antipaladin Archives - GMS Magazine

The Genius Guide to Hellfire Magic

April 9, 2012 by Paco G. Jaen

This pdf from Super Genius Games is 16 pages long, 2/3 of a page GORGEOUS front cover, 1 page editorial/SRD, leaving 14 1/3 pages of content for Hellfire magic, so let’s check this out!

So what is hellfire? Essentially, it is a new spell-descriptor that is not inherently evil, but constitutes the usage of hellfire, the force that has been used by the gods to create the lower planes and which has been tainted over the years. While not inherently evil and even available to the likes of inquisitors, hellfire spells can be cast with the [evil]-descriptor in order to make them stronger, but at the same time slowly subverting a souls resolve and tempting them towards evil… “This is the life, you see – the devil tips his hat to me…” Furthermore, hellfire does not always produce fire-damage, unless specified.

After an extensive selection of spell-lists including classes like the Antipaladin, we delve into the new hellfire spells: And spells herein make for iconic tools of punishment: Ever wanted to create a lake of acidic fire? A lash to castigate sinners? Or even duplicate ANY conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell? Forge hellfire fits your needs. And for just a sliver of your moral integrity, the spells can produce more real versions of creatures and objects… A version of minor creation, fashion sinister trifle, enables the discerning diabolist to conjure up minor tools – because digging up graves is just so much more fun with a spade fashioned from hell itself than with one from Brady’s friendly convenience store. Oh, and the purchase can’t be traced to you by those nasty adventurers…

Want to truly punish your foes? Send a plethora of deadly bolts of hellfire (acid, electricity and fire damage in one attack) that has the potential to deal attribute damage via soul searing – essentially, this 5th-level spell is rather close to the blasting capacity of a warlock – for 1/min per level, you can assail foes via these bolts. Very cool! Even cooler: If you’re not contend with force cages, you can now imprison foes in their very own pocket hells – if cast as evil, you can even visit them inside. Oh, and you can make this one permanent for a rather satisfying, but expensive way to get rid of foes.

We don’t get only new spells, btw.: We also get the new Hellfire domain and something I thoroughly approve: An exalted domain version of the Hellfire domain. (If you haven’t, be sure to check out Marc Radle’s exalted domains, also available from SGG…)

The true winners, though, are the often neglected witches, who get a new major hex, Planar Torment, which can be used unlimited times against outsiders. They also gain two new grand hexes, Hellfire Gate and Scion of Hellfire: The former is a more precise (and cooler) form of plane shift, while the latter lets the witch infuse her hexes and spells with hellfire, changing types between fire, half fire, half acid and half electricity half fire. Very cool and suitably more powerful than the corresponding feat.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good – although I noticed some minor glitches like superfluous tabs, they did not impede my enjoyment of the file. The pdf’s layout adheres to SGG’s 3-column standard and provides some pieces of truly BEAUTIFUL full color artworks. The pdf has no bookmarks. From the basic concept to the spell-lists and the innovative spells as well as the bonus-content, I have NOTHING to complain. The fact that PCs can cast the spells with the [evil] descriptor and gain additional benefits is just awesome and I’m wondering why no one else has done something similar before. My only true gripe with this pdf is, that I want MORE hellfire magic. The potential is vast and a full-blown sourcebook of hellish options would be much appreciated! Thus, my final verdict will be 5 stars and the Endzeitgeist seal of approval. Excuse me, I’m now going to ride a black unicorn down the side of an erupting volcano!

Endzeitgeist out.

The Genius Guide to Hellfire Magic is available from:

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Learning Curve: Apprentice-level Characters

November 25, 2011 by Paco G. Jaen

By Thilo Graf

This pdf from Tricky Owlbear Publishing is 13 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1/2 a page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving10 1/2 pages of content for apprentice-level classes.

So what are they? the basic idea is that you choose from 2 classes, one of which should be your favoured class. As soon as you reach 2nd-level, you’re considered 1st level in both classes you’ve been an apprentice of. The pdf offers an easy-to-follow 10-step procedure to guide you through the process of creating such an apprentice and even offers an example. The process is simple and amounts to basic addition of values from tables and is nice in its simplicity. The pdf contains tables for the core-classes, APG-classes (including the Antipaladin), Ultimate Magic’s Magus and the 3 Ultimate Combat classes. The addition of the UM and UC classes is a prime example of great product support, for which the guys from Tricky Owlbear definitely have to be applauded!

After getting these tables (all featuring two entries – the apprentice level and modified 1st level), we are introduced to the concept of single-level apprentice-classes as well as the idea to use the apprentice-levels to balance out ECL-races that are non-core (and which I considered obsolete) – nice if you have to go for a more powerful race, I guess. The advice provided for the DM to create apprentice level adventures is a night closing point for the pdf.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn’t notice any glitches. Layout adheres to a printer-friendly b/w-2-column standard and the artworks are ok. The pdf has no bookmarks, but at this length that’s ok. The focus of this pdf in comparison to SGG’s is different, centring on the idea of Apprentice-level characters as basic for multi-class characters and the pdf succeeds at what it sets out to do – the combination of the respective rules to create unique hybrid apprentice-classes ensures that each combination feels slightly different – a neat combination of simplicity and diversity. While this diversity makes for a more interesting approach than SGG’S cutting stats into half and I love the additional UM and UC-support, there also are some downsides to this pdf: I would have loved to get some guidelines to convert e.g. classes of other 3pps to this system and no such advice is provided.

I really did not like SGG’s take on 0-lvl characters and I have similar gripes with this one: While it does its job and does it well, focusing on multi-classed characters, it also is a rather bland approach. I would have loved for some synergy effects for formerly apprentice-levelled characters, special glitches, abilities that don’t work reliably etc. While SGG offered only the math and this one results in more unique apprentices, they could have easily made for an even more unique playing experience. As written, all the potential for the botches, fumbles, and painful learning from literature remain largely untapped. In Germany, there’s a saying "Lehrjahre sind keine Herrenjahre.", meaning that being an apprentice is a hard time where you’ll be living in rather unpleasant circumstances and experience some humiliations and hardships. This aspect, unfortunately, is also absent from this pdf. The narrative potential once again wasted. That being said, I did prefer this pdfs take on apprentice-level characters, as it would be more work to create rules like that yourself and balance them. The dual apprentice-classes per se are cool due to offering variety and the pdf itself is solid, accomplishes what it sets out to do and is not a purchase I’d regret. The low price and ultimate magic/combat-support are commendable. However, while there’s nothing wrong with this pdf, I wasn’t wowed by the content. Some creative (perhaps alternate fumble-rules, fluff, unique restrictions etc.) additional rules, class-specific problems like animal companions not listening, wizards fumbling, fighter botching putting armour on or becoming exhausted – essentially some rules to incorporate the iconic failures of being an apprentice would have made this product a stellar offering. As written, I can recommend it as an elegant multi-class option, but not as something more. If you’re looking for that, this file might be up to 4 stars for you. Unfortunately, the pdf didn’t do it for me personally and I figure there are other people out there who think like me. Thus, as a reviewer, my final verdict will be a compromise of 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 – slightly above average, but could have easily been THE resource for apprentice-level characters.

Endzeitgeist out.

Learning Curve: Apprentice-level Characters is available from:

Antipaladin Feats

November 6, 2011 by Paco G. Jaen

By Thilo Graf

This pdf from Purple Duck Games is 4 pages long, 2 pages SRD, leaving 2 pages for new feats for our friendly Antipaladins next door.

All in all, we get 15 feats for which you can pay a little money or just grab them for free, which is not only fair, but also makes this a no-brainer. From feats that grant you extra cruelties to the ability to use channel energy to improve your weapon fighting prowess, the ability to use touch of corruption at range to heal undead allies and a redux version of unsanctioned knowledge that enables the antipaladin to learn different spells to the spell-list, making him feel more distinctly different when taking the feat. Empower Death as an undead-buffing move also deserves special mention for its neat power and effects.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are ok for the price, layout adheres to a no-frills two-column standard and the pdf has no bookmarks (unnecessary with a two-page file). While I did like the feats and always enjoy more options to improve antipaladins, e.g. Word of corruption mentions that the antipaladin can harm foes via touch of corruption at range, but not whether this is a touch attack, the enemy has a save etc.pp. Seeing that this is a diversion-file, I can still recommend it for the low/non-existent price. My final verdict will be 4 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

Antipaladin Feats is available from:

Pathways Issue 3

September 19, 2011 by Paco G. Jaen

By Thilo Graf

This free e-zine from Rite Publishing is 49 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page of SRD, 1 page editorial and 16 pages of advertisement, leaving 30 pages of content, so what do we get?

After a rather nice editorial by Dave Paul, we get the quite cool wrathful template that enables you to create creatures consumed by the desire for revenge and outbursts of rather uncompromising wrath. The CR 15 sample-creature (an angel), can be seen on the cover and comes with lore-sections etc. – Hugo Solis’ artwork comes as a one-page spread and is disturbing to say the least – a nice fusion of great design by Steven D. Russell and nifty artwork!

The next article by Jonathan McAnulty offers 3 feats that enhance crafting and information on the channeling (as per the excellent secrets of the divine channeler) of the construct and toil domains.

Master of haunts T.H.Gulliver presents us with Kalil Tamar, ghost antipaladin (CR 17) and his neat statblock as well as 4 cairn field haunts the dread apparition uses to soften up his opponents. They range from CR 1 to 7.

Michael Welham’s Synergixxiks, weird insects that can form colonies and combine their strength and add individual qualities to their merged form and were easily among my favorites in Pathways. From CR 2 scouts to Cr 6 bombardiers and CR 7 commanders, these make for disturbing foes the players will be sure to remember.

Creighton Broadhurst, of Raging Swan offers you a little encounter with an ogress – a nice encounter ready to drop into your campaign.

Of course, we also get an interview, this time with From Shore to Sea’s/Sunken Empire’s excellent designer Brendon Hodges – informative and cool!

Some reviews by Dark Mistress, Shane O’ Connor and yours truly of some of the best files 3pp have to offer are next.

Finally, we get a short 10-question interview with illustrator Malcolm McClinton.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, apart from my misspelled name and one glitch that omits my name, I didn’t notice any glitches. Layout adheres to the beautiful new full-color 2-column-standard set in many RiP-products nowadays. The content you’ll find herein is top-notch and adding the fact that this pdf is free, it’s essentially a no-brainer. Free pdfs, especially of such a high quality (featuring even a beautiful full-color piece of original art) should definitely be supported and if you’re even remotely intrigued, give it a shot. My final verdict will be 5 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

Pathways Issue 3 is available from:

Antipaladins

March 25, 2011 by Paco G. Jaen

By Thilo Graf

This pdf is 23 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page blank inside of front page, 1 page editorial, 2 pages titles, 1 page SRD (also containing reprinted info on the Antipaladin), 1 page ToC (also containing 3 demonic patrons) and 1 page back cover, leaving 15 pages for the Antipaladins.

The Antipaladins herein all get their own b/w-artwork as well as the whole Raging Swan NPC-write-up complete with hooks, personality and mannerisms, including nice adventure-seeds.

The Antipaladins are:

Aelire Maiaral (Half-elf Antipaladin 4, CR 3) Spurned love gone wrong.
Petrok Uren (Human Antipaladin 6, CR 5) Former Aristocrat with psychotic urges.
Steren Wearme (Half-elf Bard 4/Antipaladin 4, CR 7) Nihilistic, beautiful bard.
Duerrin Thramek (Dwarf Antipaladin 6/Fighter 4, CR 9) Violent dwarven leader.
Eseld Cass (Human Barbarian 5/Antipaladin 7, CR 11) Female leader of a savage tribe.
Tharon Zaspar (Drow Antipaladin 8/Rogue 3/Shadowdancer 2, CR 13) Ice-cold, savant-style killer.
Vaerosk Izuzygax (Aasimar half-fiend Antipaladin 13, CR 15) Corrupted celestial paragon.

Conclusion:

Layout adheres to the printer-friendly b/w-standard of Raging Swan, the pdf is extensively bookmarked and I didn’t find any typos or editing glitches. On to the fluff and crunch:
The Antipaladins are just simply awesome – each is distinctive and goes beyond “I’m an evil foe!” – They are, quite frankly, top material and all have their merits as villains that make you want to implement them in one’s campaign. Especially Steren caught my attention and drove and expanded the concept of what one would expect of an Antipaladin. The content is plenty, the quality of the NPCs is top-notch and quite frankly, there is nothing negative I could say about any of the Antipaladins apart from “I want more!”. Thus, my final verdict will be a full 5 stars.

Antipaladins is available from: