Category Archives: DnD

Drowning

The sea can be a harsh mistress

Only a handful of times since the advent of Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 have I had the occasion to drown a player character. I’ve been playing in or running D&D games nearly-continuously since the release of the d20 rule set, and it simply doesn’t come up that often. When it has, it has been frustrating, especially the v3.5 version.

Drowning should be a harrowing situation. The very air you need to survive is denied you as you struggle to surface, yet the rules as written make it a cakewalk in all but the most extraordinary circumstances.
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IKCG Errata?

Eliminating errors with extreme prejudice

Many moons ago, a company called Privateer Press released a book called the IKCG after years of teeth-gnashing delays, setbacks, consternation, and a change in the core ruleset from d20 3.0 to d20 3.5. In the scramble to convert 400+ pages of content to the new rules, a fair amount of quality control issues slipped through the cracks. Some of the numbers don’t add up, some of the tables contradict the text, there are some rather amusing typos, and so forth.

But hark, news arrives via a mailing list:

Actually we are working on an official errata document for the IKCG to be released at the first of the year.

Paraphrasing the upcoming errata, the Gun Mage will be able to avoid spell failure in light armor as part of his spell focus ability with his pistol. This means if you are not holding your pistol, you will have a chance of spell failure for being in armor. This is different than the wording in the Bard class concerning casting in light armor.

-Nathan Letsinger

Nate Letsinger is the director of the Iron Kingdoms RPG line, and hence in a position to authoritatively make such claims. Since an online errata document isn’t subject to the vagaries of the printing process, and the Privateers already have a tried-and-true FAQ-and-errata web interface (here), I have higher hopes for this “first of the year” release date than I might have for other Iron Kingdoms products.

Welcome to Llael

Llael, circa 604 AR

The fair nation of Llael is blessed in a great many ways. Located along the busiest trade routes in Western Immoren, Llael is a nexus of commerce, culture, and politics. Rhul borders to the North, Khador to the West, and Cygnar to the South. Ample coal and sulfur deposits lend stability to this kingdom’s economy, which is otherwise subject to the ebbs and flows of international commerce. As the home of the international monetary exchange and the headquarters for the Order of the Golden Crucible, a great deal of wealth passes through Llael.
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