# What's Up With D&D? for Monday, 27 December, 2012



## Gaming Tonic (Feb 27, 2012)

The fervor over DDNext is obviously reaching a fevered pitch as the fans clamor for any bit of information.  Some of your questions are vaguely discussed this week as well as a PAX East schedule where I am sure lots more are to be answered.  There is also some great stuff for your current game, giants, Dark Sun, racial utilities, and a bunch more.

What to do about magic in the next edition is the focus of Monte Cook’s Legends and Lore article Putting the Vance in Advanced.  There are a couple of options on the table right now apparently and I think different styles of casters need different options.  Notice the link at the bottom after all the polls and poll data to a supplemental survey.  Wizards of the Coast are bringing back the Gather Information Skill apparently.  This thread is heating up on the message boards, so click here to join in.


[*]Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl by Christopher Perkins is the third installment in the series based on the classic modules by Gary Gygax.  I really think these adventures capture the feel of the opposition and the environment.  With only one more of these left to come I hope somebody picks up the torch and writes a clash of the titans for epic level play. 


[*]Rule of Three by Rodney Thompson answers your questions.  This week it is about Vanician magic in D&D and DDNext, what we may or may not see from the fighter in DDNext, and the fate of the monster stat block.


[*]Tracy Hurley discusses Finding a Group in Joining the Party.  That sort of information is all over the internet but thanks for collecting it for those who need it.  Included in these articles are always several links to some blogs talking in theories about the new edition.  Most of those are easy to find but the link to The Mule Abides was amazing just to prove how much lying is done about actually rolling a character.


[*]Shelly Mazzanoble looks at D&D as therapy for couples in D+D=XO.  It really makes some interesting points about communication and about the way we handle ourselves at the table could say something about how we handle ourselves otherwise.  Shelly did forget that some might role-play as an escape from their significant others.  Not me of course.


[*]Character Themes: Reborn from Chaos by Matt Goetz gives even more options to go alongside the newly released _Heroes of Elemental Chaos_.  Three new themes are here for your players, the Brazen Ambassador, Chaosmade, and Stormraider.  The latter just makes a great pirate, buccaneer, or mariner in any campaign.


[*]Matt Sernett and Robert J. Schwalb present all kinds of new options in Making Race Count, Pt. 3: Utility Powers for Dragonborn, Half-orcs, and Tieflings.  Racial utilities are one way to make race continue to count for something as you advance in levels.  Perhaps if you are fan of one of these races there is something here to surprise your DM and fellow players alike at your next game.


[*]Rodney Thompson continues to crank out interesting reads and Faded Power for Eye on Dark Sun lives up to that.  Even before we are served four excellent divine boons, we are treated to excellent fluff that almost always gets more use in my game than the crunch. 


[*]A quick rundown of the PAX East 2012 schedule and what Dungeons & Dragons has going on is now available.  Those future development seminars just whip the gaming public into frenzy, I love it.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Designing Spiral of Tharizdun)
[*]Designing Spiral of Tharzidun by Robert J. Scwhalb in Design & Development shows the thought and angle that was taken in the design and production of the new D&D Fortune Cards.  If you are trying to survive Lair Assault do yourself a favor and make sure you have some of these on hand. 


[*]Behold Chris Perkins takes a long stare at Stephen King’s Third Eye in The Dungeon Master Experience.  If you are like me and really love to create a great description for your players but feel like you may overdue it from time to time and lose your players in the details then read this.  I want to go over all of my location descriptions for additional editing.


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## Yora (Feb 27, 2012)

We don't have December.


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## Anselyn (Feb 28, 2012)

Gaming Tonic said:


> The fervor over DDNext is obviously reaching a fevered pitch as the fans clamor for any bit of information.




Hmmm. Obviously ..


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## TarionzCousin (Feb 28, 2012)

Yora said:


> We don't have December.



You don't have December in Germany?!?


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## Nikosandros (Feb 28, 2012)

TarionzCousin said:


> You don't have December in Germany?!?



As part of the austerity measures mandated by the European Central Bank, many EU countries are now running on a reduced 11 months year. Due to our very poor debt situation, Italy will likely have to cut July as well.


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## TarionzCousin (Feb 29, 2012)

Nikosandros said:


> As part of the austerity measures mandated by the European Central Bank, many EU countries are now running on a reduced 11 months year. Due to our very poor debt situation, Italy will likely have to cut July as well.



I would expect Italy to cut any other month before July (and August).


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