Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume IV

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume IV Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume IV Gazetteer Volume Ravenloft WW15023 Legacies of Violence, Landscapes of Despair Twisted shapechangers and immortal tyrants strike terror into the denizens of Ravenloft’s southwestern Core. The twisted desires of Borca’s dual rulers, the curse at the heart of Invidia’s ruling family, the savagery that reigns in the dark forests of Verbrek, the cruelty of Valachan’s master and the greed that marks the rulers of Sithicus evoke an atmosphere of horror that touches all who journey through those forsaken lands. The fourth Gazetteer explores the lands of Borca, Invidia, Verbrek, Valachan and Sithicus, noting landmarks and dangers, relating history and legend and providing a practical assessment of each realm. Bold adventurers may experience these lands for themselves, if they dare. Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast®. This product utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision. The Ravenloft® campaign setting is an officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons® property. ISBN 1-58846-087-8 WW15023 $24.95 U.S. www.swordsorcery.com A Ravenloft® Campaign Setting Supplement Ravenloft Gazeteer lV Credits Authors: Additional Thanks James Lowder, John W. Mangrum, Ryan Based on the Original Dungeons & Naylor, Anthony Pryor, Voronica Dragons ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax Whitney-Robinson and Andrew Wyatt and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons Developers:: & Dragons game designed by Johnathan Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Editor: Richard Baker and Peter Adkison. Mike Johnstone Sword & Sorcery Managing Editor: Special Acknowledgements Andrew Bates Andria Hayday (1st ed. design) Art Director: Bruce Nesmith (1st ed. design) Richard Thomas Tracy & Laura Hickman (original Layout and Typesetting: concept) Ron Thompson Interior Artists: Talon Dunning, Jeremy McHugh, Veronica Jones, Richard Thomas, Beth Trott and Jason Walker Front and Back Cover Designer: Ron Thompson © 2003 Wizards of the Coast Inc. Ravenloft, D&D, Dungeons & Dragons and its logo, the d20 System logo, and Wizards of the Coast and its logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc., in the USA and other countries, and are used by Arthaus under license. PRINTED IN CANADA 1 Foreward Table of Contents Foreword 3 Report One: Borca 8 Report Two: Invidia 38 Report Three: Verbrek 62 Report Four: Valachan 85 Report Five: Sithicus 106 Attached Notes: DM’s Appendix 131 2 Ravenloft Gazeteer lV ForewordForeword The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep. — Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening 3 Foreward I now take quill to the fourth Doomsday The second, more unsettling possibility is that Gazetteer. Upon its completion I shall my patron is waiting for some event that will set a have dedicated two years of my life to grandiose plan in motion. Is he anticipating some this ambitious project, traveling over momentous occurrence that will reveal the reasons half the lands of the Core. My prior for this fool’s errand? Is this bracer a poisoned seed research had well established my own remarkable that only blossoms when the proper conditions are talent and resolve, and when Azalin, my patron, met? miraculously returned from the Gray Realm in 755 I am my own woman, my patron. I have BC, he approached me for an epic undertaking. received nothing from you but sinister commands The king of Darkon retained me to survey all the and the wholesale suppression of information. lands of the Core. For nearly a year my patron chose Though the challenge of these Doomsday Gazet- to remain anonymous, and to date I have yet to face teers appeals to me, I have no particular attachment him in person. I am unsatisfied with the scant to your patronage. The fate of your schemes means reason he has given for sponsoring this ambitious nothing to me, and if I chose to abandon our project. Perhaps a monarch of his stature mistak- arrangement, my work would suddenly be avail- enly presumes that he can treat a peerless scholar able to the highest bidder. such as myself like a common scraping courtier. Such insolence; such lethal presumption. Your sheer confidence in your erudition Rest assured, my little scholar, the benefits of and thoroughness continues to provide me my patronage will become apparent soon enough. with much amusement, little scholar. Let us Talent can take you only so far, and your luck, hope that you remain amusing rather than however remarkable up to this point, can last annoying. only so long. In the spring of 756, my journey began, while this spring saw my path wind through Dementlieu, Report Format Mordent and Richemulot. shall preface each volume of the Dooms- Now the chill in the air has returned, and it is day Gazetteers with a summary of my with a leaden spirit that I turn my eyes once more standard practices and formatting. I shall to the Balinok Mountains. Borca lies before me, as continue to uphold the regular travel well as all the other lands of the southwestern Core. schedule I have maintained this past The recent months have been bereft of word from year, allotting roughly six weeks to study each my patron, which vexes me. Yet I have undertaken country, taking more or less time as required. I shall this journey out of my own intellectual curiosity then immediately relay each report back to Darkon and not due to any loyalty to or fear of my patron. upon its completion. When so-called “local color” The leather and onyx bracer that I have worn proves intriguing, I will provide direct excerpts of — as my patron requested — since I departed my interviews with the native populace. For clarity’s Darkon is the source of my current unease. Since I sake, I shall present these anecdotes in illuminated cannot remove it, I have found ample time to dwell sidebars. on its purpose. I have seen no evidence that it is a Given that my travels are taking me farther “protective” device as my patron claimed, meant to and farther away from Darkon, I will no doubt shield me from his enemies abroad. Significantly, become dependent on my patron’s lackeys to de- my patron has not contacted me since I first donned liver these pages into his moldering hands. To this bracer nine months ago. This silence invites avoid confusion, all reports adhere to the following one of two hypotheses. The first possibility is that standard format: my patron’s gift serves as an arcane monitoring device. If this is indeed the truth, I wish he would Landscape simply say so and save me considerable effort, In this section, I present a naturalist’s view of parchment and ink. each region, focusing on noteworthy features of its 4 Ravenloft Gazeteer lV landscape, flora and fauna. I also take note of important waterways and trade routes, and I de- scribe prevailing architectural styles. Local Animals and Native Horrors These sidebars present natural wildlife and unnatural monsters that are particularly well-suited for adventures in the domain; they are not exhaustive lists of all the crea- tures to be found. Creature lists are divided into “Wildlife” (common, natural animals) and “Monsters” (uncommon, unnatural threats). To make it easier to prepare an encounter quickly, creatures are listed in or- der of ascending Challenge Ratings. Any creatures in italics are under the influence of the domain’s darklord (see “Enchantment” effects the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook). Unless noted otherwise, all creatures can be found in the Monster Manual or Monster Manual II. Creatures marked with an asterisk can be found in Denizens of Dread. Crea- tures marked with two asterisks are included in the Attached Notes. History As this letter marks the opening of a new Doomsday Gazetteer, I should once again address the frustrations of historical study. Objectively speaking, many lands in our world have existed for only a very short time. On those occasions when the Mists have parted, the lands they revealed have typically appeared fully formed and fully popu- lated. The inhabitants of these new lands own full memories of lives well before the emergence of their home. In addition, their historical records often stretch back centuries. In short, dear patron, these folk believe themselves to be as real as you or I, and in truth I cannot disprove the claim. Common wisdom holds that these new lands were simply “revealed” to the world, having existed all along while hidden deep in the Misty Border. Occultists in some circles, however, posit the exist- ence of other worlds — the supposed origins of the “outlanders,” with which my patron is assuredly familiar. These occultists theorize that each of these realms was possibly drawn into our Land of Mists from one of these so-called outlander worlds. 5 Foreward I once scoffed at such wild theories, but I have vailing opinions regarding current rulers. Next, I now come to accept them on a theoretical basis. turn to economic power, including forms of cur- Yet when one probes into the recorded history — rency, natural resources and notable industries. or even living memory — of a region before its Lastly, I focus on matters of diplomacy, examining emergence, such history often proves to be vague, how each nation interacts with its neighbors. incomplete, or even self-contradictory. In addition, my Requiem research and my This situation leads me to the disturbing hy- year-long trek across the Core have taught me pothesis that many lands in our world were much about the true nature of power. My patron is potentially created from whole cloth on the day of course intimately aware of the legends of what I that they first appeared in the Mists.
Recommended publications
  • Campaign Information
    Arak and Gwydion (Some Thoughts on the Shadow Elves' History) By R. Sweeney Gwydion isn't a 'real' demon, but rather a creature of great power from the plane of shadow. Gwydion's evil was his enslavement of the ShadowElves. His torment is his betrayal by Arak. Unlike Vecna, he was not on the prime and could only be 'trapped' because he was trying to follow the Shadow Elves into RL. (Presumably to kill them or re-enslave them). I wonder what Arak was thinking, however. Would there be anyplace he could take the Shadow elves into exile where Gwydion could not follow? Did he think he could hide from such a powerful creature? Gwydion must have had an enemy. A sibling perhaps. The Shadow Elves must have acted as some sort of armed forces for him. Arak must have believed that if Gwydion suddenly found himself without his Slaves, he would have been destroyed by his rivals. However, there other.. less satisfying, perhaps, ways of re-writing ShadowElf history. Gwydion, the shadow-being, falls 'in love' with an elf from some other world. They mate, bear children. Woman dies, Gwydion takes his children and their children as slaves. Millenia pass. Arak was Gwydion's favorite. Perhaps, Gwydion had mated with one of the Shadow elves of unsurpassed beauty and begat Arak. Thus, he set his son above all the other slaves. Arak, however, desired more than to be the head of the slaves. He managed to betray his father to his enemies. Arak had intended patricide. He was going to take away Gwydion's protective armed forces, leaving him vulnerable to attack by his other enemies.
    [Show full text]
  • Dragon Magazine #182
    Issue #182 Vol. XVII, No. 1 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Dragons: the lords of fantasy June 1992 9 Our annual tribute to our namesakeslong may they live! Publisher Not Cheaper by the Dozen Spike Y. Jones James M. Ward 10 Twelve of the DRAGONLANCE® sagas most egg-citing creations. Editor The Vikings' Dragons Jean Rabe Roger E. Moore 17 Linnorms: the first of a two-part series on the Norse dragons. The Dragons Bestiary Gregory Detwiler Associate editor 25 unhealthy branches of the dragon family tree. Dale A. Donovan Fiction editor F ICTION Barbara G. Young The Dragonbone Flute fiction by Lois Tilton Editorial assistant 84 He was a shepherd who loved musicbut he loved his audience more. Wolfgang H. Baur Art director R EVIEWS Larry W. Smith The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser 55 From Mars to the stars: two high-powered science-fiction games. Production staff Gaye O'Keefe Angelika Lokotz Role-playing Reviews Lester Smith Tracey Zamagne Mary Roath 96 Now you can be the smallest of creatures or the most powerful. Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow Subscriptions\t 112 A collection of draconic wonders, for gaming or display. Janet L. Winters U.S. advertising O THER FEATURES Roseann Schnering Novel Ideas James Lowder 34 Two new horrific novels, spawned in the mists of Ravenloft. U.K. correspondent The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard and U.K. advertising 41 This month, the readers questions take center stage. Bronwen Livermore The Wild, Wild World of Dice Michael J. DAlfonsi 45 Okay, so how many six-sided dice do you own? Kings of the Caravans Ed Greenwood 48 A land like the Forgotten Realms requires tough merchants! Dragonslayers on the Screen Dorothy Slama 62 Some handy guidelines for letting your computer be your DM.
    [Show full text]
  • Sample File the Hutchingsonian Presents the Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord and Other Adventures from Our Shared Youth
    Sample file The Hutchingsonian Presents The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord and other adventures from our shared youth Introduction 1 Jon Peterson Editors Notes 6 Tim Hutchings The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord 7 Gaius Stern Stone Death 26 Richard C. Benson The Crack at Garn’s Canyon 38 Matt Morrison The Ring of Gaax Sample file 45 Wayne Lacroix The Golden Scepter of the Trollfens 58 Mike Walters The Tomb of Areopagus the Cloaked and Japheth of the Mighty Staff 86 Michael M. Hughes The Lair of Turgon 96 Todd Nilson The Maze of Death 108 Mike Walters All content copyright of the respective creators. Layout ©2013 Timothy Hutchings and The Hutchingsonian Presents. No claim is made on any copyrighted or trademarked material intentionally or accidentally presented herein. The Hutchingsonian Presents Introduction Jon Peterson When Dungeons & Dragons first appeared early in Thus, there was little thought at first that dungeons 1974, it contained an extraordinary invitation: it asked should be made into commercial products. us all to participate in the creation of fantastic worlds. By the middle of 1975, demand for dungeons at No longer would we merely passively read about - conventions began to chip away at this secrecy. When fantasies someone else had conceived, or watch them - Gary Gygax operated a tournament dungeon for the in films—now we would be participants and protago first Origins Game Fair in July, there was sufficient nists, authors and architects of fantasy. This is per demand to play that he scheduled two groups to haps best captured by a line in the final pages of the - explore instances of the dungeon simultaneously: one original rules, which asks, “why have us do any more under Gygax’s own supervision, the other refereed by of your imagining for you?” Everywhere there are op his son, Ernie.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Encounters for Characters of Any Level
    TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword . 2 Adventure Customs and Shorthand . 2 About the Authors . 2. So, a Displacer Beast Cub and a Pack of Blink Dogs Ran Across Our Path… by Alan Tucker . .3 . So, a Sverfneblin, Chased by a Duergar Posse, Walked into Our Campsite… by Chad M. Lensch . 4. So, a Poacher Walks Into a Lodge… by Harm Delva . 5 . So, a Goblin in a Cage Hangs Over the Road… by Ciaran O’Halloran . 6 So, an Exotic Merchant and a Crippled Aarakocra Landed on Our Campsite… by Elven Tower . .7 So, an Umber Hulk and a Slaad Fly Over the Road… by Tony Petrecca . 8. So, a Blind Woman and a Medusa Walk Along the Road… by Beatriz T. Dias . .9 . So, a Barghest and Its Goblin Prey Are Found on the Road… by David McDonough . 10. So, a Child and His Sister Walk Onto the Road… by Matt Vaughan (Dungeon Rollers) . 11 So, Two Clans of Goblins Gathered by the Road With a Hag—Then a Bunch of Bards Showed Up… by George Sager . 12 So, a Magic Axe, a Skeleton, and a Crowd of Peasants Block the Road… by Duncan Rhodes . 13 . So, a Campfire Appeared Along the Road… by Morten Greis . 14 So, Some Adventurers With a Locked Chest Step Onto the Road… by Richard Malena-Webber . 15 So, a Tearful Shepherd, Three Pixies, and Flock of Sheep Walk Onto the Road… by Karl Sciberras . 16 Encounter Modifier Tables by ELF Vesala . .1 7 . Short Encounters for CREDITS Design & Layout: Alan Tucker Characters of Any Level Art: Alan Tucker, and licensed and modified stock art from DepositPhotos.com and DMsGuild Community Resources IT CLICKS! Editing: Linda May and Alan Tucker This version of the product is DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, the dragon ampersand, and fully hyperlinked so you can all other wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Dragon Magazine #228
    Where the good games are As I write this, the past weekend was the WINTER FANTASY ™ slots of the two LIVING DEATH adventures; all the judges sched- gaming convention. uled to run them later really wanted to play them first. That’s a It is over, and we’ve survived. WINTER FANTASY isn’t as hectic vote of confidence for you. or crowded as the GENCON® game fair, so we can relax a bit These judges really impressed me. For those of you who’ve more, meet more people, and have more fun. never played a LIVING CITY, LIVING JUNGLE™, or LIVING DEATH game, It was good meeting designers and editors from other game you don’t know what you’re missing. The judges who run these companies and discussing trends in the gaming industry, but it things are the closest thing to a professional corps of DMs that was also good sitting in the hotel bar (or better yet, Mader’s, I can imagine. Many judges have been doing this for years, and down the street) with old friends and colleagues and just talk- some go to gaming conventions solely for the purpose of run- ing shop. ning games. They really enjoy it, they’re really good, and they Conventions are business, but they are also fun. really know the rules. I came out of WINTER FANTASY with a higher respect for the Now the Network drops into GENCON gear. Tournaments are people who run these things. TSR’s new convention coordina- being readied and judges are signing up.
    [Show full text]
  • Quoth the Raven 21
    Quoth The Raven #21 Front Matter Quoth the Raven #21 This product is a work of fiction. Names of characters, locations, businesses, races, cultures, and events are either the products of the authors’ imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events, or places is purely coincidental. No ravens were harmed in the writing of this book. All articles and content are copyright © 2014 and the property of their respective writers or the Fraternity of Shadows The Fraternity of Shadows gives permission to print or photocopy this work for person Table of Contents Quoth The Raven #21 .................................................................................................................................... 0 Front Matter ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 The Criminal Rings of Nova Vaasa ............................................................................................................ 4 To Granny’s House .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cult of the Dragon
    Cult of the Dragon by Dale Donovan And naught will be left save shuttered thrones with no rulers. But the dead dragons shall rule the world entire, and . Sammaster First-Speaker Founder of the Cult of the Dragon Dedication To my mother and my father, who always encouraged me, no matter how seemingly strange my interests may have appeared. Thanks to you both I had the chance to pursueand obtainmy dream. While it may seem curious to dedicate a book about a bunch of psycho cultists to ones parents, I figured that, of all people, you two would understand. Credits Design: Dale Donovan Additional and Original Design: L. Richard Baker III, Eric L. Boyd, Timothy B. Brown, Monte Cook, Nigel Findley, Ed Greenwood, Lenard Lakofka, David Kelman, Bill Muhlhausen, Robert S. Mullin, Bruce Nesmith, Jeffrey Pettengill, Jon Pickens, and James M. Ward Development & Editing: Julia Martin Cover Illustration: Clyde Caldwell Interior Illustrations: Glen Michael Angus Art Direction: Dana Knutson and Dawn Murin Typesetting: Angelika Lokotz Research, Inspiration, & Additional Contributions: Robert L. Nichols & Craig Sefton Special Acknowledgment: Gregory Detwiler, Ed Greenwood, Jamie Nossal, Cindy Rick, Carl Sargent, Steven Schend, and the stories of Clark Ashton Smith & Edgar Allan Poe Campaign setting based on the original game world of Ed Greenwood. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUNGEON MASTER, FORGOTTEN REALMS, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, PLAYERS OPTION, and the TSR logo are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. COUNCIL OF WYRMS, ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA, and MONSTROUS MANUAL are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Chronomancer
    OPTIONAL GAME ACCESSORY Chronomancer Credits Design: Loren Coleman Development and Editing: Matt Forbeck Additional Assistance: Jim Butler, Andria Hayday, Bruce Heard, Steve Miller, Roger Moore, Jon Pickens, Skip Williams, and David Wise Graphic Design: Stephen Daniele and Paul Hanchette Cover Art: Alan Pollack Interior Art: Thomas Baxa, Adrian Bourne, Terry Dykstra, Jim HoUoway, Mark Nelson Typography: Angelika Lokotz Production: Paul Hanchette Sample file ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, AL-QADIM, BLACKMOOR, DARK SUN, DRAGONLANCE, FORGOTTEN REALMS, GREYHAWK, HOLLOW WORLD, MYSTARA, RAVENLOFT, RED STEEL, and SPELLJAMMER are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. BIRTHRIGHT, COUNCIL OF WYRMS, ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA, PLANESCAPE, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English-language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. ©1995 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the materials or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI43147 Cambridge CB1 3LB USA United Kingdom ISBN 0-7869-0325-2 1st Printing, August 1995 9506XXX1501 le of Contents Introduction 3 Chapter 4: Chronomancy 39 Where This Belongs in Your Campaign .
    [Show full text]
  • Player's Guide
    Player’s Guide Player’s Guide Design: James Jacobs n the Savage Tide Adventure Path, your Additional Design: Jason Bulmahn characters are destined to face a wide range of Developer: James Jacobs Idangerous monsters, hostile terrain, murderous Editors: James Jacobs, Erik Mona, James Sutter organizations, and sinister magic. Yet before you Art Director: Sean Glenn set off , you’ll need to know where your character is Graphic Designer: Drew Pocza from. This campaign begins in the exotic port city of Cover Artist: Todd Lockwood Sasserine, and it is here that the foundations of your Illustrations: Ben Wootten character will be laid. The City of Sasserine is perched Cartographer: Robert Lazzaretti on the edge of the known world, the last stop before Prepress Manager: Kelly O’Brien the endless expanse of the Amedio Jungle. It is a hub of Production Manager: Jeff Alvarez trade, and home to more than fi � een thousand souls, Publisher: Erik Mona a bastion of civilization in a realm haunted by piracy, Paizo CEO: Lisa Stevens disease, violent weather, and monsters. Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons rules Further details on Sasserine are provided for the created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DM in Dungeon #139, which also kicks off the new Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Jonathan Savage Tide Adventure Path. This campaign assumes Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and your starting character is a Sasserine native, and as Peter Adkison. such you can expect to know a fair amount in advance about the city. This booklet presents everything you’ll This game product contains no Open Game Content.
    [Show full text]
  • Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook Page 2
    BLIGHT ON BRIGHT SANDS SOURCEBOOK Version 1.0 April 2005 Campaign Arc Direction: Creighton Broadhurst and Stephen Radney-MacFarland Arc Design and Review: Creighton Broadhurst, Chris Chesher, Sampo Haarlaa, Mike Hinds, Tom Kee, Stuart Kerrigan, Paul Looby, Greg Marks, Theron Martin and Bruce Paris, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Pierre van Rooden. Cartography: Craig Zipse, modified by Stephen Radney-MacFarland Special Thanks: Erik Mona. Resources: Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand by Bruce R. Cordell, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and JD Wiker; Living Greyhawk Gazetter by Gary Holian, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Fredrick Weining; Rary the Traitor by Anthony Pryor; “Into the Bright Desert” from Dungeon issue 98 and “Denizens of the Bright Desert” from Dungeon issue 103; and “City of the Scorned” from Dungeon issue 109 by Paul Looby. ® Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, LIVING GREYHAWK, D&D REWARDS, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Bestiary of the Realms: Volume 2
    Bestiary of the Realms: Volume 2 by Thomas M. Costa and Eric L. Boyd Art by Noëlle Triaureau Editorial assistance from Joe “Warlockco” Weber A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS Welcome to volume two of the Bestiary of the Realms. As this is our second volume, you’ll find several score new or converted monsters, as well as a few different interpretations of monsters that have already been converted. A word of caution, just as many official 3E and 3.5E monsters did not slavishly follow earlier write-ups of those monsters, neither do the monsters herein. Instead, we did our best to consider all sources, hopefully make full and creative use of the 3.5E rules (including non-core WotC books), and in many cases add a little bit here and there to many of the monsters, even if it was in only adding or updating their Realms lore. A few have even been renamed. One last note, we’ve done our best to include source references for all things where appropriate, except those found in the three core rulebooks or Expanded Psionics Handbook. Until then, Sword High! – Thomas M. Costa and Eric L. Boyd ABOUT THE AUTHORS Thomas M. Costa is a senior analyst with the Government Accountability Office. He has been a contributor to several Wizards of the Coast products including Demihuman Deities and Races of Faerûn, and is the author of several Dragon Magazine and Wizards of the Coast website articles. He can be reached at [email protected]. Eric L. Boyd is a software designer and freelance game designer.
    [Show full text]
  • An "Official" Spelljammer Guide to the Spheres [Revised 1.0]
    Guide to the Spheres An "official" Spelljammer Guide to the Spheres [revised 1.0] By Paul Westermeyer aka GMWestermeyer Table of Contents: Page Section 1 Introduction 2 Phlogiston Navigation 4 Phlogiston Transit Times 4 Where is the Rock of Bral? 6 “Official” Flow Map 7 The Spheres and other Phlogiston Locations 23 ‘Loose’ Planets/Worlds 34 Bibliography: Introduction Spelljammer is a very unique and creative setting, but it is also one of the worst organized settings TSR produced with material is scattered among many different products. This makes it very difficult to find what you are looking for, a problem exasperated by Spelljammer’s status as a ‘connection’ campaign, designed (like Planescape) to connect the ‘big’ three settings, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and Dragonlance. I’ve been working to alleviate this problem by writing guides and indices for those aspects of Spelljammer that are most important for creating a coherent, rational game setting. The first of these guides was An “Official” Spelljammer Timeline, which collated Spelljammer-related historical mentions in published TSR products into a cohesive, coherent timeline that Spelljammer (or Hackjammer) gamemasters could use as the foundation of their own, personalized campaigns. This guide, An “Official” Spelljammer Guide to the Spheres, has a similar purpose. Spelljammer’s iconic center is the Rock of Bral, just as Sigil is the iconic heart of Planescape, Spelljammer’s setting cousin, but Sigil’s location is quite firmly placed at the center of the Plane of Concordant Opposition, metaphorically the heart of the entire Advanced Dungeons and Dragons multiverse. Moreover, the various inner and outer planes are all well mapped in relation to each other, and have been ever since the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook in 1978.
    [Show full text]