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Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 1 TM & © 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved. Editorial: Darwin’s Finches By Steve Winter Illustration by William O’Connor You’d think there’d be no chance to work on a Dragon editorial at a place as jumpin’ as PAX Prime, but in this particular instance, you’d be wrong. A busy convention hallway is not a productive place to write—there’s usually too much noise and always too many distractions (especially if the only place to sit is a spot on the f loor where people con- tinually step over you). It can be the ideal place, too, because you’re surrounded by what make this hobby worthwhile--happy gamers who are excited about playing D&D with countless other fans and friends. We don’t like to admit it, but residing inside For- tress WotC isolates us from you, the people we’re working for and trying to please. Meeting fans face to face and joining their games at conventions or Dungeons & Dragons® Encounters sessions is invaluable, because it shows us what happens when D&D meets the real world. I tend to picture individual gaming groups as the Galapagos Islands, and the D&D rules as Darwin’s finches. At one time, all of those finches were the same species. Isolated on their individual islands, each group evolved in different directions in response Editorial: Darwin’s Finches Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 2 to local conditions. By the time Darwin found them, they had become many distinct yet clearly similar species. In the same way, diverse gaming groups, all starting with the same set of D&D rulebooks, can wind up playing versions of the game that are similar yet clearly different. In that regard, we’re no different from anyone else. D&D campaigns played by R&D staff run the gamut from by-the-books purity to widely divergent and experimental. Like you, we develop idiosyncratic house rules and peculiar forms of shorthand. When we get a chance to see “real people” play- ing D&D or, better yet, sit in on your games as players, we gain a perspective that can’t be had any other way. We’re reminded what it’s like when everyone in the group doesn’t have access to the complete D&D library or to endless supplies of miniatures and Dungeon Tiles. We’re reminded that the rules can be hard to remember and the manuals confusing to navigate if you’re not steeped in them for 40+ hours a week. We’re reminded that people play Dungeons & Dragons for diverse rea- sons and draw diverse rewards from the experience. Maybe most of all, we’re reminded of how liberating it is when your play isn’t dominated by game-design questions such as whether a rule is doing exactly what it should; whether a race is missing something that would add to the experience; or whether a class has some “design space” for an interesting Dragon online article. Those concerns can distract us from what really matters, which is that people play D&D because they want to sit around a table with like- minded friends and let their imaginations soar into realms of fantastic wonder, terrifying danger, and heroic deeds. The fact that Dungeons & Dragons can mutate this way is one of its great appeals and one of the rea- sons why it has endured for more than thirty years. How has your game evolved away from the main trunk of Dungeons & Dragons rules to match your group’s preferences? How often have you plugged in a quick ruling for something that was unclear, and that ruling became the accepted way of doing things? Have you ever switched groups permanently or temporarily and wondered whether you were still playing the same game? Share your experiences in the comments below, in the forum, or email them to dndinsider@wizards.com. 1Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403TM & © 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved. Class Acts—Warlock: Strange Constellations By Bruce R. Cordell Illustration by William O’Connor In June, we presented rules updates to the warlock in the form of a playtest article. After receiving feedback from the playtest, we made some changes and posted the final updates. One piece of consistent playtest feedback was the need for more star pact warlock powers that rely on Constitution at certain levels. To that effect, we went to warlock-and-tentacled-horror expert Bruce Cordell and asked him if he’d write an article responding to the desires of the fan commu- nity. This is what he wrote. Read at your own peril! IntroductIon Pact-swearing warlocks live dangerously, but not through choice. They can’t help having this personal- ity trait. It takes a certain reckless craziness to pledge oneself to an entity that is amoral, diabolical, uncar- ing, or, worse yet, utterly indifferent to reality except for its potential use as a chew toy. Bizarre patterns in the sky are visible to those in the right place, in the right time, or in the right frame of mind. That’s when warlocks seize the power bequeathed from the pitiless points of light that shine unchanging beyond night’s void—points of light that, in sum, form strange constellations. Star Pact Some stars are said to provide good luck; to see them wink from heaven’s vault is considered a blessing. Other stars are associated with benign omens and powers of beauty, healing, and clarity of thought. Quite a few serve as beacons for navigation. But other stars are stranger, such as the stars used by alien creatures as illumination to peer into our reality. These entities are lumped together and described as residents of the Far Realm. Labeling them as such is a reasonable first organizing prin- ciple, and it’s the safest too. Attempting to gain deeper clarity on the true nature of such stars can bring researchers an unhappy fate. When it comes to alien horrors, truisms about “the more you know” being an advantage crumble to dust. Despite the dangers, the mad, the passionate, and the nihilistic continue to seek greater understand- ing of the very thing that tears asunder the minds of most inquisitors. Through trial and error, these people named new entities, guessed their natures, and teased out new spells for those whose pact is with the stars. These warlocks, sages, and scholars consoli- dated the bulk of that knowledge in a wizard’s tower, where they constantly researched more lore. Class Acts—Warlock: Strange Constellations 2Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 Then rumors told of a horrifying new constella- tion that would rise in the east and that would bring in a terrible new age (according to some prophe- cies). To prevent this prophecy from being fulfilled, some enterprising people caused the tower and all its contents to burn to the ground one night during a spectacular meteor shower. None of those who origi- nally pieced together the information survived. All that remains regarding the nature of the enigmatic star pattern that failed to appear, including many of the constituent stars, is embedded in the crystal headpiece of a warlock’s rod. The embedded message (a sort of psychic engram) is called the Confession of Melech. Stars of the Elder Constellation When time draws to its inevitable close, most of the stars visible in the sky will have burned out. Only a scattered few will f licker with fossil light, peering and presiding over the end of everything. Besides previously named stars whose properties have been partially described (including Caiphon, Allabar, Nihal, and Zhudun), several other stars also survive (or perhaps appear) at the end of time: the stars of the Elder Constellation. Despite the fact that the constellation shouldn’t be visible for eons beyond count, visions of it have seared themselves into the minds of those unlucky enough to dream too close to weak spots in reality. Those who wake from such dreams prophesy an early end to the cosmos that is heralded by the appearance of the Elder Constella- tion millennia too soon. These prophets then die an early death or undergo a slow transformation into a humanoid abomination. Those who can imagine the Elder Constellation without perishing or becoming an alien in their own skin can also call upon the spells resident in each of the primary stars of the pattern. The names include the following: Atropus, Father Llymic, Pandorym, Ragnorra, and the Worm That Walks. Atropus Atropus, the World Born Dead, drifts through the gulfs of space, searching for worlds to consume. When it finds a world, it erases all life from it with a single gruesome touch. As the afterbirth of creation, this entity is committed to unmaking all things. Noth- ing, not even the gods, can halt the relentless progress of Atropus. Father Llymic A mote of alien thought given form and f lesh, Father Llymic dwells in an icy prison, awaiting a time when the world will be right for his arrival. As his age of freezing darkness draws near, his brood begins to appear, stalking the wastes in preparation for his reign. If he is released from his prison, he will cover the entire world with a deadly glacier and remove the world from light and hope for all time. Pandorym Pandorym personifies the emotionless void of utter annihilation. Though imprisoned millennia ago, a future era will see its release. The god-slaying weapon awaits the arrival of a being powerful enough to reunite its awesome mind with its potent ELdEr EviLS The names of the stars making up the Elder Con- stellation first appeared in Elder Evils™, a D&D® game supplement outlined by Bruce Cordell and written by Rob Schwalb. Pandorym appeared before that in the Forgotten Realms® novel Darkvision (2006). Thus the entities of the Elder Constellation are not all associated with the Far Realm as some previous warlock star pact entities have been; however, the names noted here are of inconceivably powerful beings who survive to time’s end. In that final gathering of monstrosi- ties, it becomes difficult to distinguish which entities were native to the Material Plane and which came from some place farther. Ulti- mately, they’re all creatures of such insane power that they disrupt the flow of time in their final apotheoses. ConFESSion oF MELECh The Confession of Melech is recorded as a psychic impression inside a fist-sized chunk of purple crystal set as the capstone of a rod. The rod acts like a rod of wrathful dismissal. The names and natures of terrifying new entities associated with the Elder Constellation becomes known to those who sleep or meditate with the crystal in their possession for at least one hour. Class Acts—Warlock: Strange Constellations 3Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 body. Pandorym seeks freedom, and thereafter it intends to bring about the extinction of every god in the cosmos. ragnorra Ragnorra, Mother of Monsters, is a primeval source of corrupted life. Bloated, hideous, and filled with a terrible love for her children, this entity waits at the end of time to gather all her fell offspring back to her awful bosom. The Worm That Walks The Worm is a sentient tear in reality through which one can see a swarming mass of maggots and worms that goes on forever. The light from this star is green, and it writhes eternally. Nihal is brother to the Worm, or rather, they are aspects of the same entity as seen from different ends of time. new Warlock Powers A warlock of the appropriate level can choose from the following new powers. The powers are tailored for star pact warlocks who favor Constitution over Charisma. Level 1 Encounter Power Pandorym’s Cry Warlock Attack 1 From a distance too far to measure, you evoke an echo of Pandorym’s birthing cry: a sound of madness incarnate. Encounter F Arcane, Implement, Psychic Standard Action Ranged 5 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Will Hit: 2d6 + Constitution modifier psychic damage. Star Pact: The target also grants combat advantage and is slowed until the end of your next turn. Level 3 Encounter Power Worms Warlock Attack 3 For a moment, your foe is covered in biting, swarming, and crushing maggots that make up the infinite extradimen- sional body of the Worm That Walks. Encounter F Acid, Arcane, Healing, Implement Standard Action Ranged 5 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d8 + Constitution modifier acid damage, and you regain 3 hit points. Star Pact: Add your Intelligence modifier to the hit points regained. Level 7 Encounter Powers Elder Constellation Warlock Attack 7 A maddening pattern appears in the air, revealing a few flickering stars that preside over the end of everything. Space wavers, and your foes are caught up in the instability. Encounter F Arcane, Cold, Implement, Teleportation Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One or two creatures Attack: Constitution vs. Reflex Hit: 2d6 + Constitution modifier cold damage. Star Pact: The target also grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn. Effect: If you hit both targets, you can teleport them, swapping their positions. Maggot Conduit Warlock Attack 7 Holes devoured through space-time crawl with the green- white maggots of the Worm. You invoke a conduit, which manifests as a writhing pit of maggots beneath your foes. Encounter F Acid, Arcane, Implement, Zone Standard Action Area burst 1 within 10 squares Target: Each creature in the burst Attack: Constitution vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d8 + Constitution modifier acid damage. Star Pact: The burst creates a zone that lasts until the end of your next turn. Any creature that enters the zone or ends its turn there takes acid damage equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (a creature can take this damage only once per turn). Level 13 Encounter Power Maw of Atropus Warlock Attack 13 The World Born Dead consumes anything that it can reach. Your spell manifests a slavering maw of Atropus, which at- tempts to eat your foes. Encounter F Arcane, Implement, Necrotic Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Fortitude Hit: 3d12 + Constitution modifier necrotic damage. Star Pact: The target also takes a penalty to Fortitude until the end of your next turn. The penalty equals your Intelligence modifier. Class Acts—Warlock: Strange Constellations 4Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 Level 17 Encounter Power Llymic’s Frigid Prison Warlock Attack 17 A puff of icy air escapes from Father Llymic’s icy prison, foreshadowing when glaciers will cover all the worlds and remaining life will serve to feed the Father’s brood. Encounter F Arcane, Cold, Healing, Implement Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d10 + Constitution modifier cold damage, and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn. Star Pact: You also regain hit points equal to twice your Intelligence modifier. Level 19 daily Power Malicious Guide Star Warlock Attack 19 An apocalyptic starscape waits for the world’s end. That inevitable end draws a little closer each time you conjure a malicious spark to guide your foes to ruination. Daily F Arcane, Aura, Implement, Radiant, Teleportation Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Reflex Hit: 4d10 + Constitution modifier radiant damage. Miss: Half damage. Effect: You activate an aura 1 on the target. The aura lasts until the end of your next turn, and the target cannot deactivate it. The target and any of your en- emies grant combat advantage while in the aura. In addition, you can teleport the target or another crea- ture in the aura up to 5 squares as a move action. Sustain Minor: The aura persists until the end of your next turn. Level 23 Encounter Power Pandorym’s Prism Warlock Attack 23 A purple crystal intrudes on reality, shining with fell light and turning the one who looks upon it into a dull receptacle for your will. Encounter F Arcane, Charm, Implement, Psychic, Radiant Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Will Hit: 2d6 + Constitution modifier psychic and radiant damage, and the target makes a basic attack as a free action against a creature of your choice. Star Pact: The target also takes a penalty to Will until the end of your next turn. The penalty equals your Intelligence modifier. Level 27 Encounter Power Grasp of Ragnorra Warlock Attack 27 Ragnorra misses her brood and ecstatically reaches into the world to claim substitutes and visit upon them the terrible love she has for her true children. Encounter F Arcane, Implement, Necrotic, Thunder Standard Action Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Constitution vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d10 + Constitution modifier necrotic and thunder damage, and the target is removed from play until the end of your next turn. It then reappears in its original space or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied. Star Pact: You decide where the target reappears, choosing an unoccupied space within 20 squares of you. About the Author Bruce enjoys reading good books, eating good sushi, and trying new things—at least if they’re not too new. He has also been known to write things, most recently the new D&D Gamma World™ Roleplaying Game, as well as his latest novel, Sword of the Gods. You can find out more about Bruce at www. brucercordell.com. Developer Jeremy Crawford Editor Miranda Horner Managing Editors Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins Producers Christopher Perkins, Greg Bilsland Art Directors Kate Irwin, Jon Schindehette Illustrator William O’Connor Graphic Production Erin Dorries 1Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 TM & © 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved. Academies of Magic By Robert J. Schwalb Illustrations by McLean Kendree and Beth Trott Everyone who aspires to the life of an adventurer has a special attraction to some type of heroic career. Some are of a martial bent, finding their niche in the prowess that they bring to weaponry and feats of strength. Others gravitate to the path of the divine, relying on and furthering the causes of the deities they revere. Still others cannot resist the pull of arcane power— in their minds the purest and most potent of all forms of magic. One does not become a wizard by simply want- ing to be, any more than one can pick up a sword and call oneself a warrior. Desire is for naught without education and training. Fortunately for any would-be spellcaster, the world includes a number of institutions of arcane study that exist for the purpose of passing on their knowledge to a new generation. This article presents five academies of magic for arcane adventurers. Although the focus here is on wizards, many of the options presented are also available to arcane classes such as the swordmage, warlock, and artificer. As a player, consider the entry on your character’s academy as a window into his or her formative years. Feel free to fill in whatever gaps you like: Adding details about professors, fellow stu- dents, friends and rivals, significant events, and other Academies of Magic 2Sep t embe r 2011 | DRAGON 403 information can help you develop your character’s personality and background. Not only are these academies useful to players for character building, they are also fertile ground for the Dungeon Master to create adventures. If one or more of your players opts into these academies, you can tie their background elements to plots that incor- porate these peculiar institutions in your campaign. If none of your players take advantage of the options included here, you will still find plenty of adven- ture hooks that you can use in your campaign. For example, the PCs might become embroiled in a war between Shadowdeep and the White Spires. They could be summoned to Rumor to solve a murder that took place in a room not only locked but impossible to