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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Jan 11, 2004 - 11:15 PM |
 
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Just thought we should establish a place to keep info (i.e. Updates,
Comments by Bob, Luke, and the other developers, and miscellanious
URLs of note) for quick reference and to keep it from being displaced
by other forum posts.
Hence the Archive. This is what I've got so far. Feel free to add.
E-zine Submission Address:
[email protected]
Livejournal Address:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/warcraftrpg
DaveMeister's Character Sheets:
http://www.geocities.com/davmeister84/Horde.zip
http://www.geocities.com/davmeister84/Alliance.zip
http://www.geocities.com/davmeister/NElf.zip
Christmas update by Fiery_Mike:
MAGIC & MAYHEM
I handed this one over to the editor last week; next, some time
starting in January, it will go into layout, proofing, and finally
off to the printers.
I'm very excited about this future release. The writers all did
superb work, and it will probably establish itself quickly as an
essential supplement for Warcraft RPG campaigns. Moreover, I believe
it will attract non-WarRPG d20 players ... because it's all about
crunchy goodness. 
M&M is scheduled to be a 192-page hardcover and to release in Spring
2004. It focuses on magic and technology, and it breaks down like so:
* Chapter One discusses the various forms of magic in more detail,
most prominently offering a variant rule system for handling arcane
corruption and introducing rune magic.
* Chapter Two details a new core class (the runemaster), 8 new
prestige classes (bombardier, engineer, graven one, tauren
spiritwalker, shadow hunter, steamwarrior, warden, and witch
doctor), and several new feats.
* Chapter Three is all about new spells. After this chapter, we'll
have nearly everything from the computer games translated into the
RPG.
* Chapter Four is all about magic items, most of them adapted from
the computer games but some of them new (orc banners and pandaren
brews, anyone?).
* Chapter Five gives some additional rules for tech device creation,
including malfunction effects, and then provides a comprehensive
(and truly inventive) catalogue of tech devices.
* The Appendix gives the stats for several constructs, such as the
harvest golem and junk golem -- the ultimate merger between magic
and technology.
Watch for more information about M&M as it nears release!
LANDS OF CONFLICT
The writers are finishing up their final drafts, and then I'll spend
a few weeks putting the full manuscript together. I believe that
you'll be extremely pleased with this book, as it's packed with
nearly all you need for running campaigns in the eastern continents.
LoC has a chapter on campaigning in earlier eras of Azeroth, which
also includes a very detailed timeline. The continents of Azeroth,
Khaz Modan, and Lordaeron have their own chapters. Then we have a
chapter providing adventures set in the three continents, an
appendix describing several organizations (i.e., Cult of the Damned,
Explorers' Guild, Stormwind Assassins, and more), and finally an
appendix of new rules (prestige classes, monsters, and other such
stuff). The continent chapters will also have sidebars detailing
units with mass combat stats using the rules from A&H, as well as
sidebars with stats for significant NPCs.
LoC is scheduled to be a 192-page hardcover and to release in Summer
2004.
SHADOWS & LIGHT
We're just into first drafts for this future release, but I can give
you a glimpse of what it will include.
We've got a chapter on "epic" Warcraft -- giving all the goods for
taking Warcraft core and prestige classes to epic levels, including
a slew of completely new epic feats (designed by the Grinning Loony
himself, Luke Johnson). There's a chapter giving the stats and
background for several legendary heroes and villains (Orgrim! Uther!
Gul'dan! ... and more), a chapter on divine and semi-divine powers
of Azeroth (deities of the night elves, the dragon Aspects, the
titans, and others), and then a couple of chapters on cosmology and
the different planes of existence. S&L, then, takes your Warcraft
game to epic levels and beyond Azeroth to the planes where dwell the
universe's most powerful entities.
Behind the scenes, so to speak, we're also doing some very
intriguing design stuff. For instance, Bob Fitch has developed a
template for creating divine-like beings in Warcraft, what we will
be calling "Eternals." He's also devised a "Guardians of Tirisfal"
template, because, well, we must give the stats for Medivh....
S&L is scheduled to be a 160-page softcover and to release in Fall
2004.
BobFitch on the Lich KIng:
=== Ner'zhul ===
Fighter 1
He sensed a spiritual connection in himself.
Healer 4
He continued his spiritual advancement.
Shaman 10
He was corrupted by fel magic. Through epic power he was turned from
a 15th level character directly into a 35th level Lich. He acquired
20 levels of specialist Wizard and the Lich template at the same
time. Can’t get that with some ordinary wish eh!? =P
=== Arthas ===
Fighter 5
Healer 1
Paladin Warrior 10
Fighter 6
Somewhere near the end he acquired Frostmourne and lost his Paladin
Warrior levels. Like a Blackguard, they were converted to Death
Knight levels. (However, you should know there was no DK prestige
class at the time. I made it up. But what I made was not what we’re
going to publish because the real author of the DK was already at
work on it when I needed to make up the class for Arthas. I don’t
really care though because that Arthas was not going to be published.
I only needed a DK Arthas version for the “combination step” that
produced the new and improved Lich King.)
Technically there were some additional levels added to Arthas after
acquiring Frostmourne because he was gaining energy from Ner’zhul in
an epic, undocumented, story-driven manner. He started to weaken as
Ner’zhul weakened, but got all the power back again and more as he
neared the Frozen Throne. When he faced Illidan at the end, Illidan
had already been weakened through battle throughout days of battle
with Arthas’ undead forced, and Arthas had some “fake” levels
acquired from Frostmourne and his proximity to Ner’zhul. Arthas was
still a bit lower (almost 30 maybe) level but Illidan was nearly
spent. It was a pretty close fight.
Lich King
I combined the Ner’zhul and DK Arthas characters I had created by
stacking their levels. Arthas’ Ftr6 and Ner’zhul’s Ftr1 becamse Ftr7.
Hlr4 plus Hlr1 became Hlr5. Arthas’ DK levels were transferred
directly. Ner’zhul’s Necromancer and Shaman levels were transferred
directly.
Bob Fitch on Illidan's template:
Creating a Skull Demon
“Skull Demon” is an acquired template that can be added to any
creature with Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma scores of at least
3. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) uses
all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as
noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s type changes to Outsider with the
Demonic and Evil subtypes. Do not recalculate base attack bonus or
saves. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice and Hit Points: The base creature’s Hit Dice are increased
to at least d8. New Hit Dice that would normally be less than d8 are
increased to d8 as well. Hit Dice that are d8 or better already are
unaffected.
Speed: A skull demon grows demonic wings. Unless the base creature
has a better fly speed, the creature can fly with a speed of 50 and
average maneuverability.
Armor Class: The base creature’s hide thickens with demon flesh. Its
natural armor improves to at least +10, if not already +10 or better.
Special Attacks: A skull demon retains all the special attacks of
the base creature and gains the following special attacks.
—Demon Form (Ex): See the Manual of Monsters. Duration is 3 + Cha
modifier rounds. (The MoM seems to have a typo. My notes say Illidan
is 14 rounds, not 25. Errata!)
—Fel Blast (Ex): See the Manual of Monsters. Caster level is
character level (max 20). The saving throw is ½ HD + adjusted Cha
modifier.
Special Qualities: A skull demon has all the special qualities of
the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
—Demonic traits (see the Manual of Monsters).
—Outsider traits.
—Damage reduction 10/good.
—Resistance to acid 20 and cold 20.
—Spell resistance 10+HD (max 30).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +8, Dex
+4, Con +6, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +4.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Alignment: Always evil (any).
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +9.
Luke Johnson's Original Troll Stats:
+2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Int. Trolls are wiry and quick, but their primitive
culture has not allowed for much intellectual stimulation.
Low-light vision
+1 attack bonus with thrown weapons. Trolls are skilled hunters and
are particularly fond of the javelin and the throwing axe.
+2 racial bonus to Survival checks. Survival is a class skill for all
troll characters.
Rapid Healing (Ex). Trolls heal very quickly. A troll character
recovers a number of hit points equal to his Constitution modifier
every hour. Trolls can train to improve this natural ability even
further. (Though I did not actually design any feats to this effect.)
Favored class: Barbarian.
LA +0
Conversation on Eternals:
Undead: So there will be a class known as Eternals, any information on them?
Taelohn:From what I understand: not a class, but a template for 'divine' beings, like the titans.
Luke Johnson:Taelohn is correct.
Undead:SO they are Divine beings...hmmm. Any history on them? like are they servants of the Titans?
Luke:"Eternal" basically means "demigod-like being." Anything in the warcraft world that one would consider demigod-like is an eternal.
Bob:What he said.
By the way, titans are not all Eternals. They are a powerful race of
which several happen to also be Eternals; the names you know... like
Sargeras.
Bob Fitch on runemasters:
They [runemasters] are not arcane spell casters, but their runes are
arcane-based
rather than divine-based. They are basically monks who inscribe
arcane runes on themselves, others, objects, etc. Arcane spell
casting is different.
Luke Johnson:
Lands of Conflict will include a few official Warcraft adventures.
Fiery_Mike on the Warcraft Line:
For those here who have praised the line and the setting, thank you.
For those here who feel let down by the first three books and are
convinced not to continue with the line, I'd like the chance to
convince you at least to give "Magic & Mayhem" a fair perusal once
it releases in April.
In many respects, I agree that elements in the first three books are
not satisfactory. While I probably shouldn't do this in the
interests of decorum and diplomacy, I'd like to give you a little
bit of history regarding the Warcraft RPG line. This history is not
meant to serve as an excuse; hopefully, it simply gives a bit of
context.
Midway through the editing of MoM and into final development of A&H,
S&SS decided to change the line developer (for various reasons). I
served as the editor for the core book and MoM, but during editing
(the final stage before a book goes to layout) there's little that
can be done with a book if serious issues arise. Keeping the details
vague, the first three books in the line ran into behind-the-scenes
problems that ultimately affected the final quantity and
presentation of the content. We did the best we could with MoM and
A&H considering the very short and tight deadlines we needed to keep
in order to meet release targets. Sadly, perhaps, those two books
did not realize their full potential -- but they are still good
books and represent the Warcraft universe extremely well.
If the developer from the start, would I have done things
differently? On the one hand, most certainly, merely because I'm a
different person with different ideas regarding how to go about
designing a book. On the other hand, with a book especially such as
A&H, I might have taken it in another direction, especially doing
stuff such as including some sample stats for mass combat units, and
who knows what else. (A&H had a bit of a tortured history,
originally planned to be much longer, but that's for another
day ....)
I do firmly believe that the game was given a wonderful and distinct
foundation by the original team. My job now, as I see it, involves
building upon and enhancing that foundation as much as possible to
create a game *as a whole* that really gives folks a complete and
exciting setting. Just to clarify, Warcraft *is* ultimately a D&D
setting at its very heart, even in the RTS games: its creators are
longtime D&D players, and the RPG's influence upon the RTS game
should be apparent to any who play the two. The Warcraft RPG was
not "bent" into classic D&D: it always already lived very much in
that tradition. Rather, the original team needed to make the
Warcraft RPG setting a distinct entity within the tropes of classic
D&D, which it did admirably well, I might say.
The line, however, is most definitely looking up with "Magic &
Mayhem." This book is absolutely PACKED with crunchy goodness; in
fact, we ran somewhat over word count and will need to find ways to
fit everything in. M&M may just end up being one of the highlights
of d20 publishing in 2004 as a whole. You've got rules for arcane
corruption, an entire new form of magic (rune magic) supported by a
new core class and large selection of runes, prestige classes,
feats, spells, tech devices, constructs -- all of it firmly defining
the unique flavour of the Warcraft setting, but also offering
possibilities for v.3.5 players and DMs in general.
After M&M comes "Lands of Conflict," the first dedicated setting
supplement for the Warcraft RPG (though A&H did have a lot of
setting information, which is why I dispute any claims that the book
is only mass combat rules). This one will be packed with info as
well -- again, almost too much to fit within its prescribed page
count limit. You'll have a chapter on campaigning in earlier eras
that includes a very detailed timeline for the setting, chapters on
Azeroth and Khaz Modan and Lordaeron, a chapter of adventures, and
appendices detailing organizations (such as the Cult of the Damned)
and new rules (prestige classes, monsters, equipment, magic items,
feats).
I really believe that the next two books will be the highlights of
the line so far. (Then comes S&L, which may do very new things for
d20 as a whole.  ) Those intending to finish with the line may
just be missing out on its best parts yet. This is not to say that
what I've done is qualitatively better than the original developer
and team, only that at least now we're meeting our targets and even
giving readers more than the books should physically include.
I hate sounding like a salesperson, but I am honestly excited about
the next three entries in the line, and I hope that I can convince
those disappointed with it so far to give it a second (third?
fourth?) chance.
Nearing the release of M&M, I'll be posting some "teasers" from the
book so that you can see what it will offer. This practice will be
repeated for all future books in the line. At least in that way, you
might get a decent sense of what's to come before the books reach
stores.
I appreciate all criticisms of the line, and I really do listen to
them. In fact, comments about and criticisms of the line have
influenced some of my decisions about the shape and character of
books such as M&M, LoC, and "Shadows & Light." So, stick with us, we
may just impress you yet.
Take care,
Mike
Luke Johnson on DragonHawks and S&L:
Dragonhawks will not appear in M&M; they appear in a different
upcoming title. In fact, each book in production includes some new
monsters. Whether or not they include the specific ones you mentioned
I cannot say.
S&L includes lots of legendary characters, eternals (Warcraft
demigod-like beings) and so forth. That's pretty much what it's there
for. We obviously cannot fit every character from the Warcraft world
into it, but we are fitting in lots of them.
Fiery_Mike on Dragonhawks, Muradin, and More:
#1: Dragonhawks will appear in "Lands of Conflict," designed by the
grinning loony himself, Luke Johnson.
#2: Muradin Bronzebeard appears in S&L, yes. Queen Azshara does
also, as one of the eternals -- specifically, as one of the Ancients
of the night elves. No plans yet for Sunstrider to show up in future
books.
#3: S&L is still in the first draft stage, but it is slated to
include a section on the Twisting Nether that may detail or at least
mention new demons. I'll keep you updated as the project moves along.
Fiery_Mike on S&L Characters:
Here's the provisional list of legendary characters slated for
inclusion in S&L:
NPCs:
- Cairne Bloodhoof
- Muradin Bronzebeard
- Orgrim Doomhammer
- Gul'dan
- Grom Hellscream
- Khadgar
- Krasus (Korialstrasz)
- Uther Lightbringer
- Sir Anduin Lothar
- Medivh
- Jaina Proudmoore
- Rhonin
- Maiev Shadowsong
- Malfurion Stormrage
- Thrall
- Tyrande Whisperwind
- Alleria Windrunner
DEMONS:
- Archimonde the Defiler
- Kil'Jaeden the Deceiver
- Mannoroth the Destructor
- Tichondrius the Darkener
The NPCs will also be supported by a suite of new Epic feats
designed just for S&L. We arrived at the list above through a
process of discussion with the good folks at Blizzard, going with
the intention to give you the opportunity to use NPCs from different
eras -- in support of the chapter in "Lands of Conflict" that will
discuss campaigning in earlier eras of Warcraft.
So, if you don't like a book including a bunch of "dead" heroes,
you're quite welcome not to get S&L, even if those "dead" heroes
comprise only a relatively small portion of the book. Then again,
sadly, you'd also be missing out on the stats for the Dragon Aspects
and the Elemental Lords .... |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Jan 11, 2004 - 11:34 PM |
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Bob Fitch on Infernals:
Summon infernal is a 7th level spell basically like summon
monster VII, but it only summons an infernal. (A 9th level
version summons multiple infernals per casting.) These
spells are taught by a fairly secret race that resides in
the Twisting Nether. They construct the infernals in
veritable assembly lines primarily for their major
contractor, the Burning Legion. They do accept minor
contracts (such as from PCs). An infernal returns to its
owners when the spell’s duration expires. You are basically
renting the infernal for the duration of the spell. The
owners charge you a fee to learn any one of a number of
summon spells that draw infernals, plus a fee for each
casting, plus a fee for destroying an infernal if you
happen to do lose one. Heck, they probably have insurance
plans like car rental businesses. (This race is very
organized and very professional.) Their “collectors” only
go after people who are summoning infernals without
authorization, or are delinquent in their contracted
payments. |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Jan 31, 2004 - 12:30 PM |
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Ripp3r's Mana System House Rules
cooldown: level x 0,5 + 1(round down to minimum of 0) rounds. if you
can spontanius cast spells those spells cooldown is lowered by 1 to
minimum of 0 round.
Prepearing spells: the spells you prepear have there cooldown lowered
by 1 to a minimum of 0 rounds(this does not stack with the spontanius
casting). you can convert any spell slots to what ever spells you
know or are able to cast, but they have normal cooldown.
Mana cost: spell level x 2, minimum 1
Mana capacity: if you can normaly cast 4 0 level spells and 2 1st then
you have mana capacity of 8 wich can be used to prepear any number of
spells 8 0 level or 4 1st level. you just calculate how much mana you
have and it replenishes when you get a full rest.
Mana burn: instead of burning the old spell slots, you burn (1d4+1) x
2 mana
out of this information you can probably figure other stuff out like
mana potion |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Feb 06, 2004 - 03:20 PM |
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Uther_Sheitflinger's Mana System
This is a draft of my own system for Mana and learning spells.
GLOBAL:
-Mana Cost = Spell level + 2
-Metamagic Feats: whenever a feat says: "+X slots" it is translated
to "+X mana"
ARCANE MAGIC:
Wizards:
-Have a mana capacity equalling to their Wizard-level + Intelligence
Modifier.
-Regenerate 1 point of mana per every 4 wizard level per round, when
NOT casting spells.
-The number of spells a Wizard can learn is halved + the extra
spells from a high Intelligence-score.
-A wizard CAN read unlearnt spells from her/his spellbook. S/he only
counts as distracted (lose Dex bonus to AC), provokes attacks of
oppertunity and spells cast this way cost a full round action to
cast instead of a normal one.
Bards/Sorcerers:
-Have a mana-capacity equalling to their Bard/Sorcerer-level +
Charisma Modifier.
-Regenerate 1 point of mana, every 5 Bard/Sorcerer Levels per round
when NOT casting spells.
-Completely lose their "Spells per day" for it is replaced with the
mana-system.
My thoughts:
The number of spells in D&D is the limiting factor preventing magic
from becoming overpowered and disabling your magic-users form
casting too many spells. Switching over to a mana-system, replacing
the learning-system, you remove the "learn fireball three times"
system into a system in which a spell learnt once, can be casted
over and over again. In this way a spell gains the potential value
of a spell learnt two or three times in the learning-system. The
limiting factor with the mana-system is, of course, the quantity of
mana your Spellcaster currently has.
The only problem with this system is that a level 10 wizard would be
able to learn, say Lightning Bolt, Fireball and slow at the same
time and keep on balling, bolting or slowing everything in sight.
That's why I added the extra handicap; that they can learn half the
number of spells than they could under the old rules. Bards and
Sorcerers make up for it with a tadd slower Mana-regeneration and a
limited spell-list.
I'm also working for a new system for divine magic and the global
concept is that Characters must pray for their mana, they'll have an
unlimited mana-capacity but do not regenerate. They do gain,
however, large bonusses for doing acts in name of their god or
actions that are in agreement with their alignment, but lose mana
for actions opposite to that. |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Mar 02, 2004 - 01:19 AM |
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Taelohn's Website
http://www.geocities.com/Taelohn/
Fiery_Mike on Books (3/1/04)
As Luke wrote, I'm glad that you've discovered the game! You're
coming to it at an exciting time, as the three releases this year
will be top notch stuff.
"Magic & Mayhem" is scheduled for a Spring release.
Darkdungeonmaster has the April/May target about right, with May
more likely at this point.
"Lands of Conflict" should release in the Summer. Right now, with
everything staying on track, I'd look for it around the end of June
or start of July.
"Shadows & Light," in the writing stage these days, is set for a
Fall release, tentatively October.
("Lands of Mystery" is still unscheduled with regard to development
and release, but I hope to have news about 2005 at some point,
likely later this month or in April.)
Thanks for stopping in, superklye! I hope we see you here regularly.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG |
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Guest
Guest
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| Posted:
Mar 02, 2004 - 01:04 PM |
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Acolytes
Acolytes are divine casters who have wholy given themselves to evil deities. Either they worship the Liche King as a god, or the Burning Legion, they gain in exchange evil and destructive divine power through their pacts. From the old orcish necrolytes to the modern Cult of the Damned, worshippers of evil run all aspects of life.
Note: this is primarily for npcs, as few dm's should allow a Scourge or Burning Legion game. Some might, however, and might find these changes interesting. Also, if you plan on using the Acolyte, it's a good idea to change Ner'zhul's/The Liche King's shaman levels to Acolyte instead. The corrupted ner'zhul anyhow. early, pre-demon ner'zhul would still have Shaman levels. Acolytes have been known to both summon demons and create undead, but never have been as good as Warlocks or Necromancers (Respectively). Instead, they're the divine force of evil. slight melding of both classes, with a touch of pure evil and demonic worship.
Class Information:
All class information (hit dice, skills, class features, so on) are identicle to the Priest, with the following changes:
Requirements:
Alignment: Any evil
Affiliation: Scourge or Burning Legion only
Class Features:
Domain Spells: Evil and Destruction.
Divine Defense: Rename Infernal Defense. Works against Good spells instead. (this one's iffy. might just leave divine defense alone.)
Rebuke Undead: Replaces Turn Undead, but otherwise functions as a PHB cleric.
Divine Urge/Mass Divine Urge: Rename Infernal Urge/Mass Infernal Urge.
Spell List: Change to the following:
1st Level: detect good, magic weapon, obscuring mist, protection from good.
2nd Level: align weapon (evil), death knell, desecrate, undetectable alignment
3rd Level: animate dead, magic circle against good
4th Level: cripple, lesser planar ally
5th Level: death pact, flame strike, plane shift
6th Level: anti-life shield, create undead, planar ally
7th Level: blasphemy, word of chaos
8th Level: create greater undead, unholy aura
9th Level: astral projection, energy drain, gate, soul bind |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Mar 02, 2004 - 03:28 PM |
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ack, change Affiliation Requirements to Any. |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Mar 02, 2004 - 06:54 PM |
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crap, didn't notice healer already granted planar ally spells. remove said planar ally spells from the list. for 4th level, give them giant vermin instead of lesser planar ally. also, remove Word of Chaos and give them Banish instead.
note that i'll prolly end up finding more appropriete spells later as well. best bet is to keep an eye on Taelohn's site, which has my Acolyte PrC on it. |
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Guest
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| Posted:
Mar 02, 2004 - 06:56 PM |
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grrr... change Giant Vermin to Unholy Blight.... yeah... i'm out of it. |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Mar 11, 2004 - 01:30 AM |
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Fiery_Mike on WC Books (03/03/03)
Greetings, folks!
I'm stopping in here for another of my (unfortunately) sporadic
updates about what's going on with the Warcraft RPG these days.
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has been contributing to
the errata threads. All of your efforts are truly, truly
appreciated. I've recorded pretty much all of the information and
will get some time in the coming weeks to start evaluating it, at
least for the core book initially.
Now, to the books ....
MAGIC & MAYHEM
We've run into a slight delay with M&M, but it should still release
in the Spring, just maybe a little later than originally planned.
I'm going to do my best to give M&M a big push. Look for previews of
the book's content, either here or on the Warcraft RPG web site,
once I have the official word from the Powers That Be. Also, I am
tentatively scheduled to be the guest on EN World's chat for March
31st, when I'll discuss the line and give some focus to M&M
specifically. You'll get more details as I receive them. (If you're
not familiar with EN World, give the site a look at www.enworld.org.)
I'd like to have at least one free PDF download for M&M. Matters
need to be discussed further with the S&SS folks, but it may just be
the full spell lists for all WarRPG classes. Stay tuned.
I'm not sure if I've done this before somewhere, but as an initial
preview of M&M's contents, here are the prestige classes in the book:
- Bombardier
- Engineer
- Graven One
- Shadow Hunter
- Spiritwalker
- Steamwarrior
- Warden
- Witch Doctor
As I've mentioned before, I have a good feeling about M&M. It could
very well make a splash as one of the best d20 crunchy books of
2004.
LANDS OF CONFLICT
This one's with the editor right now. Once we get closer to LoC
being ready for the printers, I'll do the same thing as for M&M with
regard to previews and so forth. It's a great setting supplement,
brimming with adventure ideas -- including three full adventures to
get campaigns underway in the eastern lands.
For a short preview of some of the contents, here are the new
prestige classes and monsters appearing in LoC:
*Prestige Classes:
- Dark Apothecary (alchemist concerned with ... death)
- Defias Renegade (highway robber adept with technology)
- Dwarven Prospector (Indiana Jones meets Gimli!)
- Scarlet Crusader (the Scourge's greatest nemesis)
*Monsters:
- Crocolisk
- Dragonhawk
- Dwarf, Dark Iron (evil cousins of the Ironforge dwarves)
- Stranglethorn
- Threshadon
- Worgen
We might have a free PDF download for LoC as well, possibly a new
monster or two that didn't make it into the final version for space
reasons. I'll let you know.
SHADOWS & LIGHT
This one's still in the writing stage, though we're heading into
final drafts. Once again, I'm very excited about this future
release, mostly because we're taking full advantage of the d20 epic
and planar rules to encourage adventuring beyond Azeroth itself.
We've focussed on making the planes viable adventure destinations
and settings, and you'll get some new material for each of the four
well known planes in the setting -- the Elemental Plane, the Emerald
Dream, Outland, and the Twisting Nether. Each plane offers a new
monster or template, adventure hooks, descriptions of significant
locations, and some new rules.
Most of you already know about the legendary characters appearing in
S&L, so I'll briefly discuss the "other" chapter that will be full
of stats for what we're calling Eternals -- the demigod-like powers
of the Warcraft universe. S&L will include a template for Eternals,
which will allow you to create your own immortals ... even possibly
have your PC one day ascend to the ranks of Azeroth's greatest
powers. This template is also the basis for all of the book's
immortals, from the titans to the dragon Aspects.
Here's a short list of some of the Eternals you'll see in S&L:
- Queen Azshara
- Cenarius
- Neltharion (a.k.a. Deathwing)
- Ragnaros
- Sargeras
- Archimonde
And that, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Well, I think that's it for now. As I've mentioned above, I'll keep
you posted about further developments, particularly the EN World
chat (we may be giving away prizes ... such as free books!).
If you have any questions about the Warcraft RPG, ask them here.
I'll be watching this thread for the next few days for sure.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Wartorn Template By Ripp3r
-------WAR TORN CREATURE-------
A war torn creature is a monster enchanted by demonic energies and
reconstructed with adamantine sceleton and armor skin. its spends
its time killing and torturing others for fun.
Creating a War torn creature
“War torn creature” is an acquired template that can be added to any
tiny or lager creature. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base
creature) uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities
except as noted here.
Size and Type: The base creature’s type changes to Outsider with the
Demonic subtype. Do not recalculate base attack bonus or saves. Size is
unchanged.
Hit Dice and Hit Points: Current and future hit dice are increased by
one step to a maximum of d12
Armor Class: Adamantine plates are melted on to the flesh of the War
torn creature and its hide hardens. Its natural armor improves by +10
Attacks: if not or worse the War torn creature gets the following
natural attack: slam
Tiny 1d4
Small 1d6
Medium 1d8
Large 2d6
Huge 3d6
Gargantuan 4d6
Colossal 6d6
Special Attacks: A War torn creature retains all the special attacks of
the base creature and gains the following special attacks.
-Inner flame: A war torn creature has great heat flowing trough it
veins and it can channel this heat with a powerfull breath of fire
and chaos this attack deals 1d8 damage per HD(maximum 20d8) points of
Fel damage in a 30 foot cone this takes a standard action and this can
be used once every 2d6+4 rounds, affected creatures can make a Reflex
save
DC(1/2 HD + con + 10) for half damage.
when killed, a War torn creature explodes in a blinding
flash of Fel fire that deals 100 points of fel damage to anything within
100 feet (Relex DC 10+1/2 HD+con modifier Half).
-Fel strike.
Special Qualities: A War torn creature has all the special qualities of
the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
—Demonic traits (see the Manual of Monsters).
—Outsider traits.
-Perfect vision: continusly affected by true sight spell as cast by a
20th level sorcerer, and has darkvision 120 ft. or the old one, wich
ever is better
—Damage reduction 10/adamantine.
—Resistance to cold 20.
-immunity to acid
—Spell resistance 10+HD (max 30).
-Regeneration 6
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +12, Con +6
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +3.
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +8.
Giant Question and answer
Q:MagusRogue Any clues as to what the Graven One PrC is, by any chance?
Also, will there be an expanded Summon Monster table for warcraft's
demons, in Magic and Mayhem? if not, might we see it as a web
enhancement?
A:Fiery_Mike The Graven One deals in undeath, but differently than a
necromancer. She has a special weapon called a bone scythe through
which she channels various powers and which gains an increasing
enhancement bonus as well as different weapon qualities. Her thing
is to "awaken" and enhance undead and to use their bones for various
abilities. ... No plans currently for an expanded summon monster
table including demons -- but a PDF download sounds like a good
idea, either for M&M or perhaps for S&L. I'll look into this matter
more.
Q:Ripp3r wont Kil'Jaeden the decever be an eternal
A:Fiery_Mike Kil'Jaeden is slated to make an appearance in S&L, yes. We
(myself and the writers) actually need to discuss the case of the
demons a bit more, though I think the major ones such as Archimonde
and Kil'Jaeden should probably be Eternals. I'll let you know what
happens.
Q:Kenzuki I'm guessing Ragnaros is a Titan?
A:Fiery_Mike Yes, Ragnaros is a titan.
A:Luke Er... uh... *cough cough* Contradicting your boss is a bad idea, but,
as I recall, Ragnaros is not a titan - he's an elemental lord.
A:Fiery_Mike Um, yes, Ragnaros is an Elemental Lord ... I, er, knew that all
along. Yes, and Elemental Lord most certainly.
It's *Sargeras* that's the titan. Right?
A:Fiery_Mike P.S. Please, do contradict The Boss (tm) when he's wrong --
*especially* when he's wrong.
Fiery_Mike's new sig: (Ragnaros is an elemental lord,
not a titan. Ragnaros is an elemental lord, not a titan ....)
Fiery Mike
In other news, I just received the first proof of Magic & Mayhem
last night. You guys are gonna love Samwise's art in this one! (His
graven one illustration is ... haunting. Just awesome.) Of course,
this means now I must go and proofread M&M, but the initial perusal
was exciting and promising.
Q:vitus979 Any word on when we'll start seeing WoW content? Metaplot, setting,
monsters, and PC races are all re-jiggered. Specifically there are a
bunch of new monsters that I'd like to see the stats for like the
Harvest Golem.
A:Fiery_Mike Regarding WoW content, I believe that matter is under
discussion between Blizzard and Sword & Sorcery (legal stuff and
whatnot to which I'm not privy). If we end up doing anything more
closely tied to WoW, that will likely come in 2005 as this year's
release slate is already full. ... As for the harvest golem, as
MagusRogue notes, it will appear in M&M, along with several other
constructs such as the stone keeper, stone watcher, junk golem, and
more.
Q:Vicious_87 Will we see Finnal GoldenSword in these future books?
A:Fiery_Mike No, stats for Finnal are not scheduled to appear in any
WarRPG releases at the moment, at least as far the 2004 releases are
concerned. Who knows for 2005? There is a sidebar on her in Chapter
Two of the Alliance & Horde Compendium, however.
Q:Warlock Very cool. I hope Sargeras' entry will have a little more info on
what he has been up to.. we havn't really heard much about him since
WarCraft 1 when his spirit inhabited Medivh. He was talked about a
bit when Gul'dan opened his tomb, but what exactly happened there
involving him is not quite clear.
I am also curious, will we be seeing Aegwynn in S&L, or some future
book? She was a pretty important character who hasn't been writen
about very much (the book "The Last Guardian" is about the most we
get to hear about her). Also, she and Sargeras are two main
characters who have not really been seen in any artwork. I've
always wanted to see what they looked like
A:Mike Each legendary character and each Eternal will have
background and roleplaying notes, so you will get some info on
Sargeras's current situation. ... Regarding Aegwynn, she is not
making an appearance in any WarRPG books so far (although Medivh
will be in S&L). Some of these decisions about inclusion/exclusion
come from Blizzard and what they'd like to see represented in the
RPG. As for art, you'll most certainly have an illustration of
Sargeras in S&L.
Q:Kenzuki Are the elementals lords the same thing as the Old Gods?
A:Mike No, the elementals lords are not the same as the Old Gods.
In fact, they were the most powerful servants of the Old Gods, who
remain mysterious and largely unknown.
Q:MagusRogue Sorry for asking continuous questions, but are we going to see more
spells involved in summoning elementals? As i put in the Errata
thread, Planar Ally isn't appropriete when summoning, like, a water
elemental onto the battle field, as we could do in the game. Is there
going to be a new set of spells, like Summon Elemental? or should
this actually still be in Summon Monster lists? it doesn't seem like
it takes 10 minutes in the games to summon the elementals, nor does
there seem to be a barter.
A:Mike We currently have no plans for spells tailored
specifically to summoning elementals. I think this situation might
be a case in which the original design team made a choice that
doesn't directly reflect or translate the RTS game but makes sense
for the setting. You might look at matters in terms of elementals
are powerful, unusual beings that should not be summoned
frivulously. The /planar ally/ spell at least requires that the
elemental receives some sort of payment for its service, which seems
to fit well with how elementals are portrayed in the RPG setting
(you'll need to see S&L for this, I guess). Ultimately, it's a quirk
of the setting that warlocks are the conjurors, the summoners, but
they traffic primarily in demonic creatures -- other forms of
summoning require separate mechanics, so to speak.
Q:Taelohn I made a suggestion (in my errata list) along the lines of what
MagusRogue was saying about elementals - when I looked it over, it
seemed that most demons in Warcraft were too powerful to be summoned.
Not much point in the warlock having nine levels of summon monster if
there's only 3 or 4 guys he can get...
PDF downloads are a nice idea. If you have to cut stuff for space
reasons, which is perfectly understandable, just stick that stuff into
a free download. That way, no one misses anything. ^_^
(Heh, a Shadows & Light PDF with Rexxar and Anub'arak would be
interesting). =P
Magic & Mayhem sounds pretty neat, as does Lands of Conflict (which
would come in handy right now... I need to think of some sort of new
adventures soon, or my players will be getting ahead of me). =P
Shadows & Light will probably be my favourite, though. I like the
NPCs... when I first saw the Manual of Monsters, I opened it to
Illidan ("Hey, he's in here? ... and wait, he's not dead."), then the
Lich King (Which was more like "Wow" - who knew at the time he was
supposed to be even stronger? =P). That was enough to counteract the
fact that I didn't have money on me at the time ("Hey, let me borrow
30 bucks. You can be a troll now." "Okay.")
A:Mike Continuing the topic from my response to MagusRogue, above,
the third appendix of MoM runs through creatures from various
monster books that might be suitable for a Warcraft game -- among
them, demons from the v.3.5 Monster Manual. While the selection of
demons in MoM are generally high in power level, other demons from
the Monster Manual are also available. MoM is meant to describe the
creatures unique to the setting and found in the RTS game. As an RPG
setting, however, the Warcraft game can (and should) include far
more creatures than what is encountered in the computer game. Still,
perhaps the matter of summoning elements should get some further
discussion with Bob and Chris, I'll see.
Q:rowan_seven I believe it was mentioned in a previous post that “Lands of
Conflict” would have stats for certain significant NPCs. If this is
true, could you reveal the names of one or two (or more!) of these
characters?
Also, will “Shadows & Light” reveal the current locations/fates of
the heroes and villains it contains? For example, will the Gul’dan
entry include “killed by demons, skull devoured by Illidan”?
A:Mike When we get nearer to Lands of Conflict being released,
I'll start previewing more information from it. The significant NPCs
are very much tied to the setting of the eastern lands and are not
actually the more famous personalities of Azeroth. ... With regard
to the fates of the NPCs and Eternals in S&L, see my response to
Warlock earlier in this post.
More answers my Mike
Kenzuki: Nothing specific on the Old Gods is planned for any WarRPG
releases at the moment. This sort of thing lies primarily with
Blizzard. Still, I think settings should have some mysteries, and
keeping the Old Gods vague is fine. ... The Lich King is not an
Eternal because we didn't have the template -- or the concept --
when he was designed for MoM. Otherwise, he's undead and thus
already immortal. I wouldn't consider the Lich King a "divine" being
in the sense of the Ancients, the titans, or the Elemental Lords,
for instance: he was "made" from two mortal races, after all.
Deicide: In a sense, yes, the storyline does advance a bit for each
book, at least with LoC. (Not so much with M&M, really, as it's
pretty much a rules supplement.) When reading LoC, you will
eventually see that it provides hints of more connections between
east and west -- but nothing really specific. The eastern continents
are described in their post-Third War, post-Frozen Throne state ...
which, in my opinion, makes for a great fantasy adventure setting,
with the struggles to rebuild and to fend off the Scourge and any
remaining demons.
Vicious_87: This early in S&L's life, I can't make any statements
about who will be drawing which illustrations; such decisions are
actually the province of the Art Director. Still, Samwise has been
heavily involved with each WarRPG release to date, so I can't see
why he wouldn't also handle some art for S&L. You should see his
stuff for the prestige classes in M&M! (I hope I can swing an art
preview or two in the coming weeks ....)
nicksperoulias: Not too sure what you mean, but ... S&L does contain
some discussion of elemental society, and it delves a little bit
further into the Burning Crusade (the Legion's goal of conquering as
many worlds as possible, besides Azeroth). There's also a good
amount of material on infernals and the race that creates and loans
them.
Darkdungeonmaster: M&M does not have rules particularly for creating
tanks. It does, however, discuss maneuverability rules for vehicles,
as well as masterwork tech devices and collaborative projects among
several tinkers. Creating a tank can be done with the tech creation
rules in the core book, as MagusRogue mentions. Were you looking for
something specific?
Warlock: I make decisions on maps once I have a manuscript ready for
the editor, which at this point is still some weeks away for S&L.
Maps for locations such as Outland do rely upon what Blizzard can
make available and handle, but I would like to include a map or two
of some sort for the planes. So, nothing definite yet, but we'll see.
taktikalnuke: Yes, the runemaster will be in M&M. Samwise's pic for
the class is, well, you know, awesome!
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Luke on epic stuff
S&L will include material on epic warcraft - including feats and
epic progression for the warcraft base classes and some prestige
classes. |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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Mar 11, 2004 - 04:16 PM |
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arscott
Omega
Joined: Jan 11, 2004
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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Apr 02, 2004 - 01:53 AM |
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Fiery_Mike on Errata
Official errata will be made available when I have the time -- as
I've mentioned previously on *several* occasions. Unfortunately,
time is something I have very little of these days for anything
outside of work, Warcraft development, editing, and trying to have
some semblance of a life at home with my girlfriend and my dog. I
apologise sincerely for the delay with errata, but I am one person
with too much occupying his attention these days.
The errata will need time to assess, double check, fix, and write.
It's not a simple process of just posting errors and their
corrections.
I would also caution that *some* of the potential errata kindly
posted and suggested by the folks here may relate more to personal
fixes and desired house rules as opposed to true problems with the
game. As I wrote above, all the errata must be assessed fully ...
and I lack the time for such a project at the moment.
The game is *not* unplayable by any means, and I'm sorry that you
have this impression, demroth. I don't see why you can't go right
ahead with your campaign today. If you have questions about the
game, you are welcome to email me personally, and I'll do my best to
respond a.s.a.p.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Addendum thereto
Sigh ....
With regard to "official" duties: everyone who works on the Warcraft
line, including myself, is a freelancer. We are bound solely by the
terms of our contracts; our bosses (for me, S&SS's Managing Editor;
for the writers and editor, that's me) utilize authority only so far
as the terms of the various contracts stipulate. Thus, unless
WW/S&SS desire to pay me more and establish a new contract, matters
such as errata and posting on the internet are wholly of
a "personal" nature -- i.e., I do it totally on my own time, unpaid
and as an extra task to my required duties as the Developer.
Regarding Necromancer's "Rappan Athuk" adventures, NG almost *had*
to put out new maps and errata because the adventures were sort of
unplayable without proper maps and proper implementation of some
rules. As well, at the time the RA stuff came out, NG was doing
little else besides adventures (not much has changed, I suppose),
and it had the resources to devote to stuff such as errata and web
enhancements.
Green Ronin might be a better comparison, but the situation is still
a bit different because GR has placed *a lot* resources into the
success of "Mutants & Masterminds" -- it's their flagship product,
in many respects. "Mutants & Masterminds" has a dedicated staff, so
to speak (if I'm not mistaken), whose sole focus is the game.
With the Warcraft RPG, we're *one* line among several, several
others at WW/S&SS. It's a major license, true, and believe me when I
say it should be getting more attention. The person who oversees the
WarRPG at S&SS also oversees Scarred Lands, Gamma World, Necromancer
Games, Ravenloft, Engel, DragonMech, the new Relics & Rituals
series ... basically, anything d20 coming from S&SS. So, there's
quite a shuffle going on, and the WarRPG easily gets lost in it now
and then. For me, I honestly have just so much time outside of my
required duties as Developer (and a full-time job), which often
involve managing two or three (or four) projects at once in various
stages.
Does there need to be better post-release customer support?
Definitely. Am *I* able to provide it? Not always to the level that
I'd like and that I know a game such as the WarRPG deserves. Do I
care about the game and each of its supplements post-release? Hell,
yes.
I'm just saying, I do what I can with the time and resources at my
disposal. I can only ask for your continued patience and reiterate
that I will do my best to get underway with errata.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Mike on Release Schedules
I can't give you specific street dates at this time for the 2004
Warcraft RPG releases, but here's at least a general outline:
- Magic & Mayhem should be out this Spring, likely now in May.
- Lands of Conflict is scheduled for the Summer, perhaps late June.
- Shadows & Light is scheduled for the Fall, probably October.
Once I know specifics, I'll be sure to pass them along a.s.a.p.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Magic and Mayhem Excerpts
Welcome to the first in a series of previews leading up to the
Spring release of Magic & Mayhem.
Seeing as M&M focusses upon magic and technology in the Warcraft
setting, I thought we might kick things off with some content from
the spells chapter that also applies to technological devices. The
series of spells presented here allows a caster to “heal” objects,
structures, and constructs (i.e., golems). The first spell
represents the base spell from which the others are derived (in a
similar fashion to the cure spells).
RESTORE LIGHT DAMAGE
Repairs damage to a golem, technological device or structure.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Object or construct touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object, harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object, harmless)
Description:
The caster magically repairs damage dealt to a single building,
golem, war engine or similar construction.
Spell Effect:
This spell has no effect on living creatures or undead; it affects
only artificial constructs such as buildings, catapults, golems and
so on. Magical energies restore 1d8 points of damage +1 per caster
level (maximum +5) to the target.
RESTORE CRITICAL DAMAGE
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
This spell functions like restore light damage, except that it
restores 4d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +20).
RESTORE CRITICAL DAMAGE, MASS
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
This spell functions like mass restore light damage, except that it
restores 4d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +40).
RESTORE LIGHT DAMAGE, MASS
Repairs damage to many golems, mechanical objects and/or structures.
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One object or construct/level, no two of which can be more
than 30 ft. apart
This spell functions like restore light damage, except that it can
affect multiple targets and restores 1d8 points of damage +1 per
caster level (maximum +25) to each selected target.
RESTORE MINOR DAMAGE
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
This spell functions like restore light damage, except that it
restores only 1 point of damage.
RESTORE MODERATE DAMAGE
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
This spell functions like restore light damage, except that it
restores 2d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +10).
RESTORE MODERATE DAMAGE, MASS
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
This spell functions like mass restore light damage†, except that it
restores 2d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +30).
RESTORE SERIOUS DAMAGE
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
This spell functions like restore light damage, except that it
restores 3d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +15).
RESTORE SERIOUS DAMAGE, MASS
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
This spell functions like mass restore light damage, except that it
restores 3d8 points of damage +1 per caster level (maximum +35).
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Here’s another preview of content from the upcoming Magic & Mayhem
supplement. Look for another preview soon, in anticipation of next
week’s EN World chat (perhaps a prestige class ).
This time, we present a selection of new technological devices from
M&M — specifically, some of the intriguing devices that fall under
the category of “Adventuring Gear.”
Each device is listed by name and has a complete description, much
like a magic item. A statistics block follows the description.
Statistics include Armor Class (AC); hardness (HR); hit points (hp);
size (SZ); weight (WT) in pounds; top speed (Spd) in miles per hour,
with maneuverability rating noted in parentheses; cargo capacity
(Cargo); number of crew members needed (Crew); market value (MV) in
gold pieces; item creation DC (Create DC); startup time (ST); and
Malfunction Rating (MR).
Not all devices will list every statistic; in case of an omission,
the statistic either is not applicable or is the same as for a
standard piece of equipment, weapon or similar object.
AUTOMATIC ALCHEMIST
Description:
Alchemy, while an interesting science, has its fair share of tedium.
Gnomes, goblins and other races have discovered that making
shortcuts in alchemy can often lead to disastrous results,
especially when trying to balance a delicate formula or mix a
special combination of ingredients. An inventor designed the
automatic alchemist to eliminate the need for alchemical
practitioners to perform boring or repetitive tasks.
This dwarf-sized metal dome contains advanced apparatus for running
alchemical tests, mixing reagents and performing formulaic
balancing. The device can perform any task that the Craft (alchemy)
skill can do, but with 5 ranks in the skill. The automatic alchemist
can only take 10 or 20. Manufacture of acid, alchemist’s fire and
other alchemical items is possible as long as the vat in the device
has the necessary raw materials. A special series of bins in the
automatic alchemist holds containers for necessary ingredients that
allow it to make up to six of any alchemical item before requiring
more supplies.
Specific cogs contain alchemical recipes that are available from
gnomish alchemists. These cogs provide the recipes for making a
specific alchemical item, cost 10 times the amount the item itself
would normally cost, and wear out over time (20 uses). Using one of
these cogs boosts the automatic alchemist’s Craft (alchemy) skill by
10 ranks for the purpose of making that single alchemical item.
Refilling:
Refilling the automatic alchemist requires a DC 15 Use Technological
Device check. Failing the check to refill the automatic alchemist
spills the contents of the refill bin and renders the materials
useless. Each refill costs 250 gp in alchemical supplies.
Operation:
DC 20 Use Technological Device check to trigger; see text for
refilling.
AC 10; HR 5; hp 10; SZ Medium; WT 125 lb.; MV 750 gp; Create DC 20;
ST 5 rounds; MR 0.
CARGO PACK
Description:
This cargo pack has a sturdy and intricate series of supports making
up its frame, allowing the wearer of the enormous yet well-balanced
backpack to comfortably carry enormous loads. The straps on a
standard cargo pack can be adjusted to fit any Small or Medium
humanoid creature. A larger pack, able to carry even more astounding
loads, is available for tauren and other Large humanoids. Any load
up to the full capacity may be carried inside a cargo pack; only a
quarter of the total weight is considered for the purpose of
determining carrying capacity.
Malfunction:
One of the cargo pack’s complex support straps snaps. The cargo pack
acts as a standard backpack (with all weight treated normally) until
it is repaired.
Operation:
DC 10 Dexterity check to don or remove.
HR 2; hp 10; SZ Medium (standard) (5 ft. tall x 3 ft. wide x 3 ft.
deep), Large (large) (8 ft. tall x 4 ft. wide x 4 ft. deep); WT 20
lb. (standard), 25 lb. (large); Cargo 400 lb. (standard), 600 lb.
(large); MV 100 gp (standard), 150 gp (large); Create DC 17
(standard), 18 (large); ST 1 round; MR 1.
DRAGON GUN
Description:
Dragon guns are tinker-created weapons inspired by the deadly breath
weapons of dragons. Alchemist’s fire is projected by steam pressure
from the tip of a blunderbuss-like rifle to cast sheets of flame
across a battlefield. Though dragon guns are terrifying and
destructive weapons, the backpack tanks that store the liquid
ammunition are notoriously fragile.
The weapon has a 20-foot range increment and inflicts 2d6 fire
damage on a successful hit. On the round following a hit, the target
takes an additional 1d6 points of damage as the sticky alchemist’s
fire continues to burn. The target can take a full-round action to
attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional
damage. A successful DC 15 Reflex save is needed to extinguish the
flames. Going prone and rolling on the ground gives the target a +2
bonus on this saving throw. Leaping into a lake or magically
extinguishing the flames automatically extinguishes the flames.
Ammunition:
A fully-loaded dragon gun carries 15 charges of alchemist’s fire.
Each charge allows one shot.
Operation:
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dragon gun) and ranged attack roll.
HR 5; hp 5; SZ Tiny; WT 45 lb.; MV 150 gp; Create DC 18; ST 1 round;
MR 5.
GOBLIN’S LOCK PICK
Description:
Seldom seen outside of Ratchet, goblin’s lock picks are a thief’s
dream come true. The goblin’s lock pick is a small, pistol-gripped
device with a series of triggers and levers designed to give a
trained thief the edge needed to pick a lock quickly. Not only does
the rapid selection of picks and probes grant a thief a +4 bonus on
Open Lock checks, but the attempt only requires a standard action.
The goblin’s lock pick also functions as a standard set of
masterwork thieves’ tools. The noise they make is only a slight
clicking, but hearing them with a DC 20 Listen check is possible.
HR 5; hp 5; SZ Tiny; WT 3 lb.; MV 350 gp; Create DC 15; MR 3.
SKATE BOOTS
Description:
The small steam engines that power these wheeled boots allow the
wearer to move at high speeds over clear terrain. The user must make
a successful DC 15 Balance check each round to stay upright (falling
inflicts damage as if falling 10 feet for every 10 mph of the boots’
current speed).
Operation:
DC 10 Use Technological Device check to activate and deactivate.
HR 2; hp 10; SZ Tiny; WT 5 lb.; Spd 40 mph (355 ft./round) (good);
MV 150 gp; Create DC 17; ST 3 rounds; MR 1.
TINKER’S BELT
Description:
Many tinkers may leave their workshops to go adventuring, but some
bring their workshops with them in the form of a tinker’s belt. This
heavy leather belt features a small phlogiston boiler to power
devices, large pouches to carry parts and inventions-in-progress,
hooks and straps to carry tools, and two articulated arms with hand-
like clamps that can hold devices while the tinker works on them.
While these “hands” must be manually positioned in place, tinkers
have been known to use them as aids in climbing and other non-
mechanical pursuits.
A tinker’s belt includes and carries all the standard tools required
so that Craft (technological device) checks can be made without
circumstance penalties.
Positioning the arms is a standard action, and for purposes of
gripping once closed, the clamps have Strength 16. Attaching the
boiler to another device requires a DC 15 Use Technological Device
check.
Operation:
See text.
HR 2; hp 10; SZ Small; WT 10 lb.; MV 25 gp; Create DC 16; ST 3
rounds; MR 1.
WAND HARNESS
Description:
Inspired by the tinker’s belt, this device is an articulated arm
that hangs from a wizard’s belt and can unfold to hold a wand at the
ready. A small set of crosshairs mounted on the arm allows for
preparatory aiming while casting a spell. A wand held in the harness
can be readied with a free action, and the wearer of a wand harness
gets a +2 bonus on attempts to make ranged attacks with the wand
during the round in which it is readied.
Operation:
DC 10 Use Technological Device check to place a wand in the harness.
HR 1; hp 5; SZ Tiny; WT 4 lb.; MV 30 gp; Create DC 16; ST 3 rounds
to place a wand in the harness; MR 0.
Take care,
Mike
Developer, Warcraft RPG
In honour of the EN World chat tonight (7pm CST, #dnd3e on
chat.psionics.net), we’re presenting another preview of content from
Magic & Mayhem.
This time around, it’s a prestige class: the witch doctor.
Combining dark alchemical knowledge with deadly arcane might, witch
doctors hold positions of significant authority in Azeroth’s troll
tribes, some even becoming chieftains. The most powerful witch
doctors can bring instant death to the trolls’ enemies with their
death rattles ... so beware!
WITCH DOCTOR
Description
-----------
The witch doctor’s arcane magical art is formed from the ability to
twist and turn nature through a crude yet effective science called
juju. Often the more cunning and savvy members of the savage troll
tribes, witch doctors are uncommon among other, more civilized races
that instead rely on shamanistic or priestly aid in times of need.
During war, the witch doctor’s juju can give a troll tribe a needed
edge.
Hit Die: d4.
Requirements
------------
Race: Any troll.
Alignment: Any non-good.
Affiliation: Any.
Skills: Craft (alchemy) 7 ranks.
Feats: Brew Potion.
Spells: The ability to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
------------
The witch doctor’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Heal (Wis),
Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcane) (Int), Knowledge (nature)
(Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4: Skills in
the PHB for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
--------------
* Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The witch doctor is proficient with
all simple weapons.
* Spells: Every 2nd witch doctor level, the character gains new
spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever arcane
spellcasting class he formerly belonged to before he added the witch
doctor prestige class. He does not gain any of the other benefits of
his former class. He simply adds his witch doctor level to the level
of whatever other arcane spellcaster class he has, and then
determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
* Ward Craft (Ex): At 1st level, ward spells (such as sentry ward†)
cast by the witch doctor that create totems of any sort gain a bonus
to Armor Class, hardness and hit points equal to his Intelligence
bonus.
* Shaka Brew (Ex): The witch doctor’s seething cauldron contains a
hallucinogenic mixture of herbs, poisons, crushed insects and other
noxious materials. At 2nd level, he may add drops of this Shaka brew
to improve the efficiency of any potion or alchemical item he
creates. The Shaka brew maximizes all variable, numeric effects of
the witch doctor’s potions or alchemical creations. Saving throws
and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are potions without random
variables. Drinking a potion treated with the Shaka brew leaves the
imbiber with a euphoric buzz.
Using the Shaka brew as an additive increases the cost of brewing
potions by 5 XP per level of the spell. Creating an alchemical item
invigorated by Shaka increases the DC of creation by +5.
* Bad Juju (Su): Creating curses is a specialty of the witch doctor.
At 3rd level, the witch doctor can make a deadly doll of wax or
tallow containing a specific person’s hair, skin or blood (1 hit
point worth). He can affect the target with a harmful touch attack
spell or any single spell with the enchantment (compulsion)
descriptor of up to 3rd level as long as the person is on the same
plane. The doll disintegrates after a touch attack or once the
duration of the enchantment spell has passed.
The target may make any allowable saving throws with a penalty equal
to the witch doctor’s level. The target is flat-footed for any
Reflex saves. The witch doctor can have a number of dolls equal to
his Intelligence bonus at one time.
* Voodoo Weapon (Ex): At 4th level, the witch doctor chooses a
simple wooden weapon (e.g., staff, club, spear or javelin) that he
prefers. He can infuse the weapon with alchemical reagents and
various toxins and clays. Once per day as a full-round action, he
may imbue the weapon with the frost, flaming or thundering special
weapon properties. This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal
to his class level. Anyone other than the witch doctor who attempts
to use the weapon while it is active suffers the ill effects of the
weapon’s special properties.
Preparing a new voodoo weapon takes 1 month and 1,000 gp worth of
alchemical reagents.
* Doom Rattle (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, the witch doctor can
shake and rattle the gourds and necklaces that he carries to create
a frightening rhythmic effect. Any foe within a 60-foot-radius who
hears the doom rattle must make a Will save (DC 10 + the witch
doctor’s level + the witch doctor’s Intelligence bonus) or become
shaken. Using this ability is a full-round action, requires
concentration, and provokes attacks of opportunity. It lasts for as
long as the witch doctor can concentrate.
* Bambe Brew (Ex): The Bambe brew is a secret recipe that extends
the effectiveness of magical potions. Upon attaining 6th level,
whenever the witch doctor uses the Brew Potion feat he can pay an
additional 1/2 the normal XP cost to make two potions instead of
one. Making a potion with both Shaka and Bambe brews is possible.
Apply the XP cost of the Shaka brew before calculating the cost of
using the Bambe brew.
Drinking Bambe brew potions leaves the imbiber with a faint crawling
sensation over her skin.
* Heap Bad Juju (Su): At 7th level, the witch doctor learns to heap
bad juju upon his foes. This ability functions exactly like the bad
juju ability, but harmful touch or enchantment (compulsion) spells
of any level can affect the doll. The proper components are still
required to make the doll.
* Zuvembi Brew (Ex): At 9th level, the witch doctor can add drops of
this brew to any potion. The brew creates a powerful suggestive
state in the imbiber that he can trigger and control.
For 1d4 days after drinking a Zuvembi brew potion, the imbiber can
be dominated by the witch doctor as if under the effects of the
dominate monster spell, with the following differences. The witch
doctor may trigger this domination as a free action as long as he is
within a line of sight of the target. If successful, the domination
lasts a number of days equal to the witch doctor’s level. The witch
doctor can dominate a number of beings equal to his Intelligence
bonus at the same time.
A potion treated with the Zuvembi brew costs 100 times its normal
cost in ingredients (XP costs are normal). Drinking a Zuvembi brew
potion leaves the imbiber feeling as if she were walking about in a
dream.
* Death Rattle (Sp): At 10th level, the juju of the witch doctor
becomes potent enough to kill. The arcane focus required to use this
ability is a death gourd, which must be cured and carved by the
witch doctor himself using bizarre and disgusting components worth
2,500 gp (the focus is not consumed when this ability is used, but
the gourd is fragile and merits special care). Once per day, the
witch doctor can rattle his death gourd, targeting a number of
living creatures equal to 1 + his Intelligence bonus in a 20-foot
radius. The closest creatures are affected first. Each listener must
make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half the witch doctor’s level + his
Intelligence bonus). Creatures with fewer than 3 Hit Dice die
immediately on a failed save; success means they suffer 6d10 points
of damage. Creatures with 3–9 Hit Dice take 6d10 points of damage on
a failed save, and half damage if successful. Creatures with 10 Hit
Dice or more suffer 6d10 points of damage on a failed save, and no
damage if successful. Creatures who are deaf are immune to this
effect.
Witch Doctor Spell List
-----------------------
Much like a wizard, the witch doctor relies on his ability to bend
nature to his will. Juju secrets can only go so far, though.
The witch doctor gains access to these spells in addition to the
arcane spells he may normally cast.
* 1st Level --- cure light wounds, inflict light wounds, lesser
confusion, roar*, sentry ward†, stasis trap*, lesser trueshot aura†,
war drums†.
* 2nd Level --- cure moderate wounds, heroism, inflict moderate
wounds, troll flesh†.
* 3rd Level --- bloodlust*, confusion, cure serious wounds, delay
poison, healing ward*, inflict serious wounds, serpent ward*,
trueshot aura†.
* 4th Level --- cure critical wounds, inflict critical wounds,
modify memory, neutralize poison, poison.
* 5th Level --- greater heroism, greater trueshot aura†, heal, mass
troll flesh†.
* Spell from the Warcraft RPG
† Spell from Magic & Mayhem
TABLE: THE WITCH DOCTOR (Wtd)
1st --- BAB +0; F+2/R+0/W+2; ward craft
2nd --- BAB +1; F+3/R+0/W+3; shaka brew; +1 level of arcane class
3rd --- BAB +1; F+3/R+1/W+3; bad juju
4th --- BAB +2; F+4/R+1/W+4; voodoo weapon; +1 level of arcane class
5th --- BAB +2; F+4/R+1/W+4; doom rattle
6th --- BAB +3; F+5/R+2/W+5; bambe brew; +1 level of arcane class
7th --- BAB +3; F+5/R+2/W+5; heap bad juju
8th --- BAB +4; F+6/R+2/W+6; +1 level of arcane class
9th --- BAB +4; F+6/R+3/W+6; zuvembi brew
10th --- BAB +5; F+7/R+3/W+7; death rattle; +1 level of arcane class
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
Mike on Dragonhawks
Stats for the dragonhawk will appear in Lands of Conflict.
Stats for giant bats will probably come in a free PDF "web
enhancement" for LoC, but I'll let you know for sure later on.
Take care,
Mike
Editor, Fiery Dragon Productions, Inc.
Developer, Warcraft RPG
EN World Chat
on Wednesday, March 31st, Fiery_Mike was the featured guest at an EN world Q&A session. the full transcript is available at:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/dnd3e/chats/warcraft.htm
If Reading that isn't to your liking, then here's some tidbits and hightlights:
M&M:
Scott Bennie (MulhorandSage) went into a little bit of detail regarding Arcand Corruption Rules.
Samwise has some Really good art in here.
In general, a lot of emphasis was placed on how 'crunchy' this book was going to be.
LoC:
Mike mentioned "A Chapter of Adventures", and expanded timeline, and unit statistics for use with the cry havoc rules. He also reiterated rules on playing in past eras (including War of the Ancients), PrC's, and Monsters
Shadows and Light:
Characterized the book as "all about epic-level play and planar travel in Warcraft".
Impeesa, Shiny, LightwaveTux, Taelohn, Silvr_Dragon, and I (arscott) won prizes in the trivia contest
And Mike reinvigorated the Tauren Large/Medium Debate. |
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MagusRogue
Omega
Joined: Apr 20, 2004
Posts: 14
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Apr 20, 2004 - 08:54 PM |
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Sorry, i know the acolyte thing i put here was slopy. here's the cleanest version. This is also mirrored at http://www.geocities.com/Taelohn/Acolyte.html
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Acolyte
Description: Acolytes have given themselves over to the power of
the Scourge, or other diabolic organizations, such as the Burning
Legion. These bitter, fanatical men and women will stop at nothing to
promote the will of their evil masters, and maintain the secrecy and
dominance of their cults. They view their own deaths and the
possibility of becoming undead as their ultimate rewards.
Hit Dice: d8.
Requirements
Alignment: Any evil.
Affiliation: Any.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks
Spellcasting: Able to cast 3rd-level divine spells.
Class Skills
The acolyte's class skills (and the key ability for each skill)
are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather
Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge
(religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter
4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
BAB and Saving Throws: as Priest
Special/Spells Per Day
1st= Infernal defense +1/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
2nd= --/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
3rd= Infernal urge 1/day/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
4th= Infernal defense +2/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
5th= --/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
6th= Infernal urge 2/day/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
7th= Infernal defense +3/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
8th= --/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
9th= Mass infernal urge 1/day/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
10th= Infernal defense +4/+1 level of divine spellcasting class
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Acolytes are proficient with all
simple weapons and light armor.
Aura (Ex): An acolyte has a particularly powerful aura
corresponding to her faith's alignment (see the detect evil spells
for details).
Spells: An acolyte's training focuses on divine spells. When a new
acolyte level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if
she had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class she
beloned to (typically, the healer class in the Warcraft RPG) before
she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other
benefits a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic
or item creation feats, paladin warrior abilities, and so on). Put
another way, she adds her acolyte level to the level of whatever
other divine spellcasting class she has, then determines spells per
day and caster level accordingly.
If a charater had more than one divine spellcasting class before
she became an acolyte, she must decide to which class she adds each
level of acolyte for the purpose of determining spells per day.
An acolyte prepares and casts spells from the acolyte spell list
under the same guidelines as a healer (see above), including being
able to use spontaneous casting to "lose" a prepared spell for an
inflict spell.
Domain Spells: Acolytes gain access to the Destruction and Evil
domains (PHB, Chapter 11: Spells). Each domain gives the acolyte
access to a domain spell at each spell level she can cast, as well as
a granted power. The acolyte gets the granted powers from both
domains. With access to two domain spells at a given spell level, an
acolyte prepares one or the other each day in her domain spell slot.
If a domain spell is not on the acolyte spell list, an acolyte can
prepare it only in her domain spell slot.
Infernal Defense: Starting at 1st level, an acolyte's faith grants
her a +1 profane bonus on saving throws against all good spells. This
includes any circumstance where a good spell channels another spell.
This bonus increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 7th level and +4 at
10th level.
Rebuke Undead (Su): Starting at 1st level, the acolyte has the
power to rebuke or command undead (PHB, Chapter 8: Combat, "Turn or
Rebuke Undead"). She rebukes undead as a PHB cleric equal to her
total level in divine spellcasting classes. She may attempt to rebuke
a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. An
acolyte with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) gets a +2 bonus
on rebuke checks against undead.
Infernal Urge (Su): At 3rd level, the acolyte can impose her
infernal will upon another once per day. This functions exactly as if
the acolyte cast suggestion at her full divine spellcaster level. At
6th level, she can use infernal urge twice per day.
Mass Infernal Urge (Su): At 9th level, the acolyte can impose her
will on a group once per day. This functions exactly as if the
acolyte cast mass suggestion at her full divine spellcaster level.
Acolyte Spell List
Acolyte spells build upon the healer spell list, adding more
offensive and defensive firepower to the mix, as well as protections
from the living and holy powers.
These spells listed are in addition to the healer spell list.
1st level - detect good, magic weapon, obscuring mist, protection
from good.
2nd level - align weapon (evil), death knell, desecrate,
undetectable alignment.
3rd level - animate dead, magic circle against good.
4th level - giant vermin, poison.
5th level - death pact*, insect plague, mark of justice.
6th level - anti-life shield, create undead.
7th level - banish*, blasphemy.
8th level - create greater undead, unholy aura.
9th level - astral projection, energy drain, gate, soul bind.
* - Denotes a new spell found in the Warcraft RPG core book.
Errata: Restoration and Flamestrike are healer spells, and thus should be removed from the Priest’s list, replaced with Atonement and Break Enchantment, respectively. Poison, Holy Aura, and Unholy Aura are removed from the healer’s list. Holy Aura is a spell available only to priests, while Unholy Aura and Poison are available only to Acolytes. The auras are (Currently) available to both Healers and Priests/Acolytes, but should be available only to true devoties of their faiths. |
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