[3.5] That one thing (for you) that redeems Dragon Magazines.

[Maginomicon]

I'm sure there are a lot of you for whom Dragon Magazines are the bane of your existance and you'd never in a million years allow anything in their contents into your campaigns.

If you're one of those people, this topic is not for you. Don't even reply to this thread. I defer you to the last line of my sig.

This thread is for those of us who found something positive in a 3.5-relevant article of a Dragon Magazine, something that was hilarious, awesome, useful, or inspirational that we've either always wanted to use or did use to great effect. (Dragon Compendium doesn't count for these purposes)

We'll make up categories as we go, but I'll start with three.

Most hilarious thing I've ever seen in a Dragon Magazine:

The Ecology of the Adventurer
(Dragon Magazine #342 pages 60-65)

A tongue-in-cheek piece told from the perspective of Mokumok the Kobold Shaman about bloodthirsty vicious adventurers, going so far as to touch on GNS Theory (more as a "thing" than anything else) and statting out an "Advanced Adventurer" (Human barbarian 2, cleric 1, fighter 2, monk 2, paladin 2, ranger 2, rogue 2, sorcerer 4, assassin 1, shadow dancer 2, and with details such as "Unnamed XXIII, hawk familiar" which is apparently hidden among equipment with the corpses of familiars one through twenty-two).

Runner-Up for most hilarious:

Alchemist’s Mercy

1gp, ~0 lbs.; Alchemy DC 10
A fine powder that, when mixed with water or fruit juice and consumed, eliminates the effects of a hangover.

Conclusive proof that not only is getting completely plastered a thing in D&D officially, but that there's an alchemical cure for a hangover. Wow. I'll take no flying carpets, but a cure for a hangover? Gimme!

Most useful thing I've ever seen in a Dragon Magazine:

Deftness

Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute or until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
Deftness adds a +2 insight bonus to the next skill check the target makes.

FINALLY something I can spontaneously burn cantrip slots on all day long. This is by far the most versatile spell I've ever used in a campaign. Prestidigitation is nice and all, but a universal +2 to any skill check someone ELSE makes? Awesome. Oh, and naturally it stacks with Aid Another.

Most inspirational thing I've ever seen in a Dragon Magazine:

The Play's The Thing: Mysterious Magic

Magic is a bizarre, otherworldly force that can move mountains, annihilate armies, and shape the course of history. Yet, sometimes players treat it with the same respect reserved for empty vials, 10-foot-poles, silver mirrors, and other useful but disposable tools. This article presents a simple method for using verbal descriptions and a few other tricks to move a group's focus away from the game mechanics behind magic spells and onto the wondrous effects magic can have. Rather than simply announce that a wizard is using cone of cold, you can quickly and easily build a description of the spell's effects that leave the spell's name and purpose uncertain. Using these methods, magic becomes less predictable and much more mysterious, all without changing a single game mechanic.

The article then goes on to describe exactly that, which was quite an inspiration (at least for me).

[Aegis013]

I allow Dragon Magazine content on a case-by-case basis in my games assuming that the player can provide me access to the actual magazine text and not a (possibly erroneous) copy.

My players have used such things as Hengeyokai race being reduced to LA 0. Extra Familiar feat to actually gain a second familiar. One player wanted to use Easy Metamagic feat but didn't want to find the magazine text.

Faerie Mysteries Initiate for the Int to HP thing has come up, as have Arcane Gnomes, Eldritch Claws and Beast Claws feats, but not actually been used in games.

These are all very tame examples of mechanics, but they are things that have been interesting and useful from Dragon Magazine.

Other than that it's always just jokes about things like Pig-Bond Commoner or Chicken Infested Commoner or the Bad Feeling feat from the April Fools' edition (I think they're from that one).

[Psyren]

Does Dragon Compendium count? Lots of helpful stuff in there. Nvm, it does not.

There's some dragon material that gets referenced a lot for being generally cool/useful and satisfying niches that the books don't cover. Examples are the Dragon Mag containing Mystic Ranger, the ones containing additional flaws (including the Commoner joke flaws) and the psionic/incarnum stuff like additional Soulknife feats and additional soulmelds (e.g. Brood Keeper's Heart.)

Unfortunately I don't remember what Dragon any of these are in.

[OldTrees1]

I definitely want to see what others have found.

Despite the mistakes and imbalances, I really like the Half Minotaur and Half Ogre templates because they increase the size of the individual. I just ignore the size bonuses to stats and all is good.

[ScrambledBrains]

[Self-Scrubbed]

[Theoboldi]

How come no one has mentioned the best PrC ever yet? The Charlatan is, in my opinion, one of the coolest things ever to come out of D&D. The premise of using simple sleight of hands tricks and alchemical items to trick other people, and even real spellcasters into thinking that you are a mage is extrremely awesome. Divination spells can't find out you are not a spellcaster because you lie hard enough. You can counterspell wizards by lying hard enough. You get to change an entire city's opinion of someone, just by lying hard enough.
One day I want to play one of these in a low-magic campaign, just because there's so much potential for RP built into the class.

Sadly, it's also rather weak mechanically, but whenever the optimisation level of my party is low enough, and the DM allows it, I play one.

[123456789blaaa]

I really like the various "Thrall of [Demon Lord]" classes and the articles they're in. Very flavorful and mechanically interesting. Strangely, most of the ones in the Dragon mags are actually better than the ones in the BOVD because the dragon mags came later.

The Spell Sovereign PRC finally allows a player to mess around with Living Spells. I think the Living Spell template is one of the most customizable templates out there so it's pretty cool (if a tad underpowered). In the miniscule chance that I have some extra free time, I may make a handbook to the PRC.

There's a lot of other stuff too but these are the ones I remember off the top of my head.

[Larkas]

Knowstones! Seriously, these are some of the neatest items ever, and can always provide a spontaneous caster with that powerful-but-circumstantial spell it so desperately wants. It also puts into perspective how much a spell should cost. I'm toying with charging prepared casters 1/10 the cost of a Knowstone of the same level for every spell learned (in my games, Clerics must collect "prayers" and Druids, "meditations"). Lastly, the fact that it reminds me of FFVII's materia is just icing on the cake. :smallbiggrin:

[Palanan]

Hard to believe no one has mentioned

Okay, much easier to believe someone has already mentioned the Mystic Ranger, from Dragon #336. I love it, and actually had a chance to play one recently. Great stuff, especially with Knowledge Devotion.

One day I want to play a Mystic Ranger/Wu Jen/Arcane Hierophant. Optimized? Not even close. Do I love the concept anyway? Why, yes I do.

:smalltongue:



Also, +1 to the knowstones. Clever, useful idea.

.

[Fax Celestis]

Trickster Spellthief, hands down.

[Vortenger]

I was a fan of many of the racial options presented: The Dragon and Were-creature racial classes, the deathtouched, and the half-nymph / half-minotaur article. Any options to allow play of something outside the cookie cutter.
The additional vestiges and soulbinds were welcome also.

[Gemini476]

Wedded to History is pretty neat. Yay, immortality!

[Malimar]

I love Dragon Magazine's flaws. Most of them are vastly more flavorful and interesting than the Unearthed Arcana ones, to the point where flaws are the one thing where I encourage my players to use the Dragon ones instead of the standard ones.

[PurpleSocks]

For me its got to be Tibbits, they're a LA+0 race that can turn into a housecat pretty much at will.

I'm currently running a campaign where half the party are Tibbits, which has led to some very fun situations.

Not sure what issue they're in but you can find them in Dragon Compendium.

[Curmudgeon]

I love Dragon Magazine's flaws. Most of them are vastly more flavorful and interesting than the Unearthed Arcana ones, to the point where flaws are the one thing where I encourage my players to use the Dragon ones instead of the standard ones.
Oh, absolutely. My favorite flaw is Divine Gesture, which imposes DCF (divine counterpart to ACF).

Dragon # 323 introduced Clerical domains for the seven deadly sins. Six of those domains got included in Spell Compendium. Avarice apparently wasn't included simply because it introduced two unique spells.

[Tvtyrant]

Spell Sovereign and the boosts to calling. Calling things is classic and awesome, while Spell Sovereign actually feels like you are making new things (which is one of the weaknesses of the D&D 3.5.)

[123456789blaaa]

Spell Sovereign and the boosts to calling. Calling things is classic and awesome, while Spell Sovereign actually feels like you are making new things (which is one of the weaknesses of the D&D 3.5.)

Hm?

I kind of wish Spell Sovereign allowed you to summon Living Spells more often. As it is, you have to really economize each summoning.

[nersxe]

Trickster Spellthief, hands down.

Yes, this. Trickster Spellthief is everything I wanted to do with my spellthief when I first created him.

[qwertyu63]

Well, there are these feats I...


Wedded to History is pretty neat. Yay, immortality!

Oh... Seems I've been beat to them...

[unseenmage]

There are several books with extraplanar plants and wildlife in them from both the 3.5 and 3.0 Dragon Mags. Love 'em. Someday i will play a Druid who gets to make use of the Dread Garden of Extrapanar Doom. :smallbiggrin:

[Waker]

I for one, love Dragon Magazine. People can complain about stuff being unbalanced all they want, to which I say "So is Core." As for particular articles:
#357- Has both the articles on Demogorgon as well as the Ecology of the Titan. Now you can find out a lot of the history and trivia for Demogorgon that you might not have known. The Titan article details their origins and notable individuals like Cronos, good if you ever decide to run an epic encounter.
#353- I love the Thrall of Malcanthet.
#319- Introduces the Shen, a monkish class that involved shapeshifting and the Shaolin animal styles. Yes please. Also the Ranger Knight, a mounted PrC that mixes the Paladin and Ranger together.

Honestly there are tons of other things I could bring up, so many good "Ecology Of..." or details concerning Gods/Demons/Devils.

[123456789blaaa]

I for one, love Dragon Magazine. People can complain about stuff being unbalanced all they want, to which I say "So is Core." As for particular articles:
#357- Has both the articles on Demogorgon as well as the Ecology of the Titan. Now you can find out a lot of the history and trivia for Demogorgon that you might not have known. The Titan article details their origins and notable individuals like Cronos, good if you ever decide to run an epic encounter.
#353- I love the Thrall of Malcanthet.
#319- Introduces the Shen, a monkish class that involved shapeshifting and the Shaolin animal styles. Yes please. Also the Ranger Knight, a mounted PrC that mixes the Paladin and Ranger together.

Honestly there are tons of other things I could bring up, so many good "Ecology Of..." or details concerning Gods/Demons/Devils.

Thrall of Malcanthet? That seems like an unusual choice to me. Why do you like it more than the other Thralls?

[Waker]

Thrall of Malcanthet? That seems like an unusual choice to me. Why do you like it more than the other Thralls?

It's got a decent bit of power without being over the top strong. 7/10 caster progression, 6 skill points, Sneak Attack, bonuses to Charisma and certain skills, shapechanging and a few unique abilities like reflecting enchantments back at the caster.
I think it would be an interesting character to play as a mole in a game. Be a badgal pretending to be a goodgal, maybe working against a greater evil and then at the opportune moment, you backstab the party.

[IronFist]

Eldritch Claws (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Eldritch_Claws), bitch (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThisIsForEmphasisBitch).

EDIT: Also, elemental ninjas, Waker of the Beast, Glove of Heartfelt Blows and all monster ecology articles. Dragon Magazine was pretty good.

EDIT 2: Do Savage Tide and Age of Worms count?

[gorfnab]

Eidetic Spellcaster ACF (Dragon #357)

Now I can play a more "Gandalf" like wizard: no spellbook, no familar, smoking magic weed burning magic incense to gain spells.

[Daebu]

I'm a fan of the Green Whisperer Prestige class from D311. I was tired of using Mystic Theurge in dual casting builds for filler levels. Suddenly I had a class that added tons of appropriate flavour and wasn't over-the-top.

The Bard/Druid/GW/AH and Bard/Druid/GW/FL were born. (With or without Sublime Chord, depeding on power levels in the game)

I also built a WoW based gnome using the arcane gnome, as their flavour fits the WoW world better. I know many don't like MMO's leaking into their table top games, but my group loved the gnome punting jokes, wacky hair, and crazy engineeering and alchemy.

[Dusk Eclipse]

EDIT 2: Do Savage Tide and Age of Worms count?

Weren't they published in Dungeon Magazine?( which also has the awesomeness of the Executioner's Mace)

For me it is actually in a 1e (I think) edition, there was a pretty kickass article on the Ecology of Hobgoblins, can't recall the issue, but that one convinced me that Dragon wasn't only broken (in both direction) mechanics.

[Agent 451]

I wouldn't say it necessarily redeems Dragon Magazine (I'm of the same mind as Waker with regards to the balance being totally borked), but my favorite item has to be the ready-drink helm.

Sure it's a joke item that is the fantasy equivalent to a beer helmet, but who can't imagining seeing every gnome in the kingdom lining up for one of these?

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/2966/readydrink.png

[Alleran]

Eidetic Spellcaster ACF (Dragon #357)

Now I can play a more "Gandalf" like wizard: no spellbook, no familar, smoking magic weed burning magic incense to gain spells.
This. Favourite ACF of them all, I think. I always take it if I can.

[Tvtyrant]

Hm?

I kind of wish Spell Sovereign allowed you to summon Living Spells more often. As it is, you have to really economize each summoning.

I think there should be better/more rules for spell creation in D&D. Something like a point based system where a spellslot has 10xspell level worth of points and different effects cost points. An example would be an 8th level spell with three saves; reflex or blind, fort or stun, and will or exhausted. Or a 5th level spell that makes a wall that deals 2d6 damage and the enemy is checked when they move through it.

[Mithril Leaf]

I think there should be better/more rules for spell creation in D&D. Something like a point based system where a spellslot has 10xspell level worth of points and different effects cost points. An example would be an 8th level spell with three saves; reflex or blind, fort or stun, and will or exhausted. Or a 5th level spell that makes a wall that deals 2d6 damage and the enemy is checked when they move through it.

That is an excellent idea for some sort of homebrew system. I'd love more of that too.

[unseenmage]

That is an excellent idea for some sort of homebrew system. I'd love more of that too.

Doesn't the third party Legends and Lairs book Spells and Spellcraft have a system for this in it?

[Gemini476]

Doesn't the third party Legends and Lairs book Spells and Spellcraft have a system for this in it?

Reminds me a bit of Pathfinder's Words of Power, to be honest.

[Darrin]

Just one thing? Hmm. Tough call. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12640978&postcount=17)

(And Mystic Ranger has already been mentioned several times...)

I think I'd have to say Battle Howler of Gruumsh in Dragon #311 (same article as Green Whisperer, another great PrC). Love the flavor, love the crunch, been waiting over a decade to actually play one.

Actually, all of those articles on alternate base classes in Dragon #310, #311, and #312 are very good, lots of great ideas and little supermorsels of crunch you can use to stoke up your optimization fires.

[AuraTwilight]

List of my favorite things in Dragon, in no particular order:

Anything that makes monsters more playable, such as Monster Classes and the like.

The Infused Prestige Class, Planar Dragons, the Plane of Radiance and it's related content all from #321. Definitely one of my most-used issues.

Bloodline feats, introduced in #325. Did it before Pathfinder. :P

The entirety of #330's Far Realms content.

#336's Undead/Haunting content. All of it.

#339 adapted some Spelljammer races into 3.5. It is therefore objectively one of the best issues.

#351 for bringing World Serpent Inn content.

Any issue involving adaptation of videogame content into D&D. I always like that sort of thing. <3

#353 is just full of Demiplanes. Squee! <3

#354 HAS MODRONS ENOUGH SAID YES!

#358 has Chess monsters omg <3<3

It goes without saying that the Sage Advice column is almost always useful.

#346 gives the Dragon Ante character generation method, which is by far my favorite to employ when speedy generation isn't a priority.

#348 has curse effect variants. Could always use those! <3

And finally, the entirety of 359. I shouldn't have to say why. :(


I loved the crap out of almost everything in Dragon magazine, and people's distaste for it makes me a saaaad panda.

[Reprimand]

Harbinger Bard!

Finally a non prc class that lets me use my performance to harm people rather than just being the party buffer!

Plus the hold person one is really neat if you have leadership.

[dysprosium]

There is no one thing that redeems Dragon Magazines. I love the issues that I have and can find a use for just about anything.

People always complain about the magazine content but a lot of the 3.5 sourcebooks had their content originally printed in Dragon Magazine.

Think about this too: If WotC did not decide to just close up shop with Paizo and the printing of the magazines and let Paizo still print new content for them, there would not be Pathfinder today.

Pathfinder pretty much started when WotC stuck their corporate middle finger at them.

Dragon and Dungeon Magazines had survived the previous edition shifts so why would they not survive the next one? I bet 4e would have been more accepted by the gaming community too ::shudder::

[Larkas]

Bloodline feats, introduced in #325. Did it before Pathfinder. :P

Eh, I hope you realize that the company that published that is the same that publishes Pathfinder? http://www.philwoods.com/forums/images/smilies/set1_b/sweatdrop.gif

It's the same as with Knowstones. They've been pretty much revived for PF use in Pages of Spell Knowledge (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/m-p/page-of-spell-knowledge). I prefer the "beads of knowledge" imagery, though, and also like the 24-hour attuning process, regarding both flavor and mechanics.

[Psyren]

Eh, I hope you realize that the company that published that is the same that publishes Pathfinder? http://www.philwoods.com/forums/images/smilies/set1_b/sweatdrop.gif

It's funny, because Paizo mentioned that in an interview as being a common reaction they had to deal with when PF started up. "Whoa, who are you guys??""Uh, we were the ones writing adventure paths and designing stuff for you for years..." :smallbiggrin:

[AuraTwilight]

Eh, I hope you realize that the company that published that is the same that publishes Pathfinder?

I'm 100% aware of this. Doesn't change my being annoyed when people act like it didn't exist in 3.5. Because it totally did.

[Larkas]

I'm 100% aware of this. Doesn't change my being annoyed when people act like it didn't exist in 3.5. Because it totally did.

Does anyone act like that? Huh. They are like, the best feats to be taken by Sorcerers everywhere. I supposed it was almost common sense taking at least a look at them. :smallconfused:

[Fax Celestis]

Does anyone act like that? Huh. They are like, the best feats to be taken by Sorcerers everywhere. I supposed it was almost common sense taking at least a look at them. :smallconfused:

I suppose you haven't seen Sherem-Lar and Sherezem-Lar Sorcery?


Sherem-Lar Sorcery
Prerequisite: Female human member of a Bazareene noble family.

Benefit: For the purpose of determining bonus spells and the save DCs of spells you cast as a sorcerer treat your Charisma as 2 points higher than its actual value. Your eyes are a strong, clear green, showing your magical heritage.

Special: You may take this feat only as a 1st-level character. You can take this feat even if you don't have any levels in the sorcerer class.


Sherezem-Lar Sorcery
Prerequisite: Sherem-Lar Sorcery female human member of a Bazareene noble family.

Benefit: For the purpose of determining bonus spells and the save DCs of spells you cast as a sorcerer treat your Charisma as 2 points higher than its actual value. This benefit stacks with the bonus from Sherem-Lar feat. Your eyes are a strong, clear green showing your magical heritage.

Special: You may take this feat only as a 1st-level character. You can take this feat even if you don't have any levels in the sorcerer class.

It's like a free +4 Charisma for basically everything that matters, and it stacks with everything.

[Larkas]

I suppose you haven't seen Sherem-Lar and Sherezem-Lar Sorcery?

It's like a free +4 Charisma for basically everything that matters, and it stacks with everything.

Those are strong, and most surely give the bloodlines a run for their money, but I'm not so sure they are strictly better than the latter. It's basically more versatility vs. more power, I guess.

Going Dragonwrought with a Kobold to enact shenanigans to improve your access to spells, accessing them at basically the same level as a Wizard, though, is a strictly better use of a feat. :smallbiggrin:

Anyways, I was just generalizing a bit. :smallwink: