d20Zine 02.pdf

Issue 2, October 2002

Random Rolls and Off Tangent Thoughts

pened since the Summer issue hit the stands in June. Our

parent site, the d20 Magazine Rack has experienced some

fantastic growth and changes in the last few months including new

features and many new friends. On a personal level, my writing

career has taken off like a rocket. Not only am I doing work for Bas-

tion Press on a regular basis, but also some writing for Dark Quest

Games, contributing to a book by Green Ronin Publishing, and am

currently negotiating with another top name d20 publisher to take

on a very important role with them.

I also want to plug a couple of upcoming conventions in my

hometown. First up is PentaCon, which is held November 1-3 at the

Grand Wayne Center here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is Indiana’s

largest and oldest convention, drawing nearly 1000 gamers. I will be

giving 3 seminars on game design and publishing along with run-

ning the adventure that I wrote for Bastion Press (Where Dark Elves

Rule). Following that is the huge RPGA event, Winter Fantasy, Janu-

ary 23-27, also being held at the Grand Wayne Center. The details of

this event are still being worked out. I attended last year and had the

privilege of meeting several people including Ed Stark, Sean Reyn-

olds, JD Wiker, and Ryan Dancey. I played a game where Sean DM’d

and had a blast. Hopefully Sean will be able to make it again this year

even though he’s no longer with Wizards.

The gaming industry itself has seen many changes in the last few

months. The two biggest things are the announcements of a new

fantasy world setting search followed by a large number of layoffs

both by Wizards of the Coast. The setting search was a phenomenal

success in terms of response. No one at Wizards of the Coast could

have predicted the volume of submissions that would lood their of-

ices (over 11,000). Equally surprising was the layoffs of several key

people at Wizards of the Coast including notable igures as Skip Wil-

liams, Stan!, and JD Wiker. Although a strong creative force remains

in place there, only time will tell if the quality of future products by

Wizards of the Coast will be affected.

There are a large number of exceptionally worthy d20 products

on the market today. Here are my suggested buys that everyone

should have in their library:

Oathbound: Domains of the Forge from Bastion Press. This is

quite possibly the new campaign setting on the market, period.

It has a feel reminiscent of Planescape with a touch of Dark Sun

added in. It’s a power gamer’s dream world, with the potential

to hit epic levels with one supercharged and stacked character.

Considering that Bastion Press’ CEO is Jim Butler (who was

Brand Manager of TSR for seven years), it’s no surprise that

this book is taking the gaming world by storm.

Spycraft from Alderac Entertainment Group. This modern day

espionage spy game puts the thrill back into Cold War strategy.

Now you can be a James Bond, Ethan Phillips, or Agent X and

save the world from the forces of evil. The fact that AEG is heav-

ily supporting this campaign setting with numerous supple-

ments (such as Shadowforce Archer) further strengthens the

appeal to this game.

Monsternomicon from Privateer Press. Although I haven’t written

a review of this product yet, I have to say that, hands down, this

is the best monster supplement produced. The artwork is top

notch, done in pen and ink giving it a darker and sinister feel. If

you only buy one monster book this year, make it this one.

Necropolis by Gary Gygax and published by Sword and Sorcery

Studios. This Egyptian lavored mega-adventure will give your

players a good year’s worth of adventure, if not more...

Mercenaries from Alderac Entertainment Group. This is a good

supplement that offers some cool alternatives to the standard

classes. The title’s a bit misleading. This book’s about more

than just mercenaries.

So what’s in store for you with this issue of d20Zine!? Not only do

we have several reviews by both staff and guest reviewers, but we

also have the entries for the last two contests that have been held at

the d20 Magazine Rack. Additionally, a new selection of spells made

available for your enjoyment and use along with a column by our

Executive Director, Morgan (TempesT) Grover on tactical combat

in d20. So sit back and take in all that we have to offer in this issue.

And as always, keep your dice clean and roll those 20’s.

Steve Creech

Editor, d20Zine!

Executive Chairman, d20 Magazine Rack

issues? Drop us an email at S_Creech@d20zines.com with

“d20Zine feedback” in the subject header and let us know

what you think. Your letters will be posted in this column in the next

issue of d20Zine!. There was some very positive feedback and letters

concerning our premier issue but I lost them all due to a computer

hard drive crash. As of September 28th, d20Zine! has been down-

loaded 7178 times since it was irst published on June 23rd. I want to

thank all of you who have downloaded and read it! Now send those

letters in and let us know what you thought about this issue, the irst

issue, or the special Fantasy World edition...

Contents

2 .....Random Rolls and Off Tangent Thoughts

2 .....Raves and Rants

4 .....From the Books of Ancient Lore

13 ...Tactical Combat:Arcane Casters

14 ...The Critic’s Corner

19 ...Hostile Climes Contest Entries

22 ...Design an Artifact Contest

38 ...The Gamer's Corner

44 ...Music in Gaming:Midnight Syndicate

46 ...OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

Editor: Steven Creech

Graphic Layout: Todd Schumacher

Cover Art: Michael Loh

“Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons(r) Player’s Handbook, Third

Edition, and the Psionics Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast(r)

“Dungeons & Dragons(r) and Wizards of the Coast(r) are Registered Trade-

marks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with Permission.”

‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of

the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License ver-

sion 3.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com

W elcome to the Fall issue of d20Zine! where much has hap-

Raves and Rants

H ave something to say about our articles or content in past

From the Books of Ancient Lore

aelements are formed by the combination of two prime ele-

ments; for example, ire and earth combine to form magma,

air and ire form smoke, air and water form ice, and earth and water

form ooze. It is strongly recommended that these domains be avail-

able only if the character takes an appropriate prestige class that

gives access to an extra domain since the spells and granted powers

are somewhat more powerful than standard cleric spells of an equiv-

alent level. In addition, some DMs may wish to restrict the paraele-

mental domains further by requiring the character to have access to

both appropriate elemental domains (i.e. to gain access to the Ice

domain, the character must have the Air and Water domains).

NEW DOMAINS:

Ice (granted power: rebuke or command creatures with the Cold subtype as

an evil cleric rebukes or commands undead)

1 Chill Touch

2 Sleet Storm

3 Ice Storm

4 Wall of Ice

5 Iceweb

6 Blizzard

7 Ice Blight

8 Bonefreeze

9 Frost Aura

Magma (granted power: ire resistance 5)

1 Heat Metal

2 Soften Earth and Stone

3 Magma Walk

4 Lava Blade

5 Transmute Rock to Magma

6 Rain of Lava

7 Earthquake

8 Volcanic Eruption

9 Raise Volcano

Ooze (granted power: turn oozes as a good cleric turns undead)

1 Grease

2 Melf’s Acid Arrow

3 Sinkhole

4 Transmute Rock to Mud

5 Mudstorm

6 Corrosive Touch

7 Acid Storm

8 Mudform

9 Create Swamp

Smoke (granted power: +1 to all saves vs. gasses; in addition, the character

can see through 15’ of even the most impenetrable smoke, fog or gas)

1 Sleep

2 Pyrotechnics

3 Gas Cloud [found in Relics and Rituals, should be OGC material]

4 Smoke Claws

5 Cloudkill

6 Quench

7 Smokey Senses

8 Dead Air

9 Poison Air

CONTROL SHIP

Transmutation

Level: Wiz/Sor 4

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 round

Range: Long (400’+40’/level)

Target: 1 ship, up to 10’ long/level

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute/level

Saving Throw: Will negates (object or pilot)

Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

You gain control of the target ship’s movement. It moves in the

direction and at the speed at which you desire (up to its normal

maximum speed) as long as the oars are manned or the sails are

unfurled.

CORROSIVE TOUCH

Transmutation

Level: Ooze 6

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Target: 1 creature or object

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

Your hands exude a corrosive slime. Your touch deals 2d6 acid dam-

age to creatures and 6d6+1/level (max +20) to objects, ignoring the

hardness of any object except for glass and similar crystalline sub-

stances. On a large object, this damage affects a 3’ radius. Constructs

suffer damage of 4d6+1/level (max +20). You may not make more

than one attack with this spell in a round.

COUNTERMAGIC

Abjuration

Level: Clr 7, Drd 9, Brd 6, Wiz/Sor 7

Components: V, S, M, DF

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Personal

Target: You

Duration: 1 round/level or see text

While you have countermagic active, it makes a free dispel attempt

(1d20+your level, maximum of +10) on every spell or spell-like abil-

ity that affects you. If any dispel attempt fails, the countermagic spell

collapses.

Material component: Diamond dust worth at least 20 gp and a min-

iature steel shield.

CREATE SWAMP

Transmutation

Level: Ooze 9

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Long (400’+40’/level)

Effect: Up to four 10’ squares/level of ground sinks (S)

Duration: Permanent

Saving Throw: None (see text)

Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes the area you select to sink down a number of feet

equal to your paraelementalist level. Water rises up from the ground

to a depth equal to half the depth of the swamp, maximum of 5’.

Buildings both in and out of the area when the swamp is created

suffer 8d8 points of damage, possibly having sections break or col-

lapse. Creatures exposed to the ilthy water must make Fortitude

saves against the DC of this spell or contract swamp fever (identical

to ilth fever except that the DC is much higher!)

By James Sutherland with contributions from Aaron Heister, Paul Macias,

Craig Dorrough, Jeff Neuhaus, Steve Miles, Vic Francesci, Celeste Drais-

ner, and James Collins

T he following are four new, paraelemental domains. The par-

DEAD AIR

Transmutation

Level: Smoke 8

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Long (400’++40’/level)

Effect: 10’/level caster spread of foul air

Duration: 1 hour/level

Saving Throw: None (see text)

Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes a large area of air to ill with an amber haze. All

the usable oxygen is destroyed and new breathable air will enter the

area (or if it does, it immediately spoils unless sealed in an airtight

container). Within the dead air, the following effects occur:

• Creatures must hold their breath or suffocate. Normally, a char-

acter can hold her breath for 2 rounds/point of constitution,

but in an area of dead air, this is reduced to 1 round/2 points of

con.

• Visibility is limited. Up to 15’ away from viewer, creatures have

50% concealment; beyond that range, all creatures and objects

have 100% concealment.

• Within the dead air, normal ires will extinguish in a single

round. Magical ire

• Upon leaving the dead air creatures immediately catch ire, suf-

fering 1d6 hp of ire damage each round until succeeding at a

Relex save (DC15).

Every round spent within the dead air saps the strength of creatures

that breathe, doing 1d6 points of temporary strength damage (Fort

save negates each round).

ELASTICITY

Transmutation

Level: Wiz/Sor 4, Brd 4

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Target: 1 creature

Duration: 10 minutes/level

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The spell’s target can stretch her body in whole or in part up to

thrice its normal length. The creature’s reach expands by 10’ and

it gets a +3 natural armor bonus in addition to the obvious ability

to stretch.

FOG BANK

Level: Wiz/Sor 3, Drd 3

Range: Long (400’+40’/level)

Effect: 100’ emanation, 20’ high, centered on an object, creature or point

in space

Saving Throw: Yes (creature) or no (object)

Spell Resistance: Yes

As fog cloud, except the fog emanates from and surrounds a speciic

object. Cast on an opposing ship, this spell puts it into a perpetual

fog until it expires. Additionally, as the target moves, the fog moves

with it, remaining centered on the object.

FROST AURA

Abjuration

Level: Ice 9

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Personal

Effect: Up to a 20’ radius emanation centered on you

Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

Saving Throw: See text

Spell Resistance: No

You gain an aura of frost that is shockingly cold. Creatures in the

area of effect suffer 4d6 hp cold damage per round within the ema-

nation. You, on the other hand, gain cold immunity. Furthermore,

ire spells cast into your frost aura fail to work if you beat their caster

in an opposed level check. Any weapons that strike you (including

magic weapons but not including natural weaponry) must make a

Fortitude save or shatter, dealing no damage.

You set the size of the emanation when you cast frost aura, but you

can contract or expand it within the limits of the effect throughout

the duration.

Material component: an icicle.

HUNGRY EARTH

Transmutation

Level: Drd 4

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Close (25’+5’/2 levels)

Area: 10’ diameter circle of ground (see text)

Duration: 1 round

Saving Throw: Relex negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

You cause a patch of ground to open up as a mouth illed with

stalactite teeth. It erupts forth, attacking all creatures within a 10’

circle in range (and it can even reach creatures up to 10’ in the air).

Creatures must make relex saves to avoid the maw; it then retracts

into the earth.

Creatures that fail their saving throws suffer 4d4 hp of damage and

are buried 2d4’ underground. The ground is somewhat disturbed so

the victims may make a Str check (DC15+2/foot of depth) to force

their way free. A character with ranks in escape artist may make an

escape artist check using their strength instead of dexterity modi-

ier instead. Creatures may attempt this as a standard action (this

is strenuous activity; the character must hold their breath all the

while). A creature with a burrowing speed can move out normally

and the creature’s allies can, of course, help to dig it out. While bur-

ied, a creature cannot take any action requiring free movement.

Material component: the tooth of a predatory animal.

ICE BLIGHT

Transmutation [Cold]

Level: Ice 7

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: 0

Area: 1 mile/level radius spread

Duration: 1 day/level

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

You summon fearsome freezing winds, ice, and snow. Gray scudding

clouds gather within minutes and rain begins drizzling down. The

temperature falls 40 degrees per day until it is -20 degrees Fahren-

heit. Each day conditions worsen. In arctic or wintry conditions,

snow begins falling after six hours. Even in tropical conditions, it

snows after 48 hours. The snow accumulates at a rate of 1”/hour

until a reaches a typical height of 4’ with 12’ drifts. The winds build

10 mph/day to a maximum of 30 mph (DMG pg. 87).

Exposed characters must make Fort saves every ten minutes

(DC15+1/ previous check) or suffer 1d6 points of subdual damage

and be frostbitten (can’t run or charge, -2 Str and Dex). The snow

gives a -4 circumstance penalty to spot, search, and ranged attack

rolls, as well as halving ground-based movement. With the winds

providing a -2 circumstance penalty to ranged attacks and listen

checks, the ranged attack penalty is -6 while the ice blight is at its

height.

Casting this spell deals 2d6 temporary Con damage to you due to

strain (strain resistance applies). You must be outside to cast it.

IMPEDING PERMISSION

Enchantment (Compulsion)

[Mind-Affecting, Lawful, Language-Dependent]

Level: Clr 5

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Medium (100’+10’/level)

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