TEXT: ISSUE 371  |  JANUARY 2009
  ISSUE 371  |  JANUARY 2009
  A Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game Supplement
  A Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game Supplement
  
  FEATURES
  FEATURES
  FEATURES
  Contents
  18
  32
  39
   5 
  LEGACY OF ACERERAK
  By Robert J. Schwalb
  The legendary demilich left a lasting stain on the world in more 
  ways than one. Learn about his legacy, and his curse.
   18 
  HESTAVAR, THE BRIGHT CITY
  By Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  This Astral dominion appears to be a haven of civilization at first 
  glance. But not all is as it appears in this grand city.
   32 
  PLAYING DHAMPYR
  By Brian R. James
  These tormented souls have the blood of vampires in their veins. 
  Learn what it means to be one of the tainted dhampyr.
   39 
  ORIGIN STORIES: INCORPORATING RACES
  By Bruce R. Cordell
  The warforged have long been identified exclusively with Eberron, 
  and the genasi with the Realms, but what would happen if you 
  crossed those streams?
  TM
  
   46 
  CREATURE INCARNATIONS:
   
   
  ZOMBIES
  By Daniel Marthaler
  With the zombie apocalypse sure to arrive in 2009, 
  it’s time to start preparations in your campaign with 
  these new zombie options.
  COLUMNS
  46
  ON THE COVER
  Illustration by Raven Mimura
     4 
  EDITORIAL
    54 
  DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
  By RPG R&D Staff
  The ins and outs of design are discussed in detail in this 
  ongoing series.
    57 
  CONFESSIONS OF A FULL-TIME WIZARD
  By Shelly Mazzanoble
  Shelly ran a game of D&D for her parents over the 
  holidays. See how her next grand experiment went.
    62 
  D&D ALUMNI
  By Bart Carroll and Steve Winter
  A look back at the D&D cosmology through past editions.
    68 
  RPGA REPORT
  By Chris Tulach
  The Living FR campaign is in full swing. Learn more 
  about how to get involved!
    70 
  AMPERSAND
  By Bill Slavicsek
  Bill previews another upcoming release, and discusses 
  more of the changes in store for D&D in 2009.
  COLUMNS
  COLUMNS
  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
  
  I wanted to write this editorial, fresh into 2009, about 
  my New Year’s resolutions. I know this topic has been 
  done to death. Magazine editors across the globe are 
  likely writing similar editorials right now. But the idea 
  was suggested by some co-workers, followed immedi-
  ately by several suggestions for what my resolutions 
  should be. 
  I feel like suggesting resolutions for someone else is 
  a lot like making a critical commentary on their life. 
  Okay, it’s not a lot like that. It is exactly that. I started to 
  take offense, then realized that this sort of insight isn’t 
  easily come by. After all, if you walked up to a friend 
  on a normal day and said, “Hey, what’s wrong with 
  me? What could I work on?” They’re likely to respond 
  with sarcasm (“Everything.”) or platitudes (“You’re 
  fine the way you are!” Thanks, mom.). 
  But ask a friend what your New Year’s resolutions 
  should be, and you’ll get responses. Oh yes, you will. 
  In fact, co-workers nearby will shout them over cube 
  walls in an effort to get their 2 cents in. Apparently 
  resolutions are a free-for-all way to offer “constructive” 
  criticism. Once the suggestions started rolling in, I 
  started to enjoy the experience, and started soliciting 
  more. Here’s a sampling from around the office when 
  I started to ask people what they thought my New 
  Year’s resolution should be.
  Sara Girard, D&D Associate Brand Manager:
  “When you DM, stop making up rules on the fly that 
  negatively affect your players.”
  Translation: “Stop telling us when we’re breaking the 
  rules.”
  Shelly Mazzanoble, Confessions of a Full-Time 
  Wizard Columnist: “Give your columnists more than 
  three days notice that their column is due.”
  Let it go, Shelly. Let it go.
  Steve Winter, Web Specialist: “Be nicer to your 
  co-workers.”
  Uh, what are you trying to say, you big jerk?
  Steve Schubert, RPG Developer: “Be a better fan-
  tasy football drafter.”
  Touché, Shoe. Touché. But last I checked, we both had 
  the league’s worst record at a glorious 3-11. Pot, meet 
  kettle.
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Save My Game Col-
  umnist and RPG Developer: “Buy Stephen more 
  drinks.”
  Done! Since sitting next to SRM in meetings is like 
  sitting with the delinquent kids at the back of class, I 
  imagine the hyjinks that will follow drinks with SRM 
  could only be entertaining.
  The Rouse, D&D Senior Brand Manager (and 
  apparently all-around creepy dude): “Smile more. 
  And wear this…” (as he reaches into a desk drawer).
  I didn’t stick around long enough to see what The 
  Rouse was pulling out. I caught a glimpse, and it was 
  leather and had buckles. Creepy.
  E D I T O R I A L
  TM
   
  Editor-in-Chief 
  Chris Youngs
   
  Senior Art Director 
  Jon Schindehette 
   
  Web Specialist 
  Chris Sims
   
  Web Production 
  Bart Carroll, Steve Winter
   
  Graphic Design 
  Bob Jordan, Breanne Miller
   
  Contributing Authors 
  Richard Baker, Logan Bonner, 
   
   
  Shelly Mazzanoble, Mike Mearls,
   
   
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
   
   
  Robert J. Schwalb, Chris Sims,
   
   
  Bill Slavicsek, Chris Tulach, 
   
   
  James Wyatt
   
  Developers 
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
   
   
  Peter Schaefer,  Stephen Schubert, 
   
   
  Rodney Thompson
   
  Editors 
  Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, 
   
   
  Miranda Horner
   
  Cover Artist 
  Raven Mimura
   
  Contributing Artists 
  Rob Alexander, Dave Allsop, 
   
   
  Ryan Barger, Eric Belisle, 
   
   
  Eric Deschamps, Steve Ellis, 
   
   
  Gonzalo Flores, Adam Gillespie, 
   
   
  Jim Nelson, William O’Connor, 
   
   
  Chris Seaman, Eric L. William, 
   
  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, Jeremy Crawford, Rob 
  Heinsoo, Peter Lee, Julia Martin, Mike Mearls, Kim Mohan, David 
  Noonan, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Peter Schaefer, Stephen 
  Schubert, Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson, Rob Watkins, James Wyatt
  371
  DR AGON
  Januar y 2009
  New Year’s Resolve
  New Year’s Resolve
  
  5
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  by Robert J. Schwalb
  illustrations by Eric Belisle, Raven Mimura
  Legacy of Acererak
  Legacy of Acererak
  We entered that accursed tomb with the welcome of its 
  foul attendants, each smiling and offering whispers of 
  encouragement. Into the blackness strode five foolhardy 
  adventurers and yet only I walked out alive. Darkness swal-
  lowed the first, when eager Rillian stepped boldly into the 
  Devourer’s maw. Khasta sprung a wicked trap and died 
  when a dart fusillade filled her blood with wicked poison. 
  Algrum stepped into a glowing portal and I can only 
  presume he died, for the sounds of his screaming echoed 
  all around us. And Phillip, poor Phillip, crumbled to dust 
  when he looked into the skull’s faceted eyes. I escaped with 
  my body intact, but I can’t say the same for my mind. The 
  tomb’s horrors haunt me still. Acererak, cursed lich, awaits 
  my death and when I die, he’ll steal my soul as he did those 
  companions I left behind in that evil place. Know this: Seek 
  not the Tomb of Acererak for there are easier ways to die.
  M
  any dungeons fill the world, but few come 
  close to the malice found in the Tomb of 
  Horrors. The reputed resting place of the 
  infamous necromancer, Acererak, the Tomb has 
  tempted many heroes and fools alike into testing 
  their mettle against the tricks and traps protecting 
  the Tomb’s fabled mithral vault. Nearly all have been 
  found wanting. Regardless of how many descended 
  into its labyrinthine corridors, fell victim to its innu-
  merable hazards, or emerged, maimed or mad, the 
  dungeon has survived, promising the same death and 
  despair as it always has to the next band to enter its 
  darkened corridors.
   
  One might wonder why any dare descend into the 
  Tomb’s nightmarish depths if death is nearly certain. 
  Treasure, of course. One cannot count the legends 
  about the fabulous treasures in the tomb’s bowels. 
  One can seek out glory as well, because few can say 
  they survived the Tomb, and fewer can claim they 
  survived intact. Each new generation produces those 
  who would follow in the steps of the fallen to seek 
  their fates in the Tomb’s unhallowed halls.
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  6
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  ADVENTURERS AND 
  ADVENTURERS AND 
  ACERERAK
  ACERERAK
  Acererak casts a long shadow across the world, and 
  his malign presence touches many people in places 
  scattered across creation and beyond. From undead 
  spawned by his dread rituals to the descendants of 
  those adventurers who died in the tomb, Acererak 
  and his legend have shaped and altered countless 
  lives. Whether the infamous undead affects your 
  character is up to you.
  Backgrounds
  The easiest way to connect your character to Acere-
  rak’s legacy is to establish it in your character’s 
  background. First presented in Player’s Handbook 2,
  backgrounds help ground characters in the cam-
  paign setting, offering possible origins, reasons for 
  adventuring, and tips for roleplaying these charac-
  ters. In addition, a background also provides a slight 
  mechanical edge, such as a bonus to a skill, fluency in 
  an extra language, or an extra skill to your list of class 
  skills. Some backgrounds grant other benefits, such 
  as the regional benefits described in the FORGOTTEN 
  REALMS® Player’s Guide.
   
  A player character’s destiny might be guided by 
  the infamous demilich, a brush with undead, kinship 
  to one of the Tomb of Horrors many victims, or loss or 
  hardship brought about by one of the Acererak’s ser-
  vants. If you are interested in establishing a stronger 
  link to this menace, any of the following new back-
  grounds should suffice. Many backgrounds include 
  suggested skills, suggested languages, optional back-
  ground benefits, or all of the above. Choose one of the 
  following benefits from those listed:
  ! Add one of the suggested skills to your list of 
  class skills.
   
  ! Gain a +2 bonus to checks made using one of the 
  suggested skills.
   
  ! Gain fluency in one of the suggested languages.
   
  ! Gain the optional background benefit.
  Accursed Lineage
  Whispers about your family’s lineage haunted your 
  childhood. Claims of being cursed, doomed, or other-
  wise touched by evil made your early years difficult. 
  These troubles sourced from tales about your family’s 
  history because it is believed you are a descendant of 
  the infamous Acererak.
   
  Possible Minor Quests: You might seek to clear 
  your family’s name, uncover the truth about your fam-
  ily’s past, or follow in the steps of your dark ancestor.
   
  Suggested Skills: History, Intimidate, Religion
   
  Background Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Diplo-
  macy and Intimidate checks when interacting with 
  undead creatures.
  Adventurer’s Scion
  One or both of your parents were adventurers and 
  you grew up listening to stories about their achieve-
  ments, the monsters they defeated, and the fantastic 
  places they explored. Although each tale was more 
  harrowing than the last, they always came out vic-
  torious in the end, with one exception: the Tomb of 
  Horrors. They never speak of it, except to say it was 
  an evil place—dark like no other. The only survivors, 
  they left many friends in that accursed dungeon and 
  warned you against following in their steps.
   
  Possible Minor Quests: You might seek out the 
  fabled Tomb of Horrors to succeed where your parent 
  or parents failed. You could search the dungeons or 
  what lies beyond to rescue their lost comrades.
   
  Suggested Skills: Arcana, History, Religion
   
  Background Benefit: Whenever you make a monster 
  knowledge check, you can reroll the check, but you 
  must use the second result even if it’s worse than the 
  first.
  Curious Archeologist
  Dungeons, ruins, and old tombs house the secrets of 
  the past, and dedicated scrutiny can reveal much of 
  old civilizations and famous personages. So whenever 
  an opportunity arises to examine a historical sight, 
  you’re loath to let it pass you by. While many dun-
  geons capture your imagination, none of them has 
  quite the same allure as does the Tomb of Horrors.
   
  Possible Minor Quests: You might explore the 
  corridors of Acererak’s tomb, retrieve relics from the 
  deep chambers, or seek lore about who Acererak was 
  in life.
   
  Suggested Skills: History, Perception, Thievery
   
  Background Benefit: When engaging in a skill chal-
  lenge to disable a trap, your first successful Thievery 
  check grants you an extra success.
  Lost Kin
  When you were young, a beloved relative—a parent, 
  sibling, or another family member—left with an 
  adventuring company in search of glory, treasure, 
  and adventure. From time to time, you received let-
  ters recounting their successes and near-failures, but 
  eventually the letters stopped coming. The last letter 
  was brief, saying only they were headed for Skull 
  City somewhere in the Vast Swamp. After years of 
  no communication, your family believed the relative 
  met an end somewhere in that sinister place, but no 
  one knows and the question of what really happened 
  haunts you still.
   
  Possible Minor Quests: Although searching for 
  your lost kin might be the forefront of your concerns, 
  you should be careful of what you seek. In all likeli-
  hood, your lost kin might be searching for you, but 
  this person might not be the person you remember. 
  You relative might have been driven mad, might seek 
  to give you a cursed relic pulled from the dungeons 
  she explored, or might even return as an undead 
  monster. In any event, putting the memory of your 
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  7
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  relative to rest, and perhaps the relative herself, might 
  serve as a suitable minor quest.
   
  Suggested Skills: Any class skill
   
  Suggested Language: Any language other than Abys-
  sal or Supernal
   
  Background Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus to Nature 
  checks made to recall useful information about 
  geography.
  Necromancer’s Chattel
  The Bleak Academy keeps a stable of living slaves to 
  murder and animate as undead when they come of 
  age. Life in servitude to these necromancers is under-
  standably bleak. You, though, escaped your chains 
  and survived the long flight through the Vast Swamp 
  to reach civilized lands. Do you want vengeance? Will 
  you fight to liberate the others held by the necroman-
  tic cabal?
   
  Possible Minor Quests: You might have escaped, 
  but your former captors are not likely to let you 
  stay free. You might have to avoid their attempts to 
  reclaim you, so you are always moving and staying 
  one step ahead of them. Or you might go back, intent 
  on freeing your fellows and razing the necromancers’ 
  city.
   
  Suggested Skills: Endurance, Religion, Stealth
   
  Background Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to 
  saving throws to end conditions and ongoing effects 
  with the fear keyword.
  Restless Dead
  Undead horrors stalk the countryside in your home-
  land, preying on the living and staining the land with 
  their evil presence. You grew up fighting these mon-
  sters, watching as your friends and kin fell at your 
  side only to rise as zombies or worse. You escaped 
  the nightmare of youth, but the experiences fill your 
  nights with nightmares. Have you sworn to fight 
  undead no matter the cost? Or are they so terrible 
  that you cannot bear to face them?
   
  Possible Minor Quests: Finding and destroying 
  the origin of the undead creatures menacing your 
  community might drive you to undertake a life of 
  adventure. You might scour the countryside to find 
  and destroy powerful agents until you find the true 
  source of the burgeoning evil.
   
  Suggested Skills: Insight, Perception, Religion
   
  Background Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to damage 
  rolls against creatures with the undead keyword.
  Touched by Darkness
  You might have served a necromancer in your youth, 
  perhaps as an apprentice or possibly as guard or 
  servant. Proximity to your master’s corruption left a 
  mark on you. Did your experience alter how you see 
  undead? Is necromancy a path you might seek or is 
  HEROIC TIER FEATS
  Cleansing Challenge 
  Cha 15, paladin, divine challenge class feature 
  Use divine challenge against undead creature and deal 2 radiant damage.
  Divine Boon 
  Cleric, Channel Divinity: divine fortune 
  +5 radiant damage to undead with divine fortune.
  Divine Purity 
  Paladin, Channel Divinity: divine mettle
  Divine mettle grants resist necrotic if saving throw ends a necrotic effect.
  Greater Turning 
  Cleric, Channel Divinity: turn undead 
  On a miss with turn undead, target is pushed Cha squares
  Purifying Light 
  Cha 15, any divine class 
  +1 on attack rolls with radiant prayers against undead
  Radiant Touch 
  Paladin, lay on hands class feature 
  Use lay on hands as an attack against undead targets
  Student of Moil 
  Con 13, Int 13 
  +1 on damage rolls with cold or necrotic powers
  PARAGON TIER FEATS
  Stunning Rebuke 
  11th level, cleric, Channel Divinity: turn undead class feature 
  Turn undead can daze instead of immobilize
  Radiant Hunter 
  11th level, ranger, multiclass divine class 
  Hunter’s quarry damage is radiant
  Shadow Born Warlock 
  11th level, Int 15, warlock, shadow walk class feature 
  Gain resist necrotic with concealment
  Undead Ward 
  11th level, cleric, Channel Divinity: turn undead class feature 
  Turn undead creates a zone
  HERITAGE FEATS
  Ghost Touched 
  Con 13, Int 13 
  +2 Religion; augment at-will powers
  Radiant Soul 
  Cha 13 
  +2 Diplomacy; augment at-will powers
  Raven Queen Devotee 
  Wis 13, Cha 13 
  +2 Intimidate; augment at-will power
  Shadow Soul 
  Dex 13, Wis 13 
  +2 Stealth; augment at-will powers
  Undead Hunter 
  Con 13, trained in Religion 
  +1 to healing surge value; augment at-will powers.
  Zombie Veteran 
  Str 15 
  +2 Athletics to escape grabs; augment at-will power
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  8
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Radiant Touch 
  Feat Power
  Radiant Touch 
  Feat Power
  You transform your divine healing into radiant energy, 
  damaging undead.
  Encounter ! Divine, Implement, Radiant
  Minor Action 
  Melee touch
  Target: One undead creature
  Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
  Hit: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. 
  The target creature takes radiant damage equal to 
  your healing surge value.
  Special: Use of this power counts toward your daily limit 
  of uses of the lay on hands class feature.
  Student of Moil
   Prerequisites: Con 13, Int 13
   Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to damage rolls 
  when you use a power that has the cold or necrotic 
  keyword.
   At 11th level, this bonus increases to +2. At 21st 
  level, it increases to +3.
  Paragon Tier Feats
  Any feat in the following section is available to a 
  character of 11th level or higher who meets the 
  prerequisites.
  Dazing Rebuke
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, cleric, Channel Divin-
  ity: turn undead class feature
   
  Benefit: Whenever you hit an undead creature 
  with your turn undead class feature, you can choose to 
  make the target dazed instead of immobilized.
  Radiant Hunter
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, ranger, multiclass 
  divine class
   
  Benefit: Whenever you would deal hunter’s quarry
  damage against an enemy, you can choose to treat 
  that damage as radiant damage.
  it an abomination to be fought and destroyed? How 
  does the mark manifest on you? Are you pale? Do 
  you suffer from a disfiguring condition, or are you 
  unhinged?
   
  Possible Minor Quests: You might have born 
  witness to appalling acts of wickedness, and if so, you 
  might seek redemption, fighting the darkness to atone 
  for your past. You might also seek out the necroman-
  cer or undead master you served to prevent his works 
  from plunging the world into death.
   
  Suggested Skills: Intimidate, Stealth, Religion
   
  Background Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to saving 
  throws against ongoing effects and conditions with 
  the necrotic keyword.
  FEATS
  FEATS
  The new feats presented here provide characters com-
  mitted to the fight against undead, necromancers, 
  and anyone else who follows the steps of Acererak 
  with new tools and techniques to succeed.
  Heroic Tier Feats
  Any feat in the following section is available to any 
  character of any level who meets the prerequisites.
  Cleansing Challenge
   
  Prerequisites: Cha 15, paladin, divine challenge 
  class feature
   
  Benefit: When you use divine challenge to mark 
  an undead creature, you also deal 2 radiant damage 
  to that creature. At 11th level you deal 4 radiant 
  damage, and at 21st level you deal 6 radiant damage.
  Divine Boon
   
  Prerequisites: Cleric, Channel Divinity: divine 
  fortune class feature
   
  Benefit: Whenever you hit an undead creature 
  with an attack for which you gained a bonus from 
  divine fortune, your attack deals an extra 5 radiant 
  damage.
  Divine Purity
   
  Prerequisites: Paladin, Channel Divinity: divine 
  mettle class feature
   
  Benefit: If the target of your divine mettle power 
  succeeds on a saving throw to end a condition or 
  ongoing effect with the necrotic keyword, the target 
  also gains resist necrotic equal to your Charisma 
  modifier until the end of your next turn.
  Greater Turning
   
  Prerequisites: Cleric, Channel Divinity: turn 
  undead class feature
   
  Benefit: Whenever you miss a target when using 
  turn undead, the target is pushed a number of squares 
  equal to your Charisma modifier. The target takes no 
  damage and is not immobilized.
  Purifying Light
   
  Prerequisites: Cha 15, any divine class
   
  Benefit: Your radiant prayers gain a +1 bonus to 
  attack rolls when used against undead targets. At 11th 
  level, this bonus increases to +2. At 21st level, this 
  bonus increases to +3.
  Radiant Touch
   
  Prerequisites: Paladin, lay on hands class feature
   
  Benefit: You can use your innate healing power to 
  blast undead with radiant energy, gaining the radiant 
  touch power.
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  9
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Shadow Born Warlock
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, Int 15, warlock, shadow 
  walk class feature
   
  Benefit: Whenever you gain concealment from 
  shadow walk, you also gain resist necrotic equal to your 
  Intelligence modifier.
  Undead Ward
   Prerequisites: 11th level, cleric, Channel Divinity:
  turn undead class feature
   Benefit: Your turn undead class feature gains the 
  zone keyword. Whenever you use this power, the 
  burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of your 
  next turn. Any undead creature that enters or starts 
  its turn within the zone takes 1d6 + Wisdom modifier 
  radiant damage.
  Heritage Feats
  In addition to the normal feats presented here, a 
  number of feats are denoted as heritage feats. These 
  feats help you customize your at-will powers and 
  other aspects of your character to help make your 
  adventurer an individual by your historical connec-
  tions to undead. If you choose multiple heritage feats 
  (or feats that similarly modify at-will powers), you 
  choose which feat modifies the power for the pur-
  poses of resolving the attack with the power.
  Ghost Touched [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisites: Con 13, Int 13
   
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Religion checks.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Holy Strike (paladin, PH 92): If your target is 
  undead, one ally adjacent to you gains a bonus to 
  its next damage roll against the target equal to your 
  Wisdom modifier.
   
  Magic Missile (wizard, PH 159): When using this 
  spell against an undead enemy that is insubstantial, 
  your attack ignores the insubstantial trait, dealing full 
  damage instead of half damage.
   
  Sacred Flame (cleric, PH 63): Whenever you use this 
  prayer against an undead creature, you can choose to 
  grant one ally resist necrotic equal to your Charisma 
  modifier instead of granting temporary hit points or 
  the ability to make a saving throw.
  Radiant Soul [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisite: Cha 13
   
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy 
  checks.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Bolstering Strike (paladin, PH 92): When you hit an 
  undead creature using this prayer, you can also make 
  a saving throw against any necrotic ongoing effects or 
  conditions affecting you in lieu of gaining temporary 
  hit points.
   
  Hellish Rebuke (warlock, PH 132): When used 
  against undead targets, hellish rebuke deals radiant 
  damage instead of fire damage.
   
  Righteous Brand (cleric, PH 63): If the target of your 
  attack is undead, when you grant the ally the bonus 
  to melee attack rolls against the target, that ally’s next 
  attack against the target deals extra radiant damage 
  equal to your Charisma modifier.
  Raven Queen Devotee [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Cha 13, you must worship 
  the Raven Queen.
   
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Enfeebling Strike (paladin, PH 92): If the target is 
  undead, you can forgo bestowing the penalty to the 
  target’s attack rolls to have the target grant combat 
  advantage to all enemies until the start of your next 
  turn instead.
   
  Priest’s Shield (cleric, PH 63): Whenever you would 
  grant an ally a +1 power bonus to AC, you can forgo 
  this bonus to instead grant the ally resist necrotic 
  equal to your Charisma modifier until the end of your 
  next turn.
  Shadow Soul [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13
   
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Stealth checks.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Lance of Faith (cleric, PH 63): If the target is undead, 
  you can also push the target 1 square on a hit.
   
  Valiant Strike (paladin, PH 92): If you hit an undead 
  creature with this prayer and it is marked by you, you 
  gain a +1 bonus to Will until the start of your next 
  turn.
  Undead Hunter [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisites: Con 13, trained in Religion
   
  Benefit: Increase your healing surge value by 1.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Careful Attack (ranger, PH 105): If the target is 
  undead, and you benefit from Prime Shot, your attack 
  deals extra damage equal to your Strength or Dexter-
  ity modifier.
   
  Commander’s Strike (warlord, PH 145): If the target is 
  undead, your ally gains a +2 bonus to the attack roll.
   
  Holy Strike (paladin, PH 92): If the target is undead, 
  your bonus to the damage roll is equal to your 
  Wisdom modifier plus your Charisma modifier.
   
  Reaping Strike (fighter, PH 77): When you use this 
  exploit and miss, one undead enemy adjacent to you 
  also takes damage equal to one-half your Strength 
  modifier (or equal to your Strength modifier if you’re 
  wielding a two-handed weapon).
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  10
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Zombie Veteran [Heritage]
   
  Prerequisite: Str 15
   
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Athletics checks 
  made to escape a grab.
   
  In addition, you gain a benefit with any of the fol-
  lowing powers you possess.
   
  Sure Strike (fighter, PH 77): If you roll a natural 15 
  or higher when using this exploit against an undead 
  enemy, your attack deals extra damage equal to your 
  Strength modifier.
   
  Valiant Strike (paladin, PH 92): You gain a +1 bonus 
  to your damage roll for each undead enemy adjacent 
  to you.
   
  Twin Strike (ranger, PH 105): If you’re using this 
  exploit against an undead creature and you are 
  armed with two melee weapons, you deal extra 
  damage equal to your Wisdom modifier if you hit 
  with both attacks.
   
  Wolf Pack Tactics (warlord, PH 145): If your target is 
  undead and you hit, one ally adjacent to you can shift 
  1 square as a free action.
  THE BLEAK ACADEMY
  THE BLEAK ACADEMY
  An obscene cabal united by fell purpose and dread 
  desire, the Bleak Academy has a large number of 
  members who would follow in Acererak’s steps. 
  Gathering in Skull City and sprawling around the 
  infamous Tomb of Horrors, the cabalists perform 
  terrible rituals, engage in experiments, and raise 
  all manner of undead monstrosities to glorify their 
  exalted lord.
  The Bleak Academy Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  skill check.
   
  Arcana DC 25: The Shadowfell bleeds into the 
  mortal world where Skull City stands, but the influ-
  ence is not the chilling pall normally associated with 
  such regions. Instead a conduit to a region of Dark-
  lands is not far from the City That Waits (see Manual 
  of the Planes, page 60). The Darklands’ influence 
  spills through the planar barriers, staining the mortal 
  world with its corrupting influence, and thus Skull 
  City and those who die here often rise as undead.
   
  History DC 15: The Bleak Academy is a society 
  of deviants and exiles committed to the study of 
  necromancy. Driven from their lands for all sorts of 
  crimes, they gather in Skull City because it is far from 
  civilized lands and they can conduct their work and 
  research without interference.
   
  History DC 20: Founded several decades ago, 
  the Bleak Academy united those with an interest in 
  necromancy, the Shadowfell, and undead in general. 
  Skull City, the city they founded, welcomes any with 
  the same interest, sheltering them within the bone 
  walls provided they swear oaths to the Devourer, 
  the once-mortal mage of incomparable power also 
  known as Acererak. The Academy chose the site for 
  their institution and supporting community for its 
  proximity to Acererak’s blood-soaked Tomb of Hor-
  rors, because many believe the demilich’s influence is 
  strongest here.
   
  Religion DC 20: For all their study, the Bleak 
  Academy is very much a cult to the Devourer, deify-
  ing, rightly or wrongly, Acererak. The demilich, if 
  indeed a god, is a poor master because he lends little 
  power and reveals few secrets, so jealous is he of his 
  vast knowledge.
  Organization
  The Bleak Academy has all the pretense of an intel-
  lectual society, and they approach their grim study 
  with all the scholarly airs one would expect from 
  the world’s preeminent sages. The Academy trains 
  apprentices, funds research, and accumulates the 
  world’s darkest lore on the subjects of death, undeath, 
  and blackest magic.
   
  Leader: Since its founding, Mistress Ferranifer 
  guided the Bleak Academy to its present power. 
  Enjoying a powerful connection to Acererak, she 
  prides herself as being one of his greatest agents in 
  the mortal world. Ferranifer is a vampire of consid-
  erable might, but in recent years, she has secluded 
  herself in her crypt far below the Academy. Her lair 
  is every bit as convoluted and deadly as the Tomb the 
  Academy honors.
   
  Headquarters: The Bleak Academy emerges from 
  the side of the skull-like hill capping the Tomb of 
  Horrors. The institution stands in front of the ancient 
  entrance to the tomb proper. This massive, brood-
  ing structure is constructed from black stone and 
  decorated with macabre images, profane inscriptions, 
  and jarring sigils. A half ring of stone teeth fronts the 
  place, and beyond, one can enter through a similarly 
  sickening foyer and into the chambers beyond. Here, 
  one finds workshops, classrooms, a large auditorium, 
  private chambers, and more, all decorated in the 
  same death motif.
   
  Since the Bleak Academy regards adventurers as 
  proper sacrifices to their master, they welcome outsid-
  ers and do not interfere as long as the visitors proceed 
  directly to the Tomb of Horrors and do not stray 
  from their descent. Of course, those adventurers who 
  emerge intact from the Tomb are usually murdered, 
  their corpses animated and added to the thralls wan-
  dering the city’s gloomy streets.
   
  In terms of terminology, “city” is perhaps too 
  generous a word for the community surrounding 
  the tomb. A sea of shops, hovels, and graveyards, all 
  within the boundaries of a steep wall fashioned from 
  the assembled bones of those killed in the tomb, 
  the area is every bit as unsettling as the Academy. 
  Undead shuffle alongside the living, skeletons and 
  zombies serve as labor or guards, or perhaps for an 
  unspeakable purpose. Although the cabalists permit 
  adventurers into their demesne, not all residents of 
  Skull City are so welcoming, and many would-be 
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  11
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  explorers find an abrupt end to their adventure after 
  tangling with one of the city’s “fine” citizens.
   
  Hierarchy: Managing the Bleak Academy falls 
  to Ferranifer, but she cedes most of her power to the 
  instructors who report to her. Each student is assigned 
  to one instructor, who oversees his or her education. 
  Students might study under any of the dozen or so 
  professors, but their assigned mentor monitors their 
  progress and disciplines them when needed. Disci-
  pline is often in the form of maiming, but death is 
  sometimes a better lesson.
   
  Members: The Bleak Academy welcomes anyone 
  with an interest in the necromantic arts into their 
  fold. Those who lack the resolve or talent to master 
  the coursework find their failures bring them a new 
  career as a zombie, and their twitching cadavers are 
  then used for anatomy classes.
   
  Bleak Academy members are drawn from the 
  worst the world has to offer. Their corruption could 
  reveal itself in bubbling tumors, disgusting habits, or 
  obscene preoccupations. Deviance might also not be 
  immediately apparent since it could lurk deep within 
  personalities and then be revealed fully when the 
  individual is overcome with anger, hate, or lust.
   
  The rest of Skull City is made up of scum drawn 
  from all corners of the world: cast-offs and misfits, 
  freaks and soulless murderers. Gnolls walk alongside 
  halfling cannibals, while assassins broker deals in 
  shadowed taverns over mugs brimming with herb-
  infused blood, and ogres rip elves apart for sport. 
  Skull City indulges every vice; no desire is too twisted 
  or too strange to be forbidden here. Few outside the 
  Academy have much talent in necromancy, and many 
  are thieves, murderers, cannibals, and far worse. 
  While not members, they are valued allies to the 
  Academy and its designs.
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  12
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  APOSTLES OF THE 
  APOSTLES OF THE 
  DEVOURER
  DEVOURER
  The Apostles are a motley mix of people from many 
  cultures and lands. What binds them all is their fierce 
  loyalty to Acererak and their obsession with death.
  Apostles of the Devourer 
  Lore
  A character knows the following information with a 
  successful Religion check.
   
  DC 10: The Apostles of the Devourer are practitio-
  ners of necromancy. It’s whispered that they serve an 
  undead god of terrible power and purpose, and their 
  allegiance to him is bound by blood.
  Devourer Initiate 
  Level 5 Artillery
  Medium natural humanoid, human 
  XP 200
  Initiative +4 
  Senses Perception +1
  HP 46; Bloodied 23
  AC 18; Fortitude 17, Reﬂ ex 19, Will 16
  Speed 6
  m Dagger (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +12 vs. AC; 1d4 + 6 damage.
  R Decay (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Ranged 10; +10 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 6 necrotic damage, and 
  the target grants combat advantage to all enemies (save 
  ends).
  A Decay Burst (standard; encounter) ! Necrotic
   
  Area burst 1 within 10; +8 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 6 necrotic 
  damage, and the target gains vulnerable 5 necrotic (save 
  ends).
  C Evoke Terror (minor; encounter) ! Fear
   
  Close burst 1; +8 vs. Will; the target grants combat 
  advantage to all enemies (save ends), and it immediately 
  moves its speed by the safest route away from the bleak 
  initiate.
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Skills Arcana +11, Intimidate +8, Religion +11
  Str 15 (+4) 
  Dex 14 (+4) 
  Wis 8 (+1)
  Con 10 (+2) 
  Int 19 (+6) 
  Cha 12 (+3)
  Equipment black robes, dagger, foul stench
  Devourer Initiate Tactics
  Not one to engage its enemies directly, the devourer 
  initiate hangs back and hits its enemies with decay burst. 
  While its allies keep the foes at bay, the initiate targets 
  vulnerable enemies with decay. Should two or more foes 
  converge, it uses evoke terror to send them fleeing.
  Bleak Necromancer 
  Level 7 Controller
  Medium natural humanoid, human 
  XP 300
  Initiative +6 
  Senses Perception +8
  Grave Stench aura 1; enemies that enter or start their turns 
  within the aura take a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
  HP 80; Bloodied 40
  AC 21; Fortitude 19, Reﬂ ex 21, Will 16
  Resist 5 necrotic
  Speed 6
  m Lantern Staf  (standard; at-will) ! Fire, Necrotic, Weapon
   
  +12 vs. AC; 1d8 +3 damage plus 1d6 ﬁ re and necrotic 
  damage.
  R Death Bolt (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Ranged 5; +11 (+13 against bloodied targets) vs. Reﬂ ex; 1d8 
  + 8 necrotic damage and slide the target 2 squares.
  A Enervating Burst (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Area burst 1 within 10; +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 5 necrotic 
  damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).
  A Restless Dead (standard; sustain: minor; encounter) ! 
  Necrotic, Zone
   
  Area burst 1 within 10; ﬂ ying creatures immune; +11 vs. 
  Reﬂ ex; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is immobilized (save 
  ends). The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of the 
  bleak necromancer’s turn. Any enemy that enters the zone 
  or starts its turn within the zone is subject to another attack. 
  The bleak necromancer can move the zone 3 squares by 
  spending a standard action.
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Skills Arcana +13, Intimidate +7, Religion +13
  Str 11 (+3)  
  Dex 16 (+6) 
  Wis 11 (+3)
  Con 16 (+6) 
  Int 21 (+8) 
  Cha 8 (+2)
  Equipment black robes, lantern staf 
  Bleak Necromancer Tactics
  The bleak necromancer uses restless dead during the 
  first round to catch as many enemies as it can. It then 
  flings death bolts at immobilized enemies. Should sev-
  eral foes break free from the zone, the necromancer 
  uses enervating burst to keep them in place.
  Disciple of the Devourer 
  Level 11 Elite Controller
  Medium natural humanoid (undead), human 
  XP 1,200
  Initiative +8 
  Senses Perception +5; darkvision
  HP 228; Bloodied 114
  AC 27; Fortitude 25, Reﬂ ex 25, Will 22
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 20 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 
  radiant
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 6
  Action Points 1
  m Claws (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  +16 vs. AC; 1d6 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage 
  (save ends).
  R Sphere of the Devourer (standard; sustain: minor; encounter) 
  ! Conjuration, Necrotic
   
  The disciple of the devourer conjures a black sphere in an 
  unoccupied square within range and makes an attack against 
  one adjacent creature: ranged 10; +15 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d6 + 
  5 necrotic damage, and the target slides 1 square. If this 
  damage would reduce the target to 0 or fewer hit points, the 
  target takes a –2 penalty to death saving throws until it takes 
  a short rest. The sphere lasts until the end of the disciple’s 
  next turn. Any creature that starts its turn adjacent to the 
  sphere takes 1d4 necrotic damage. The disciple can sustain 
  the sphere until the end of its next turn by spending a minor 
  action. It can also move the sphere 3 squares by spending 
  a move action. Finally, it can make another attack with the 
  sphere by spending a standard action.
  A Void Sphere (standard; requires sphere of the devourer; 
  recharge 5 6 )
   
  Area burst 3 within 10, centered on the sphere of the 
  devourer; +15 vs. Fortitude; pull target 1 square (toward 
  sphere).
  C Putrescent Spray (minor 1/turn; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Close blast 5; targets one creature in burst; +15 vs. Reﬂ ex; 
  1d8 + 3 necrotic damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage 
  (save ends).
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Skills Arcana +15, Bluf  +11, Intimidate +11, Religion +15, 
  Stealth +13
  Str 14 (+7) 
  Dex 17 (+8) 
  Wis 11 (+5)
  Con 18 (+9) 
  Int 21 (+10) 
  Cha 13 (+6)
  Equipment black robes, orb
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  13
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Disciple of the Devourer Tactics
  The disciple of the devourer conjures its sphere of the 
  devourer and sustains it each round, moving it when 
  it’s not directly threatened, and making an attack 
  each round. Should any enemy come too close, the 
  disciple uses putrescent spray.
  Mistress Ferranifer
  A powerful vampire lord and necromancer, Mistress 
  Ferranifer rules Skull City and is the headmistress of 
  the Bleak Academy.
  Mistress Ferranifer Tactics
  Ferranifer is cautious in combat; she prefers negotia-
  tion to confrontation. When pushed, though, she’s 
  vicious, hitting an obvious leader with blackfire. 
  Finally, she uses dominating gaze against a defender 
  for added protection. She compels her new thrall to 
  lock down its allies, while she attends to any remain-
  ing enemies.
  Encounter Groups
  The Apostles of the Devourer congregate in Skull 
  City, but they can be found beyond it as well. Many 
  necromancers leave the city in search of ritual ingre-
  dients, forbidden magic items, artifacts, lost lore, and 
  more. Many also spread out to recruit new students, 
  searching for those with even a passing interest since 
  even the ones who lack the discipline can serve.
  Level 6 Encounter (1,232 XP)
  ! 1 bleak necromancer (level 7 controller)
  ! 2 devourer initiates (level 5 artillery)
  ! 14 zombie rotters (level 3 minion)
  Mistress Ferranifer 
  Level 18 Elite Controller
  Medium natural humanoid, vampire 
  XP 4,000
  Initiative +15 
  Senses Perception +18; darkvision
  HP 336; Bloodied 168
  Regeneration 10 (regeneration does not function while 
  Ferranifer is exposed to direct sunlight)
  AC 34; Fortitude 28, Reflex 32, Will 33
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 necrotic; Vulnerable
  10 radiant
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 8, fly 6
  Action Points 1
  m Slam (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  +23 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 necrotic damage, and the target is dazed 
  (save ends).
  r Foul Dart (standard; at-will) ! Force, Necrotic
   
  Ranged 10; +22 vs. Reﬂ ex; Mistress Ferranifer makes two 
  attacks against two dif erent targets; 2d6 + 7 force and 
  necrotic damage per attack.
  R Blackﬁ re (minor; encounter) ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  Ranged 10; +22 vs. Reﬂ ex; on a hit, the target loses 1 healing 
  surge and gains the “engulfed in midnight ﬂ ames” condition 
  (save ends). While engulfed, any creature that starts its turn 
  in a space adjacent to the target takes 5 cold and 5 necrotic 
  damage. First Failed Saving Throw: The target gains the 
   
  “engulfed in midnight ﬂ ames” condition (save ends) and 
  cannot spend healing surges until it takes a short rest. 
  Second Failed Saving Throw: The target gains the “engulfed 
  in midnight ﬂ ames” condition (save ends) and cannot spend 
  healing surges until it takes an extended rest.
  M Blood Drain (standard; requires combat advantage; recharges 
  when an adjacent creature becomes bloodied) ! Healing
   
  +20 vs. Fortitude; 2d12 + 6 damage, and the target is 
  weakened (save ends), and Mistress Ferranifer regains 84 hit 
  points.
  R Dominating Gaze (minor; recharge @6) ! Charm
   
  Ranged 5; +22 vs. Will; the target is dominated (save ends, 
  with a –2 penalty to the saving throw). Ferranifer can 
  dominate one creature at a time.
  Mist Form (standard; encounter) ! Polymorph
   
  Ferranifer becomes insubstantial and gains a ﬂ y speed of 12, 
  but she cannot make attacks. She can remain in mist form for 
  up to 1 hour or end the ef ect as a minor action.
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Skills Arcana +17, Acrobatics +20, Athletics +14, Bluf  +21, 
  Intimidate +21, Religion +17, Stealth +20
  Str 11 (+9) 
  Dex 22 (+15) 
  Wis 19 (+13)
  Con 16 (+12) 
  Int 17 (+12) 
  Cha 24 (+16)
  Equipment black cloak
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  14
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Level 12 Encounter (3,500 XP)
  ! 1 disciple of the devourer (level 11 elite controller)
  ! 1 battle wight commander (level 12 soldier 
  [leader])
  ! 2 battle wights (level 9 soldier)
  ! 4 horde ghouls (level 13 minion)
  DEVOURER’S SPAWN
  DEVOURER’S SPAWN
  Horrid necromantic leavings infused with dread 
  energy, Devourer’s spawn are wretched things, driven 
  by an insatiable hunger for living flesh.
  Devourer’s Spawn Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  Religion check.
   
  DC 18: Devourer’s spawn are bits of organ, tissue, 
  and rotten flesh collected and awakened into a bes-
  tial awareness. They endure terrible agony from the 
  conflicted memories from when they lived, but mostly 
  from the wrongness of their present form.
   
  DC 23: Spawn grow and evolve by adding organs 
  and blood that they rip and drink from still-living vic-
  tims. In time, the loosed bits coalesce into a vaguely 
  humanoid-shaped bag of blood and meat known as 
  a festering morass. The creature’s membrane is thin, 
  so those who strike it with melee attacks are at risk of 
  becoming splashed.
  Glistening Heap 
  Level 11 Brute
  Medium natural animate (blind, swarm, undead) 
  XP 600
  Initiative +6 
  Senses Perception +9; blindsight 10
  Flailing Viscera aura 1; each enemy that starts its turn within 
  the aura takes 5 necrotic damage.
  HP 138; Bloodied 69
  AC 22; Fortitude 24, Reﬂ ex 20, Will 23
  Immune disease, gaze, poison; Resist 10 necrotic, half damage 
  from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 10 radiant, 5 
  against close and area attacks
  Speed 4
  m Rotting Ropes (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  +12 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage, and ongoing 10 
  necrotic damage.
  C Sickening Expulsion (no action; when reduced to 0 hit 
  points) ! Necrotic
   
  Close burst 1; +10 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 7 necrotic damage, 
  and the target takes a –2 penalty to all attack rolls (save 
  ends).
  Slithering Mass (immediate reaction, when missed by a melee 
  attack; at-will)
   
  The glistening heap shifts 1 square.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Skills Stealth +11
  Str 21 (+10) 
  Dex 13 (+6) 
  Wis 18 (+9)
  Con 18 (+9) 
  Int 1 (+0) 
  Cha 4 (+2)
  Glistening Heap Tactics
  When it senses a creature, the glistening heap gath-
  ers itself up and oozes across the floor, where its 
  foes catch a whiff of its unique odor. It sends up ropy 
  masses of glistening flesh and coagulated blood to rip 
  its enemies apart.
  Festering Morass 
  Level 13 Elite Brute
  Large natural animate (blind, undead) 
  XP 1,600
  Initiative +8 
  Senses Perception +10; blindsight 10
  Appalling Stench aura 10; living creatures that enter or start 
  their turns within the aura take a –2 penalty to all defenses.
  HP 330; Bloodied 165
  AC 26; Fortitude 29, Reﬂ ex 23, Will 26
  Immune disease, gaze, poison; Resist 10 acid, 10 necrotic; 
  Vulnerable 10 radiant
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 5
  Action Points 1
  m Splattering Slam (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Melee 2; +14 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d6 + 1 damage and ongoing 10 
  necrotic damage (save ends), and each creature adjacent to 
  the target takes 5 necrotic damage.
  C Necrotic Leakage (immediate reaction, when hit by a melee 
  or ranged attack; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Close blast 3; +12 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d6 + 6 necrotic damage, and 
  the target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).
  C Necrotic Rupture (free action; when ﬁ rst bloodied; 
  encounter) ! Necrotic
   
  Close burst 2; the burst creates a zone of necrotic mist. All 
  creatures entering or starting their turns inside the zone 
  take 10 necrotic damage. The zone moves with the festering 
  morass and persists until the festering morass takes no 
  damage from the end of one turn until the beginning of its 
  next turn.
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages —
  Str 23 (+12) 
  Dex 14 (+8) 
  Wis 19 (+10)
  Con 25 (+13) 
  Int 4 (+3) 
  Cha 4 (+3)
  Festering Morass Tactics
  The undead horror wades into battle, unmindful of its 
  enemy’s attacks. It slams any foe it can reach, splatter-
  ing vile necrotic droplets on those too close together. 
  Should the festering morass be damaged by a melee 
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  15
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  or ranged attack, it sprays fluids, and when bloodied, 
  it fountains the stuff.
  SHADOW SENTINELS
  SHADOW SENTINELS
  Constructs fashioned from warped spirits and fused 
  with shadowstuff, these mute sentries stand guard 
  over the hidden roads to the City That Waits.
  Shadow Sentinel Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  Religion check.
   
  DC 18: Those sacrificed in Acererak’s name find 
  no peace in death because the Devourer is aptly 
  named. Consumed by the powerful lich, their essence 
  reformed and twisted into new shapes, they serve the 
  dark one for eternity.
  Shadow Watcher 
  Level 14 Lurker
  Tiny shadow animate (undead) 
  XP 1,000
  Initiative +17 
  Senses Perception +16; darkvision
  Gloaming aura 2; bright light in the aura is instead dim light, 
  and dim light in the aura is dark.
  HP 104; Bloodied 52
  AC 29; Fortitude 23, Reﬂ ex 27, Will 25
  Resist 15 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant
  Speed 4, ﬂ y 6 (hover), overland ﬂ ight 8
  m Shadow Talons (standard; at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Reach 0; +17 vs. Reﬂ ex; 1d6 + 6 necrotic damage, and the 
  target gains vulnerable 10 necrotic (save ends).
  Combat Advantage ! Necrotic
   
  The shadow watcher’s shadow talons attack deals 2d6 extra 
  necrotic damage to targets it has combat advantage against.
  M Shadow Plunge (standard; recharges when it hits with shadow 
  talons) ! Necrotic
   
  The shadow watcher ﬂ ies 6 squares and makes an attack 
  at any point during that movement: targets creatures with 
  vulnerable necrotic; +17 vs. Fortitude; on a hit, the shadow 
  watcher enters the target’s space without provoking an 
  opportunity attack and perches on the target’s shoulder. The 
  target is dominated and takes ongoing 15 necrotic damage 
  (save ends both). While the target is dominated, the shadow 
  watcher gains insubstantial, but cannot take standard, 
  move, or minor actions (see also invisible at rest). Afteref ect: 
  The shadow watcher exits the creature’s space into any 
  unoccupied adjacent space.
  Invisible at Rest (free, when the shadow watcher does not 
  move on its turn; at-will) ! Illusion
   
  The shadow watcher becomes invisible until the start of its 
  next turn.
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages —
  Skills Stealth +18
  Str 9 (+6)  
  Dex 23 (+13) 
  Wis 19 (+11)
  Con 14 (+9) 
  Int 8 (+6) 
  Cha 14 (+9)
  Shadow Watcher Tactics
  A shadow watcher monitors movement invisibly. 
  When a trespasser approaches, it wings forward 
  to slash with its shadow talons. While its foe deals 
  with its newfound vulnerability, the shadow watcher 
  plunges into the target and seizes its mind.
  Shadowguard 
  Level 17 Soldier
  Medium shadow humanoid (undead) 
  XP 1,600
  Initiative +13 
  Senses Perception +18; darkvision
  Devourer’s Presence (Cold) aura 1; enemies that start their 
  turns inside the shadowguard’s aura are slowed until the 
  start of their next turns.
  HP 165; Bloodied 82
  AC 32; Fortitude 31, Reﬂ ex 27, Will 29
  Resist 15 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant
  Speed 7
  m Shadowblade (standard; at-will) ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  +22 vs. Reﬂ ex; 1d8 + 7 necrotic damage plus 1d8 cold 
  damage, and the target is marked until the end of the 
  shadowguard’s next turn.
  M Shadow Doom (immediate reaction, when a creature 
  the shadowguard marks moves or shifts; at-will) ! Cold, 
  Necrotic
   
  +22 vs. Will; the target slides 1 square, and gains vulnerable 
  5 cold and vulnerable 5 necrotic (save ends both).
  C Vision of Darkness (standard; recharge 5 6 ) ! Fear
   
  Close blast 5; the shadowguard can exclude squares 
  containing a marked target from this blast; +20 vs. Will; the 
  target is pushed 3 squares and is immobilized until the end 
  of the shadowguard’s next turn. Miss: The target is pushed 3 
  squares.
  Isolation’s Horror ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  The shadowguard’s shadowblade attack deals 5 extra cold 
  and necrotic damage against targets it has marked and that 
  have no allies adjacent to them.
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages understands Common
  Skills Perception +18, Stealth +16
  Str 24 (+15) 
  Dex 16 (+11) 
  Wis 21 (+13)
  Con 21 (+13) 
  Int 11 (+8) 
  Cha 14 (+10)
  Shadowguard Tactics
  The shadowguards are terrifying opponents who iso-
  late their opponents and punish them when they try 
  to escape.
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  16
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  THE CITY THAT WAITS
  THE CITY THAT WAITS
  Rising from a darkened sea in a far-flung corner of 
  the Shadowfell is the City That Waits, or Moil. It is 
  whispered that within this ancient city, somewhere 
  in the tangle of crumbling bridges and slender towers 
  lays the route to Acererak’s hidden redoubt. To 
  explore this accursed place is even more dangerous 
  than the Tomb of Horrors, for though the City awaits 
  a rebirth promised in another age, its slumber is any-
  thing but peaceful.
  The City That Waits Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  History check.
   
  DC 13: Places exist in the Shadowfell where 
  no mortal is meant to tread. These fonts of wicked-
  ness have a darkness so profound that setting foot 
  in these realms sees the soul pulled from the body 
  and the flesh seized by ravenous spirits hungry for 
  the warmth of the living. Terrible places all, the City 
  That Waits is among the worst. According to legend, it 
  slowly sinks in an ocean of darkness, its towers rimed 
  with necrotic ice and infested by the damned.
   
  DC 20: Ages ago, there stood a city named Moil, 
  in a place or world long forgotten. Inhabited by cruel 
  and selfish people, they indulged their wickedness 
  in wanton acts of evil. Such was their iniquity that 
  they even turned to the demon princes for the power 
  they offered. Of those cults dedicated to the abys-
  sal powers, those sworn to Orcus had the greatest 
  influence, and in time they stamped out all other 
  rival sects and cults until they were masters in their 
  unwholesome city.
   
  For all their selfish cruelty, excess sickened the 
  Moilians, and little by little, Orcus’s hold weakened 
  as they searched for a more wholesome power to find 
  redemption for their evil ways. No matter their efforts 
  or improved intentions, the demon prince’s grip was 
  too tight and when the people refused to make sac-
  rifices in his name, his anger was unleashed. It took 
  form in a terrible curse, causing the Moilians to fall 
  into a deep sleep. As they slept, Orcus seized the city 
  and flung it into the deepest regions of the Shadow-
  fell, where it was believed that they would succumb 
  to the fell energy there and serve him more loyally in 
  undeath.
   
  DC 25: As expected, the Moilians died out and 
  awoke as free-willed undead, drifting aimlessly 
  through their now frozen city. Orcus never reclaimed 
  Moil because his attentions were drawn elsewhere 
  with dire upheavals in the Abyss. So the Moilians 
  waited for the return of the master who forsook them,
   
  The widespread corruption and undiluted shadow 
  power made the City That Waits an attractive prize 
  for many dark lords and fell agencies, but it was 
  Acererak who thwarted his rivals and claimed the 
  city for himself. Using ready labor, the undead host 
  constructed his Fortress of Conclusion somewhere 
  even deeper in the Shadowfell, where no light shines 
  at all, and only death dwells. Tethering the great cita-
  del to the City That Waits, Acererak ensured he could 
  still influence the mortal world and thus hatch his 
  sinister plans.
   
  So Moil waits still, the last tattered remnants of 
  the ancient people shuffling about as their city decays 
  around them and new forces lay claim to the sinking 
  towers and the spinning minarets that, on occasion, 
  break free to tumble into the void overhead. It is a 
  place of chill, horror, and danger, but, rumor suggests, 
  it is also a place where great magic lies in wait to be 
  reclaimed by those with the courage to seize it.
  Moilian Dead
  Orcus laid a heavy curse on the Moilians—a curse 
  they must bear still.
  Moilian Dead 
  Level 16 Lurker
  Medium shadow humanoid (cold, undead) 
  XP 1,400
  Initiative +14 
  Senses Perception +13; darkvision
  Frost (Cold) aura 5; living creatures that start their turns within 
  the aura take 5 cold damage and grant the Moilian dead 
  combat advantage until the start of their next turns.
  HP 128; Bloodied 64; see also stirrings of unlife
  Regeneration 10 (if the Moilian dead takes ﬁ re or radiant 
  damage, regeneration does not function until the end of its 
  next turn)
  AC 29; Fortitude 31, Reﬂ ex 25, Will 28
  Resist 15 cold, 15 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 ﬁ re, 10 radiant
  Speed 5
  m Slam (standard; at-will)
   
  +21 vs. AC; 2d10 + 6 damage.
  C Stirrings of Unlife (immediate reaction, when a living 
  creature moves to within 5 squares of the Moilian dead; 
  at-will) ! Necrotic
   
  Close burst 5; living creatures only; +17 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 
  7 necrotic damage. If Moilian dead is currently prone, as a 
  free action it stands and makes a charge attack against the 
  nearest enemy.
  Crawling Death (standard; at-will)
   
  The Moilian dead falls prone and gains a +4 bonus to AC and 
  all defenses until the start of its next turn or until it makes an 
  attack.
  Combat Advantage ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  A Moilian dead’s slam attacks deal 2d6 extra cold and 
  necrotic damage to targets it has combat advantage against.
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Str 24 (+15) 
  Dex 15 (+10) 
  Wis 20 (+13)
  Con 26 (+16) 
  Int 7 (+6) 
  Cha 6 (+6)
  Moilian Dead Tactics
  The Moilian dead takes no actions until a living crea-
  ture comes within 5 squares, at which point it uses 
  stirrings of unlife to rise up and charge the nearest 
  enemy. It tries to stay close to its enemies lest Orcus’s 
  curse reasserts itself.
  Moilian Dead Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  Religion check.
  
  Legacy of Acererak
  17
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
   
  DC 20: Moilian dead are the undead remains of 
  those who lived in the City That Waits.
   
  DC 25: When a living creature comes near a 
  Moilian dead, it drains the foe’s life force and awak-
  ens, leaching heat from the area as it smashes those 
  enemies numbed by its aura.
   
  DC 30: The Moilians all carry Orcus’s curse, so if 
  left alone, they collapse to resemble the corpses they 
  should be.
  Blackfire Creeper
  Chosen guardians created from exemplary Moil-
  ian dead, the blackfire creepers patrol the City That 
  Waits to dispatch any interlopers they find.
  Blackﬁ re Creeper 
  Level 19 Elite Soldier
  Medium shadow humanoid (cold, undead) 
  XP 4,800
  Initiative +18 
  Senses Perception +18; darkvision
  HP 368; Bloodied 184
  AC 37; Fortitude 34, Reﬂ ex 35, Will 29
  Resist 20 cold, 20 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant; see also 
  imperiled by ﬁ re
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 5
  Action Points 1
  m Claw (standard; at-will) ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  +26 vs. AC; 1d6 + 7 damage plus 2d6 cold and necrotic 
  damage, and the target is marked until the end of the 
  blackﬁ re creeper’s next turn.
  M Double Attack (standard; at-will) ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  The blackﬁ re creeper makes two claw attacks.
  M Blackﬁ re Touch (standard; recharge 5 6 ) ! Cold, Necrotic
   
  +24 vs. Reﬂ ex; on a hit, the target loses 1 healing surge and 
  is engulfed in black ﬂ ames (save ends). While engulfed, any 
  creature that starts its turn in a space adjacent to the target 
  takes 10 cold and necrotic damage. First Failed Saving Throw: 
  The target is engulfed in black ﬂ ames and cannot spend 
  healing surges until it takes a short rest. Second Failed Saving 
  Throw: The target is engulfed in black ﬂ ames and cannot 
  spend healing surges until it takes an extended rest.
  C Leached Life (minor 1/turn; while bloodied; recharges when 
  the leached life attack roll misses) ! Healing, Necrotic
   
  Close burst 3; targets 1 creature in burst; +24 vs. Fortitude; 
  the target loses 1 healing surge and the blackﬁ re creeper 
  regains 74 hit points.
  Imperiled by Fire
   
  If the blackﬁ re creeper takes ﬁ re damage, it takes a –4 
  penalty to AC until the end of its next turn.
  Alignment Chaotic evil 
  Languages Common
  Str 17 (+12) 
  Dex 25 (+16) 
  Wis 19 (+13)
  Con 24 (+16) 
  Int 10 (+9) 
  Cha 12 (+10)
  Blackfire Creeper Tactics
  The blackfire creeper rushes into battle, ripping 
  through an enemy so it can use blackfire touch. It then 
  charges another foe, and attacks with its claws until 
  blackfire touch recharges.
  Blackfire Creeper Lore
  A character knows the following with a successful 
  Religion check.
   
  DC 14: Blackfire creepers are advanced undead 
  remade by Acererak the Devourer. They are creatures 
  of cold and unfathomable malice.
   
  DC 22: The black fiery corona around their heads 
  presages the blackfire creeper’s direst attack. Trans-
  ferring the flames to its enemy, it cackles as the cold 
  fire burns the flesh as well as the soul.
   
  DC 27: The ice coating the blackfire creeper’s 
  body is vulnerable to attack and if an enemy uses fire 
  against it, the creeper is more likely to succumb to 
  attacks.
  About the Author
  Robert J. Schwalb contributed design to such books as the 
  FORGOTTEN REALMS® Player’s Guide, Draconomicon™ I: Chromatic 
  Dragons, Manual of the Planes®, P2: Demon Queen’s Enclave™, 
  Martial Power™, Player’s Handbook 2, EBERRON® Campaign 
  Guide, EBERRON Player’s Guide, Divine Power™, Adventurer’s 
  Vault™ 2, Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons, Primal Power™, as 
  well as numerous articles for D&D Insider™. Robert lives in 
  Tennessee.
   
  Rob would like to dedicate this article to the memory 
  of Gary Gygax for “first planting the seed of Acererak in 
  my imagination.” He’d also like to thank Bruce Cordell for 
  “making that seed grow and for writing the nastiest adventure 
  I’ve ever had the pleasure to run.”
  
  18
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Hestavar: The 
  Hestavar: The 
  Bright City
  Bright City
  When the people of the world describe paradise, more often 
  than not they’re imagining visions of Hestavar. At first 
  glance this astral city is an urban paradise, as if brought 
  forth by the furtive imagination of those who idealize the 
  virtues of civilization. Angels and astral skiffs drift among 
  golden clouds, and floating islands hover over a vast island-
  studded lagoon of sparkling blue water. The islands, both 
  those set in water and the ones set in air, are adorned with 
  graceful and tapering alabaster edifices that melt into the 
  stone with architectural perfection. Their balcony gardens 
  and covered porticos serve as galleries where magnificent 
  scenes abound, and they provide the occasional perches to 
  colorful songbirds that flutter all about and to great avian 
  steeds. The air is like a light and refreshing perfume, alive 
  with the ringing sounds of bells, chimes, and harps. Yes, the 
  city is gorgeous . . . prosaic . . . seemingly flawless.
   
  And it might be the closest thing in the universe to per-
  fect, but just like the proverbial apple, worms writhe within 
  it. As the hub of trade in the Astral Sea, the city has graft 
  and corruption seeping into it with each trade partner who 
  opens shop on the lagoon’s shores or atop the mercantile 
  earthmote of Methion. A more noticeable spot of corruption 
  lies on the windward side of the lagoon—here the Salts blow 
  and spit, serving as a fitting testimonial for the primordial 
  Heur-Ket, who was defeated here during the war between 
  gods and primordials.
   
  And then we have the exalted. Those damned noble 
  exalted. Haughty, arrogant, and with no fear of death, they 
  can be as vicious as any demon and more conniving than 
  any devil, but they have the patience of angels.
  —Barthew Vreen, Captain of the Spelljammer Wyrmrazor
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  illustrations by Rob Alexander, 
  Ryan Barger, & Jim Nelson
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  19
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  A
  lthough the bustling City of Brass might be 
  the largest metropolis in the universe, many 
  consider that the cosmopolitan heaven of 
  Hestavar is the most beautiful, richest, and civilized. 
  This light-drenched oasis can feel familiar and down-
  right cozy in contrast to the weird void of the Astral 
  Sea that surrounds it. Its grand architecture and gem-
  paved streets shine brightly upon the stone settings of 
  its lagoon’s islands and earthmotes. Its gardens and 
  parks are both lush and manicured, retaining their 
  verdant beauty without a hint of the overgrown chaos 
  indicative of the Feywild. Its people are cultured, 
  civilized, and known for their passion for philosophy, 
  craft, and the arts.
   
  However, the description above is not what nor-
  mally attracts adventurers to Hestavar. Instead, one 
  of the reasons they flock to this peaceful city among 
  the clouds is because of its status as the best trading 
  center in the Astral Sea.
   
  The sun literally never sets here; as a result, 
  commerce never knows when to sleep, and thus it 
  doesn’t. And while it lacks the vast, smoking forges 
  and smithy factories of the City of Brass, Hestavar 
  has its share of brilliant armorers and weaponsmiths 
  who craft graceful and lithe weapons of quality—free 
  of slave labor, its crafters quickly point out. Also, 
  more than the efreet city, Hestavar serves as a center 
  of magic item creation and innovation, and many 
  consider the dominion of both Erathis and Ioun 
  to be the ultimate center of learning and industry 
  in the universe. From the halls of Kerith-Ald, the 
  greatest academic minds of the planes ponder the 
  mysteries of the universe. While much of their con-
  templation is theoretical in nature, their activity 
  is connected to the various guilds, craft halls, and 
  artisans of Methion by way of a complicated web of 
  patronage by the rich and powerful exalted trading 
  houses of Hestavar. The orb arcane implement, the 
  discipline of alchemy, the water clock, the homuncu-
  lus, and even the mighty spelljammer all originated 
  in the city, or grew out of other arcane innovations 
  created by the relationship (and fierce competition) 
  of academic, patron, and artisan in the city.
   
  So, while the ability to buy, sell, and trade trea-
  sures and information can drive adventurers to 
  Hestavar, and the game of arcane innovation might 
  keep the artificer or the crafting wizard in the city 
  for even longer, some find that the Bright City is more 
  than a beautiful supply stop. Many who explore the 
  strange frontier of the Astral Sea utilize the city as 
  a base of operations. It serves as a respite from the 
  vast alien and mostly lifeless environs outside it, plus 
  it is second only to the City of Doors in the number 
  of conduits and means of transport to other parts of 
  the universe. Additionally, some who sail the planes 
  by planar dromond or spelljammer find Hestavar 
  useful as a haven. And, if all of the above isn’t enough 
  to entice adventurers to visit at least once, three civi-
  lized deities make it their domain, which can attract 
  the faithful or those seeking a favor from the three. 
  Finally, Hestavar is a nexus of healing and restora-
  tion magic that can be won easily through deed or 
  bought at a reasonable price. Even the most success-
  ful adventurers might need restorative assistance 
  from time to time.
  The most cosmopolitan and accessible of the astral 
  dominions, Hestavar is a fantastically wealthy city 
  of wonders.
  Population: Approximately 300,000. Exalted souls 
  and angels make up most of the population, with a 
  smaller number of devas and mortals.
  Government: The deities Erathis and Pelor rule 
  over Hestavar in name, but they leave the actual 
  administration of the city to an efficient bureau-
  cracy headed up by the high minister, an angel 
  named Kemuel.
  Defense: Several legions of angels of battle, angels 
  of valor, and exalted warriors.
  Inns: House in the Clouds; Methion Arms; Garden of 
  Geras. The Methion Arms is an excellent choice for 
  travelers who desire a good mix of location, privacy, 
  and reasonable rates.
  Taverns: Silver Tankard; Andarman’s Taproom; Kos-
  sian Vineyard.
  Temples: Cathedral of Aurosion (Erathis, Pelor, and 
  Ioun); University Chapel in Kerith-Ald (Erathis, Pelor, 
  and Ioun). The palaces of Aurosion and Kerith-Ald 
  include great halls of reverence, attended by angels 
  and exalted clerics who served Erathis, Pelor, and 
  Ioun in life. Smaller shrines dedicated to most other 
  gods in the pantheon (even a few dark ones) exist 
  elsewhere in the city, since the people of Hestavar 
  are pious and give respect to all the deities.
  HESTAVAR
  Many consider the dominion of both Erathis and Ioun to be 
  the ultimate center of learning and industry in the universe.
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  20
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  ORIGINS OF THE 
  ORIGINS OF THE 
  BRIGHT CITY
  BRIGHT CITY
  Necessity is the mother of collaboration.
  —An ancient Erathisian mantra
  Even the most ambitious historians of Kerith-Ald—
  Ioun’s own bastion of learning in the Bright City—do 
  not believe anyone can compile a concise or complete 
  history of the epochs of war between the gods and 
  primordials. The time period involved is so expansive 
  that it boggles the mortal mind. Eventually, even the 
  most earnest and disciplined scholars might find it 
  difficult and belittling to comprehend that one’s life is 
  just the blink of an eye to a deity or a primordial. But 
  what is known and well documented by the scribes 
  and seers of Kerith-Ald, which is also called the Swan 
  Tower, is that in an early and violent period of that 
  war, a powerful, blustering primordial named Heur-
  Ket invaded the Astral Sea and caused great havoc 
  with his advance. As he pushed deeper into the Astral 
  Sea, deities perished and their dominions were blown 
  asunder. With each victory Heur-Ket grew stronger, 
  bolder, and more arrogant in his belief that the deities 
  and their servants should be punished for their inter-
  ference with the First Work.
   A trio of deities who held domains in relatively 
  close proximity of each other knew that they would 
  eventually become the target of Heur-Ket’s wrath. 
  These three gods—Pelor, Erathis, and Ioun—each 
  controlled domains that were peaceful paradises. 
  And though each commanded his or her own legion 
  of angels, none of their domains were particularly 
  well suited for war or even an extended siege. Pelor’s 
  domain, a field of sun-drenched planes dotted with 
  farms and gardens, had no walls or parapets. Erathis 
  held a city atop a large earthmote, and villas and 
  workshops cluttered its surface. Traditionally its 
  streets were open, because trade and innovation 
  thrive among an open society. Ioun’s dominion was 
  a large scrying pool in the form of a vast and spar-
  kling lagoon surrounded by white sandy beaches; her 
  domain’s only real defense was its mistress’s ability to 
  divine its approaching doom.
   For mutual defense, Erathis, Ioun, and Pelor not 
  only decided to pool their forces, but also combine 
  their dominions. Fusing the features of all three of 
  their former domains together, the trio waited and 
  planned for the primordial’s attack. They didn’t have 
  to wait long. Tales of their alliance reached Heur-Ket, 
  and it enraged the primordial. Hastily he moved to 
  attack the dominion, forgoing any form of reconnais-
  sance or tactics. He would destroy these upstarts like 
  he destroyed their kin, with the swift brutal force of 
  the Elemental Chaos.
   Some say the battle for Hestavar lasted a century, 
  but scholars of the Swan Tower believe that might 
  describe the entirety of Heur-Ket’s campaign into the 
  Astral Sea. In the end, the combined might of Pelor, 
  Erathis, and Ioun defeated the primordial, but not 
  without cost. To this day a section of Hestavar’s para-
  dise is marred by Heur-Ket’s legacy. A swirling mass 
  of wind and occasional destructive bouts of thunder 
  and lightning churn at (and create) the windward 
  end of the dominion, marking the Salts neighbor-
  hood of the dominion. Some still suggest that the trio 
  of deities didn’t destroy Heur-Ket, but merely bound 
  him to the spot in the domains, like the gods bound 
  countless primordials elsewhere in the universe. 
  This accusation is officially and vehemently denied 
  by the angel Kemuel, who serves as the voice of 
  Hestavar’s rule and high minister of the city’s angelic 
  bureaucracy.
  The Defenders of Hestavar
  The Bright City is guarded by legions of angels who 
  are servants to the city’s three deities: Erathis, Ioun, 
  and Pelor. The angelic captains of Hestavar command 
  flights of angels of valor and are supported by angels 
  of valor and the occasional angel of vengeance in 
  times of dire need.
   
  Furthermore, the exalted of all three deities serve 
  in the city’s defense force. The most famous of these 
  are the Bright Guard, a force of Pelor’s exalted almost 
  5,000 strong. They fight as fearlessly as any angel, 
  confident in Pelor’s grace and their ability to return 
  to fight again under the Sun Lord’s just banner. The 
  Bright Guard also serves as Hestavar’s police force, 
  patrolling all but the inner islands of the Salts.
  s
  ike
  e o
  d a centu
  believe that m
  paign into
  el
  ot 
  ara
  ss 
  su
  gel o
  ti
  Furthermore, the exalted of a
  he city’s defense force. The m
  are the Bright Guard, a force of 
  rless
  ir a
  just
  ’s p
  he
  he
  he Bright Guard, a 
  5,000 strong. They fight as fe
  confident in Pelor’s grace and th
  ord
  tav
  s o
  this 
  d 
  ion. Some still suggest that the
  stroy Heur-Ket, but merely bou
  he domains, like the gods bou
  ntless primordials elsewhere in the universe.
  This accusation is officially and vehemently denie
  by the angel Kemuel, who serves as the voice of 
  Hestavar’s rule and high minister of the city’s angelic 
  eaucracy.
  2009 |  
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  21
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Angelic Captain of Hestavar  Level 22 Soldier (Leader)
  Large immortal humanoid (angel) 
  XP 4,150
  Initiative +18 
  Senses Perception +15
  Angelic Presence Attacks against the angel of battle take a –2 
  penalty unless the angel is bloodied.
  HP 206; Bloodied 103
  AC 38; Fortitude 34, Reﬂ ex 31, Will 34
  Immune fear; Resist 15 lightning, 15 radiant, 15 thunder
  Speed 8, ﬂ y 12 (hover)
  m Greatsword (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Reach 2; +29 vs. AC; 2d12 + 6 damage, and the target is 
  marked until the end of the angelic captain’s next turn.
  M Halting Sword of Woe (standard; recharge 5 6 ) ! 
  Radiant, Weapon
   
  Reach 2; +29 vs. AC; 2d12 + 6 radiant damage and the 
  target is marked, immobilized, and takes ongoing 10 radiant 
  damage (save ends all).
  C Perfection of the Blade (standard; recharges when ﬁ rst 
  bloodied) ! Weapon
   
  Close burst 2; +25 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d12 + 6 damage and the 
  target is marked until the end of the angelic captain’s next 
  turn.
  Ruination of the Marked
   
  Allies do 5 extra radiant damage when they hit a creature 
  marked by an angelic captain of Hestavar.
  Many from One (immediate reaction when an angel minion 
  ally within 5 squares is reduced to zero of fewer hit points; 
  encounter)
   
  Four angel minions of the same type rise from the remains 
  of the triggering angelic minion. These new minions appear 
  in the square in which the triggering minion fell, or an 
  unoccupied square adjacent to that square. These new 
  minions act on the same initiative count as the angel minion 
  that triggered the use of this power.
  Alignment Any 
  Languages Common, Supernal
  Skills Diplomacy +24, Intimidate +24
  Str 26 (+19) 
  Dex 20 (+16) 
  Wis 19 (+15)
  Con 22 (+17) 
  Int 17 (+14) 
  Cha 27 (+19)
  Equipment fullblade
  Angelic Captain of 
  Hestavar’s Tactics
  The angelic captain wades into battle with its troops, 
  supporting the death-dealing potential of angels of 
  valor or other minion allies with various marking 
  powers compounded by its ruination of the marked
  ability. When the first minion falls, it typically calls 
  forth reinforcements with its many from one power.
  Exalted Bright Guard 
  Level 20 Brute
  Medium immortal humanoid (exalted), human 
  XP 2,800
  Initiative +15 
  Senses Perception +16
  HP 210; Bloodied 105; see also divine light. 
  AC 33; Fortitude 33, Reﬂ ex 31, Will 32; see also divine light.
  Resist 10 ﬁ re, 10 radiant
  Speed 6
  m Tratnyr (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +23 vs. AC; 3d8 + 8 damage.
  r Returning Tratnyr (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Ranged 10/20; +23 vs. AC; 3d8 + 8 damage, and the target 
  is knocked prone. After the attack, the tratnyr returns to the 
  exalted guard’s hand.
  M Bright Guard Smite (standard; recharge 5 6 ) ! Radiant, 
  Thunder, Weapon
   
  Close burst 2; +21 vs. Fortitude; 3d8 + 8 thunder and radiant 
  damage, and the target is deafened and blinded until the end 
  of the exalted guard’s next turn.
  Charge of Summer’s Wrath ! Fire, Radiant
   
  When an exalted guard hits a target with a melee basic 
  attack at the end of a charge, it does 1d10 ﬁ re damage, and 
  ongoing 10 radiant damage (save ends)
  Divine Light (minor action when the exalted soldier is 
  bloodied; encounter) ! Healing
   
  The exalted guard regains 50 hit points, and gains a +2 
  bonus to all defenses until the end of the exalted guard’s 
  next turn.
  Alignment Any 
  Languages Common, Supernal
  Skills Athletics +21, Intimidate +19
  Str 22 (+16) 
  Dex 21 (+15) 
  Wis 23 (+16)
  Con 24 (+17) 
  Int 17 (+13) 
  Cha 19 (+14)
  Equipment chainmail, shield, tratnyr  (Adventurer’s Vault, page 10)
  Exalted Bright Guard’s Tactics
  Armed with the versatile tratnyr, the exalted Bright 
  Guard is equally adept at ranged and close combat. 
  Fast and powerful, they prefer to charge a foe and 
  let loose with bright guard smite, and then charge 
  to their next foe, throwing their tratnyrs first if they 
  can’t make the distance in the charge.
  SOULS OF THE 
  SOULS OF THE 
  BRIGHT CITY
  BRIGHT CITY
  Although my allegiance is, and will always be, with my 
  Dread Master in Nessus, I do consider myself an honorary 
  citizen of Hestavar, and that makes me feel . . . well . . . good.
  —A frequent remark spoken by Naberius Sain, the Nine 
  Hells’ ambassador to Hestavar, often with a wry smile
  The Bright City is greater than even the grandest 
  metropolis of the world. This improved urban reality 
  feels like a dream of civilized perfection. Those set-
  ting eyes on the city see opulent wealth displayed not 
  only on nearly every surface of the cityscape, but also 
  on the people who populate the city.
   
  Foremost among the souls of the Bright City are its 
  founders: Erathis, Pelor, and Ioun. These three gods 
  forged a trio of ill-defended divine dominions into 
  a near perfect city. Though the true masters of their 
  domain—their combined divine power shaped it out 
  of pure astral and maintains its general morphology 
  and physical laws—they take little interest in everyday 
  governance of the city. Although Erathis and Pelor, 
  called the King and Queen of Light by their devoted 
  subjects, appear at official functions and are the 
  face of the city, they leave the minutia of rule to their 
  angelic bureaucracy, which is led by its chief minister 
  Kemuel. Ioun is almost entirely absent from govern-
  ment, since she prefers to pursue knowledge in the 
  Swan Tower or roam the universe in the search of 
  esoteric proofs of the obscure metaphysics theorized 
  by the academics of Kerith-Ald.
   
  Although the deity rulers of Hestavar stay largely 
  in the background, their servants are everywhere. 
  If one counts the legions that host a number of 
  well-defended outposts that lie outside the domin-
  ion, those who patrol the sections of the Astral Sea 
  nearby, and the bands that do their leader’s bidding in 
  points that stretch throughout the universe and even 
  beyond, angels are the largest population block of the 
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  22
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  ance with the city. Almost every intelligent race can 
  be found within the city, and embassies from every 
  dominion of the Astral Sea, various Feywild enclaves, 
  a scattering of Shadowfell bastions, and even a hand-
  ful of powerful nations and city states from the world 
  are among its islands and motes. All these embas-
  sies come with large staffs of representatives to treat 
  with the angelic bureaucracy and exalted families, 
  and they also trade knowledge with the sages of the 
  Swan Tower. They even trade and negotiate with their 
  rivals on peaceful, neutral ground. These embassies 
  not only represent their leader’s interests, but also 
  the interests of independent traders, artisans, and 
  even adventurers. Second only to Hestavar’s exalted 
  houses, the various embassies are the chief patrons 
  for adventuring parties within, and for expeditions 
  outside, the city.
  Exalted Threats
  Although Hestavar is a civilized city of light and 
  a bastion of peace, conflicts still occur. Hestavar’s 
  exalted community is well known for its haughty 
  disregard for the desires of others—one has a much 
  different attitude toward conflict resolution when 
  there is no real fear of death. They are used to getting 
  what they want, and they don’t suffer anyone they 
  consider to be a fool. The longer someone stays in the 
  city, the more likely the person will come into conflict 
  with an exalted family.
   
  The following is a typical small but organized 
  exalted threat—a gallant and his spellslinging sidekick.
  city. The angels of Hestavar are always on the march 
  or consumed with a task. They see civilization and 
  society as the fruits of their labors for others to enjoy, 
  not as activities in which to take part. Such activities 
  are for the exalted, devas, and the mortals that dwell 
  in the city.
   
  Gods and angels aside, the most numerous and 
  arguably the most important people in Hestavar are 
  the exalted souls. When a mortal dies and its soul 
  travels on to the Shadowfell, a small number of the 
  elect—those souls chosen by one deity or another to 
  serve them in the afterlife—become exalted. Beings 
  with an appearance similar to that they had in life 
  (though maybe a more perfect, younger form and 
  with the wisdom of age and experience), the exalted 
  are both rewarded and expected to serve their deity 
  in the afterlife—in a way that takes advantage of their 
  natural talents and accumulated knowledge.
   
  Many thousand exalted souls of Pelor, Ioun, and 
  Erathis dwell in Hestavar, each serving their deities 
  or the city in large ways and small. These exalted 
  align themselves in houses. From these houses, these 
  exalted “families” pursue their personal and their 
  deity’s goals. Houses of Pelor exalted oversee agri-
  culture interests on the dozens of farm islands and 
  earthmotes of Hestavar or populate the defensive 
  and policing forces of the dominion. The families 
  of Erathis exalted involve themselves in the Game 
  of Making or work within the angelic bureaucracy. 
  Many houses of Ioun exalted work within the Swan 
  Towers or serve the angelic bureaucracy.
   
  These houses are not true family in most cases. 
  An exalted house can have members of most civi-
  lized races all serving the same goal. Even some of 
  the exceptional members of the more savage races 
  are within these families from time to time since 
  deities judge souls, not the flesh. However, it’s rare, 
  though not impossible, for large numbers of people 
  from the same mortal family to become exalted in 
  the same dominion. For example, at least one house, 
  House Incenan, is ruled by a quartet of dwarf sisters.  
  Regardless of the relationships exalted had before 
  coming to Hestavar, though, relationships once they 
  arrive and exist in the city for a while can be as strong 
  or even stronger than kin; the bonds within the fami-
  lies are strengthened by centuries of cooperation and 
  achieving the house’s ends.
   
  Death has little hold over some kinships, so 
  one could consider exalted souls to be close to true 
  immortals. When the exalted of Hestavar perish, they 
  are reborn a week and a day later within the Aurosion 
  (in the cases of exalted of Pelor or Erathis) or in the 
  Hall of Enlightenment at the base of Kerith-Ald (in 
  the case of exalted of Ioun). Some exceptions to this 
  process exist, however; if an exalted’s death occurred 
  in pursuit of goals counter to a deity’s wishes or creed, 
  the exalted might truly die.
   
  The rest of Hestavar’s population is made up of 
  transient or transplanted mortals or other peoples of 
  the Astral Sea. Foremost of these groups are devas. 
  Similar in some ways to exalted, these reborn souls 
  are thrust out into the far corners of the universe; 
  they find their way to the Bright City at some point 
  in their lives, especially those who worship one of the 
  Bright City’s three patrons. Many stay for a period of 
  time, since it is the closest place to home for these typ-
  ically wandering loners, which means that the Bright 
  City is one of the largest concentrations of devas in 
  the universes. A school of angelic philosophers in 
  the Swan Tower theorize that devas are the souls of 
  angels thrown to the world during Heur-Ket’s assault 
  on the Astral Seas, but Ioun has warned that such a 
  simple theory does not seem to fit the complex and 
  subtle nature of these reborn beings.
   
  Angelic, deva, and exalted souls might be the larg-
  est groups of people in Hestavar, but not everyone in 
  the city is so spiritually pure. As the cosmic center 
  of both knowledge and innovation, not to mention a 
  bastion of unimaginable wealth, Hestavar has many 
  trading partners and people interested in an alli-
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  23
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Exalted Gallant 
  Level 25 Elite Lurker
  Medium immortal humanoid (exalted), human 
  XP 14,000
  Initiative +24 
  Senses Perception +19
  HP 356; Bloodied 178
  AC 41; Fortitude 37, Reﬂ ex 39, Will 38; see also cloak tangle
  Resist 15 poison, 15 radiant
  Speed 8, climb 8; see also blink step
  m Rapier and Dagger (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +30 vs. AC; 3d8 + 7 damage, and the exalted gallant makes 
  a secondary attack. Secondary Attack: +28 vs. Reﬂ ex; 3d4 + 7 
  and slide 1 square.
  M Pinning Blades (standard; requires combat advantage; at-will) 
  ! Weapon
   
  +28 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d8 + 7 damage and the target takes ongoing 
  10 damage, is immobilized, and grants combat advantage to 
  all creatures (save ends all).
  M Dazing Dagger (minor/1 round; requires combat advantage; 
  at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +28 vs. Reﬂ ex; 1d4 + 7 and the target is dazed until the end 
  of the exalted gallant’s next turn.
  Blink Step (minor action; recharge 6 ) ! Teleportation
   
  The exalted gallant gains teleport 5 until the end of its next 
  turn.
  Cloak Tangle (immediate interrupt, when hit with a melee 
  attack that targets AC or Reﬂ ex; at-will)
   
  The exalted gallant gains a +4 bonus to AC and Reﬂ ex until 
  the end of its next turn. Additionally the exalted gallant can 
  shift 2 squares and the creature that made the attack that 
  triggered this power grants combat advantage to the exalted 
  gallant until the end of its next turn.
  Alignment Any 
  Languages Common, Supernal
  Skills Acrobatics +25, Athletics +24, Streetwise + 23
  Str 25 (+19) 
  Dex 27 (+20) 
  Wis 24 (+19)
  Con 22 (+18) 
  Int 16 (+15) 
  Cha 22 (+18)
  Equipment leather armor, duelist’s cloak, parrying dagger, 
  rapier
  Exalted Gallant Tactics
  An exalted gallant is a master of the hit-and-run sword-
  play forms favored by the exalted of Hestavar. He starts 
  his assault with a rapier and dagger strike, followed by 
  a dazing dagger. He pins those who grant him combat 
  advantage, and he deflects attacks with his cloak 
  tangle. He uses his combat control and maneuverabil-
  ity to keep enemies on the run, calling on his blink step 
  to outflank his opponent when need be.
  Exalted Brightmage 
  Level 26 Elite Artillery
  Medium immortal humanoid (exalted), eladrin 
  XP 18,000
  Initiative +19 
  Senses Perception +26
  HP 370; Bloodied 185
  AC 40; Fortitude 37, Reﬂ ex 40, Will 39; see also improved fey 
  step
  Resist 15 psychic, 15 radiant
  Speed 8, ﬂ y 4 (hover); see also improved fey step
  m Forceful Dagger (standard; at-will) ! Force, Weapon
   
  +33 vs. AC; 4d4 + 10 force damage, and push the target 1 
  square.
  r Mindbright Bolt (standard; at-will)  Psychic, Radiant
   
  Ranged 20; +31 vs. Reﬂ ex; 2d6 + 10 psychic damage, and 
  the target takes ongoing 10 radiant damage and the target 
  takes a –2 penalty to AC and Will (save ends both).
  R Mindﬁ re (standard; recharge 4 5 6 )  Psychic, Radiant
   
  Ranged 20; +31 vs. Will; 6d6 + 10 psychic and radiant 
  damage, and the target is dazed and takes a –2 penalty to 
  attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks (save ends).
  C Mind Scramble (minor; at-will)  Charm, Psychic
   
  Close blast 5; +31 vs. Will; targets one enemy; 2d6 + 10 
  psychic damage, slide the target 3 squares, and the exalted 
  brightmage is invisible to the target (save ends).
  Improved Fey Step (move action; encounter)  Teleportation
   
  Teleport 10 squares. When the exalted brightmage uses 
  improved fey step, it gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until 
  the end of its next turn.
  Alignment Any 
  Languages Common, Elven, Supernal
  Skills Arcana +31, Bluf  +25, History +24, Insight +26
  Str 20 (+18) 
  Dex 22 (+19) 
  Wis 26 (+21)
  Con 23 (+19) 
  Int 28 (+22) 
  Cha 24 (+20)
  Equipment robes, dagger, orb
  Exalted Gallant Tactics
  The brightmage is most dangerous when she works in 
  concert with at least one other ally. From a distance 
  she showers her enemies with an arcane assault. She 
  uses her mind scramble to shut down one threat, and 
  she uses her other attacks to minimize the threat of 
  others. When the exalted brightmage is in dire trou-
  ble, she uses her improved fey step to bound away, and 
  then she renews her attack from a distance.
  NAVIGATING THE CITY
  NAVIGATING THE CITY
  Here’s the simplest way to get there—go windward through 
  the Garden of Nesoulis and cross over the Specter’s Bridge. 
  Beyond the market is the Lion’s Gate. That will take you to 
  the Seven Angels’ Mote. Follow the path past the leeward 
  rise, and jump off the cliff next to the fountain. Don’t worry, 
  there’s a soft drop there, and you’ll land right in the middle 
  of Gildward. I do it all the time.
   
  See, it’s simple.
  —The “simplest” route from the Painted Garden to 
  Gildward.
  To mortals used to more terrestrial cities, Hestavar 
  can be a confusing place to navigate. Even the strange 
  architecture and alien physics of the City of Doors 
  can seem natural and straightforward compared to 
  the Bright City’s complicated networks of isles and 
  earthmotes.
  Modes of Travel
  Due to its unique geography, a number of modes of 
  travel are available—and necessary—in the Bright City.
  Boats, as small as gondolas, and as large a cara-
  vels, navigate Hestavar’s lagoon and mooring in any 
  one of a thousand piers that stretch out from both 
  islands and white-sand shores. One of the most rec-
  ognizable ships seen in the lagoon is the ubiquitous 
  planar dromonds—large trading ships from through-
  out the seas of the known universe that traverse 
  planar waterways by using a planes-hopping focus 
  called a runekeel. These ships are the workforce of 
  trade between the city and the world’s ports. For 
  centuries, confused oceanic mariners who claimed 
  that they’ve sailed the Astral Sea and described it as 
  a sparkling blue paradise filled with islands and sun-
  shine were describing the only port of call they ever 
  set eyes on in the Astral Sea—Hestavar’s lagoon.
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  24
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
   
  High above the lagoon, the famous painted 
  birds of Hestavar share the skyways with a variety 
  of larger, sometimes even monstrous, flying crea-
  tures. Griffons, hippogriffs, wyverns, riding drakes, 
  and even the occasional metallic dragon fly from 
  one earthmote to another; their riders aggressively 
  competing for prime perching space with speed, cut-
  throat cunning, and coin. Some of the best perching 
  places during festival days, or during the rare public 
  appearance of Pelor and Erathis, can go for an astral 
  diamond or more.
   
  For those of more modest means, astral skiff
  pilots wait at appointed or well-traveled spots until 
  they have a large enough group for a trip to another 
  mote. These services can take up to an hour to accu-
  mulate enough passages for a trip, and it costs about 
  three platinum pieces per passenger.
   
  Those unable or unwilling to pay the coin for an 
  astral skiff have other options to travel to even the 
  far-flung sections of the city. A number of magic 
  gates, bridges, and areas known as soft drops—areas 
  connecting a higher and lower earthmote with an 
  enchantment similar to the wizard’s feather fall spell—
  are scattered throughout the city, making a number 
  of routes from one place in the city to another. Many 
  of the natives of Hestavar insist that you can reach 
  any earthmote or island in the city by foot as long as 
  one has the right knowledge, plus enough time and 
  patience for extremely circuitous routes. As a matter 
  of pride in these strange passages, you never hear a 
  citizen of Hestavar utter the phrase, “you can’t get 
  there from here.”
  Directions
  Whether one travels by boat, by flying beast, or by 
  foot, a traveler eventually comes into contact with the 
  city’s directional jargon. In a city where the illumi-
  nation constantly rains down from the upper cloud 
  cover, direction is reckoned by the landmarks of the 
  dominion. The people of Hestavar reconnoiter their 
  city by the directions windward, leeward, waterward, 
  and lightward.
   
  The windward side of the dominion sits toward 
  the swirling Eye of Storm—the remains of the pri-
  mordial Heur-Ket—and the Salts neighborhood 
  that is within it. Leeward is, of course the opposite 
  direction, toward the calmer (and richer) end of the 
  lagoon, with its cardinal being the neighborhood of 
  Seven Pearl Shoal.
   
  The city is navigated vertically with the directions 
  waterward and lightward. For the most part, the 
  gravity of the dominion often works as one would 
  anticipate: lightward is usually up and waterward is 
  usually down. However, a few anomalous earthmotes 
  and islands on the windward side of the Bright City 
  feature strange gravitational features. Often these 
  indicate damage to the city done during the battle 
  with Heur-Ket, but sometimes they are changes pur-
  posely perpetrated by exalted houses for reason both 
  novel and industrious. Such anomalies are prevalent 
  enough that the waterward and lightward directions 
  are more useful than up or down.
   
  Lightward is accompanied by a relative distance. 
  Low lightward is of a lower altitude than high or high-
  est lightward. Such references to altitude are often 
  pointless when describing waterward, unless the 
  starting point is lightward, or when describing one of 
  a number of trendy taverns, feasthalls, and expensive 
  villas that sit underwater in or around the Painted 
  Reef.
  Time
  Another dimension of travel has its own rules in the 
  Bright City—the dimension of time. With a steady 
  and unblinking sunlight coming from the uppermost 
  clouds of the dominion, there is no night in Hestavar. 
  Instead, the city measures time by way of a number of 
  water clocks situated on the hundreds of earthmotes 
  that feature endless springs, and by the large one atop 
  the tallest tower of Whitebell Bastion in the lagoon. 
  Time in the Bright City is split into three 6-hour 
  cycles called belling (short for bell-length, since each 
  cycle is announced by a cacophony of ring bells), and 
  each is named after one of the three deities that calls 
  Hestavar home. As a matter of reverence and custom, 
  the city tends to rest and meditate during Ioun’s bell-
  ing, but the city never really sleeps, and it only slows 
  slightly during this belling. These bellings are further 
  split into two hands, and each hand is split into 3 
  hours.
  NEIGHBORHOODS 
  NEIGHBORHOODS 
  AND LOCALES
  AND LOCALES
  We are a city united by the wisdom of three deities. We are 
  a city divided by geography.
  —A common Hestavar saying
  Literally thousands of neighborhoods and districts 
  are in Hestavar. Nearly every lagoon island and every 
  floating mote features its own neighborhood, with 
  large ones piling into neighboring cays or smaller 
  satellites. Although many of these sections feature 
  the estates, workshops, warehouses, and other bas-
  tions of everyday exalted and mortal enclave activity, 
  many are of little interest to adventurers or even the 
  everyday traveler. The following is a brief overview 
  of some of those other sections that adventurers and 
  visitors find themselves visiting through necessity or 
  sometimes calamity.
  Waterward 
  Neighborhoods and 
  Locales
  Some say that in Hestavar wealth and power are 
  like cream—it floats to the top. That’s just a clever 
  way of saying that the waterward neighborhoods are 
  poorer and filled with less important personages in 
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  25
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  the grand scheme of the city. Although not always 
  true, the waterward neighborhoods lack the ostenta-
  tious wealth of the gold-trimmed and gem-studded 
  streets of the upper mote wards, but compared to the 
  cities of the world, many of them are still wondrously 
  wealthy beyond the imagination. Visitor, adventurers, 
  and traders from other parts of the universe make 
  their home among the islands and the beaches of the 
  waterward neighborhoods.
  Hundred Bridges
  This central district of the lagoon might also be the 
  most important. Dominated by over two dozen large 
  cays that encircle the Whitebell Bastion and scores 
  of smaller ones interspersed between them, Hun-
  dred Bridges is the agriculture and trade center of 
  the waterward city. Named for the numerous and 
  colorful bridges that connect these islands, Hundred 
  Bridges is home to the large and productive rice fields 
  of the lagoon and the people who work them. It also 
  supports a number of docks that service the planar 
  dromonds that trade with the city. For adventurers, it 
  is often the first stop upon entering the city by one of 
  these plane-jumping sailing vessels. Because of that, 
  and because of the numerous sailors that come ashore 
  here, many gondolas offer transportation to Redcliffs 
  and the Salts.
  Painted Reef
  Within the borders of a roughly egg-shaped ring of 
  islands, just windward of the Shining Cove, lies a 
  garden of colorful coral that serves as the habitat of 
  some of the most vibrant and luminescent fish from 
  all over the known universe. Though the islands 
  feature homes and estates of Pelorite exalted who 
  oversee the work at the nearby rice fields of Hundred 
  Bridges, the real draw of this area are the numerous 
  restaurants and feasthalls that sit below the surface, 
  each a marvel of Erathis invention, and each featuring 
  large areas of magically reinforced glass to give the 
  appearance that the establishments are under water. 
  Popular with even the important house masters of 
  the lightward motes, these establishments are used 
  frequently to finalize business deals and impress the 
  mote-weary outsider trade partners.
  Redcliffs
  Second only to the Salts, the neighborhood of Redc-
  liffs is home to the largest concentration of the city’s 
  transient population. In this neighborhood, a jumble 
  of piers and connecting walkways climb a sandstone 
  cliff. According to local legend, the cliff turned red 
  with the blood of angels during Heur-Ket’s assault on 
  the city. Many of the homes and structures of Red-
  cliffs are dug into the stones, creating areas of rare 
  darkness in the Bright City. For those who see a bit 
  of darkness necessary for their sanity, but don’t care 
  about keeping away from the scrutiny of angels (or 
  taking advantage of business and services that thrive 
  outside their scrutiny), Redcliffs is a home away from 
  home. Filled with taverns, inns, and other establish-
  ments that cater to the homesick, the neighborhood is 
  also called the outsider ghetto by moteward exalted.
  The Salts
  Nearly a dozen inhabited islands are underneath the 
  wind- and rain-soaked umbrella of the Eye of Storm, 
  and the people of the Hestavar call those islands the 
  Salts. Named for the salt water the Eye of Storm spits 
  about, this place is the closest thing Hestavar has 
  to a slum. The primordial’s essence creates a field 
  that no angel can enter (and some say no deity can 
  enter, which is another claim prime minister Kemuel 
  denies), and it is home to seedy taverns, feasthalls, 
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  26
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  and other dens of sin, not to mention the embassy of 
  the Nine Hells. With the exception of their leader, 
  the gregarious and charming succubus Naberius 
  Sain, who often mingles with members of the angelic 
  bureaucracy and dines in the estates of exalted 
  houses, the devils assigned to this post find the Salts 
  the most hospitable spot in the city.
   
  While the rain-drenched and gale-battered 
  structures of the Salts are thought to hide cults to 
  primordials (especially those who work toward the 
  return of Heur-Ket), enigmas of Vecna, and those 
  who gain power from the strange beings that haunt 
  the Far Realms, for the most part everyday life in the 
  Salts involves nothing so nefarious. The businessfolk 
  of the place, such as those running the famous Silver 
  Tankard, are more interested in providing lodging 
  and entertainment for travelers to the city, who might 
  find the days of constant sun, and a city filled with 
  exalted and angels disconcerting, stressful, and even 
  downright uncomfortable.
  Whitebell Bastion
  Located at the near center of the lagoon, its towers 
  pointing up toward the lofty heights of the Aurosion, 
  Whitebell Bastion serves as the single largest inter-
  nal garrison of angels in the city. A central edifice 
  that reaches more than a thousand feet into the air is 
  encircled by three smaller towers (each one a mere 
  100 feet tall). All four structures are connected at 
  various places by fortified bridgeworks where angels 
  look down upon their city to watch for dangers that 
  only rarely manifest.
   
  Atop the center tower is a large bell made from 
  the purest of platinum—the Whitebell. The bell is 
  magically attuned to the various water clocks of the 
  city, and it rings in a deep and rich baritone with 
  each belling. It is said that its ring echoes through the 
  towers of the bastion with such force that it can kill 
  mortals trespassing within it.
  Lightward Neighborhoods 
  and Locales
  The higher one travels lightward in Hestavar, the 
  more spectacular the sights become, and the more 
  powerful the creatures one encounters.
  Aurosion
  There is one word for the palace of Aurosion—breath-
  taking. The envy of noble lords and petty tyrants of 
  the world and beyond, this golden palace is the seat 
  of Hestavar’s power, the home of two of its three 
  deities, and the meeting place for its angelic bureau-
  cracy. Guarded by a legion of angels on the grounds, 
  and constantly watched from below by the legions of 
  Whitebell Bastion, Aurosion is the most secure spot 
  in Hestavar, and maybe the entire universe.
   
  Although the exalted of both Pelor and Erathis 
  are reborn in the Awakened Hall after suffering a 
  violent death, few exalted, not to mention mortals in 
  the city, are ever granted the privilege of entering the 
  deeper halls and chambers of Aurosion. Fewer still 
  are bestowed with the city’s greatest honor: to appear 
  before Pelor and Erathis, the King and Queen of 
  Light.
  The Fields of Ida
  The widest and flattest earthmote in the city, the 
  Fields of Ida stands at the leeward end of the city, 
  not far from, but far below, Ioun’s Swan Tower. Not 
  a single permanent building stands on the mote. 
  Instead, the place is a flat field of green, dotted with 
  daisies and the occasional flower garden or hedge 
  maze. Hestavar’s largest park, it is a place where 
  lovers stroll, duelists compete for honor or sport, and 
  the great festivals of the city are held.
  Gildward
  Home to the richest exalted families, and their most 
  opulent displays of wealth, the Gildward is sometimes 
  called “Thieves Paradise.” Its streets resemble a mith-
  ral dragon’s horde, and each home would be the envy 
  of even the richest worldly emperor. But this paradise 
  hides dangers for would-be thieves; its estates are 
  guarded by the best security that money can buy—in 
  the form of traps, guards, and guardian monsters. 
  Some of these defenses are so ingenious and deadly 
  that they could give demilich Acererak pause.
  Kerith-Ald, the Swan Tower
  Maybe the greatest center of learning and introspec-
  tion in the universe, Kerith-Ald, the Swan Tower 
  and the home of the goddess Ioun, sits high over the 
  lagoon and other earthmotes. It soars only slightly 
  lower but more leeward than the golden palace of 
  Aurosion. The lower structure contains a magic uni-
  versity and the great Hall of Enlightenment, a place 
  where great philosophers and wizards meet, verbally 
  spar, and create great works of reason and arcane. 
  Occasionally their wise mistress holds court here, as 
  well. The upper section—the true Swan Tower—serves 
  as a place for quiet reflection for Ioun when she is not 
  wandering the universe in the search of knowledge.
  Methion
  The greatest concentration of mercantile empori-
  ums, guildhalls, artisan workshops, and estates of 
  those exalted houses chiefly involved in the Game 
  of Making, the Methion is the best place to shop for 
  magic items in Hestavar. If one cannot find an item 
  here, the artisans have contact with an exalted trad-
  ing house that can retrieve it, usually in short order. 
  Visitors should beware—while the exalted of the 
  Bright City have a reputation for haughtiness, this 
  is especially true among the Erathis exalted of the 
  Methion. Bored exalted look for any slight, real or 
  merely perceived, as pretense for a duel.
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  27
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  MAGIC OF HESTAVAR
  MAGIC OF HESTAVAR
  The Game of Making constantly churns out new 
  magic items and disseminates their schemas to the 
  various traders and artisans that visit the city. Here is 
  a selection of newer or locale-specific items that have 
  not seen much replication or alteration abroad.
  Magic Items
  Hestavar Dueling Blade 
  Level 18+
  Made with the mithral-infused shimmering steel favored by 
  the greatest of Hestavar sword smiths, this weapon allows its 
  wielder to maneuver like the exalted duelists of the Bright City.
  Lvl 18 
  +4 
  85,000 gp 
  Lvl 28 
  +6 2,125,000 gp
  Lvl 24 
  +5 
  525,000 gp
  Weapon: Light Blade
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d10 damage per plus
  Property: You gain a +2 item bonus when making 
  opportunity attacks and melee attacks as a part of an 
  immediate reaction or immediate interrupt.
  Power (Daily ! Teleportation): Free Action. After you 
  miss with a melee attack with this weapon. Teleport 
  3 squares, but adjacent to the target of the triggering 
  attack. Make a melee basic attack against the target.
  Ioun Orb 
  Level 25+
  A favorite implement of the orb mages of the Swan Tower, 
  this crystal orb is filled with the potent purple haze of the 
  Meznathin Expanse, and allows the caster to extend her will 
  and arcane power to the orb’s location.
  Lvl 25 
  +5 
  625,000 gp Lvl 30 
  +6 3,125,000 gp
  Implement (Orb)
  Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
  Critical: +1d8 psychic damage per plus
  Property: The Ioun orb can be commanded to orbit 
  around your body. Though you never touch the orb, 
  its orbit is held aloft and controlled by the commands 
  of one of your hands, and you are considered to be 
  wielding this implement with that hand.
  Power (Daily): Minor Action. You release the Ioun orb
  from your hand or its orbit, and you move it 5 squares 
  into an unoccupied space, where it then hovers. The 
  orb cannot be attacked or affected by another crea-
  ture, though it does take up the space as though it 
  were one of your allies.
   You can deliver arcane attack powers through the Ioun orb
  as if you were wielding it (the attacks originate through the 
  Ioun orb’s space). You can do so as long as you sustain this 
  power, provided that the orb is never more than 5 squares 
  away from you. If you use the orb to use a daily attack 
  power, or if the orb is ever more than 5 squares away from 
  you, or if you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, the orb
  falls in the square it occupies and this power’s effect ends.
   Sustain Minor: You can move the orb 5 squares and make 
  arcane attacks through it until the end of your next turn.
  Circlet of the Urbane 
  Level 23
  Created from pure astral light made solid by the arcane arti-
  sans of House Norsair, this circlet grants the urbane wisdom 
  and resolve of the Bright City’s exalted of Erathis.
  Item Slot: Head 
  425,000 gp
  Property: You can reroll any Diplomacy, Insight, or 
  Streetwise check but must keep the second result, even 
  if it is worse.
  Property: You gain a +2 item bonus to saving throws 
  against charm, fear, illusion, and psychic effects. 
  Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you 
  are hit by an attack that has the charm, fear, illusion, 
  or psychic keyword. You take half damage from the at-
  tack, and if the attack has an effect that a saving throw 
  can end, you can make a saving throw immediately 
  against that effect as a free action.
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  28
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  CITY INTRIGUE, 
  CITY INTRIGUE, 
  ADVENTURE, AND SPORT
  ADVENTURE, AND SPORT
  Maybe the universe’s greatest tragedy is that sometimes 
  wicked things can be done in the service of good.
  —From the Lament of Pelor
  Hestavar might be the closest thing to a true para-
  dise that the universe has to offer. Watched over 
  and administered by angels and the exalted souls 
  rewarded for lives spent in the service of their patron 
  deities, at first little seems amiss in the city. Visiting 
  adventurers might soon become restless under the 
  rays of its constant light, many using it as a brief stop-
  over before engaging the powers of the Nine Hells, 
  hunting githyanki pirates, or seeking the services of 
  the enigmatic marut. But the longer one stays in the 
  Bright City, the more likely one becomes embroiled in 
  the city’s intrigue and the dangers that lurk just under 
  the surface of everyday life.
  Exalted Intrigues
  Although wherever there is power there is intrigue, 
  competition acts as a catalyst to that admixture. For 
  this reason few intrigues in the city are as convoluted 
  and dangerous as the Game of Making. The game’s 
  stakes are high, since the exalted houses compete for 
  not only market, but their standing in the city, their 
  clout with the angelic bureaucracy, and respect in the 
  eyes of the city’s deities, especially Erathis and Ioun. 
  Sometimes this competition can turn violent, since 
  the death of an exalted craftsperson or thinker can 
  result in a week and a day of lost work. In rare cases 
  when the stakes are particularly high, entire houses, 
  workshops, guilds, and even schools of study can 
  break out into open war.
   
  Exalted have other quarrels and conflicts of a 
  more personal nature. Although one becomes an 
  exalted as reward for a life in service to one’s deity, 
  they are only human (or eladrin, or dwarf, and so 
  on) and while often wiser than they were in life, the 
  jealousies, desires, guilts, and conceits a person had 
  in life die hard. This compounded with the sentiment 
  that most exalted see themselves as vastly superior 
  to even the most powerful mortal in Hestavar often 
  causes conflict between members of the two popula-
  tions. Even if an exalted loses a conflict, he or she 
  rarely admits it. After all, except for the case of egre-
  gious sins committed against the tenets of the prime 
  deity, exalted are reborn and can begin the conflict 
  anew if they so choose.
   
  Although exalted as a general rule do not fear 
  death, in the last few decades there has been a series 
  of murders of exalted that have let some doubt creep 
  into the most arrogant exalted’s mind when facing 
  probable demise. There have been no fewer than one 
  hundred exalted murdered and lost forever by a killer 
  known only by his calling card: the Obsidian Dagger. 
  Though even Ioun has tried to augur the murder’s 
  identity, he is still on the loose, attacking with regu-
  larity, and targeting exalted engaged in the Game of 
  Making in one way or another.
  Evil Powers and Plots
  Although the angelic bureaucracy tends to downplay 
  the threat, a number of evil creatures and powers are 
  within the Bright City. Each poses its own threat and 
  potential adventure.
   
  The most open force of evil in the city is the 
  embassy of the Nine Hells, led by the male (or 
  seemingly male) succubus, Naberius Sain. Seen as 
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  29
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  a necessary evil by the angelic bureaucracy, the 
  succubus allows Hestavar to work diplomacy with 
  Asmodeus and his ilk, which is preferred to war. 
  Many (rightly) assume that Naberius Sain is the 
  master of diabolical plots in Hestavar. To the angels 
  of Whitebell Bastion, he is the chief person of inter-
  est related to the Obsidian Dagger murders, but if he 
  is the murderer, the canny succubus has evaded all 
  but mere suspicion. By all outward appearances he 
  is a careful diplomat with a laundry list of alibis who, 
  despite his infernal nature, has been an ally to the 
  Bright City and keeps the devils under his command 
  under strict and lawful control. But succubi are wily 
  adversaries, and Sain is one of the most powerful of 
  his kind, as well as a favorite of Glaysa, so it surprises 
  no one that he has evaded any proof of wrongdoing.
   
  More troubling are the unseen evils that lurk 
  among the Bright City’s rare shadow. Constant 
  reports come in about primordial and abyssal cults 
  that haunt the Salts and look to resurrect Heur-Ket 
  from his blustering slumber or channel what remains 
  of his essence for evil or destructive ends. Every so 
  often other evil powers meddle in the affairs of Hesta-
  var. Vecna covets the secrets of Kerith-Ald, Lolth loves 
  to meddle among the politics of the Game of Making, 
  and some believe that several of the more cutthroat 
  exalted have turned to Zehir for favors and allies in 
  their struggles.
  Sport, Blood, and 
  Otherwise
  Much adventure in the city takes the form of contests 
  of skill. The scions of exalted houses love to duel with 
  either spell or sword—often to the death. A prereq-
  uisite to such an activity is the pretense of defending 
  one’s honor, but these outrages are often flimsier than 
  a devil’s concern and put up only as a matter of form. 
  Often they make concessions for the mortals they 
  challenge, and many have a particularly nasty desire 
  to test newcomers as their way of weeding out unde-
  sirables from the city.
   
  Although dueling is popular, less bloody sports are 
  preferred by most citizens of the city. Many neighbor-
  hoods and group of neighborhoods support wrestling 
  dens, dueling clubs, and football teams. These athletic 
  contests are a way for members of the diverse neigh-
  borhoods and motes to mingle. Often, larger events 
  take place on the Field of Ida, where even members 
  of neighborhood without flat parks can participate in 
  the festivities.
   
  Probably the most anticipated, wagered upon, and 
  universally enjoyed sport in the city is the Storm’s Eye 
  Run. This ten-lap race sends aerial mounted riders 
  through a course that starts at the Aurosion and then 
  downward to the Eye of the Storm, and back around 
  Pelor’s and Erathis’s palace three times. Though 
  the Storm’s Eye Run is open to any flying mount, it 
  has become a matter of pride and tradition that the 
  mount of choice is the Hestavar racing drake.
  Hestavar Racing Drake
  Although the world contains a plethora of different 
  drake forms, drakes are not unknown among the 
  planes. A number of different types of drakes inhabit 
  the Astral Sea, but one of the most well-known drakes 
  is the Hestavar racing drake. Originating from a spe-
  cies that hunts the skies of the Elemental Chaos, these 
  drakes were brought to the Bright City countless cen-
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  30
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  turies ago (some breeders claim it happened during 
  Heur-Ket’s invasion of the Astral Sea) and trained as 
  racing steeds. The generations of selective breeding 
  and magic augmentation have made these animals 
  the quintessential mounts of the Storm’s Eye Run, the 
  most celebrated of the city’s sky races.
  Hestavar Racing Drake 
  Level 23 Skirmisher
  Large immortal beast (reptile) 
  XP 5,100
  Initiative +21 
  Senses Perception +21
  HP 217; Bloodied 108
  AC 37; Fortitude 35, Reﬂ ex 36, Will 34
  Resist 15 lightning, 15 thunder
  Speed 6, ﬂ y 12
  m Bite (standard; at-will)
   
  Melee 2; +34 vs. AC; 2d10 + 10 damage.
  M Flyby Attack (standard; at-will)
   
  The Hestavar racing drake ﬂ ies 10 squares and makes one 
  melee basic attack at any point during that movement. The 
  drake doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when moving 
  away from the target of the attack.
  C Lightning Burst (standard; recharge 5 6 ) ! Lightning
   
  Close blast 2; 3d8 + 8 lightning damage and the target is 
  dazed until the end of the racing drake’s next turn.
  Lightning Leap (move action; while mounted by a friendly 
  rider of 23rd level or higher; consumes a use of lightning 
  burst, recharges when that power recharges) ! Mount, 
  Teleportation
   
  The racing drake and the rider teleport 20 squares.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Skills Endurance+23
  Str 23 (+17) 
  Dex 26 (+19) 
  Wis 22 (+17)
  Con 25 (+18) 
  Int 4 (+8) 
  Cha 12 (+12)
  Hestavar Racing Drake Tactics
  Primarily bred and raised for racing, Hestavar 
  racing drakes rarely are encountered outside the 
  city’s racing circuit. But those contests can often turn 
  vicious. Biting is not against the rules, and the drake’s 
  flyby attack is used against other contestants during 
  the laps. Riders often make strategic decisions on 
  whether to use the drake’s lightning burst or lightning 
  leap ability, depending on the closeness of the race or 
  the racers.
  The Call of Destiny
  Rarely do the gods call mortals toward adventure 
  and intrigue, but if they ever choose to do so, they use 
  the form of an angelic messenger or work through an 
  exarch. Often, they reserve this kind of attention to 
  pressing matters of an epic’s character destiny. Some-
  times other powers and circumstances tug at the 
  destinies of mortals who visit the city. For centuries 
  the Eye of the Storm has called a select few to deter-
  mine the eventual ultimate fate of the primordial 
  Heur-Ket.
  EPIC DESTINY
  EPIC DESTINY
  The following epic destiny is tied closely to the back-
  ground and the history of Hestavar, and it is ideal for 
  a player who enjoys strong ties to a setting, or a player 
  who enjoys the destiny side of epic destinies. Because 
  it involves a trigger that occurs near or during the 
  epic levels, this might also be an excellent path for 
  a player who is having a hard time choosing an epic 
  destiny.
  Prison of the Winds
  You are one of few beings of the universe called to imprison 
  the residual essence of primordial Heur-Ket. Your destiny, 
  and the destiny of this primordial, are now tied for eternity 
  or the end of your existence, whichever comes first.
   
  Prerequisite: 21st level
  You’ve known for a long time that you’re destined for 
  a great deed, but unlike some of your companions 
  who strive toward a specific destiny, you knew that 
  yours would pick you. Upon entering the Eye of the 
  Storm in Hestavar, a sliver of the primordial’s remain-
  ing essence entered you, like it has hundreds of other 
  powerful in the millennia before your coming. You 
  have become the Prison of the Winds, and it might be 
  your destiny to either finally destroy the primordial 
  Heur-Ket, or as some fear, finally release it, so that it 
  can renew its ancient assault upon the Astral Sea. But 
  there is a great danger. You are not the first being to 
  take on this burden, and all who have come before 
  you have been utterly destroyed by the destructive 
  chaos of Heur-Ket’s churning essence. Can you sur-
  vive where so many others have failed?
  Immortal Destruction or Agent 
  of Destiny
  Just taking on the fragment of Heur-Ket makes you 
  an agent of destiny, and a piece in the eternal conflict 
  between the deities and primordials. Agents of both 
  attempt to push you in the direction they favor. The 
  gods of Hestavar and their servants, and even other 
  powers of the Astral Sea from angels to githyanki, to 
  devils, attempt to push your actions toward the pri-
  mordial’s destruction.
   
  The entire time, your existence is on a short fuse. 
  For as long as you hold the essence, you can gain 
  power from it, but it slowly erodes body, animus, and 
  soul until you finally fulfill your destiny.
  Destruction of Heur-Ket: If you choose the right 
  path, perform the correct deeds and fulfill the correct 
  prophecies, you can destroy the remaining essence 
  of this primordial. The Eye of Storm diminishes and 
  finally dissipates completely, and Ioun calls you to her 
  service as an esteemed member of her cognoscenti.
  Resurrection of Heur-Ket: Choose poorly, or be 
  swayed toward the side of primordials, and you could 
  ultimately release Heur-Ket’s essence, which would 
  lead to the resurrection of this dangerous primordial.
  Ultimate Destruction: As has happened to 
  the many that have come before you, the burden of 
  
  Hestavar: The Bright City
  31
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  imprisoning even a fragment of a primordial’s essence 
  has taken its toll. As your body is finally eroded by 
  its power, you can take small comfort in the fact that 
  you did not herald its resurrection, and you will be 
  remembered as one of the few who tried to tame the 
  seemingly untamable winds of Heur-Ket.
  Prison of the Winds Features
  Prison of the Winds has the following epic destiny 
  features:
  Essence of Heur-Ket (21st level): Increase your 
  Constitution and Dexterity by 2, and gain a +2 bonus 
  to speed.
   
  Storm Surge (24th level): The first time you 
  are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points each day, you 
  can spend a healing surge (no action required), or if 
  you don’t have any more healing surges, gain your 
  Constitution score in hit points. You can then push 
  all creatures within 5 squares of you a number of 
  squares equal to your Constitution modifier and then 
  knock them prone.
  Storm Form (30th level): When you are blood-
  ied, you become insubstantial. When you are no 
  longer bloodied, you are no longer insubstantial.
  Prison of the Winds 
  Power
  Fury of Heur-Ket       
  Fury of Heur-Ket       Prison of the Winds Utility 26
  You focus your fragment of the essence of Heur-Ket into a 
  wind that surrounds you, gives your movement flight, and 
  grants windswept strength to your melee attacks.
  Daily ! Stance
  Minor Action Personal
  Effect: Until the stance ends, gain a fly speed equal to 
  your land speed (hover), and when you hit an adjacent 
  enemy with a melee attack, you can choose to push it 
  a number of squares equal to your Constitution modi-
  fier or knock it prone.
  About the Author
  Born on a stormy Christmas day, in our nation’s capital, 
  during the Nixon administration, the stars were definitely 
  wrong when Stephen Radney-MacFarland came screaming 
  into the world. Spending most of his impressionable years as a 
  vagabond and ne’re-do-well, Stephen eventually settled in the 
  Northwest to waste his life on roleplaying games.
   
  Once that RPGA® guy, Stephen is now a developer in RPG 
  R&D where he doesn’t create the traps . . . he just makes them 
  deadlier. He also teaches a class on roleplaying design for 
  the Art Institute of Seattle, molding the minds of young and 
  upcoming designers. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
  PLOTTING THE DESTINY
  The features of this paragon path are confined to the 
  powers that the essence of Heur-Ket grants the PCs. 
  The prophecies of destruction, the path of resurrec-
  tion, and the subtle erosion of the PC over time is up 
  to you, the Dungeon Master, to decide the particulars 
  and narrate (though the Storm Form feature does 
  hint at a form of the path’s possibility of character 
  erosion).
  
  32
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  D
  by Brian R. James
  illustrations byRyan Barger, 
  Eric Deschamps, and Chris Seaman
  Decades before, a conflagration left the Abbey of Turvlies 
  in ruins. Only the hidden catacombs remained, buried and 
  forgotten beneath charred timber and smoldering ash. Yet 
  even when bloodied and lost in the labyrinthine corridors 
  beneath the monastery, the Order of the Dawn Covenant 
  held strong to their faith in the Risen Sun.
   
  Grim determination etched on their faces, the warrior-
  priests formed a tight phalanx and pressed through the 
  throng of vampire spawn, their shields repelling wicked 
  claws and poisoned daggers. First to fall was pious young 
  Dianne. Even Master Leon was cut down, and his signature 
  morningstar clanged against the stone floor before coming 
  to rest near the corpse of Elder Coley.
   
  With nary a hint of desperation, two remaining clerics 
  fought on, with maces held high and deft prayers on their 
  lips. Just as endurance threatened to fail them where their 
  zeal had not, Brother Barnes and Sister Fillenia burst into 
  a damp natural chamber flooded with sunlight—the lowest 
  reaches of a well shaft tapping a long forgotten cistern.
   
  Welcoming the sanctuary from the pursuing vampires, 
  the young priests were startled to discover they were not 
  alone. Gazing at the two of them with piercing green eyes 
  was a young woman who rested at the pool’s edge. Mesmer-
  ized, Sister Fillenia never saw the first woman’s twin enter 
  the chamber. The young priest was dead before she felt the 
  fatal thrust of the other woman’s serrated dagger.
   
  Only then did a cry of anguish escape the lips of the last 
  priest standing. Brother Barnes knew only doom stood 
  before him, yet he quickly composed himself. Drawing in a 
  steadying breath and raising his mace in salute, he dared 
  the dhampyrs to approach.
  —Chronicler unknown.
  Playing
  Playing Dhampyr
   Dhampyr
  TM & © 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.
  
  33
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
  DHAMPYR
  DHAMPYR
  A creature between the world of the living and the 
  dead, the dhampyr is shrouded in secrecy and harbors 
  a fierce bloodlust.
  A rare crossbreed with several of the powers of a 
  vampire and none of the weaknesses, a dhampyr 
  is thought to be born of the union of a vampire 
  male and a mortal female. The truth is that such 
  hybrids are far more common than many folk 
  think. A dhampyr can result from a vampire 
  biting a pregnant female, as well as through more 
  mundane means. Some offspring carry the spark 
  of immortality in their veins for years, until the 
  kindling of fate gives the spark a place to catch.
  Play a dhampyr if you want . . .
  ! a character of a usual race but with a secret 
  twist.
  ! to play a hero a lot like a vampire.
  ! to have access to supernatural powers like 
  those of a vampire.
  HALF-BLOOD
  A dhampyr is not a true race like those presented in 
  the Player’s Handbook. If you wish to play a dhampyr, 
  choose another race as normal, and then select the 
  Vampiric Heritage feat to gain dhampyr abilities. 
  If you do not select the Vampiric Heritage feat at 
  1st level, your Dungeon Master might require you 
  to explain how your character awakened dhampyr 
  powers. Likewise, your Dungeon Master can rule you 
  cannot retrain bloodline feats without an explana-
  tion of how your character loses such heritage when 
  retraining.
  Physical Qualities
  A dhampyr, whatever his or her base race, can be 
  mistaken for some sort of fey creature due to pale 
  skin, willowy features, unnatural charisma, and 
  slightly pointed ears. Closer inspection, however, 
  reveals subtle traits inherited from the vampire 
  parent. A dhampyr has pronounced canines that 
  extend when the dhampyr is enduring stress, 
  feeding on blood, or experiencing other sorts of 
  excitement. However, a dhampyr’s eyes—pale orbs 
  with splashes of red around piercing black pupils—
  often give away the creature’s true heritage.
   
  Despite these characteristics, a dhampyr fre-
  quently adopts the culture in which he or she is 
  raised. From this culture, or in rebellion against it, 
  the dhampyr takes habits of personal decoration and 
  manner. For instance, a dwarf dhampyr looks and 
  acts much like normal dwarves.
   
  Immortal heritage greatly extends a dhampyr’s 
  life expectancy. Barring inadvertent death, a 
  dhampyr can expect to live an additional century 
  without experiencing the serious infirmities of old 
  age.
   
  Male vampires do father a few dhampyrs, but 
  this occurrence is rare. Others are the offspring of 
  one or two dhampyr parents, since the supernatural 
  force of the vampire blood is strong enough to influ-
  ence generations. Dhampyrs can also have normal 
  offspring. Furthermore, the age at which dhampyr 
  abilities manifest varies with each dhampyr.
  Playing a Dhampyr
  The image of the dhampyr is that of a mysterious 
  outsider swathed in shadow—a lonesome antihero 
  seldom at peace with society or self. Dhampyrs 
  are mortal. They have no exceptional vulnerabil-
  ity to sunlight or radiant damage. Because of this, 
  true vampires sometimes refer to dhampyrs as 
  “daywalkers.”
   
  Life for a dhampyr might be more difficult or 
  easier than it is for another child. The difficulty 
  depends entirely on how others in the child’s sur-
  roundings view dhampyr heritage. A dhampyr 
  raised among accepting (or merely unknowing) 
  people could have a normal childhood. Another 
  might face severe prejudice, while yet another might 
  be raised to believe in his or her natural superiority. 
  A few dhampyrs are raised among vampires, who 
  treat them as special but lesser creatures.
   
  As might be expected, dhampyrs aware of their 
  true heritage sometimes develop a morbid fascina-
  tion with death, shadow, and undead. This leads to 
  quirks other living mortals find disconcerting, rang-
  ing among blood drinking, macabre fashion sense, 
  gallows humor, extreme bloodlust, and other dark 
  behaviors. Dhampyr villains can have habits that are 
  much more disturbing.
   
  Some dhampyrs have a preternatural resistance 
  to a vampire’s signature attack: blood drain. Coupled 
  with the ability to recognize those of vampire blood, 
  dhampyr make effective vampire slayers. These 
  avenging heroes, however, seldom limit themselves 
  to solely hunting vampires. They are equally adept at 
  tracking and slaying several forms of undead, as well 
  as demons and other infernal beings.
   
  Dhampyr Characteristics: Attractive, guarded, 
  methodical, nimble, obsessive, patient, reticent, 
  somber, vengeful, vigilant
   
  Dhampyr Names: A dhampyr is named in 
  accordance with the culture in which he or she is 
  born and raised. Notable exceptions include the rare 
  dhampyr children raised by vampires—see the Clan 
  Vampires sidebar.
  
  34
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
  CLAN VAMPIRES
  Vampires sometimes form extended alliances that 
  include several vampires, who are sometimes related 
  by blood. They call these families “clans.” Such clans 
  form extended networks of servants, mortal and 
  otherwise. Clan vampires especially prize dhampyr 
  servants, whom they exalt as favored beings over 
  normal mortals. The dhampyrs are afforded special 
  privileges in vampire society, and they are given 
  names honoring ancient or legendary vampires.
   
  Male Clan Names: Aponan, Ctenmiir, Drakuul, 
  Emerus, Gulthias, Kas, Israfel, Lasudael, Marius, 
  Orbak, Radu, Strahd, Viktor, Zandriel
   
  Female Clan Names: Akasha, Bathori, Carmilla, 
  Celene, Eshar, Kalaes, Lucia, Mariam, Nemeh, Oph-
  elia, Ruthven, Sibella, Tanith, Vestra, Zeleska
  Dhampyr Adventurers
  Three sample dhampyr adventurers are described 
  below.
   
  Lucia is a human dhampyr ranger. Like most 
  daywalkers raised in a vampire clan, Lucia is the 
  product of purposeful breeding between vampires 
  and humans. Since a young age, she has trained dili-
  gently, honing herself into an unparalleled tracker 
  and deadly killer. At seventeen Lucia completed her 
  training, and she fled into the world to escape the 
  oppressive society of the undead. With clan loyalists 
  hunting her, Lucia has joined with other adventurers 
  for protection. She uses her skills to protect her new 
  “clan.”
   
  Jufrum is a half-orc barbarian whose latent vam-
  piric heritage has surfaced only recently, after a trip 
  to the Shadowfell. Secretly, he has focused on his 
  tainted blood to increase his strength and feroc-
  ity. As his power grows, he plans to tap his undead 
  nature to surprise his enemies and, for a time, his 
  companions. Jufrum has no emotional or societal 
  FEATS
  FEATS
  Being a dhampyr means having the Vampiric 
  Heritage feat. Dhampyrs also have racial feats that 
  expand on their vampire nature. A number of these 
  feats are power-swap feats. If you use retraining to 
  replace a power-swap feat with another feat, you 
  lose any power gained from the power-swap feat and 
  regain a power of the same level from your primary 
  class.
   
  The Vampiric Heritage and other dhampyr feats 
  are part of a new classification of feat known as 
  bloodline feats. All bloodline feats are noted as such 
  in the feat’s name. You can have bloodline feats of 
  only one type; thus, if you choose the Vampiric Heri-
  tage feat, you can have only Vampire Bloodline feats.
  Vampiric Heritage [Vampire 
  Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisite: Living humanoid race
   
  Benefit: You gain blood drain as an encounter 
  power. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to Per-
  ception and Insight checks to sense and recognize 
  dhampyrs and undead.
  connection to the undead, and he sees his dark 
  bloodline as a blessing.
   
  Nedda is a halfling dhampyr rogue with ven-
  geance seething in her heart. Although her halfling 
  clan accepted her, Nedda was never allowed to forget 
  that her halfling father and several others died 
  defending her mother from the vampire who made 
  Nedda what she is. Nedda has fully committed her 
  life to the eradication of vampires. After discovering 
  her vampire forebear was a member of an extended 
  bloodsucking family, the halfling dhampyr has 
  decided to hunt and slay them all. She has gathered 
  a group of likeminded slayers, and they wander from 
  town to town ferreting out the undead.
  
  35
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
   
  Benefit: You can swap one 10th-level or higher 
  utility power you know for mist form.
  Mist Form
  Your form dissolves into an eerie, billowing mist.
  Daily ! Polymorph
  Standard Action 
  Personal
  Effect: You become insubstantial and gain a fly speed of 
  8 (hover), but you cannot make any attacks. This lasts 
  until the end of your next turn.
  Sustain Minor: Your mist form persists.
  Night’s Sight [Vampire Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisite: Vampiric Heritage feat
  Benefit: You gain low-light vision.
  Paragon Tier Feats
  Any feat in the following section is available to a 
  dhampyr character of 11th level or higher who 
  meets the prerequisites.
  Bloodied Regeneration [Vampire 
  Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, Vampiric Heritage feat
   
  Benefit: You can swap one 10th-level or higher 
  utility power you know for bloodied regeneration.
  Bloodied Regeneration
  Your wounds call to your immortal blood, which surges to 
  repair your body.
  Daily ! Healing
  Minor Action 
  Personal
  Requirement: You must be bloodied.
  Effect: You gain regeneration 5 until the end of the 
  encounter or until you are no longer bloodied, which-
  ever comes first.
  Dominating Gaze [Vampire 
  Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisites: 15th level, Vampiric Heritage feat
   
  Benefit: You can swap one 15th-level or higher 
  daily attack power you know for dominating gaze.
  Dominating Gaze
  The authority in your piercing gaze demands utter 
  submission.
  Daily ! Charm
  Minor Action 
  Ranged 5
  Target: One creature
  Attack: Intelligence +4 vs. Will, Wisdom +4 vs. Will, or 
  Charisma +4 vs. Will
   Increase to +6 bonus at 21st level.
  Hit: The target is dominated (save ends). Aftereffect: The 
  target is dazed (save ends).
  Miss: The target is dazed (save ends).
  Special: When you select the Dominating Gaze feat, 
  you determine whether you use Intelligence, Wis-
  dom, or Charisma to attack with this power.
  Savage Bite [Vampire Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisites: 11th level, Vampiric Heritage feat
   
  Benefit: You can use your blood drain power 
  on a target granting you combat advantage without 
  having that target grabbed.
  Epic Tier Feat
  The feat in the following section is available to a 
  dhampyr character of 21st level or higher who meets 
  the prerequisites.
  Scent of Blood [Vampire Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisites: 21st level, Vampire Bloodline feat
   
  Benefit: Living, bloodied enemies grant you 
  combat advantage.
   
  Special: You are considered a vampire for the 
  purpose of effects that relate to vampires.
  Blood Drain
  Vigor rushes through your body as you drain life energy 
  from your victim
  Encounter ! Healing
  Standard Action 
  Melee touch
  Target: One living creature you have grabbed
  Attack: Strength +2 vs. Fortitude, Constitution +2 vs. 
  Fortitude, or Dexterity +2 vs. Fortitude
  Hit: 1d4 + Constitution modifier damage, and you can 
  spend a healing surge.
  Increase to +4 bonus and 2d4 + Constitution 
  modifier damage at 11th level; +6 bonus and 3d4 + 
  Constitution modifier damage at 21st level.
  Special: When you select the Vampiric Heritage 
  feat, you determine whether you use Strength, 
  Constitution, or Dexterity to attack with this power.
  Heroic Tier Feats
  Any feat in the following section is available to 
  any dhampyr character of any level who meets the 
  prerequisites.
  Vampire Alacrity [Vampire 
  Bloodline]
   
  Prerequisite: Vampiric Heritage feat
  Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to your speed.
  Mist Form [Vampire Bloodline]
  Prerequisites: 10th level, Vampiric Heritage 
  feat
  
  36
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
  PARAGON PATHS
  PARAGON PATHS
  The following paragon paths work well with 
  dhampyr characters.
  Bloodknight
  “Despite the depravity of my upbringing, I have become a 
  hero to people I was raised to view as mere cattle.”
  Prerequisites: Defender role, Vampiric Heritage 
  feat
  Your vampire heritage has served only to make 
  you a stronger warrior. It could be that you grew 
  up in a vampire clan, and were shaped and honed 
  into a perfect weapon for their aims. Several like 
  you have such a history. Or maybe you’ve listened 
  to your blood’s whispers, gaining supernatural tal-
  ents as a reward for your efforts. The blood of your 
  enemies cries out to your own. You sense those you 
  have marked for death like a wolf smell’s fear in the 
  hunted. Your adversaries are your prey, to be driven 
  where you wish and ultimately struck down to sup-
  plement your strength.
  Bloodknight Features
   
  Blood-Calling Action (11th level): When you 
  spend an action point to make an extra attack, you 
  also mark all enemies within close burst 2 until the 
  end of your next turn.
   
  Taste for Blood (11th level): Whenever you 
  reduce a bloodied enemy you have marked to 0 hit 
  points, you recharge your blood drain power and can 
  use it again during this encounter.
   
  Marked Blood (16th level): Whenever you grab 
  a target you have marked, you can use your blood 
  drain power on that target immediately as a free 
  action.
  Bloodknight Powers
  Bloodseeking Strike
  You strike hard enough to crumple armor and hew the 
  toughest hide, leaving your enemy open to further attack.
  Encounter ! Weapon
  Standard Action 
  Melee weapon
  Target: One creature
  Attack: Strength vs. AC
  Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you grab the 
  target. Until the end of your next turn, you gain a +2 
  power bonus to Fortitude and Reflex against attempts 
  to break your grab.
  Mistblood Form
  You draw upon your ties to vampire nature so that you can 
  step between life and death to slay body and spirit.
  Daily ! Stance
  Minor Action 
  Personal
  Effect: You gain phasing and deal full damage to insub-
  stantial creatures.
  Dance of Blood
  Your enemies stagger under your imposing gaze and line 
  up for slaughter.
  Daily ! Stance
  Minor Action 
  Personal
  Effect: At the start of your turn, you can slide one ad-
  jacent enemy 1 square. You can then make a melee 
  basic attack against that enemy as a free action pro-
  vided that enemy is within your reach.
  Deadstalker
  “Immortality is at an end, parasite.”
   
  Prerequisite: Vampiric Heritage feat
  With the innate ability to sniff out the undead, you 
  have dedicated your life to the stalking and slaying 
  of such abominations. Perhaps the calling of this 
  vocation was passed down from your parents as a 
  macabre tradition. Maybe vengeance has motivated 
  you to slay the unliving. Perhaps you’ve turned your 
  birthright into an asset that allows you to protect 
  those weaker than you. You have channeled your 
  sharp perception into deadly accuracy and slip-
  pery maneuverability—both of which also serve you 
  against the living.
  Deadstalker Path Features
   
  Deadstalker’s Action (11th level): When you 
  spend an action point to take an extra action, you 
  do not grant combat advantage to any enemy for any 
  reason and cannot be grabbed until the end of your 
  next turn.
   
  Indomitable Blood (11th level): You gain a 
  +2 bonus to saving throws against charm and fear 
  effects.
   
  Deadeye (16th level): Once per round you gain 
  a +5 bonus to damage rolls against a single undead 
  target you hit with an attack.
  Deadstalker Powers
  For your attack powers, you choose Strength or Dex-
  terity for the attack, as appropriate for your class, 
  fighting style, and weapon. You use the chosen abil-
  ity to determine your attack roll bonus and damage 
  roll bonus.
  
  37
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
  Impaling Blow
  Your precise blow transfixes your enemy.
  Encounter ! Weapon
  Standard Action 
  Melee or Ranged weapon
  Special: You can shift 2 squares before making this 
  attack.
  Target: One creature
  Attack: Strength vs. AC or Dexterity vs. AC
  Hit: 3[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, and 
  the target is immobilized until the end of your next 
  turn.
  Instant Escape
  You know how to slip out of an unwanted embrace.
  Encounter
  Immediate Interrupt 
  Personal
  Trigger: You are grabbed.
  Effect: You escape the grab and shift 2 squares.
  Deadeye Strike
  With careful aim, you strike a decisive blow at your en-
  emy’s weakest spot.
  Daily ! Weapon
  Standard Action 
  Melee or Ranged weapon
  Target: One creature
  Attack: Strength vs. AC or Dexterity vs. AC
  Special: When using this power, you score a critical hit 
  on a natural attack roll of 18 or higher.
  Hit: 4[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage.
  Miss: Half damage.
  NEW MONSTERS
  NEW MONSTERS
  Seemingly ordinary humanoids, dhampyrs have 
  terrifying powers gained from their relation to vam-
  pires. This combination of normalcy and hidden 
  power makes a dhampyr a formidable predator.
  Bloodcrazed Duergar Dhampyr 
  Level 8 Elite Brute
  Medium natural humanoid (devil, vampire) 
  XP 700
  Initiative +7 
  Senses Perception +11; darkvision
  HP 214; Bloodied 107
  AC 22; Fortitude 24, Reﬂ ex 22, Will 21
  Resist 5 ﬁ re, 5 poison
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 6
  Action Points 1
  m Claw (standard; at-will)
   
  +10 vs. AC; 1d12 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 damage (save 
  ends).
  M Blood Frenzy (standard; at-will)
   
  The bloodcrazed duergar dhampyr makes two claw attacks. 
  If the ﬁ rst claw attack hits a target, the dhampyr can attempt 
  to grab that target instead of making the second claw attack.
  M Blood Letting (standard; requires a grabbed target; 
  encounter) ! Healing
   
  Melee 1; +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 
  damage (save ends), and the bloodcrazed duergar dhampyr 
  regains 25 hit points.
  R Quills (minor; encounter)  Poison
   
  Ranged 3; +10 vs. AC; 2d8 + 8 damage, and the target takes 
  ongoing 5 poison damage and a –2 penalty to attack rolls 
  (save ends both).
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages Common, Deep Speech, 
  Dwarven
  Skills Dungeoneering +11, Stealth +12
  Str 20 (+9) 
  Dex 17 (+7) 
  Wis 15 (+6)
  Con 17 (+7) 
  Int 9 (+3) 
  Cha 10 (+4)
  Bloodcrazed Duergar Dhampyr 
  Tactics
  A cunning hunter, a bloodcrazed duergar dhampyr 
  stalks its prey to attack at an opportune moment. If 
  doing so is tactically sound, the dhampyr picks its 
  target and uses quills on that foe first. It then throws 
  itself into the middle of its prey, scything away with 
  its claws. Once bloodied, the dhampyr uses blood let-
  ting to drain a victim of blood and heal itself.
  
  38
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Playing Dhampyr
  Dhampyr Assassin 
  Level 13 Elite Lurker
  Medium natural humanoid, human (vampire) 
  XP 1,600
  Initiative +16 
  Senses Perception +12; low-light vision
  HP 198; Bloodied 99
  AC 29; Fortitude 26, Reﬂ ex 28, Will 26
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 6
  Action Points 1
  m Kukri (standard; at-will)  Weapon
   
  +18 vs. AC; 1d6 + 8 damage (reroll any damage die result of 1).
  M Blood Run (standard; at-will)  Weapon
   
  The dhampyr assassin moves 6 squares and makes two 
  melee basic attacks at any point during that movement. It 
  does not provoke opportunity attacks when moving away 
  from the targets of these attacks.
  M Tear the Vein (standard; requires combat advantage; 
  encounter)  Healing
   
  +16 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 6 damage, and the dhampyr assassin 
  regains 25 hit points.
  Misty Step (standard; at-will)
   
  The dhampyr assassin gains insubstantial, phasing, and 
  concealment until the end of its next turn or until it attacks, 
  whichever comes ﬁ rst.
  Combat Advantage
   
  The dhampyr assassin deals 3d6 extra damage to targets it 
  has combat advantage against.
  Strike from the Shadows
   
  If the dhampyr assassin misses with an attack while hidden, 
  it remains hidden.
  Alignment Evil 
  Languages Common
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +15, Stealth +17
  Str 18 (+10) 
  Dex 22 (+12) 
  Wis 12 (+7)
  Con 15 (+8) 
  Int 15 (+8) 
  Cha 19 (+10)
  Equipment leather armor, 2 kukris
  Dhampyr Assassin Tactics
  A dhampyr assassin initiates combat from hiding 
  with strike from the shadows. It then employs blood run
  with an eye toward combat advantage.
  Dhampyr Coercer 
  Level 17 Elite Controller
  Medium natural humanoid, eladrin (vampire) 
  XP 3,200
  Initiative +13 
  Senses Perception +15; low-light vision
  HP 324; Bloodied 162
  AC 33; Fortitude 29, Reﬂ ex 30, Will 32
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed 6
  Action Points 1
  m Katar (standard; at-will)  Weapon
   
  +22 vs. AC; 2d6 + 7 damage (crit 4d6 + 19 damage).
  M Blood Dance (standard; at-will)  Weapon
   
  The dhampyr coercer makes two melee basic attacks. Each 
  hit also slides the target 1 square.
  M Tear the Vein (standard; requires combat advantage; 
  encounter)  Healing
   
  +19 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 6 damage, and the dhampyr coercer 
  regains 40 hit points.
  R Luring Gaze (minor 1/round; at-will)  Charm, Gaze
   
  Ranged 5; +20 vs. Will; the target is pulled 3 squares and dazed 
  (save ends). This attack doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
  C Repelling Gaze (standard; at-will)  Fear, Gaze
   
  Close burst 3; targets enemies; +19 vs. Will; 1d8 + 7 psychic 
  damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares.
  Bloody Fey Step (move; encounter)
   
  The dhampyr coercer teleports 5 squares and gains combat 
  advantage against any target that it ends its teleport adjacent to.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages Common, Elven
  Skills Bluff +20, Stealth +15
  Str 12 (+9) 
  Dex 21 (+13) 
  Wis 15 (+10)
  Con 18 (+12) 
  Int 16 (+11) 
  Cha 24 (+15)
  Equipment leather armor, katar
  Dhampyr Coercer Tactics
  A dhampyr coercer opens combat with luring gaze. 
  If the coercer has multiple enemies nearby, it uses 
  repelling gaze to drive them away. The dhampyr 
  employs blood dance to further isolate one foe or to 
  take on two enemies at once. If surrounded by foes, 
  the dhampyr might spend an action point to use 
  repelling gaze.
  Dhampyr Lore
  A character knows the following information with a 
  successful Nature or Religion check.
   
  DC 15: A dhampyr is a humanoid with blood 
  tainted by vampire forebears. Such a creature is typ-
  ically the result of a union between a normal mortal 
  and a dhampyr.
   
  DC 20: Despite the powers they can share in 
  common with vampires, dhampyrs are not undead. 
  As such, they possess no vulnerability to sunlight 
  and radiant attacks. Vampires sometimes employ 
  dhampyrs as mortal assassins, guardians, and soldiers.
  Encounter Groups
  Dhampyrs can be found anywhere a creature of the 
  same race might be found. They also live among 
  vampires and other sentient undead. Each dhampyr 
  is unique, with his or her own allies and agenda.
  Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,650)
  ! 1 bloodcrazed duergar dhampyr (level 8 elite brute)
  ! 1 bloodweb spider swarm (level 7 soldier)
  ! 1 crimson acolyte (level 7 skirmisher)
  ! 1 flameskull (level 8 artillery)
  Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,600)
  ! 1 human wizard lich (level 14 elite controller)
  ! 1 dhampyr assassin (level 13 elite lurker)
  ! 2 boneclaws (level 14 soldier)
  Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,800)
  ! 1 dhampyr coercer (level 17 elite controller)
  ! 1 stone golem (level 17 elite soldier)
  ! 2 rakshasa warriors (level 15 soldier)
  About the Author
  Brian R. James is a freelance game designer working exclu-
  sively for Wizards of the Coast. His credits include Open Grave™, 
  The Grand History of the Realms™, and FORGOTTEN REALMS® Cam-
  paign Guide. He lives in Montana with his wife and four children.
  
  39
  39
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  BEHIND THE CURTAIN: 
  WARFORGED IN THE 
  FORGOTTEN REALMS 
  SETTING?
  The FORGOTTEN REALMS® and EBERRON® cam-
  paign settings can accommodate every one 
  of the core D&D® rules. However, a campaign 
  setting has a particular set of stories to tell, 
  and sometimes the best stories are those that 
  are proscribed in some fashion. For instance, 
  in our published games and novels, you might 
  never see a warforged character in the FORGOT-
  TEN REALMS setting, or a genasi character in the 
  EBERRON setting. However, with the release of 
  the EBERRON Campaign Setting, you’ll have the 
  option of choosing a warforged as a character. 
  You might even have that choice sooner, if your 
  DM allows you to use the rules for playing war-
  forged released in DRAGON® #364. Likewise, with 
  the release of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign 
  Setting, you have the choice of choosing a genasi 
  as a character. However, in a vacuum of official 
  support for a race not described in a campaign 
  setting, you might wonder how your nonstan-
  dard race came to exist in the campaign. If so, 
  this article aims to provide you with a list of 
  several official possible origins for your game 
  character.
  T
  he FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign set-
  ting spans Faerûn, Returned Abeir, 
  and other continents of the world. This 
  place of many extremes also has numerous 
  races, including the energy-embodied genasi 
  who manifest fire, lightning, and other ele-
  ments by mere desire. Genasi are most likely 
  encountered in Akanûl or Calimshan.
   
  The EBERRON campaign setting features 
  swashbuckling action and dark fantasy, and the 
  impact of the Last War yet reverberates across 
  by Matthew Sernett
  illustrations by Gonzalo Flores
  Origin Stories
  Origin Stories
  by Bruce R. Cordell
  
  40
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  the world, tangling destiny’s skein. One of the many 
  repercussions of the Last War are the warforged, a 
  race of living constructs sculpted of iron, stone, and 
  wood designed to be soldiers. With the Last War 
  over, the warforged wander the land, struggling to 
  find acceptance. Warforged were born in vanished 
  Cyre, now the desolate Mournland, but except for 
  some that congregate there, they exist all across 
  Khorvaire.
   
  For all the extremes of the FORGOTTEN REALMS, 
  it is a world not known for its warforged. And for all 
  EBERRON’s magical marvels, genasi apparently never 
  came there.
   
  But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen in your 
  game.
  PLAYING A 
  PLAYING A 
  WARFORGED IN TORIL
  WARFORGED IN TORIL
  Most races in Toril have one or two specific back-
  ground stories that account for their presence in the 
  world. However, warforged are too rare in Faerûn, 
  Returned Abeir, or lands eastward to have any one 
  common origin. This section describes likely origin 
  stories for your warforged character.
   
  As a warforged who originated in Toril, you are 
  not part of a collective race—you might be one of a 
  kind, or perhaps one of a few unique specimens. 
  Others assume you are related as much to golems as 
  to living creatures. This means you can’t necessar-
  ily rely on the stereotypical racial attitudes to help 
  define your behavior, because in the FORGOTTEN 
  REALMS setting, too few warforged (perhaps only 
  you) exist to allow anyone to draw conclusions about 
  what’s normal for you.
   
  Once you choose an origin story for your war-
  forged character, you can work out the fine details of 
  your history with your DM.
  One-Off Wizard Experiment
  You are the ritual-born creation of a long-dead 
  experimenter, stored away in a wizard’s tower and 
  forgotten for who knows how many years. Your 
  designer, apparently a fine artificer and golem sculp-
  tor, disappeared long ago and never returned to her 
  tower of wizardry. You only recently gained con-
  sciousness when the tower was ransacked by a team 
  of adventurers who won their way past the formi-
  dable tower defenses only to find your half-organic, 
  half-metallic cocoon. The adventurers accidentally 
  woke you, perhaps for the very first time, believing 
  you to be a toy they could sell or golem they could 
  command. Soon enough, they realized your true 
  nature and invited you to join them.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  The Fate of Your Creator: You have an overrid-
  ing curiosity to learn more about the one who gave 
  you form and spirit, what purpose she had in mind 
  for you, and why she left you inactive and alone for 
  several years. Did she create you as a guardian? A 
  companion? A messenger to a harsher clime where 
  mere flesh might fail? You have no way of knowing, 
  though you constantly imagine with scenarios that 
  might explain your creation. You also try to chase 
  down every last clue about your creator, hoping to 
  one day find her decades-old (or longer?) trail and dis-
  cover who she was and what you were meant to be.
  Another Like Me: When the adventurers woke 
  you from your cocooned slumber, they told you (or 
  you saw for yourself) that another half-living, half-
  metallic cocoon lay right beside your own. However, 
  this one was empty and open. It was either never 
  used, or whoever once occupied it emerged years 
  before you. If so, why did your fellow not wake you? 
  Was it taken away by the wizard when she left? You 
  must know—the thought that another like you walks 
  Toril is an idea you can’t get out of your head. Now 
  and then, you find golems that approach your com-
  plexity, but you are disappointed. None seem to be 
  alive in the way you are. Someday, you hope, you will 
  discover another warforged.
  Roleplaying Option: Though considerable knowl-
  edge was pre-implanted in your mind, such as 
  language and some in-depth skills and abilities, you 
  are naïve about the world in some ways. This either 
  makes you very curious and eager to learn new 
  things from anyone willing to engage, or perhaps 
  standoffish and afraid to reveal your terrible igno-
  rance; when you don’t understand something, you 
  shrug as if you couldn’t care in the least.
  Lantan’s Remnant
  You remember the crashing waves that rolled in 
  from all sides as the world shook and shuddered. 
  You saw birds in their thousands take flight as if of 
  one mind and then arrow into the east. You heard 
  the ominous roar from the coast and saw the moun-
  tain-size breakers smash over the docks as if they 
  were kindling. You were there when the tsunami hit 
  Lantan nearly a century ago. And that’s the last thing 
  you recall.
   
  Then you opened your eyes in the dank hold of 
  a salvager’s vessel. Struggling free of nets and sea-
  weed and breaking free decades of barnacles from 
  your skin, you gave the crew quite a scare when 
  you heaved yourself up into daylight. Whether you 
  soothed the crew’s fears or were forced to swim for 
  the safety of the nearest shore, you learned that time 
  had passed since your last watery memories. You 
  learned that when the water receded, the island land 
  was nearly gone. All its machines, its technology, 
  and its people were drowned. The land is reduced 
  in area, and its golemwork marvels lie rusting below 
  the waves. Supposedly, a monster sinks any ship that 
  draws near.
   
  You are a marvel of spirit-infused clockwork that 
  surpassed all Lantan’s previous craft. You were con-
  
  41
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  structed just in time to be the island’s swan song. 
  Sometimes, the screams of the dying Lantanese echo 
  again in your mind during the quiet night hours 
  when your mind wanders.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  A Century Gone: You were somehow rendered 
  inert for more than ninety years. You resent that 
  stolen time and wonder at all the changes that 
  occurred during it. New cities and nations have 
  sprung up; old ones have fallen—not the least being 
  the fall of your own nation, Lantan. What other 
  crazy changes have sprung up in that time? For 
  instance, you’ve heard rumors of a new continent 
  appearing out of the mist west across the Trackless 
  Sea—a place some call Returned Abeir. With no 
  homeland to call your own any longer, you decide to 
  travel the world and see what there is to see.
  A Nation Reborn: You are not interested in 
  hearing, for the hundredth time, that Lantan is gone 
  for good. You believe you can bring it back. Some-
  how. The details are hazy at the moment. But first 
  things first: Your goal is to locate any other survivors 
  (or their descendants, in most cases) and share with 
  them your dream. Others might have survived the 
  cataclysm. Right?
  Roleplaying Option: Your speech is riddled with 
  anachronisms and out-of-date references, but hey, 
  you grew up in a different era. This might lead some 
  people to believe you are dim-witted and not “alive.” 
  You sometimes reconsider your actions, but in the 
  meantime, you don’t mind taking advantage of those 
  who underestimate you.
  Red Wizard Exclusive
  A Red Wizard enclave is usually a small mercan-
  tile manor sited within the walls of a city large 
  enough to support robust magical trade. Red Wizard 
  enclaves can be found in many of the major coastal 
  cities of the Sea of Fallen Stars, as well as in the 
  Moonsea region. In addition to dealing in magic 
  items, some enclaves have a reputation for produc-
  ing goods of a particularly outré nature. One enclave 
  even dallied in limited production warforged.
   
  Your first memories are of the interior of a Red 
  Wizard enclave, where you learned language, basic 
  skills, and the arts of your chosen profession. You 
  were told you had been “commissioned” by a power-
  ful lord of a foreign city-state to serve some secretive 
  role. However, at some point during your indoctrina-
  tion, you determined that you’d prefer a freer hand. 
  One night, you escaped into the dark, determined to 
  make your own life.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  On the Lam: Apparently, your commission was 
  quite pricy and required some hard-to-come-by 
  components. Thus your sudden flight ruffled the 
  feathers of not only the enclave where you were 
  forged, but also severely angered the court of the one 
  who paid for your exclusive birth. Thus, although 
  you live a life of freedom, full and glad in your abil-
  ity to go where you will and do as you wish, every so 
  often you are forced to flee or fight bounty hunters 
  that show up unlooked for and attempt to capture 
  you and return you for “reprocessing.” Some day, you 
  know you’ll have to deal with the enclave, or better 
  yet, the person responsible for your creation in the 
  first place.
  A Business of Your Own: Having “grown up” in 
  the trading compound of the Red Wizard enclave, 
  something of the life must have imparted itself to 
  you. You think you have what it takes to one day 
  become a merchant power. All you require is a little 
  seed capital. Given your situation and the state of the 
  world, adventuring seems the easiest way to attain 
  that end. You’re not certain if you’ll begin invest-
  ing your proceeds immediately into a likely looking 
  business that has already started, or if you’ll wait 
  until you have sufficient funds to finance the whole 
  endeavor out of the gate.
  Roleplaying Option: You are a master of disguise; 
  you are constantly looking into new techniques 
  and wardrobe to further perfect your skills. What 
  started out as a simple precaution against potential 
  Red Wizard bounty hunters looking for “free-willed 
  constructs” has blossomed into something of an 
  obsession. Disguise, sleight of hand, and similar 
  tricks for fooling the senses are amazing to you 
  because of the fact they do not require magic, merely 
  skill, to pull off.
  Stranger in a 
  Strange Land
  You followed clues and fleeting visions to creep 
  behind the world, which is when you discovered 
  Sigil, the City of Doors. You couldn’t imagine who 
  could have created it or how, and Sigil held portals 
  uncounted, leading to other planes and even other 
  worlds. It was a wondrously strange place whose 
  sprawling streets looped around inside a miles-
  wide ring so they met where they began. Creatures 
  beyond count teemed in those streets, and you were 
  one of them, but only briefly. Out of your element 
  and unsettled by the sudden appearance of a woman 
  bristling with living blades, you stumbled through a 
  strange portal and fell into a strange land.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  Return to Eberron: Though you were excited 
  to find Sigil and even to travel to Toril, an entirely 
  alternate world to your own dragon-prophesied 
  home, you were dismayed to discover that no easy 
  way back immediately presented itself. When you 
  picked yourself up from the cobbles of a Waterd-
  havian alley, nothing remained of the passage. It 
  went one way only.
  
  42
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  fortress detonated, nothing remained but fragments 
  and the occasional piece of strangely animate metal-
  lic sculpture.
   
  The first thing you recall is being hauled through 
  metallic tunnels out into bright sunlight on some-
  thing you later learned was a sledge. You were 
  dragged into the stone stockades of Rimlost on the 
  edges of Glaur Lake. Taken for just another oddity 
  of metallic, stone, and wooden sculpture, salvag-
  ers extracted you from some nameless dungeon of 
  the Glaur Barrens. When you begin to move and 
  talk in a language you later learned was outlawed 
  in Returned Abeir (Primordial), you caused quite 
  a stir in the compound. Some there wanted to wor-
  ship you thinking perhaps you were an envoy of the 
  Primordial whose fortress towered over the region 
  about ninety years ago, and others wanted to destroy 
  you, fearing you were a particularly sneaky anaxim, 
  a kind of golemlike monster commonly encountered 
  in the ruins. You slipped free of the bewildering situ-
  ation by stowing away on a riverboat heading down 
  the Orlaphar. From Gontal City you joined a trading 
  caravan heading across Esmur Flats into the Dusk 
  Ports. In Tarsith, you learned what it meant to be a 
  living, thinking creature, and that life can be a won-
  drous if daunting challenge all its own.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  Get to the Bottom of Things: Every so often, 
  you are attacked, usually when you least expect 
  it. The attack often takes the form of one or more 
  golemlike constructs possessed of a murderous 
  pseudolife, though nothing as sophisticated as con-
  sciousness (you tell yourself). Called anaxims, these 
  creatures appear to be random conglomerations of 
  iron, gears, shearing blades, and metallic hides jut-
  ting with too many cutting implements and rusted 
  surfaces; they possess none of the humanoid sym-
  metry of your own polished form. Still, you suspect 
  there must be some connection between them and 
  yourself. Why else would these hunting parties, 
  apparently out of the ruins of Gontal, keep finding 
  you? Your choice is to keep running farther and far-
  ther afield, perhaps all the way to the new continent 
  of Faerûn that “appeared” across the sea, or to return 
  to the place where your first memories were born, to 
  find out the truth (if any can be had).
  Patriot: The land you finally settled in and called 
  your own adopted you, for the most part, with open 
  arms. You know it as your homeland in your heart. 
  Though you might sometimes travel far from it and 
  perhaps only rarely visit, you keep alive the memory of 
  it by adopting its traditions and regaling your compan-
  ions with its stories (but not to the point of annoyance, 
  one hopes). If your adopted homeland ever has need of 
  you, you’ll be the first in line to answer that call.
  Roleplaying Option: On more than a few occa-
  sions, your trust in others has been betrayed. You’ve 
  learned to be cautious, and though you cooperate 
  with others and are civil in disagreements, you 
  harbor a spark of suspicion regarding the motives of 
  other people. It is best to be on your guard in a world 
  where most creatures are made purely of flesh and 
  you are not.
   
  Either because you left someone or something 
  behind in Sigil or Eberron, or because you dislike the 
  idea of being trapped in any one world, your ultimate 
  goal is to find a path back to the world of your birth. 
  To do so, you’ll have to spend some time adventuring 
  where old magic once held sway while seeking paths 
  perhaps erased by a shaken cosmology, but you are 
  confident that in the end you will prevail.
  Draconic Prophecy: You are a scholar of the 
  draconic Prophecy. You believe that despite your 
  presence in a world that doesn’t know the names 
  of the three progenitor dragons, Khyber, Eberron, 
  and Siberys, the draconic Prophecy still holds true! 
  Before you fell to Toril, your research revealed 
  Khyber and Siberys learned of a secret tied to the 
  fate of the universe, and that they fought to control 
  this power. It was on the trail of one of the many 
  shards of this Prophecy that you sought Sigil. Can 
  it be any accident you came to Toril? Of course not! 
  Thus you are content to stay in this world, seeking 
  the Prophecy that illuminates the future, while 
  striving to keep in mind that understanding rarely 
  presents itself while following a single path.
  Roleplaying Option: Seeing as much as you have 
  across the face of more than one world, it’s all too 
  easy to adopt a world-weary demeanor. Thus when 
  something new catches your attention, you enthu-
  siastically follow it up—sometimes into danger you 
  know you shouldn’t discount.
  Vestige of Gontal
  Gontal hunkers behind its mountainous border 
  in southwestern Returned Abeir. It reveals little 
  of itself to outsiders except for irregular trade that 
  includes specialty commodities, magical elixirs, and 
  sometimes, oddly ornamented golemwork toys. For 
  millennia, a primordial’s brooding, metallic fortress 
  sprawled across this land’s northern reaches, an 
  area now referred to as the Glaur Barrens. After the 
  SHIFTERS IN TORIL
  Of course, other races not officially described in 
  the FORGOTTEN REALMS source material can also be 
  chosen by player characters if DMs allow it, such 
  as shifters. One place naturally suited to shifters 
  is Dambrath because lycanthropy flows in many a 
  Dambrathan’s veins. Across the continent, Luruar 
  also serves as an ideal homeland for shifters. In the 
  Glimmerwood, the “skinchanging” People of the 
  Black Blood live with lycanthropy. Though shifters 
  are not lycanthropes, it’s not too far a stretch to 
  imagine shifters living in either region.
  
  43
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  PLAYING A 
  PLAYING A 
  GENASI IN EBERRON
  GENASI IN EBERRON
  The races of Eberron each have a unified story 
  explaining their presence in the world. But like 
  the occasional warforged player character in Toril, 
  genasi are too rare in Eberron for them to be consid-
  ered a “native” race. Despite that, players who wish 
  to play genasi in Eberron are free to do so, with their 
  DM’s permission. This section describes some likely 
  origin stories for your genasi character.
   
  As a genasi who originated in Eberron, you could 
  be unique or part of a small group. Other creatures 
  in Eberron might sometimes confuse you with rudi-
  mentary creatures of the Elemental Chaos. Alone 
  (or perhaps nearly so) in the world, you are forced to 
  find your own truths and weave your own destiny.
   
  Once you choose an origin story for your war-
  forged character, you can work out the fine details of 
  your history with your DM.
  Metamorphosis
  A citizen of Mror Hold, you were long fascinated 
  with the Fist of Onatar. This active volcano rumbled 
  with magical energy, and its twisting plumes often 
  shrouded the sky over the Ironroot Mountains. The 
  Mror clans guard the site with jealous zeal, but 
  either because you were of that clan or because you 
  slipped past by stealth or diplomacy, you came to 
  caldera and gazed down into a universe of possibil-
  ity. Some believe the place is sacred and tied to the 
  god Onatar, but you were certain that powerful drag-
  onshards lay beneath the lava, their potency turning 
  stone to molten rock.
   
  Following a map or a dream, you descended the 
  inner caldera. Poisonous gasses, heat, stone, oddly 
  chill winds, and hot geysers assaulted you at every 
  step. But you persisted, certain your destiny was 
  about to be fulfilled. And you were right. When the 
  volcano suddenly erupted, you were pulled up and 
  thrown through the air. You screamed as your skin 
  and muscle burned away, and continued doing so 
  as you felt something new and strange replacing the 
  old with more changeable elemental flesh. You were 
  born anew as a genasi.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  Agent of the Iron Council: Dwarf lords 
  declared their independence from Karrnath at the 
  first Iron Council, creating the Mror Holds a thou-
  sand years ago. To this day, the Iron Council remains 
  a central power in the Mror Holds, overseeing issues 
  that concern all the confederated clans, both locally 
  and outside the nation’s borders. Not all the clans 
  get along entirely peacefully, and the secrets and 
  machinations of the Aurum defy reason. As a genasi, 
  you can’t help but impress merely by your presence, 
  and one or more members of the Iron Council have 
  tapped you to tackle difficult problems, both diplo-
  matic and dangerous.
  Recover the Volcanic Shards: Despite all that’s 
  happened to you since your transformation in the 
  caldera of the Fist of Onatar, you still think often and 
  long about the dragonshards you believe lie bubbling 
  below the volcano’s magma. You are certain they 
  must be there—potent shards that, even at a distance, 
  transformed you into the genasi you are now. One 
  day, after you’ve gained more control over the power 
  resident in your body, you know you will return to 
  the Fist and seek those shards. In the meantime, you 
  collect lesser shards, looking for a resonance or clue 
  in them that might explain how you became what 
  you are.
  Roleplaying Option: You’re something of a 
  dreamer, perhaps a visionary, and you are one to 
  allow for the possibilities that others might dismiss 
  out of hand. No, you’re not a blind believer in any-
  thing anyone tries to tell you, but you do try to keep 
  an open mind. After all, your own transformation 
  seemed completely unlikely before it happened.
  Chaos Voyager
  Elements frolic and fight in the Elemental Chaos. 
  Mingling and clashing types of energy take on 
  
  44
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  up, or perhaps because you’ve become enchanted 
  with the strange world into which you fell, you’ve 
  dedicated the next few years of your life to explor-
  ing Eberron and unwrapping with anticipation each 
  new secret the world reveals.
  Roleplaying Option: You are more comfortable 
  in the wilderness than in cities. Because of the 
  unpredictable dangers and lack of easy shelter from 
  storms, something in your soul feels more at home 
  in the waving grasslands, the blizzard-shrouded 
  tundra, or swirling dusts of the desert.
  GENASI STRANGER IN A 
  STRANGE LAND
  With only a little minor substitution, the warforged 
  in the Stranger in a Strange Land origin works just as 
  well for a genasi in an EBERRON origin story, including 
  the first motivation, “Return To . . .”
  Escapee from Towers of 
  Arcanix
  The Arcane Congress lives within a series of four 
  floating castles, each sited on a rocky earthmote 
  thousands of feet above the fields of Aundair. Each 
  castle is an architectural confusion of several out-
  landish styles. The towers serve as a college for 
  would-be arcanists, as well as the personal labora-
  tories for some of the most powerful wizards in the 
  Khorvaire. As such, the structures contain wonders 
  undreamed of by most people—from baffling illu-
  sions to animated contrivances to captured creatures 
  from other worlds. Such as yourself.
   
  As it stands, you’re not certain whether you’re an 
  illusion given flesh, a contrivance given soul, or a 
  creature from another world, because your memory 
  prior to your time in the towers is missing. You hope 
  this is because it was erased, not because it didn’t 
  exist. Thus, you believe you were a captured being.
   
  Whatever the truth, you grew weary of being 
  on display in one of the several exhibit halls in the 
  Towers of Arcanix. Using a combination of guile, 
  luck, and your elemental abilities, you broke free of 
  your confinement and fled the floating towers.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  On the Run: When you see a white griffon 
  mount winging through the sky or stabled at a 
  tavern or inn, your heart races. Is it the mount of 
  an Arcane Congress wizard on your trail, hoping 
  to bring you back to the four castles, or an innocent 
  traveler’s mount? You usually don’t wait to find out—
  you take off, hoping to lose yourself more thoroughly 
  in the wide landscapes Eberron offers. Perhaps if 
  you traveled all the way to the southern continent 
  of Xen’drik, your pursuers would finally give up? 
  Sometimes you wonder, though: What is it about 
  you that the Arcane Congress is so desperate to have 
  back? Sometimes you are half tempted to return 
  and ask. But, then again, perhaps you should wait to 
  do so only after you’ve built up your own resources 
  and personal power. That way, if you don’t like the 
  answer, you can fight your way free.
  On a Mission: You didn’t break out of the Float-
  ing Towers of Arcanix. Well, at first you thought 
  you did, but lately you’ve been having disturbing 
  dreams—dreams that suggest that one of the wiz-
  ards in the floating towers selected you to perform 
  a series of tasks in the world, and arranged to make 
  seem as if you had escaped on your own. The only 
  problem is that the messages in the dreams are 
  vague and hard to recall upon waking. You’re not 
  even sure of the name of the wizard whose mission 
  you are supposedly executing, or what the ultimate 
  goal of the mission is meant to accomplish. Can you 
  ever be sure that you are making your own deci-
  sions, or is everything you think and do colored 
  by a sort of hidden imperative buried behind your 
  mind? If so, perhaps the adventures you have under-
  aspects of each other— earth swirling like water or 
  floating like air, fire falling like rain, or water frozen 
  ice hard to create a vast plain are commonplace 
  sights. This was the realm from which you sprang.
   
  You and your siblings surfed the storms that 
  roiled across the changeable expanse of the chaos, 
  exulting in their unquenchable energy and the 
  danger attending traveling so near their unpredict-
  able cores. During one such hair-raising voyage 
  you and your siblings goaded each other closer to 
  the wildly spinning eye than you’d ever previously 
  dared. That’s when the storm surged. An explosion 
  of light first shook you from your stormboard, then 
  shook consciousness from your frame.
   
  When sense returned to you, you were in a new 
  place. A strangely unchangeable place. A place you 
  learned was called Eberron.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  Find Your Siblings: When you fell into the 
  world, you lost track of your siblings. None were vis-
  ible when you finally gained enough of your wits 
  back to look for them. In the months since your 
  arrival, you haven’t been able to locate them. You 
  are greatly concerned—you saw them enveloped 
  in the same storm you were. Were they scattered 
  across the face of Eberron like blooming fireseeds 
  in the Chaos? Possibly so. You’ve heard rumors of 
  a “strange elemental being” briefly sighted in far-
  flung nations of Khorvaire and beyond. So you travel 
  about, looking for your lost brothers and sisters in a 
  new world.
  Explore Eberron: You’ve come to appreciate 
  Eberron. Though locations do not shift and move 
  about and the weather doesn’t include chaos storms 
  on which you can ride for days at a time, the land 
  guards deep and abiding mysteries, some of which 
  have stymied its residents for thousands of years, 
  such as the meaning of the draconic Prophecy. 
  Maybe because you’ve decided it’s time to grow 
  
  45
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Origin Stories
  taken are part of a years-long effort the wizard who 
  arranged your release foresaw. Perhaps . . . or per-
  haps you merely suffer from bad dreams.
  Roleplaying Option: You are uncertain of your 
  own origin, knowing only that you came from an 
  Arcane Congress exhibit. You wonder about your 
  true nature all the time, not knowing if you can trust 
  yourself, or if you are vulnerable to magical control. 
  After all, if you are a made creature, who knows 
  what secret controls underlie your thoughts? At least 
  the warforged know they are made and have been 
  assured of their independence. But what of you? This 
  core worry is the root of your tentative nature.
  Seventh King of Graywall
  This origin story is reserved for genasi with the earthsoul 
  manifestation.
  Along a face of the northernmost peak of the Gray-
  wall Mountains stand a testament to the power and 
  grandeur of the Dkhakaani Empire. Relief sculp-
  tures over 1,000 feet in height rise from the smooth 
  stone face of the mountain. These images are the Six 
  Kings: hobgoblin warlords who created an empire 
  that once ruled Khorvaire.
   
  For nearly a year, you have greeted goblin 
  pilgrims who have come to the valley below the 
  sculptures to pay their respects to their scions of old. 
  With your earthy flesh and strange markings, you 
  convinced those unschooled creatures that, despite 
  your lack of overt goblinoids features, you are a lin-
  gering spirit of the Six Kings and their messenger in 
  the world. You honor the kings’ memory by accept-
  ing tribute in their name.
   
  This worked well up until recently, when a hob-
  goblin commander called your bluff and attacked 
  with his force of hundreds. You caused the earth to 
  shake sufficiently violently to knock the commander 
  to his knees, which startled his force long enough for 
  you to escape.
   
  In truth, you are the son of a miner who was 
  “cursed by a spirit of Khyber” according to your 
  good-for-nothing father. You were born out of wed-
  lock, and the “curse” was immediately obvious. You 
  grew up helping your father con merchants out of 
  their coin. Now that your latest swindle has blown 
  up, you are on the lookout for another way to make 
  a living.
  Character Motivations
  One or more primary desires might influence you.
  Traveling King: You liked the sound of the title 
  “Seventh King of Graywall” and you throw it around 
  all the time, especially in areas where people are 
  not familiar with the history of the sculptures on 
  the Graywall Mountains. You claim that you seek a 
  kingdom lost when the world was young—a kingdom 
  stolen from your ancient people by the Dhakaani 
  Empire. Of course, you’ve made this bit up, having 
  never seen another creature like yourself, but who’s 
  to say it’s not true? At the very least, looking around 
  the world for evidence to support your claim keeps 
  you on the move, and sometimes you even receive 
  tribute from those who truly hope you might be 
  royalty.
  Explorer of Deep Places: What if your good-
  for-nothing father was right? What if your strange 
  appearance and inborn abilities truly are the result 
  of something your father found or retrieved from 
  Khyber—maybe even you yourself? Regardless, 
  the spaces beneath the earth hold a number of 
  fascinating sites: ruins, caverns, and perhaps even 
  dragonshards.
  Roleplaying Option: You are obsessed with items 
  connected to the earth, especially underground 
  areas and lore related to Khyber. Also, any time you 
  use the word Khyber in conversation, people pay 
  attention. So, it’s working for you. Perhaps you’ll 
  even find a link to your past.
  About the Author
  Bruce R. Cordell is an Origins award-winning 
  game designer for Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and 
  co-wrote the new FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Guide. 
  His long list of professional credits includes Open 
  Grave™: Secrets of the Undead, out this month, and 
  the FORGOTTEN REALMS novel Plague of Spells, among 
  many others.
  
  46
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  By Daniel Marthaler
  illustrations by Dave Allsop
  OMBIES are a timeless staple of the 
  undead. Whether providing a suitable
   sea of minions for a more cerebral villain or 
  shambling to their own tune, these ambulant 
  corpses are perfect for giving adventurers night-
  mares. This article details eight new zombies 
  just dying to be unleashed upon your players.
  Creature Incarnations:
  Creature Incarnations:
  Zombies
  Zombies
  TM & © 2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Z
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  47
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  NO NERVES, NO PAIN
  NO NERVES, NO PAIN
  A key feature to using zombies is to keep in mind 
  their lack of a mind. They exist either to serve the 
  whims of the one who animated them or to mind-
  lessly hunt down the living. Survival is not on their 
  agenda. Thus, they become the perfect minions to 
  take hits and attempt suicide missions. Don’t hesitate 
  to send your zombies into situations that can mean 
  their destruction if that furthers your villain’s mania-
  cal schemes or buys another round or two for more 
  important characters to act or make their escape.
   
  Most zombies are brutes and boast the low AC 
  and plethora of hit points that accompany that role. 
  Hitting and damaging a meaty target, even if it stays 
  up, is more satisfying for all involved than missing a 
  frailer target. When this is coupled with the aforemen-
  tioned disregard for their own existence, many find 
  that zombies make wonderful front line fighters and 
  distractions. Throwing a few shambling targets into 
  the grinder can help foster a sense of accomplishment 
  without compromising the challenge of the encounter.
  THE LIVING DEAD
  THE LIVING DEAD
  Although an orc with an axe might be just as danger-
  ous to personal safety as a zombie, and even though a 
  human warlord marshaling a host to conquer in the 
  name of Bane is more of a threat to the world at large 
  than a zombie, there is something profoundly disturb-
  ing about the undead. Take advantage of this uncanny 
  nature to play on players’ fears and predispositions to 
  create memorable encounters with zombies. Atmo-
  sphere is king in these situations. An encounter in 
  which the adventurers defeat half a dozen zombies 
  in a nameless field might be perfectly acceptable and 
  mechanically appropriate, but having to fight off the 
  lurching corpses of NPCs that the players have come 
  to know in the gutted remains of a once lively home 
  will be remembered and not just overcome.
   
  Moonlit, fogbound graveyards and necropolises are 
  classic and entirely appropriate settings for encounters 
  with zombies, but nowhere is safe from their decaying 
  touch. The brined corpses of those lost at sea could ravage 
  ports and seaside communities, cadavers preserved by a 
  bog might prey upon nearby settlements or river traffic, 
  or a peaceful farming village could be situated over the 
  long forgotten, but not quite peaceful, site of a cataclysmic 
  battle. Adding just a few details to convey a proper setting 
  or to describe the state of the zombies themselves can 
  take an encounter from just another speed bump to a 
  memorable and engaging story.
  Need to make a zombie stand out a bit more? Look 
  no further for inspiration than this table of possible 
  features to make your zombie unique. Choose one 
  from the list or roll a d20. Unless noted, these have 
  no effect and are purely cosmetic.
   
  1. Mangled Leg: One of the zombie’s legs has 
  been badly broken at some point, giving it a twisted, 
  stumbling gait even for a zombie.
   
  2. Missing Jaw: The zombie has lost its lower 
  jaw to decay or prior combat.
   
  3. No Hand: One of the zombie’s hands has been torn off, 
  leaving a splintered shard of bone protruding from the stump.
   
  4. No Eyes: The zombie’s sockets are empty and the 
  ragged holes constantly leak foul fluid.
   
  5. Crushed Skull: The back and one side of the 
  zombie’s head have caved in; good thing it wasn’t 
  keeping anything of value there.
   
  6. Worm Food: Hundreds of worms and maggots 
  writhe and burrow through the zombie’s wet flesh 
  and litter the ground it travels.
   
  7. Bloated: The gasses released by the decompos-
  ing zombie are trapped within its form, causing it to 
  swell and blacken beyond recognition.
   
  8. Broken Neck: The zombie’s neck has been 
  broken savagely; its head is twisted to one side and 
  lolls aimlessly as the zombie moves.
   
  9. Destroyed Arm: One of the zombie’s arms has been 
  torn from its shoulder, leaving a festering, gaping wound.
   
  10. Skeletal: The decomposition is so advanced 
  that only moldering strips of muscle and sinew keep 
  this zombie from crumbling.
   
  11. Death Grimace: This zombie’s face is frozen in the 
  last terrible moment of its life before it was murdered.
   
  12. Gaunt: Only a bag of skin and brittle bones, 
  this zombie bears the marks of a hard life and death 
  by starvation.
   
  13. Reinforced: Bits of rotting wood, rusting iron, and 
  dank rope are all that keep this zombie in working order.
   
  14. Cloud of Flies: No doubt attracted by the smell, 
  untold numbers of flies swarm around the zombie and 
  partially obscure different areas of it from view.
   
  15. Hollow: The torso of this zombie has succumbed 
  to rot, spilling its decayed organs and leaving a sicken-
  ing hole where its stomach should be.
   
  16. Leftovers: The zombie carries bits of a past 
  victim with it as a light snack, perhaps even using an 
  arm or leg as an impromptu club.
   
  17. Ripe: This zombie exudes an unequalled stench 
  that must make even other zombies gag.
   
  18. Battle Tested: Arrows and crossbow bolts are 
  embedded in this zombie, attesting to either a violent 
  death or failed attempts to destroy it.
   
  19. Impaled: A sword or similar object has been stabbed 
  through the chest of this zombie, most likely in a prior 
  attempt to kill the creature. This could make a fine method 
  of planting a magic item for the players to find as treasure.
   
  20. Playing Dead: This zombie masquerades as one 
  of the corpses that litter places adventurers frequent, 
  and it waits until a warm body draws near to reveal 
  itself. A Perception check equal to 15 + half the zom-
  bie’s level reveals its animated nature.
  ZOMBIE “FEATURES”
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  48
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Charnel Zombie
  THE SAME PROCESSES THAT GIVE RISE TO GREAT CITIES
  and monuments invariably also sire throngs of poor, 
  hungry, and unwanted souls barely surviving from day 
  to day. Uncared for in life, these unfortunates receive 
  little better in death. Thrown into burial pits or stacked 
  in mass graves, they are quickly disposed of and for-
  gotten even faster. Not even this pitiful eternal rest is 
  secure, for such a wealth of uncared for remains is a 
  prime target for necromancers and their ilk.
   
  Charnel zombies bear the marks of their former 
  poverty even into undeath. Their bodies are thin and 
  malnourished from constant near starvation. What 
  clothing was not scavenged by other destitute home-
  less is tattered and worn beyond possible use. Broken 
  and crushed body parts attest that these corpses were 
  dumped into a packed mass grave with little thought 
  given for propriety or the state of the bodies. Their 
  bodies and spirits broken even before being animated 
  as zombies, they seem especially pathetic and vacant.
  Charnel Zombie 
  Level 10 Minion
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 125
  Initiative +5 
  Senses Perception +5; darkvision
  HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion; see also grasping death.
  AC 24; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 18
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic
  Speed 4
  m Slam (standard; at-will)
   
  +15 vs. AC; 6 damage.
  M Grasping Death (when reduced to 0 hit points)
   
  The charnel zombie makes a slam attack against a target 
  within its reach.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 17 (+8) 
  Dex 10 (+5) 
  Wis 10 (+5)
  Con 16 (+8) 
  Int 1 (+0) 
  Cha 2 (+0)
  Charnel Zombie Tactics
  In combat a charnel zombie lunges after the near-
  est target, and a group of them attempts to swarm a 
  single enemy if the foe happens to be too close to a 
  number of them. A charnel zombie is not intelligent 
  enough to purposefully flank a foe, but it might do 
  so inadvertently if a group of them surrounds a given 
  target. A charnel zombie lashes out with its fists and 
  slams enemies with its body in its mindless and feeble 
  attempts to kill. A charnel zombie fights until destroyed, 
  biting and thrashing about even as it goes down.
  Zombie Grave Digger
  ONE OF THE INCONVENIENT ASPECTS OF PRACTICING 
  NECROMANCY IS the constant need for raw materi-
  als—materials that most other sentient beings find 
  questionable at best. Acquiring the requisite number 
  of bodies is hard, dirty, and time-consuming work 
  hardly fit for even a newly established necromancer. 
  Unfortunately, hired help for this sort of activity is 
  notoriously prone to laziness, and they sometimes 
  gossip at the local tavern or become disloyal. The 
  solution is elegant and practical: zombie grave dig-
  gers. These functional servants never tire of wielding 
  cumbersome shovels, never complain about hauling 
  weighty corpses through the dark, and are loyal well 
  past death. Their heavy shovels also serve admirably 
  in turning interlopers into fresh specimens.
   
  Often made from the remains of failed, living 
  grave robbers, zombie grave diggers are dressed in 
  dark-colored work attire, complete with a myriad of 
  hammers, spades, pries, and other accoutrements 
  of their profession. Each also sports a hefty shovel 
  that serves both as the primary tool of the trade and 
  weapon. Everything about them, from their tools to 
  their decaying flesh, is encrusted with dirt and filth 
  from uncounted despoiled graves.
  Zombie Grave Digger 
  Level 5 Brute
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 200
  Initiative +2 
  Senses Perception +2; darkvision
  HP 75; Bloodied 37
  AC 17; Fortitude 19, Reflex 15, Will 15
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
  Speed 4
  m Shovel (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +8 vs. AC; 2d8 + 4 damage.
  M Dirt in the Eye (standard; encounter) ! Necrotic
   
  +6 vs. Reflex; the target is blinded and takes ongoing 5 
  necrotic damage (save ends both).
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 18 (+6) 
  Dex 10 (+2) 
  Wis 10 (+2)
  Con 15 (+4) 
  Int 2 (–2)  
  Cha 3 (–2)
  Equipment shovel
  Zombie Grave Digger Tactics
  In combat, a zombie grave digger rushes the near-
  est enemy and attempts to bludgeon the target into 
  submission with its shovel. Should it find a particular 
  enemy difficult to hit, it flings filth and rotting bits of 
  itself at its foe in an effort to blind its target. However, 
  if the zombie grave digger has been sent out to collect 
  a specific type of body and if one of the interlop-
  ers matches that description, it focuses its efforts on 
  bringing that enemy down. If multiple zombie grave 
  diggers are present, one attempts to escape with the 
  body while the others fight a rearguard action. If 
  commanded, a zombie grave digger can use more 
  complicated tactics and, in a pinch, can serve accept-
  ably as an impromptu bodyguard to its master. A 
  zombie grave digger fights until destroyed.
  Corpse of Despair
  DESPAIR CAN BE A POWERFUL EMOTION—one capable of 
  overwhelming otherwise ordinary beings and driving 
  them to normally unthinkable acts. Those who suc-
  cumb to utter hopelessness and end their own lives at 
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  49
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  the bleakest point of their depression leave a powerful 
  impression upon their physical remains that can be 
  exploited by necromantic ritual to create a particular 
  type of undead: a corpse of despair. A corpse of despair 
  is unremittingly driven to spread to others the desola-
  tion and anguish that caused it to take its own life.
   
  The body animated as a corpse of despair could have 
  hailed from any walk of life, since loss, pain, and despair 
  can darken even the most opulent and powerful lives. 
  However, certain similarities are borne by all. Their 
  faces are masks of anguish and froze at the moment they 
  ended their own existence. Marks of this suicide are still 
  visible upon the zombie; slit wrists, signs of poisoning, 
  and broken necks still bearing nooses are all common. 
  A palpable sense of hopelessness and the futility of life 
  emanates from the pitiful, shambling figures.
  Corpse of Despair 
  Level 6 Brute
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 250
  Initiative +3 
  Senses Perception +4; darkvision
  HP 86; Bloodied 43
  AC 18; Fortitude 19, Reflex 15, Will 16
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
  Speed 4
  m Slam (standard; at-will)
   
  +9 vs. AC; 2d8 + 4 damage.
  M Crushing Despair (standard; at-will)
   
  +9 vs. AC; 2d6 + 4 damage, and the target is dazed 
  (save ends).
  Death of Hope ! Psychic
   
  A dazed target hit by the corpse of despair also takes 
  ongoing 5 psychic damage (save ends).
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 19 (+7) 
  Dex 10 (+3) 
  Wis 13 (+4)
  Con 16 (+6) 
  Int 2 (–1)  
  Cha 1 (–2)
  Corpse of Despair Tactics
  A corpse of despair lumbers into combat, lashing out 
  at whatever target is nearest. It attempts to daze the 
  target first, then slams dazed targets to deal maxi-
  mum damage and to deal ongoing damage. Once a 
  foe is taking ongoing psychic damage, the corpse of 
  despair attacks the next closest target, beginning the 
  cycle anew. Its goal is to keep as many targets as pos-
  sible dazed and taking ongoing psychic damage; it 
  uses the appropriate attack against adjacent targets 
  that save from one of these two effects. If all avail-
  able targets are suffering both, it slams the target it 
  attacked last until any of its victims save against one 
  of the effects. It fights until destroyed.
  Lasher Zombie
  DESPITE THE PROGRESS AND EXPANSION OF CIVILIZA-
  TION, countless unfortunate souls continue to live with 
  the cruel pangs of hunger. Poverty, famine, disaster, 
  and war all contribute to the tally of lives stolen away 
  by starvation. Its victims suffer horribly as they wither 
  away to pitiful, skeletal caricatures of themselves 
  before finally succumbing. The final, agonizing hunger 
  these poor creatures experience can be imprinted on 
  the corpse they leave behind—a terrible need that lacks 
  only the dark energy of necromancy to rise and gorge 
  itself on an endless feast of warm blood and quivering 
  flesh. Twisted rituals animate and bind these traves-
  ties to the will of their creator, who employs them as 
  disturbingly effective guardians or terror weapons. 
  Particularly sadistic villains ensure a constant supply 
  of suitable raw material by abducting captives for no 
  other reason than to let them starve to death.
   
  Lasher zombies, as they are colloquially known, 
  bear the ravished frame and emaciated body of some-
  one who obviously succumbed to starvation. Their 
  flesh has withered and dried, leaving little but skin 
  stretched over brittle bones. The lower torso, however, 
  has swollen and burst open to reveal seemingly healthy 
  organs contained within it. Disturbingly, these exposed 
  organs writhe and pulse with a predatory intent all 
  their own. Glistening ropes of intestine sway to and fro 
  like snakes searching out prey, which is an image chill-
  ingly reinforced by the snapping maws adorning each.
  Lasher Zombie 
  Level 7 Soldier
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 300
  Initiative +5 
  Senses Perception +3; darkvision
  HP 80; Bloodied 40
  AC 23; Fortitude 19, Reflex 16, Will 16
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
  Speed 4
  m Viscera Lash (standard; at-will)
   
  Reach 2; +12 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is 
  pulled 1 square and grabbed.
  M Burrowing Entrails (minor; at-will)
   
  Grabbed target only; +14 vs. AC; 1d6 + 5.
  Threatening Reach
   
  The lasher zombie can make opportunity attacks against all 
  enemies within its reach (2 squares).
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 19 (+7) 
  Dex 10 (+3) 
  Wis 10 (+3)
  Con 16 (+6) 
  Int 2 (–1)  
  Cha 1 (–2)
  Lasher Zombie Tactics
  In combat a lasher zombie positions itself on the 
  frontlines, hoping to grab a soft target that comes 
  too close. It uses its reach to grab at lightly armored 
  foes that move too close to the front while its threat-
  ening reach enables it to control the nearby area by 
  ensnaring and pulling to itself anyone who tries to 
  move around it. Normally, the lasher zombie main-
  tains a hold on a single target that has the least 
  Armor Class. A round of immobilization coupled 
  with the attacks of opportunity a target suffers 
  when attempting to move away is enough to cur-
  tail most enemies. Whenever possible, it uses any 
  actions not taken up with lashing or maintaining 
  grabs to use burrowing entrails on the grabbed foe 
  with the least armor. It abandons grabbed targets 
  by moving only if the opportunity to snare even 
  softer prey appears. It fights until destroyed.
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  50
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Shambling Nexus
  UNDEAD IN GENERAL ARE NOTORIOUSLY VULNERABLE
  to attacks that employ radiant energy, and zom-
  bies, although cheap and easy to animate, are often 
  cumbersome and slow to react on the battlefield. 
  Such problems have long been the bane of aspiring 
  necromantic overlords and have spelled defeat for 
  countless undead, both servant and master. Created 
  to nullify these weaknesses, a shambling nexus is the 
  product of unspeakable rituals that bind enormous 
  quantities of raw, dark energy into a fleshy shell.
   
  A shambling nexus constantly sweats a black, 
  smoking, tarlike substance that accumulates in the 
  wrinkles of its withered form and coats anything 
  it touches. Bubbling tears of pitch stream down its 
  face, leaving smoking trails across its features. This 
  substance is the result of the energy bound into the 
  creature at its creation, which are too much for a 
  mortal corpse to truly contain, so it seeps out in near 
  solid form. The presence of such a concentration of 
  this energy saps the very light from the air, shrouding 
  the nexus with tendrils of shadow. Nearby undead 
  are energized within this aura, becoming faster and 
  stronger, as well as acting with uncommon purpose.
  Shambling Nexus 
  Level 8 Controller (Leader)
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 350
  Initiative +4 
  Senses Perception +5; darkvision
  Tenebrous Aura aura 5; allies that start their turns within the 
  aura lose vulnerability to radiant damage.
  HP 89; Bloodied 44
  AC 22; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 19
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
  Speed 4
  m Slam (standard; at-will)
   
  +13 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage.
  Speed of the Dead (standard; at-will)
   
  One undead ally within 5 squares makes a basic attack with 
  a +2 bonus or moves its speed +2 as a free action.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 17 (+7)  
  Dex 10 (+4) 
  Wis 13 (+5)
  Con 17 (+7) 
  Int 3 (+0) 
  Cha 2 (+0)
  Shambling Nexus Tactics:
  In combat, a shambling nexus positions itself near, 
  but safely out of, the main battle so that it can offer 
  the protection of its aura to its allies while remaining 
  out of harm’s way. It uses its speed of the dead power 
  to move allies into tactically opportune positions 
  and to enable others to carry forward the attack. A 
  shambling nexus can utilize relatively complicated 
  battlefield tactics, such as flanking, attacking sup-
  port characters, and coordinated fire, and it uses its 
  powers to implement them to the best of its abilities. 
  It falls back on its physical attacks only if it is cor-
  nered and out of allies, at which point it fights until 
  destroyed.
  Flayed Crawler
  CREATED TO BE VICIOUS TRACKERS AND ASSASSINS
  for their necromantic overlords, flayed crawlers are 
  abhorrent abominations animated from the remains 
  of victims sadistically tortured to death. The terrors 
  inflicted upon the poor souls are so extreme that it 
  leaves even their animated corpses unhinged and 
  prone to violent, psychotic outbursts. Regardless of 
  whether they hunt the enemies of their master through 
  the night or stalk the dark places of the world of their 
  own volition, they are driven by an all-consuming 
  desire to inflict the unthinkable pain and terror they 
  endured on others.
   
  The brutalized appearance of a flayed crawler 
  elicits pity, horror, and revulsion in near equal 
  measures. Its skin has been cruelly stripped away 
  to expose the scarred muscle beneath it. The nails 
  on its shattered fingers and toes have been torn out 
  and its tongue and lips removed. Wickedly barbed 
  chains are embedded in its flesh and extend sev-
  eral feet from its arms, serving both as sadistic 
  weapons, and enabling it to cling to sheer surfaces. 
  A continual, silent scream issues from its butchered 
  maw as it follows the movements of the living with 
  open, ruined sockets long devoid of eyes.
  Shambling Nexus
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  51
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Flayed Crawler 
  Level 9 Lurker
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 400
  Initiative +13 
  Senses Perception +10; darkvision
  HP 77; Bloodied 38
  AC 23; Fortitude 21, Reflex 23, Will 19
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant
  Speed 6, climb 6 (spider climb); see also impossible bound
  m Lash (standard; at-will)
   
  +14 vs. AC; 2d6 + 3 damage.
  M Flaying Strike (standard, recharge 5 6 )
   
  +14 vs. AC; 3d8 + 5 damage, and the target takes 5 ongoing 
  damage and takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends both).
  Impossible Bound (move; recharge 4 5 6 )
   
  The flayed crawler can fly 10 squares. It must end its 
  movement either on the ground or by clinging to a surface 
  capable of supporting its weight by using its spider climb.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Skills Stealth +14
  Str 17 (+7)  
  Dex 20 (+9) 
  Wis 12 (+5)
  Con 17 (+7) 
  Int 3 (+0) 
  Cha 1 (–1)
  Flayed Crawler Tactics
  A flayed crawler sits out the opening rounds of a 
  combat and remains hidden on a high wall or ceil-
  ing. Once it has ascertained which of its enemies 
  could be most vulnerable to its attacks, it drops 
  down upon the target and opens with its flaying 
  strike, seeking to deal as much damage and pain 
  as possible. The following round it retreats back to 
  safety by leaping to a handy ceiling or wall after 
  attacking with whatever is available. It uses two 
  move actions only if the target seems particularly 
  dangerous or has demonstrated the ability to deny 
  movement with opportunity attacks. Once its abil-
  ities have recharged, it begins the cycle anew. A 
  flayed crawler engages in prolonged combat only if 
  cornered with no hope of escape or if it can safely 
  continue to attack a lone, vulnerable target. It is 
  more than willing to abandon a hopeless battle 
  and skulk in the shadows until another opportu-
  nity to strike arises.
  Plague Fogger
  MANY VIRULENT AND DESTRUCTIVE DISEASES trouble 
  the world, but a dreadful few belong to a category all 
  their own. These plagues can devastate a region, leaving 
  bloated and twisted corpses littering the streets and fields 
  of the blighted area. Such corpses are rife with lethal 
  pestilence and can, through either spontaneous accumu-
  lation of fell energy or deliberate action, rise as undead 
  capable of calling on that power. Infused with necrotic 
  energy, these walking sacks of flesh and disease are 
  known as plague foggers. They seek only to spread their 
  horrifying fate to those yet living.
   
  The body of a plague fogger clearly bears the marks 
  of an appalling affliction. Swollen buboes, bands 
  or splotches of discoloration, weeping sores, and all 
  manner of other scars bear testament to an agonizing 
  death. Noxious green vapor continually seeps from the 
  open sores that dot the corpse and trickles from its nose, 
  mouth, and eyes to accumulate in a sickly haze that 
  glistens unwholesomely as it winds around the fogger. 
  This miasma is the manifestation of whatever pestilence 
  claimed the plague fogger and is infused with necrotic 
  energy, enhancing its capability to extinguish life.
  Plague Fogger 
  Level 9 Brute
  Medium natural animate (undead) 
  XP 400
  Initiative +5 
  Senses Perception +4; darkvision
  HP 118; Bloodied 59
  AC 21; Fortitude 23, Reflex 19, Will 18
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
  Speed 4
  m Slam (standard; at-will)
   
  +12 vs. AC; 2d8 + 6 damage.
  M Plague Kiss (standard; at-will) ! Poison
   
  +12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target takes ongoing 
  5 poison damage and takes a –2 penalty to Fortitude (save 
  ends both).
  C Pestilential Breath (standard; encounter) ! Poison, Necrotic
   
  Close blast 5; +10 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 + 5 poison damage, 
  and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 20 (+9) 
  Dex 12 (+5) 
  Wis 10 (+4)
  Con 18 (+8) 
  Int 1 (–1)  
  Cha 3 (+0)
  Lasher Zombie
  Plague Fogger
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  52
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Plague Fogger Tactics
  In combat, a plague fogger seeks to inflict the most 
  carnage, preferably with attacks that deal ongoing 
  damage, on as many targets as possible. Its bite, 
  which is infused with the essence of disease and 
  corruption, is its favored attack, since it weakens 
  foes’ fortitude and deals ongoing poison damage. 
  A plague fogger falls back on physical slams only 
  when all nearby targets are taking ongoing poison 
  damage already. Once enough enemies are within 
  range, and preferably suffering the effects of a 
  plague kiss, it vomits forth a sickening cloud of dis-
  eased essence infused with necrotic energy that 
  ravages those unfortunate enough to be caught 
  within it. It never flees its own destruction.
  Slavering Maw
  ONLY THE MOST POWER-HUNGRY, OVERLY CONFIDENT 
  INSANE PERSON would construct an abomination 
  known as a slavering maw. Dozens of corpses must be 
  raised through necromantic rituals to serve as obscene 
  construction material. The creature is then given 
  form by stitching together the writhing and thrashing 
  muscle, skin, sinew, and bone of its still animate donor 
  zombies. Rusted iron and rotted wooden scraps are 
  crudely nailed to its flesh and frame to help support 
  its terrible mass. A final, unspeakable ritual fuses the 
  disparate zombies into a single, horrific whole that 
  is far more powerful than its component parts. This 
  newly formed monster suffers from the eternal hunger 
  of every zombie used in its creation, which drives it 
  beyond madness in its need to consume living flesh.
   
  A slavering maw is nearly twice the height and 
  a dozen times the mass of a fully grown human. 
  The roughly sewn skins that serve as its hide are 
  stretched beyond taut by the struggle to contain its 
  Slavering Maw
  
  Creature Incarnations: Zombies
  53
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  horrifically bloated and distended form. Unnatu-
  rally massive muscles bunch and coil just below, and 
  they are occasionally visible through rents and tears 
  in its patchwork surface. Its monstrously oversized 
  head is composed mostly of massive, drooling jaws that 
  could swallow a dragonborn whole and are replete with 
  broken shards of bone and jagged, pitted pieces of metal 
  that serve as grisly teeth. In its meaty right fist it grasps 
  an immense, crude, and rusted cleaver. Its left has been 
  hacked off at the wrist. Two corroded yet vicious metal 
  tines the size of spear hafts jut out from the stump, where 
  they are lashed and riveted to the splintered bone.
  Slavering Maw 
  Level 11 Elite Brute
  Large natural animate (undead) 
  XP 1,200
  Initiative +4 
  Senses Perception +4; darkvision
  HP 282; Bloodied 141; see also rupture
  AC 25; Fortitude 25, Reflex 18, Will 20
  Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant
  Speed 4
  Action Points 1
  m Cleaver (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  +14 vs. AC; 3d6 + 5 damage and the target is pushed 2 squares.
  M Fork (standard; at-will)
   
  +14 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and the target is grabbed.
  M Hungering Maw (standard; grabbed target; at-will)
   
  The slavering maw attempts to swallow a Medium or 
  smaller creature it is grabbing; +12 vs. Fortitude; the target is 
  swallowed and restrained (escape ends) and takes 10 necrotic 
  damage when it starts its turn swallowed. A swallowed 
  creature can make only melee or close attacks and has line of 
  effect and line of sight only to the slavering maw. Acrobatics 
  and Athletics checks to escape suffer a –5 penalty.
  M Slavering Fury (standard; at-will)
   
  The slavering maw makes a cleaver and a fork attack 
  against different targets.
  Rupture (when reduced to 0 hit points)
   
  Four charnel zombies appear in the slavering maw’s space. 
  They take their turn immediately after the slavering maw is 
  reduced to 0 hit points. Swallowed creatures are released 
  into the nearest unoccupied square.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages —
  Str 23 (+11) 
  Dex 8 (+4) 
  Wis 8 (+4)
  Con 21 (+10) 
  Int 1 (+0) 
  Cha 2 (+1)
  Equipment cleaver
  Slavering Maw Tactics
  Driven by an insatiable need to consume living flesh, 
  a slavering maw rushes into the thick of combat at the 
  first sign of a tasty morsel. There it lashes out with an 
  insane fury, smashing aside enemies with its cleaver 
  while attempting to impale others on its fork. As soon 
  as it hits with its fork, it spends its action point to 
  attempt to swallow the grabbed target before it can 
  escape. It moves so that it can affect two targets with its 
  melee attacks, but it cannot use more developed tactics. 
  It fights to the death, at which point it explodes under 
  the strain, freeing its most recent meals.
  Encounter Groups
  As with the zombies in the Monster Manual, the zombies 
  in this article can be encountered just about anywhere. 
  The first party below is a possible grave-digging task force 
  that has a goal to dig up a specific corpse that is in an area 
  that might have guardians. The second group could be 
  assigned to be guardians of a specific item or location. D
  Level 7 Encounter (XP 1,600)
   
  ! 1 corpse of despair (level 6 brute)
  ! 2 lasher zombies (level 7 soldier)
   
  ! 1 shambling nexus (level 8 controller)
   
  ! 2 zombie grave diggers (level 5 brute)
  Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,050)
   
  ! 2 charnel zombies (level 10 minion)
   
  ! 2 flayed crawlers (level 9 lurker)
   
  ! 2 plague floggers (level 9 brute)
   
  ! 1 slavering maw (level 11 elite brute)
  About the Author
  Daniel Marthaler is an avid gamer with soaring delusions of 
  grandeur and dreams of breaking into the industry. Despite 
  being 6' 3", he has a peculiar love of the wee races that popu-
  late the game, most notably the gnomes and kobolds.
  
  D E S I G N  &  D E V E L O P M E N T
  54
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Good Feats!
  Good Feats!
  BY ANDY COLLINS AND JEREMY CRAWFORD
  illustration by Steve Ellis
  The invention of the feat in 3rd Edition D&D marked 
  a major innovation for this venerable roleplaying 
  game. As a small, self-contained mechanical element, 
  the feat provided immense opportunities for char-
  acters to differentiate themselves from others of the 
  same class and race. In fact, for some classes, feats 
  offered the only opportunity for that differentiation.
   
  In 4th Edition, feats occupy a narrower area of 
  game design than in the previous edition. They’re no 
  longer the default area of power design for fighters, 
  rogues, and the like (now that all classes have their 
  own power lists), so many options that would have 
  been feats in 3rd Edition—Spring Attack and Whirl-
  wind Attack, for instance—are now powers.
   
  How did that shift in game design philosophy 
  manifest in the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook, and 
  how have feats continued to evolve since their debut 
  in the new game system? 4th Edition co-designer 
  Andy Collins and Player’s Handbook co-editor Jeremy 
  Crawford explore the answers.
  Andy: From the earliest days of 4th Edition design, 
  we knew the new game would include feats (or 
  something very much like them—see sidebar). The 
  customization options offered by these non-class-
  based mechanical elements were simply too useful to 
  discard, even in a system that assumed all characters 
  had access to a specialized power list.
  Jeremy: Many of the feats that ended up in the Play-
  er’s Handbook are translations of feats in the previous 
  edition, including Alertness, Far Shot, Skill Focus, 
  and Toughness. Because of the amount of time we 
  spent bringing these familiar names forward, I don’t 
  think we spent enough time exploring the new terri-
  tory that feats offer in 4th Edition. Since finishing the 
  Player’s Handbook, we’ve thankfully been exploring 
  that territory more, as shown in the feats in upcoming 
  books, like Player’s Handbook 2.
  Philosophy of Feats
  Andy: The biggest change in design philosophy 
  for feats in 4th Edition was the exclusion of those 
  feats that offered the character entirely new combat 
  options (or in 4th Edition terms, new powers). 
  Everybody thinks of Spring Attack, but I count 
  roughly two dozen feats in the 3E PH alone that 
  either grant new powers (Whirlwind Attack, Rapid 
  Shot) or turn an effectively unplayable option into 
  a key tactic (Improved Trip, Two-Weapon Fight-
  ing). Over the lifespan of 3rd Edition, this category 
  proved the most exciting one to mine for new ideas. 
  That’s hardly surprising, considering that half the 
  Andy: For quite a while during 4th Edition design, I 
  was pushing for us to re-purpose the word “feats” to 
  refer to the powers used by martial characters. My 
  reasoning was simple: If feats weren’t going to include 
  “new things I can do” such as Cleave because those 
  were becoming powers, the name didn’t make much 
  sense. Plus, the word fit perfectly as a synonym for 
  “martial powers.”
   
  Jesse Decker was the chief (or at least the loudest) 
  proponent of leaving the name to mean what folks 
  knew it meant, and he eventually talked me off the 
  ledge. In hindsight, I completely agree with this deci-
  sion and have come to use that rationale—be careful 
  when using a familiar name for a new concept—fre-
  quently in evaluating new design.
  
  D E S I G N  &  D E V E L O P M E N T
  55
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  characters in any given party probably relied on 
  feats for most of their “powers.”
  Jeremy: But while creating feats for 4th Edition, we 
  took this option off the table. Cleave, Manyshot, and 
  other favorites rightfully turned into powers, leaving 
  big shoes to fill in the feat list.
  Andy: What seemed a liability early on actually 
  proved useful in focusing our attention on what feats 
  could and should be doing in the new edition of the 
  game—and how to design them well. In a nutshell, 
  we settled on four basic guidelines for feat design, 
  summed up by these questions.
  1) Is it easy to understand? This question actually 
  tested the feat in two ways. In addition to the “If I 
  can’t understand the feat, I won’t take it” issue, we 
  realized that if you need more than a sentence or two 
  to describe the feat’s game effect, chances are the 
  effect is too fiddly or corner-case to be worthwhile.
   
  2) Is it easy to use? We knew that feats should not 
  take up as much “brain space” for a player as his or 
  her character’s powers. Thus, feats had to be straight-
  forward and simple to apply in the game. That didn’t 
  mean that every feat had to be Improved Initiative, 
  but it did mean that we weren’t interested in revisit-
  ing the “Tactical feat” technology from 3E (which 
  required multi-round tracking of character actions to 
  accomplish certain effects).
   
  3) Does it create meaningful differences? 
  While power selection would always remain the 
  primary method of differentiating two characters 
  of the same class, we wanted feats to carry some of 
  that weight as well. If a fighter with Power Attack, 
  Armor Proficiency (Plate), Fast Runner, and Powerful 
  Charge didn’t feel that those feats made him feel dif-
  ferent from another fighter with Blade Opportunist, 
  Distracting Shield, Improved Initiative, and Quick 
  Draw, that’d be a shame.
   
  4) Is it really a power? This secret question lurks 
  at the back of every developer’s mind when evaluat-
  ing new feats. For anyone who played a lot of 3E, it’s 
  a hard habit to break, but we do our best to prevent 
  those from seeing print. (Or do we? See sidebar.)
  By the time we’d finished with the Player’s Handbook 
  feat list, we found that most of them fell into one or 
  more of four basic categories.
  A) Static improvements to character statistics.
  Durable gives you extra healing surges, and Human 
  Perseverance gives you a bonus to saving throws. 
  Even the armor, shield, and weapon proficiency 
  feats fall into this category, though they dress up the 
  improvements with visual tweaks to your character’s 
  appearance. These are the simplest feats to use, since 
  you just modify a stat and never need to worry about 
  the feat again. However, the simple nature of these 
  feats means that there are only so many compelling 
  options.
  B) Situational improvements to character 
  statistics.
  This is an interesting area of game design to explore, 
  as long as you keep the player’s sanity in mind. For 
  example, an early version of Defensive Mobility 
  granted its AC bonus only against opportunity attacks 
  caused by movement (a throwback to 3rd Edition’s 
  Mobility feat), but we found that technicality not 
  worth the memory required to use it.
  C) Modifications to racial powers.
  The Player’s Handbook only dabbles in this category, 
  but some of these feats are already among the most 
  compelling in the game. Few dragonborn characters 
  don’t consider Enlarged Dragon Breath, and I have 
  yet to meet an elf who didn’t pick up Elven Precision 
  pretty quickly. Personally, I like these feats because 
  FEATS WITH POWERS
  Jeremy: Some readers are probably thinking of 
  the many feats that do offer new powers, from the 
  Divinity and Multiclass feats in the Player’s Handbook 
  to the Bloodline feats that appear in the Dragon 
  Magazine article Playing Dhampyr.
   
  Our general guideline for designing this type 
  of feat is that new powers should replace existing 
  powers or be added to a use-one-of-these-per-
  encounter category of powers (Divinity feats fall into 
  this latter group). This prevents characters from using 
  feats to dramatically increase the number of powers 
  they use in a typical encounter. We want players 
  to have interesting options, but not so many that 
  the game bogs down. As with any design guideline, 
  exceptions exist.
  While power selection would always remain the primary method 
  of dif erentiating two characters of the same class, we wanted feats 
  to carry some of that weight as well.
  
  D E S I G N  &  D E V E L O P M E N T
  56
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  they’re straightforward in their effect and almost 
  guaranteed to come up in every encounter. That 
  means the player can understand the feat’s value 
  easily and can witness its utility often.
  D) Modifications to class features.
  These showed up in force in Martial Power (and will 
  in future power sourcebooks), but Player’s Hand-
  book holds some good examples as well, including 
  Improved Misty Step and Inspired Recovery. Like 
  feats that alter racial powers, these feats frequently 
  affect combat because they’re based on core elements 
  of your character.
   
  To be certain, not all the feats in the game fall 
  into these categories: Linguist, for example, doesn’t 
  have anything to do with statistics, racial powers, or 
  class features, and Ritual Caster opens up an entirely 
  new category of game effects to a character. Then 
  there are the multiclass feats, which demonstrate 
  how two radically different game concepts—feats and 
  multiclassing—can grow together until the connection 
  seems wholly natural.
  Andy: I like categories C and D a lot and used them 
  frequently in designing and developing feats for 
  Martial Power, Player’s Handbook 2, Arcane Power, and 
  Divine Power. I particularly enjoyed combining racial 
  powers with class features or common maneuvers to 
  create feats that answered the question, “Why would 
  I play this class with this race?” One of my favorites 
  is Fey Charge, which allows an eladrin fighter to 
  expend fey step to teleport as part of a charge!
  Jeremy: I look forward to us doing more with our 
  uncategorized feats. More than once I’ve picked feats 
  like Linguist and Ritual Caster for a character, enjoy-
  ing the options they give in noncombat encounters 
  and the spice they can add to a game world. I’m also 
  happy about the representatives of category B that 
  we’ve created for Player’s Handbook 2, feats that are 
  situational but that will see a ton of use. I think my 
  characters have some retraining in their future.
  About the Authors
  Andy Collins co-designed the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons
  game and works for Wizards of the Coast, LLC. as the Man-
  ager of Development and Editing for RPG R&D. His credits 
  stretch back a decade and include Magic Item Compendium, 
  Draconomicon, Unearthed Arcana, and the Epic Level Handbook. 
  Jeremy Crawford is an editor at Wizards of the Coast, who 
  does editing, development, and design for Dungeons & Drag-
  ons. His recent credits include the Player’s Handbook, Player’s 
  Handbook 2, Martial Power, and Divine Power.
  More than once I’ve picked feats like Linguist and Ritual Caster 
  for a character, enjoying the options they give in noncombat 
  encounters and the spice they can add to a game world.
  
  57
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  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
  Judy and Tom’s 
  Judy and Tom’s 
  Excellent Adventure
  Excellent Adventure
  BY SHELLY MAZZANOBLE
  illustrations by William O’Conner
  Over Christmas break, I made a 
  horrifying discovery about my parents. 
   
  First, let me tell you a little about them. They’re 
  nice people in their early sixties. They like shopping, 
  crime dramas, and spending copious amounts of 
  time discussing D&D just so they can work in that 
  bit about their daughter’s part-time life as a sorcer-
  ess. Although they would never stick anything on 
  their bumpers, they are not shy with the proud 
  parent proclamations. These are people who would 
  rank having the twelfth best attendance record 
  in 3rd grade just as pride-worthy as, say, having a 
  book published. And people wonder why I’m a tad 
  delusional?
   
  It started over a lovely breakfast of biscuits, 
  pancakes, and soy bacon when my mom asked if I 
  remembered to bring an extra copy of Confessions
  home for her new neighbors.
   
  “It’s their housewarming present,” she said. “I told 
  them all about you.”
   
  Personally, I thought they’d prefer homemade 
  brownies and some gourmet coffee, but whatever. 
  Not my call.
   
  “Yes, please hurry and give it them,” Dad added. 
  “They keep asking me how to play.”
   
  “What do you tell them?” (My dad probably gets 
  asked this question a lot.)
   
  “I tell them you don’t play. You act it out. Like 
  Whose Line is it Anyway?”
   
  “Well, we just kind of talk— ”
   
  “Like charades,” he continued. “But with swords. 
  And dragons.”
   
  “And dungeons?”
   
  “I hope not!”
   
  I looked to my mom for assistance. “What do you
  tell people?”
   
  “You get a little figurine, and you move it around 
  the board. If you finish the story first, you win.”
   
  And that’s when I came to the horrifying 
  discovery: 
   
  My parents have never read my book!
   
  “Of course I read it!” Dad said, when I confront 
  them on the topic. 
   
  “Uh huh,” I said. “Prove it.”
   
  “It’s a game,” he said. 
   
  “With a storymaster,” Mom added.
   
  “And you have to beat your friends to the prize. 
  Sometimes by killing them.”
   
  “Some people like to play alone,” my mom said. 
  “On a computer.”
  
  58
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  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
   
  If there were two things I always said I loved best 
  about D&D, it was the noncompetitive and social 
  aspects. “You play in a group! And you don’t kill your 
  friends!”
   
  “There are winners and there are losers,” Dad 
  said. “Don’t be a loser.”
   
  I didn’t know if this was his version of D&D or 
  another one of his metaphors for life, but it was clear 
  what needed to happen. 
   
  “You’re going to learn how to play D&D,” I said. 
  “And I’m going to teach you.”
   
  They stared at me. And then at each other. And 
  back to me. 
   
  “I’m too old to be crawling around a dungeon,” 
  Dad said.
   
  “And I couldn’t lift a sword, let alone use one,” my 
  mom said. “I don’t even like using steak knives.” 
   
  But it was no use. Guilt is a wonderful thing.
   
  And boy, were they guilty.  Mom barely left the 
  kitchen, making all my favorites, including her 
  famous egg salad (even though my dad hates the 
  way the kitchen smells afterward). Dad tried win-
  ning me back with Bloomingdale’s gift certificates 
  and Nutty Chocolate Chipper cookies from Panera 
  Bread. But their excuses were in vain. I was on a 
  mission, and it led me to the local gaming shop 
  where I picked up a D&D Roleplaying Game Starter 
  Set. I left the box on the kitchen table, the coffee 
  table, their nightstands, and bathroom sinks. D&D 
  was coming for them. They just didn’t know when. 
   
  I suspected the neighbors didn’t get their copy 
  of Confessions right away, because suddenly my 
  parents were dropping D&D nuggets into everyday 
  conversation.
   
  “I had the weirdest dream,” my mom told me. 
  “Your friend Chris tried to kill me.”
   
  “That’s weird. Why would Chris want to kill 
  you?” I asked.
   
  “He was a storymaster and I was a little wizard,” 
  she said. “You know. Like Astrid.”
   
  “Astrid is a sorceress. You know, as in Confessions 
  of a Part-Time…?”
   
  “Oh.” 
   
  And when my dad and I were watching the 
  Giants game he shouted at the screen, “Get a pair of 
  boots of teleportation!”
   
  I raised my eyebrows at him. “No you didn’t.”
   
  “Oh yes,” he said, all smug and pretentious. “I 
  did.”
   
  Ten days was long enough. Just as Charlie Gibson 
  was getting ready to deliver the nightly news and 
  my parents settled in on their respective couches, I 
  declared it was game time. 
   
  “Oh. Yay!” Mom said like she was cheering for a 
  root canal.
   
  “I’ll do it, but if you write about it, you have to 
  change our names,” Dad told me. 
   
  “To what?” I asked. “Aunt and Uncle? Everyone 
  knows where I am and who I’m with.”
   
  I unloaded the components of the starter set onto 
  the coffee table: tokens, dungeon tiles, dice.
   
  “There are dice involved?” Dad asked.
   
  “Yeah,” I sighed. They didn’t even know about the 
  dice? “But you hardly ever use them.”
  I began by asking what characters they’d like to 
  play. Dad’s arm jutted forward in a weird spasmodic 
  gesture. 
   
  “Zorro?” I asked.
   
  Mom answered for him. “He wants to be a pirate.”
   
  “Well, he can’t. Not today anyway.”
   
  This saddened him a great deal. In fact, he looked 
  more dejected than when I told him a serving of 
  cereal was only 3/4 cup. I tried to make it up to him. 
  “How about a rogue? Or a ranger like Walker. You 
  love Chuck Norris!”
   
  “You said this was about fantasies,” he said.
   
  “Fine,” I said, eager to thwart any possible talk 
  about my dad’s fantasies. Let him eat salted beef. 
  “How about a dragonborn paladin who volunteers 
  for a local pirate brigade in his spare time?”
   
  That, along with the noble, driven, born cham-
  pion description of the character appeased him.
   
  Mom answered without hesitation. “I want to 
  be an ass-kicking little person!”
   
  “Judy!” Dad said. “Don’t talk like that in front of 
  your daughter.”
   
  “You mean a dwarf?” I asked. 
   
  “No,” she said firmly. “It is not appropriate to 
  call them that.”
   
  As much as I respected her desire to keep her 
  PC as PC as possible, I told her it’s okay to call 
  them dwarves in D&D. She plans to talk to R&D 
  about this.
   
  I asked them to get acquainted with their alter 
  egos and show them where to find the stats on 
  their character sheets. Mom immediately had 
  issues. 
   
  “4'8", 200 pounds, and low-light vision?” she 
  repeated. “This isn’t fantasy! This is me!”
   
  I tried to convince her that she’s strong 
  and sturdy and a real looker in the dwarven 
  community, but it’s no use. She became a body-
  dysmorphic, depressed dwarf.
   
  “Make me 6 feet tall.”
   
  “If she gets to be 6 feet tall, then I get to be a 
  pirate,” my dad said. “Full time.”
   
  My parents’ attention span is remarkably intol-
  erant for anything not hosted by Howie Mandel or 
  involving a crime scene investigation, so I acqui-
  esced. I didn’t want to lose them before they even 
  tossed a die.
   
  “Fine. Mom, you are a freakishly tall dwarf, 
  and dad is a dragonborn pirate. What are your 
  names?”
  
  59
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  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
   
  “Tom?” Dad suggested.
   
  “Oh please,” Mom said. “That’s not a pirate 
  name.” 
   
  He settled on Bud while Mom chose Jubunsky 
  because it sounded “dwarfy.”
   
  I quickly explained what each line on their char-
  acter sheet means, but I tell them not to worry about 
  it until the game gets underway. “It will make sense 
  in context.”
   
  “Can’t we just read your book?” my dad asked.
   
  “Well, you had over a year to do that, so unfortu-
  nately you’re stuck with a verbal explanation.”
   
  To my surprise, neither seemed daunted by the 
  numbers and formulas staring back at them. I made 
  a mental note to congratulate R&D. 
   
  I began the adventure by explaining how they’ve 
  ended up in a tavern in Harken Village. “You are 
  friends who have been adventuring together for 
  years.”
   
  “What if I want to kill her?” Dad asked, which I 
  hope was an in-game reference.
   
  “Don’t even try it!” Mom shouted. 
   
  Although I fully believe D&D can be great 
  couples therapy, I had no desire to mediate any 
  deep-seated issues my parents might have.
   
  “You love each other very much,” I told them. 
  “You’ve been best friends and partners for 41 years.”
   
  My dad rolled his eyes but allowed me to 
  continue.
   
  “You take a break in Harken Village’s most popu-
  lar pub and sup on potato skins and fried ravioli.”
   
  “This is how Jubunsky ended up with a BMI of 
  over 44,” Mom lamented. “Couldn’t we have gone to 
  Subway?”
   
  “Remember it’s fantasy,” I told them. “Here, fried 
  foods speed up your metabolism. You’re actually 
  losing weight while eating.”
   
  I saw their eyes brighten. I briefly considered 
  stopping right then, because they clearly loved D&D 
  at that point.
   
  I continued. “An elderly gentleman approaches 
  your table and offers to buy drinks if you’ll agree to 
  listen to his woeful tale of plight.”
   
  “Rude,” my dad said. “We’re eating.” 
   
  “Dear adventurers,” I began in my best elderly 
  NPC voice. “Our once serene village is being pil-
  laged by goblins in the dead of night. We simple 
  people of Harken Village cannot take on such crea-
  tures ourselves. Please help us.”
   
  “Of course we will,” Mom said, looking like she’s 
  on the verge of tears.
   
  “No way,” Dad said. “Tell the good people of 
  Harken Village to put the Giants on TV. I’m staying 
  put.”
   
  “Tom,” Mom said, “We have to. This is how the 
  game begins!”
   
  “Umm… what part of ‘pillaged by goblins’ did 
  you not hear? I’m not going out there. It’s dangerous. 
  Besides, our potato skins just came.”
   
  I wasn’t sure what a DM should do when the PCs 
  have no desire to leave the pub. I decided to bribe 
  them.
   
  “Please,” I continued as Old Kellar. “You’re our 
  only hope. I can offer you 25 gold pieces each.”
   
  “But my fried ravioli isn’t here yet.”
   
  “Get it to go,” Mom ordered. “We need to kick 
  some goblin ass.”
   
  I set up the dungeon tiles according to the 
  instructions in the rules. I didn’t know if it’s because 
  I was playing with two blank slates or because I’d 
  done this twice before, but I was actually excited 
  and feeling confident about my DMing skills. 
   
  Old Kellar showed them the entrance to the 
  dungeon where the goblins were believed to reside. 
  Mom and Dad placed their tokens in the short cor-
  ridor leading into the depths of darkness.
   
  “I’m not sure about this,” Dad said. “Why don’t 
  we just go back and tell the old guy we didn’t see 
  anything.”
   
  “Oh please,” I said. “You won’t even let Mom go to 
  Price Chopper by herself, but you’ll let her explore a 
  dungeon? What if a goblin steals her purse?”
   
  “I can handle it,” Mom said, “Jubunsky wants to 
  fight!” She made hoo hoo hoo noises, which I can only 
  assume is her dwarven fight song.
   
  I took that as my sign to continue. “You hear 
  sounds up ahead and see the dim glow of a light.” I 
  made what I imagine to be goblinesque noises and 
  both my parents stare.
   
  “Stop it,” Dad said.
   
  “Make me.”
   
  “Oh, I’ll make you!” Jubunsky said, making stab-
  bing gestures in the air.
   
  “I don’t like what this is doing to your mother,” 
  Dad said. “All this stabbing and killing things?”
   
  “I like it!” Mom said. And threw a d10 at my dad.
   
  “Mom!” Maybe Dad was right. Good thing they 
  didn’t know about LARPing. 
  “Sorry,” she said. 
  “I was in character.”
  Although I fully believe D&D can be great couples therapy, I had 
  no desire to mediate any deep-seated issues my parents might have.
  
  60
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  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
   
  In effort to evade a black eye, I got back to the 
  game.
   
  “Even if you wanted to leave, it’s too late. The gob-
  lins see you.”
   
  “Uh oh.”
   
  “I told you this was a bad idea,” Dad said. 
   
  “It’s time to roll for initiative!” 
   
  They had no idea what this meant, but sensed 
  it was important because they both cheered. I 
  explained this was how we determined the combat 
  order.
   
  “Combat?” Dad asked. “What if we just want to 
  talk?”
   
  “Too late,” I told him, as my goblins got ready 
  to go first. I moved all three toward the dungeon 
  entrance where Jubunsky and Bud were apparently 
  shaking in their boots of striding. “All three throw 
  their javelins at Bud.”
   
  “Why me?” Dad shouted. “That’s cheating!” 
   
  My father would be a great addition to my group 
  back home. 
   
  “Does 22 beat your Armor Class?”
   
  “Maybe. Maybe not,” he said. “Care to put a wager 
  on it?”
   
  “Tell the truth or you will die instantly.”
   
  Mom looked over his shoulder. “He has a 20,” she 
  told me. “You’re dead.”
   
  “What’s the spread?” he asked.
   
  “There is no spread,” I told him. “It’s DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS, not Vegas & Bookies.”
   
  “So he’s dead?” Mom asked, eager to get to her 
  turn.
   
  “Not yet.” I explained the first number we roll 
  only determined if our attack hit. The next number 
  determined damage. All in all, Bud took 10 points of 
  damage.
   
  “Ouch,” he said, making me feel bad. Daugh-
  ters shouldn’t hit their dads with javelins. Maybe I 
  should have given him a spread.
   
  Jubunsky goes next. “So many choices,” Mom 
  said, reading over her character sheet. “I’m very 
  talented.” 
   
  She decided to move up next to the goblins and 
  use cleave. Unfortunately, she rolled too low to hit 
  them. 
   
  “Sorry.” I made the sounds of giggling goblins, 
  which really pissed her off.
   
  Bud got to go next. “I have a javelin too, so let’s see 
  how they like it.”
   
  “You know you can use any of those powers on 
  your character sheet? You can even breath fire on 
  them.”
   
  “Oh, Tom, do that!” Mom encouraged. 
   
  “Why would I want to get closer to them?” He 
  asked this with the same incredulous tone as some-
  one asking, “Why would I want to get a kidney stone?”
   
  “Because you’re a dragon,” I told him. “A big, tough 
  dragon.”
   
  “Mind your own business,” he yelled at me. “If I 
  go back in the hallway, I can see them but they can’t 
  see me. I have a plan!” 
   
  “If you come onto the map and take part in the 
  action, you and Mom could flank this goblin and 
  have combat advantage. I explained the benefits of 
  this maneuver, which he poo poo’d, preferring to 
  hide in the hallway and fling javelins at them. He 
  missed.
   
  “Duh,” Mom said. Dad sneered at her.
   
  When my goblins went a second time they tar-
  geted Bud again.
   
  “That’s six more points of damage.” The goblins 
  giggled again.
   
  “They’re laughing at you, Tom,” Mom said. “You 
  should be ashamed.”
   
  “I’m injured!” he yelled back. “Leave me alone!”
   
  Jubunsky went next and unlike her overly cau-
  tious counterpart, she eagerly plowed through her 
  power list. She loved the visual of her little pow-
  erhouse knocking goblins out while performing a 
  shotgun spin, so she chose spinning sweep. 
   
  “Come on, Jubu!” she said before tossing the d20 
  on the coffee table. “Mama wants to take out the 
  trash!”
   
  Her encouraging, albeit odd, cheer worked 
  because she rolled a natural 20! 
   
  “Your critted, Mom!” Which is kind of a weird 
  thing to say to your mom. Even weirder when she 
  knows what it means.
   
  She pumped her fist in the air and chanted her 
  dwarven fight song, “Hoo, hoo hoo!”
   
  “He’s dead,” I said, removing his token from the 
  playmat. 
   
  They high-five. Now Dad appeared to be moti-
  vated by Mom’s coup. He crept out of the hallway 
  toward a goblin. “I’ll do this radiant smite thing.”
   
  He hit and managed 12 points of damage. “See?” 
  he told us. “I had a plan.”
   
  The goblins continued to have their way with 
  Bud, the squishy dragonborn. He dropped all the 
  way down to 8 hit points while Jubunsky main-
  tained a healthy total of 22.
  “Your critted, Mom!” Which is kind of a weird thing to say to your 
  mom. Even weirder when she knows what it means.
  
  61
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  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
   
  I determined that would be a good time to intro-
  duce the two goblin warriors who had been hiding 
  in the shadows. They moved into the action and 
  target Jubunsky. 
   
  “You can’t just keep bringing out more bad guys,” 
  Mom told me. 
   
  Funny. This is exactly the kind of thing I would 
  say. Maybe they did read some of Confessions.
   
  The warriors went next and targeted Jubunsky, 
  moving on either side of her.
   
  “Damn it, Tom, the goblins are flanking me!” she 
  yelled. “Do something!”
   
  They stabbed Jubunsky with their spears, causing 
  11 points of damage.
   
  “I’m bloodied!” she screamed. “I don’t know what 
  that means but I bet it’s bad!”
   
  On her next turn she used her daily, brute strike, 
  and … crits again!
   
  “Hoo, hoo, hoo!” More high-fives. My mom was 
  dangerously close to beating her fists on her chest 
  and I was sure I’d never recover from the sight. “I’m 
  so good at D&D! Who knew?”
   
  The 39 points of damage she caused easily took 
  out one of the goblin warriors.
   
  “I think she has better powers than I do,” Dad 
  said.
   
  “I think you should read your character sheet,” I 
  told him. 
   
  He did and decided to use his daily power, 
  paladin’s judgment. He hit and not only took out the 
  remaining goblin warrior, but also allowed Jubunsky 
  to use a healing surge. 
   
  She squeezed his hand. “Thank you, honey. I 
  needed that.”
   
  They had little trouble taking down the remain-
  ing two goblins, especially once Bud decided to 
  come out of the hallway. 
   
  We ended the encounter with both parents 
  breathless and smiling like two people who survived 
  a five-on-two goblin attack in a dungeon. I paid them 
  their 25 gold pieces.
   
  “That was fun,” Mom said. “I would do that for 
  free.”
   
  “I still think we should have tried talking to the 
  goblins,” my dad said. “It disturbs me that you were 
  so eager to kill everything.”
   
  So Mom enjoys the hack-and-slash and Dad likes 
  the roleplaying. This doesn’t surprise me. Growing 
  up, Mom was a menace with a wooden spoon, while 
  dad’s calm, cool reasoning was like a blast of white 
  dragon’s breath. What does surprise me is that they 
  really did have fun. Again, I’d like to believe this is 
  due to my awesome DM skills, but I suspect it’s a bit 
  more organic than that. Stomping on goblins is fun 
  for everyone. 
   
  They made D&D a huge part of their lives with-
  out even knowing what it was. It may have been a 
  risk to show them, but I think it paid off. If only I 
  could hear the conversation next time someone asks 
  my mom or dad how to play.
  So Mom enjoys the hack-and-slash and Dad likes the roleplaying. 
  This doesn’t surprise me. Growing up, Mom was a menace with a 
  wooden spoon, while dad’s calm, cool reasoning was like a blast of 
  white dragon’s breath.
   
  A few days later, my mom and I find ourselves 
  with a little free time before dinner so I ask if she 
  wanted to play a game.
   
  “Fine,” she said, “but I have to resort to killing 
  you at cards. Your father won’t let me play D&D 
  anymore.”
   
  Not wanting to come from a broken home, I 
  resisted the urge to tell her about Three Dragon Ante. 
  At least until my next vacation home.
  Author Bio
  Shelly Mazzanoble hopes she can come to your house for 
  Christmas, as her parents disowned her shortly after this 
  column was written.
  
  D & D  A L U M N I
  D & D A L U M N I
  62
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Ancient Burial Places; Ancient Tombs; Sorcerous Kings; 
  Challenges, Surpassing (Certain Death); Soul Eaters; Trea-
  sure, Great…
  Sound familiar? So begin the rumors and legends 
  surrounding the (arguably) most famous dungeon of 
  all, the Tomb of Horrors. I’m a huge fan of the original 
  module; I even drive around with a “I Survived the 
  Tomb of Horrors” bumper sticker on my car. To me, the 
  non-stop death march through Acererak’s dungeon cor-
  ridors epitomizes something of the true, albeit sadistic 
  and at times outright arbitrary, spirit of 1st Edition 
  gameplay. This is the module after all, with the follow-
  ing placed in the final treasure vault: “all items from 
  characters teleported nude.”
   
  Not everyone thinks so highly of the module, of 
  course. Recently, I lost the Battle of Seattle against edi-
  tor-in-chief Chris Youngs, debating which adventure 
  module folks would most want to see in 4th Edition. 
  Final result? Against the Giants won, 43% to 37% (“other” 
  took the remaining 20%). Although, I contend that if all 
  the giants from the G-series attempted to navigate their 
  way through the Tomb of Horrors, they too would be sub-
  ject to multiple TPKs—thus, a moral victory of sorts.
   
  All that said, Open Grave releases this month and so 
  D&D Alumni turns its attention to the subject of undeath. 
  Specifically, we look back at a certain lich and demilich 
  that appear in Open Grave in order to better explain how 
  these individuals—Acererak and Vecna—came to be 
  included in the Undead Hall of Infamy.
   
  I would argue that liches hold the position of the 
  game’s most exalted undead; this, despite competi-
  tion from animate skeletons, zombies, mummies, and 
  vampires (as well as other horror staples such as golems 
  and lycanthropes). The concept of the lich—a powerful 
  magic-user looking to cheat death through magic—is so 
  very emblematic of the game’s sword and sorcery/pulp 
  fiction roots. The lich also makes use of another liter-
  ary device, that of hiding its “soul” somewhere away 
  from its corporeal body; in myths and stories, including 
  the horcruxes in the Harry Potter series, these hiding 
  places can be inside a pinecone, a fish, or, as with Rus-
  sia’s Koschei, inside a needle, which is inside an egg, 
  which is inside a duck, which is inside a rabbit, which 
  is inside an iron chest, which is buried under a tree on 
  island… thus, quite a process to uncover. D&D codified 
  these storage devices as a lich’s phylactery, for whatever 
  reason seeking the mystical or religious connotations 
  of a traditional Jewish device, at least in name … and 
  adventurers have been searching for them ever since.
  Vecna
  Seldom is the name of Vecna spoken except in hushed 
  voice, and never within hearing of strangers, for legends 
  say that the phantom of this once supreme lich still 
  rooms the Material Plane. It is certain that when Vecna 
  ﬁ nally met his doom, one eye and one hand survived. 
  The arch-lich Vecna supposedly imbued both his hand 
  (left) and his eye with wondrous and horrible powers 
  enabling them to persist long after his other remains 
  moldered away into dust.
  While Vecna’s first iteration was solely through his 
  eye and hand (all that remained of him after being 
  destroyed in battle), he progressed throughout the edi-
  tions from arch-lich all the way to god of undeath. But 
  why, it must be asked, did his eye and hand remain? 
  Something of his story, no doubt, owes to the game’s 
  literary influences (not to mention his very name, ana-
  gram of Jack Vance).
   
  The Eye and Hand of Vecna owe much of their inspira-
  tion to Michael Moorcock’s first trilogy of short novels 
  on the eternal hero Corum: The Knight of the Swords, The 
  Queen of the Swords, and The King of the Swords. Corum 
  is the last survivor of his race, a vaguely elf/sidhe-like 
  people who were hunted down and butchered by the 
  humans. Corum himself is captured by humans, whose 
  idea of fun is gouging out his left eye and chopping off 
  his left hand. Corum escapes before they can finish him 
  off and survives with the help of a different (and much 
  kinder) group of humans.
   
  Before long, Corum meets a sorcerer who gives 
  him two gifts: the Hand of Kwll and the Eye of Rhynn. 
  These two artifacts didn’t come from a single, mad 
  lich, but from a pair of brother gods. Kwll and Rhynn 
  themselves aren’t good or evil, lawful or chaotic—they 
  exist beyond the notions of petty, human morality. 
  The eye expands Corum’s senses and lets him see into 
  other planes. The hand has great strength and stamina, 
  but more importantly, it allows Corum to summon 
  creatures from the planes that the eye sees into. Those 
  creatures come to Corum’s aid, which generally means 
  killing whatever threatens him at the moment. Those 
  creatures are then released from bondage and the souls 
  of whatever they just killed are placed at Corum’s ser-
  vice and must answer the summons the next time he 
  needs aid. 
   
  Much of the time, these two artifacts work in Corum’s 
  best interest… but not always. They aren’t entirely under 
  Corum’s control. The eye shows him things he’d rather 
  not see, the hand attacks people he’d rather not fight, and 
  Open Grave
  Open Grave
  by Bart Carroll and Steve Winters
  by Bart Carroll and Steve Winters
  
  D & D  A L U M N I
  D & D A L U M N I
  63
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  the summoned creatures kill people he’d rather weren’t 
  dead. They never turn Corum to evil, but they cause him 
  to do many evil things, and those sins torture his con-
  science. From his perspective, they’re both a blessing and 
  a curse, with the curse-half constantly gaining traction 
  over the blessing-half. 
   
  Eventually, he meets the god Kwll, who is impris-
  oned until he can be reunited with his hand. Corum 
  offers the hand to Kwll and the eye to Rhynn in 
  exchange for their aid against the most powerful of the 
  chaos gods. Kwll agrees, but once the hand is returned 
  and Kwll is freed, he declares that gods are not bound 
  by agreements with mortals. In the end, he and his 
  brother help Corum anyway, but because they chose to, 
  not because Corum forced a bargain from them. The 
  world is freed from the clutches of the warring gods of 
  law and chaos and Corum is rid of the eye and hand, 
  which he considers a triple win.
   
  With that background, here’s how the Eye and Hand 
  of Vecna were described in their original appearance:
   
  Eye of Vecna: The Eye of Vecna is said to glow in the 
  same manner as that of a feral creature. It appears to 
  be an agate until it is placed in an empty eye socket 
  of a living character. Once pressed in, it instantly and 
  irrevocably grafts itself to the head, and it cannot be 
  removed or harmed without slaying the character.
   
  The Hand of Vecna: Tales say that the Hand appears 
  to be a mummified extremity, a blackened and shriv-
  eled hand, possibly from a burned body. If the wrist 
  portion is pressed against the stump of a forearm, it 
  will instantly graft itself to the limb and become a 
  functioning member with 18/00 strength in its grip (no 
  “to hit” or damage bonuses). The Hand will eventually 
  turn the alignment of the host character to neutral evil.
   
  To use any power, the fingers of the Hand must be 
  extended, curled, or whatever in different combinations. 
  Devise the combinations of finger/hand positions you 
  have assigned to each power and record them, i.e. fist = 
  Artifact Powers
  1st Edition artifacts were quite the collection of over-
  powered items; as evidence to this claim, following is 
  the table of prime powers from the 1st Edition DMG, 
  provided to the Hand (two such powers) and Eye (one 
  power)… in addition to also having minor and major 
  benign powers! That said, these powers did come 
  with a price (beyond the relentless campaign for 
  evil): Minor and major malevolent effects as well as 
  extremely unfortunate side effects (including lycan-
  thropy, a Charisma score of 3, or the inability to touch 
  or be touched by any metal object).
  TABLE V: PRIME POWERS
  A. All of possessor’s ability totals permanently raised 2 
  points each upon pronouncement of a command word (18 
  maximum)
  B. All of possessor’s ability totals raised to 18 each upon 
  pronouncement of a command word
  C. Bones/exoskeleton/cartilage of opponent turned to 
  jelly—1 time/day
  D. Cacodemon-like power summons a demon lord, arch-
  devil, or nycadaemon—1 time/month
  E. Creeping doom callable- 1 time/day
  F. Death ray equal to a finger of death with no saving 
  throw—1 time/day
  G. Death spell power of 110%-200% effectiveness with 
  respect to number of levels affected—1 time/day
  H. Gate spell power, 100% effective—1 time/day
  I. Imprisonment spell power—1 time/week
  J. Magical resistance of 50%-75% for possessor upon 
  command word—1 time/day
  K. Major attribute permanently raised to 19 upon 
  command word
  L. Meteorswarm—1 time/day
  M. Monster summoning Vlll—2 times/day
  N. Plane shift—1 time/day
  O. Polymorph any object—1 time/day
  P. Power word blind/kill/stun—1 time/day
  Q. Premonition of death or serious harm to possessor
  R. Prismatic spray—1 time/day
  S. Restoration—1 time/day
  T. Resurrection—7 times/week
  U. Shades—2 times/day
  V. Shape change—2 times/day
  W. Spell absorption, 19-24 levels—1 time/week
  X. Summon 1 of each type of elemental, 16 hit dice each, no 
  need for control—1 time/week
  Y. Summon diinn or efreet lord (8 h.p./die, f 2 “to hit” and +4 
  damage) for 1 day of service—1 time/week
  Z. Super sleep spell affects double the number of creatures 
  plus up to 2 5th or 6th and 1 7th or 8th level creature
  AA. Temporal stasis, no saving throw, upon touch—1 time/
  month
  BB. The item enables the possessor to legend lore, commune, 
  or contact higher plane (7th-10th)—1 time/week
  CC.Time stop of twice normal duration—1 time/week
  DD. Total fire/heat resistance for all creatures within 20’ of 
  the item
  EE. Total immunity from all forms of mental and psionic 
  attacks
  FF. Total immunity from all forms of cold
  GG. Trap the soul with 90% effectiveness—1 time/month
  HH. User can cast combination spells (if a spell caster) as 
  follows (d4):
  1) 1st and 2nd level spells simultaneously
  2) 2nd and 3rd level spells simultaneously
  3) 3rd and 4th level spells simultaneously
  4) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spells simultaneously
  II. Vanish—2 times/day
  JJ. Vision—1 time/day
  KK. Wish—1 time/day
  LL. Youth restored to creature touched—1 time/month
  
  D & D  A L U M N I
  D & D A L U M N I
  64
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  ( ), thumb down = ( ), pointing little finger = ( ), etc. Keep 
  this chart handy and make the host character use the 
  positions to use a power of the Hand.
  Note: From his artifacts to the arch-lich himself, 
  Vecna later appeared in such game material as 2nd 
  Edition’s Vecna Lives!, Vecna Reborn, and—in the appen-
  dix to Die Vecna Die!—statted out as “The Maimed God” 
  (or demigod, to be precise). This version of the Eye of 
  Vecna still appeared as a black, uncut gem, and the 
  Hand possessed a new, more specified suite of powers 
  made in conjunction with its gestures, including:
   
  ! Point index finger: light, at will; to Point five fin-
  gers: disintegrate, 1/day 
   
  ! Palm out: time stop, 1/day 
   
  ! Snap fingers: monster summoning IV, 3/day 
   
  The host character may use any minor power without 
  fear, but as soon as a major power of the Hand is used, 
  he or she awakes a spirit of great evil. (You, the DM, 
  should then begin an insidious campaign of suggestion 
  and urging towards evil on that character’s part.) When 
  a primary power is used, the host will instantly become 
  neutral evil—very evil. The Hand can be severed from the 
  host at any time before its powers are used with 100% 
  certainty, but each major power use subtracts 1% from 
  the probability, and each use of a primary power makes 
  success 10% less likely. Whenever 100% subtraction has 
  occurred there is no possibility of removing the Hand, and 
  the character will know this.
  Acererak
  Somewhere under a lost and lonely hill of grim and 
  foreboding aspect lies a labyrinthine crypt. It is ﬁ lled 
  with terrible traps and not a few strange and ferocious 
  monsters to slay the unwary. It is ﬁ lled with rich 
  treasures both precious and magical, but in addition to 
  the aforementioned guardians, there is said to be a demi-
  lich who still wards his ﬁ nal haunt. (Be warned that tales 
  told have it that this being possesses powers which make 
  him nearly undefeatable!) Accounts relate that it is quite 
  unlikely that any adventurers will ever ﬁ nd the chamber 
  where the demilich Acererak lingers, for the passages 
  and rooms of the Tomb are fraught with terrible traps, 
  poison gases, and magical protections. Furthermore, 
  the demi-lich has so well hidden his lair, that even those 
  who avoid the pitfalls will not be likely to locate their 
  true goal. So only large and well-prepared parties of the 
  bravest and strongest should even consider the attempt, 
  and if they do locate the Tomb, they must be prepared 
  to fail. Any expedition must be composed of characters 
  of high level and varied class. They must have magical 
  protections and weapons, and equip themselves with 
  every sort of device possible to insure their survival.
  Next, we look back at the game’s most famous demilich. 
  Acererak had connections to Vecna as well, rumored to 
  have served and even saved his lich master before becom-
  ing a lich himself. And from lich, Acererak went on, not 
  to godhood, but to become the game’s first demilich—in 
  many ways, a far more dangerous creature, the final ves-
  tige of a once all-powerful lich.
   
  Like Vecna, one can find the inspirations for Acererak 
  in early swords-and-sorcery fiction. Probably the most 
  influential in this regard was Clark Ashton Smith, a 
  contemporary of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. 
  Smith’s story The Death of Malygris relates the tale of 
  an “archimage” whose power terrifies a kingdom even 
  though the necromancer hasn’t stirred in decades:
   
  “I have seen Malygris,” he said, turning to the con-
  clave. “Many times I have watched him thus, thinking to 
  learn some secret of his close-hidden magic, I have spied 
  upon him at noon, at evenfall, and through the drear, 
  lampless vigils of midnight. And I have beheld him in 
  the ashen dawn and the dawn of quickening fire. But 
  always he sits in the great ivory chair, in the high hall of 
  his tower, frowning as if with meditation. And his hands 
  clutch always the basilisk-carven arms of the chair, and 
  his eyes turn evermore, unshutting, unblinking, toward 
  the orient window and the heavens beyond where only 
  high-risen stars and clouds go by.
   
  “Thus have I beheld him for the space of a whole year 
  and a month. And each day I have seen his monsters 
  bring before him vessels filled with rare meat and drink: 
  and later they have taken away the vessels untouched. 
  And never have I discerned the least movement of his 
  lips, nor any turning or tremor of his body.
   
  “For these reasons, I deem that Malygris is dead; but 
  by virtue of his supremacy in evil and in art magical, 
  he sits defying the worm, still undecayed and incor-
  rupt. And his monsters and his familiars attend him 
  still, deceived by the lying appearance of life; and his 
  power, though now an empty fraud, is still dark and 
  awful upon Poseidonis.”
   
  Needless to say, when humans enter Malygris’s 
  tower to steal his secrets and loot his treasures, they’re 
  met by a doom that surpasses horror.
   
  Who better, we thought, to ask about Acererak 
  than Bruce Cordell, creator of the Return to the Tomb 
  of Horrors as well as the 3.5 revision to the original 
  adventure—starting with, what led to his interest in 
  Acererak? And so we did…
  Ages past, a human magic-user/cleric of surpassing evil 
  took the steps necessary to preserve his life force beyond the 
  centuries he had already lived, and this creature became the 
  lich, Acererak. Over the scores of years which followed, the 
  lich dwelled with hordes of ghastly servants in the gloomy 
  stone halls of the very hill where the Tomb is. Eventually 
  even the undead life force of Acererak began to wane, so for 
  the next eight decades, the lich’s servants labored to create 
  the Tomb of Horrors. Then Acererak destroyed all of his 
  slaves and servitors, magically hid the entrance to his halls, 
  and went to his ﬁ nal haunt, while his soul roamed strange 
  planes unknown to even the wisest of sages.
  
  D & D  A L U M N I
  D & D A L U M N I
  65
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Bruce: The first time I played Tomb of Horrors (DMed by 
  Monte Cook when we were 13) was so fun (and odd, and 
  actually scary at one point) that it made a big impression. 
  It also had a “show the player this picture” section which 
  greatly added to the ambience--one of the first, if not the 
  first, modules to do so. I later DMed it for various differ-
  ent groups myself, enjoying it immensely each time. It’s a 
  dungeon of traps, but it doesn’t go on so long that adven-
  turing through it becomes frustrating.
   
  For those that might not remember the bizarre end-
  game against Acererak, he could be harmed in only the 
  following ways:
   
  ! A forget spell will force the skull to sink down 
  without taking away a soul. 
   
  ! Each shatter spell thrown at it inflicts 10 hp of 
  damage. 
   
  ! A power word, kill pronounced from an astral or 
  ethereal magic-user will destroy it. 
   
  ! Only a fighter with a vorpal blade, a ranger with 
  a sword of sharpness, +5, or vorpal weapon, or a pala-
  din with the like or even a +4 weapon can inflict 
  damage upon the skull. 
   
  ! An exorcise spell will cause it to sink as a forget does. 
   
  ! A dispel evil spell inflicts 5 h.p. of damage. 
   
  ! A holy word pronounced against it will inflict 20 
  h.p. of damage. 
   
  ! A thief slinging one of the large gems found in 
  the crypt will inflict 1 h.p. of damage per 10,000 
  g.p. of value, i.e. 1, 5, o r 10 h.p. damage, but the 
  gem is thereby shattered and even misses must be 
  saved for versus a crushing blow or the gem is shat-
  tered from hitting a crypt wall. 
  Q: The original Acererak was almost more of a hazard 
  than a monster; any thoughts on the bizarre ways to 
  damage him in the past vs. the current mechanics of 
  the game?
  Bruce: That’s funny because when I first played, then 
  DMed this module, I didn’t think of it as bizarre--I just 
  accepted it. Probably because I was 13 and what wasn’t 
  bizarre to me then? I could guess because I don’t know 
  how these particular ways to harm the skull in the 
  original Tomb of Horrors came to be, but perhaps these 
  are what the players in Gary’s game first did, trying 
  anything to hurt this monster he put at the end of his 
  dungeon, and afterward he hardcoded what they had 
  done into the module. But, as I said, that’s a guess.
  Q: How did you develop the concept of a demilich over 
  time?
  Bruce: Many people helped develop it over time. In 
  Return to the Tomb of Horrors (a 2nd Edition product) I 
  postulated the original skull was actually a construct 
  that an actual (more powerful) demilich created to serve 
  as the keystone of his horrific tomb. That distinction 
  was lost in Epic Level Handbook (a 3rd Edition product) 
  or at least not touched on. However, in Open Grave (yes, 
  a 4th Edition D&D product), I propose a similar set of 
  creatures--construct and actual demilich.
  Q: When creating Return to the Tomb of Horrors, what 
  did you develop about Acererak from his original 
  appearance in Tomb of Horrors and why?
  Bruce: I developed an entire backstory for Acererak 
  that wasn’t included the original Tomb of Horrors by Gary 
  Gygax for two reasons. One, Return to the Tomb of Horrors 
  was a boxed set and I had room to do so, and two, because 
  discovering Acererak’s backstory and future plans set the 
  stage for all that occurred in RtToH. I developed his ori-
  gins as a persecuted tiefling child to his development as a 
  wizard and priest of Orcus, to his creation of his tomb that 
  was actually a test to winnow souls, to his final Fortress 
  of Conclusion. The wording in the original Tomb, “(...) his 
  soul roamed strange planes unknown to even the wisest 
  of sages,” is what gave me leeway to create the City of Moil 
  and his Fortress of Conclusion where he hoped to... well, 
  see below. 
  Q: Those “strange planes” then became the Negative 
  Energy Plane. What was Acererak’s connection to this 
  plane altered over time?
  Bruce: Acererak was performing a years long ritual 
  whose components included a critical number of 
  reaped souls. When the ritual was complete, he would 
  become one with the Negative Energy Plane and gain 
  a connection with undead everywhere. Now, with the 
  updated cosmology of 4th Edition D&D, I imagine the 
  Fortress of Conclusion might well sit somewhere in the 
  Shadowfell, as Moil does.
  Q: In 3rd Edition, Acererak did not exactly make a tri-
  umphant reappearance. A construct version existed in 
  the Tomb of Horrors revision, while other references to 
  him (such as the Prison of Castle Perilous adventure) in 
  fact stated that his tomb had, in effect, been solved and 
  Acererak defeated. In Tome of Magic, he appears merely 
  as a vestige….
  Bruce: I suppose it was in homage to Acererak, with 
  the feeling that he hadn’t succeeded in what he had 
  attempted in RtToH. In 4th Edition, he’s not a vestige.
  Q: So Acererak has returned?
  Bruce: Acererak will appear in Open Grave, and Moil is 
  described in Manual of the Planes.
  The False Demilich Trap
  As a final tribute to Acererak and the spirit (no pun 
  intended) of the original Tomb of Horrors, we offer the 
  following new trap. The original Acererak could only 
  
  D & D  A L U M N I
  D & D A L U M N I
  66
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  be defeated through a bizarre hodgepodge of ways; 
  and so in the following trap, a false demilich can be 
  employed to guard over a treasure vault against play-
  ers who perhaps enjoy a riddle or puzzle as much as a 
  combat encounter and are no strangers to finding suc-
  cess through experimentation. Are the countermeasures 
  obscure? Most certainly. Are they fair? Well, Tomb of 
  Horrors seemed never intended to be fair… at least, so far 
  as its survivors have commonly judged.
   
  As a DM, feel free to add your own countermeasures 
  (an ethereal or astral magic-user casting power word kill 
  can not exactly be recreated at present time) to the list 
  below. As for the players puzzling them out, you might 
  warn them in advance about rumors of the demilich, 
  with a Consult Mystic Sages or Consult Oracle ritual, or 
  sufficiently high skill check, revealing one known coun-
  termeasure per success ahead of time. You might also 
  place appropriate magic items to help along the way or 
  in the vault itself; the original version conveniently had 
  three sufficiently valued gems in the vault for a cunning 
  (or desperate) thief to sling. Alternatively, as Bruce points 
  out above, which came first—player experimentation or 
  the preset means of defeating Acererak? Instead of pre-
  determining the countermeasures, you might also allow 
  for partial success based on the creativity of your players’ 
  attempts (not that this doesn’t make good advice in most 
  circumstances).
  False Demilich 
  Level 26 Solo Blaster
  Trap 
  XP 45,000
  A pile of dust and bones rises into the air, shaping into a 
  roughly humanoid form; a skull atop the form—set with 
  rubies for eyes and pointed diamonds for teeth—slowly 
  scans all those before it.
  Trap: This jewel-studded skull is often placed within 
  the center of a treasure vault, disguised as part of its 
  riches. When a creature steps within 5 squares of the 
  false demilich, it rises into the air and starts draining 
  souls into its soul gems.
  Perception
  ! DC 25: The character spots the jewel-studded skull.
  Additional Skill: Religion
  ! DC 31: The character knows of demiliches: an 
  animated skull festooned with costly gems, which 
  gleam wickedly with the light of trapped souls. 
  Despite the implication of its name, a demilich is 
  more deadly than a normal lich.
  Additional Skills: Arcana, Thievery
  ! DC 34: The character recognizes the skull as a 
  false demilich, understanding that it make use of a 
  demilich’s soul gems.
  Initiative +13
  Trigger
  When a creature moves within 5 squares of the false 
  demilich, it rolls initiative and attacks.
  Attack
  Standard Action
  Ranged 5
  Target: One creature, preferentially targeting an arcane, 
  primal, martial, or divine character (in that order), or 
  any character that last caused it damage.
  Attack: +25 vs. Fortitude
  Hit: The target is dazed and restrained (save ends both). 
  First Failed Saving Throw: The target is instead stunned 
  and restrained (save ends both). Second Failed Saving 
  Throw: The target dies, their physical body collapses 
  in a mass of corruption and molders away, and its 
  soul is trapped in one of the false demilich’s soul gems 
  until the false demilich is destroyed; see also the 
  “Fate of Drained Souls” sidebar (Open Grave pg. 201).
  Special: The false demilich’s six soul gems can each hold 
  the soul of one of its victims. When the false demilich 
  is destroyed, each soul gem must succeed on a saving 
  throw or be destroyed as well (along with the soul it 
  contains). Crushing a surviving soul gem after the false 
  demilich is destroyed releases the soul to a material 
  body within 2 squares, if one is available to receive 
  it (a simulacrum, a clone, or a soulless body of some 
  sort), or else the soul is released into the Shadowfell. 
  Surviving gems can be recovered: the two jewels set 
  into the eye sockets (5,000 gp rubies), and its soul 
  gems, 6 pointed (marquis cut) diamonds set as teeth 
  in the jaw (each diamond worth 500 gp).
  Countermeasures
  A character might attack the false demilich (AC 33, 
  other defenses 32; hp 50), but only certain specific 
  actions will affect it, as follows:
  ! A martial character using a vorpal weapon or a sword 
  drawn from a sapphire scabbard, a paladin using a 
  +4 or better magic weapon, or any character using a 
  holy avenger can attack the false demilich and inflict 
  damage as normal on a successful hit.
  ! A rogue using a gem (including astral diamonds) as 
  a sling stone inflicts 1 damage per 10,000 gp value 
  of the stone on a successful hit. On a hit, the gem 
  shatters. On a miss, the gem must succeed on a 
  saving throw, also shattering on failure.
  ! Successful use of the following items or powers 
  do not cause damage as normal but instead inflict 
  5 damage to the false demilich: warlock’s eyebite, 
  cleric’s sacred word, an item or power with the 
  thunder keyword, or an item or power with both the 
  divine and radiant keywords.
  ! Successful use of a cleric’s command or purify, 
  a wizard’s confusion, or a ring of forgetful touch 
  will cause the false demilich to sink down without 
  attacking. It can still be triggered again as normal.
  About the Authors
  Bart Carroll is loathsome beyond description and has no 
  redeeming features. His body resembles that of a huge, bloated 
  buffalo and gives off an offensive odor. The author’s neck is 
  long and thin, and perched atop it is a big head uglier than that 
  of a warthog. His legs are thick and stumpy, much like a hippo-
  potamus. The author’s tail is strong and snakey, however, and 
  moves with amazing swiftness to strike enemies.
  Steve Winter is a writer, game designer, and web producer living 
  in the Seattle area. He’s been involved with publishing D&D in 
  one form or another since 1981. Tiny people and monsters made 
  of plastic and lead are among his favorite obsessions.
  
  68
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  R P G A  R E P O R T
  L
  Leaping Into the 
  Leaping Into the 
  New Year
  New Year
  There’s Excitement on the Horizon
  BY CHRIS TULACH
  2008 has come and gone, and the next few months 
  look to be pretty busy around here at Organized Play. 
  Here’s what’s on tap for the near future; for more 
  information on all of our upcoming projects, visit the 
  RPGA website at www.wizards.com/rpga.
  DM Rewards
  Since 2003, the RPGA has offered a Rewards pro-
  gram for its membership. You’d sign up, play or DM 
  some games, and get swag. We traditionally offered 
  alternate paint minis for DMs and Rewards cards (a 
  cardstock dollar-bill-sized card that unlocked cam-
  paign options or gave your character a little edge at 
  RPGA games) for both players and DMs. While this 
  program worked pretty well for us, we decided to 
  revamp it after some careful consideration.
   
  We decided, after long discussions, that we’d focus 
  our efforts for the new program on DMs. A good DM 
  is hard to find, and they put in a lot of work to enter-
  tain a group for hours. We felt that they needed a 
  boost in the utility and function of their rewards. At 
  the same time, we recognized that the players were 
  satisfied with their existing reward, the Rewards 
  cards, but we wanted to make the cards a little more 
  available than they currently are. In the RPGA, a 
  very large majority of the players signed up for our 
  Rewards program do DM games with some degree 
  of frequency, so we made the decision to meld our 
  player and DM programs into one program with the 
  emphasis on DMs.
   
  At the beginning of this year, we converted the 
  old D&D Rewards program to the DM Rewards 
  program. All existing members of the old system 
  are automatically enrolled in the new one. You get 
  rewarded for two things in the new program: keep-
  ing your contact information current and DMing 
  games. It’s pretty simple. Just for being a part of 
  the program, you receive a new, high-quality, full 
  illustrations by Eric L. Williams
  
  69
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  R P G A  R E P O R T
  adventure created specifically for the DM Rewards 
  program each year. In addition, if you DM and 
  report five games during a six-month cycle, you’ll get 
  mailed another bit of swag. We’re going to change 
  up what you’ll receive often, so you’ll never get tired 
  of the same old sorts of rewards. We’re looking at 
  giving DMs something that they can actually use 
  either at their game table or while prepping for 
  their game—stuff like exclusive Dungeon Tiles, spe-
  cial artwork binders, full-color poster maps of cool 
  encounter areas, and exclusive monsters or traps.
   
  But we’re not getting rid of the cards. Instead, 
  we’re sort of killing two birds with one stone. You 
  see, conventions have been asking for different 
  means of support over the past few years, and while 
  there are still other plans in the works, we decided 
  to offer the Rewards cards through our convention 
  support program. Starting in March, organizers with 
  a show that purchases an RPG prize support pack 
  will receive 20 Rewards cards for each pack pur-
  chased. The organizer can distribute the cards to the 
  show attendees. If you’re not a convention-goer but 
  you want your cards, you can still get all the cards 
  the easy way—we’ll periodically put up a locked PDF 
  with images of all the cards that were distributed 
  to the shows, printable and legal for use in RPGA 
  games. As long as you’re part of the DM Rewards 
  program, you’ll receive a password to unlock the file, 
  and you’re all set!
   
  Now is a great time to take advantage of the new 
  program and get behind the DM screen a little more 
  often. If you know someone that hasn’t taken the 
  plunge into DMing yet, give that player a little nudge, 
  and they might just thank you for it down the road.
  Winter Conventions
  I’ll be at our two back-to-back shows in late January 
  and early February, where we’ll be showing off some 
  of our upcoming products and have some great game 
  offerings. First off, D&D Experience takes place in Fort 
  Wayne, Indiana from January 29 to February 1. As 
  usual, we’ll have bunches of the latest RPGA adven-
  tures to play, product previews, and access to Wizards 
  R&D staff. This year, however, we’re also expanding 
  our seminar schedule, giving attendees a new one 
  each day. The seminars will range in topics from 
  adventure design to product Q&A and will be hosted 
  by Wizards staff. Look for lots of great, hands-on 
  information about Player’s Handbook 2 at the show.
   
  At New York Comic Con (running February 6-8), 
  Wizards will be attending the East Coast’s largest 
  comic-themed show, and we’ll have a separate gaming 
  hall just for our games. Wizards R&D staff will be 
  there to run games and give sneak peeks at the new 
  products. We’re featuring a Mystery Dungeon Chal-
  lenge event on Saturday night, which gives DMs a 
  chance to show off what they can do with their own 
  4th Edition adventures.
   
  If you’re in the gaming hall at either of these 
  shows, be sure to stop and say hello. As long as I’m not 
  running around on fire, feel free to bend my ear for a 
  few minutes.
  2009 Game Days
  That’s right, this year it’s game days—we’re doing at 
  least three, based around the release of the “twos”—
  Player’s Handbook 2, Monster Manual 2, and Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide 2. The first one, Player’s Handbook 2, is 
  coming up quick. We’ll give you a brand-new paragon 
  tier adventure to play and 11th-level characters using 
  options from Player’s Handbook 2 (and other upcoming 
  books); just bring yourself and some dice to get in on 
  the action! Mark your calendars for March 21, and 
  make sure that you check with your local play spot to 
  ensure they sign up to participate. More information 
  on this and the other game day events later in the 
  year will be posted on the RPGA site in February.
  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 RPGA Content Designer, 
  responsible for the development and deployment of DUN-
  GEONS & DRAGONS® organized play programs.
  
  A M P E R S A N D
  A M P E R S A N D
  70
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  In this edition of “&,” we’re going to imag-
  ine what 2009 might bring as far as 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is concerned, and 
  we’ll get a sneak peek at a project that I’m 
  working on, namely E1: Death’s Reach. 
  Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 
  2009? Wow. When I was growing up and 
  first getting into D&D, the 2000s were so far 
  away. They were science fiction! Now, here we are, 
  living in the future. I’ve got just one question: Where’s 
  our hover cars? Well, actually, I’m glad we don’t have 
  hover cars yet. Judging by the way the rest of you drive, 
  we’re not quite ready for them. Maybe some day…
   
  But we are ready for a look ahead. What will 2009 
  bring for D&D Insider and the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
  brand? I’m here to let you in on a few secrets and to 
  give you some inside information. Straight from the 
  R&D Director’s chair, as it were.
  2009: Year of the 2s
  The upcoming year revolves around our core rules 
  expansions. In March, Player’s Handbook 2 hits the 
  shelves. If you’ve been following the previews here at 
  D&D Insider, then you know that this volume expands 
  the material for D&D players by adding the primal 
  power source and providing new classes, including the 
  barbarian, bard, druid, and shaman. Everyone around 
  the office is excited and thrilled by this book. It really 
  shows the promise and potential of the new rules set.
   
  In May, look for Monster Manual 2, which adds an 
  amazing collection of new creatures and old favorites 
  into your encounter-building arsenal. 
   
  In September, Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 provides 
  an array of new material for DMs, including updated 
  skill challenge rules, more traps and hazards, lots of 
  information for crafting and running paragon-tier 
  adventures, and a paragon-tier city that you can drop 
  into any D&D campaign. What city? None other than 
  Sigil, City of Doors! What better locale to launch your 
  paragon-tier adventures from than the city that con-
  nects to everywhere? We have a lot of respect and fond 
  memories of Planescape and Sigil, and a number of us 
  still in the department worked on that setting back in 
  the day (myself included). So it is with great pride and 
  enthusiasm that I announce the return of Sigil to the 
  core of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. I can’t wait for you to 
  see the place! This section alone makes Dungeon Mas-
  ter’s Guide 2 a great product, but it’s only the icing on 
  the cake. We’ll talk more in future columns.
  2009: Year of D&D Insider
  We start off the new year with D&D Insider up and 
  running. Dragon Magazine, Dungeon Magazine, and 
  the D&D Compendium have provided the core of the 
  experience thus far, and we have great things in the 
  works to make these components even more compel-
  ling in the year ahead. But it doesn’t stop there. In 
  very short order, the D&D Character Builder goes live, 
  featuring 30-levels of material for every character class 
  in the game. And just like the D&D Compendium, the 
  D&D Character Builder gets updated in real time. As 
  new products or magazine articles add to the rules set, 
  these programs will keep up with the new content.
   
  After that… well, we’re working on that. We had grand 
  plans and we were overly ambitious in what could actu-
  ally be accomplished in the time we had. We don’t want 
  to overextend or overpromise anymore. We’re going to 
  finish the D&D Character Builder, then take stock of where 
  we are and what we can and should concentrate on next. 
  Things are in the works, and I look forward to the day 
  when the whole grand plan comes together. But we’ll be 
  more realistic in our goals and timelines moving forward. 
  I’ll talk more about this in the weeks and months ahead, 
  both here and in Digital Insider.
   
  That said, I do promise that as a D&D Insider you’ll 
  get exclusive content for your D&D game. You’ll 
  get to play with new material before anyone else, in 
  most cases months or even a year or more before the 
  content is published. You’ll hear about new products, 
  new concepts, new campaign worlds before anyone 
  else, because that’s part of the benefit of being a D&D 
  Insider. Stick around. It’s going to be a great year.
  Looking Ahead
  Looking Ahead
  by Bill Slavicsek
  by Bill Slavicsek
   
  In September, Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 provides an 
  array of new material for DMs, including updated skill chal-
  lenge rules, more traps and hazards, lots of information for 
  crafting and running paragon-tier adventures, and a para-
  gon-tier city that you can drop into any D&D campaign.
  
  A M P E R S A N D
  A M P E R S A N D
  71
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  2009: Year of Eberron
  This is also the year that we bring the EBERRON campaign 
  setting into 4th Edition. This summer is all about EBER-
  RON, with the release of the EBERRON Campaign Guide, 
  EBERRON Player’s Guide, and the Seekers of the Ashen Crown
  adventure. As one of the co-creators of the original EBER-
  RON campaign setting, and as one of the key people 
  behind selecting EBERRON when we ran the campaign 
  search a few years back, the world of pulp fantasy and 
  adventure is very special to me. It’s an exciting place, full 
  of amazing new ways to look at a D&D campaign. By 
  bringing the setting into 4th Edition, we’re reinvesting 
  in this world that’s caught between the Last War and an 
  uncertain future. If you haven’t checked out EBERRON, or 
  if you’ve been away from EBERRON for awhile, then this is 
  the summer for you. And like every D&D setting, you can 
  play it as is or you can borrow elements to add to whatever 
  campaign you’re playing in. Warforged and artificers can 
  and should show up in any D&D game.
  2009: The Year of D&D
  Those are some of the big-ticket items associated with 
  the brand for 2009, but they are by no means all that 
  you’ll find as the year rolls out. Next time, we’ll look 
  at some of the other D&D products coming out this 
  year, as well as some D&D novels to watch for, and 
  maybe even a few other surprises. I always keep a few 
  of those around to spruce up every column.
   
  As you think about the coming year, and whatever 
  resolutions you might make, think about adding this 
  one to the pile. Resolve to introduce a new player to 
  D&D this year. You’ll enrich that new player’s life, 
  and you might just make a new friend along the way. 
  SNEAK PEEK
  SNEAK PEEK
  The adventure E1: Death’s Reach allows adventurers 
  to get a glimpse of the terror and wonder that was the 
  Dawn War—the battle for creation between the gods 
  and the primordials. Along the way, the adventurers 
  encounter a few of the most terrible weapons of war 
  unleashed by both sides. Here’s an example:
  Astral Warwing
  In the Dawn War, the gods created glorious con-
  structs called astral warwings and other astral war 
  engines to fill out their armies and counter the cha-
  otic creations of the primordials. The warwings were 
  used to break enemy formations and fortifications, 
  and to bolster units of living soldiers. Modeled after 
  the angels that were the first servants of the gods, the 
  astral warwings are sometimes mistaken for mem-
  bers of the angelic host. 
   
  Astral warwings all have a similar appearance, with 
  modifications based on role and mission. The standard 
  astral warwing is a mace-wielding soldier, while other 
  warwings are designed as ranged artillery, brutal 
  engines of destruction, elite command and control 
  centers, and even solo battle wings designed to take on 
  huge numbers of enemies all by themselves.
   
  Astral warwings follow their orders to the letter. 
  Without a recognized commander in the field, a war-
  wing will continue to act on its last set of orders for as 
  long as it is able.
   
  In the current age, these astral warwings can still 
  be encountered. Some are still used in divine domin-
  ions, and some have been captured and put to use in 
  other planes. Still others, however, were lost among 
  the planes and can show up in unexpected places.
  Astral Warwing 
  Level 23 Soldier
  Large immortal animate (construct) 
  XP 5,100
  Initiative +20 Senses Perception +18
  HP 214; Bloodied 107
  Regeneration 10 (if the astral warwing takes necrotic damage, 
  regeneration does not function until the end of its next turn)
  AC 39; Fortitude 35, Reflex 35, Will 35
  Immune disease, poison, sleep
  Speed fly 8 (hover)
  m Astral Mace (standard; at-will) ! Lightning, Radiant, 
  Weapon
   
  Reach 2; +30 vs. AC; 2d12 + 6 lightning and radiant 
  damage, and target is marked until the end of astral 
  warwing’s next turn.
  c Mace Sweep (standard; recharge 5 6) ! Lightning, 
  Radiant, Weapon
   
  Close blast 2; +28 vs. AC; 2d12 + 6 lightning and radiant 
  damage, and target is dazed until the end of astral 
  warwing’s next turn.
  Combat Vigilance
   
  If a target that the astral warwing has marked shifts or 
  makes an attack that does not include the astral warwing, 
  the astral warwing can make an astral mace attack as a free 
  action against that target.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages telepathy 20
  Str 25 (+18) 
  Dex Dex 24 (+18) 
  Wis 24 (+18)
  Con 22 (+17) 
  Int 8 (+10) 
  Cha 8 (+10)
  Astral Warwing Tactics
  An astral warwing flies into battle, using its astral 
  mace attack to take down enemies one at a time, or 
  switching to its mace sweep when multiple targets are 
  available and when the power has recharged. An 
  astral warwing remains in the midst of a battle, using 
  its ability to mark its enemies to contain and lock 
  down its opponents for as long as possible.
  The warwings were used to break enemy formations and 
  fortiﬁ cations, and to bolster units of living soldiers.
  
  A M P E R S A N D
  A M P E R S A N D
  72
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Astral Warwing Bombardier 
  Level 24 Artillery
  Large immortal animate (construct) 
  XP 6,050
  Initiative +22 Senses Perception +19
  HP 175; Bloodied 87
  Regeneration 10 (if the astral warwing takes necrotic damage, 
  regeneration does not function until the end of its next turn)
  AC 36; Fortitude 36; Reflex 39; Will 36
  Immune disease, poison, sleep
  Speed fly 8 (hover)
  R Astral Ray (standard; at-will) ! Fire, Radiant
   
  Ranged sight; +29 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 10 fire and radiant 
  damage.
  C Astral Burst (standard; at-will) ! Fire, Radiant
   
  Close burst 2; targets enemies; +27 vs. Fortitude; 3d4 + 
  10 fire and radiant damage, and the target is blinded (save 
  ends) and pushed 3 squares. Miss: Half damage, and the 
  target is pushed 1 square.
  A Astral Bombard (standard; recharge 5 6) ! Radiant
   
  Area burst 3 within sight; +27 vs. Reflex; 4d6 + 10 radiant 
  damage.
  A Final Bombard (when reduced to 0 hit points) ! Fire, 
  Radiant
   
  Area burst 3 within sight; +27 vs. Fortitude; 3d8 + 10 fire 
  and radiant damage, and the target is knocked prone.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages telepathy 20
  Str 25 (+19)  
  Dex 30 (+22)  
  Wis 25 (+19) 
  Con 25 (+19) 
  Int 6 (+10) 
  Cha 6 (+10)
  Astral Warwing 
  Bombardier Tactics
  An astral warwing bombardier flies over the battle, 
  launching its area and ranged attacks. It uses astral 
  burst to throw back melee attackers. When it knows 
  destruction is inevitable, it moves into position for a 
  final bombard.
  Astral Warwing Rager 
  Level 24 Brute
  Large immortal animate (construct) 
  XP 6,050
  Initiative +19 Senses Perception +18
  HP 275; Bloodied 137
  Regeneration 10 (if the astral warwing takes necrotic damage, 
  regeneration does not function until the end of its next turn)
  AC 36; Fortitude 39; Reflex 36; Will 35
  Immune disease, poison, sleep
  Speed fly 8 (hover)
  m Siege Flail (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +27 vs. AC; 2d12 + 10 damage, and the target is 
  knocked prone. If the target is prone, the target is dazed 
  until the end of the astral warwing’s next turn. 
  M Raging Assault (standard; at-will; warwing must be bloodied 
  to use this power) ! Weapon
   
  The astral warwing moves at half speed. It makes one siege 
  flail attack with each square of movement against an enemy 
  that comes within reach. It can make up to four attacks in 
  this way. If it comes within reach of a conjuration or zone, 
  it makes an attack: +25 vs. creator’s Will. On a hit, the 
  conjuration or zone is destroyed, and all its effects end. 
  The creator takes 1d10 + 6 psychic damage and is pulled 2 
  squares closer to the astral warwing. 
  C Raging Sweep (standard; recharge 5 6) ! Weapon
   
  Requires siege flail; close blast 3; +25 vs. AC; 2d12 + 10 
  damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares and knocked 
  prone.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages telepathy 20
  Str 30 (+22) 
  Dex 24 (+19) 
  Wis 22 (+18)
  Con 25 (+19) 
  Int 6 (+10) 
  Cha 6 (+10)
  Astral Warwing Rager Tactics
  The astral warwing rager wades in to attack with its 
  siege flail, crashing through enemy lines to outflank its 
  opponents. It then pounds foes with raging sweep. True 
  to its name, it becomes more deadly when it is blood-
  ied, going on a rampage with its raging assault power.
  Astral Warwing Commander Level 23 Elite Controller
  Huge immortal animate (construct) 
  XP 10,200
  Initiative +18 Senses Perception +18
  Commander’s Boon aura 10; astral warwings that start their 
  turn in the aura gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls.
  HP 418; Bloodied 209
  Regeneration 10 (if the astral warwing takes necrotic damage, 
  regeneration does not function until the end of its next turn)
  AC 37; Fortitude 35, Reflex 34, Will 34
  Immune disease, poison, sleep
  Saving Throws +2
  Speed fly 8 (hover)
  Action Points 1
  m Astral Blade (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +28 vs. AC; 2d10 + 8 damage, and the target is 
  pushed 3 squares.
  c Blade Sweep (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Close burst 3; +26 vs. AC; 2d10 + 8 damage, and target is 
  pushed 3 squares.
  R Astral Target (minor 1/round; at-will)
   
  Ranged sight; +27 vs. Reflex; the target is illuminated in astral 
  fire, slowed, and takes an additional 1d10 + 8 damage from 
  attacks made against it by astral warwings (save ends both).
  A Clearing Burst (standard; at-will) ! Psychic
   
  Area burst 2 within sight; +27 vs. Will; 2d8 + 7 psychic 
  damage. In addition, this power targets any conjuration or 
  zone in the burst; +27 vs. creator’s Will; conjuration or zone 
  is destroyed, all its effects end, and its creator is dazed (save 
  ends).
  C Astral Thunder (standard; encounter) ! Thunder, Radiant
   
  Close blast 5; targets enemies; +25 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 7 
  thunder and radiant damage, and the target is deafened 
  and blinded (save ends both), and knocked prone. Miss: Half 
  damage, and the target is deafened (save ends), but not 
  blinded or knocked prone.
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages telepathy 20
  Str 27 (+19) 
  Dex 24 (+18) 
  Wis 24 (+18)
  Con 23 (+17) 
  Int 12 (+12) 
  Cha 12 (+12)
  
  A M P E R S A N D
  A M P E R S A N D
  73
  Januar y 2009  |  DR AGON 371
  Astral Warwing Commander Tactics
  The astral warwing commander leads each battle 
  with its commander’s boon aura, then selects targets for 
  other warwings with its astral target ability, which it 
  uses each round to increase damage against its oppo-
  nents. It uses either blade sweep or clearing burst each 
  round, depending on how close its opponents are. It 
  saves its astral thunder power for when it has multiple 
  powerful enemies ganging up on it.
  Astral Warwing Vanguard
  Level 23 Solo Brute
  Huge immortal animate (construct) 
  XP 25,500
  Initiative +17 Senses Perception +17
  HP 1,052; Bloodied 526
  Regeneration 10 (if the astral warwing takes necrotic damage, 
  regeneration does not function until the end of its next turn)
  AC 35; Fortitude 36, Reflex 35, Will 35
  Immune disease, poison, sleep
  Saving Throws +5
  Speed fly 6 (hover)
  Action Points 2
  m Astral Waraxe (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  Reach 3; +26 vs. AC; 2d10 + 8 damage and the target is 
  pushed 1 square. If the warwing is bloodied, the damage 
  increases to 3d10 + 8.
  Double Attack (standard; at-will) ! Weapon
   
  The astral warwing makes two astral waraxe attacks.
  M Triple Attack (standard; at-will; warwing must be bloodied to 
  use this power) ! Weapon
   
  The astral warwing makes three astral waraxe attacks.
  M Vanguard Vengeance (immediate reaction when hit by an 
  area or ranged attack; encounter; recharges when first 
  bloodied) ! Teleportation, Weapon
   
  The astral warwing teleports up to 20 squares to end 
  adjacent to the attacker and then make an astral waxaxe 
  attack against the attacker.
  M Vanguard Assault (standard; at-will; warwing must be 
  bloodied to use this power) ! Weapon
   
  The astral warwing moves its speed. It makes one astral waraxe 
  attack with each square of movement against an enemy that 
  comes within reach. It can make up to six attacks in this way. 
  Alignment Unaligned 
  Languages telepathy 20
  Str 28 (+18) 
  Dex 22 (+17) 
  Wis 22 (+17)
  Con 23 (+17) 
  Int 8 (+10)  
  Cha 6 (+9)
  Astral Warwing 
  Vanguard Tactics
  The astral warwing vanguard is saved to send into the 
  most dangerous battles, where it operates as an army 
  unto itself, making multiple attacks each round.
  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 proj-
  ect, 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.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 4th Edition/Dragon/Dragon_371.pdf