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Let’s check out this month’s Arcadia journal, subject quantity 20. This one has undoubtedly outlived another makes an attempt at getting into the “original fantasy d20 game’s magazine” sneakers, and it seems to be going sturdy at this level.

Disclaimer

I’m subscribed to the MCDM Patreon, so I might get a replica of this journal when it goes out to the general public, however I additionally acquired a assessment copy of this journal slightly bit early. I’ve not had the chance to make use of any of the fabric in these articles, however I’m aware of D&D 5e, each as a participant and as a DM, and I’ve used different MCDM guidelines in my video games.

Arcadia Issue 20

Managing Editor Hannah Rose
Lead Developer James Introcaso
Production & Playtest Director Lars Bakke
Editors Laura Hirsbrunner, Sadie Lowry
Authors The GM Tim, Hook & Chance, Sam Mannell, Hannah Rose
Layout Jen McCleary
Title Logo Tom Schmuck
Accessibility Chris Hopper
Community Coordinator John Champion
Customer Support Bobby McBride
Cover Art Brett Bullion
Interior Illustrators “Shieldbearer”: Alejandro Pacheco, João Phillipe “Appendix NPC: Part 2”: Patrik Hell “The Scribes”: Matheus Graef (Conceptopolis)
Cartographer Miska Fredman

CoverThis time round, we’ve got the next articles included within the 39 web page subject:

  • Shieldbearer (Subclass, Magic Items, Equipment)
  • Appendix NPC: Part 2 (NPCs)
  • The Scribes (Organization, Location)

Shieldbearer

One distinctive facet of this text is that Hannah Rose, the managing editor of the journal, wrote this text earlier than transferring into her present place, so the Letter from the Editor this month gave some backstory on the event of the subclass. I respect that the online game Hades was as a lot of an affect as numerous Marvel characters throwing round Vibranium/Adamantium alloy defensive objects.

The article presents the shieldbearer, as a subclass of fighter, in addition to new tools within the type of extra shields, and new magic objects . . . additionally protect associated. There can also be a Shieldbearer Adept Follower, utilizing the foundations from Strongholds and Followers. We stay on level (or on edge?) on this article.

The Shieldbearer picks up the next talents over the course of gaining ranges within the subclass:

  • third–Shieldbash, Counterstrike
  • seventh–Shield Toss
  • tenth–Safeguard, Improved Counterstrike
  • fifteenth–Aegis of the Brave
  • 18th–Stalwart Guardian

First off, I’m glad any time the fighter will get a brand new subclass. I’m a giant fan of subclasses telling a narrative, however loads of the opposite courses appear to get tales which might be slightly extra gripping, and I respect a subclass that may inform a narrative for a category that’s largely non-magical, with epic, however not magical, talents.

No, you can not carry up how unrealistic it’s to have the ability to do a few of these protect tips, as a result of I’m speaking about suspension of disbelief in a world the place individuals throw fireballs and shapeshift.

Shieldbash offers you higher harm along with your protect so it’s a viable weapon to make use of, and likewise units you up for future talents by letting you equip your protect with out taking an motion. Your harm with a protect cycles from a d8 all the way in which as much as a d12 at fifteenth stage. Counterstrike allows you to use your response to bash an opponent that makes an assault on anybody inside 5 toes of you, doing additional harm, and imposing drawback on their subsequent assault, useable numerous instances equal to your proficiency bonus. Improved Counterstrike provides additional harm and imposes drawback till the opponent’s subsequent flip, which hurts extra for opponents with a number of assaults.

At seventh stage, you possibly can throw your protect, and do harm equal to your melee assaults with it. If you’ve a number of assaults, you possibly can assault somebody inside 10 toes of your authentic goal by ricocheting the protect to them, and the protect bounces again to you.

Safeguard allows you to take the Dodge motion each time you’ve a protect geared up, and offers you a free assault. You may also designate somebody inside 5 toes that additionally advantages out of your defensive motion.

Aegis of the Brave imposes drawback on any ranged assaults towards you when you have your protect, and likewise offers you three new choices you possibly can tack on to your ranged assault. Stalwart Guardian will increase your variety of free assaults with a Dodge motion to 2, and your Counterstrike can stun an opponent.

One of the issues I like about this subclass is that whereas it references the popular culture so many people have in our heads with regards to shields, the 2 key options that the category receives at third stage are extra “practical” protect functions, letting you employ a protect with out giving up the defensive means you acquire from it, and permitting you to counterstrike opponents. I additionally like that tenth stage, which, relying on the marketing campaign, stands out as the final “flavor” some gamers get out of their subclass, provides extra defensive hallmarks to the category, holding off on including extra flashy throwing methods till fifteenth stage.

I perceive the logic of including in new “mundane” shields into the article, however I’m not thrilled with the buckler’s mechanics. Making additional ability checks throughout fight isn’t one in all my favourite issues so as to add to the sport, and I’m unsure {that a} buckler is any extra “deceptive” than different off hand objects. I might virtually image the buckler mechanics as extra at house with a dueling cloak. I respect that the bigger shields with the brand new Cumbersome trait nonetheless work with the entire Shieldbearer talents that don’t contain throwing the protect.

There are vary of magic shields included within the article. I respect that you may give a participant which will wish to be Captain America a Boomerang Shield in the event that they aren’t into taking a subclass that focuses on that theme. It’s additionally a extremely logical transfer to incorporate a magical protect that displays spells.

The Shieldbearer Adept is a helpful retainer, however I can’t assist however hope that the brand new retainer guidelines floated within the Flee! Mortals preview change into “official,” as a result of I actually want that implementation.

Overall, I like this subclass. I’m unsure if I’m moved to introduce the brand new protect sorts, particularly since I’ve totally different concepts about what I might do with a buckler concerning the way it interacts with present guidelines. But this can be a nice fighter “story” to inform with the subclass.

Appendix NPC: Part 2

I like , utilitarian NPC stat block, and I actually appreciated the earlier installment of this collection. This time round, the NPCs are geared in the direction of greater CRs, starting from CR 9 to 24 (the checklist of NPCs in the beginning of the article is making an attempt to inform me that the Saint is CR 20, but it surely’s stat block says 24, and I’m not going to argue with a saint).

The NPCs included this time round are:

  • Auto-Sentinel (CR 9)(Construct Bodyguard)
  • Dragon Priest (CR 10)(Spellcaster with a breath weapon)
  • Dragon Slayer (CR 10)(Combatant with bonuses towards dragon associated creatures, together with dragonborn and kobolds)
  • Gish (CR 10)(Melee combatant that additionally has entry to fight spells and cantrips)
  • Hero (CR 15)(Pretty a lot the standard that means of the phrase, a legendary melee combatant that’s one step away from being a demigod)
  • Polymath (CR 18)(The fantasy model of the gadget utilizing genius supervillain, full with a trapped lair and lair actions)
  • Saint (CR 24)(A mortal servant of a god that has been was a celestial agent after their dying)

One of the issues I’ve appreciated about MCDM caster stat blocks is that whereas they could have additional actions past what a PC spellcaster has, to make them a harder opponent, they often nonetheless use spells. For instance, the Dragon Priest is making claw assaults and both utilizing their cantrip or a spell as their multiattack choice. The Gish will get to make two weapon assaults after which throw in one in all their spells.

I’m slightly shocked that the Hero, the Polymath, and the Saint don’t have Legendary Resistance. The Polymath has a capability to reduce harm from save for half results, however at greater ranges, it’s normally the situation primarily based results that shorten a villain’s lifespan. The Saint has an attention-grabbing impact that’s much like Legendary Resistance, in that it could destroy one in all its manifested Hallowed Weapons to succeed on a failed save.

The Polymath, regardless of having a lair, doesn’t have Legendary or Villain Actions. The Saint has Villain actions (the MCDM particular rule) in lieu of Legendary Actions. I actually like them, however additionally they are usually very particular (manifesting chains, the phrase of unmaking). If I have been utilizing this greater than as soon as, I might in all probability make a broader set of Legendary Actions for the stat block.

Overall, I like this set of NPCs. I already know one which’s going to get employed in my house marketing campaign. The Polymath and the Auto-Sentinel fell slightly flat for me, however the remaining instantly set my mind to work looking for them a house in upcoming video games.

The Scribes

The D&D third version books had a ton of recent organizations in them, normally launched as backstory to varied status courses. These organizations have been all the time a bit irritating to me, as a result of they managed to be oddly particular in some areas, and but not given sufficient plot hooks to tether them to a variety of campaigns. I say that to level out that this isn’t a kind of form of organizations.

The Scribes have been based by a now-imprisoned celestial that needed to encourage mortals towards epic tales so they might reside as much as their greatness. Because which may battle with mortals and their want for deities, she’s been confined to her personal little nook of the multiverse. She has followers within the type of The Fallen Eye, Chaos, and The Cracked Crown. These organizations work collectively to push sure narratives on the planet, making some individuals into heroes which may in any other case by no means discover their approach.

The article presents numerous NPCs that work for the group, the situation the place the celestial lives together with her followers, and several other “starter scenarios,” conditions the place individuals are ready for the heroic motion to start out, and needing to be pushed in the suitable path. The article’s main assumption is that the PCs may be recruited to assist push occasions in the suitable path for the group, however they will also be those being pushed, and discovering out in regards to the manipulation happening behind the scenes.

There is a few dialogue about presenting this group as evil as an alternative of excellent, however one of many issues that I respect primarily based on how it’s offered as a default is that it could simply be a “good” group that finally ends up as an antagonist of the PCs. Even individuals being pushed to do one thing deemed as “good” don’t all the time respect having their company taken away, or being manipulated. It’s additionally attainable that when the PCs are “on the ground” interacting with the “story” that the Scribes have written, they could discover out that the group lacks some context for the result that they need.

Also, I feel I’ve a comfortable spot for this group as a result of it jogs my memory of the Metatron storyline from Supernatural, besides I don’t hate the celestial concerned.

Final Thoughts

This might be up there with a few of my favourite points, simply because it not solely offers actionable articles, it offers stable ideas for the subjects that it addresses. Making up a complete new subsystem for adjudicating a part of the sport may be enjoyable, but it surely takes loads of aptitude to seize the creativeness with a subclass, NPC stat blocks, or a corporation.

Future Wishes

I like subclasses, regardless that I normally run video games much more than taking part in in them, and I look ahead to extra subclasses with stable themes. I might love extra NPCs, however I additionally suppose it’s tough to search out that proper spot between broadly helpful and enjoyable in presentation. In truth, I feel seeing some Legendary/Villain/Lair actions that may be swapped out and in on an present stat block may be enjoyable. I’m a straightforward mark for organizations that may, from their inside logic and context, see their actions nearly as good, however can nonetheless battle with the PCs, and I might like to see extra skillfully pulled off.

All of that stated, sometime I might like to see extra mounts sneak into these pages. And, you recognize, perhaps extra retainers that appear to be those in Flee! Mortals. Finally, since I’ve picked up points one by means of 4 on Roll20, I look ahead to extra points getting the digital therapy on that web site, as a result of it makes it approach simpler to current the foundations from these articles as choices to my participant characters.

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