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The Gamers Community Magazine

Issue #1 October 2008

Creature Feature
The Water Phoenix

Frozen Fish

Ask Harpy

The Harpys
Advice for Gamers
A Magazine by and for Gamers

A New Mono Blue


Control Deck

The Flaming Quill

have been part of the roleplaying game hobby since its earliest
days. Throughout the years, I have watched it evolve from a niche
activity widely regarded as only for geeks to a near-mainstream
hobby enjoyed by families and communities all over the world. In
truth, you can find gamers everywhere, though sometimes you have
to probe for them a bit. When Skip and I moved to rural southwestern Wisconsin 5 years ago, I thought my gaming would be curtailed,
but I am gaming more now than I ever did in the cityindeed, more
than I did while working for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Our closest
neighbor turned out to be a gamer, as did one of the teachers at the
high school, who had agreed to sponsor a game club. Offering my
support to that club allowed me to get acquainted with many teens
who were interested in gaming, and a few of them had parents who
were also gamers. Now I run two tabletop D&D campaigns, plus a
third one online. The kid next door plays Magic: the Gathering, and
my Lunch Money game is a favorite at the high school.
It has been said that the tabletop gaming hobby is dying
out, replaced by electronic games. But I find gamers literally everywhere I go. I have long been
a supporter of the Bristol Renaissance Faire in
southeastern Wisconsin, and though I knew many
gamers who enjoyed attending it, I was surprised this
year at the number of gamers actually working there. Our
old friend, artist Jeff Easley of TSR fame, had his own shop
there, and we spent some time reminiscing. One of the players in
my local campaign had highly recommended a particular musician there, who had been writing and performing gaming songs for
some time. Looking him up brought Phoenix Lore Magazine its own
resident minstrel, Dan the Bard, whose music will soon be gracing
our website. Dan in turn introduced me to a team of gamers who
had just launched RenQuesta live event that fused an RPG experience with a RenFaire scavenger hunt and culminated in the slaying of
a dragon that belched smoke! I talked with one days winners of this
event, and yes, they too were gamers.
Thus our legacy is passed, as all great traditions are, from parent
to child, from friend to friend, and from expert to novice. And with
each transition come new ideas, new techniques, and new life. Yes,
many of these new gamers also play electronic games, but those have
not destroyed our hobby. Indeed, it is constantly reborn and revitalized as new people add their ideas and experiences to the body of lore
from which we all draw.
The twin themes of our inaugural issue are water and rebirth. So
browse through our pages and reincarnate your gaming with Phoenix
Lore Magazine.
Keep those dice rolling!

Penny Williams

The Phoenix Lore Staff


Editor-in-Chief Penny Williams (Penny_Williams)
Content Manager David Paul (VrecknidjX)

Production Manager Rose Cheek (Kayla_Silverhand)


Information Systems/
Support Manager Andrew James Alan Welty (Phoenix)

Graphics Director Claes Sillberg (Carnifex)


Marketing/
Promotions Director Quentin Small (Crazy_Monkey1956)

Research Analyst Richard Biggs (Phoenix_Archmage)


Resident Minstrel Dan Marcotte (Dan_the_Bard)

Webmaster Liz Courts (Lillith)

Administrative
Assistant Roger Edwards (Tahler)

Staff Developer/
Interviewer Michael Mazur (Karrius)

Staff Artists Richard Biggs (Phoenix_Archmage),


Erik Rorrer (Coven), Igor Kieryluk
(HMV)

Staff Editors Andrew Flynn (Flynn), John Ling


(Zherog), Monica Shellman (Harpy)

Staff Writers Mark Charke (Charke), Paul Glasser


(PMGlasser), Michael Mazur
(Karrius), Monica Shellman (Harpy),
Jeff Zandi (Zanman)

Talent Scouts Paul Glasser (PMGlasser), David Paul


(VrecknidjX)

Contributing Artists Rose Cheek (Kayla_Silverhand),


Daniel Craig (Aeolius), Mark
Littlejohn, Devinnight (Devin Night),
Claes Sillberg, Kurt Taylor, Nicholas
Webb, Corey Williams (Corjay)

Phoenix Lore is a publication for gamers, by gamers. We are always looking for contributions, and
we would like to hear from you! You may submit
your work by going to www.phoenixlore.com/, or
send email to:
submissions@phoenixlore.com.

Phoenix LoreTM Magazine is published bimonthly by Crystal Unicorn Enterprises, LLC. Copyrights for all articles and artwork belong to their respective creators, with the exception of material that constitutes Product Identity of a company or other entity, and the
works are used with permission. No part of this magazine may be reproduced (except for review purposes) without the prior written consent of the owner of the item. Material published herein may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Crystal Unicorn Enterprises,
its owners and patrons, or its contributors, who are not liable for opinions expressed herein. Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Magic: the Gathering, Battlesystem, Axis & Allies, RPGA, and Polyhedron are
registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Most other product names are trademarks owned by their respective publishers. Use of the name of any product without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status.
Phoenix Lore is a trademark of Crystal Unicorn Enterprises, LLC. This issue contains no open game content, except that provided in the current version of the SRD.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

In This Issue

4
7 Interview with Aeolius
10 Ask Harpy
14 The Goblin Gang Art & Stats Contest
Apprentice Workshop
16
18 Solo Campaigns
22 Disciples of the Flame
26 New Feats for Alternative Casters
30 Rifle Fire
Experiencing XP
34
40 Creature FeatureThe Water Phoenix
Quick & Dirty GM
by Paradox

10

By Jim Ansaldo (JohnnyQuest)


by Monica Shellman (Harpy)
by David Paul (VrecknidjX)
by John Ling (Zherog)

22

40

by Kirk Johnson-Weider (KJW)


by Michael Mazur (Karrius)

by Andrew James Alan Welty (Phoenix)


by Andy Fetterman (Duck Crusader)
by David Paul (VrecknidjX)

by Michael Mazur (Karrius), David Paul (VrecknidjX),


Penny Williams (Penny_Williams), and the Phoenix Lore
Community

52 Bloody Tarawa
54 Water Rules for D&D Minis
56 Frozen Fish 2008
Gen Con 2008
59
62 Constant Rebirth
64 Traveller Reborn . . . Again
by Paul Glasser (PMGlasser)

by Daniel R. Thomson (Neon Knight) and Jey (Greyhaze)


by Jeff Zandi (Zanman)

59
The Cover Uncovered
Our cover artist, Robert Friis,
has provided us with a lovely
and dangerous pirate queen
to go with this issues water
theme. You can visit Robert at
his website, http://xadhoom.
deviantart.com.

by David Paul (VrecknidjX)

by Michael Mazur (Karrius)

by Andrew James Alan Welty (Phoenix)


3

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


without introducing a lot of heavy
game mechanics.

Game Effects of Rain


The number, type, and duration of
rainstorms an area should receive in a
given month depend on its geographical placement in the campaign world.
In one area, a single storm might last
for days, while in another, rainstorm
could mean a 5-minute sprinkle followed by bright sunshine.

Vision
Rain can obscure vision just as much
as fog can. The heavier the downpour,
the shorter the distance a character can
see. Certain monsters may even prefer
to hunt during storms because the rain
conceals their movement. Part of this
concealment is due to rain getting in
characters eyes, while most of it is the
actual raindrops. Table 323 from the
DMG, correlates the type of rain with
the distance at which an opponent has
concealment (20% miss chance).
Rain also affects color vision. Whether the rain is heavy or light, gray skies
can make colors seem dim and muted.
Describing this effect is a great way to
create a dark and sinister mood, or to
add a sense of despair to your scenario.

When It Rains,
It Pours

Comfort

By Paradox Illustrated by Kurt Taylor (p4) and Corey Williams (Corjay, p5 & 6)
Its a dark and stormy night. A stranger enters the busy tavern, looks around, then
approaches your table. With a mysterious smile, he announces in a low voice that he
has a mission for you.
If youre like many GMs, the above
description about covers the extent of
bad weather in your campaign. In most
campaign worlds, sunny weather and
clear skies prevail until a well-placed
lightning bolt is needed for dra-

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

matic effect. But rain can have a much


greater effect on your game, if you plan
for its use. The actual rules for weather
can be found on page 93 in the DMG,
but the following suggestions can be
used to add some flavor to a campaign

Not everyone enjoys singing in the


rain. When youre out in a cloudburst,
water gets in your eyes, and your
clothes cling to your body. Wet clothes
also weigh more than dry ones. How
much extra weight youre carrying
depends on the type of material, but
soggy clothes are noticeably heavy.
Furthermore, youre coldprobably
very cold. Unlike the comfortable
spray you can get in a modern shower,
natural rain is chilly at best. Watch any
episode of Survivor, and youll see just
how miserable people caught in the
rain without a fire can be. And since
wet wood doesnt burn, campfires may
go out, or even refuse to light at all.

Phoenix Lore Magazine


Without a campfire beside which to
warm your bones, the cold rain feels
even colder, and you start to shiver. Its
not unreasonable, in such a case, to apply a 2 penalty to all Dexterity-based
checks a shivering character makes.
Characters in colder climates may
also have to face the hazard of freezing
rain. Rain that falls when the temperature is near freezing can quickly turn
to ice, covering surfaces with a slippery coating. If the temperature drops
still further, or characters are not well
protected against cold, frostbite could
set in on exposed body parts.
Even when its not raining, humidity can have a strong effect on character comfort. High humidity makes
characters sticky and uncomfortable in
hot weather, so most PCs should want
to strip off their armor and any other
heavy clothing in such conditions.
In addition, you may wish to grant
any creature stalking hot and sweaty
characters by scent a +2 circumstance
bonus on Survival checks to track.

Gear

the partys path is more dangerous than


it appears.
Most of the time, puddles evaporate
in a short while. But one located in a
shady area may persist for quite a long
time, becoming a breeding ground for
disease-carrying insects.

Mud
Mud is hard to containcreatures can
track or splatter it everywhere. Tracking becomes considerably easier if the
quarry has mud on its boots, feet, or
hooves, so extra care is needed to evade
pursuit. And consider the dramatic
effect you can add by letting the PCs
find muddy footprints leading into
their rooms, but not coming out!
Mud can also be used to conceal
characters or NPCs who are waiting
in ambush. Arnold Schwarzeneggers
character used this technique in the
film Predator. But the mud
must be thick enough to
coverwatery mud
wont do the job.
Further-

more, care must be taken to cover all


exposed flesh as well as any clothing or
equipment that does not blend in with
the backgrounda time-consuming
process at best. You as GM must decide the bonus a character gets on Hide
checks for using this technique, but +2
to +6 is a reasonable range.
As with puddles of water, its not
easy to judge the depth of a mud
puddle. The ground may look firm,
but the characters can quickly sink up
to their waists if theyre not careful.
Furthermore, traveling through thick
or deep mud is difficult enough to slow
movement, and Balance checks may be
required to negotiate muddy areas.
Finally, heavy rain makes the ground
so loose that massive amounts of earth
can be swept away without warning. A
character caught in a mudslide or sink-

PCs who are caught in a rainstorm


must dry most of their equipment before using it, since moisture can damage most adventuring gear. Armor and
metal weapons may rust if left wet for
too long, wood or improperly cured
leather may begin to rot, and cloth
eventually falls apart. Waterlogged
scrolls and maps are generally unusable, since water causes the ink to run.

Puddles
Low-lying areas and depressions in
the ground quickly fill up with water
during a rainstorm. Kids might like to
jump into puddles, but adults know
that a puddle can be much deeper than
it appears. Indeed, a character can twist
an ankle or sustain any number of
other injuries by walking into an unexpectedly deep puddle. Furthermore,
puddles can provide concealment for
creatures, so as a canny GM, you may
want to ensure that the big puddle in

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


hole can be buried alive in moments.
On the other hand, a newly opened
sinkhole might expose an ancient,
unexplored dungeon to view.

Floods

During and even after particularly


heavy rains, overflowing rivers may
flood nearby low-lying communities,
filling the streets with an inch or two
of water, or even submerging villages
entirely. Residents who have fled to
the rooftops to avoid drowning may be
stranded there for days before rescue
arrives. Furthermore, floodwaters can
do considerable damage to structures
and the goods inside. And if a flooded
area cannot be drained quickly, the
stagnant water breeds insects and can
cause epidemics of various diseases.
Flash floods pose an additional
danger because they appear without
warning. When a flood roars down a
dry streambed, the force of the water
is like that of a strong river, capable of

destroying or carrying off whatever lies


in its path.

Famous Last Words


Rain and its effects can add considerable depth and flavor to your campaign
without adding a lot of bulky game
mechanics. You can also use rain as a
plot deviceperhaps an evil wizard
plans to flood the PCs hometown, or a
tribe of lizardfolk is sacrificing the PCs
neighbors to placate their rain god,
or some NPCs must be saved from a
flash flood, or a sinkhole has suddenly
opened to reveal a mysterious structure. Adventure hooks such as these
abound, but be sure to wipe your feet
when you try them out.
Paradox lives on the East Coast with his
wife and her cat. He has played
D&D since 1983 and likes all
editions of the game. His favorite
setting is Planescape, and he collects
speckled dice.

Keep Your Eyes on Phoenix Lore Magazine!


We have a bumper crop of exceptional gaming articles lined up for your
reading pleasure in issue #2, which releases in December 2008. The twin
themes for this issue are urban adveturing and holiday goodies. Look for the
following exciting features in the upcoming issue:
New Holiday Carols from Harpy! (by Harpy, Paradox,
Jeff Zandi, and Dan the Bard)
The City of Port Hallward (a city setting by Iddig)
Bombs Away! (by Luke OHearn)
An Extraplanar City in Carceri
Excerpt from Great City Campaign Book (by 0one
Games)
Ambush Alley Review (by Cliff Churgin)
What if? Battle of the Bay of Bengal
Creature Feature: Dream Gremlin (by the
Phoenix Lore Community)
Veil of Fog (a seafaring adventure by Brian Hamilton)

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Broken: The White Ghost (by Mark Charke)


The Dwarven Tankard (an alehouse by Andrew
James Alan Welty)
Magical Stocking Stuffers (new holiday magic items
by Michael Mazur)
We Are the Champions (a review of the new DDM
Champion pieces by Jim Cook)
Aventus (undersea fiction by Brian Hamilton)
Three-Way Strategy (Magic: the Gathering advice by
Jon Kimmel)
Plus new Magic: the Gathering articles by Jeff Zandi,
and new installments of our regular columnsApprentice Workshop, Ask Harpy, and Quick & Dirty GM!

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!
Phoenix Lore Magazine

Member Spotlight

Interview with Aeolius


By Jim Ansaldo (JohnnyQuest) Illustration Wizards of The Coast Inc.

In this issue, our Member Spotlight shines upon Daniel Craig, who goes by the screen name Aeolius in Phoenix Lore Magazines chatroom. Dan is well known there and elsewhere for his underwater campaigns and creatures.
PhL: Lets start with some personal information about
you, and how you came to join the community.
Aeolius: In the early 90s, after serving as a chat host for
an online community called LaPub, I joined TSRs online
chatspace on AOL and became a TSRO (moderator). I
followed TSR from AOL to its first venture on the internet,
and weathered the changes when Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
and Hasbro entered the picture.
When I married my AOL sweetheart in 1993, I abandoned my interests in keeping reptiles and collecting
comics. But I discovered something infinitely more timeconsumingsaltwater aquariumsand I have kept those
ever since.
Over the past few years, my wife and I have adopted three
children from China, bringing our family to six children
ranging in age from four to fourteen. We live on several
acres of land, which has allowed us to accumulate quite a
menagiere of animal friendshorses, chickens, goats, and
more. Needless to say, I have learned to be creative with my
gaming time, trying out every venue from play-by-post campaigns to chat-based games.
PhL: I can only imagine. I have two children, and even
they produce a bit of a dent. Where does the name Aeolius come from?
Aeolius: Its a combination of Aeolus (the wind god of the
ancient Greeks) and aeolian (as in Aeolian harp, an instrument played by the winds). It was my first AOL screen
name back in 1985.
PhL: How did you get into gaming?
Aeolius: I started with the Basic D&D game back in 1979.
From there, my group and I moved on to Expert, then
to Advanced D&D, bringing our favorite PCs to level 19
before we went our separate ways. In college, I started a new
campaign called The Basement. It was mostly an on-thefly, impromptu affair, but it lasted for several years. After

college came the dry spell in my gaming life. My friends and


I had moved to different states, so we gamed only once a
year, at most.
While I was involved with TSR Online, I started my first
online gamea play-by-post campaign known as Into the
Land of Black Ice (LoBI). The game began in AOLs RPG
forum, then moved to TSRs AOL forum, followed TSR to
the web, and finally found its home on a website I established for the campaign.
By that time, I had become completely obsessed with
night hags. One player in that campaign wanted to play an
alu-demon, from the 1st-edition AD&D Monster Manual
II. In the course of helping him develop the characters history, I began to notice similarities between the succubi and
erinyes devils. Finally, inspired by Nigel Findleys Ecology of the Greenhag in Dragon Magazine #125, in which
greenhags were described as the daughters of night hags, and
the annis as the daughter of a greenhag, I got an idea. From
then on in my campaign, both kinds of fiends were the
daughters of night hagssuccubi are sired by demons and
erinyes by devils.
Since the half-fiend template did not yet exist, I devised a
variety of half-fiends for my campaign from the night hags
bloodline, including alu-demons, alu-devils, alu-daemons,
and alu-demodands, as well as the female counterparts to
the cambion. My night hags have many children.
PhL: I guess theyre similar to you in that way.
Aeolius: There ya go! And, just as families can have their
disagreements, campaigns can as well. In 1998, LoBI began
to break apart because of squabbles among the players. Fortunately, I had begun to develop a second PbP concept, also
set in the World of Greyhawk and centered on one of the
areas mentioned in a section of Greyhawk Adventures called
Greyhawk Mysterious Places. (This reference was available
for a time as an online article at wizards.com and is now
archived at http://web.archive.org/web/20030219001806/

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

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aqueous locales from the World of Greyhawk, including the
Sinking Isle and the Jungle of Lost Ships, in my campaign.

Intervie

http://www.wizards.com/greyhawk/dndgreyhawkmysteriousplaces.asp.) That game would become known as Beneath the Pinnacles of Azoralq. LoBI had been an arctic
game, so I wanted to run something in a warmer clime,
and inspired by my saltwater aquariums, I decided to set
the campaign beneath the surface of the sea. In addition, I
started Penance of the Damned, a chat-based game set in
Hades, in which the PCs began as larvae.

PhL: As a Greyhawk afficionado, how do you feel about


the Forgotten RealmsTM and EberronTM campaign settings? Do you use them at all?
Aeolius: FR was introduced when I was in college, and I
had neither the time nor the funds to investigate it further. I do recall reading a few of the novels, though. As for
Eberronwell, I submitted my campaign setting for that
contest, but needless to say, WotC was not ready for a magic
system centered entirely on hags.

PhL: So were the all the PCs in BPAA members of


aquatic races?
Aeolius: They were either aquatic, or modified to fit a watery environment.

PhL: Two friends of mine and I also submitted a campaign setting for that competition, but it was a bit too
dark (and derivative) to win.
Aeolius: If you ever get a chance to see my Night Hag Family Tree, youll know its not exactly the sort of thing one
would teach in elementary school.

PhL: Is BPAA still running?


Aeolius: Some campaigns seem to run their courses and
fade away, and such was the case with BPAA. Conflicts between characters and players, coupled with a change in my
work schedule, brought the campaign to an untimely end.
Once things settled down a bit and my schedule returned
to normal, I took what I had learned about adventuring in
liquid space and devised Heirs of Turucambi, an undersea
chat-based game set in yet another of Greyhawks Mysterious Places. Although chat-based in nature, this campaign
really is a sequel to my play-by-post game, since I retooled
many of BPAAs protagonist and antagonist NPCs to fit the
new setting.

PhL: Is Turucambi a place youve created, or are you


expanding an idea you found elsewhere?
Aeolius: Turucambi is mentioned in Greyhawks Mysterious Places. Over time, I plan to incorporate several sub-

PhL: Sounds interesting! So did you assume the role of


GM way back in 1979, or were you a PC at first?
Aeolius: My best friend, his younger brother, and I shared
the role of GM at first. We tried out some premade modules, and I still recall completely mangling B1: In Search of
the Unknown.
My first PC, a human cleric, became my longest-lived
character. Serpentus Reptileon (Hey, this was junior high
and I did have several snakes at the time) later became the
more subdued Serrus Rylon, who in time married an elf
named Mirada and raised a family of half-elf childrenall
in the days when elf was a class. Mirada and Serrus made
their way to the 1st-edition AD&D game as clerics. During
that time, I played with both my neighborhood group and
my school group, so I got to experiment with character concepts. I distinctly remember Jesaryth, a female albino drow
magic-user/assassin whom I had created with the 1st-edition
Unearthed Arcana, based upon Michael Moorcocks Elric
series, which I had been reading at the time. She was one
of only two evil PCs I tried over the years. (The other was
Gykon, a juju zombie.)

PhL: What is unique about being a GM in PbP and chatbased campaigns?


Aeolius: While a play-by-post game requires a degree of patience and the occasional spell-checker, I have found it one
of the best options available for people with hectic schedules. Chat-based games, on the other hand, often result in
serendipitous outcomes that could never occur if players had
the decision-making time that a PbP affords. In my Penance of the Damned chat-based game, for example, the
PCs were fond of making meals of one another. (Hey, we

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

In my games, sea hags are the daughters of greenhags and merrow.

Phoenix Lore Magazine


have a late player! Lets eat his character! Yeah!) Well, they
were larvae, after allthough they did evolve over time.

PhL: Ugly.
Aeolius: No, just misunderstood.

PhL: So what will your Heirs of Turucambi game


focus on?
Aeolius: It has been an interesting game, certainly. I knew
I couldnt assume that each player had a saltwater aquarium
from which to draw inspiration, nor could I hope for another hag-fanatic in the crowd. But Ive been having a great
deal of fun with the concept of Blackwater, introduced in
Stormwrack, by introducing the blackwater hag, a unique
opponent to challenge and torment my current players.

PhL: It looks like you keep up with all the latest D&D
game offerings. Would you like to see more of anything
in particular?
Aeolius: Absolutely, though Id probably have to write them
myself. Id like to see Races of Water, The Hydronomicon, Waterscape, and Fantastic Locations: Turucambi. I
might as well add Hag Magic to that list too.

PhL: What is it you like about hags?


Aeolius: What can I say? Xaetra (the night hag protagonist
NPC in all of my games) liked the idea of a large family. So
when I look at a monster I tend to consider how I can fit
it into her Night Hag Family Tree. For example, Frostburn
and Sandstorm both introduced new hags, which I decided
were the offspring of greenhags by troll fathers (ice trolls
and wasteland trolls, respectively). In my games, sea hags are
the daughters of greenhags and merrow. So it was natural
enough that a greenhag and a scrag (aquatic troll) should
also produce a hag daughter. Thus the shoal hags were born.
PhL: Do you allow players to play evil PCs?
Aeolius: I tried that with LoBI. The evil PC was discovered
before party discord could unravel the PCs efforts. I am not
opposed to evil PCs in a party as long as their actions do not
disrupt the partys efforts. But wheres the fun in playing an
evil PC with such a restriction?
PhL: So even though youve played only two evil PCs,
youve managed a bunch of them as GM.
Aeolius: Thats quite true. While my night hag Xaetra
is neutral, her offspringall except Meir, her greenhag
daughter by a human fatherare somewhat naughtier. And
it was Meirs daughter, the sea hag Tempest, who finally
killed Xaetra. Then Meir killed Tempest, who returned as a
blood magusthe blood hagwhile Xaetra returned as a
spectral hag.

PhL: Have you submitted any of your material to Dragon


or Dungeon Magazines?
Aeolius: Not so far. Aquatic combat is one of those littleused areas of the D&D game. Not many people want to
adventure in a realm where foes can attack from above,
between, and below.
PhL: Its certainly harder to represent on the battlemat.
Aeolius: Oh, it can be done. You just need a few minis, a
saltwater aquarium, and some fishing line.
PhL: Heh. That subject could become an entire article in
and of itself.
Aeolius: While I dont want to see the rules mired with
miniatures, I cannot help but wonder what a battle grid
might look like.
PhL: Do you use miniatures when you play face-to-face?
Aeolius: The last time I GMed a face-to-face game was in
1994. The scenario was Isle of the Unknown, a Level 1012
reboot of B1: In Search of the Unknown. I think we used
dice in place of minis for that campaignor perhaps we
used my Elfquest minis. We were snowed in that weekend,
but we had beer and our gaming stuff. So we had fun and
the game turned out to be quite memorable.
PhL: And did you mangle it that time?
Aeolius: I recall diminutive batlings, a crop of blood
turnips, and a beach druid referred to affectionately as the
sand witch. You be the judge.

PhL: Do you have a family tree for your hags?


Aeolius: I have only one page to offerand its woefully
out of date. Though its labeled the Night Hag Family Tree,
Revision 15, its actually revision 13: http://www.lobi.com/
gallery/nhft15/FrameSet.htm.

Jim Ansaldo remembers giggling about Xvarts in his sixth grade


Home Economics class. Recently, he has become obsessed with
D&D Miniatures skirmish play and is one of the top-ranking
players in Indiana. Jim is a Research Associate at the Center
on Education and Lifelong Learning at Indiana University
Bloomington. When hes not building warbands or teaching
teachers, Jim enjoys life with his wife and two sons, plays guitar,
and gleans information of all sorts from the goodness that is the
worldwide web.

PhL: Hagfish!
Aeolius: Hagfish provide great inspiration for undersea baddies. Ever seen one? Heres one from Google: http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/hagfish/hagfish.html.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Ask
Harpy
By Monica Shellman (Elisandra)
Illustrated by Igor Kieryluk

Ah, its good to be back in the community


again! Sometimes a girl needs to take a little
vacation and soak up some rays, kill a few
wandering bardsyou know, relax. But now
your Harpy is all rested up and raring to go.
The staff members at this lovely little
magazine practically begged me to do an advice column as a regular feature. How could
I possibly refuse?
Okay, fine. Perhaps it was more like begging for their lives while I held a few of
them upside down over a pot of boiling oil.
A girl gets peckish after all that fun in the
sun, you know? Anyway, they suggested
that I might prefer I devouring all of your
questions in my own little advice column. It
didnt sound like a bad ideaHarpy knows
what you need, after all. So I let them
livefor now.
And I must say, the response has been
heartwarming so far. So without further ado,
heres the first installment of Ask Harpy!
(Disclaimer: Phoenix LoreTM Magazine and its staff and contributors claim
no responsibility for any consequences that may result from following the
advice of the Harpy.)

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

10

Phoenix Lore Magazine


Dear Harpy,
My aranea ninja PC has a thing for
another players half-celestial werewolf
paladin PC. But my character is a bad
girl, and the paladin, isof coursea
paladin. Hes interested in my character,
but he wants to redeem her, and my
character likes being bad. How can we
resolve this romance and still stay true to
our characters?
Black Widow
Dear Widow,
Its called roleplaying, baby, and you
dont always have to dress up as a
French maid to do it. Just put on a
redeemed act in public for the sake of
Mr. Goody-Two-Boots. I bet hell like
your bad girl persona just fine in more
private times. Plus, whenever hes off
communing with his god, you can do
that whole skulking-on-the-rooftopsand-shooting-poisoned-darts-into-people-for-money thing that you do so
well. Just make sure you have a place to
hide the bodies, and dont get caught.
But even if you do get caught, all is
not lost. Just have an alibi ready: But
honeycakes! I was under the influence
of a succubus. Here, let me show you.
. . . Then distract him. You know how
to do that, Im sure. After all, Harpy
isnt here to do everything for you.

Dear Harpy,
I GM one campaign offline and another
one online. Almost all my PCs in both
games have gone romance-happy.
In the offline game, the female rogue
was screaming for a husband, so I gave
her two nobles to choose from. It wasnt
my fault she didnt know they were twins,
was it? Youd think shed be happy.
In the online one, I have a female
halfling engaged to a grig, a paladin
whos just announced his engagement to
the NPC barmaid, a warlock madly in

love with a PC elf druid, and a female


aasimar cleric whos taken up with a
green half-dragon. Its starting to look like
one of those TV dating shows. Should I
throw more monsters at them, or just give
up and build a wedding chapel in their
town?
Vicious GM
Dear Vicious,
Have you considered getting them
fixed? I hear that helps with all kinds of
behavioral problems, and most veterinarians these days have easy payment
plans. No? Okay, lets think.
Now youre on the right track with
the twins, no doubt about that. Ive
always fantasized about two men
myselfone cooking, one cleaning.
But this isnt about me.
Sounds like your players are more inclined to play the Tunnels & Toddlers
game than Dungeons & Dragons. So
give em what they want! Marry them
off and let the progeny start rolling in.
Then have the monsters attack their
spouses and childrenkidnap them,
threaten them, that sort of thing. The
PCs will go anyplace you want, for the
sake of their families.
And if that doesnt work, send the
kiddies to me. I have a killer recipe for
liver and kidney pie.

Dear Harpy,
As long as were on the subject of romantic adventures, what should an adventuring bride wear to her wedding if she
expects it to be ambushed?

all that divorce ugliness, because the


harpy gets everything! (Yay, pretties!)
But you lesser mortals dont always
act logically. If you really expect to
be ambushed at your wedding, you
probably should get a quickie marriage
done by the party cleric between healings. Its easy, its cheap, and its just
as legal as a fancy wedding. (Editors
Note: Harpys advice does not constitute
legal counsel, please consult a qualified
attorney or barrister in your PCs space/
time realm.)
If you must do the wedding up big,
and let the bad guys find out where
and when it will be, then I suggest
wearing a tasteful chainmail bikini. I
have read on some of those message
board thingies that parading around
thus exposed is an excellent defense,
because the male opponents will be so
distracted by your womanly charms
that you can just cut them down like
extremely dumb, lust-filled fish in a
barrelor something like that.
Uh, can I have your stuff?

Dear Harpy,
Lets sayhypothetically of coursethat
a human warlock decided that the best
way to win acceptance into the community of his elf PC beloved was to
become a cleric of an elf deity. The elf
PCreally, the fairest maid in all the
worldhas something in her background
that makes her a special protector of her
people. A green dragon is involvedbut
I digress. The campaign isnt
all about us, of course. The
vicious GM

Bride-To-Be
Dear Bride,
Well, harpies dont mess with all this
wedded bliss stuff. We just eat our
mates when were done with them.
That way we dont have to worry about

11

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


keeps throwing hordes of undead against
usthe party has a couple of necromancers for enemies and is trying to defend a
town, among other things.
So, which deity should our hypothetical
adventurer seek to gain acceptance with?
The elven pantheon given in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting more or
less encompasses the available deities for
that race, though the primary deities are
the core Greyhawk gods.
The elven love goddess from FR comes
immediately to mind, though the elven
moon goddess might fit alsoespecially
since the intrepid hypothetical adventurer
has been pursuing sagelike knowledge
and harbors a hatred for undead to rival
that of the groups paladin. But these two
goddesses are part of a triune goddess who
embodies the air goddess as well. Perhaps
she should also be considered.
Oh, Harpy, what am I to do?! <clears
throat> Um, I mean, what would be
the best choice for such a hypothetical
adventurer?
Lovesick
Dear Lovesick,

Dear Harpy,
We all know that some gamers have that
ol troggy stenchand those who do are
immune to their own stench and that of
other troggies. The radius of this effect is

Dear Anonymous,
Four words: Right Guard goodie bags!
Alternatively, you could buy those
little tree-shaped air fresheners that
you charming people have in your
techno world and hang some around
your neck. One or two of those should
cancel out the Gamer Funk (yes, thats
its official name). If youre at a convention, you might have to hang three or
four on your person, plus slip a few
onto other people as well. (Note to self:
Rent a booth at Gen Con Game Fair
to sell little tree air fresheners. Also,
hire ghasts to man the booth, since
they are the only creatures that might
not be offended by Gamer Funk.)

Dear Harpy,
My husband and I game with my best
friend and her husband. Our games usually go great, but her husbands characters
and mine end up in romantic relationships a lot. We all know that it would
never go past the table, and lots of
jokes get cracked about it, but it
sometimes makes things a little
awkward. Is there a way to ease
the tension without changing
how we play?

...just do
the right thing
and eat your
males.

Your question sounds vaguely


familiar. <shuffles papers,
looks at earlier question, raises
one brow> Mmn hmn. I see.
Okay, fine. Ill play.
The elven love goddess? Pft.
Any girl who would make you
worship a candy *** like her isnt
worth your time. But youre probably devoted to this girlfriend of
yours, as your sort is wont. Blech. The
moon goddess isnt bad, though shes
into all that mystery stuff, which can
get tiring.
As for the triune goddessthats
really just the same thing as worshiping
all three of them, dont let anyone kid
you about that. Do you really think
that trying to worship three female
deities is going to work out very well?
Really? What are you going to do when
one of them asks you which one you

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

think is prettiest? Or which one you


like the best? How does Does this
toga make my butt look fat? in threeway stereo grab you?
Look, if youre into pain, honey,
baby, just come to Harpy. Ill set you
up, no problems. And frankly, a visit
with me is likely to be less painful
than trying to please threeno make
that four, gotta count the wifefour
females at once.
If you really, really have to do this,
make it easy on yourself. Just find out
which goddess wifey-poo likes best,
and go for her. Thats probably the
safest bet, in the long run. You little
masochist you. <whispers> Call me.

Romantic

Dear Romantic,

at least 5 feetso those engaged in melee,


grapple, and conversations with them are
affected. While the stench doesnt lower
defenses or sicken those affected, it does
impose a 6 circumstance penalty on all
Charisma-based skill checks, which stacks
with other penalties. Whats the best way
to get the player to deal with this easy-tofix flaw?
Anonymous

12

This kind of situation wouldnt be


a problem if you females would just
do the right thing and eat your males.
Then you wouldnt have to worry
about their wanderin hearts.
But fine, I can see that you arent
going to do the reasonable thing. Very
well. If you let this continue, someone
is bound to end up angry or offended
and start crying to the GM to fix
things. So the GM really has only two
choices. First, he could marry off the
characters in question so they can get
over the fawning and romancing phase

Phoenix Lore Magazine


and into the You didnt take out the
garbage, you cur! phase. That kind
of roleplaying is much more fun for
the real-life spouses to watch. Or, if
hes skillful enough to play it, he could
put in a high-Charisma creature, such
as a harpy <preens>, to distract one
of them. Well, okay, your GM is
probably not that skillful. How
about a succubus and an incubus
to tempt the romancing pair
from each other? Then you can
watch the vases fly when they
catch each other in the act! Good
times, good times.

Dear Harpy,

until hes dead. Oh, and can I have his


address? I might like to visit him sometime. <wink> Remember, books dont
GM, men/women/things do!

editor engrossed in a box of chocolates> put Ex-Lax in the GMs soda.


Or just give Harpy his address. Your
dream girl will be yours in no time!

Dear Harpy,
I game with
an idiot...

I ran my first game last week, and it was


a disaster. One of my players was a rules
lawyer, and he really dragged down the
rest of the group. I tried talking to him
alone after the game to see if he would be
willing to cool it, but he just got angry. I
want everyone to enjoy the game, but Im
afraid Ill have to ask him to leave the
group while I run. Help!
Distraught
Dear Distraught,
Okay Sugarhips, repeat after me: I
am the Game Master, and my word is
LAW! Start by saying it in the mirror.
Say it like you mean it. Say it to your
cat. Say it as you go get the mail. Practice saying it as often as you can.
Being Game Master is not for the
faint of heart. Are you man/woman/
thing enough to sit in the big chair
or not? If your Rules Lawyer wont
cool his jets, youll have to fire him.
The enjoyment of the group is more
important than some weenie showing
off the fact that he has no social life
and therefore all the time in the world
to memorize things. To paraphrase the
words of the Immortal Skip Williams
(blessings be upon his head), Be a
GM about it. So fire him. Fire him

Dear Harpy,

Dear Harpy,

My GM and I both like a girl in our


gaming group. Ive been out on a date
with her, and we got along great, but
now the GM is asking her out too, and
throwing lots of game goodies her way.
This is the only group around for an
hours drive, and I dont want to mess it
up for me or her. Should I just bow out?
Wary Rival

I game with an idiot, and I


dont know if I can handle
it any more. He spent six
months complaining that
my character was hogging
party leadership, so I bowed
out of a couple of games to
let him lead. I came back to
find that two members needed
resurrections.
Then, instead of shutting up and
letting us move on with the game, he got
even worse. He retired his old character
and made a Drizzt knockoff. A couple
of us have asked the GM to throw him
out, but the two of them work together,
and the GM doesnt want that trouble.
We all have a lot of time invested in these
characters and dont want to just find a
new group. What can we do about him?
Wits End
Dear Wit,

Dear Rival,
The so-called editor of this publication
tells me I may not suggest that you invite the GM out for pizza and shiv him
while he reaches for the crushed red
pepper. <long-suffering sigh> So. . . .
Real men dont bow out. They fight
for their women. But you have to be
sneaky about it, since the Game Master
is using his advantage unfairly. You
cant give her in-game goodies, after
all. So you have to be more suave and
interesting in real life. Try bathing
more often than the GM, for example.
Chicks eat that up. Take her to dinner
someplace where you dont have to yell
into a clowns mouth, and there is no
playland for the kiddies. And if nothing else works <looks around, sees the

13

Find out if he has any serious food


allergies. If youre lucky, he does. Then
bake him some cookies containing the
offending substance, and voila! Problem solved.
If baking isnt your bag, then all of
you must take your characters and
find a new GM for them. One of you
might even have to do it. Pretend that
whatever Crybaby did never really happened. It was all a bad dream. Patrick
Duffy is in the shower (yum).
The Harpy has been solving problems
for decadeslast year she revamped and
streamlined the entire holiday season.
In her spare time, she likes to sing, eat
adventurers, carve bone figures, and take
over small countries.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

The Goblin Gang


Art & Stats Contest
By David Paul (VrecknidjX) Illustration by Devinnight (Devin Night) Rogue goblin Wizards of The Coast Inc.

Part 1

Several goblinsgreen-skinned, warty-nosed, and illtemperedsit around a sputtering campfire. The air is
heavy with moisture, and a few stars peek through fastmoving clouds on what promises to be a stormy night. For
now, though, its just humida fact that only adds to the
goblins general grumpiness over the quality of their stew.
And because theyre goblins, their body odors and the noises
they are prone to making are more than a little repellant to
anything else in the vicinity. But goblins never let the disapproval of other beings detract from their nightly entertainmentquite the contrary, in fact.
Aw, no. This is terrible. Terrible!
The leader, taller and better dressed than the rest, didnt even
bother to look up. What is? he asked.
Rat Face forgot the meat.
The leaders stick, hot from poking the embers of the fire,
waved trails of smoke in the hot, sticky air. So, we eat Rat
Face instead, he said, nonchalantly using the cooling end of the
smoky stick to point at the goblin with the longest nose.
Eat? Me? More than a little shaken, the sniveling runt of
the pack whimpered a little.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

14

The other goblins laughed. One of them threw a rock the size
of a small pinecone, and everyone heard the hollow thump as it
hit poor Rat Face in the chest. They all laughed some more.
Rat Face sat dejectedly, hoping he wouldnt end up in the
stew. Goblins are notoriously hard to hear and persistently
jumpy, so no one was surprised when Clubber suddenly bounded through the brush with a snake wound partly around his
arm, wriggling to get freea sight that sent Rat Face straight
up into the air.
Got ourselfs a freshie, boss, said Clubber gleefully. Snakey
stew!
Thankfully, thought the boss, these guys have fairly solid
stomachs. He raised an eyebrow toward Clubber and nodded.
Somebody fish Rat Face out o the pot and make room for the
snake. He chose not to mention that the snake was mildly
poisonous, and that most of them would feel a bit woozy in the
middle of the night.
The other two goblins cheered, and one of them pretended to
haul a goblin out of the pot, which was already bubbling with
a pungent assortment of roots, leaves, and bugs.
And you, the boss pointed to the quieter of the cooks, get
out there and cover his tracks. He pointed a thick thumb

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Winner!

The Panty Raid, by


Devinnight (Devin Night)

Winner: The Panty Raid, by Devinnight (Devin Night

at Clubber, who was using his right hand to beat the snake
around his left arm with a club.
Tracker nodded in quiet obedience and took off for the woods,
headed in what would have appeared to anyone else to be the
wrong direction. The boss, however, knew that it wasnt the
wrong direction, and that only Tracker would have known to
start where he did.
And you, continued the boss, pointing again with the stick,
get that stupid snake off Clubbers arm and into the pot. Im
hungry.
What do you think of when youre planning to have a small
pack of goblins ruin someones day? A scene such as the one
above might very well have been on the mind of our own
Phoenix_ArchMage (Richard L. Biggs) when he arranged
for a contest on the Wizards of the Cost forums that ran
from January to March of 2007. The first part was an art
contestboards members were invited to create a scene
showing a small handful of goblins doing whatever the
artist felt goblins might do bestthough as it turned out,
nobody thought that they might be making Snakey Stew.
Four judges rated the submissions from 1 to 5 on each of

five criteria: Personality, Anatomy, Humor/Combat/Scenery,


Originality, and Overall Appearance. The winning entry,
which scored 22 of 25 points, is shown above.
The second part of the contest involved turning the goblins
in the winning illustration into NPCs, each with playable
(and memorable) statistics. I accepted the daunting task of
being the judge for these submissions. Though only two
boards members submitted entries, both were excellent.
Keep an eye out for the winning statistics in the next issue
of Phoenix Lore Magazine!
David Paul lives in lower southwestern Michigan with his
wife, sons, pets, a few hundred RPG books, and several thousand
little plastic miniatures. He currently provides editing assistance
for Rite Publishing, and previously edited for Pencil Pushers
Publishing, d20 Filtered, Silven, and Knowledge Arcana. When
hes not busy daydreaming or plotting the downfall of his own
D&D players, he teaches philosophy by night at a nearby university and mathematics by day at a nearby private high school.

15

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Catching the Editors Eye


By John Ling (Zherog) Illustrated by Rose Cheek (Kayla_Silverhand, p16) and Nicholas Webb (p17)

Breaking into the game publishing industry is difficult. Editors (and, for that matter, art directors) get queries and submissions from
scores of potential freelancers. If your work doesnt stand out from the crowd, your chances of breaking through are significantly
reduced. So what can you do to get spotted? Here are four tips that should help you catch the editors eye.

Follow Directions
This piece of advice probably seems
rather obvious, yet its amazing how
many aspiring authors send in queries
and submissions that dont follow the
rules of their target company. Most
publishers make submission guidelines
available, so its in your best interest
to follow them. Sometimes guidelines
mention font or font size, or the
format in which a file should be

saved. Even if you think these rules are


weird, you still need to follow them.
This is your one chance to make a first
impression, and failure to follow the
directions provided tells an editor
rightly or wronglythat youre difficult to work with.
One rule is especially important. If a
companys guidelines tell you to send
a query, dont send a full manuscript.
Failure to follow this rule is the quick-

What is Apprentice Workshop?


Welcome to the first installment of Apprentice Workshop! The
goal of this column is simpleprovide tips and tricks to help
new writers and artists get started in the industry. Each issue, well tackle a topic that aspiring freelancers should find
interesting. Various members of the staffplus occasional
guest columnistswill bring you the advice you need to get
going. In every instance, the author will be somebody with
experience in the industry whose tips should prove helpful
to those eager to break in.
Have something to say about this column, or a topic
youd like to see us cover? Visit our message boards at
http://forums.crystalunicornenterprises.com/index.php.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

16

est route to the editors digital trashcan.


Reading unsolicited manuscripts can
get a company into legal trouble, so
many companies have a policy of deleting or trashing them without looking
at them.

Mind Your Word Count


Editors and publishers generally plan
projects by word count rather than
by manuscript pages, and incorporate those size projections into their
product plans. If you miss your word
count by any substantial margin
whether you submit too many or too
few wordsyou throw those plans
into disarray and force the editor to
spend a lot of time and effort either
carving up your material or rearranging the product plan. Thats not to say
that you have to meet a word count
exactlyplus or minus 5% is probably
acceptable. But if you think your work
will fall outside that range, its best to
contact your editor and let her know,
so that she can start making arrangements to accommodate it.

Phoenix Lore Magazine


Mind Your Deadline
Not only has your editor already
planned a specific amount of space for
your piece, but shes also counting on
you to turn it in on time. Companies
have significant work to do on your
submission after it arrives (editing,
placing art orders, layout, and so
forth), and you can count on them
to have miserably tight deadlines. So
turning in your work even a single day
late can cause considerable trouble for
those involved in production.
On the other hand, submitting your
work early makes you memorable in
a good way. In fact, when it comes to
awarding future projects, editors may
pass over a seasoned author with a
reputation for late submissions for a
promising writer whos proven to be
prompt. And if such an author needs
help with how to express an idea,
theyre more likely to provide it.
Of course, problems do come up
from time to time, and editors can
understand that. If you cant avoid being late on an assignment, inform your
editor as soon as you know. Dont wait
until the last minute; the more notice
you give your editor, the better she can
adjust her schedule to accommodate
you. When requesting an extension,
be sure to offer a real reason why your
work is latenot a dog ate my homework sort of reason. And dont count
on getting an extension too often
editors and publishers will remember
if you regularly seek extra time. Be the
writer they can count on, and the work
will come your way.

Spelling and Grammar


Whether youre sending a two-sentence
query or a full article, be mindful of
your spelling and grammar. Sloppy
work on your part makes more work
for the editor. If an editor has a choice
of two articles, one with excellent spelling and grammar and the other full of
mistakes, the cleaner manuscript is go-

ing to win outeven if its not as good


as the other piece.
When checking your manuscript,
dont rely on your word processors
spelling and grammar checker. Those
tools are great for a first pass, but they
miss quite a few errors. For example,
consider this sentence: Their over
theyre playing with there ball. Every
word in that sentence is spelled correctly, but each instance of there/their/
theyre is incorrectyet my word
processor didnt complain about any of
them. Theres no substitute for a real
persons eye.
Even in a piece of writing as basic as
an email query, spelling and grammar
are important. Your editors first impression of your work is based on that
query, so make it perfect. If she spots
several glaring errors in a short email,
shes quite justified in expecting even
more errors in a full manuscript.
But how do you find and correct all
the errors that crop up? If at all possible, find a friend who is willing to
proofread for you. Its amazing what
another set of eyes will catch when
reading your documentthats why
most editors dont try to edit their own
work. Its important that your friend
be honest with you, though. Friends
often want to encourage you and tell
you that youre doing a great jobbut
in this case, you need your friend to be
brutally honest rather than pat you on
the back.
Printing your document and reading
it on paper can be a surprisingly
effective way to spot errors. Your minds eye
can spot errors on a
physical page that it
might overlook on
the screen. So keep a
pen or pencil handy and
make corrections in the marginsor even better, print it out
double-spaced and make corrections
right where you need them.
To check for grammar and flow, try
reading your work out loud. Your ears

17

will quickly find the rough spots, and


you can edit as you go. You probably
wont find many spelling errors this
way, though you might spot a few that
you missed on previous passes.

Conclusion
The key point in catching an editors eye is to make yourself seem like
a person who can follow directions,
produce quality manuscripts, and not
create excess work for the editor and
production staff. So check out submission guidelines and adhere to them.
Watch your word count and your
deadline, and stay in communication
with your editor. And allow yourself
plenty of time for a couple of proofing
passes. These key points will help you
to make the best possible impression
and become a trusted resource for the
company of your choice.
John Ling is a Staff Editor at Phoenix
LoreTM Magazine and a 13-time contributor to DRAGON Magazine. Hes also
worked with a variety of other publishers, including Louis Porter Jr. Designs,
0ne Games, Sword and Sorcery Studios,
and Goodman Games, for which he
co-authored the highly popular book GM
Gems. In October of 2006, John was bitten by a lycanthropic brassica, and he has
been growing things in his garden ever
since. You can learn more about John by
going to http://www.werecabbages.com/
members.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Solo Campaigns

One-on-One Gaming with Your Significant Other


By Kirk Johnson-Weider (KJW) Illustrated by Erik Rorrer (Coven)
I think Im done with roleplaying, said
Vicky casually, as she cleaned up the table
from the earlier gaming session.
What?! said Thad, looking up from
his adventure notes.
I can do other stuff while the guys are
over. I just dont enjoy playing.
Why?
Dont worry about ityou dont need
me to play, and I have lots of other stuff I
can do when everyone comes over.
But youre a great roleplayer, protested Thad, and I thought you had fun!
I just cant take it anymore. It took us
an hour to decide on a plan for attacking the governors mansion, Ron tortured

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

that prisoner just for fun, and then Bill


betrayed us to the Royal Navy, sighed
Vicky. It was not fun for me.
Yeah, they can be idiots, but I thought
you were having fun. Im sorry, I should
have said or done something differently.
No, dont be silly. Some of it I did
enjoy, but I just want to sit out from now
on. Lets chalk it up as a lesson learned
and move on.
No, come on! cajoled Thad. You like
roleplaying, but you get annoyed with
the group. Well then, lets drop the group.
Dave runs Bill and Stephen in solo adventures all the time. We could give that
a try. Just you and me.

18

I dont know; let me think about it,


said Vicky. Right now, why dont you
help me clean up?
Absolutely! Ill need to go online later
tonight, though, said Thad. I want to
check out a few things and send an email
to Dave about solo adventures.
You are obsessive, but in a cute way,
I guess.
Most gamers like the idea of sharing
their favorite hobby with their significant others, but sometimes doing so
can prove a little difficult. Most gaming groups have complex dynamics
not just among players, but also among

Phoenix Lore Magazine


their characters. Add knee-jerk reactions toward significant others from
players and GMs, and you can have a
recipe for disaster.
A solo campaign can eliminate
the difficulties inherent in the group
dynamic and allow the GM to tailor a
campaign specifically to the preferences
of his sole player. But perhaps the biggest advantages of solo campaigning
with a significant other are a higher
level of trust and greater accessibility.

Making the Right Fit


So what would you like to play? asked
Thad.
I dont know. What do you want to
GM? countered Vicky.
I have this idea for a future society
where aliens have conquered Earth and
infected humanity with a virus that turns
victims into loyal zombies, said Thad.
But a small band of freedom fighters is
waging a desperate war against the aliens
and their troops, even though little hope
exists for victory.
Well, thats an interesting idea, but
maybe a game with a little less doom and
gloom would be better, said Vicky. How
about I play the captain of an independent starshipsort of like Han Solo or
Malcolm Reynolds, but female?
You know, that could work. Well have
to flesh out the crew and your background. If you want, you can start writing up some ideas for that while I check
the boards for some adventure ideas.

roleplaying opportunities. Just because


she mentioned liking political intrigue
novels doesnt mean she wont enjoy
playing a role in the downfall of a corrupt monarch through complex machinations spawned within his court.
When you start encountering resistance, however, its time to re-evaluate
and adjust. In fact, if you decide to
take your campaign down a darker
path, a regular re-evaluation period
is an excellent idea. In contrast to the
players in a group campaign, the lone
player in a solo campaign is often
deeply connected to the setting and
the NPCs. So when the disasters start
to pile up, the in-game situation can
quickly become depressing and overwhelming. A GM who arranges for a
beloved NPC to die as a story element
may end up losing the player, who
emotionally withdraws from the campaign. Similarly, making a character
or campaign too comical or exotic can
turn off either the GM or the player.
Finding the right balance of play styles
takes both time and practice, but two
people who stick with it can develop

tremendous trust in one another. With


that increased trust comes a desire to
take bolder risks in roleplaying and developing story arcs. Couples who run
solo campaigns together can develop
an incredible rapport and create fantastic characters and stories that are the
envy of any roleplayer or fiction writer.

Share the Work


You know, I might like to try GMing
at some point. Would you be interested?
asked Vicky.
Absolutely, that would be great!
said Thad. So what were you thinking
about? What setting? What could I play?
Whoa there, cowboy! I was just thinking about it and wondering if you would
be interested.
Definitely! said Thad enthusiastically. I can help toodraw up NPCs, or
provide any other help you might need.
Well I have some ideas for a fantasy
campaign. Maybe in a week or two I can
have something for you to look at.
Great! That would be awesome. You
can use the WotC boards for help if you

You probably think you know your


significant other pretty well, but dont
hobble yourself with preconceived
notions about her likes and dislikes.
Start by having a serious conversation
about her opinions on gaming. If she
is not a current gamer, you can talk
about books, movies, television shows,
or whatever else might give you some
insight into her preferences. Be sure
to include elements that you already
know she likes, but its equally important to add new setting elements and

19

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


want. There is a nice thread on solo
campaigns there, and let me get you my
DMG and DMG II. You might also
want to reread the PHB, though you can
skip the PHB II and the Complete series
for nowthey arent really necessary
when you start out.
I dont know. Maybe this is a little too
much for me. Ill think about it.
The two of you can build the campaign
worldand even the adventurestogether. You dont both have to sit down
to design the encounters within the
Dungeon of Forgotten Peril, but you
can both employ active listening skills
during all phases of gameplay and,
whenever possible, share the workload.
Try reversing roles occasionally. If
your significant other is new to roleplaying, have her run a small adventure
within parameters you both determine
beforehand. Nothing turns off a new
GM faster than a player who ignores
every hook placed in front of him and
decides to cause trouble for everyone
he meetsincluding the NPCs the
GM has spent hours developing. An
experienced GM also tends to come
up with ideas that the new GM never
imagined, which can cause needless
anxiety for the new GM. Its generally
better for the experienced GM to focus
on roleplaying rather than trying to
demonstrate his brilliance as a player.

The truth is that GMing is a lot of


work, and the amazing pace and incredible depth of many solo campaigns
can be fatiguing and overwhelming to
maintain. When a couple can rotate
the GMing duties and share the burden of the design work, they can keep
a solo campaign running for years
though its a good idea to stop and eat
every now and then.
Alternatively, a couple can cooperatively build a setting, and each can
create a character to adventure in it.
The couple then takes turns GMing for
the other persons character, switching
often enough that
both people feel
they are creating
a well-developed
story. The two
characters may
never meet, but
if they do, the
GM is assured of
having the bestdeveloped NPC
she has ever run. Such situations can
be great fun, but be careful not to force
events down paths that go contrary to
either the characters personalities or
the established plotlines and setting.
Finally, dividing up some elements
of the setting can reduce the workload
on each person and give each an area of
specialty. For example, one person gets

Ways the Player Can Help the GM


Provide a useful background.
Verbalize thoughts.
Inform the GM of long-term plans.
Keep good notes.
Draw up NPC allies.

Dont Take It Personally


Captain Ocharens message ends with
his request that you be careful. Then your
room fills with a hundred holographic
roses. So what are you doing? asked
Thad.
How come you arent as romantic as
Captain Ocharen? asked Vicky.
What do you mean?
protested Thad. Im
roleplaying Ocharen, so
obviously Im as romantic
as he is.
One would think that,
if one didnt know better,
said Vicky. Anyway, I
need to find the assassin
before the inauguration,
so Im going to use all my
connectionsincluding the Interstellar
Assembly and even the Brotherhood of
Space Goblins.
What do you mean Im not romantic? Thad persisted.
Just drop it, dear, all right? said
Vicky. Lets start with the Assembly. Ill
take Houhen with me. Do I know any
of their contacts here at Neon Station?
If necessary, Ill bring some credits for
a bribe, but they do owe me a favor for
that thing with the Cyber-Vultures.
Fine, but once you enter Neon Station
you hear a rumor that Captain Ocharen
has been having an affair with Annie
Matrixyou know, the android captain
of the Compass Rose.
Hmmm . . . Thad, dear, did we have
a bad day at work today?
Dont take it personally is sage advice
for any GM, but its exponentially
more important in a campaign with
just you and your significant other.
No game should ever become more
important than your relationship. Its a

Draw up ideas for the campaign.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

to develop the faith of one god, while


the other gets a notorious thieves guild
to build from the ground up. This arrangement allows each to surprise the
other in play.

20

Phoenix Lore Magazine

game, and you should both be having


fun. Dont take yourself so seriously
as either a player or a GMthat an
NPCs casual comment ruins relationships both in and out of the game. If
your significant other unloads upon
an NPC and the incident seems really
hurtful, take a moment to compose
yourself before respondingas the
NPC. Dont fall into the trap of
thinking the player was unloading on
you. When in-game issues do become
personal, its best to take a break from
gaming until both of you can sit down
and talk out what went wrong rationally. Good communication is vital
to your ability to avoid repeating the
same problems over and over.
Problems can also arise when campaigns end, especially if the ending
happens because one person is bored

with the campaign while the other


is still enjoying it. Sometimes the
couple can find a way to revitalize the
campaign, but usually it is best just
to shelve it. Every campaign, even
the disasters, will improve your skills
as both GM and player, and you can
recapture and surpass the magic of old
campaigns when you are willing to try
something new. Plus, it is common to
return to old campaignseven years
laterfor a new adventure with favorite characters of the past.

It Really Can be Addictive


Yes it can, but so what? Roleplaying
is more interactive than television,
its cheaper than the movies or video
games, and it promotes conversation
within the relationshipeven allow-

21

ing the exploration of things in the


game that you might be uncomfortable exploring otherwise. (How many
people have had a candid discussion
with their significant others about
state-sanctioned murder?) Additionally, solo campaigns can be great stress
relievers for those times when real life
gets roughwhether you are trying to
escape the kids or survive law school.
Sometimes you just need to escape to
another world for a few hoursand
who better to do it with than your
significant other?
Kirk Johnson-Weider lives in Rockville,
Maryland, with his wife Michelle and
their two kids and three cats. Kirk is a stayat-home dad who spends his limited free
time GMing several solo and group campaigns and posting to the D&D forums.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Disciples of
the Flame
By Michael Mazur (Karrius) Illustrations by Igor
Kieryluk (p22) and Claes Sillberg (p24)

Fire has been a mysterious force since


ancient times. It has the power to destroy
utterly, but in the wake of that destruction
comes new life. No creature embodies that
dichotomy of obliteration and rebirth as well
as the legendary Phoenix. Thus, it is only
fitting that characters have the option to
devote themselves to this ideal by means of
a prestige class.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

22

Phoenix Lore Magazine


Disciple of the Flame

Phoenix

Disciples of the Flame take their worship of the Phoenix


one step further than the clerics who venerate the firebird
in tandem with their own gods (see sidebar). Members of
this prestige class turn to fire for its healing powers and seek
to emulate the mighty firebird in every way possible. Only
the most dedicated and pious followers of the Phoenix can
become disciples of the Flame.
The primary goal of the disciples of the Flame is to protect
and nurture all life. Part champions of justice, part skilled
healers, they seek to burn away all evil from the world, so
that good may be reborn from the ashes. Disciples of the
Flame are powerful spellcasters who specialize in burning
their foes with searing, righteous fire.

Ideal (Neutral Good)


Most cultures consider the mighty firebird an
omen. To some, it is a sign of coming life and
rebirth; to others, it is a harbinger of impending
death. But whatever their specific beliefs, many
clerics see the Phoenixs ability to draw strength
from death and renew its life from the bleakness
of defeat as an inspiration and a sign of hope. It is
their veneration that has raised the Phoenix to the
level of deity.
Those who worship the Phoenix often do so as
part of their devotion to another deity. Followers of
sun, life, healing, fire, and air gods are often drawn
to worshiping the Phoenix as well, viewing it as a
servant or avatar of their gods.
Portfolio: Fire, Rebirth.
Domains: Air, Fire, Good, Healing, Protection,
Sun.
Clerical Training: The Phoenixs followers often
meditate in extremely hot environments. The most
fanatical of them occasionally go so far as to burn
themselves while praying.
Quests: The followers of the Phoenix often undertake quests that involve caring for the sick and
wounded, especially in war-torn areas or at the sites
of great battles against evil. Helping life flourish
in areas ravaged by death is considered the greatest possible act of good among the followers of the
Phoenix.
Prayers: Prayers to the Phoenix are varied and
often depend on the characters specific patron god,
but all such prayers share one aspectthe flame.
Followers of the Phoenix stare into a flame while
praying. Only in the most extreme situations is a
prayer uttered to the Phoenix without this focus.
Temples: The Phoenix has no dedicated temples;
however, many temples to gods of the sun, fire,
or healing also house a small shrine dedicated to
the powerful bird. Such a shrine usually contains a
single candle that never burns out.
Rites: Most followers of the Phoenix burn items
symbolic of undesired events or conditions. For example, a follower might burn old bandages to ward
away injury, or melt snow to hasten summer.
Herald and Allies: Lantern archons often appear
as guides for the followers of the Phoenix. The most
common planar allies are fire and air elementals,
but devas or angels of any type may also appear.
Favored Weapon: Scimitar.

Becoming a Disciple of the Flame


All races are drawn to the firebirds power, but clerics and
druids are the most common disciples of the Flame. Other
classes lack either the fiery spells or the piety required.

Entry Requirements
Skills: Heal 12 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks,
Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks.
Feats: Diehard, Endurance.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast flame strike.
Special: The candidate must be good-aligned and worship
the Phoenix.
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),
Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int),
Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int),
Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features
All the following are class features of the disciple of the
Flame prestige class.
Spellcasting: At every level but 5th, you gain new spells
per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known,
if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine
spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the
prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other
benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you
had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming
a disciple of the Flame, you must decide to which class to
add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day,
caster level, and spells known.
Fire Resistance (Ex): As part of your devotion to the
Phoenix, you have trained yourself to withstand heat and
fire. Beginning at 1st level, you gain fire resistance equal to 5
+ your disciple of the Flame level. This fire resistance stacks
with fire resistance from all other sources.

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Phoenix Lore Magazine

Table 11: The Disciple Of The Flame


Level
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th

Base
Attack Bonus
+0
+1
+2
+3
+3
+4
+5
+6/+1
+6/+1
+7/+2

Fort
Save
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
+5
+6
+6
+7

Ref
Save
+0
+0
+1
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3

Will
Save
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
+5
+6
+6
+7

Hit Die: d8
Special
Fire resistance, renewing flames
Guard the righteous
Cleansing fire
From the ashes
Wings of flame
To ashes again
Cauterize
Rise again
Rekindled life
Rebirth

Renewing Flames (Su): You can close your own wounds


with fire when the battle looks bleak. If an attack would
drop you to negative hit points but not kill you, you may
take an immediate action to heal yourself for 1d4 hit
points per disciple of the Flame level you
possess. In addition, every creature
within 5 feet of you takes an
equal amount of fire damage
(no save).
Guard the Righteous
(Ex): When you attain
2nd level, your holy
energies no longer
harm the pure of
heart. If you use
an attack that
deals damage
involving divine
energy, such as
flame strike, the
divine portion
of that attack no
longer harms goodaligned creatures.
Cleansing Fire
(Su): Starting at 3rd
level, you can burn away
corrupting taint with your
fire magic. Any ally who takes
fire damage from a 2nd-level or

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Spellcasting
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class


+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

higher spell you cast also receives a remove poison effect from
that spell. If the spell is 4th-level or higher, the ally also
gains a remove curse effect. If the spell is 6th-level or higher,
the ally also gains the benefit of a lesser restoration spell.
These effects stack, but the ally must take at
least one point of fire damage for this
ability to have any effect.
From the Ashes (Ex): When
you attain 4th level, no level
loss accrues to anyone
upon whom you cast a
spell that restores the
dead to life (such
as raise dead or
resurrection). If
the spell normally
would cause level
loss, the target
instead gains 1
negative level
that persists for 1
week, then is automatically negated
without the need for
a Fortitude save.
Wings of Flame (Su):
At 5th level, you can call
upon the Phoenix to give you
fiery wings, which allow you to
fly at a speed equal to your ground

24

Phoenix Lore Magazine

speed, with perfect maneuverability. You can activate or


deactivate wings of flame as a swift action, and the ability is
usable for a number of rounds per day equal to 5 + your disciple of the Flame level. If you already have a natural flight
speed, wings of flame increases it by +30 feet and improves
the maneuverability class to perfect.
To Ashes Again (Ex): Like all followers of the Phoenix,
you consider undead to be abominations and mockeries of
life. Beginning at 6th level, any spell you cast that utilizes
positive energy to damage an undead also deals additional
fire damage equal to twice your disciple of the Flame level to
such targets.
Cauterize (Ex): Once you attain 7th level, any spell you
cast with the [Fire] descriptor also causes cleansing flames to
wash over your body, restoring a number of hit points equal
to the spell level.
Rise Again (Ex): At 8th level, you become even more
skilled at bringing the dead back to life. The material component costs associated with any spell you cast to restore
life to the dead are halved. If you are casting a spell such as
reincarnate that would bring the target back in a random
form, you can always choose to bring the target back in its
original body.
Rekindled Life (Ex): At 9th level, you master the art of
quickly restoring a fallen comrade to life. The casting time
of any 6th-level or lower spell that raises the dead is reduced
to a full round if the original spell took longer. If the original spells casting time was measured in minutes or greater
time increments, it is now halved.
Rebirth (Su): At 10th level, you learn how to return from
death, just like the Phoenix. If you are slain, you immediately explode in a burst of fire that deals 15d6 points of fire
damage to every evil-aligned creature within 60 feet. A successful Reflex save (DC 20 + your Wisdom modifier) halves
the damage. Within 1 minute, you return to life in the spot
where you died, as if true resurrection had been cast upon
you. This ability is usable once per week.

up with those who share their goals and are happy to support good-aligned adventurers whenever possible.
Karrius is the magazines staff developer and is generally considered a lazy and horrible person by his peers. This assessment
is only half true. He spends most of his time playing RPGs and
computer games, reading cheap fantasy novels, and studying to
be a chemical engineer, in hopes of leaving a legacy topping the
Boston Molasses Disaster.

Playing a Disciple of the Flame


NPC disciples of the Flame often work alone because they
find it a far more efficient way to spread the benefits of their
magic. They can be found in any place that has wounded to
treat or evil to vanquish. Disciples of the Flame readily team

25

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

New Feats for


Alternative Casters
By Andrew James Alan Welty (Phoenix)
Illustrations by Richard L. Biggs, II (Phoenix_Archmage), colored by Erik Rorrer (Coven)
Illustration p26 Wizards of The Coast Inc.

Complete Mage introduced new feats that draw upon the power inherent in a casters body and soul. Most utilize (though they dont
consume) energy from available spells to augment the characters already prodigious talents. This article expands upon the feats
given in that book, adding a few that are powered by the unique powers of characters who use alternative magic systemsin particular, psionics or the manipulation of shadow.
Each feats primary benefit is a supernatural ability that is usable at will.
Unless stated otherwise, it requires a
standard action to activate and does
not provoke attacks of opportunity. If
a saving throw is allowed, the DC is 10
+ the level of the spell or power + the
ability modifier applicable to its save
DC. For example, if a Charisma caster
with a +3 Charisma modifier and an
unused 3rd-level evocation effect uses
the Shadow Bolt feat, the target must
make a DC 16 Reflex save or take full
damage from the bolt.
In addition, each feat provides a
caster level boost to a certain category
of effects. This benefit applies at all
times, regardless of whether the character has any of the appropriate spells or
powers left to use.
The primary benefit can be activated
only if the caster has a spell or power
of the appropriate type (that is, of the
indicated school, subschool, or descriptor) available to cast. The definition of
available to cast depends on whether
the character prepares spells or manifests powers.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

A character who prepares spells must


know an appropriate spell and have
at least one use per day of it left. A
character with more than one appropriate effect prepared and uncast gains
the benefit from only the highest-level
one; she cant gain multiple benefits,
or stack benefits, by having more than
one prepared.
A manifester must know an appropriate power and must have at least
enough power points to manifest it. A
character with more then one appropriate power known gains the benefit
from only the highest-level power he
can still manifest.
If a character has powers or spells
from more than one class, only those
that could actually be used to cast or
manifest the appropriate effect count
toward this benefit.
Only actual spells or power points
allow the character to use the primary
benefit of the feat. Spell-like abilities,
supernatural abilities, and extraordinary abilitieseven if they mimic or
duplicate an appropriate effectdo
not qualify. However, spells or powers

26

that are used as spell-like or supernatural abilities still qualify. A spell or


power that doesnt have a descriptor
until cast or manifested cant be used to
gain the primary benefit of the feat.
Once the character no longer has an
appropriate spell or power available
either because she has used it up for
the day or because she doesnt have
enough power points left to manifest
itcant use the feats primary benefit
until she once again has an appropriate spell or power available for casting/manifesting. She still retains the
secondary benefit of the feat, however.
A character can key two or more of
these feats off a single spell or power.
The secondary boosts to categories of
spells or powers likewise stack.
Example: To use the primary benefit
of the Shadow Blink feat, the character
must have a transmutation effect of at
least 4th level that she has not yet used
for the day. As soon as she casts it, she
loses the primary benefit of the feat
until she can again use an appropriate effect. A psion on the other hand,
need merely have enough power points

Phoenix Lore Magazine


remaining to manifest a power of the
appropriate level and type.
A character can take one of these
feats in place of a bonus feat.

Feat Descriptions
The following feats can be used by
characters who meet the prerequisites.

Psionic Claw
You can use your psionic energy to
gain claws.
Prerequisite: Ability to manifest
2nd-level powers.
Benefit: As long as you have a
2nd-level or higher psychometabolism
power available, you can reform your
hands into claws, gaining two natural

Psionic Construct

You can create small astral constructs


with your psionic powers.
Prerequisite: Ability to manifest
3rd-level powers.
Benefit: As long as you have a 3rdlevel or higher metacreativity power
available, you can create a small
astral construct up to 30 feet
away from you. This creature
is identical to a 1st-level
astral construct, except that
it has 1d10+5 hit dice and
no special abilities, and feats
such as Ectopic Form cannot be applied to it. This
construct lasts for 1 round
per level of the highest-level
metacreativity power you
have available to manifest.
As a secondary benefit,
you gain a +1 competence bonus to your
manifester level
when manifesting
metacreativity powers.

Psionic Energy Ball


You can channel your
psionic power into
raw energy.
Prerequisite:
Ability to manifest
3rd-level powers.
Benefit: As long as
you have a 3rd-level
or higher psychokinesis
power available, you can
create a ball of energy that
explodes in a 5-foot-radius
burst at a range of 30 feet.
This burst deals 1d6 points of
Psionic Claw
damage per level of the highestattacks (damage 1d6 each) and a +2
level psychokinesis power you have
bonus on Climb checks. This efavailable to manifest (Reflex half ). You
fect lasts for 1 round per level of the
select the type of energy at the time
highest-level psychometabolism power
of use, and the following adjustments
you have available to manifest.
apply based on the type chosen.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
Cold: The effect requires a Fortitude
competence bonus to your manifester
save instead of a Reflex save.
level when manifesting psychometaboElectricity: The save DC increases by
lism powers.
+2 if target is wearing metal armor.

27

Fire: A fire energy ball may ignite


combustibles.
Sonic: A 1 penalty applies to each
damage die, and the effect ignores an
objects hardness.

Psionic Energy Ball

As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1


competence bonus to your manifester
level when manifesting psychokinesis
powers.

Psionic Knowledge
You can use your psionic powers to
increase your knowledge.
Prerequisite: Ability to manifest
2nd-level powers.
Benefit: As long as you have a 2ndlevel or higher clairsentience power
available, you can gain a +2 insight
bonus on checks with any Knowledge
skill in which you have at least 1 rank.
This effect lasts for 1 round per level of
the highest-level clairsentience power
you have available to manifest. You
can use a standard action to gain the
benefit of this feat before making a
Knowledge check.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your manifester
level when manifesting clairsentience
powers.

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Phoenix Lore Magazine


Psionic Levitation

You can use your psionic powers to


float in midair.
Prerequisite: Ability to manifest
4th-level powers.
Benefit: As long as you have a 4thlevel or higher psychoportation power
available to use, you can levitate to a
maximum height of 5 feet per level
of the highest-level psychoportation
power you can currently manifest. The
effect lasts for 2 rounds per level of that
same power. During the round that
the duration ends, you slowly descend
until you are on solid ground.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your manifester
level when manifesting psychoportation powers.

you have available. While this effect


is running, attacks against you have a
20% miss chance because you are on
the Plane of Shadow part of the time.
You also have a 20% chance of casting
your own spells and other effects while
on the Plane of Shadow. This feat has
no effect if you activate it while on the
Plane of Shadow.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your caster level
when casting transmutation spells.

Shadow Bolt
You can use your mysterious power to
create shadowy bolts.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 3rdlevel shadow-based spells.

Psionic Prediction
You can use your telepathy to
gain insight into your opponents next move.
Prerequisite: Ability to
manifest 3rd-level powers.
Benefit: As long as you
have a 3rd-level or higher
telepathy power available,
you can read the surface
thoughts of a designated
opponent. Doing so grants
you a +2 insight bonus to
AC for 1 round per level of
the highest-level telepathy
power you have available.
As a secondary benefit, you
gain a +1 competence bonus to
your manifester level when manifesting telepathy powers.

Shadow Blink
You can use your mysterious power
to blink in and out of the Plane of
Shadow.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 4th-level
shadow-based spells.
Benefit: As long as you have a 4thlevel or higher transmutation spell
available, you can produce a blink
effect that lasts for 1 round per level of
the highest-level transmutation effect

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Shadow Blink

Benefit: As long as you have a


3rd-level or higher evocation spell
available, you can create a bolt of solid
shadow. This bolt can traverse up to
40 feet within the Plane of Shadow
in 1 round, after which it appears in
the target square at the start of your
next turn. Anyone in the 5-foot square
where it appears feels a numbing cold
and takes 1d6 points of cold damage
per level of the highest-level evocation

28

spell you have available to cast (Reflex


half ). Those in adjacent squares feel a
chill but suffer no effects. While on the
Plane of Shadow, the bolt is insubstantial and passes through objects. You
dont have to see the square you are targeting, but you do need to know where
it is. If the target square (or a target
within that square) is encased entirely
in magical energies, or other effects
that prevent magic from entering (such
as a forcecage, prismatic sphere, or resilient sphere), it is unaffected by the bolt.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your caster level
when casting evocation spells.

Shadow Jaunt
You can use your mysterious power to
cross an entire room in a single step.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 4thlevel shadow-based spells.
Benefit: As long as you
have a 4th-level or higher
teleportation spell available, you can step through
the Plane of Shadow to
another location. You
can take along carried
objects up to your
heavy load weight,
but not other creatures
(except your familiar).
You can move a maximum
distance of 5 feet per level
of the highest-level teleportation spell you have available
to cast, but you can step only
to a location that you can see
(including one you are currently
viewing through magical means such
as Bend Perspective).
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your caster level
when casting teleportation spells.

Shadow Mask
You can use your mysterious power to
wrap yourself in shadows.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 2ndlevel shadow-based spells.
Benefit: As long as you have a 2nd-

Phoenix Lore Magazine


level or higher illusion spell available,
you can wrap shadows around you,
gaining a +2 bonus on both Hide and
Move Silently checks. This effect lasts
for 1 round per level of the highestlevel illusion spell you have available
to cast.
As a secondary benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to your caster level
when casting illusion spells.

Shadow Vision
You can use your mysterious power see
things just before they happen.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 3rd-level
shadow-based spells.
Benefit: As long as you have a
3rd-level or higher divination spell
available, you can gain a +4 insight
bonus on Reflex saves. (You can use
the standard action before the event

happens, but it still uses up


your standard action for
this round, or for the next
round if you have taken
your action for this
round.) The effect lasts
for 1 round per level
of the highest-level
divination spell you
have available to
cast.
As a secondary
benefit, you gain a +1
competence bonus to
your caster level when
casting divination spells.
Andrew James Alan Welty is
thought to be a bot in the chat
channels he frequents. Only his
editor knows the truth.

29

Shadow Vision

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Rifle Fire

A Story of the Italian Campaign


By Andy Fetterman (Duck Crusader)

Private Egidio Barbuscia gripped his rifle tightly and tried


not to look nervous. At seventeen, he was the youngest
man in his squad, and he drew plenty of ribbing for it from
his fellow soldiers. His fair hair and blue eyes didnt help,
making him look not only younger, but also more like a
northerner than the other soldiers. Most of Italys infantry
came from the solidly agrarian south and tended to see the
northern Italians who filled the officer and armored corps as
effeminate and condescending.
The truck in which he rode was part of a supply column
moving up to Fort Capuzzo by way of the Girba Road. The
11th Hussars had been very active in this area lately, and
all the older men were just as nervous as Egidio was. As the
newest recruit, however, he could expect to be taunted for
showing his jitters. He was rapidly discovering all the odd
little games that experienced soldiers played to distract them
from their fears.
The sound of distant machine guns broke his reverie.
Sergeant Arbuto and some of the other veterans perked up
immediately and shifted their rifles to a two-handed grip,
so Egidio knew the sound was closer than it had seemed. As
the minutes wore on, the noise increased in both depth and
volume.
Look sharp! the sergeant ordered. Lets get these canvasses rolled up so we can seethere are Tommies about,
and Im not having them machine gun me without a chance
to shoot back.
Egidio laid down his rifle and helped the others roll up
the canvas sides. Arbuto and the corporal, Lisenti, took up
positions overlooking the front of the cab, while the rest of
the men crouched on the floor and scanned the horizon for
the enemy. It was unlikely that the wood and metal sides
would save them if the enemy fired upon them, but the
psychological boost was welcome.
To either side of the column were its escortsnearly
twenty CV-33 light tanks. The twin machine guns and ar-

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

30

mored plate that seemed to be standard for the model made


them look plenty dangerous, and Egidio spied the barrels of
twenty-millimeter cannon peeking out from at least two of
them as well. Egidio was glad they were on his side, though
some of the veterans didnt find them nearly as impressive as
the vehicles they had heard the British possessed.
The noise ahead rose to a crescendo of hammering guns
punctuated by the occasional explosion before petering out.
Far from looking relieved, the experienced men gripped
their weapons tighter than ever. A couple miles farther, the
truck rolled to a stop, and Arbuto ordered them all out
without waiting for orders to do so. Egidio was happy to
complyhed felt like a summer melon on display at market
in the back of that truck. Officers were going around chivying the now emptied trucks into a square with others that
had already unloaded.
Egidio knew he should be paying attention to what they
were yelling, but his eyes were drawn irresistibly to a pair
of armored vehicles sitting a little way off from their hastily
contrived defensive position. One was a CV-33, merrily
burning away with an occasional pop and ping as the fire
engulfing it found stray rounds that hadnt yet detonated.
The other could only be an English armored car. His uncle,
a motorcar aficionado, had once shown him a picture of his
favorite British car, the Rolls Royce. The vehicle in front of
Egidio had clearly been built by the same people. A .303
caliber machine gun stuck out of the cheesebox turret on
the top, and the spacious back seat had been replaced with a
truck bed, but even the armored plate couldnt conceal those
distinctive lines. A machine gun had punched several holes
in the vehicles front, and its passengers had obviously had
to leave it behind. But this vehicle, Egidio noted uneasily,
was not burning like the Italian tank.
Corporal Lisenti slapped the back of Egidios head and
told him to start digging a fighting position. The destroyed
armor in front of him was a strong motivator, so he com-

Phoenix Lore Magazine


plied enthusiastically. The task wasnt easy in the crumbly
sand and rock, but before long, Egidio had produced a narrow scrape in the earth that would shield him. Laying aside
his shovel, he glanced around their position again. A few of
the older men were still diggingsome simply slow in making an adequate hole, others determined to dig a fort for
themselves. Nearby, some of the artillery men were setting
up their heavy fourteen-pounder field gun. The cannon did
a lot to improve Egidios morale, since he knew that anyone
wanting to shoot him would have to get past that formidable weapon first.
Other guns were going up as well. One was sited in each
corner of the truck square, with infantry all around and the
tanks on either flank. In the center was a staff car with a
general officer and his two lady friends, who were observing the preparations with some excitement while their
patron explained what was occurring. Another truck was
strategically placed between them and an aid station where
the wounded from the earlier fracas were being treated. Egidio wanted to know what was going on himself, so he began
looking for Sergeant Arbuto.
A few minutes later, Arbuto came by to inspect the holes
theyd dug and offer advice or chastisement, as he deemed
appropriate. On his way down the line, the sergeant paused
to look over Egidios work and nodded. Emboldened by this
sign of approval, Egidio took the opportunity to ask what
they were doing. The sergeant stared at him for a moment
before replying.
Getting ready to fight the English, what else? he said
flatly.
I know that, Sergeant, but what makes you think theyll
come? persisted Egidio.
Again Arbuto stared at him, clearly trying to decide how
to deal with this young privates curiosity. Finally, he said,
Come with me, boy, and started off toward the other
corner of the square, with Egidio obediently in tow. Pushing
past the men still digging, they came upon a scene straight
out of hell.
Half a dozen trucks and two more tanks were sitting on
this sidea few on fire, the rest just riddled with holes.
Several soldiers were pulling bodies from the trucks and lining them up out of sight until men could be spared to bury
them. Over the whole scene hung a smell of cordite and
burnt meat that hadnt been noticeable from the other side
because of the prevailing wind. Egidio wanted to be sick and
probably would have if the sergeant hadnt been watching.
Arbuto waved a hand to encompass the scene. The
Hussars caught these supply trucks in the open, he began
without preamble. You can see what happened. Now that
wouldnt be worrysome in itself, but the attackers stayed
around to fight even after the escorts reacted. Worse yet,
they have armor with them. They usually just use armed

trucks to hit and run, but theyre here in force, boy, and
now that they know were here, theyll be back.
Im betting that Capuzzos already taken, continued
the sergeant, motioning back toward the square. That fat
fool is about to get us all killed to impress his women with
his military prowess. Hes got us drawn up in a square, for
Gods sake! Who does he think were fighting, Somali tribesmen? He shook his head defeatedly, then looked straight
into Egidios eyes.
Ive got a boy a little younger than you back home
thats why Im telling you this. When the shooting starts,
I want you to fire off one magazine. You dont even have
to aimjust work the bolt and pull the trigger so you can
honestly say you fired. Then hunker in the bottom of your
hole until its over. Do you understand me?
Y-yes Sergeant, stuttered Egidio, now truly scared out of
his wits.
Good. Now back to your hole, boy.
Egidio scurried away, leaving his sergeant to study the
defenses and shake his head. Hed been back in position for
only a few minutes when a cry went up from the direction
hed just come. Out in front of him, Lieutenant Capobianco
apparently saw the same danger, and he waved for his tanks
to attack. Almost as one, the twelve machines on his side of
the square lunged forward and out of sight. A roar of accelerating engines told Egidio that those on the opposite side
had gone forward as well. One of the infantry officers raced
out in a futile attempt to stop them, but they couldnt hear
him yelling over the noise.
With shaking hands, Egidio checked the load in his Fucile
Modello 1891 rifle, ensuring that it held a full six rounds.
As he slammed the bolt home, the sound of firing broke out
from the direction the tanks had gone. The flat crack of 20
mm rounds was interspersed with machine gun fire and the
deeper boom of heavier guns. Occasionally a crash or rending screech gave evidence that a vehicle had been destroyed,
but from where he was, he could see nothing.
The battle continued off to his right for several long minutes before the artillery on the other side of the square began
to fire. A few rifles started to bark in the same area, and Egidio knew that the enemy must be pushing closer. Sweat that
had nothing to do with the heat ran down his face while he
waited for the inevitable clash. Then, almost before he knew
it, the battle was upon him.
A CV-33 trailing smoke limped past in front of his hole,
followed by another backing up steadily and firing its 20
mm cannon. But the latters protection was short-lived-after only a few shots, it burst into an expanding ball of fire
and steel. Down the line a bit, one of the men was hit by
shrapnel and reeled backward, falling limply to the ground.
Egidio was still staring slack-jawed when the killer rolled
into view a few moments later.

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The British tank was the most terrifying war machine he
had ever seen. Its low-slung body was topped by a turret
containing a two-pounder that he swore was pointed right
at him. He understood now that the Italian tanks were foxes
to this beasts wolf. It coasted to a stop and fired, disappearing into a cloud of sand for a moment. The shot kicked
up a column of dirt in front of the fourteen-pounder as its
crew struggled frantically to target it in return. Several of the
men in the line started firing at the tank, and although he
couldnt see what good it was doing, Egidio settled down to
do the same.
Egidio squeezed the trigger and discovered that at some
point in the last few minutes, he had fired off the first round
without even noticing. He worked the bolt and aimed at a
second smaller tank that had just appeared from nowhere.
Crack! Egidio worked the bolt again as the smaller tank
began stitching the line down from him and toppled a
couple more soldiers. The tank and the artillery gun fired at
the same time. The two-pound round exploded in the cab
of one of the trucks, while the other raised more dirt behind
it. Crack!
The world went white for a moment as Egidio was lifted
into the air and then slammed back into his hole. Ears still
ringing, he glanced over to where the field gun had been. All
that was left was a twisted piece of steel and several smoking
hunks of meat. Corporal Lisenti had been closer and hadnt
survived the explosion, nor had the three men on the other
side of him. Taking another moment to survey the scene, he
saw that another British tank had moved in and destroyed
the artillery cannon while the crew had been fixated on the
first two.
Egidio raised his rifle and discovered that hed fired it
again. When he saw a truck with a machine gun and several
soldiers coming past, he worked the bolt again. Crack!
How many shots had he fired? He couldnt remember. He
couldnt hear anything either, but the pressure from the
blasts and the dirt kicking up nearby told him that the cannon and machine guns were still firing. Other men started
to run from the line. Unable to bear the violence of the
attack, they tried to find a way to escape the cauldron of fire
in which they found themselves. One last pull of the trigger
at nothing in particular yielded a crack that sounded as if it
had come from underwater.
His weapon emptied, Egidio hunkered down in the bottom of his hole. Looking into the square, he saw the officers
car trying to escape as well, running over a wounded soldier
in the process. One of the trucks started to move, but it
didnt get far before a cannon round peeled its front open
like one of the tins of food it carried. Everywhere men were
running, falling, and dying. The whole line had collapsed,
leaving them as individuals in the face of a hurricane of lead
and steel that no mortal flesh could withstand.

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32

Strangely calm now, Egidio still found himself unable to


watch the grisly spectacle. Instead, he laid back and stared
up at the sky of this foreign land, which he realized at last
could very easily become his grave. Finally, he closed his eyes
and began to pray. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name. . . .
Someone kicked his boot, and Egidio opened his eyes
to find the barrel of a rifle in front of his face. The oddly
dressed soldier holding it said something in a language that
Egidio wouldnt have understood even if he could have
heard it. With a start, he realized that he must have fallen
asleep! The Tommys mouth moved again, and Egidio waved
his hands at his ears to indicate that he couldnt hear him.
The other motioned for him to get upa command that he
understood just fine, but when he tried to comply, his balance betrayed him, and he collapsed.
Still covering him, the British soldier turned to the column that Egidio could see behind him. Two Italian soldiers
without weapons or belts came over and helped him up. The
first thing he saw when he rose was Sergeant Arbutos body,
blood pooling in the sand beneath it. He would have collapsed again if the men hadnt been supporting him. Then
they pulled him into the line of men marching off to captivity. Several of them appeared to be smiling at Egidio, but for
the life of him, he couldnt imagine why.
. . . snoring, if you can believe it! The cheeky little bugger
fell asleep right there in his foxhole!
Bloody kid anyway. What does Benny mean sending
children out to fight for him?
Well, Ill say this much for him, the other replied, bending to retrieve Egidios weapon and looking over the spent
casings beside it. He fired his rifle.

Andy Fetterman (aka Duck Crusader) is a thirty-nine year old


steel worker living in Gardner, Kansasa suburb of Kansas
City. He has a wife, Kelly, and three children, Tiffany, Taylor,
and Ann. His hobbies include writing, martial arts, hunting,
collecting toy soldiers, wargaming, and of course, CMGs! His
favorite army for Axis & Allies and War at Sea is the Japanese.

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Phoenix Lore Magazine

Experiencing XP
The D&D Experience 2008 from the Viewpoint of
a Judge and Spectator
By David J. Paul (VrecknidjX)

Dungeons & Dragons Experience is the premiere Dungeons & Dragons convention. Unlike its larger cousin (Gen Con Game Fair) D&D XP is
about 99% D&D game. Where Gen Con is filled to bursting with every game under the sun, XP is a distilled, concentrated D&D overdose.
on toast. Still, it was edible, it was fairly cheap, and it was
indoors. (It was cold that first day.)
I was more than happy to return to the hotel. Much to my
delight, I ran into a small pile of Dungeons & Dragons
Miniatures players Ive met at other cons, and we did a little
catching up. After a few minutes of small talk, we cleared a
table and set out to play a few hands of the Three-Dragon
AnteTM game. I explained that Id never played before, but
they would hear nothing of it.
Two completed flights later, I was significantly below zero.
We all had a good laugh, I learned how to play a great game,
and we were much, much closer to the start of the first slot
of events.
I headed over to the judges table and introduced myself.
A minute later, I was walking away with two red-and-black
RPGA Judge shirts and a much better image of the towering figure of David Christ (Wavester). Within the hour, I
had met most of the team of minis judges. Sparky, Dak,
Lee, Mark, and I were the minions, Jamie was the secondin-command, and Dwayne was the commander-in-chief.
On Friday, I met Bill Baldwin, and we had a nice little chat
about once holding the same position at a gaming community magazine.
My first slot on Thursday was free from commitments, so
I got in a little league play and had some fun with the new
rules before I got busy making judgment calls on them. The
afternoon found me running back and forth from the Dungeons of Dread pre-release (2.0 rules) and the Last Chance
Qualifier (1.0 rules).

I arrived Wednesday about 11 p.m., much too late for the


judges meetingId have to wing it when the time came. I
checked into the hotel after a quick and terribly expensive
taxi ride from the airport. My room would have been small
for two, but was more than big enough for me. The amenities were not quite what I had expected, but the sheets were
clean and all the plumbing worked, so I wasnt about to
complain.
I decided that a brief walk around the hotel would give
me some idea where I was supposed to be in the morning.
There were no clear signs pointing to the convention, so I
did a little wandering.
Interestingly enough, the first gaming-related conversation I overheard was a couple of guys discussing a magazine
for which Ive edited. I introduced myself by saying Youre
talking about my magazine! The rest of the introductions
were made quickly, and we settled into the easy banter that
gamers always seem to adopt whenever they form small
mobs. After a nice chat about some ideas for future submissions, I excused myself for the night, wished them a good
convention, and promised to check my email should they
decide to write.

Day 1
After waking at 6:30 a.m., I showered, dressed, and found
a terrible little greasy spoon for breakfast. I got something
that resembled coffee only by its high temperature and
dark color, and a sandwich that just barely passed as eggs

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34

Phoenix Lore Magazine


Several players told me later that judges had a deer-in-theheadlights stare whenever they were called over. This is, I
assure you, not the normal look for a judge, and it certainly
isnt some special, back-room faade we were asked to put
on by the head judge. Rather, it was the mind-numbing
effect of having to switch from one rule set to another,
sometimes within a 2-minute period. The process was quite
taxing, but also rewarding. Minis players are some of the
most courteous, sporting players in competitive gaming.
Many had thanked me personally by the end of the convention, and several more have posted glowing comments about
the judges on the message boards.

to open our boosters and assemble three warbands, ignoring the usual Constructed warband building rules. Once we
were finished, we would be assigned a table and an opposing
1. The captains roll off for first placement.
2. The winner places one player from the team at one
of the three pre-chosen maps.
3. The opposing captain seats a player across from
the first, and then seats his second player at one of
the two remaining maps.
4. The winner of the first roll then seats a player
against the newly seated opponent.

Day 2

5. The remaining two players face each other on the


remaining map.

Friday, like Thursday, was spent mostly between a pre-release and a Last Chance Qualifier. However, I also managed
to participate in an event titled OP Presents. This special
event was set up by Organized Play to try out a new format.
I must say that I rather appreciate this choice. Some wise
folks on Wizards staff decided to cull opinions from those
who frequently play the game at a competitive level. Rather
than design a new way to play and then thrust it upon the
players, they chose to design a new way to play and then test
out one option. Heres how it worked.
Participants formed teams of three, and each team named
a captain. We sat at tables by team, and the organizer
dropped six boosters at each table. We were then instructed

6. All three matches start at the same time.


7. The second round of play for all three matches happens at the same time, so any pair of players might
have a few minutes to wait between rounds.
8. At the end of a round, each map is checked for
certain objectives. If those objectives have been met,
the players on that team receive a bonus for play in
the next round.
9. At the conclusion of the game, each team has 0 to
3 victories. That tally is recorded as the teams winning record, and similarly victorious teams are then
paired against one another on subsequent rounds.

Team Amish in action

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Team Colluder line-up.

Round 2

team. When the matches started, we knew these would be


the rules. The objectives were as follows.

King of the HillCaves of Chaos; CarnageHailstorm


Keep; FortifyFrostfell Rift

King of the Hill: If a player of this scenario occupies


an uncontested shared victory area at the end of
a round, then each warband on that players team
gains +2 on attack rolls for the following round. (It
is possible for both players to grant this boon.)
Carnage: The player who earned the most victory points from kills each round grants his teams
warbands +5 damage with Melee attacks for the
following round.
Fortify: The player with the most creatures in his
own victory areas at the end of each round grants
his teams warbands +2 AC and Defense for the following round.

Time was running short, since constructing the bands


took a little while, and there were some minor snags with
setting up teams. So we played only two rounds, in the following structure.

Round 1

King of the HillHailstorm Keep; CarnageFrostfell Rift;


FortifyCaves of Chaos

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36

My team, Two Daves and a Priest consisted of our


captain, David (Pauper), his good friend Curtis (KillerCurt
on various minis boards), and myself. Our first match was
against a crew of dedicated and dangerous players from the
Sacramento, California area. These Sac Bandits consisted
of captain Jake and his friends Mike and Randall. The first
set of matches was tragic for Two Daves and a Priest, and
we got pretty well obliterated. Mike defeated me rather
soundly, and I learned thatin this format especiallya
dedicated ranged band handily beats a mixed ranged band
on Frostfell Rift.
But the goal was to try out the format and report on the
game. Each player was given a reporting sheet to fill out and
return to Organized Play. I was delighted to be participating
in the decision to create or shelve a new style of play. I wrote
that the games took too long, and that the format required
so many playerstwenty-four players for eight teams, and
eight teams for a viable tournamentthat it might interfere
with other events and the desires of the players to participate
in other games.
Our next set of games was against Lynch Quest, a team
composed of Pat (PatLynch), his son, and Jim Ansaldo
(johnnyquest). I had the honor of playing against Pats son,
and I had the good luck to win the match. (As I recall, that
was our only win; we posted a 1-5 record that night.) This

Phoenix Lore Magazine

The Last Chance prize ceremony.

time I played on Hailstorm Keep with a hodgepodge band


led by my shiny new Umber Hulk Delver. We finished
our comments, handed them to the event organizers, and
headed to bed.
Earlier in the day, I had the great fortune to meet Ed
Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms Campaign
Setting, and speak briefly with him. It was an honor to have
a few moments with one of the great writers in the field,
and he was friendly and open with his time. A while later
I enjoyed watching Ed play 4e at one of the many tables
devoted to the early release of that game. While he certainly
seemed to be enjoying himself, I think the members of his
table were getting an even bigger kick out of it than he was.
Friday night came to a close after midnight for me. As
usual, I had little time allotted for sleep, but I tried to take
advantage of the bit I had. Saturday, I knew, was going to be
big. We had the first eight rounds of the Limited Championship and another Dungeons of Dread pre-release, and that
night, the Community Draft!

Day 3
As expected, the Saturday events were grueling. It was a
huge challenge to move from one table with a rules question
using one set of rules to another table using a different set of
rules. Still, the judges made it happen with very few erroneous calls. As the day wore on, we noted a few issues in both
major events.

In the Dungeons of Dread pre-release, far more players


remembered to bring pit maps with them. Several pieces in
the set allow for the pushing, pulling, or sliding of enemy
pieces and, with the lack of restrictions on warband building, these maps provided all kinds of opportunities to
eliminate opposing pieces with the pits. (The rules have
since changed, in part because of this event, and pits are no
longer quite so dangerous.) I dont think Ive ever seen so
many pit maps at a tournament at one time; it seemed that
every other table was playing on either Drow Outpost or
Frostfell Rift.
The Immolith was definitely the standout piece from the
set. While quite a few players were thrilled to pull the majestic purple-hued Young Silver Dragon, and some others were
more than a little pleased with their haughty-looking Young
Red Dragon, those pieces didnt dominate in the game bearing their name. Instead, it was pieces such as the Immolith
and the Dwarf Warlordwith their high attack bonuses
and guaranteed near-auto-kills (thanks to the pit rules in
force)that took center stage.
As always, groans of heartache sounded at the championship when some players pulled seemingly rotten pieces
from the boosters. While walking the rows of cloth-covered
tables, I saw many players looking up at me with pain in
their eyes. I just got the most awful pieces. . . . they remarked. If anyone in the world can make a bad pull work,
I commented to more than one such player, its the people
in this room.

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Indeed, the championship players were very good, even
if their randomly assigned boosters were not. And many of
them toughed it out through the first four rounds of play,
since they would each obtain two new boosters for a new
chance at a warband at the beginning of the fifth round. In
some cases, this arrangement was devastating to a players
record. More than one person had a better-than-even
record in the first four matches, only to assemble a severely
weaker band on the second pull. Contrarily, I know of one
player who was 2-2 after the first four matches, and ended
5-3, nearly placing in the top 8, with a fantastic pull from
his second two boosters. As was often the case in Desert of
Desolation sealed games, the standout pieces included the
Shrieking Harpy with its devastating Lure ability, and the
Rot Scarab Swarm with its ability to shut down a powerful piece for as many as four turns. (The rules regarding the
Rot Scarab Swarm have since changed.) Its unusual for a set
to be so heavily influenced by low-cost, non-rare

This year, I brought a very old Dragoneye booster and a


more recent Unhallowed booster. I had the great luck of sitting in a drafting pod with Jason (Fenris), the 2005 Constructed Champion, Jesse (doubtofbuddha), one of the top
players in Florida and the world, and James. I didnt get the
best pieces, but I did have a Black Dragon in my Dragoneye
booster, and though its not such a fantastic piece, I chose to
play it for nostalgias sake.
The maps for the Community Draft are created by the
community members themselves. Everyone is invited to
join, and once the submissions are in, a round of voting
determines which maps will be professionally printed and
made available for the game. This year, we used two maps.
One was Temple of the Unseeing, a map that had been previously designed for the fine folks at Hordelings (including
a fantastic painting by Jason Engle). The other was Ancient
Shrines of Battle, created by RafaPolit (an Ecuadorean
player who, not unexpectedly, couldnt
attend) and Chad the DragonLordofAiur (a member of the self-named
Team Amish from Pennsylvania, and
a frequent face at the highest levels of
play in the skirmish game).
The Community Draft is notorious
for starting late and ending late, and
this year didnt disappoint. Fortunately, we managed to get through
the prize table early enough that I
got to bed by 1 A.M. My own luck
at the table wasnt so great, though
I did manage to grab a copy of InnFighting signed by Rob Heinsoo.
Jim (johnnyquest) was much luckier,
acquiring probably the hardest-to-get
mini in the gameSnowball.
All in all, it was a great night. As
r.
Aiu
dof
Lor
gon
Dra
the
ad
usually happens, I had a chance
lit and Ch
of Battle, created by RafaPo
The map Ancient Shrines
to play with people I usually dont, and to meet
pieces, but in this set, it was quite typical.
people face-to-face with whom Ive shared only an online
At the end of the day, I had the fantastic opportunity to
acquaintance. Its a great event, run by some great folks
participate in the Community Draft. For several years, at
thanks especially to Sean and Pat.
both Gen Con Game Fair and D&D Experience, members
of the online DDM community have gotten together to
play a friendly tournament. Each person traditionally brings
Sunday was my last day at the show. I was excited because
a prize for the prize table and two unopened boosters (of
I knew Id have a chance to judge at the professional level.
any sort) for play. Nowhere else does this kind of play take
The top eight players from Saturdays championship rounds
place. Over the years, Ive seen amazing combinations of
were to face off for serious money, prizes, and prestige. I was
pieces that you would truly never see elsewhere. Furtherfortunate enough to be working with a fantastic judging
more, at several of these events, Wizards of the Coast miniacrew and a head judge who let me stay on and judge the
tures designers and other staff have joined in the fun. (Their
drafting and first round of this event. The top eight players,
participation is legal, since the events are unsanctioned and
ranked by wins and opponent-match-win percentage, were:
entirely on a for fun basis.)

Day 4

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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Kevin Cleveland 7-1 (.648)


Josh Leslie 7-1 (.578)
Thomas L. Johnson 7-1 (.571)
Michael T. Pozsgay 6-2 (.656)
Patrick Hanberry 6-2 (.601)
Tom J. Capor 6-2 (.590)
Devin Tessers 6-2 (.576)
Robert Hatch 6-2 (.560)

In the final match (which I was unable to watch because I


was headed to the airport for my return flight), Tom Johnson defeated Kevin Cleveland for the top spot. From what I
saw in the matches leading up to this one, the competition
was grueling, but the competitors were top-notch.
Though none of them were in the top eight at this event,
many of the top players were from places outside North
Americain fact, we had players from all over Europe. I
think its a great demonstration of the games popularity and

competitiveness that we see this level of dedication from


players all over the globe at both Gen Con Game Fair and
D&D XP every year.

Conclusion
This was my first D&D XP, but it wont be my last. Ive
already volunteered to judge next years eventsthough Id
also like to get in a few sanctioned games.
David Paul lives in lower southwestern Michigan with his
wife, sons, pets, a few hundred RPG books, and several thousand
little plastic miniatures. He currently provides editing assistance
for Rite Publishing, and previously edited for Pencil Pushers
Publishing, d20 Filtered, Silven, and Knowledge Arcana. When
hes not busy daydreaming or plotting the downfall of his own
D&D players, he teaches philosophy by night at a nearby university and mathematics by day at a nearby private high school.

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Water Phoenix
By Penny Williams (Penny_Williams), David J. Paul (VrecknidjX), Michael Mazur (Karrius), and the Phoenix Lore Community, with
assistance from Skip Williams (Skip_Williams) Illustrated by Daniel Craig (Aeolius)

The monster for this issues Creature Feature was created by the Phoenix Lore Community at a Monster Builder Workshop conducted
by Penny Williams in Phoenix Lore Chat. The playtest was conducted with Penny_Williams as Elena, Karrius as Barbarosa, Phoenix as
Howard, ShadowGlade as David, and Skip_Williams as GM. All four characters were 15th level. The PhL staff also thanks all the folks in
the online community who participated in the creation of this creature.

Prologue
The heroes of our story are Barbarosa (a female dwarf barbarian), Elena (a female elf cleric), Howard (a male halfling
rogue), and David (a male gnome sorcerer). Elena, the only
non-chaotic member of the group, is neutral good. Barbarosa is chaotic good, and Howard and David are both chaotic neutral. The group has adventured together for years,
stumbling from one haphazard misadventure to the next,
held together more by Elenas good sense than anything else.
Like all such groups, these four have adjusted to each others
shortcomings, though they tend to focus on these a little
more often than is good for them.
Today they stand perplexed. Their most recent home,
Waterfall City, has recently been subjected to all manner
of bizarre weather and strange geographical disturbances,
including a river that has suddenly and without precedent
changed its course. In addition, magic seems to have hit a
snag, and the effects of spells and items havent been consistent. All told, times are dangerous and frightening, and the
local leaders have charged these four with speaking to the
Celestial Bureaucracy to get to the bottom of the situation.

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40

Mr. Chiin, a locally revered gold dragon of enormous size


and reputation, is the head of the local branch of the Celestial Bureaucracy. The party is to seek out his vast underwater
castle, solicit his counsel, follow whatever advice or instructions he provides, and hopefully fix whatever is wrong in
Waterfall City.
The leadership of Waterfall City includes wizards and druids, who have outfitted each of the heroes with an insignia
that will allow the wearer to breathe underwater by generating a bubble of air and magically keeping it in place around
the head.
We now join our heroes in their quest.
again, Im amazed that we have been graced
Once
with another spectacular mission, gushed Elena,

her face glowing. A dragons castle! Most impressive.


Never one to miss a beat, Howard rubbed his hands
together exuberantly and grinned. I bet Mr. Chiin has all
sorts of shiny baubles, he said eagerly.
Keep your fingers to yourself in there, said the cleric,
looking disapprovingly at the rogue, who was almost skipping along in his glee.

Phoenix Lore Magazine


I just like to look, he replied, donning his most innocent expression.
Just remember the mission, sighed Elena.
Yeah, yeah, go to the castle, talk to the dragon, do what
he says, grumbled David impatiently. What do you suppose well get out of this?
The comfort of having done right, replied Elena easily.
Her response was so automatic that it seemed as if it hadnt
required even a moments thought. And the joy of helping
our fellows, she added immediately.
Howard and David exchanged annoyed looks. Maybe
well get enough gold to pay off some of our debts, the halfling added hopefully. Those fires werent really our fault,
he continued, glancing at the others for approval. When
he received only frowns, he looked down at his feet. Im
always being blamed, he whined, kicking at the rocks.
Actually, Elena retorted, it was your fault. Sure, it was
Davids fireball, but you were the one who distracted him.
The halfling yelped in consternation and was about to reply when Barbarosa cut in. Looks like I best be mindin my
manners, she said, oblivious to the bickering that had been
escalating around her. Me mother told me ta never anger
anything big enough ta eat me.
Excellent advice, my friend, replied the elf. Lets get
going, shall we? she said, turning to the others. We have
much work to do.
Presently, the four friends arrived at the docks along the
rivers edge and readied themselves to jump in. Thankfully,
the temperature had remained in keeping with the summer season, despite the unexpected frosts and other strange
anomalies of late. With her insignia in place, Barbarosa
clambered down into the water.
You know, interjected the halfling, just as the dwarf s
torso was disappearing beneath the water, you can blame
me for the fireball, but you cant blame me for the Lord
Mayors family being turned to stone. That was the work of
the gorgon. He waved his hand dismissively at the gorgons
that were no longer there.
Elena rolled her eyes as she adjusted her gear so that nothing would float away. You were the one who caused the
stampede! What do you mean we cant blame you?
Howard looked imploringly at David, who just shrugged
and started down into the river. With only her head above
water, Barbarosa added, And they sure were touchy about
the whole birdbath thing too, werent they?
Howard howled with laughter. David smiled with his eyes
just as he, too, submerged. Howard followed him under the
clerics watchful eye. Elena, last to go under, couldnt resist a
small giggle. The birdbath comment had been pretty funny,
she had to admit.
David, who had hours ago provided himself the ability
to fly, navigated the waters rather easily, as did Barbarosa,

thanks to her weighty armor. The others found the swimming to be a chore, even though they had no problem
breathing. Walking along the river bottom turned out to be
a bit more of a challenge than theyd wagered as well. Overall, walking seemed to be best for the group, so after some
heated discussions on the matter (which included Howard
frequently pointing out various incidents from their past for
which he was not to blame), the friends settled on a marching order and continued through the murky depths, walking
along the rocky bottom toward the drop-off where they
would find the dragons castle.
Why are they always underwater, or in a cave, or up in
the clouds? whined the gnome. Youd think that dragons
were paranoid or something. He continued grumbling in
his little bubble of magical air. The others could hear him,
but his voice was muffled, which seemed to them a blessing.
And why all the secrecy? he continued. The bureaucracy
is designed so that you cant even find the castle unless you
begin looking for it in the river? Come on. Who thinks of
things like this?
Elena tried her best to tune out the complaints. Sometimes the rest of the gang needed to be kept in check,
sometimes they needed to be advised, and sometimes they
needed to be ignored. At least ignoring him was relatively
easy this time, given the awe and wonder of all the fish, eels,
and swimming mammals that drifted by. They seemed quite
curious about the four bipeds walking along the bottom,
flailing their arms madly, and somehow managing not to
drown. For a moment, Elena wondered about just how
strange it wasnot just that she was looking into the huge,
round eye of a profoundly ignorant muck-eating fish, but
that it was looking into her eyes as well.
The gnomes complaining subsided after an indeterminate stretch of time, and he took instead to skewering fish,
presumably for later consumption.
Ya mind sharin some o those? asked the halfling, momentarily halting his tirade.
Maybe, said David. Whatll ya give me for em?
After about an hour of travel through the wet darkness,
the intrepid heroes stopped, mesmerized by the sheer immensity of the dropoff before them. Rare indeed was the
spectacle that could prevent Barbarosa from prattling on
about how some ancestor or other had battled a dreadful
foe over some similar circumstance, but Wow, was all she
could manage.
Indeed. The precipice is quite stark, Elena noted with
sagacity. Howard, would you go check out those lights
below? Well be right behind you.
Always send in the little guy, Howard observed, then
jumped into the void.
Elena and the others followed. After drifting downward
for a few moments, the heroes re-assembled in the long

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shaft of water. The water seemed less dense, and it was much
brighter than it had beensurprisingly so, given how deep
they knew they were.
Dragon magic? suggested the gnome.
Elena nodded knowingly. She pointed to a large central
spire, surrounded by four smaller ones. Those must have
been the five lights we saw from above. Theyre why its so
bright here.
A little too bright, if you ask me, said Howard sourly.
Nah, easier to see what yer swingin at, remarked Barbarosa gruffly. Still, she observed, this place seems more
fittin for the likes of you all. You go on ahead; Ill take up
the rear.
Elena, Howard, and David headed for what they took to
be the door. But like any other dragons lair, this place was
heavily guarded. Many toothy fish swam about the perimeter and wove in and out of the spires. I think wed better
just knock, Elena suggested helpfully, starting forward.
Under the central spire yawned the enormous, very toothy
maw of some giant sea creature.
Inviting, Howard said, sarcastically. David warily eyed
the toothy fish that swam ever closer to him, while Barbarosa gripped her axe, waiting for the situation to turn sour.
Im going to head for that mouth. It looks like a way in,
Elena announced.
Dont these fish look rather like lions, when youre up
close? David queried. This is most distressing. After too
short a pause, he added, I wonder how they taste?
Barbarosa didnt waste any time. Thinking to herself that
she didnt want to be anywhere near a gnome who was dangerously close to turning himself into a meal, she quickly
followed the elf into the toothy maw doorway. Howard
followed suit. David, ever the comic, tried grabbing for the
dwarf s axe so as to spend less of his own effort swimming,
but to no avail.
Before the bold adventurers stood a huge door, apparently
constructed of mother-of-pearl. Beside it was a large hornshaped shell.
Maybe hes not home, suggested the elf in a worried
tone of voice.
Maybe he went on vacation and didnt tell anyone,
speculated David, as Howard moved cautiously forward to
take a closer look at the door.

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42

Looks like we get to blow the horn! I call the blowing!


shouted Barbarosa, ruining any chance at stealth the halfling
might have had. But just as Barbarosa reached for the shell,
the portal began to open.
It wasnt me! cried the startled halfling, jumping backward as the door swung wide to reveal a splendid hall clad
in mother-of-pearl.
Elena, slipping automatically into the role shed assumed
a thousand times before, instinctively reached to grab the
rogues collar as she headed into the hall. Howard ducked.
Yoo hoo, Mr. Chiin! called the elf. Her words echoed
faintly from the opalescent walls.
I think dragons prefer Sir, remarked the dwarf grumpily, following Elena.
After a brief pause, a high-pitched voice said, Who calls
the name of Chiin?
We have come on behalf of the city to seek your wisdom,
Sir, Elena replied. Better? she asked Barbarosa quietly.
The dwarf nodded sideways. Better. Remember my
mommas wisdom.
Ah, urbanites, said the voice in a haughty drawl. Please
see the secretary.
And where do we find the secretary? David asked the
pearly ceiling.
As if in reply, a section of a wall slid open, revealing a
creature a bit like a nixie, robed in seaweed. Producing a
tablet and stylus, he said, Please state your names, for the
record. Elena, David, Howard, and finally Barbarosa provided the requested information.
And the nature of your business? he continued, after he
had recorded the partys replies.
Elena pushed David forward. Turn on the charm, Pretty
Boy, she whispered.
David looked at Barbarosa, then at the secretary. Barbarosa wants to blow something up, I believe, he said blandly.
Elena buried her face in her hands and shook her head.
The horn! protested Barbarosa. Ya got a horn outside!
Oh, never mind. Sides, youre the one settin things on fire,
she said, pointing at David.
All beauty, no brains, sighed Elena, fixing David with a
disapproving stare.
Howard stepped forward. We have come on behalf of the
city to inquire about the strange weather above.

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Well, if you have no business before the court today,


thank you for visitingand dont forget to venerate your
ancestors, said the secretary.
The elf picked up where Howard had left off. We have
been sent by the city fathers to seek Mr. Chiins advice about
the odd happenings in the city of late. The river has reversed
its course, and odd magical effects have been occurring.
Strange weather? the haughty scribe asked, pulling a
ledger from the shelf behind him. Hmmm, he said, flipping through its pages. No, no odd weather scheduled for
your province this season. Your weather is fine.
Maybe you should go up and check it yourself, the
rogue replied brazenly.
Yeah, you try livin up there, growled the dwarf irritably.
Weathers bad, I tell ya. A hailstone size of my mommas
bunions hit me in the head the other day.
The inquisitive gnome looked up from his sack of wiggling sea life. Rivers flowing backward is fine?
No tidal bores or earthquakes on the schedule, continued
the secretary, running a finger down another page. Your
river is definitely not changing course. Next youll be telling
me youre getting frost in July.
Actually. . . . replied the sorcerer, who was clearly growing tired of this argument.
Howard reached out and closed the ledger. Dont pay any
attention to that, he said. We have seen for ourselves what
the weather is like, and we were attempting to tell you.
Im sure that Mr. Chiin would know what to do, said
Elena in a soothing voice. She smiled at the secretary and
then continued. The tornadoes have wiped out quite a few
homes and businesses owned by people who have always
supported the Celestial Bureaucracy.
The secretary sighed and pulled out his tablet and stylus
again. So, in short, you wish to report that the lands above
are experiencing abnormal weather, including hail, frost,
and a misbehaving riverwhich is not weather per se, but
well overlook that detail for now. He continued writing
after he had finished speaking.
What do you call a river flowing backwards, then?
mumbled Barbarosa. Somebody turning a mountain
upside-down?
And aberrations in the magical forcesspells going awry
and such, Elena said, ignoring the dwarf s comment.

The secretary raised an eyebrow at the dwarf, but spoke


instead to Elena. Magical anomalies too? Full of complaints, arent you? Weve already established that no adverse
weather is scheduled for your province this year.
Unscheduled weather would seem to be a serious breach
of protocol. Elena reminded the secretary. The bureaucracy
did, after all, have its obligations.
Dont suppose you can make cabbage taste better while
youre at it? asked the barbarian.
Yes, well, I believe Mr. Chiin can fit you in for ten
minutes today at the beginning of the hour of the boar. An
auspicious time, actually, replied the secretary, pointedly
ignoring the dwarf.
That would be welcomed, said Howard in relief.
Have a seat, the secretary continued, gesturing toward
some furniture that had just appeared. And enjoy your
refreshments. With that, he closed the panel, leaving the
party alone.
Barbarosa sat down with a loud crash.
Cant you ever do anything quietly? Elena implored.
Barbarosa shrugged, got a whetstone out of her pack, and
began honing her axe.
David sat down and began looking through his sack of
seafood. He was far more interested in the lobsters, fish,
crabs, and clams he had gathered than in the refreshments
likely to be served here.
The room slowly emptied of water, leaving the four
friends dry and alone. A short time later, trays of refreshments appeared on a small table. The dwarf piled a portion
on her plate and began to eat.
You even eat noisily, said the elf, eyeing Barbarosa with
distinct disapproval.
You could ask them to fix that, too, retorted the dwarf.
Most people can manage to eat and sleep without waking
the whole neighborhood, Elena said.
Snoring scares the animals away, said Barbarosa logically.
Its a defensive measure.
David and Howard entirely ignored the womens banter,
as if it were background noise to which they were so accustomed that it had become utterly irrelevant.
Some time later, the wall slid open, and a golden dragons
head about the size of a cottage poked through.
Elena stood and bowed. Mr. Chiin?

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Correct, the dragon intoned in a deep and magisterial


voice. The elders of the city sent you four? What happened,
didnt you run fast enough? He cracked an enormous grin.
No, it was those three fires . . . er, I mean . . . we volunteered, of course, said Elena, smiling weakly in return.
In an effort to ward off the discussion of fires, Howard
suddenly became all business. Has the secretary passed on
our reason for visiting? he asked.
Something about bizarre weather, a river running in
reverse, and magical anomalies, replied the dragon. Is that
correct?
Yes sir. Do you know what could possibly be causing it?
Elena asked.
No, but I have a guess, he said slowly.
We would like to hear it. Please? said Howard with
unusual respect in his tone.
Some time ago, said the dragon, a gang of demons
broke into the Temple of the Waters and tangled with the
guardian, who seems the have gone insane as a result of the
incident. Its a shame, reallyshe has been my friend for
many decades. But she has power over water, so perhaps her
condition explains the river.
Mr. Chiin paused, apparently deep in thought, then continued. As I am currently busy chasing demons, someone
else, he paused and looked at each of the four in turn,
must travel to the temple and slay the guardian.
Shock registered on all four faces. But . . . she is your
friend! spluttered Elena.
Do not fear. Killing her is the only way to save her. He
paused again, a bit longer this time. She will survive being
killed, he added quietly.
She wont be really dead? Shell get better? The dwarf
looked thoughtful, as though she were pondering whether
she too could find a way to survive being killed.
Mr. Chiin nodded his enormous head and slowly blinked
his huge eyes.
Under his breath, Howard murmured And I thought this
would just be a visit to the castle. The city is gonna owe us
for this one.
What sort of guardian is she? And why must she be
slain? persisted the inquisitive elf, ignoring her companions complaints.
The guardian is self-regenerating, said Mr. Chiin. The
best way to cure her ills is to slay her.

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44

So were doing her a favor? asked Howard.


Mr. Chiin nodded. As for the guardians true nature, that
cannot be revealed, even to troubleshooters. Rules are rules.
He paused and turned to Howard.
So where is this temple you speak of? asked Howard
bluntly.
I cant tell you that either, replied the dragon. Some
secrets must be kept. But I can send you there.
Who writes these rules? muttered Howard.
Bureaucrats, David answered smoothly.
Please, please, Mr. Chiin begged. This task is neither
irrational nor foolish. Everything will make sense to you if
you will just still yourselves for a moment. He glared at the
group, and David and Howard looked at the floor. Now
then, continued the dragon. The Over-Committee on Human/Immortal Relations writes many of these rules, if you
must know. You will find that theyre as suspicious as you
are. Youre well represented there.
Never trust people who can write, said the dwarf.
Hush! said Elena. How will we know this guardian when we see her then? she asked, turning back to the
dragon. We certainly wouldnt want to kill an innocent
creature by mistake.
Do not worry overmuch about slaying the wrong creature, said Mr. Chiin. With a little luck, you will have no
other opposition. And lest youve forgotten, I know a thing
or two about luck. He winked at her.
So what happens after we slay the guardian? asked Howard. And assuming we succeed, how do we get back?
Join hands and I will bring you back.
Really? Its that easy? asked the halfling skeptically.
Yes my friend, it really is that easy, replied the dragon.
After another minute or so of haggling and preparation,
the golden dragon said, You must be going now. If all that
youve said is true, we should not waste time. Restoring my
friend to her right mind and putting right her power over
the water should correct many of your peoples problems.
I will take care of the remaining demons myself, and that
should put an end to the other enigmatic happenings.
The elf, halfling, dwarf, and gnome were startled by the
abrupt change in surroundings, and by the immensity of
their new environment. The cavern itself was as big as any
cave Barbarosa had ever explored, and its walls and ceiling

Phoenix Lore Magazine

were studded with beautiful crystals. Just ahead stretched a


voluminous, shiny-surfaced lake, rippled with minor perturbances that scattered peculiar reflections in all directions.
Elena slyly glanced around the room then looked at Howard. Reconnoiter? she whispered.
Howard nodded with a wink and a smile. In his mind,
he said, Yes boss, and he figured that Elena could hear
the same sound in her own mind, given how often hed said
it aloud. But diligence and stealth were of key importance
here, so he kept his humor between his ears. Howard began
an almost silent and invisible circumnavigation of the pool.
David slunk back a little, while Barbarosa shifted her grip
on her axe.
Before Howard had moved even 10 feet, a huge spray of
bubbles burst from the pool about 50 feet from Barbarosa.
A birdor something that looked quite a bit like a bird
broke the surface and shot a stream of water at the four
friends with a volume and velocity they had never before
seen from a water creature.
Barbarosa took the brunt of the blast, which knocked her
aside and forcibly shunted her into the pool. Howard deftly
tumbled away from the stream and moved toward a rock on
a ledge that was much closer to the creature.
The gnome tossed aside a partially chewed lobster on a
stick and rendered himself substantially more difficult to
pinpoint with a flick of his wrist. His displaced form then
appeared to glide along at an angle to the others, moving
perhaps three dozen feet away.
Wet dwarves are always a funny sight, but Barbarosas
steely glare outweighed her comical appearance. Clicking
her heels together as she treaded water, she activated the
magic of her boots and popped up to hover just above the
waters surface.
Elena, meanwhile, had been planning her action all
along. Calling upon the power of her deity, she summoned
a searing blast of divine heat from the heavens that were
temporarily represented by the jeweled dome of this cavern.
The column of fire blasted into the beast, generating a tremendous burst of steam, but Elena was disappointed in the
damage that it seemed to cause.
Fighting water with fire? teased Howard, I thought you
knew better than that, Elena.
The bird did not seem at all amused that the party had so
easily repelled its watery jet, and it was even angrier about

the flash of heat, despite its weak effect. In a rush of raw


power, the water bird took flight, its wings covering the entire area with a stinging spray. A huge wave rose just beneath
the creature and seemed to follow it along. Gaining height
as it reached the shore, it crashed into the group like a watery wall of force. The tremendous crash knocked everyone
except Barbarosa (whose magical boots kept her aloft) into
the pool, battering the group soundly.
Howard gave up using his personal skills to sneak through
the cavern and activated his own defensive magic. Twisting a
small band on the index finger of his left hand, he immediately began blinking in and out of phase. Then he continued
his progress toward the bird.
Ignoring the problems associated with swimming for the
moment, David aimed a spell of his own at the creature.
A blinding white streak of electricity shot out from his
fingers and sizzled into the bird. Surprisingly, the bolt actually seemed to cause the creature substantial harm. Just at
that moment, David realized that angering a water-loving
creature while flopping about in the water probably wasnt
so smart. He was quite proud of himself for his foresight in
using that fly spell so many hours agoand, to his satisfaction, that ability hadnt been compromised. Like Barbarosa, he popped out from the water and hovered above the
surface of the pool.
While everyone else was seeking a circuitous route to close
with the enemy, the barbarian chose a much more direct
approach. With a tremendous burst of speed supplied by
her magical boots, she charged across the water at the bird,
swinging her magnificent blade. Her mighty axe struck the
creature full in its torso, carving away a significant chunk of
watery tissue.
Elena climbed out of the water and healed herself, cursing
her lack of stamina and dexterity. Still, she knew she would
need to be strong to heal the others, should it come to that.
Insane or otherwise, this bird was a formidable opponent.
The bird moved fluidly away from the raging dwarf and
flew toward Elena and David. Not to be outdone by his
fellows, Howard activated the magic in his armor and flew
toward the creature.
Counting on his friends remarkable ability to avoid his
attacks, David tossed another bolt of lightning at the watery
enemy. The bolt sizzled and wounded the bird, andas he
had hopedit entirely missed the halfling.

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Barbarosa cursed the bird for fleeing, but admired the tactic. Still, she intended to prove to the foolish creature that
avoiding a barbarian wouldnt be easy. Again she tore across
the cavern, screaming something rather frothy and incomprehensible, and ripped into the rippled fowl, axe first. But
the bird was more nimble than she had guessed, managing
to nab the dwarf with her beak as she engaged. The two had
a brief skirmish, each giving the other openings, and each
taking advantage of those opportunities.
Suddenly, a waterspout emerged from beneath the creature and pushed the dwarf aside, tearing away at her as it
did so.
Ya keep tryin to give me a bath! Yer worse than the elf!
howled Barbarosa.
Frustrated in his attempts to close with the beast as it
executed its dance of death with the dwarf, the halfling tried
once more to maneuver for position.
Wont sit still, eh? quipped the gnome to his friend.
Ill blast her again with my lightning! Another bolt arced
across the room, but this one fizzled without much effect on
the creature.
Damn, the gnome grumbled.
The four friends continued their pursuit of the creature,
attacking here and flying there. Elena granted herself the
freedom to move easily within the water, but it was to no
avail as an offensive gesture. As the fight grew longer and
most desperate, the dwarf began swinging more wildly.
Though she missed a bit more often than the others would
have liked, she hit hard when she did hit. A few blows later,
the watery bird began to stagger and sputter. Barbarosa,
though bloodied and full of scratches, was made of tough
stuff and would certainly heal.
With one more blow from Barbarosa, the dying bird froze
suddenlyand literally. The water of its body had lost all
its heat, and so it froze into a solid piece of ice. A shudder
ran through the crystalline figure, then it exploded in flying
shards of glistening ice. The razor-sharp field of flying debris
tore through the gnome and dwarf, but Howard and Elena,
for all their inability to keep up, were spared this explosion.
Ouch! the dwarf yelled. That hurt!
David swore to no one in particular and looked around
for Elena, since he knew he needed healing.
Will ya look at that! Howard pointed at the pool.
The icy shards had melted within the pool and coalesced
into a form much like that of that of the creature they had
just slain. Entirely restored and quite pristine, the majestic

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

46

water bird rose from the pool. The insanity, it appeared, had
been completely removed.
My thanks, said the bird, bowing respectfully. You have
restored me, and for that I am quite grateful. Please do not
fear me, and approach that I may heal the wounds I should
never have caused.
The four friends complied, a bit apprehensively at first.
Once it became clear that this in fact was the birds true
nature, and that the angry, vengeful marauder that had
just been present was gone, the heroes relaxed. The water
phoenix used its healing tears on each of the four, saving
her most powerful ability for the dwarf, who had risked the
most and had, through that risk, helped the most. Barbarosa
bowed with respect as the healing surged through her stout
form. Many thanks, she said, sincerely.
After healing everyone, the phoenix retreated, bestowed a
few more kindnesses, and then reminded them that she had
many wrongs to right and much work to do.
It has been our pleasure to assist you, Elena remarked.
Wheres the treasure? the halfling, looking around. But
the bird only seemed to smile.
David was busy pulling squirming treats out of his bag
again and had gone back to ignoring everyone else.
Shall we join hands and return to Mr. Chiin, now that all
has been set right? Elena suggested.
David shrugged as he pulled some fishy tissue from between his teeth. The dwarf gave the gnome a disapproving
glance. You eat more than my brothers! she said.
Maybe Mr. Chiin will pay us, said the halfling in disappointment. Lets go!
And so, their work done, the four joined hands. Somewhere, somehow, the immense gold dragon knew that they
had succeeded and were ready to return. As hed promised,
he brought them back to his chamberto provide them
with suitable rewards, to offer his gratitude, and to suggest
that they consider new and more dangerous tasks, now that
theyd proven themselves so capable with this one.

Water Phoenix
A magnificent teal bird with silvery-tipped wings bursts forth
from the water in a rainbow-hued spray of magically enhanced
water droplets. Though large, it flies gracefully, leaving the water without no apparent break between swimming and flying.
Behind it, a shimmering curtain of opalescent droplets persists
for a moment or two, then fades.

Phoenix Lore Magazine

The water phoenix is not nearly as well known as its cousin,


the more famous fiery phoenix. Several explorers of the seas
and deep lakes have encountered the water phoenix, but
since underwater and land-dwelling cultures only occasionally cross paths, the tales of the water phoenix have only
recently been widely shared.
This beautiful creature is equally at home in water and air.
It exists to aid and protect those whose causes are just and
merciful, and to bring healing and comfort to innocents
who suffer.

Strategies and Tactics


The water phoenix is a noble and elegant creature, but it
can be a fearsome foe when force becomes necessary. Like
its fiery cousin, the water phoenix fights for good causes,
though it is sometimes more interested in following its own
aims in this regard than in fulfilling other beings conceptions of good.
Typically, the water phoenix initiates combat from underwater, where it usually has an advantage. If it begins elsewhere, it brings the fight into the water whenever possible.
Because it is highly resistant to fire, it does not fear using
that element to its advantagea fact that sometimes comes
as a surprise to its assailants.

The water phoenix often tries to lure powerful enemies


away from weakened allies, sometimes giving the impression
that its wounded to further entice the enemy. When its foe
is safely away from allies, the water phoenix unleashes its
full arsenal of special abilities and uses any nearby watery
hazards to its advantage so as to gain the upper hand as
quickly as possible.

Sample Encounter
The water phoenix is usually encountered alone, typically
as the guardian or savior of a good creature, or as a force for
driving evil from an area. In either case, the encounter tends
to be rather short-lived, and the creature does not encourage
leisurely conversation after the fact. Because of the brevity
and rarity of these encounters, more mysteries than truths
surround the water phoenix.

Ecology
The water phoenix is a solitary and magical beast, so not
many descriptions exist of its ecology or its niche. Though
it is reclusive, the water phoenix doesnt necessarily shun
contact with other sentient, good-aligned beings.
Existing reports include descriptions of male and female
individuals, but since no one has ever encountered more

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Water Phoenix

CR 15

Always CG Large magical beast (water)


Init +10; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Listen
+29, Spot +29
Languages Aquan, Common

than one water phoenix at a time, its not clear whether both
genders existor even whether more than one exists. No
one has ever reported seeing an egg or a juvenilein fact, all
reports describe the water phoenix as quite wise, suggesting
that all individuals encountered may be quite old. If so, the
species ages well, since those who encounter a water phoenix
invariably describe it as remarkably graceful and strong.
Given the reports of its ability to re-birth itself, sages have
suggested that the creature may be both ageless and always
in the prime of life.
Environment: The water phoenix is almost always spotted rising from a body of water (typically a lake or sea). This
habit suggests that the creature lives deep underwater. A few
people, however, have reported seeing a water phoenix in
flight, trailing huge swaths of vapor behind it while moving
from cloud to cloud. No one has seen a water phoenix rise
from a pond or river, and no one has ever spotted one in an
extremely cold climate or at mountainous elevations.
If the water phoenix has a long-term lair, it is far more
secretive about that location than most other creatures are
about theirs. Though the water phoenix often comes to the
aid of others, it never brings those in need of help to its lair
for aid or comfort. Instead, it dispenses its aid in the field
and retreats before any sort of attachment is made.
Typical Physical Characteristics: A water phoenix is
about the size of a typical rowboatperhaps 15 feet long
from beak to tail. Though its wings are rarely extended
fully because of the way it flies, estimates suggest that its
stretched wingspan might be three times its length.
In extreme circumstances, the water phoenix can undergo
a transformation similar to the fiery phoenixs immolation.
The sole surviving report of such an incident described an
iridescent explosion of water that seemed to come from
the creature itself. The eruption created a halo of frozen
shards around the bird to a diameter of about 15 feet, which
appeared to finish off its assailants. Almost immediately
thereafter, a new water phoenix was seen rising from the sea
directly beneath the explosion. It is not known whether this
effect can take place without water nearby.

Typical Treasure
The water phoenix does not accumulate treasure, but it
sometimes protects valuable items that could play a signifiContinues on next spread
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48

AC 28, touch 15, flat-footed 22


(1 size, +6 Dex, +13 natural)
Miss Chance 20% (semi-transparent)
hp 190 (20 HD); DR 10/
Resist fire 15; SR 26
Fort +16, Ref +18, Will +12
Speed 15 ft. (3 squares), swim 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +26 (1d6+7) and bite +24 (1d8+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Base Atk +20; Grp +31
Atk Options Flyby Attack
Special Actions bioluminescence, cleansing water, coalesce, rogue wave, vortex, water jet
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th):
At Willdetect poison, control water, create water
3/daycure serious wounds, neutralize poison, remove disease
Abilities Str 24, Dex 22, Con 19, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 21
SA bioluminescence, cleansing water, coalesce, rogue wave,
vortex, water jet
Feats Ability Focus (rogue wave), Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Wingover
Skills Appraise +5, Craft (Alchemy) +26, Knowledge (history) +26, Listen +29, Spot +29, Swim +38
Bioluminescence (Su) The water phoenix creates a cloud
of dancing motes in a 20-foot spread centered on a point
within 120 feet of itself. These motes blind creatures
within the area (Will DC 25 negates) and outline invisible
creatures and objects for the duration of the effect (no
save). The motes cannot be removed and continue to
sparkle until they fade.
Any creature covered by the motes takes a 40 penalty on Hide checks and does not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness (though a 3rd-level
or higher magical darkness effect functions normally),
blur, displacement, invisibility, or similar effects.
Bioluminescence lasts 20 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Cleansing Water (Su) As a full-round action, the water
phoenix can wash a creature in a stream of water, producing one of the following effects, as the water phoenix
chooses: greater restoration, heal (as a 20th-level caster),

Phoenix Lore Magazine


or regenerate. Once the water phoenix uses this power, it
must wait 1d3 hours before using it again.
Coalesce (Su) As a free action, a water phoenix can dissolve
itself into a 15-foot-radius burst of frost that deals 20d6
points of damage to every creature within its area (Reflex
DC 20 half ). Half of this damage is cold, and the other half
is divine. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Using this ability destroys the water phoenixs body
and initiates the creation of a new one, identical to the
old, except that all damage is healed and all detrimental
effects the water phoenix has suffered are removed.
Rogue Wave (Su) To use this ability, the water phoenix must
make a double move action covering at least 60 feet while swimming in a major body of water (such a lake or river
at least 20 feet deep with an area of 5 acres or more). This
movement creates a 100-foot burst of water centered on
the water phoenix at the end of its movement. The burst
deals 15d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 25 half ) to every
creature and object in its radius except the water phoenix. The save DC is Strength-based.
In addition, every creature within the burst area is subject to a bull rush attack. For the purpose of this attack,
the water functions as a Huge creature with the water
phoenixs Strength score and a +2 racial bonus (for a total bonus of a +14) on the Strength check to resolve the
bull rush.
Vortex (Su) A water phoenix can create a swirling vortex
of water in the air (waterspout) or the water (whirlpool).
Either sort of vortex lasts for as long as the water phoenix
maintains it (which requires a move action each round)
and for 1d4 rounds thereafter. Once the water phoenix
uses this power, it must wait 1d4+1 rounds before using
it again.
Waterspout: A waterspout is 5 feet wide at the base,
which must rest on the surface of a body of water at least
20 feet deep, and up to 50 feet tall (but at least 10 feet
tall), with a maximum diameter of 30 feet at the top. The
waterspout moves up to 120 feet per round, as the water
phoenix directs. A moving waterspout that isnt controlled moves in a straight line in the direction it was moving
when the water phoenix stopped maintaining it. This
motion continues until the waterspout dissipates.
A creature might be caught in the waterspout if it
touches or enters the vortex, or if it moves into or through the creatures space. Any Huge or smaller creature
that comes into contact with the vortex must make a DC
30 Reflex save or take 2d8 points of damage, then make a
second Reflex save at the same DC or be picked up bodily
and held suspended in the swirling water, automatically

taking 2d8 points of damage each round that it remains


in the waterspout. Creatures that cannot fly are trapped
and can move only where the waterspout carries them.
A creature that can fly is entitled to a Reflex save each
round to escape the vortex. If this save is successful, the
creature still takes damage that round, but can leave the
waterspout. A creature caught in the vortex can otherwise act normally, but takes a 4 penalty to Dexterity and
a 2 penalty on attack rolls. Furthermore, such a creature
must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell
level) to cast a spell.
The water phoenix can have only as many creatures
trapped inside the waterspout at one time as will fit inside its volume. The water phoenix can eject any carried
creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them wherever
the vortex happens to be.
Where the waterspouts base touches the water, it
creates a swirling cloud of spray. This cloud is centered
on the vortex and has a diameter equal to half its height.
The spray obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment,
while those farther away have total concealment. Any
creature caught in the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.
Whirlpool: If the water phoenix creates a whirlpool instead of a waterspout, the vortex is immobile but twice
the diameter of a waterspout (minimum 20 feet high). A
creature might be caught in the waterspout if it touches
or enters the vortex. Any Huge or smaller creature that
comes into contact with the vortex must make a DC 30
Swim check or take 4d8 points of damage, then make a
second Swim check at the same DC or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the swirling water, automatically taking 2d8 points of damage each round that it remains in the whirlpool. A creature so trapped can escape
the whirlpool with a DC 30 Swim check.
Water Jet (Su) The water phoenix generates a stream of
high-pressure water in a 60-foot line that deals 10d6
points of damage (Reflex DC 26 half ) to any target in
its path and may also knock the target down or push it
back, depending upon its size. A Tiny or smaller target
that fails the save is rolled along the ground (or knocked
back if flying) to the end of the jets range plus 1d6x10
feet. A Small target is knocked down and rolled 1d6x10
feet (2d6x10 feet if flying). Medium targets are knocked
down and rolled 1d4x10 feet (2d4x10 feet if flying). A
Large or bigger target is not moved at all.
Once the water phoenix uses this power, it must wait
1d4+1 rounds before using it again.

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cant role in an adventure. Alternatively a water phoenix may


possess something that an adventuring party needs. In such
a case, it might (at the GMs discretion) be willing to trade
the item for the completion of some task.

mere near Suzail, and even as far south as the Great Sea. No
records exist of simultaneous (or even near-simultaneous)
sightings, suggesting that the water phoenix may be a
unique creature in this world.

Advanced Water Phoenix


The water phoenix does not advance, though a more powerful version may exist at the GMs discretion.

Water Phoenixes in Eberron


Rumors of the water phoenix arise everywhere, from the
beaches around the Mournland (as unexpected as that is),
to the Demon Wastes, to the Lhazaar Principalities. No
one has yet been able to piece together a cohesive document from these varied reports. However, the water phoenix
always serves the cause of good, usually arrives unexpectedly,
and does not remain after its service has been performed.

Water Phoenixes in Faern


Stories of the water phoenix have come from the seas
around Lantan, the waters west of Waterdeep, the Dragon-

Water Phoenix Lore


Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can learn
more about the water phoenix. When a character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Result

14 The water phoenix is a relative of the phoenix,


tied to the element of water.
19 The water phoenix is equally skilled at moving
through air and water, and its watery surroundings provide it with protection. Any water (including water in the air) gives it a displacement
effect.

David Paul lives in lower southwestern Michigan with his wife,


sons, pets, a few hundred RPG books, and several thousand
little plastic miniatures. He currently provides editing assistance
for Rite Publishing, and previously edited for Pencil Pushers
Publishing, d20 Filtered, Silven, and Knowledge Arcana. When
hes not busy daydreaming or plotting the downfall of his own
D&D players, he teaches philosophy by night at a nearby university and mathematics by day at a nearby private high school.

24 The water phoenix is a deeply magical creature


that can travel the planes and heal almost

any ailment.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Since growing up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and playing in


Gary Gygaxs original Greyhawk campaign, Skip Williams
has co-authored the 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons game
and the 3.0 Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, written
hundreds of game products and articles, and served as the Sage
for 18 years. Now living in rural southwestern Wisconsin with
his wife Penny and numerous very dependent pets, he writes
for several game companies and grows vegetables for the many
hungry deer and rabbits that live on his property.
Karrius is the magazines staff developer and is generally considered a lazy and horrible person by his peers. This assessment
is only half true. He spends most of his time playing RPGs and
computer games, reading cheap fantasy novels, and studying to
be a chemical engineer, in hopes of leaving a legacy topping the
Boston Molasses Disaster.

Knowledge (Arcana)
DC

Penny Williams joined the roleplaying game industry as Game


Questions Expert for TSR, Inc. in the 1980s. Since then, she
has served as RPGATM Network Coordinator, POLYHEDRON TM Newszine editor, and Senior Editor and Coordinating Editor for the RPG R&D Department at Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. Now a busy freelancer, Penny edits for several
game companies. When not enhancing the cruelty of designers
creations, Penny puts up jam, does jigsaw puzzles, and works as
a substitute teacher for all grade levels.

50

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concrete. The small island was covered
in a shroud of dust and smoke, but
the Japanese defenders still managed
to rain down fire on the slow-moving,
amphibious tractors.

Bloody Tarawa

A New Aquatic AAM Scenario

The Landing

By Paul Glasser (PMGlasser) Illustrated by Mark Littlejohn

This scenario uses the template from the Beachhead Tournament Map Pack to
recreate the fierce fighting on Red 1 Beach on Tarawa in the Central Pacific
Campaign (November 20, 1943).
After coming ashore on Red 1 Beach,
the Marines of K and L Company, 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Division huddle
behind a log wall, preparing for battle.
More than 3,000 fanatical Japanese
defenders housed in thick, concrete
bunkers are prepared to defend this
vital airfield to the death.

Combatants
The following pieces constitute the attacking and defending forces.
Elements of the 7th Sasebo Special
Naval Landing Force (98 points)
2x Type 1 ATG (14)
2x Bunkers (4)
1x Honor-Bound Hero (7)
2x Type 92 MG (14)
2x Type 89 Mortar (18)
4x SNLF Fanatics (28)
1x Imperial Sergeant (9)
1x Type 97 ATR (4)
1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Marine
Amphibious Corps (21 points)
1x Sherman M4A1 (21)
K Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd
Marine Division (77 points)
2x Amtrack (22)
1x M2 Flamethrower (5)
2x BAR Gunner (8)
1x Thompson (4)
6x Marine Rifleman (24)
2x Red Devil Captain (14)

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Background
As the Amtracks moved toward the
beaches of Tarawa on November 20,
1943, the guns of the Japanese garrison were silent. Navy destroyers had
pummeled the gun emplacements,
and fighters had strafed the beaches
in preparation for the landing of the
2nd Marine Division at 0900 hours.
However, the landing craft made their
final approach without the benefit of
air support and had to close the last
3,000 yards under heavy fire.
Although the naval barrage had
killed a number of gunners and
knocked out several batteries, most
of the Japanese guns were housed
in bunkers built out of reinforced

52

H-Hour had been delayed because the


Amtracks were more than 25 minutes
behind schedule. Moving against a
strong headwind, they had been unable to make up any time. Thus, for
an agonizing 23 minutes, the assault
companies moved toward the beaches
without any support.
At 0910 hours, the Marines of K
and L Company, 3rd Battalion hit
the beaches and leapt out of their
transports. Their landing zone, Red 1,
was located on the western end of the
island in a small lagoon. The Marines immediately came under heavy
machine-gun fire from Japanese bunkers, and most of the Amtracks were
damaged or destroyed by cannon fire.
Many of the other approaching craft
became stuck on a reef 500 yards from
the beaches, forcing the Marines to
wade ashore through a hail of bullets.
Six tanks from the 1st Platoon, C
Company of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps were deployed in support
of the landings on Red 1, but only
two made it ashore. Communications
with the landing forces on Red 1 were

Phoenix Lore Magazine


fragmentary, and naval reconnaissance
indicated that the Marines had been
unable to advance more than 150 from
the beaches. Although the 35,000
Marines drastically outnumbered the
3,000 defenders of the 7th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force, the defenders determined resistance had stalled
the assault.

Aftermath
Together with the two surviving Shermans, the men of K and L Companies
managed to advance about 300 yards
off the beach before encountering an
antitank ditch. Fire from gun pits and
one of the Japanese garrisons Type 95
light Ha-Go tanks damaged the turret
traverse mechanism of one Sherman,
forcing it to retire.
The second surviving Sherman
destroyed the Japanese tank and
continued to support the Marines in
their advance until it too was hit. The
tank started to burn, but the fire was
extinguished and the vehicle was used
as flank protection throughout the
night. Poor communications and insufficient support continued to plague the
Marines on Tarawa.
The reefs that had disrupted the
initial landings hampered attempts to
land artillery and reinforcements on
the beaches. Furthermore, the remains
of dozens of tanks and Amtracks now
littered the waters surrounding Tarawa.
So many of the landing craft had been
hit that it became difficult to supply
the Marines with ammunition, water,
and plasma.
As darkness fell, the Marines tried to
consolidate their defensive positions
and form a cohesive perimeter. They
anticipated a nighttime counterattack, but none materialized. The naval
bombardment had destroyed most of
the enemys communications equipment, so the Japanese had resorted to
using runners. This breakdown in communications was later blamed for the
Japanese inaction.

By November 21, additional supplies


and heavy weapons (including light
tanks, flamethrowers and pack artillery) had been delivered to the Marines
on Tarawa. They had also called in
close support from destroyers to eliminate strong points and bunkers.
The combined firepower of tanks,
flamethrowers, Bangalore torpedoes,
and tank fire took a heavy toll on the
Japanese resistance. The SNLF garrison
launched suicidal bayonet charges and
used magnetic mines to destroy tanks.
But still the Marines came, using
armored bulldozers to entomb defiant Japanese soldiers who refused to
surrender. Hundreds of SNLF defenders committed suicide rather than face
defeat. These tactics gradually reduced
the Japanese perimeter, foot by foot, as
the Marines pressed forward.
On November 23, while the Marines
were securing the airfield, two squadrons of Japanese bombers attacked,
causing little damage. Navy destroyers
sank a Japanese submarine later in the
day, after forcing it to the surface with
depth charges and then ramming it.
Small pockets of resistance fought
on until November 24, and snipers
continued to harass Marine patrols.
Combat engineers used flamethrowers and bundles of TNT to destroy
suspected hideouts.

53

The Victory
More than 4,500 Japanese soldiers
were killed at Tarawa, along with hundreds of Koreans employed as forced
labor. Only one officer, 16 Japanese
enlisted men, and 179 Korean laborers
survived the engagement. Approximately 2,300 Marines were wounded,
and 1,000 were killed.
Spectacular as the battle was, the
news of the victory on Tarawa was not
well received. The number of casualties
incurred in less than 76 hours was hard
for many on the home front to accept.
However, the conflict did provide valuable experience for future amphibious
operations, such as Peleliu and Iwo
Jima. It also demonstrated the need for
better logistical support immediately
following landings and highlighted the
benefits of close air and naval support.
Strategically speaking, Tarawa was
the first step in a path that included
the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, and ultimately Japan itself.
Paul Glasser works as a political
journalist in Kentucky. He holds a BA
in History from Purdue University and
spends most of his free time reading and
writing about military history. Paul
writes and edits freelance articles for a
number of online publications.

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Water Rules for D&D Minis


By Daniel R. Thomson (Neon Knight) and Jey (Greyhaze) Illustrations Wizards of The Coast Inc.

An essential element of most fantasy worlds, water is a dangerous and often deadly medium in which mysteries and horrors abound.
Its only natural that D&D Miniatures players would want to get their feet wet when the game already features so many denizens of the
deepnot to mention creatures whose role-playing game incarnations know how to swim.
The DDM game contains many
aquatic-flavored creatures, including
the kuo-toa (also known as fishmen),
the sahuagin, and of course, water
elementals. Amphibious creatures such
as bullywugs, giant frogs, and chuul
round out the roster. In addition, monsters such as black dragons have swim
speeds in their RPG stats to represent
the fact that they can easily move in a
watery environment, even if they dont
dwell there all the time.
Resources such as Stormwrack tempt
GMs to put aquatic minis into play,
whether for encounters on the surface
or deep in the Underdark. Bringing a
Editors Note: This article was written
before the release of the fourth edition
Dungeons & Dragons game and
the rules update for the Dungeons &
Dragons Miniatures (DDM) game. In
the interim, DDM has undergone many
important changes, one of which was the
inclusion of maps containing the soughtafter aquatic rules in the newly released
Starter Set. Nevertheless, this article
provides opportunities for home play and
remains an excellent piece for all players
of the DDM game. The original text has
been modified slightly to accommodate
the changes.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

watery twist to your game can enrich


the play experience for everyone,
spawning new tactics and strategies.
The trick to using such creatures in
skirmish is to make sure theyre properly balanced for DDM play.

Mixing Aquatic
with Normal Skirmish
Rules
Adding an aquatic set to the regular
series introduces the possibility that a
player can automatically win or lose
on a bad map initiative roll. Imagine
bringing a land-based warband to a
game and losing map initiative to an
aquatic warband. Your figures now
move at half speed or worse (and we
all know how important speed is in the
skirmish scene), while your opponents
figures have full movement.
Maps that are half water and half
land dont solve the problem. Imagine
two final opponents in a game, one
aquatic and one land-based. The player
in the lead would be smart to play
keep away until the bitter end. But
while point denial may be a valid strategy, its not a lot of fun when its always
the obvious killer closing move.

54

So, how do you add simple aquatic


rules to the game without creating
such an unbalanced scenario? To
begin with, limit creatures
in play to those that can
exist both on land and
in the water. Players
can use their existing
miniatures, and it gives
them new choices while
avoiding the automatic
win/loss dilemma.
Maps should contain
significant portions of aquatic terrain
without being entirely water-filled, just
to give players some flexibility. Water
terrain can easily be added to the game
to represent deep pools, flowing rivers,
lakes, oceans, cesspits, sewers, or any
other liquid environment that can be
imagined.
Once youve decided on an appropriate map, you can consider how best
to deal with the addition of two types
of terrainshallow water and deep
waterand a new type of movement.
Lets give this new movement mode
a simple name that tells a player at a
glance what it does. Burrow tells you
that the creature can dig through the
ground like an umber hulk, a xorn, or
a purple worm. Flight tells you that the
creature can fly across the battlefield.

Phoenix Lore Magazine


So whats the obvious choice for movement through water? Swim.
Lets take a look at the definitions of
the foregoing terms.

Swim
This creature can swim in deep and
shallow water and is not slowed by
either terrain. The speed entry on its
stat card has an S prefix. The creature
can charge through water terrain (deep
or shallow) but must otherwise follow
the rules for charging.

Shallow Water
Shallow water is treated as difficult
terrain for all creatures without Swim.
This terrain also grants a creature cover
from attacks made by non-adjacent
creatures. Shallow water does not block
line of sight or line of effect.

Deep Water
Deep water is treated as difficult terrain
for all creatures that do not have Swim.
Creatures without Swim cannot end
their turns in deep water. If a player
moves a creature into deep water but
the creature cannot cross, the piece is
returned to the last legal square it occupied (or, in case that square becomes
occupied during its move, the nearest
legal square).
Creatures with Swim can move in
this terrain as if they possess flight.
Attacks of opportunity are triggered
only by leaving the first square, and
these creatures can pass through enemy
squares freely. Also, creatures in deep
water are treated as though invisible to
all non-adjacent creatures. (Creatures
without Blindsight cannot trace line
of sight to them.) One square
of deep water between creatures blocks line of effect
between them.
If a creature is moved
to a deep water square
during another creatures
turn, that square is
treated as a pit (see the
rules for pits).

An Entirely
Underwater Option
The rules outlined above still leave
some monster types high and dry.
What about those fiendish octopi and
sharks, dire or otherwise? Want to play
a celestial killer whale? Its not likely to
happen in a surface-based game where
water is one of many terrain types.
What deep water combat really
needs is a completely separate rules
set. But an entirely underwater game
format would have its own advantages
and disadvantages.
On the plus side, it would employ
completely aquatic miniaturesfrom
sharks, whales, and merfolk to those
classic D&D aquatic foes that could
never see the light of day in a mixed or
surface game.
In a purely underwater environment,
Swim movement could be translated
into the equivalent of flight in landbased games. But its not a perfect fit.
Because every creature (or almost every
one) should have three-dimensional
movement, difficult terrain, spike
stones, and similar obstacles would lose
their punch. What difficulty do these
present when a figure can just swim
over them?
Other types of terrain could also
be adapted for underwater play. Kelp
and seaweed beds that slow a creatures
movement, for example, could represent Forest terrain. Smoke or fog could
be converted into large areas of silt and
muck projected along underwater jets.
Pits could be huge undersea trenches
that swallow up figures that either cant
swim or have lost that ability.
Regular minis such as orcs, gnolls,
humans, elves, or dwarves could be
included on the assumption that they
are under the benefits of spells or other
powers that grant the ability to move
through water. However, this arrangement generates its own set of problems.
Perhaps the new aquatic rules set
can co-exist with the regular game,

55

but provisions must be made to ensure


that a player with a completely aquatic
warband is not at the mercy of an
opponent with a strictly land-bound
warband, or vice-versa. While it would
be comparatively easy to adapt a landbased warband to water, its obviously
next to impossible to march that
celestial killer whale up onto the
beachat least, not without a
few million years of evolution.
Daniel Thomson has been
playing the Dungeons &
Dragons game since the first
printing of the Basic game (the
Blue Book version with the red
dragon, fighter, and wizard on the
cover). He has played all versions
of the miniatures game, starting
with the first version of BattlesystemTM
and going through the Second Edition
printing of those rules, then Chainmail,
and finally D&D minis. When he is not
playing D&D or spending time with his
family, he is at work as a telecommunications network technician.
Jey lives in Toronto, Canada and spends
much of his time exploring games in the
fantasy genre. He designs games for an
online gambling corporation, but hed
rather be designing game mechanics and
rules for minis.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Frozen Fish 2008

An Inexpensive Mono Blue Standard Deck


By Jeff Zandi (Zanman) Illustrated by Nicholas Webb

Building a deck thats both fun to play and competitive can be a real challenge if youre on a tight budget. But with the advent of Lorwyn, you can play mono blue without needing a lot of expensive rare cards. With the right combination, you can play both of the classic
strategies offered by the classic mono blue decks of the past: board control and aggression.
Long ago, the mono blue Fish deck
was very popular. Featuring Lord of
Atlantis and sixteen to twenty other
cheap Merfolk, the deck was further
energized by a few highly aggressive
cards, such as Unstable Mutation.
These days, thanks to an ocean full of
new Merfolk from Lorwyn, the Fish
deck lives again, and it isnt too expensive to build.

Frozen Fish Deck


Below is the 2008 version of the
Fish deck that I call Frozen Fish.
Main Deck
4 Drowner of Secrets
3 Tideshaper Mystic
3 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejery
4 Stonybrook Banneret
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Cursecatcher
4 Familiars Ruse
4 Merrow Commerce
4 Boomerang
22 Islands
Sideboard
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
2 Evacuation
4 Rune Snag
4 Drowner Initiate
3 Tormods Crypt

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

In todays Standard Constructed,


the tactic of all-out aggression using
power-ups such as Unstable Mutation
is less appealing when an opponents
single removal or bounce spell could
give him a two-for-one card advantage.
But this new take on the classic Fish
deck provides the aggressive flavor of
past Merfolk decks without
being one-dimensional.
Board control has long
been the primary objective
of competitive blue decks.
Todays control decks take
a long time to develop their
board position and have
few creatures, especially
early in the game.
This new Merfolk deck is
designed to provide board
control in two waysby
allowing you to nullify
your opponents future
threats before they are even
drawn, and by letting you
control your opponents
creatures and lands (via
tapping them over and over again). So
you get to stay aggressive while keeping
your opponents weapons frozen in
place. These two factors make Frozen
Fish a fast, cheap mono blue deck that
hits hard and leaves your opponent out
in the cold.

56

Playing Frozen Fish


To use this deck effectively, it pays to
keep certain strategies in mind.

The Basic Plan

The best overall strategy for this deck is


to be aggressive in the early game with
a large number of creatures that cost
only 1 or 2 mana.
Cursecatcher is the
newest on the team,
and hes the best onedrop you can hope
for. As a Merfolk, hes
ready to benefit from
Turn Two Lord of
Atlantis or Turn Three
Merrow Reejery. Better
yet, Cursecatcher has
the ability to hold off
virtually any opposing
deck all by himself.
When your opponent
plays a spell, you can
sacrifice Cursecatcher
to counter it unless its
controller pays an additional 1 colorless mana. Thus, while
Cursecatcher is in play, your opponent
must constantly keep extra mana available whenever he plays a spell.
The best Turn Two play is Silvergill Adept, which draws you another
card. The land count for this deck has

Phoenix Lore Magazine


been carefully tuned to help you put
an Island into play each of your first
four turns or so, in most games. Your
deck has twenty-six creatures, all of
them Merfolk that cost no more than
3 mana.

The Early Game


On Turns Two and Three, you have a
number of options. The idea is to get
as many fish on the board as possible. Generally speaking, you will not
be blocking any creatures with your
creatures at this pointin the early
game, your deck is the aggressor. The
best opening is a creature on Turn Two
(preferably a Silvergill Adept), followed
by a Merrow Reejery on Turn Three.
Lord of Atlantis is also great on Turn
Two. And Stonybrook Banneret makes
all your Merfolk and Wizard spells cost
1 mana less, so he makes your deck
work better with less land in play.
Once you have a Merrow Reejery in
play, the true power of the Frozen Fish
deck is unleashed. From this point on,
every time you play a Merfolk, or even
your non-creature Merfolk enchantment Merrow Commerce, Reejery will
trigger, allowing you to tap or untap
any permanent in play. This is a very
powerful control elementone that
has never been seen in such an aggressive deck before. In the first four or five
turns, youll probably want to use this
ability to untap your own lands so that
you can play more and more Merfolk.
The best possible situation is to get a
second Merrow Reejery in play. Then
not only will each Reejery give the
other +1/+1, but both will trigger each
time you play a Merfolk.

One card that you


probably shouldnt
play on Turn Two is
Boomerang, since
its role in this deck
is to get a card your
opponent has played
out of the way at a
crucial time in the
game. That moment
rarely comes on
Turn Two, unless
your opponent
is entirely manascrewed and youre
bouncing his only
land at the end of
his second (or even
third) turn. You
can certainly play
Boomerang early in
this case.

The Middle and


Late Game
Use your judgment. Sometimes youll
use Merrow Reejerys tapping ability
to tap would-be blockers so that you
can get your beats through. At other
times, youll use the untapping ability
to make sure you have two untapped
Islands with which to counterspell a
mid-game board-clearing spell, such
as Wrath of God, Damnation, or even
Pyroclasm.
I practiced with this deck using
Rune Snag from Coldsnap, but I found
Familiars Ruse much better for this
particular deck. Familiars Ruse lets you
confidently counter any spell for just
2 mana, as long as you have a creature
in play to return to your hand when
you play it. With
twenty-six

57

creatures in your deck, youre very


likely to have one in play. And since
you have only four Familiars Ruse,
youll draw only one or two in an average game. So make sure you use this
card only to stop the most important
threats from your opponent.
After the first four or five turns, your
goals change a bit. At this point in
the game, you have other avenues to
victory available. With Drowner of Secrets, you can hold back your creatures
for blocking, then tap each of them to
mill cards from your opponents library
into his graveyard. When you combine
Drowner with the Merfolk enchantment Merrow Commerce, you can
tap each of your Merfolk (including
Merrow Commerce itself ) to mill your
opponent at the end of your own turn,
then Merrow Commerce untaps all
your Merfolk. If you have a Drowner
of Secrets in play with two copies of
Merrow Commerce, each triggers
separately. Thus, you can let the first
Merrow Commerce untap all your
Merfolk, then tap Merfolk and mill
your opponents library for more cards,

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


then let the second Merrow Commerce
untap them all again.
This deck should win most of its
games by attacking with Merfolk, but
decking your opponent by milling
away his library is a good secondary
option. Some opponents even concede
if they see certain cards they needed to
win milled into the graveyard by your
Drowner of Secrets.

Sideboarding
Blue has never been the best color
for removal spells, but the four copies of Boomerang in your main deck

can keep something terrible off the


boardif only temporarily. Fortunately, you have fifteen cards in your
sideboard to help you.
When the Boomerangs just arent
enough, you can bring in two Venser,
Shaper Savant to give you a reliable
late-game way to stop an important
spell or creature from landing on your
opponents side of the board. If your
opponent is threatening to defeat you
with a swarm of creaturesespecially
creature tokensyou have Evacuation,
a 5-mana-cost instant that will put all
the creatures in play back into their

owners hands. If you need more control against your opponents deck, you
can bring in four Rune Snags to help
back up or even replace your Familiars
Ruse cards.
If you are facing a slow control
deck, you can accelerate your already
fast deck-milling strategy by bringing in four copies of a new card from
Shadowmoor: Drowner Initiate. The
Initiate is a 1/1 Merfolk Wizard costing 1 blue mana that lets you mill two
cards off the top of a players library to
his graveyard. This ability costs only 1
colorless mana and can be used whenever any player plays a blue spell.
Finally, your sideboard has three copies of Tormods Crypt, just so that an
opponent playing a graveyard reanimation strategy doesnt laugh at you for
helping him by milling cards into his
graveyard. Play one of your Crypts and
then mill away. Dont sacrifice it to
remove your opponents library until
he plays a card targeting one or more
of the cards in the graveyard.

Summary
Frozen Fish lets you have fun while
exploring both traditional control and
aggressive mono blue strategies. If you
find that you would prefer better control or a more aggressive strategy, you
can easily alter its focus by changing
out a dozen cards either way. A more
controlling version of this deck almost
certainly needs at least one more land,
but other changes are possible as well.
So try out Frozen Fish and see how it
works for you.
Jeff Zandi is a seven-time veteran
of Magics Pro Tour. Besides playing
and writing about Magic, Jeff is a
level II DCI judge. His team, the Texas
Guildmages, has been together for ten
years and has participated in almost every Pro Tour to date. You can write to Jeff
at jeffzandi@hotmail.com, or find him as
Zanman on Magic Online. Or you can
stop by the Phoenix Lore message boards.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

58

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Gen Con Game Fair 2008

A Brief Report

By David J. Paul (VrecknidjX) Illustrations Wizards of The Coast Inc.


Gen Con has been the king of all game conventions since its Lake Geneva inception at Horticultural Hall. This years extravaganza was
no exception. The following is a brief report from the viewpoint of a longtime gamer and miniatures judge.
I arrived Wednesday about 6:00 p.m.
Our group of nine had driven from
home (about a 4-hour drive) in two
vehicles. Other than a few minor traffic
issues, the trip was uneventful.
Our usual order of business quickly
commenced: check in at the hotel,
head to the convention center for any
last-minute needs (one member needed
a badge, and a few folks wanted to
register for events), have a little dinner
in town, then retire to the hotel for
some gaming.
This year, our pre-con game was a
nice little trek through the wilderness
of a good friends campaign world. He
had revised nearly all of his homemade
world since the introduction of 4e,
and since we all live so far apart these
days (and the promises of easy online
play have yet to be fulfilled), Wednesday night was our first chance to try
out the brand-new edition in Kevins
campaign.
The session was spent introducing
characters (for those who werent his
most dedicated players) and doing
a little role-playing to get our
characters set up for the real encounters that would take
place on subsequent nights.
I was playing
an eladrin
ranger in a
world where
xenophobia about

that race was still strong, so I was the


only eladrin any of the other characters
encountered during all our sessions
that weekend.
Many of us had early-morning
events and wanted to be well rested for
them, so the roleplaying session ended
without too much advancement. Our
characters managed to get captured by
some rather bad folks, then escape and
be re-equipped by a mysterious and
powerful old mage. He sent us back
to a town we had left earlier and gave
us instructions about a contact. Thus,
all the players emerged with clear To
Do lists for the beginning of the next
session.

Day 1

Our crew stumbled out of bed just


before 7:00 a.m. and wandered around,
zombie-style, until we got to the
marshalling area for the first round of
the D&D Championship. This year,
the five in our group had managed
to get our act together months in
advance, so we already had a fully
assembled team with a clear group
leader (Kevin, our judge from the

59

night before). Some permutation of


this group plays in the Championship
every year, just for fun. Most years,
we lose a character or five and dont
advance. This year, our team took 14th
and advanced to the next session on
Saturday. But we were all so used to
losing that we had scheduled other
events for Saturday, so we didnt play in
the next round anyway.
After our game, I opened my backpack, retrieved my red-and-black RPGATM Network judges shirt, donned
it superhero style (judges have secret
identities too, after all), and walked
across the Sagamore Ballroom hall to
the D&D Miniatures area to squeeze
in a slot of judging. There were quite a
few games scheduled for the day, and
with so many players, the minis folks
can always use an extra judge.
My judging hours ended about
5:00 p.m., so I decided to grab a bite
to eat. After dinner, most of the folks
who had played D&D in the hotel
the night before met againthis time
for some sporting combat against the
grueling 4e kobolds. In addition to my
eladrin ranger, our group that night
boasted an elf rogue, a tiefling warlock,
a dragonborn paladin, Daniel, Dan,
and AP. The fights were exciting, but
we were all tired from a full day of
gaming and had events at 8:00 a.m. the
next morning. So we petered out early,
thanked the GM, and wearily climbed
into bed.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


wandered into what looked like wholesale slaughter. Apparently, the group
had ended up on the wrong side of a
goblin ambush, and things didnt look
good for the heroes. I stayed for an
hour or so, watching my friends
squirm as their characters were
submitted to the meat
grinder of combat,
then bid them an early
farewell so that I could get
up the next day for the big
game.

Day 3

Someone said that GenCons motto should be The Fastest Four Days in Gaming!

Day 2

I spent Friday morning wearing my


judges shirt. Quite a bit of preChampionship buzz filled the area, and
I had an opportunity to talk to several
people who were readying themselves
for the next days Dungeons &
Dragons Miniatures Constructed
Championship game. I had earned
a qualifying spot at the Ypsilanti
qualifier months earlier and was ready
for the event. Most players keep their
warbands heavily guarded secrets, but
in all honesty, I hadnt fixed on a band
just yet.
I spent Friday afternoon and evening
in the hotel, cheerfully practicing for
the next days championship. A couple
of friends who had also qualified spent
the time there with me, going over
last-minute tactical plans. We worked
out the details of what to do in every
circumstance we could imagine. Over
the weeks leading up to the event, I
had focused closely on two bands, each
in the Civilization faction. In the end,
though, I switched to a Borderlands
band. Everyone was expecting to face
the same piece: the Tomebound Arcanist (TBA). Because the maps are pre-

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

selected, the entire miniatures gaming


community had had months to find
the very best pieces for play on those
maps. Without a doubt, the single
most effective piece was the TBA. Its
ability to control the field with its
unlimited range, confusion-inducing
spells easily made it the most compelling piece. In this game not even
undead and constructs are immune to
confusion. One piece, howeverthe
Thrall of Blackrazor (designed by the
2005 DDM champion Jason Lioi)is
ideally suited for pairing with the TBA
because he is immune to confusion
and a beast of a piece to play against.
Eliminating him with a melee attack is
a heavy risk, since the swordBlackrazorhas a chance to take over the
attacker for the rest of the match.
By Friday night, I was ready to
face the most dreaded combination
bands containing both a Tomebound Arcanist and the Thrall of
Blackrazor, and I felt comfortable that Id do well the next
morning. Before committing
myself to sleep, I stopped by my
friends room to see how their
D&D session was going and

60

Alas, several days of going to bed after


midnight and getting up before 7:00
a.m. had finally caught up with me.
Championship-level play involves the
best players in the world, and unfortunately, my first two opponents had
probably gotten a bit more sleep than I
had on the previous three nights.
In each of my first two games, I
made mistakes that I wouldnt normally make, and in each case, it cost me
the game. My fourth match was against
the person who would go on to win
the entire championship (Guillaume
Garant-Rousseau, from Montreal). I
actually played well against Guillaume,
but the dice were very, very unfriendly
to me. The match ended up with a
lopsided score, and I dropped from the
event at that point. This makes three
years in a row that Ive made it to the
championship, and three years in a row
that Ive dropped before the fifth (of
eight) rounds. Maybe next year.
Saturday night was filled with the
wonderful Community Draft. This
non-sanctioned event is usually the
most heavily attended of all the
DDM eventswe often even have
WotC staff playing. This year was no
exceptionRob Heinsoo was
at the table next to mine in
the second round of play.
Everyone brings a couple of
boosters from which to draft, a
prize for the prize table (so that

Phoenix Lore Magazine


everyone who participates goes home
with a prize), and community spirit.
We played only three rounds this year,
and as with every other community
draft Ive participated in, I won all my
games but one. I was lucky, because
even though I placed 35th (with one
loss), I managed to select a rather
nicely repainted figure from the prize
table. Below is a picture of the Young
Green Dragon from the starter set,
beautifully repainted by Andrew Weyandt (Generic Fighter).

Day 4
Its amazing how quickly GenCon
ends. On Tuesday the next week, I
remarked to a bunch of friends on an
email list that its motto should be The
Fastest Four Days in Gaming! Sunday
morning found me dazed and unprepared to check out before arriving at
the convention center. Still, we did
what we needed to dofilled the van
to the ceiling with luggage and loot
and headed back to the convention
center for one final day of fun.

My sons had participated in the


various Rock Band and Guitar Hero
events. The older one took second in
the first Rock Band contest but won
nothing for his efforts. However, the
first-place winner shared a bit of his
winnings and gave my son a poster
from among his prizes. My younger
son played through a variety of other
games as well, including a couple of
the Halo 3 tournaments.
Because theyd had so much fun in
the e-game area, we decided to spend
some of Sunday revisiting that part of
the exhibit hall. Im glad that the folks
there set it up so that the e-game area
stays open a little later than the rest of
the exhibit hall. It isnt quite the endurance fest that it was a few years ago,
when the video-game players were up
past midnight fragging their friends,
but its better than having that segment
of Gen Con close at 6:00 p.m.
We picked up a few last-minute
deals, including a piece of art that Ive
been eyeing for a couple of years
Raven Mimuras Tempest, from the
Monster Manual II. Usually I buy one

Young Green Dragon from the starter set, repainted by Andrew Weyandt (Generic Fighter).

61

book of artwork each year, but after


more than 20 years of attending Gen
Con, I have more than enough books.
So this year I decided to begin collecting prints.
Many of my friends had already left,
since they had to catch flights back to
various points on the globe. But most
of us hauled our heavy bodies and
heavy bags of goods back to the van for
the long trip home. (Its amazing how
a four-hour trip to Gen Con is short,
but a four-hour trip home from Gen
Con is drudgery.)

Conclusion
We talked about our favorite moments
all the way home, reassessing our
daring choices in the D&D Championship, reliving the competition in
the Rock Band and minis contests,
recounting all the new and interesting
people wed met, and discussing the
costumes wed seen and the fun wed
had. Gen Con has always signaled the
end of summer for me, and theres a
tinge of sadness at each conventions
close. But D&D Experience is just
around the corner, and in the meantime, I know that my group will get
in a dozen or more D&D sessions and
friendly miniatures skirmish games.
Nothing matches the magic of Gen
Con Game Fair, but the months
between this one and next will be
punctuated with happy memories.
David Paul lives in lower southwestern
Michigan with his wife, sons, pets, a
few hundred RPG books, and several
thousand little plastic miniatures. He
currently provides editing assistance for
Rite Publishing, and previously edited for
Pencil Pushers Publishing, d20 Filtered,
Silven, and Knowledge Arcana. When
hes not busy daydreaming or plotting the
downfall of his own D&D players, he
teaches philosophy by night at a nearby
university and mathematics by day at a
nearby private high school.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Constant Rebirth
The Name of the Game in M:tG
By Jeff Zandi (TheZanman) Illustrated by Claes Sillberg

One of the unique characteristics of a phoenix is the way it returns to life from the ashes of its previous form. Constant rebirth is
quite an amazing concept, to say the very least. It also just happens to be the name of the game when it comes to the Magic: the
GatheringTM game. For fifteen years, this game has stayed fresh and new by continuously reinventing itself with new expansion sets
and exciting new ways to play. Something is always going on with Magic: the Gathering, and its a thrill to share it all here in the
pages of Phoenix Lore Magazine.
The Magic coverage in this new online
publication isnt just for the hardcore
tournament playertheres far more to
the game of Magic than competition
play. The Magic: the Gathering game is
about freedom and creativity, and so is
Phoenix Lore Magazine.
In these pages, youll find plenty
of new decks to buildwhether for
tournaments or just for fun. Well also
discuss cards from the newest sets and
fun new ways to play the game. Its
difficult to burn out when creative
minds all over the world keep thinking
of fresh ideas for the greatest collectible
card game of all time. Of course, if you
do happen to burn yourself out for a
time, you can always come backjust
like the phoenix.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Shadowmoor and More


The Shadowmoor set caused tremendous excitement when it hit the streets.
Like every new expansion to Magic,
Shadowmoor changes the way the
game is played. The new set brings
back the hybrid mana symbols last seen
in the Ravnica block, but it also adds a
brand-new visual element to the game
of Magicthe untap symbol.
Shadowmoor also brings three new
keyworded card abilities: Wither,
Conspire, and Persist. Creatures with
Wither deal their damage to other
creatures in the form of 1/1 counters, so that damage has an effect that
lasts longer than the end of the turn.
Conspire lets you create an extra copy
of the instant or sorcery card on which

62

it appears by tapping two of your creatures that share a color with the spell
played. Persist lets the associated creature return to play after it has gone to
the graveyard. Specifically, if a creature
with Persist that has no 1/1 counters on it goes to the graveyard from
play, you can return it to play and put
a 1/1 counter on it. Shadowmoor
offers several ways to get rid of a 1/1
counter, so a creature with Persist can
be pretty hard to get rid of.
Shadowmoor, by its mere existence,
represents a new way of thinking with
respect to the creation and release of
new sets. Normally, a large expansion
set arrives in September, followed by
a small expansion set the following
January, and another in April that

Phoenix Lore Magazine


completes the block. These three sets
are then used together for sealed deck
and booster draft tournaments, as well
as for block constructed tournaments.
But the situation is different this year.
Lorwyn, a large expansion set, arrived
last September, followed in January by
Morningtide. Shadowmoor, however, is
not a second small
expansion

years, limited players get excited in


April for the third set of the newest
expansion block, and booster drafts
consist of a single pack of each of that
seasons three sets. A year ago, a booster
draft with the entire Time Spiral block
consisted of a Time Spiral, a Planar
Chaos, and a Future Sight booster
pack. This year, the landscape
for limited is
entirely different.

August, and now for the first time ever,


a block constructed format consists
of four sets instead of threetwo of
which are large expansion sets containing 300+ cards. These four sets consist
of two separate expansion sets, each
with an accompanying small expansion. So players have two separate
blocks with respect to limited play, and
four sets working together for block
constructed events.

Lore of the Phoenix


While it is highly unusual for a 300card expansion to premiere in the
spring, it is not without precedent.
Fourteen years ago, at the very dawn
of the Magic: the Gathering game,
the first large expansioncalled
Legendsarrived in stores. One of
the cooler cards from Legends was
Firestorm Phoenix. I liked that
card so much that I named one
of my fantasy sports teams the
Phoenix Firestorm. That spring,
Firestorm Phoenix became the
first phoenix in the game. It has
since been followed by Bogardan Phoenix, Shivan Phoenix,
the popular Shard Phoenix, and
even the very rarely mentioned
Pang Tong Young Phoenix from
Portal Three Kingdoms. It seems
this game always comes back to the
phoenix, because in Magic: the Gathering, constant rebirth is the name of
the game.
to Lorwyn,
but another large expansiona standalone set containing 301 cards and its
own basic land.

Eventide
Shadowmoor now has a small expansion set of its own called Eventide that
just premiered in worldwide prerelease
events. In this way, the 20072008
Magic release season is unique. Most

Booster drafts in
Lorwyn called for two Lorwyn packs and one Morningtide pack,
but Shadowmoor drafts began with
three Shadowmoor booster packs. In
other words, when it comes to limited
play, Shadowmoor stands alone from
Lorwyn and Morningtide; the three
sets do not mix. Block constructed,
however, involves both the Lorwyn and
Shadowmoor mini-blocks.
Eventide was added to the block
constructed season at the beginning of

63

Jeff Zandi is a seven-time veteran


of Magics Pro Tour. Besides playing
and writing about Magic, Jeff is a
level II DCI judge. His team, the Texas
Guildmages, has been together for ten
years and has participated in almost
every Pro Tour to date.
You can write to Jeff at
jeffzandi@hotmail.com, or find him as
Zanman on Magic Online. Or you can
stop by the Phoenix Lore message boards
to chat about thisor any otherarticle
in the magazine.

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine

Traveller Reborn . . . Again


A Review of the New Traveller Game
By Andrew James Alan Welty (Phoenix) Illustrated by Claes Sillberg

Traveller is a highly versatile science fiction RPG capable of handling


any adventure type from space opera to hard science fiction. This year,
yet another new version of the rules has been released.
In its 30-year history, the Traveller
game has been published by several
companies in a wide variety of formats.
Heres a brief chronology of the various
Traveller versions.

promises that its newly released Traveller is based on the classic original and
updated for the new millennium. So
lets see whether the new game accomplishes that goal.

1977 Game Designers Workshop


(GDW) releases the original
Traveller game (now known as
Classic Traveller)

The New System

1986 GDW releases MegaTraveller


1992 GDW releases Traveller the

New Era
1995 Release of Marc Millers Traveller
(known as T4)
1996 Steve Jackson Games releases
GURPS Traveller
2002 RPGRealms Publishing releases
Traveller20 (known as T20)
2007 Comstar Games releases Traveller Hero
2008 Mongoose Publishing releases
Mongoose Traveller
2008 Release of Marc Millers Traveller5 (known as T5)

Some of these versions have made


sweeping changes to the setting, such
as an Imperium-wide rebellion and
the virus. But Mongoose Publishing

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Game Masters have used Traveller in


a variety of different campaign styles
over the years, and the new system
retains that adaptability. You can use
the default setting, or adapt it to fit a
fictional setting such as that of Babylon
5, Firefly, Star Trek, or even Star Wars.
You could run an entire campaign
on a single planet, let your characters
hop between a few planets in the same
subsector, or send them out to explore
the vast reaches of space.
The characters might be involved in
corporate espionage one day and ferry
passengers to a distant planet the next.
And perhaps a passenger in need of assistance gives them a map to a derelict
starship that contains an ancient artifact. The possibilities are endless.

Characters & Mechanics


The system still uses d6 (six-sided
dice), but includes a new type of roll

64

called d66 (basically a percentile roll


using d6s instead of d10s). Character
statistics are the same as in the old
game, except for the possible substitution of some stats based on race. The
skill system is pretty much the same
too, though some skills are broken
down further. For example, Engineering now includes Manoeuvre Drive,
Jump Drive, Electronics, Life Support,
and Power. In addition, some connections between players may be established during character creation.
Career choices have been expanded
as well. The list of choices includes:
Agent, Army, Citizen, Drifter, Entertainer, Marines, Merchants, Navy, Nobility, Rogue, Scholar, Scout, and Psion
(covered in the Psionics section). Each
is broken down into three specializations, so this aspect resembles Book 1
(Characters and Combat) and Supplement 4 (Citizens of the Imperium) as
far as the number of possible careers.
The base system still uses lessfleshed-out character generation, leaving more advanced character generation to later books. Since the character
creation process occurs only once, and
the resulting character is used in many
different adventures, it would have
made sense to put the more advanced

Phoenix Lore Magazine


system in the main bookeven if it
meant reducing the page count. For example, the number of careers available
in this book could easily have been cut
back, since extras are easy additions to
make in future supplements.
One mechanical departure from
Classic Traveller is that instead of dying
on a failed survival roll, the character is
forced out. An optional Iron Man rule
states that failing the survival roll results in character death. This mechanic
is really just the reverse of Classic
Traveller, which had an optional rule
to receive an injury and muster out
instead of dying.
Mishap and events rolls are totally
new. The latter may result in a roll on
the life events table, through which a
character can gain contacts, allies, rivals, enemies, or even an alien artifact.
Numerous other outcomes are possible
as well.
Finally, the new game offers a bit
more on alien races than Classic
Traveller Books 13 do, though these
options are nothing compared to what
the Alien Modules offered. These rules
are useful for the referee, but unless
you want to play an alien raised among
humans or something along those
lines, this material is not really suited
for player races. Fully covering an alien

race can require a book


by itself, however, so
this limitation is fully
understandable.

Combat &
Encounters
Combat now involves
various types of actions.
The expanded options This is the map from the Deluxe Edtion box released in 1981
include some details on
Adept, and Psi-Warrior). The Psionics
comms, sensors, cover, and so forth,
system allows for Telepathy, Clairplus a section on vehicle combat.
voyance, Telekinesis, Awareness, and
The Encounters section is close to
that presented in Classic Traveller Book Teleportation.
3 (Worlds and Adventures), with the
Random Animal Generation Tables. A
Planetary Quirks Table has been added
Overall, Mongoose Publishing did
as well.
a good job of keeping the feel of the
Classic Traveller game while adding
more to it. The core rulebook contains
Youll find plenty of familiar equipenough material to populate an entire
ment in the new version. The game
sector with animals native to individual
features some of the items from Classic
worlds, create ships to travel among
Traveller Book 4 (Mercenary), such as
them, and generate endless adventures.
high-energy weapons. New additions
Some of the available pages could have
to the list include robots and drones.
been put to better use, but Traveller
Spacecraft design is pretty close to
players should find plenty to use here.
the Classic Traveller version. Most of
As an interesting side note, the book
the same components are featured,
appears to have had a separate printing
plus drones, electronics packages, and
for the U.S. market, but the text was
different types of armour. The system
not adjusted to match U.S. spellings.
allows for construction of spacecraft up Players in the U.S. may need a bit of
to 2,000 tons, whereas Classic Traveller time to get used to this aspect.
Book 2: Starships allowed up to 5,000.
Screens and bay weapons (previously in
Andrew James Alan Welty is thought to
Classic Traveller Book 5: High Guard)
be a bot in the chat channels he frequents.
have been added as well. Finally, the
Only his editor knows the truth.
system includes details for a variety
of spacecraft and small craft complete
with deck plans.

Conclusion

Equipment & Vehicles

Psionics
The first version of Traveller was released in
1977. This Deluxe Edition was released in
1981.

The treatment of psionics is similar


to that in the Classic game, with the
addition of the Psion career. Like the
rest of the careers, this one is divided
into three specializations (Wild Talent,

65

Phoenix Lore Magazine October 2008 Issue #1

Phoenix Lore Magazine


OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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66

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