® Contents Features 5 Player’s Handbook 3 debut: tHe ardent 54 ClassC a ts: FigHter Get an exclusive look at another new class from Player’s Handbook® 3. This By Stephen Radney-MacFarland month, the ardent! Learn the secrets of the School of Twenty Blades. 7 1 s wordmage essentials 84 ClassC a ts: warloCk By Andy Collins By Robert J. Schwalb Learn the secrets to building and playing the swordmage, arcane defender. The Blasphemous Libram is capable of great evil—and granting great power. 52 Familiar Power: wizards 35 ClassC a ts: druid By Arthur Wright By Aidyn Newman Familiars are more than just shoulder dressing for your wizard. TheseSample new file New options for the shifting druid in all of us. powers feature kickers that activate if you have a familiar. 65 ClassC a ts: invoker 03 a ssassin’s toy CHest By Robert J. Schwalb By Mike Mearls New options for those invokers who awaken their inner god fragment. More goodies for your assassin, including more feats and ki foci! 95 Power Play: arCane Power 3 3 a venger essentials By Stephen Radney-MacFarland By Rodney Thompson All arcanists seek more power, but the followers of the Gloaming Path seek it Learn the basics to building a complete avenger, divine tool of justice of the in the place some say arcane power was born: the Feywild. gods. 26 Power Play: Primal Power 24 ClassC a ts: avengers By Tavis Allison By Rodney Thompson Those who learn the secrets of primal mapping can find their way more More toys for avengers, featuring a slew of new power options. easily in the world. 56 w inning raCes: drow C olumns By Bruce R. Cordell The drow are known for their treachery and viciousness, but some learn to tap these innate callings to serve a higher cause. 86 w inning raCes: elves By Robert. J. Schwalb 4 E ditorial Twilight elves are Sehanine’s chosen, and they have gained some of the patron’s mystery, and much of her power. 106 ConFessions oF a Full-time wizard By Shelly Mazzanoble D&D’s “Player-in-Chief” shares more of her 1 7 C Hannel divinity: tHe traveler wisdom and insight. By Chris Sims Those who are devoted to misdirection and stealth often find the Traveler’s 111 Ra Pg rePort ways suit their own. By Chris Tulach The Living FR campaign is in full swing. Learn 47 s olo adventure more about how to get involved! By Chris Sims A D&D 4th Edition solo play adventure for one 1st-level character. Rescue 115 A mPersand your adventuring party and help the goblin Splug at the same time! By Bill Slavicsek Bill discusses more of the changes in store for 99 k now your role: Controller D&D in 2010. By Robert J. Schwalb Sample file New feats and tips to give your controller more oomph. 102 g uilds & grouPs: moon CatCHers By Bruce R. Cordell o n tHe Cover The followers of Iltani the Blue seek to return her to the sky and guard the Illustration by Steve Prescott world against a great catastrophe. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten realms, Eberron, Dungeon, Dragon, d20, d20 System, Wizards of the coast, all other Wizards of the coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the coast, Inc., in the U.S.A. and other countries. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2008 Wizards of the coast, Inc. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. For more Dungeons & Dragons articles, adventures, and information, visit www.wizards. com/dnd ET d I o R IAL 382 Dr ag on December 2009 Editor-in-Chief chris Youngs Career Change Senior Art Director Jon Schindehette Web Specialist chris Sims ( or, Your Character Sheet as Résumé) Web Production bart carroll, Steve Winter Those of you following Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard dabblers, the cobblers of mechanics. Without forcing (and if you don’t, you really should), are likely aware their character’s death or retirement, it makes sense Graphic Design Keven Smith, Yasuyo Dunnett of the friendly debate waging between the author and that they be allowed to change careers mid-campaign. myself—which, in no small part, involves honor, trust, There’s no judgment being cast here on either style; you Contributing Authors Tavis Allison, Andy collins, bruce betrayal, life, death, and the career choice of one slight, should play your character however you see fit, which is r. cordell, Shelly mazzanoble, black-feathered fellow named Holden Cawfield. the heart of my argument. mike mearls, matthew Newman, While Holden may be crow-like in appearance (he Career changes happen, at the best of times, for the Stephen radney-macFarland, is, you see, a kenku), his actions are more cuckoo-like advancement of the character in question. Bilbo Baggins robert J. Schwalb, chris Sims, in nature. The cuckoo hides its eggs in another bird’s started out as a middle-aged homeowner, became a bur- bill Slavicsek, rodney Thompson, nest to be raised unwittingly. And this is how Shelly glar, then later a traveling historian. Aragorn started as a chris Tulach, Arthur Wright viewed Holden. He presented himself as one thing only ranger of ill-repute, only to become a field marshal, and to become another—not for his party’s interests, but Developers Stephen radney-macFarland, finally king. Look at Cattie-Brie, who literally did lay Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert, entirely for his own. down her bow to learn spellcasting. In fact, consider vir- A little backstory to this debate: Shelly and I play in tually anyone you know in the real world. I have myself chris Sims, rodney Thompson the same Scales of War campaign. A few months back, worked at amusement parks, as an overnight hotel valet, Editors Michele carter, Jeremy crawford, Holden auditioned for an open spot at the table, won delivered phone books, operated as a CIA hit man, miranda Horner it, and promptly joined the Wyld Stallions’ as a much- taught English, and edited technical manuals along the needed cleric. course of my career. Cover Artist Steve Prescott Then Dragon published the assassin class. Holden All that said, I would not advocate career changes simply couldn’tSample resist. file often or thoughtlessly. You should ask your dM’s advice Contributing Artists Alex Aparin, Eric belisle, Wayne I won’t go into the intrinsic coolness of the assassin and permission—and you should consult your fellow England, Tyler Jacobson, mcLean class, how I’ve played one since 1st Edition, or how well players, to make sure they don’t feel an important role Kendree, Jorge Lacera, Patrick I feel its mechanics work in 4th Edition (though I am is being vacated to the party’s detriment. In Holden’s mcEvoy, William O’connor, campaigning for a ranged assassin/sniper build). I’ll case, this meant multi-classing as a cleric (of the Raven David rapoza, Evan Shipard, only say that once the assassin appeared, I lobbied to Queen, of course) and purchasing magic items to further Eric L. Williams change Holden’s class, and our dM agreed. help with healing, to soften the blow of my decision. Shelly cried fowl (last bird reference, I promise). Web Development mark A. Jindra We often talk that the job of the dM is to make sure Holden had been hired as a cleric, and—she felt—should everyone around the table is having fun. To a large D&D Creative Manager Christopher Perkins remain one. extent, the same holds true for you as the player—your My defense, and the point of this editorial, goes as job is to make sure that you’re also having fun, and so Executive Producer, follows: There are, quite thankfully, a wealth of classes contribute to the group’s overall enjoyment of the game. D&D Insider Chris champagne in this game, and a typical campaign involves sessions At the most basic level, your fun begins with the char- Director of RPG R&D bill Slavicsek spanning months, if not years, of play. Many players are acter you’re playing; if that character is interested in satisfied to run their character as originally designed for changing careers, that option should be on the table. the entire length of the campaign. To them, adventur- Just take our recent playtesting of oP’s Lair Assault Special Thanks ing parties resemble the Fellowship of the Ring; it just adventure. Afterward, Shelly herself considered a career richard baker, Greg bilsland, Logan bonner, michele carter, wouldn’t fit for Gimli to put down his axe or Legolas his change for her character—from Tabitha the wizard to Jennifer clarke Wilkes, Andy collins, bruce r. cordell, Torah cottrill, bow and start learning to cast spells under Gandalf’s Tabitha the barbarian. Jeremy crawford, mike Donais, rob Heinsoo, Nina Hess, Peter Lee, tutelage. on the other hand, some players like the The defense rests. mike mearls, Kim mohan, cal moore, Stephen radney-macFarland, opportunity to sample classes. They are experimenters, Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert, matthew Sernett, rodney Thompson, rob Watkins, James Wyatt Commentary James Wyatt: The ardent is the psionic warlord. While the warlord shouts encouragement, inspira- tion, and commands to his allies, the ardent taps directly into his allies’ minds to achieve similar C lass traits results.