SaaS CPCS ORR bE hes ieh Se dente resins aseklcoe e ofc Jenonon aa ea ° I l MM orConTmbUTING AUTHORS zo Punish, We ‘hi ecsinie Ocke!_Dederf Opeans einer Cap ina ‘POSTWASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGESTO acs: SUBSCRITIONSOHANGEOF ADRESS, ‘open GAME cone: BEY 2 :con 305 208 DEMONOMICON OF IGGWILV: KOSTCHTCHIE by James Jacobs Not even the icy Iron Wastes can contain Kostchtchie, Demon Prince of Wrath, GIANTS OF XEN’DRIK by Jason Bulmabn and Amber E. Scott Choose sides in a guerilla war between drow and giant dans. EXCURSION: FOUR TRANSPORTS by Martin Ralya Around the block or around the wworld—get where you need to be SEA SERPENTS bby Morgan Peer and Tracy Peer Deadly and devious dragons from the depths, ECOLOGY OF THE ANNIS HAG by F Wesley Schneider Beware witches who luxk with iron claws and a hunger for flesh.ea 8 10 4 FROM THE EDITOR Erik talks about selling the magazine. SCALE MAIL Readers respond! FIRST WATCH Previews, news, and gear for gamers. LASS} 72 76 BAZAAR OF THE BIZARRE Check out what giants have in their bags besides just rocks. SPELLCRAFT Unearth the titanic power of artifact spells. ‘SAGE ADVICE ‘The Sage answers your rules questions. GAMER GUIDE CLASS ACTS Options and insights for your favorite classes. COMICS ON THE COVER Eva Widermann shows us that, some- times, size does matter. July 2008 oacon 34s EISELLING TISELE As ‘weeks ago I ran into legendary Deacon editor Kim Mohan while wandering the halls of Wizards ofthe Coast Kim took the reins of this magazine in issue #49, guid- {ng it through its most popular period, when the early 80s fad status of DuncxoNs Dracons brought with it Satur- day morning cartoons, national controversy, and more than 1¢0,0c0 regular Deacon readers. When long-time readers speak fondly of Dzacow’s proud past, theyre usually thinking of Kim’s era. These days Kim's the managing editor for the DAD line—just about every book with the D&D logo crosses his desk before it goes tothe printer. I was pleased to see him, and awkwardly shufiled through my papers while standing Jjustoutside the elevator.’ come to Wizards for final approval ‘of Dracox +344, and I wanted to show Kim a color printout of Steve Prescot’ beautifil cover for the issue. “That's a nice cover." Kim said earnestly, shaking his head in wonder. “Thirty years!” couldn't stop myself from a bit of self-criticism. “It is a stunning cover,’ I said. “I only wish we didn't have to put these blurbs all over the art to convince people to buy it” Kim nodded knowingly. Back in his era, art from folks like Larry Elmore or Keith Parkinson was seldom obscured by text like “8 Awesome Monsters in this Issue!” or “3 Sinis- ter Sea Serpents!" It was a different time. “The idea back then, of course,” Kim added sagely, “was that the magazine sold itsel£” ‘The magazine doesn't sell itself anymore. These day keeping the audience interested and engaged in the maga- ine involves a near-scientific balance of the right editorial content, great covers with sell text to make it jump off the shelves, and a steady stream of special content like posters and other premiums. There are alot of voices clamoring for your dollar these days that the magazine didn't have to deal with in the early 8os:a legion of d2o publishers churning ‘out D&D-compatible material, the endless (and often fee) wonders of the World Wide Web, and even an aggressive publishing schedule of official D&D content that takes what ‘might once have been a single Dracow article and expands it into an excellent hardcover volume. ‘The game industry itself has had a tough couple of years, with hundreds of game retailers shutting down their opera- BME 2.00305 12005 tions. Fach store that goes under takes a handfal of copies out of, circulation. Once you've got several hundred handfuls, the impact is profound. Magazines across the board are seeing their circulations dwindle as newsstand competition grows more and more fierce and as corporate consolidation puts the decision of which magazines to carry into the hands of fewer and fewer people. Think about where you've purchased Draco in the past Is the magazine still available there? Subscriptions are only part of the answer. I'm very happy to report that subscription trends for both Dracow and DUNGEON magazines are positive, and that we expect to see significant growth in both magazines this year. More sub- scriptions is great for us, but newsstand sales are inered- ibly important too. Every Draco magazine at your local bookstore or game store is one potential new reader, and ‘every new reader isa potential lifelong fan of DUNGFONS & Deacons and a player in your next campaign. Our news stand distribution ensures that D&D reaches all corners of the United States and beyond. ‘There are some encouraging signs on the horizon. Reader response to new features like the Demonomicon of Iggwilv and Core Beliefs is overwhelmingly positive, and (according to our reader surveys) most folks now believe that DracoN ‘magazine is on the right editorial path, New game stores are appearing to replace those that have fallen even as huge retailers like Barnes & Noble are realizing how important specialty magazines sales are to their business, But these places are only going to carry Dacon, DuNckow, and other niche magazines ifyou ask for them and buy them. Because these days, nothing sells itsele ERIK. Erik Mona Editor-in-Chief crikm@ paizo.com__ EGS MALE MALL Tell us what you think ofthis issue. Send an email to sealemail@paizo.com. Please include your name, city, and state. YOU EONNY ExoUGi Issue #342 of Dracon was an excellent issue. I loved it all. Core Belief is an excellent feature, simply because it’s good to see GuevHaws is still among the living. “Beyond the Pa intriguing, although it reminded me of “Dead or Alive?” (from issue #210). “Ecology of the Adventures” was laugh out loud fimny. ‘Now that I've said that I loved it, here comes the inevitable however: While this wasagreatissue of Dracow, it was by my standards only an okay April issue of Dzacon. There are two things Took forward to every year: The April issue of Dracon and the October issue of Deacon. My favorite things to find in an April issue of Dracow are funny articles that can be brought to the game table, like “The Crazed Book of Mog” from issue #204,“The Factions” in issue #216, and the “Monstrous Compen- dium in issue #56. Thanks for listening, ‘was quite a Justin Taylor Walker, MI ave caught from Erik’ edito- rial in 34 point of contention that comes up h funny April issues isa © abou ery year. While it's true that Ina art of the magazi dition we'd be loath history and representa to end, just mentioning Deacon's Apri issue brings to mind images of raver g and “funny” file songs that don’ quite work, mini bears Now, admittedly, some would say that T 1 game, and the first Apri {issue I remember actually had a picture of 10 fumph disguise ech Suen bit jaded, I decided 10 give few of the back issues you mentioned a look. Forgive me if the doughy lothario offering a bouquet to some tarted-up beholder on 4156's cover ange my mind, urbing considering their anatomy from Lords of Madness, (This is all the more but I digress) Hipping to an article tha saris with the pun “Our n ‘maybe it's our worstiary” and reading through, U have to admit: death sheep, pigeontoads, spruce~pr funny. Seeing the tin golem that just got and_ kil «an overhaul in DRAGON #341 was also an Easter egg I wasnt expecting Score one for the nostalgia team. So, while I wouldn't hold my breath for 4@ hundred pages of questionable comedy next time April rolls around, rest assured that humor will always be a part of the magazine. While we're not going to let our ‘attempts at humor trump cool new rules ‘and ideas for your D&D game, you can that every April we'l mix in bits (tke Tony Moseley’s “Ecology ofthe Adventurer’) that are legitimately pretty funny. Or, at least, things 1 fiunny.-WS DEHOLDERS GE TAN LIMES@22 A few Octobersago (Scale Mail, Deacon ‘#324) you asked for reader response to the idea of a Dracow swimsuit issue to include beholders in bikinis. I know this is a year and a half out of date, but for some reason that mental image has been stuck in my head ever since.I'm sending along the picture that resulted when I finally had no choice Dut to paint the scene myself. I hope you guys are proud of yourselves. Thanks! Mike Rayhawk Via Email I Tam along-time gamer and ardent sub- scriber to both Daacow and DuxcEon ‘magazines, but I have only written in a handful of times. I'm writing today about the fentastic art I've been see- ing lately! The first was the cover art of Juiblex on Duncron 432 (sorry, I don't mow the artist's names—the maga- Zines are filed away right now), but was quickly followed by the artwork of the fang dragon Xyzanth attacking the bal- lista of Kongen-Thulnir on page 64 of DUNGEON #133, Then, lo and behold, 1 ‘was surprised with the stunning white dragon on the cover of Dracon #342 and Dragotha on DuNcEON #134! Now I see a preview for Daacon #344 withan outstanding portrait of Tiamat herselfl Iwas writing to inquire if it is at al possible to acquire these works of art as... well, works of art? Something por- trait-sized I can proudly hang from the ‘walls of my home! Is there any intention of offering these pieces to subscribers or ‘making them available at wizards.com? Thanks very much! Keep up the great work on both Duncron and Deacon magazines. Alfred J. Garcia ‘Anaheim, CA While we don't have plans to release special prints of DRAGON covers, we are currently ie on The Art of zine: 30 Years of the World's Best at DRAGON Maga: tasy Art, a 160-page hardcover the finest art from our first three decad Look for the book this in bookstores and hobby stores everywhere. With at from (ole) folks like Wayse Reynolds, Larry Elmore Keith Parkinsen, Brom, Todd Lockwood, Steve Prescott, and mon you definitely won't want to miss it. -EM Tamanew reader and subscriber to your maguzine, as vell as a new D&D player. First of ll I love your magazine. It helps young players such as my brother and me better understand the rules. I espe cially ove the Class Acts. But why do you only put a lot of the basic classes? I am making anew character at the moment to start playing the Age of Worms Adven- ture Path, and I was hoping to see some- thing for my character, a warmage! Now have complaint about readers. Not enough people are teaching their kids about D&D. If we are not careful those who phy D&D will be reduced to but a few. Yes I know D&D has been around fora long time, but still. But thank you very much for help- ing my brother and me out. So keep the Class Acts coming and congrats on thirty yeats of helping kids like me survive the world of D&D, Kai Hull Via Email Hy, we'e glad to hear that Class ding es of Wizards ofthe helping. Keep checking im with th Acts. Since issve #39 we've been di Coasts “Complte” line of books (Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, et) and t fer information supp those books foes on. At the moment see'e not ating all the classes siting on any warmage Class Acts, ut it's ct, you have any ideas fel free to drop usa proposal a: dragon@ paiza.com Have fun with your game and be sure fiends how to play. One fan an do ks interested thar all the cool advert the world. Good luck! -WS@ Contact us for a quote on Quality, T-shirt Printing! 1 800=900"9056 DUT TE7 PREVIEWS, NOTES, AND NEWS FOR GAMERS > IEW RELEASES Who doesn't need more monsters? This month, author Gwendolyn EM. Kestrel unleashes more than a hun dred 1 Mons catalog of creature w butchers and beasties with * Manual IV. Not just a typical each entry pr ents a wealth of details: sp for Knowl gies, new lo ige checks, ample encounters, and more. N of these terrors also already have fig. ures for use in D&D Miniatures, like the fearsome spawn of Tiamat lo with the new Wa set. Monster Manual IV also includes maps grand tombs, and numerous full- wilderness la subte such as anean mining camps, Explore ERERrow f Xen’arik. Investigating unexplored jungles and fallen civilizations, Enexnow creator Keith Baker, along with Jason Bulmahn and Amber E. cara dark continent ith Secret one of D&D's deadliest frontiers. Discover the true origins of the warforged race along with the ancient m warped by magi al cataclysm, More a travelogue, than just Secrets. of Xen‘drik reveals new encounter traps, pil ers from. the asights on ex ge_mons arped past, usable n any campaign, and tie-ins to D&D Online: Stormreach NEXT MONTH IN DRAGON #346 POE) Naan Cros eae peace ee ean eee? ecg Coe learn wha heroism shaped this countrys war ravaged past, what plots threaten ee ae “Share w n what stirs deep collapsed caves of Di The fourth in agon-haunted locales detailed ot double-sided le. Scaled for both D&D ans atures play, these maps tie age adventure by Ed Stark, testing players in such locale the Spawnscale Nursery and Dragon Graveyard. several of this monthis other releases Dragond the new the Dragon C Complementing utilizes beasts from Manual 1V and War of len set of D&D Mini Een Ree en het ara ia tt)reported by Shelly Baur, Joshua Cole, and Mike I. Fiegel This month, Goodman Games (goodmangames.com) expands their new miniatures line with a horde of metal monstrosities. Complimenting their ENnie Award-nominated Dungeon Crawl Classies adventure series and related hero miniatures comes a horde of figures inspired by some of fantasy’s most popular and ferocious beasts. This, month's debut unleashes the Rampaging Owlbear, Darkmantle, Deadly Fungus, Swarm of Stirges,and several ‘more. Many of these monsters are specifically chosen not Just for their recognizability but for their usefulness in maeng past Dungeon Crawi Classics modules Owlbear “We're constantly adding new figures,” says Goodman Games owner Joseph Goodman. “I currently have ten sculpts that aren't displayed yet; starting after Gen Con, look for three to Basilisk four releases every month.” Lizarafolk Cleric GAMING ON COMMON GROUND Attempts to bring the tabletop roleplaying experience to the Internet have been mixed, but it seems the future of roleplaying is trending toward the web. Games like Neverwinter Nghtsand D&D Online: Stormreach offer a graphical interface, while products like OpenRPG, WebRPG, and ScreenMonkey use less flashy web-based tools to handle dice-rolling, mapping, and the like. ‘What these products have in common is that they lose some of the trappings of tabletop gaming—inchuding the tabletop itself One attempt torecover this traditional gaming felis Fantasy Grounds (fantasygrounds. ‘com, which developer Ville Renvall cals a"‘genuine tabletop simulator” that features bouncing 3D dice, shared “handouts,” and a builtin dao niles reference. The Windows-based Fantasy Grounds takes a noble step toward the inevitability of gathering with your friends to roleplay online, bout lacks at least two elements present in “reallife” gaming, The first is voice conversation (left out intentionally according to developer Tero Parvinen), which means that gamers looking to talk to one another will need to use a product like Skype, Teamspeak, or Ventrilla. The other ‘missing element? Snacks. > THE DRAGON QUEEN Behold the legions of the Dragon Queen and despair! The tenth sct of Dunceons & DRAcoNS Miniatures releases this month with Wor ofthe Dragon Queen, Tiamat herself, Queen of the Dragons, leads this draconic assault as one of twelve new Huge-sized minis, creatures ofa size not seen since the Giants of Legend set in 2004, Among her hordes rampages new monstrosities like the spawn of ‘Tiamat, dragon-imbued minions ofthe Chromatic Dragon frst featured in the super-adventure Red Hand of Doom and further detailed in the nevly released Monsier Manual IV. The Dragon Queen's brood aren't the only new terrors unleashed with this set. Serpentine horrors like the Yaun-ti Sorcerer and classic pests like the Stirge— complete with a clear base making it look as though it were flying—also appear. Besides the Strge, several miniatures make use of new clearand transparent colored plastic, allowing for effects and greater realism than any previous D&D Minis st. ‘Aspect of Tamat ‘Yaun-ti Sorcerer Stige +2008 onacon 54s EIFIRST WATCH - This month, McFarlane | Newly rereleased on DVD | Everyone knows what vam Toys (spawn.com) releases | comes one of the definitive | pires are, and what it takes theirfourthseriesofdragon | works of any gaming movie | to put one back in the figures, TheFallfthe Dragon | library, the Princess Bride, | ground, but few know the Kingdom, This latest line of | Getting more than just new | true origins of these crea six mighty monstrosities | packaging, this reissue is | tures of the night. White continues the tradition of | available as either the But- | Wolf's Mythologies fills in its predecessors—highly tercup Edition or the Dread | the blanks for both players detailed figures suitable / Pirate Edition. Despite the | and Storytellers of Vampire for gaming, collecting, or | distinctboxes,both versions | The Requiem. Authors Robin just showing off. Figures / of the widescreen feature | D, Laws, Ken Hite, and oth in the set include the two- ; come with the same extras, | crs. reveal an assortment headed Berserker Clan including commentary by | of vampiric legends and Dragon, a high-flying Fire } author William Goldman, | rumors,along with the truth dragon (pictured | the Dread Pirate Roberts: ! of where vampires really above), and the deluxe / Legend ofthe Seven Seasmoc- | came from, what mythical Komodo Clan Dragon—a { kumentary,and the Fezzil’s | creatures they truly fear, menacing green wyrm ! GuidetoHorinbooklet,along | and the perched over his beautiful | with additional featurettes, | ease that is slowly destroy- captive—each including a | commentaries, and even ! ingall of the blood-sucking cataclysmic tale penned by | a Quotable Battle of Wits | undead. Learn more online ‘Todd McFarlane, Trivia Game at white-wolf:com, rare of the dis cccmeni ae i | eect eee Too big to conveniently transport and easily stained by the wrong kind of marker, the ubiquitous battlemat often proves a graver challenge than the dungeon it depicts. Steel Sqwire's (steelsqwire.com) new Flip-Mats provide an alternative. These lami- nated 24-inch by 30-inch cardstock mats canbe folded up for easy trans- port, and once deployed can handle dry, wet er or permanent markers. You can choose Flip-Mats with: blank inch grids, hexs, or one of three typi- cal adventuring scenes, like the Forest Path, illustrated by Jason Engle.FIRST WATCH THE 2006 ENNIES Voting for the sixth annual ENnie nominees determined by a panel of five fan-selected judges, voters deter- mine the past year’s best pen-and- paper roleplaying products spanning a variety of categories: Best Rules, Best Writing, Best Cover Art, Best Adventure, and more. As a change from previous years, fans will select Best Publisher by offering online nominations (accepted between June 26th and July oth). Fullvoting for each category takes place at enworld.org between July 17th and July 30th, the results of which will be announced | fn an awards ceremony at Gen Con | Indy on August 11th, This year sees a sad yet exciting time for the RPGA. It seems strange t. about things ending when the RPGA is at its largest and most active ever. Ten yeats ago, Claire and Keith Hoffman spearheaded 2 group of volunteers that had a dream. They came to the then- RPGA staff with a dream to offer a 10- year gothic horror campaign based on the TSR and now Wizards of the Coast campaign setting, MASQUE oF THE Reo Dear. Their plan was to seare D&D horror fans to roleplaying death, and this they did up unto this day! Their rich, roleplaying-intense campaign, BEY oe acon space | Abandoned by an interstellar ali- awards opens this month. With most | ance, mauled by mutants, assailed by aliens... life ain't easy for the people of Samaria, the setting for Dark Age: Genesis, the mis game from Dark Age Games (dark- age.com). It won't get any easier with this month's release of Dark Age: Evolution, adding two new fac- tions to this war-torn wasteland, each mini ready to use in battle or in equally brutal roleplaying. Most cover art to the metal miniatures themselves, Dark Age is rooted in the inimitable artwork of Brom, architect of some of second edition D&D's darkest images, sadly closes its tomb doors this year. Fans of the Livine Deavht Campaign owe a huge debt of gratitude to the thousands of hours of chilling excite- ment they and their volunteers have given us aver that decade. The Living Death Campaign culminates in a spe- cial set of adventures planned for Gen Con Indianapolis 2006. This year also saw the last episode of our Livine Force Campaign appear at Winter Fantasy. This, initially under the piloting of Jae Walker and her band of dedicated volunteers, became cone of the top four campaigns in the atures skirmish | WOLFGANG BAUR Act like a Renaissance prince and become a patrom of the Steam & Brass adventure at the Open Design project (customadventure.livejournal.com), Participants form a small group who | direct how veteran game designer and | former Deacon editor Wolfgang Baur pulls together the theme, monsters, level, and other details of a complete | adventure commissioned through votes and fan feedback. Contribu- F tors receive regular online updates, notably, from concept sketches to | including game design tips and a behind the scenes look at how sug- gestions mold the adventure. When Wolfgang is done, contributors will also receive a limited electronic edi- tion of the adventure ita RPGA universe. This tradition was upheld by Master Jedi August and Cynthia Hahn in the later episodes of the campaign. it's hard to express the thank you these people and their vol unteer staff deserve. \ want to extend the RPGA staff's sincere thank you to the Hoffmans, to Jae Walker, and to the Hahns ‘and all our volunteers who help make the RPGA campaigns—past, present, and, future—so special and exciting. To those whe would like to offer their help we encourage you to contact us on the RPGA website, ppga.com.Ween) — AOSHI Prince of Beara By JAMES JACOBS « ILLUSTRATED BY ANDREW How though wrathfal Kostchtchie (KOSS-chubechee) ‘was not always a demon in body, his anger and hhatred marked him as one in soul, As 2 mortal ‘man, his hatred knew no limits—he vas only happy in his anger, and satisfied in his misery. {© Perhape the Kernel of his hatred layin his hideous cou- tenance. With twisted limbs and misshapen visage, it seems doubtfl that any tribe would welcome him as one of their own. Spurned by women, abandoned by family, all Kostehtchie had to call his own was his anger. Forced. to live at the edge of society, Kostehtchie __ grew powerful. His return to the tribe that spumed hhim was marked by ruin, He murdered the young “women who had mocked him in youth and estab- lished himself as the kilg by crushing the skull ofthe . gurrent chieftain in his twisted, massive hands All _avho rose against him found Ro,timit to the amount » "of pain and Solence tis body could absorb and in® Tenth All fll tosh, In truth, Kostchtchie encountered something. even ‘more foul than he in his years living in the wilderness: ‘Baba Yaga, the old witch of the woods. Kastchtchie’s ini- tial reaction to the strange woman was to attack, but when the old witch effortlessly put him down time and time again, he finally stopped to listen to what she had fo sty. Her reasons for taking an interest in Kostchtchie remaiit unknown, but what is known is that she gave him a teri- bie gift—a set of skulls alteréd to serve as containers. The largest was a frost giant skull, and within were nested an ogre’s skull, a human's skall, 3 alflings skull, and finaly the sll ofa lowly quasit. Within this inner skull hid a ‘potent black diamond, one capable oflocking away a mor- tal-soul. By hiding his soul in these interlocking skulls, Kostchtchie's body became invulnerable. >> As years grew into decades, Kosichtchie's rule gained {gat Oflepend His tide wrew vas. yet seemediot fogs Indeed, ith cach passing yer his ange seemed to “gro, fenniote physely Ores roeogre, and then @’giant, and in time his tribe and tales of his murderous rages drew theattentibn of powerful ‘lestial paragon named Guynharwyf ‘The powerful eladrin led a great army against Kostchtchie, yet her forces were unable to break the iramortal barbarians back. When she discos ceed The location of Kostchtchie'’s hidden soul and erushed the gem- sstorte within, his soul returned to his ody, carrying with it a dozen life- times of rage. He slew his own armies 10.2 man, and in the aftermath was fo6 exhausted to defend himself as Gwynharwyf stood beforé hima and ended his hateful li And that is where the tale ofalesser * soul would end. Yet Kostehichie was anything but, and when bis hateful soul became lodged in a glacier deep ‘in the Abyss, it began to grow anew. é This andyleggd,n.foottall giant strides rough the banks of Hood-sianed snow witha thunderous ror. He wilson * immense iron maul, his malformed Dead ~< jutting above his hunched shoulders and : ‘naring a bestia mask of rage +. KOSTCHTCHIE cr ‘CE Huge outsider (chaotic, cold, evil extraplanar, tanar'i) 3 Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 f., true sexing Listen +39, Spot 39 Languages Abyssal, Common, Dracaniie, Giant; telepathy 300 f. Ps th S ACAG, touch 14, flat-footed 48-2 <7 size, 42 Dex, +24 natural, +8 armor, F +4 deflection) “bhp 615 (30 HO); DR 20/cald iron, epic, ~ and good Immune cold, critical hits, clectriety, poison, ‘sneak attack Resist acid 10, fire 10; SR 42 A. © Fort 331, Ref 23, will <27 Weakness vulnerable to fre Spd-30 A in hide armor: 40 base - Melee +3 ic) burst iruebane cid iron mau! #39/+34/+29/474 (2d8448/19-20/s8 plus 1d6 cold [plus 2416 colon © sixfn gered hands Kostchtchie has found a dangerous potential ally in this new quest—the ancient demon lord Obox-ob, Prince of Vermin, A mon- ster fiom a ‘ime before the tana came to the Abyss, Obox-ob was in fact a member of a precursor race of demons inown as the obyriths Once the P-ince of Demons bim- self, Oboxecb had spent countess millennia in hiding on the 663td player of the Abyss, a ‘nightmare realm called Zionyn. In Obox-ob, Kostchtchie found a kindred spisit, 2 creature fled with such hatred of the-tanar'i and possessed of sucht power that his outlandish goal of demonic genocitle'séemed almost Playsible. To date, Kostchtchie's ened geeks, gamers, and tech-heads Co Vitlnog Ro ACERT TAE WE DO THEREST Wier la Vale) June 30 - July 2 Ltelel ented Pas Lar el cel)= Sreproguction—many eS Plart PEs |ONO! ~ attempis to secretly secure an alliance with Obox-ob have failed, either due to:the Prince of Wrath's impa- tience with diplomatic overtures or due to the Prince of Vermin’s penchant for eating visivors before giving them a chance to speak. The end tesult ofsuch an ali- ance, should it ever come to be, could throw the entire ‘Abyss into turmoil Kostonone's Cut KoaeHichiSS acoso penal. of tober SC Got giants, although it’s not unusual to see tribes of human- ‘oid or ogre barbarians venérating him as well. Worship of. Pehle Sonat tite tbe enon pooh far iNecoalecReiced es hort ne roel ont slaughtered as quickly as they can be discovered. Kost- Bich cia ad by extension hie stant cals tend’s to view his humanoid and egal ay eae ‘™ore than tools or slaves. There's little fom fr ciple: ‘macy or subtlety Sy ane of the Prine oF Wath, His cults yee Geter tee toaniaing al pages hee ad es ee dont pledge their stato Kostchtehie to theate Women bare acmaiginal sole. Kashchtchie tiibes, is calts-are’ Herel Tlsogynisi and on taids, women are typically Erie mall 15 be street ait uch Geta. to dheae sola gSievcitcea. be aes tied peat their numbers through Naluats author tea tribal cults don't con- sider themselves. “pure” if they count any women among “their numbers Certainly, no females count themselves ‘among, his priest. ~ hood. To most cul ists of Kostchtchie, women serve only .. “one fiinction— ag, sacrifices 08 >. Rostchtchie. ~ JMICON OF IGGWILV: ns Correa Most serifcial rituals to Kostchtchig fallow a similar > thethe. Tid woraato bé sucsHiced is Bench aaah in ceremonial armor and weapons to make her resemble any local womeri of power in neighboring tribes or cities In the cases where there are no such targets, his cultists usualy dress the sacrifice in revealing robes and ritual Jeather armor, strap ceremonial scimitars into het hands, and dye her hair silver, creating an image of Gwynhar- swyf in effigy. Once the sacrifice is prepared, the doomed ‘woman is brought to a pair of stone menhirs located at the edge of the tribe's compound, Sheis chained between these pylons bythe wrists and ankles, after which she is allowed to languish, exposed to the elements, Usualy,2° cleric casts endure elements upon her to prevent her death from frostbite, but this is not always the case: ‘Once the appripriate amount of time has passed, the caltleades approaches the woman and givesheran oppor tunity to accept Kostehtchic into her heart. Those who a so are immediately executed with any lange, heary Dludgeoning weapos, and their spirits are shunted directly tothe Iron Wastes, where they become lodged anguish in eternal torment—when the Prince of ‘Wrath does visit them, it is only to mock and tor- ‘ment them further. Those who refuse Kostchtchies “merey” can look forward to a much ‘more horrifying end. Tribal cults of Kos- tchtchie are always located near the lair of some great and dangerous mon- {y ster, typically this is an advanced fiendish remothax, a frost wyrm, ‘ora white dragon. When the socrifice refuses miercy, ‘mundane manner, as with but sometimes using spells like sending). |The creature arrives within minutes tearsathe sacrifite loose, and. retums with the woman to its lair to eat or course, once death clans the sacrifice” in this event; her in fields of glaciers and ice. These spirits are left to ~ the high priest summons. * the monster (usually in a a huge drum or gong, * torment her. OF . split remains °F free and isnot”strong souls is passage into the Life The loss of these souls annoys Kostchtchie; bt he takes solace in the Knowledge that their ends we ticularly painful and gruesome. Clerics of Kostehtchie have access to the domains of Chaos and Evil ‘They also have actess to the Winter domain (detailed in Frosthurn) and the Fury domain (detailed in Fiendish Cader ). Ifyou don't use one of these Bobs in your campaign, replace he, Winter domain with the Wa domain, and the Fury domain with the Strength domain. Kostchtchie's favored. weapon is the mer (or maul, if you use Coniplete Warrior in your game), His symbol is a ham. ‘mer rimed in bloody ice. THRALL OF KOSTCHTCHIE Thrall of Kostchtchie are savage and cruel barbarians who have excised from their minds all emotions save fb fury and rage. The leader of a tribe dedicated to Kostchtchie Is ast alvays one of his thrlls, yet not all-of his thralls are leaders. A {ait amount of them are loners who aren't associated with particular twibe. A thrall might be a human barbarian who has fallen under the Prince of Wrath’ sway, or an ogre who discovered an ancient shrine to Kostehtchie in the mountains. These Ione thrall serve a8 proxies on the Material Plane, often drawing small groups of monsters ot bandits to their side to aid them in raids on more peaceful groups ‘The majority of Kostchtchie’s Uhalls re barbarians. Multiclassed thralls are relatively common, espe ally burbarian/fighters and barbar ianfrangers. Spellcasters tend not to become thrals, since the class not coal stalls their spellcasting advance- ‘ment bat the thrall’s most potent sveapon, the barbarian rage, prevents + spelleasting Nevertheless a rare few spelleasters with the capitity to east ragesometimes takelevelsinthis lags, in which case they use spels almost exclusively prepare for or recover Fiein combat—spelcastings thralls * of Kostchtchie find casting spells in combat to bea waste of time. Requirements To qualify tobecome a thrall of Kost htchie, a character must full all of ihe following criteria: Alignment: Chaotic evil Gender: Male Skills: Intimidate 9 ranks, Knowl edge (religion) 4 ranks. Feats: Power Attack, Thrall to Demen (Kostchtchie), Weapon Focus {any bludgecning seapon) Special: Ability to rage as a class ability racia! ability, or by being able to cast rage Special: Must seek out a male frost giant and convince him to convert to the worship of Kostchtchie, or must Kill no fewer than ten frost giants who reflise convert Class Features ‘The following are class featured ofthe thrall of Kosichtchie prestige dss. Weapon and Armor Proficiency ‘Thrall of Kostehtchie “gain no additional proficienéy with weap- Disfigured (Ex) When a creature becomes 4 thrall of Kostchtchie, his appearance twists and deforms He becomes hideously ugly to look upon, The thrall forevermore takes a penalty equal to his clase level on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Gather Information checks, but he gains am equal bonuson all intimidate checks The saving throw DCs for any fear esTects he creates increase by 2. Ability Increases: As a thrall of Kostchtzhie gains levels, his Strength and Constitution. scores prove as he grows larger and ‘more muscular, These are ability score increases exactly like thoke gained every four levelsiand Stack With all other modifiers. ‘Rage (Ex} At and! level, a thrall of Kostchtchie gains the ability torage as-a barbarian’ once per day: Abst level, he may rage twice per day, and at Sth level, hemdy do $0 three times aay, the guna ths rage ailitysfom tr Who won the ye Po Seg Find out Fl da eth Buy them at your retailer. PLAY them Fl Origins 2007! SN mela 14press. aC acy Aha Cee Copier re a aes Bee You supplicate yourself to a demon prince in return for 2 small measure Benefit: Once per day, while performing an evil act, you may cll upon your Cane eee Eee Cees De ate ey ry : Ee a thrall to more than one demon. Nor may you take the Disciple of Darkness : feat (a similar feat that binds you to an archdevil). This feat fist appeared in Cees Base anit ee ADI ' Pe ae er . Ist 41 2 +0 Disfigured, ~ and 8 cme aero) <2 8 ee : ath, Py ce een Ea 4 eee) ou een eres a frees et Ce eee $ oa Secs Frees) Se eae sé Seca ao ee CU Leo wae ceed (eligion) (It), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str) another lass, these rages stack with those puined from tie other class, and canbe modified by class abilities he preter iips aad treks ge © Resist Cold (Ex): At and level, the hal gains cold resistance 10. Ths = + increases by10 pointsat sthlevel and bysmother 20 poiats at th lve : ‘Wrath Rage (Fs) At 3rd level, a thrall of Kostehichie ean select a favored enemy whenever he enters 3 a Fabes Use the lat of choles enh able to the ranger when making yous selection, Against creatures‘of his favored enemy type the thrall if Rosi: gins 2 4 Horta ot reap damage rll ‘Thick Skin (Ex At sth Tevel, the Eee caterers ecieee to incorporate thickened skin. This improves the tral natural armsor Se 3 Unfetered Anger (Es): At 6 level, the thrall becomes immune 1 the = ces of the etn tions ps], While i d.zogs, be is imimainetorchacm o- sat ind “DRAGON 305 Juty ode * mess Sai cffcts and gains 2-44 bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. Fiendish Rage (Su): At 7th level, a thrall of Kostchtchie gains the fiendish creature template when- ever he rages. ‘Summon Hound of Kostchtche (Sp) ‘At oth level, a thrall of Kostchtchie can summen one of the Prince of Wrath’s leucrotta hounds to serve him for 10 rounds in combat. Sum- moning the hound is a full-round action, and when it arrives, it follows the thrall’s spoke commands. If no commands are given, i instinctively attacks the thrall8’ enemies, ‘This ability can be used once per day. ‘Wrathfal Apotheasis (Su When a thrall of Kostehtchie seichet seth level, his body undergoes a terrific transformation. His size increases one category as he grows larger and more muscular. This crease does ‘not impart any changes tothe thrall’s ily scares (sind théve changes re Ff ct spread out during the cot ofthe thally cass levels but his new size category dors ffapact his Armor Cléss and attack rolls as appari His natural armor bonus increases by sz, and his space and reach increase to match his new size category. The thrall of Kostchtchie gains the cold subtype when he undergoes. his vvrathfal apotheosis. the thrall was originally a humanoid or monstrous humanoid, his type changes to giant. Kostehtchie's favored minions are, of course, frost giants. He actu ally fancies himself a paragon of the frost giant race, despite tech- nically being an outsider. Few are brave enough to challenge him on his claims, His frost giant minions range wildly, from hulking barbar- ians to’sinister shamans. Perhaps the most feared of his gia ions, though, are the frost mage ‘These spellcasting giants are not only the myth-makers and story- keepers of Kostchtchie’s cult, but they also serve as his diplomats. Of course, diplomacy for a minion of Kostchtchie generally amounts to charm and dominate spells used to secure the unwavering: loyalty of lesser kings and princes. The typical frost mage is a frost giant Dard s/frost mage 7 (the frost mage prestige class is detailed on page“ 59 of Frosiburn), Frost giant minions who excel at spreading Kostchtchie’s agenda on the Material Plane can look forward to attracting the Prince of Wrath's attention. In this event, Kostchtchie sends his aspect (6x even an astral projection of his true form) to-observe the giants and evaluate their skill at murder and conversion. IF they please him, hae offets them a place in the tron ‘Wastes, a shortcut to the afterlife that bypasses the painful stages of death and becominga’petitioner. 1f they fail 0:please him, Kostchtchie slays them all ina fit of rage. ‘On the Ino Wastes, Kostehtehie’s™ fost giant arthies” are “vast. and -seemingly without end. These armies dwell in. countless caverns and mountaintop citadels, yet there remains” plenty of wilderness for more dangerous creatures to inhabit, All. manner of cold:climate mon- sters dwell in Kostehtchic's realm, including immense fiendish frost worms, advanced remorhazes, white dragons, and worse. Kostchtchie himself maintains a close fiendship (péthaps his only friendship) with a ‘great white wyrm named Svafhi. This friendship is all he more curious in that Svathir is a female dragon—it seems likely Kostchtehie’s misogyny isn’t all-inclusive. Kostchtchie is also quite fond ‘of a large group of dangerous and legendary fiendish leucrotta. These monsters’ capacity for cruelty-and their penchant for tormenting prey simply for the thrill of torment please the Prince of Wrath, who stes a bit of his own temperment in the vicious killers. These immense monsters are quite common in his glacial citadel, where they se¥ve the $4.Dee) 423 aatueal)® = Prince of Wrath ae guardians, hunt- “hp 279 18 HO}: fast heling 5; BRO ‘fs, and pets in much the same way great mastifs serve human kings. He even refers to these ménsters as his hounds, These legendary flend- ish leverolta are nearly three times the size of their lesser Material Plane counterparts, measuring nearly 30 feet in length: Kostehtchie enjoys tossing these monsters pieces of hhis victims still clad in fragments of their armror, as their adamantine teeth crunch through metal and bone with satisfying snaps. HOUND OF KOSTCHTCHIE Feendish legendary advanced leucrotta CE Huge outsider (cold, extraplanar) ity of Splenders: Waterdeep 136, Monster ‘Manual 107, Menster Mana Init +8; Senses darkvision 60°. light vision, scent Listen 1 C25, touch Wat Tooied D1 C2 siee, Nal Celie arotuae smragic ‘ Immune charm, ald, compulsion Resist re 10; SR 23 Fort +24 (428 against disease and . poison), Ref +18, Wall +10 Weakness vulnerable to fire Spd 50, cimb 208% ‘Mates bite +22 (346+20/19-20/x3 plus poison) Space 15 fj Reach 10 8. Base Atk +18; Grp +36 ‘Ak Options Improved Bull Ruch, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, smite ood I/day (+18 damage) Wis 13, cha Sq adamantine bite, ron guts; mimicry, sure footed Feats Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), tnproved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor (2), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (bite) Ae, Sd hd CM ELL kL Le When you are badly in need of healing, parched, famished or just plain weary, there are few sights more welcome than EOC Ru em a tout co a3 low Spot +22 MUU eae Tg painted, assembled and ready to use Pe ee eee Coe ad SMR eR cue a Oe Ce UCR nue OM um rium Ts Bs Seo ee er DOCG Re CCM ar Ralcarag Pe ae ee oe es ee mR metas Eee es aN Src ere Mc tek)ee ae Settnighters! tt Ge : i Sills But +1 (49 mimicking voices Climb +18, Hide 4 (8 in mountainous terrain), Jump 439, Move Sent $25, Spot +22, Survival +22 ‘Adamantine Bite (Ex) Ahound of Kostchtchie deals bite damage a: ifits teeth were magic adamantine ‘weapons bath for purposes oF bypassing the hardness of objects and {fr dyercoming damage reduction. On a citcal hit a hound of Kostehighie's + Bite deal triple damage. tron Guts (Ex)A hound of Kostchtchie has a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison. ‘Mimiery (E44 hound of Kostchtchie has the ability to mimic animal cries 2d votees in any language. tt can duplicate the voices ofits vies, including sereams, with uncanny ‘accuracy A hound of Kestchtchie has 248 racial bonus on Bluff checks made to imitate another's voice, and it uses its Wisdom modifier (instead ‘f Charisma) when making Bluff and Disguise checks. Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 29, inital and secondary damage 146 Strength. The save DC is Constittion-based ‘Sure-Footed (E3) A hound of Kostchtchie has a +4 racial bonus on Balance checks, and it ignores movement penalties for moving on slopes s¢ roads are also the most heavily uncommon to” éticounter small However, ahound ofKoschtcie patrolled region of the Iron Wastes. groups of demons here, but forthe = = = lack hands, and thus cannotelimb Those who use them would do well ‘most part such bands at lost or hi. od r9pes oF veri wall to disguise themselves.as fost giants, ing from even more perilous situa- ” if possible tions Kostchtchie often goes onlong, = Beyond the central region con- hunting trips between campaigns to The Iron Wastes were not always trolled by the Prince of Wrath, the seek out these pockets of tanar’s, under the control of Kostehtchie, bt razor-edged ice mountains and bringing along Srafhir,ahalf dozen 4. {in the centuries the Prince of Wrath. grinding glaciers ofthe Iron Wastes of his hounds, and a small platoon has ruled this frozen realm they have reign supreme. Although Kostchtchie of frst giant fighters more 38 wit- 3 certainly. prospered. The cenffal’ enjoys exploring these regions and _nefses than for support, The maf ‘ region of what was once an inhos- claiming them for his own, he has exception to this rule are the myse > pitable region of jagged glaciers and still, in the hundreds of years he's. terious thatawham demons (sce the towering mountains is now, after 2 ruled the Iron Wastes, only explored exid of this section for details on fashion almost civilized compared to fraction of this endless expanse ‘of these monsters} many othet Abyssal ayers. Ofcourse, inhospitable terrain, A number of Key locations exist this consists of legions of wrathfil Although the Iron Wastes are the inthe Tron Wastes. Two of the most 7 * frost giants—only in the Abyss could. 23rd ayer ofthe Abyss they ate some- important and_one of the most sticha place seem chlized: Vast roads . what surprisingly free of tana'ipres- obscure ar detailed below. - ut into the mountains, built fo eage ence. This is primarly'due to Kost The Glacier Citadel: Kos." "ss the transport of Kostehchie’s artes chtchie'’s intolerance ofpther demons, . tehtchie's palace is eatjed ff0ti-an ae and provide créatures withogh flight ° and partially due"to'tle inhospitable immense glacier that flow#hetweeti” =a 'finly easy methodof trevelyyet GHatyse of the frozen tealin, Ws'not {wo great peaks neathe core ofthe = 5 ®ion Wastes, The Prince of Wrath’s. the lime Gravt beghn. his secret ; masons and ‘architects, skilled “seduction of the Prince of Wrath in © 2 giants all, must constantly rebuild ~-Malcanthets guise. Kostchtchie was =~ sections of this fortiess as portions ~ intrigued by the inky depths of the of it crumble away, sometimes due _Gventy-milelong canyon, and after * © tothe glacier’s constant but imper- sending a éozen scouting: parties : Ceptible’ motion, but more often into its depths finally’ decided to x ue to one of Kestchichie’s rages brave its secsets on his own. ‘These tremendous tantrums What he found in the depths leave large sections of his citadel of the rift vas an immense body, in ruins. The central section that nearly six-hundred feet long, of “yihouses Kostchtchie's personal _a long-dead but frozen creature, * quarters seems strangely’ stable, Kostehtchie could feel the echoes with the rest of the glacier flowing of the immense dead demon's around it. The halls of the Glacier utterly alien mind, and it was only Gitade] are patrolled by the hounds~ his indomiteble will that prevented of Kostchtchie, and his favorite him from succurnbing to its whis- frost mages tend to his needs and pers and going mad. His scouts “Keep him apprised of the attempts had not bea so luckys they turned. by his enemies to claim control of on each other and tore themselves, Stoldottir Gate, limb from limb. The memories Stoldottir Gate: Perhaps the most _of the dead creature flooded Kos- ‘important part of the Iron Wastes, _ tehtchie's mind, and he learned this Stoldottir Gate is now generally monster was creature from atime ‘recognized as the ‘center’ of this that predated the'tanar'si, a'erea- infinite realm. Kostchtchie came tute that had once ruled an Abyssal to the Iron Wastes ages ago, but it layer of its cwn but had been mur- wasntttuntil he created this: gate dered by another of ith kind and thathe bent the Abyssal layerto his hurled into the Iroh Wastes like willl and made it his own. This gate an immense mountain of garbage. ‘is a stable portal to Ysgard, created This creature was an obyrith lord when Rostchtchie sacrificed his named Veshvoriak. << own (and only) deformed daughter Since then, Kostehtchie has found ‘on the spot, the product of his rage himself drawn to this rift in those and anunfortunate valkyrie named times when destruction simply GeirskOgul. Their daughter, a crea- wouldn't do to soothe his mind, He ture of both Ysgard and the Abyss, found that turning himself over to ‘held within her existence the bridge the dead obyrith’s memories actu- necessary to forge such a gate. Kos- ally calmed his spit in ways nothing ‘<:_tehtehie was certain to make her before had. It was through these torment last for years in ffont of. memories thst Kostehtchie leaned of her boken, insane mother’s eyes— _ Obos-ob, and of late the braver of his Geirskgul’s despair was as impor- minions whisper among themselves tant a factor to the portals longevity of the strange and ternifjing calm __asanything else, When his daughter that seems ‘o be growing in their. : died, the portal became one of the master’s twisted heart. Kostchtchie’s few permanent links between the wrath has long beén his greatest tool, ~ Abyss and another plane. yet it has ako been his €urse his vs Veshvoriak’s Rift: This immense femuper often intrudes at the wrong “rift in the side of a mountain of «time, causing him as much trouble” | = black ‘ce’ lies hundred? of miles. asaid. What his wrath were to fade? 5 Loe ts on Bea What if Kostchichic. were. able {0h _-Sestchtchie, deep’ th the wilds of foci his will entire?‘night arise from this unholy union? MAVAWHAN ‘This strange humanoid creature, seems to have a bady carved of loody pce Ts hae swings are <> fetlly. transparent and < Tom behind it, the edges caked with razor-sharp ted Its body if ms claret lea with pale ‘blue dind white skin cov- © ered with jagged blak = mumes. its face is elon gated, with a large 27° Sfanged mouth four snl ees in single ono noe ad 2S), ing de-ciring horns of tonaewen: * ‘ied. tt has a black mane of hair that tumbles ‘back from its head and down in numerous ‘braids fixed with silver bangles and tiny "© bones. The creature's arms are long ding uplike the arms ofa praying mantis, and it long tal ends in a jagaed mess of i ide Tike blades. = (MAVAWHAN. cro ‘Always: CE Medium outsider (chaotic, cold, vi, exteaplanar, tanar') ~ "nt +7; Senses blindsense 30 fi, cdarkvsion 60 A; Listen +14, Spot +14 At will—