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Wizards Says, “Moar Kobolds!”

And we says, “Hurrays!” Wizards of the Coast’s Dragon Magazine has started a new feature that I am extremely excited for. Let me first explain - the way that I learned to DM was to ignore the flawed CR system in D&D 3.5 and to make up my own monsters, using the ones in the Monster Manual for inspiration or, more likely, imagery for players. Since 4E seems to have fixed monster levels to actually represent their power, I feel like a new tool has been opened to me.

Dragon: Creature Incarnations is the new addition to the web-based magazine, with a monthly addition of several different creature types. The full description is after the jump.

This recurring feature will take monsters you know and love from

D&D and offer up new varieties for use in your game. Our goal is to make encounters with existing monsters as varied and interesting as we can. In this, our first installment, we present kobolds! Check out the kobold chieftain, rat master, and vermin handler, along with several other new kobolds that can be used to fill out your burgeoning kobold lair.

The full PDF can be downloaded here, and a note to all of my players: be prepared to be destroyed by Kobolds, their day has finally arrived.

 

Wizards Given New Spells in D&D Insider Supplement

You might not find Dragon magazine in stores or arriving at your house, but the magazine is still online in full form as a D&D Insider benefit. Today, an update brings a new list of spells for Wizards, allowing for them to move their focus away from nukers and more towards controllers, adding a healthy list of illusionary magics to their disposal. The guide has nine new spells not found in the PHB, giving players a new route to take the class.

Few Wizard Archetypes are more recognizable than the illusionist, a spellcaster that calls up false images and sounds using arcane power to fool, confuse, and otherwise befuddle his foes. An illusionist uses magic to toy with the minds of his enemies, convincing them to see and hear things where they are not—and to ignore things that should be right in front of their faces. Illusion spells turn their enemies’ senses against them, causing their eyes and ears to deceive them and tricking them into performing actions they normally would not. Some illusions are so realistic that they can convince a foe’s mind to make the illusion real, causing trauma and even death.

Class Acts returns to Dragon in issue #364 with a new support article for wizards. If you’re looking to play a master of deception who looks to turn his enemies’ minds against them, this article featuring new illusion spells is right for you. Featuring a number of classic D&D illusions, as well as some newcomers, this Class Acts is ready for immediate integration in your D&D campaign.

Above is just one of the nine new powers available, and be sure to visit the official site for the full list and downloadable PDF. You might need to register for Insider to download it, but it’s free, so whatevs.

 

Premade Campaign 04: The Case of the Missing Corpses

The Case of the Missing Corpses is intended for Heroic (1-10) level characters.

There have been complaints from citizens of Tinslebranch of loud noises coming from the local cemetery, and upon inspection it is obvious that the dirt on many of the graves has been recently tampered with. Even more troubling is the specific graves that seem disturbed, all belonging to former clerics of the Raven Queen – the god of death. While tensions are at their worst, the current head of the Raven Queen’s followers in the city, Sesstian Wrol, disappears, leading to a small skirmish outside the church steps between confused citizens and some of the church’s members. Whoever is responsible for the bodies disappearance best be found soon, before the small fight outside the Temple of the Raven Queen bubbles over to a holy war.

Where have the bodies gone?

01-40: The bodies are being stolen by a local merchant, who is selling their body parts on the Black Market as powerful charms that protect against evil magic. He is, of course, lying, but what he doesn’t know is that after a few days of wearing these objects the wearer is turned into a Zombie Hulk. The only way to appease the curse is to find these charms and return them to their original resting place.

41-80: As part of a pact made before their death, the clerics of the Raven Queen had spells cast on them to bring them back from the dead at a certain time, and came out of the ground on their own accord. The black magic that brought them back has corrupted their minds, however, and they have kidnapped the current church leader in hopes of her ritual death being able to cleanse their thoughts.

81-100: The current clerics of the Temple of the Raven Queen have dug up their brethren to attempt to bring them back, but all attempts as of yet have been unsuccessful. Their plan is malicious, and they hope that with increased power they will be able to destroy the town, adding more souls to the Raven Queen. A traveling adventurer has caught wind of the plot, and kidnapped the leader of the church in hopes of finding more information. He tracks down the party for assistance, as Sesstian Wrol has recently escaped his capture.

 

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The Pen and Paper Portal for June 6