Setting Search. In addition to developing 
  the Eberron Campaign Setting and Shadows of the Last War, he 
  has worked for Atlas Games, Goodman Games, and Green 
  Ronin.
  
  79
  April 2009  |  Dr agon 374
  C o N F E S S I o N S  o F  A  F U L L -T I M E  W I Z A R D
  by shelly mazzanoble 
  illustrations by William O’Conner
  Dr. Shelly’s 
  Monster
  I was about six years old when I decided to ditch my 
  flesh-and-blood friends in favor of my indistinguish-
  able and unfamiliar ones. I came home from school 
  one day and asked if my three new friends could 
  come over and play.
   
  “Did they get permission from their mothers?” 
  Judy asked.
   
  I could tell she was happy I had ditched that trio of 
  bullies I was hell-bent on chumming up with. Perhaps 
  these new friends would even be interested in riding 
  bikes or playing dress-up rather than watching me 
  organize my stuffed animals by height or play with an 
  imaginary dog.
   
  Mom was waiting on the front porch for me (I 
  wasn’t allowed to cross the street without an adult), 
  handed me my after-school snack (Ring Dings), and 
  proceeded to wait 25 minutes on the porch for my 
  new friends to show up. When they failed to appear, 
  she offered a comforting arm around my shoulders 
  and an extra pack of Ring Dings.
   
  “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she said. “I don’t think your 
  new friends are coming today.” 
   
  I grabbed the Ring Dings box and proceeded to lay 
  them out on the step. “What do you mean? They’re 
  right here!” 
   
  Enter Monster with the Glasses, Red Monster, 
  Bee Monster, and an exasperated mother who rolled 
  her eyes, shook her head, and told me she’d be in the 
  kitchen if we needed her. 
   
  I played with my monsters for many years. I 
  pointed out their houses on our street and could 
  sometimes be found on Mrs. Gimble’s front porch 
  chatting up Red Monster or lying in the sun on Bee 
  Monster’s expansive front lawn. Sometimes I was 
  Monster with the Glasses. You could tell the differ-
  ence between us because MwtG (for short) would 
  wear his frames upside down. And he always brought 
  my mother dandelions. He was a charmer, that Mon-
  ster with the Glasses.
   
  But mostly we just hung out in my room and 
  talked. A lot. My monster friends were a loquacious 
  bunch. We talked about the other kids at school and 
  what books we wanted to read when we finally knew 
  how. We talked about my mother and my father and 
  my brother and how I wished I had a sister, freckles, 
  and a different name (Toby). 
  
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  When my mom knocked on my bedroom door 
  for the third time just to make sure I really was 
  alone, I requested more Ring Dings for Monster with 
  the Glasses and Red Monster and an apple for Bee 
  Monster. 
   
  “It turns out he’s allergic to chocolate,” I explained.
   
  My mom never told me to stop talking to myself 
  and get some real friends. She banked on the fact that 
  this was a phase, and like my desire to be a waitress 
  at Friendly’s, this too would pass. She did make me 
  tell her everything I knew about my monster friends 
  so she could write it down on a legal pad she kept in 
  the junk drawer. She was just trying to “get to know 
  them,” she said, in case I grew up to be a serial killer. 
  “We want to have something to aid the police when 
  questioning you.”
   
  It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally asked 
  her what she really wanted with those notebooks. 
   
  “The way you described that one with the glasses 
  made him sound eerily like your father’s great-uncle 
  Fabrezio, who supposedly died in the 60s. I always 
  thought he faked his death to get out of paying 
  decades of bad debt. We thought he was going to 
  kidnap you for ransom money.”
   
  “Wow, sorry to scare you like that.”
   
  “oh, we weren’t scared,” she said. “He owed us a 
  lot of money, and I was determined to collect.” 
   
  Looking back, I realize two things. (oK, three if 
  you count the fact that I am not a serial killer.) 
   
  1. My penchant for designing monsters and 
  befriending them was most likely a result of being 
  terrified of them. Is this not a juvenile version of 
  “keeping your enemies close?” Pretty smart, huh? 
   
  2. Someone should have introduced me to Dun-
  geons & Dragons a lot sooner. 
  “oh god yes,” Judy said, when I told her my findings. 
  “A game you play with actual people where it’s okay 
  to talk to imaginary animals and pretend to be elves 
  and wizards? We should have sent you to Dungeons 
  & Dragons camp.” 
   
  She then went on to tell me that if no such camp 
  exists, it should, because surely there are other 
  parents going through the same struggles I put her 
  through.
   
  “Look into that, would you?” she suggested. “I 
  could be a guest speaker.”
   
  I like to think that I was a “creative” child, like a 
  junior game designer with bellbottoms and pigtails. 
  I’m sure many D&D players grew up with similar 
  stories. Isn’t making up monsters and characters and 
  backstories why we like the game? 
   
  Maybe it was all the fan letters oso de la Fez 
  received. (And yes, I do pass them on. That doesn’t 
  make me feel inadequate at all.) But after bringing 
  that old bear to life, I was feeling a little design happy. 
  I was missing the days of hanging with my monster 
  pals and was dangerously close to inviting them over 
  to dinner.
   
  Imagine my delight when in a team meeting, I 
  heard rumblings about something called the “D&D 
  Monster Builder.” At first I thought this was a new 
  position in R&D. What a fun job that would be.
   
  “Who is the new Monster Builder?” I asked Scott 
  after the meeting.
   
  “Not who, dum-dum,” he said. “What.”
   
  He went on to explain this new tool was still in 
  development, but it promised to do for DMs what the 
  D&D Character Builder did for PCs. 
   
  “Make it so much fun to use you kind of hope your 
  character bites it so you can build another one?”
   
  “Kind of.”
   
  In reality, the D&D Monster Builder is exactly 
  what its name states: A digital tool used to customize 
  old favorite monsters and create brand new ones. 
   
  “Custom monsters?” I asked. “Like anything you 
  want?”
   
  “That’s the idea.”
   
  “Like maybe recreate some old friends?”
   
  Scott shuddered. “Your friends might be too scary 
  even for D&D.”
  My mom never told me to stop talking to myself and get 
  some real friends.
  
  81
  April 2009  |  Dr agon 374
  C o N F E S S I o N S  o F  A  F U L L -T I M E  W I Z A R D
   
  Ignoring his last comment, I went on a mission. I 
  needed to find this D&D Monster Builder. If anyone 
  can come up with scary monsters, it’s a woman. Like 
  the monster that comes into your house in the middle 
  of the night and replaces all your clothes with the 
  same ones, only one size smaller—EVIL! 
   
  I sent an email to R&D informing them that the 
  Player-in-Chief needed a D&D Monster Builder 
  tutorial ASAP. I left off the part about how it wasn’t 
  fair to the players that I discovered its existence as 
  it approaches beta stage. Shouldn’t I be in on these 
  developments earlier? They must still be getting used 
  to my new role. 
   
  The weird thing was that all of R&D seemed to 
  be taking a vacation at the same time. or so they 
  claimed. All, that is, except Peter Schaefer, who is 
  thankfully susceptible to promises of baked goods in 
  exchange for favors. He agreed to let me take over his 
  computer during lunch one Friday and tutor me in 
  monster design.
   
  After the program loaded, I scanned the list of 
  monsters from the D&D Compendium, noting sev-
  eral monsters were left out. 
   
  “Nothing against the work you guys have already 
  done, but I’d like to design my own.” I told Peter 
  about my clothes-shrinking monster. 
   
  “It’s like constantly struggling into jeans fresh from 
  the dryer,” I explained. “only without that warm, 
  fabric-scented feeling.”
   
  “I would never let a monster like that get past 
  development,” he argued. “We need more women in 
  the hobby, not fewer. Besides, my wife would kill me.”
   
  “Au contraire,” I said. “That is exactly the kind of 
  monster a woman would want to defeat.”
   
  And I’m not finished. 
   
  “What about the dysmorphic monster that casts 
  disguise self right before you leave your house, causing 
  you to think you look just fine until you get to work 
  and realize you’re wearing brown shoes with black 
  pants.”
   
  “oooh. Scary.” 
   
  “or a Kiki!”
   
  Peter slapped his palm against his cheek. “Not a 
  Kiki! Wait. What’s a Kiki?”
   
  “She’s the worst!” I said. “She’s like a ventriloquist 
  who makes me shout things at waiters like goat cheese 
  ravioli in butter cream sauce when I mean to say field 
  green salad, dressing on the side! 
   
  “The horror!”
   
  “And she keeps chocolate chips and Heath bars 
  in my pantry just in case Bobby Flay shows up and 
  wants to throw down with me!”
   
  “I’m pretty sure Kiki is insubstantial and discorpo-
  rates when bloodied, ensuring that she can return to 
  plague you another time. A monster with discorpora-
  tion can only be defeated under specific, usually epic, 
  conditions. I bet those conditions include sticking 
  with a healthy diet or becoming a nun or something 
  terrible.”
   
  “I don’t want her to have discorporation! I want her 
  to go away for good! Kiki must be defeated!”
   
  “You must quest to discover the Kiki’s weaknesses. 
  Armed with this knowledge, you can confront her 
  with these vulnerabilities and, should you prevail in 
  combat, defeat the Kiki for all time.”
   
  “or you could stat her out like a minion and let 
  me bring her down just by giving her the stinkeye,” I 
  offered.
   
  Peter nodded. “I guess it is supposed to be fantasy.”
   
  oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to waste my one-on-
  one tutorial with R&D on sissy monsters like Kiki or 
  the clothes-shrinker. I’ve got bigger monsters in my 
  stable. 
   
  “His name is Monster with the Glasses,” I told 
  Peter. “And he’s badass.”
  She’s like a ventriloquist who makes me shout things at 
  waiters like goat cheese ravioli in butter cream sauce when I 
  mean to say field green salad, dressing on the side! 
  
  82
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  C o N F E S S I o N S  o F  A  F U L L -T I M E  W I Z A R D
   
  “oh, wow, a monster who wears glasses?” Peter 
  asked. “Is he defeated by drawing a moustache on his 
  Princess Leia poster and stuffing him in a locker?”
   
  I hope Peter isn’t speaking from experience. He 
  does wear glasses. 
   
  “Looks can be deceiving. one might remember a 
  cuddly circus bear in a red fez, for example?”
   
  “Fine,” Peter conceded. “It’s your monster. Who 
  am I to mock?” 
   
  Let the creation begin!
   
  First we determine MwtG’s level. I chose level 7 
  because I want my group take him on. His hit points 
  are calculated automatically. 
   
  Next we decided on his role. Because I told Peter 
  about Bee Monster and Red Monster, he said MwtG 
  shouldn’t be a solo. Because he’s also tougher than 
  your average monster, though, we settled on making 
  him elite. 
   
  “They’re a tight-knit group, right? They probably 
  like traveling together.”
   
  No doubt. At least that’s how I’ve always seen 
  them.
   
  His origin is natural and, because he looks like 
  an average guy with a monster’s head, I clicked on 
  “humanoid” under type. 
   
  Next we came to his role. 
   
  “He’s very literary,” I explained. Hence the glasses. 
  “He looks like a college English professor.”
   
  “With a myopic monster head?” Peter asked.
   
  “He wears a blazer with patches on the elbows.”
   
  “And a tweed newsboy cap.”
   
  “For sure. And he has a trusty English setter as a 
  familiar.”
   
  “Named Rex.”
   
  “or othello.”
   
  “So his role,” Peter said, bringing us back to the 
  task at hand, “is determined by his power. How does 
  he bring down his victims?”
   
  Maybe by blowing pipe smoke in your face? I 
  almost took out some guy outside Barnes & Noble 
  for causing me to walk through his cloud of Burly 
  Delight. But even secondhand smoke seems too 
  aggressive for MwtG. 
   
  I thought of an old English professor I had who put 
  the entire class into REM sleep just by writing Langs-
  ton Hughes on the chalkboard.
   
  “He bores you to death with bad poetry readings,” 
  I suggested. We named this power poetry slam.
   
  “Ahh,” Peter said. “He’s a controller.” 
   
  Phase one completed, we moved onto ability scores 
  and skills. Monster with the Glasses no doubt has 
  studied up on History. And because he was always in 
  tune with how I felt as a kid, we gave him Insight as 
  well. 
   
  His hit points and defenses were auto-generated 
  based on his ability scores, but again, I had the option 
  to customize them. Peter suggested we boost his 
  Reflex defense, because someone with the intellect 
  possessed by Monster with the Glasses clearly has the 
  ability to think quickly on his feet. 
   
  “Is he resistant to anything?” Peter asked.
   
  “Sticks and stones?” I suggested. Monster with 
  the Glasses was the one to teach me to “p’shaw” 
  Mara, Cara, and Tara’s snarky insults. I loved those 
  white pleather boots that they so viciously attacked. 
  Anyway, Peter didn’t think PCs use sticks and stones 
  very often in combat. Clearly he’s never seen my 
  group play. 
   
  “Actually, it seems more appropriate that he’s not 
  resistant to anything,” I suggested. “He’s sensitive and 
  scholarly.”
   
  “We should give him a ponytail that doubles as a 
  shield,” Peter suggested.
   
  Because my monster friends were invisible but 
  could see one another, MwtG was granted truesight, 
  which gives him the ability to see invisible foes and 
  allies up to 6 squares away. 
   
  Then we got to the real meat of my bespectacled 
  monster pal. While his speed is normal, MwtG has 
  studied quantum physics for many years.
   
  “Can he teleport?” I asked. 
   
  “Absolutely,” Peter said. “He should probably be 
  able to teleport Bee Monster and Red Monster as 
  well.”
   
  We called this quantum tunneling. 
   
  Peter showed me how to power up MwtG.
   
  “This is the fun part,” he promised.
   
  Again I had the option of choosing from an a la 
  carte menu, customizing anything from the list, 
  or winging it on my own. It was really as simple as 
  dragging from the power list to my personal monster 
  menu. Knowing MtwG was going to be an illusion-
  ist, we searched the database using the key word 
  “illusion.” 
  And then there’s my favorite—shared astigmatism. When 
  struck, a target can’t see anything more than 2 squares away
  
  83
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  C o N F E S S I o N S  o F  A  F U L L -T I M E  W I Z A R D
   
  “Anything you think might work, you can add 
  to your holding pen and save it for use later,” Peter 
  explained. The holding pen is a feature of the D&D 
  Monster Builder that is exactly what the name 
  implies.
   
  Monster with the Glasses was a bit unconventional 
  already, so we opted to customize his powers using 
  the ones from the D&D Compendium as inspiration. 
  Anyone who’s nearsighted has probably come face to 
  doorframe on a nighttime trip to the bathroom and 
  thought, “How did that doorframe get there?” Per-
  haps Monster with the Glasses put it there with his 
  new at-will power, quick illusion. Not only does it deal 
  psychic damage, but it knocks his target prone. Rapid 
  illusion allows him to make two basic attacks. He is an 
  elite monster, after all. And then there’s my favorite—
  shared astigmatism. When struck, a target can’t see 
  anything more than 2 squares away until the end of 
  Monster with the Glasses’ next turn.
   
  With that, Monster with the Glasses got added 
  to the list of monsters in Peter’s monster database, 
  which in theory means Peter can use MwtG in future 
  encounters he designs. I should charge him royalties. 
  How could he not use Monster with the Glasses in 
  every encounter?
   
  Creating my childhood pal took about an hour, 
  but that’s only because I asked so many questions and 
  interrupted with tales of our adventures together. I 
  know ... poor Peter. And this was supposed to be a 
  favor. What can I say? Creating monsters for some of 
  us is therapeutic. Just imagine how excited my mom 
  will be when I tell her Monster with the Glasses 
  really exists!
   
  “Can we do Red Monster and Bee Monster 
  another time?” I asked, not wanting to wear out my 
  welcome. 
   
  “of course,” Peter said, probably blinded by visions 
  of Paula Deen’s Gooey Toffee Butter Cake (a surefire 
  way to catch a Kiki monster).
   
  I thought of Red Monster and Bee monster and 
  Kiki and the Shrinker and all the other monsters I 
  could conjure just waiting to be created ... and then 
  slaughtered by vengeful characters. oK, maybe not 
  the first two, but Kiki’s definitely on my short list. 
  Then a most puzzling feeling flooded through my 
  veins. Uh oh. Looks like R&D has created another 
  monster.
  Monster with the Glasses Level 7 Elite Controller
  Medium natural humanoid  
  XP 600 
  initiative +4; senses Perception +6; truesight
  Charming Wit aura 1; enemies grant combat advantage while 
  in the aura.
  hP 154; bloodied 77
  aC 21; Fortitude 18; reflex 20; Will 19
  saving throws +2
  speed 6
  action Points 1 
  m quick illusion (standard; at-will) ✦ illusion, Psychic
   
  +11 vs. Will; 1d6 + 5 Psychic damage and the target is 
  knocked prone. 
  r shared astigmatism (standard; at-will) ✦ illusion, Psychic
   
  Ranged 10; +11 vs. Will; 2d6 + 5 Psychic damage and the 
  target cannot see anything more than 2 squares away until 
  the end of the Monster with the Glasses’ next turn. 
  M rapid illusions (standard; at-will) 
   
  The Monster with the Glasses makes two basic attacks. 
  Poetry slam (standard; recharge 5 6)✦ sleep
   
  Area burst 1 within 10 squares; +11 vs. Will; the target is 
  slowed (save ends). First Failed Saving Throw: The target 
  becomes unconscious (save ends). 
  quantum tunneling (move; recharge 4 5 6)✦ teleportation
   
  The Monster with the Glasses and up to 2 allies within 10 
  squares of it can teleport up to 4 squares. 
  alignment Unaligned; languages —
  skills History +12, Insight +11
  str 13 (+4) 
  Dex 13 (+4) 
  Wis 16 (+6)
  Con 13 (+4) 
  int 19 (+7) 
  Cha 16 (+6) 
  About the Author
  Shelly mazzanoble’s mother is mortified that her daughter 
  chooses to share these humiliating childhood snippets. She 
  wishes to remind everyone that Shelly was raised in the 70s, 
  when things were a lot more relaxed, and she would never get 
  away with this crap today. 
  
  83
  July 2009  |  Dr agon 377
  R P G A  R E P o R T
  by Chris tulaCh
  illustrations by Eric L. Williams
  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  A
  Gen Con Indy 
  Approaches!
  Ah, Gen Con … The Big Show. Next month at Gen 
  Con Indy, we’ll have lots of great D&D games to play—
  Living Forgotten Realms, the Convention Dungeon 
  Delve, the Ultimate Dungeon Delve, and the D&D 
  Championship. While pre-registration for the conven-
  tion is closed, you can still sign up for games on-site. 
  Even if a ticket to the game you’re looking for is sold 
  out, show up in the Sagamore Ballroom with generic 
  tickets and we’ll see what we can do—no promises, but 
  we try to at least get you in on a game of D&D. To get 
  you ready for the show, we’ll talk about an important 
  rules update that will impact play at the convention 
  and give you details on the D&D Championship!
   
  There’s way too much to see and do at Gen Con 
  Indy for one person, but here’s a short list of D&D 
  stuff you should check out while you’re there:
   
  ✦ Hit up our booth at the exhibit hall. Chat 
  face-to-face with the pros, demo a game, get the 
  skinny on upcoming releases, or pick up a copy of the 
  new hotness. You just might be able to purchase a 
  copy of one of our August products before it hits the 
  shelves! 
   
  ✦ attend one of our seminars. We have tons 
  of great seminars that range from product line dis-
  cussions to gameplay advice to what’s brewing with 
  the RPGA. Who knows, you might even be among 
  the first to hear a juicy tidbit about our future D&D 
  plans! 
   
  ✦ get in the Sagamore Ballroom, and stay 
  for a while. With tons of D&D play ranging from 
  the largest shared-world campaign with Living For-
  gotten Realms, competitive tournament play in the 
  D&D Championship, racing against the clock in our 
  Convention Dungeon Delve and Ultimate Dungeon 
  
  84
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  R P G A  R E P o R T
  Delve, or just getting back to basics in our D&D For 
  Beginners sessions, you’ll never be at a loss for things 
  to throw a twenty-sider at. In addition, you can check 
  out the D&D Character Builder, play in a Three-
  Dragon Ante tournament, or play some games of 
  D&D Miniatures run by the folks of the DDM Guild. 
  once you get in, it’s really hard to leave—especially 
  since the hall’s open all night long! 
   
  ✦ Chat with one of us. There will be a number 
  of folks that work on the D&D game at the show. 
  Wizards employees are pretty easy to spot—we’re usu-
  ally sporting black or black-and-white tops with the 
  Wizards logo on them. If you see any of us hanging 
  out, feel free to stop and say hi. We’d be glad to “talk 
  shop” for a bit with you. I’ll be there, and I’d love to 
  talk about my character with you. I kid, I kid … 
  Important Rules Update
  I’m not going to retread what’s been said in this arti-
  cle, but if you’re bringing your own character to Gen 
  Con Indy to play in the D&D Championship, Living 
  Forgotten Realms, or the Ultimate Dungeon Delve, 
  you need to read the news and download the updates. 
  The D&D Character Builder and D&D Compendium 
  will be updated on or around August 4 to account 
  for these changes. Specifically, if you’re playing (or 
  planning on creating) a battlerager fighter, a divine 
  class using righteous rage of Tempus, a fighter with the 
  powers dual strike or rain of blows, or a warlord with 
  guileful switch, you’ll need to make some adjustments 
  to your character. At the show, we will be using the 
  most updated version of these rules elements, so 
  heads up!
  2009 D&D Championship: 
  Shards of Galifar
  The 2009 D&D Championship, playing at Gen Con 
  Indy, requires players to create and bring their own 
  characters to the event. This adventure is set in the 
  exciting world of Eberron and takes the players all 
  around Khorvaire as they compete as a team to take 
  home the 1st place prize as D&D Champions! Unless 
  noted below, follow all the rules as presented in the 
  RPGA Character Creation Guide:
   
  ✦ 5-player teams with an alternate. Your team will 
  consist of five players plus one alternate if your team 
  wishes. Each player is responsible for creating their 
  own character through the D&D Character Builder 
  and bringing the printed character sheet out to the 
  event. only five PCs (and thus, five players) will be 
  present at a table. 
   
  ✦ Three rounds of play with advancement. on 
  Thursday and Friday, all players with tickets can par-
  ticipate in the entry round. At the end of this round 
  of play, your team is graded on its performance and 
  may advance to the semifinal round; if you advance, 
  your group is assigned a specific time slot to play. The 
  semifinal round takes place on Saturday, and teams 
  performing well advance to the final round, to be 
  played on Sunday morning. once that round of play 
  is completed, scores will be tabulated and the 2009 
  D&D Championship team will be crowned! 
   
  ✦ Create a 2nd-level, 3rd-level, and 4th-level 
  version of your character. Your character uses the 
  standard 22 point-buy method. The entry round is 
  for 2nd-level characters. If you advance to the semi-
  final round, you will bring a 3rd-level version of your 
  character. For those select teams that make it to the 
  final round, you’ll bring a 4th-level version of your 
  character. 
   
  ✦ Use the D&D Character Builder. In order to 
  create a character for the D&D Championship, you 
  must use the D&D Character Builder. You can use 
  the free version of the D&D Character Builder or 
  the full version. Note that if you use the free version, 
  you will need to make manual adjustments to your 
  character for 4th level (the free version only covers up 
  through 3rd-level characters). 
   
  ✦ Make sure you bring your character (all ver-
  sions) to the event! Character sheets must be printed 
  out from the D&D Character Builder; we will only 
  have a limited capability to print characters on-site. 
  We will have pre-generated characters available, 
  but in order to stand the best chance of success, you 
  should create your own character. 
   
  ✦ The rules options available to your character 
  are those present on page 2 of the RPGA Character 
  Creation Guide v.1.9 under “Player Resources.” In 
  addition, you may use all the content in the Eberron 
  Player’s Guide (including dragonmarked rules and 
  backgrounds). This is an exception to the rules on 
  page 2. 
  There will be a number of folks that work on the D&D 
  game at the show. 
  
  85
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  R P G A  R E P o R T
   
  ✦ No RPGA Rewards cards allowed. The D&D 
  Championship does not use Rewards cards, including 
  creation or expansion cards. 
  Fabulous prizes and fame await. We will have some 
  great prizes for the winners and top places for the 
  D&D Championship this year. In addition, there will 
  be a contest open to all teams that make it to the final 
  round—the team with characters judged the most 
  “Eberron” will take home a special prize! 
  New Living Forgotten 
  Realms Adventures 
  Releasing This Month
  Check out the latest adventure offerings from D&D 
  organized Play!
  July 1, 2009
  QUES1-1 Black Cloaks and Bitter Rivalries
  You have haggled with the potter, you have given the 
  coin to the stranger, and you have spared the life of 
  an agent. Now the Zhentarim is offering you a chance 
  to join their ranks. Darkhold and the secrets of the 
  Black Network await for those clever and ruthless 
  enough to infiltrate the Zhentarim. You must have 
  the Zhentarim Infiltration Quest Card completed and 
  in your character’s stack to participate in this adven-
  ture. A Living Forgotten Realms adventure set in the 
  Western Heartlands for characters levels 7–10.
  TYMA1-5 From One Dwarf to Another
  When an annoying dwarf goes missing, nobody in 
  Ruinspoke cares. Well, nobody except a fellow dwarf, 
  that is. But it takes more than just one dwarf to mount 
  a rescue mission ... A Living Forgotten Realms adven-
  ture set in Tymanther for characters levels 1–4.
  July 8, 2009
  DALE1-5 Hunters’ Down
  Vengeance smolders in the hearts of many. It 
  sometimes takes only a spark to flare back to an 
  all-consuming rage. A Living Forgotten Realms 
  adventure set in the Dalelands for characters levels 
  7–10.
  July 15, 2009
  WATE1-5 Lost in the Fog
  As a deep fog blankets the Crown of the North, a fish 
  gifts the adventurers with the chance to do a good 
  deed. Returning lost property seems like an easy task. 
  A Living Forgotten Realms adventure set in Water-
  deep for characters levels 1–4.
  July 22, 2009
  AKAN1-5 Shell Game
  A package lands in your hands, and sounds of combat 
  are all around. Whatever is within must reach its des-
  tination, and only you can carry it there now. What 
  do you do? A Living Forgotten Realms adventure set 
  in Akanûl for characters levels 7–10.
  July 29, 2009
  AGLA1-5 Silver Lining
  The commander of the Watchwall is looking for 
  adventurers for a special mission into the Tannith 
  Mountains. The Watchwall is always undermanned 
  and Captain Arol thinks he may have found some 
  new recruits. But war, like politics, can make for 
  strange bedfellows. A Living Forgotten Realms adven-
  ture set in Aglarond for characters levels 1–4.
  About the Author
  originally thought to have been raised from a humble Mid-
  western family, Chris tulach actually fell to Earth in a 
  meteorite-shaped capsule flung from a planet far outside our 
  galaxy. While under the yellow rays of Sol, Chris’s nerdity 
  far surpasses that of any normal human. Using this precious 
  gift only for good, he has become the D&D organized Play 
  Content Developer, responsible for the development and 
  deployment of Dungeons & Dragons organized play pro-
  grams. He is also the co-author of E2 Kingdom of the Ghouls.
  
  A M P E R S A N D
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  TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast llC. All rights reserved.
  Holidays, Fireworks, 
  and Celebrating D&D
  by bill slaViCseK
  The 4th of July holiday is 
  rapidly approaching as I write 
  this, which means cook-outs, 
  fireworks, and my annual view-
  ing of the film, 1776. (It’s a US 
  of A thing. The rest of you out there in 
  the wider world have a July 4th, you 
  just don’t necessarily celebrate anything 
  special that day.) All this talk about cel-
  ebrations has me thinking about D&D. 
  (OK, to be fair, almost everything even-
  tually makes me think about D&D.) So 
  this month, I want to cover a few things 
  that we can all celebrate related to our 
  favorite game. There’s the newly declared 
  Dungeon Master Appreciation Month. 
  There’s the start of Debut Content this 
  week with the unveiling of the psion. 
  There’s the 25th anniversary of Dragon-
  lance, to which I’ll add a party favor or 
  two in the form of a preview of the dra-
  conians as they’ll appear in Draconomi-
  con: Metallic Dragons and the Monster 
  Manual: Legendary Evils miniatures set. 
  Oh, and there’s the fast-approaching re-
  lease of the D&D Monster Builder which 
  makes me want to throw a parade. Let’s 
  get this party rolling!
  Appreciate Your DM
  Shelly Mazzanoble, our self-declared Player-in-Chief, 
  has made another declaration in her newest column. 
  She’s declared that this is Dungeon Master Apprecia-
  tion Month. Now, I’m all for recognizing our beloved 
  DMs, but I do wish she’d let me do the declaring! oh 
  well. But I will second the notion and doubly declare 
  that July is DM Month! We all know that a good DM 
  is worth his or her weight in astral diamonds, and a 
  great DM is priceless. So, to all you players out there, 
  take a moment to show your DM some love and 
  appreciation. They provide you with endless hours of 
  adventure and imagination, and the game wouldn’t 
  be the same without them. They deserve a thank you, 
  and maybe a cold beverage of their choice. They’ve 
  earned it!
   
  To all you DMs reading this, take a bow. You make 
  D&D a great hobby and a great way to spend a few 
  hours every time your group gets together. Person-
  ally, I love being a Dungeon Master, and I can’t think 
  of a better way to enjoy time with my friends than to 
  explore a dungeon or battle some monsters or save 
  the world from the latest evil to rear its terrible head. 
  Appreciate the game. Appreciate your players. And 
  appreciate the time you spend together in the worlds 
  of D&D.
  Psion Debuts
  The psion player character class debuts this week 
  on D&D Insider. You’ll get an article explaining the 
  class and providing commentary from the people 
  that worked on it. You’ll get a complete build, fully 
  loaded and ready to play through the D&D Character 
  Builder and D&D Compendium. This debut content, 
  taken from Player’s Handbook 3 (release date: March 
  2010), is fully designed, developed, and edited. It’s 
  ready for publication, and we’re unveiling it early—
  just for the use of D&D Insiders! The debut content 
  plan shows the power and promise of D&D Insider, 
  giving us a forum to provide our best customers with 
  new and exciting material on a regular basis that goes 
  beyond the scope of anything ever done in the maga-
  zines in the past. D&D enters real time for Insiders, 
  where my team can finish new content and give it 
  you to use as soon as it’s ready. No need to wait for 
  Typesetting and Printing and Shipping and all of the 
  Every month from now to next March, we’ll provide another 
  complete and ready to use segment from Player’s Handbook 3.
  
  A M P E R S A N D
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  other things that need to happen to get printed prod-
  ucts into your hands. Every month from now to next 
  March, we’ll provide another complete and ready to 
  use segment from Player’s Handbook 3. By the time 
  the book hits the shelves, Insiders will have received 
  approximately 50% of the content and will have been 
  playing with psionics and other new elements as 
  much as eight months before the rest of the world.
   
  We’re also turning up the volume on exclusive 
  material, new content that will only be available to 
  D&D Insiders. The revenant player character race 
  was the start of this program, and in September the 
  assassin player character class gets revealed. These 
  exclusive elements become part of the game, they 
  appear in the various D&D worlds, but the only way 
  to get them to use in your game is to get them here, as 
  an Insider.
   
  I’ll continue to hype these programs and talk more 
  about them in the coming months, as we get closer to 
  additional debut and exclusive content releases.
  Happy 25!
  The 25th anniversary celebration of the Dragonlance 
  campaign world is fast approaching. Next month, the 
  final volume in Lost Chronicles Trilogy by Margaret 
  Weis and Tracy Hickman, Dragons of the Hourglass 
  Mage, explodes on the scene. We also have a bunch 
  of other celebratory happenings going on such as 
  contests and an event at GenCon, as well as the debut 
  of 4th Edition D&D draconians—first in the Monster 
  Manual: Legendary Evils miniatures set and then in 
  Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons in November. My con-
  tribution to the celebration, at least for this month, 
  is to provide the stats for the two draconian types 
  appearing in the minis set. Hey DMs, spice up your 
  next encounter by throwing some of these guys into 
  the mix!
  D&D Monster Builder
  Coming to D&D Insider in the near future, the D&D 
  Monster Builder is part of a larger suite of tools we’re 
  currently referring to as D&D Adventure Tools. I’ve 
  gotten a chance to play with the Monster Builder 
  recently, and now I can’t wait to turn it loose on 
  the rest of you! As an ancillary to DM Appreciation 
  Month, I can’t think of a better gift for DMs than 
  a monster building and organizing tool that actu-
  ally makes building encounters easier and more 
  fun. It not only lets you browse through more than 
  2,500 official D&D monsters, you can cut and paste 
  whatever monsters you need into your own D&D 
  documents. You can customize any of these monsters 
  with a few keystrokes—changing statistics, increas-
  ing or decreasing its level, altering its role, replacing 
  its powers, or even creating new powers. The Mon-
  ster Builder also lets you create new monsters, and 
  the program calculates their statistics based on the 
  choices you made. It’s amazing! Take a look at a cur-
  rent screen shot, and get ready to have even more fun 
  with D&D monsters!
   
  Next Time … We get ready for GenCon, discuss a 
  bunch of exciting new things, and reveal a few new 
  surprises. Until then, that cheeseburger over there is 
  calling to me. Later!
   
  Keep playing!
  
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  drAconiAns
  Evil spellcasters and priests create cruel servitors 
  known as draconians by using a ritual that corrupts 
  metallic dragon eggs. The kind of draconian depends 
  on the egg it hatched from. For instance, a gold 
  dragon egg produces a small number of the prized 
  aurak draconians, and a bronze dragon egg can 
  spawn up to a dozen bozak draconians.
   
  The transformation that changes a dragon into a 
  draconian causes the energy transference between 
  the dragon’s heart and fundamentum to become 
  unstable. While the draconian lives, the pumping 
  heart keeps a dragon’s elemental energy in check, 
  but once the heart stops, the energy exponentially 
  increases and alters the draconian’s corpse. Some 
  undergo a minor transformation, such as turning 
  to stone, but in others the elemental forces grow so 
  immense that they cause an explosive overload of 
  destructive energy.
  DraConians anD metalliC Dragon eggs
  Draconian Kind 
  Corrupted Egg
  Adamaaz Adamantine
  Aurak 
  Gold
  Baaz 
  Brass
  Bozak 
  Bronze
  Ferak 
  Iron
  Kapak 
  Copper
  Kobaaz 
  Cobalt
  Sivak 
  Silver
  Aurak Draconian
  Masters of the mind, aurak draconians assault their 
  foes with psychic urgings and twisting thoughts. 
  Aurak draconians are wingless, but they can teleport 
  short distances.
   
  Aurak draconians are also incredibly hard to kill. 
  Before dying, an aurak draconian immolates itself in 
  green flames and flies into a burning, bloody frenzy. 
  It strikes its enemy with savage claws before finally 
  falling.
  Aurak Draconian Lore
   
  nature DC 14: Aurak draconians are rare. They 
  are masters of magic that can twist the mind of a foe 
  to do their bidding.
   
  nature DC 19: When an aurak draconian is 
  killed, it is consumed by a frenzy that transforms the 
  creature into a terrifying, fiery horror. It fights until 
  it burns out or a particularly powerful blow finally 
  downs the creature.
  Aurak Draconian Tactics
  Arrogant to the extreme, an aurak draconian guides 
  its allies to build a defensive barrier between it and 
  its foes. The aurak then tries to dominate the most 
  powerful enemy, while striking at others with its fiery 
  blasts. It constantly moves nearby allies to defensive 
  and offensive positions with its defend me! power, 
  while using dimensional step to gain a better spot on 
  While the draconian 
  lives, the pumping heart 
  keeps a dragon’s elemental 
  energy in check, but once 
  the heart stops, the energy 
  exponentially increases and 
  alters the draconian’s corpse.
  Aurak Draconian 
  Level 8 Controller (Leader)
  Medium natural humanoid (reptile) 
  XP 350 
  initiative +5
  senses Perception +9; darkvision
  Fiery Frenzy (Fire) aura 1; only when the aurak draconian 
  drops to 0 hit points; each enemy that starts its turn 
  within the aura takes 5 fire damage. See also death frenzy.
  hP 70; bloodied 35; see also death frenzy
  aC 22; Fortitude 19, reflex 21, Will 21
  speed 6 
  m Claw (standard; at-will) 
   
  +13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage. 
  R Fiery blast (standard; at-will) ✦ Fire
   
  Ranged 5; +12 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 7 fire damage. 
  R mindbend (standard; encounter) ✦ Charm, Psychic
   
  Ranged 10; +12 vs. Will; 1d6 + 5 psychic damage, and the 
  target is dominated (save ends). 
  Death Frenzy (when the draconian drops to 0 hit points) 
   
  The draconian does not fall dead, but instead flies into a 
  savage and fiery rage. Its fiery frenzy aura is activated. The 
  draconian can make only melee basic attacks, but it deals 
  1d6 extra damage on those attacks. At the end of each of 
  its turns, the draconian makes a saving throw. If it fails, it 
  dies. It also dies if an enemy scores a critical hit against it. 
  Dimensional step (move; recharge 6) ✦ teleportation
   
  The aurak draconian teleports 5 squares. 
  Defend me! (minor; at-will) 
   
  One ally within 5 squares shifts 1 square. 
  Change shape (minor; encounter) ✦ Polymorph
   
  An aurak draconian can alter its physical form to appear as 
  any Medium humanoid (see “Change Shape,” MM2 216). 
  alignment Evil
  languages Common, Draconic
  skills Diplomacy +13, Insight +14
  str 13 (+5) 
  Dex 13 (+5) 
  Wis 20 (+9)
  Con 17 (+7) 
  int 20 (+9) 
  Cha 18 (+8)
  
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  the battlefield from which to pepper enemies with 
  fiery death.
   
  once it enters its death frenzy, any notion of subtle 
  tactics leaves the aurak. It spends its last actions 
  wreaking as much havoc as possible against as many 
  enemies as it can.
  Sivak Draconian
  Sivak draconians are the largest and most physically 
  imposing draconians. Due to their large wings, sivaks 
  are the only draconians that can truly fly. Their abil-
  ity to transform into creatures they have slain makes 
  them useful spies in civilized society.
  Sivak Draconian Lore
   
  nature DC 14: Sivak draconians are surpris-
  ingly agile flyers, able to quickly shift their center of 
  mass and charge foes in a manner hard to predict. 
  They can take on the appearance of people they slay, 
  making them excellent infiltrators.
   
  nature DC 19: When killed, a sivak draconian 
  transforms into the appearance of the person that 
  slew it. This can shock and unsettle the killer.
  Sivak Draconian Tactics
  Sivak draconians charge over opponents and drop 
  into flanking positions, giving them better chances 
  to hit with their serrated greatswords. When sur-
  rounded, a sivak draconian makes a short leaping 
  strike to free itself.
  In Case You Don’t Know Him
  Bill Slavicsek’s gaming life was forever changed when he 
  discovered Dungeons & Dragons in 1976. He became a 
  gaming professional in 1986 when he was hired by West End 
  Games as an editor. He quickly added developer, designer, 
  and creative manager to his resume, and his work helped 
  shape the Paranoia, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and Torg roleplay-
  ing games. He even found some time during that period to do 
  freelance work for D&D 1st Edition. In 1993, Bill joined the 
  staff of TSR, Inc. as a designer/editor. He worked on a bunch 
  of 2nd Edition material, including products for Core D&D, 
  Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and Planescape. In 1997, he was part of 
  the TSR crowd that moved to Seattle to join Wizards of the 
  Coast, and in that year he was promoted to R&D Director for 
  D&D. In that position, Bill oversaw the creation of both the 
  3rd Edition and 4th Edition of the D&D roleplaying game. 
  He was one of the driving forces behind the D&D Insider 
  project, and he continues to oversee and lead the creative 
  strategy and effort for Dungeons & Dragons.
   
  Bill’s enormous list of credits includes Alternity, d20 
  Modern, d20 Star Wars, Pokemon Jr., Eberron Campaign Setting, 
  the D&D For Dummies books, and his monthly Ampersand (&) 
  column for Dragon Magazine.
  Sivak Draconian 
  Level 8 Skirmisher
  large natural humanoid (reptile)  
  XP 350 
  initiative +11
  senses Perception +7; darkvision
  hP 90; bloodied 45; see also death mask
  aC 22; Fortitude 20, reflex 21, Will 19
  speed 7, fly 7 
  M greatsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
   
  Reach 2; +13 vs. AC; 1d12 + 6 damage. 
  M leaping strike (standard; recharge 5 6) ✦ Weapon
   
  The draconian shifts 3 squares and makes an attack: reach 
  2; +13 vs. AC; 2d12 + 6 damage. 
  Death mask (when the draconian drops to 0 hit points; targets 
  the creature that reduced the draconian to 0 hit points) ✦ 
  Fear, Psychic, Polymorph
   
  The draconian dies, and changes its form to that of the 
  creature that killed it; +9 vs. Will; 2d6 + 5 psychic damage, 
  and the target is dazed until the end of its next turn. The 
  draconian’s body decomposes into dust after three days. 
  Flying Charge
   
  When charging, a draconian can charge to any unoccupied 
  space adjacent to the target, instead of just the closest 
  space. 
  steal appearance (immediate reaction, when the sivak 
  draconian kills a humanoid; at-will) ✦ Polymorph
   
  The draconian alters its physical form to appear as the 
  slain creature (see “Change Shape,” MM2 216). The 
  draconian can end the transformation as a minor action. 
  alignment Evil
  languages Common, Draconic
  skills Bluff +10, Streetwise +10
  str 18 (+8) 
  Dex 20 (+9) 
  Wis 16 (+7)
  Con 18 (+8) 
  int 12 (+5) 
  Cha 12 (+5)
  equipment plate armor, greatsword
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 4th Edition/Dragon/Dragon_377.pdf