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Arioch
2008-07-10, 04:27 AM
Link here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080709).

This is so wierd. I decided yesterday night to try to work out a campaign concept set in ancient Arkhosia. I decided that once in a while a golden dragonborn would be born who would be percieved to be destined for great things.

And what happens? The day after I think of this, an article on the history and ecology of dragonborn comes up, and the Emperor of Arkhosia is called the Golden One. Clearly this is a sign that I should continue this line of thought.

Charity
2008-07-10, 04:40 AM
I think that the throwing you breath feat (the name escapes me at the mo) is a wee bit over powered, but I like the article it seems to have captured my sense of the dragonborn fairly well, now I need to persuade my DM to allow that feat... the dragonborn howitzer strikes again.

Isomenes
2008-07-10, 06:08 AM
Our group threw out all the fluff for Dragonborn as soon as we had seen it (much like the standard gods). This article is mostly dren as far as that goes, but the breath feats are moderately interesting. The hurling feat seems less fun than the admixture stuff, though.

I preferred the shorter articles--they had nice sketches of the directions you might take your fluff in, but the mechanics portion was the real meat. This one seems intent on disguising a serious lack of crunch with an overdose of fluff.

Earnest question: who uses the default setting and its associated fluff? (3.5 or 4e, doesn't matta.)

SamTheCleric
2008-07-10, 06:38 AM
I use the default stuff. I happen to like it.

Also, the "hurl breath" ... am I the only one who pictured Voldemort at the end of the last movie when he's fighting Dumbledore? He breathes fire out into his hand and then sends it forward. Good visual.

Ether
2008-07-10, 07:53 AM
The article mentions draconic forces. I wonder if that means we'll be seeing a draconic power source eventually.

Arioch
2008-07-10, 08:31 AM
Earnest question: who uses the default setting and its associated fluff? (3.5 or 4e, doesn't matta.)

I never used the default setting in 3e, but I think the 4e one is more fluid and adaptable. As I said, I have a campaign idea set a few thousand years before the default timeline in Arkhosia, and for another set in the Feywild. The fluff in 4e core is much less substantial than in 3e, which makes it easier to make your own.

Jayabalard
2008-07-10, 08:47 AM
Earnest question: who uses the default setting and its associated fluff? (3.5 or 4e, doesn't matta.)It's not D&D, but I do for GURPS fantasy; I like Yrth.

bosssmiley
2008-07-10, 01:54 PM
Earnest question: who uses the default setting and its associated fluff? (3.5 or 4e, doesn't matta.)

Does anyone? I thought the idea of Core in 4E was for it to be the tofu of settings; it tastes like whatever articles and homebrew elements the DM elects to add.

3E? The Core setting was similarly bland and sketched out. Although it was *supposedly* Greyhawk, before (de facto) switching to being Faerun or Eberron late in 3.5, the mechanics of the 3.X system as written didn't support anything that looked even vaguely like any of those worlds. :smallconfused:

What did a 3E core world really look like (if we accept the RAW as the laws of nature in D&Dland)? Well...

*waves "Planescape" boxed set, points to "The Dungeonomicon", shrugs*

Isomenes
2008-07-10, 02:35 PM
One of the main issues of diverging from the setting as laid out is the requirement of the Divinity feats--each requires you, per RAW, to worship that specific god. We've retooled the divine powers; my cleric is a worshipper of the Twelve (campaign setting specific), and can choose any or all of the feats in turn. Obviously they're meant to be somewhat malleable, but like the Paladin's Code issue in 3.5, this is something partially dependent on your decision as a gaming group.

MammonAzrael
2008-07-10, 02:43 PM
I was disappointed that there was so little crunch, but I did like the feats. They add a good extra dimension.

Haven't read the fluff, as I was really only interested in the crunch the article offered...here's hoping Dragon will have more crunch heavy articles like the Dragon's horde item, than fluff heavy like this one.

FoE
2008-07-10, 02:55 PM
I thought it was OK. I liked the article on the warforged and the Wolves of Maldeen more.