Dragon #421

A Dungeons & D ragons Roleplay ing Ga me Supplement
Issue 421 | MARCH 2013
Contents
3
Pitch Perfect
By Steve Winter
Another submissions window approaches!
Warm up your pitching arms, you hopeful
game writers.
Mephits
By David Flor and Jared Espley
Mephits are at home in the Elemental
Chaos, but they can be found as loyal
servants all across the planes of existence.
10 Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

By Michael E. Shea
Cryonax is an elemental being forged from
the coldest formations of raw chaos and the
demonic embrace of the Abyss.
17 Legendary
of Kry nn
Items
By Daniel Helmick
The Heroes of the Lance wielded many
legendary weapons during their epic war
against the Dragon Highlords.
22 You
Say Dr agonbor n,
I Say Dr aconia n
By Daniel Helmick
Have you ever wanted to play a bozak or
kapak draconian? Now you can, with these
dragonborn racial variants.
26 Alter native
Multiclass Rules
By Robert J. Schwalb and Matt Sernett
We offer a f lexible, optional approach to
character building that doesnt require
feat expenditures to access the powers and
features from other classes.
31 Abyssal Trade Goods:

Not a Bad Thing
By Ed Greenwood
The phrase straight from the Abyss is
used by traders all over the Realms to
describe rare and exotic goods. A few,
however, really do trade directly with
the Abyss.
On the Cover: Chris Seaman illustrates multiclass heroesa rogue/cleric, a fighter/wizard, and a barbarian/druidin a life-anddeath battle against a marilith and her carnage demon allies.
EDITOR I A L
TM
421
D r ag o n
Senior Producer
M a rc h 2 013
Christopher Perkins
Producers
Greg Bilsland, Steve Winter

Managing Editors
Development and Editing Lead
Kim Mohan, Miranda Horner

Jeremy Crawford
Developers
Robert J. Schwalb, Chris Sims
Jon Schindehette
Senior Creative Director
Art Director
Publishing Production Manager
Digital Studio Consultant
Contributing Authors
Jared Espley, David Flor, Ed

Greenwood, Daniel Helmick,
Robert J. Schwalb, Matt Sernett,
Michael E. Shea
Contributing Editors
Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald

Gray, Penny Williams
Contributing Artists
Noah Bradley, Christopher

Burdett, Julie Dillon, Tony
DiTerlizzi, Wayne England,
Goran Josic, Claudio Pozas, Chris
Seaman, Tyler Walpole
Kate Irwin
Angie Lokotz
Daniel Helmick
Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, D&D Insider, their

respective logos, D&D, Dungeon, and Dragon are trademarks of
Wizards of the Coast LLC in the USA and other countries. 2013
Wizards of the Coast LLC.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States
of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or
artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written
permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This product is a work of
fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events
is purely coincidental.
Pitch Perfect
By Steve Winter
The first Dragon and Dungeon submissions window
of 2013 opens on April 1 and runs through May 31.
Thats exciting news for us, and it should be for you,
too, especially if youve ever wanted to share your
great ideas with D&D fans around the world and get
paid for your writing talent.
You can find all the pertinent instructions about
where and how to send your pitches at the D&D
website (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.
aspx?x=dnd/submissions).
The submission window is important, both to us
and to you.
Its important to us because a high percentage of
the articles published in Dragon and Dungeon come
in over the transom. We dutifully wade through
the rising slush pile in a hybrid state of wide-eyed
eagerness and jaded cynicism fueled by megadoses
of caffeine and vitamin B. Ill be honest here: The
majority of the thousands of pitches we receive will
be rejecteda fact of life that I expect holds true
whether you work on Dragon and Dungeon or on
Harvard Book Review. Some are badly written (were
looking for people who can write like pros, or at least
like A students), some are too far beyond the pale
(sailing ships as a playable race?), some are requests
that we take an idea and write it ourselves (wed love
to, but our hands are full with publishing the magazines), and some are topics were not interested in
(we dont need new 4E classes or races, fiction, board
games, monsters adapted from a popular anime
series, or rules design for D&D Next).
But mixed in with the No, thank yous will be
dozens of sparkling gems that grab our attention and
make us say, Wow, Id love to read that article. Why
hasnt anyone thought of this before?
The pitching process is important for you because

these articles are written by D&D players, for D&D
players. Regular readers are accustomed to seeing
some of the same names over and over in magazine
bylines. Thats not because we keep those writers on
retainer or give them free rein to write whatever they
want. Its because they send pitches. Sometimes they
send lots of pitches. For every article we buy from one
of our top writers, weve probably rejected three, or
five, or even ten others.
In other words, motivation and persistence are just
as important as creativity and basic writing skill.
But it all comes down to this: Dragon and Dungeon
want your involvement. These magazines are about
your ideas. The staff at Wizards of the Coast show up
in these pages, too, and will continue to do so, but
we want to give your contributions center stage and
top billing.
To do that, we need your best pitches! So put on
your +5 thinking cap and start honing your ideas for
April and May.
In the meantime, enjoy this issues descent into
matters abyssal and elemental, plus a brief detour
to Krynn. We havent visited the land of Dragon
Highlords and Towers of High Sorcery for ages. And
the Dragonlance enjoyment doesnt end this month;
April will bring another bit of Krynn-related fun for
you and an avalanche of article pitches for us.
Creature Incarnations:
Mephits
By David Flor and Jared Espley
Illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi & Christopher Burdett

From the massive fields of ice to the rivers of molten
rock, mephits are common in the Elemental Chaos.
Born of the elements, mephits are the loyal servants
of more powerful creatures and are always eager to
please their masters, no matter what the task might
be. When they are not serving a master, they gather
in large groups, roaming free and coexisting with
other similar mephits and elemental creatures.
Mephits either embody a single element, such as ice
mephits (which are formed of water), or multiple elements, as is the case with magma mephits (which are
formed of earth and fire). Regardless of the environment from which it hails, a mephit is a small humanoid
creature about 4 to 5 feet tall with a very thin, weaklooking build. It has spindly wings and a small set of
horns, giving it an impish appearance.
Their elemental characteristics set mephits apart
from imps and devils. Each mephit is closely linked
to the elements or environment in which it thrives.
For example, ice mephits appear as if they have icicles
hanging from their arms and wings, while magma
mephits look as if they are made of molten stone.
Some mephits, such as the mist and smoke varieties,
are constantly surrounded by vapor and can become
incorporeal or invisible almost at will, blending in to
the air around them.
All mephits have some sort of breath weapon,
which they use as a defensive mechanism when their
enemies get too close. Mephits also have the ability to regenerate, but they cannot do so if they are in
contact with an environment in opposition to their

elemental nature.
Servants by Nature: Whenever powerful wizards
or elemental creatures need something done that
they would rather not do themselves, they perform a
ritual and summon a mephit of an appropriate type
from the Elemental Chaos to come to their assistance.
Usually, these masters pick a mephits type according
to what they need from the creature. If they need to
send a message across the Sea of Fire, they summon
a magma mephit. On the other hand, if they need to
protect a location deep within a polar icecap, they
choose an ice mephit.
When mephits fulfill their obligation to their
masters, they usually return to the Elemental Chaos.
Occasionally, they might remain on the material
plane in an atmosphere that they like and find comfortable. Small numbers of liberated mephits live
in and around their native elements on the material
plane, keeping themselves amused by toying with
mortals while they await further instructions from
their superiors.
Mischievous Attitude: Their general demeanor
reflects a mischievous and vulgar tendency. If
mephits have the opportunity to annoy others while
fulfilling their assigned duties, they take great pleasure in being nuisances.
Much like elementals, mephits are typically
unaligned. Theyre very impressionable and eager to
please, though, and consequently their alignments
TM & 2013 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.
shift easily to better serve their masters. They are

more inclined to serve evil masters than good ones,
given their mischievous demeanor. Mephits that obey
evil masters quickly become petty, vindictive miscreants that revel in the suffering of others. For example,
when guarding an item or location, mephits position
themselves within sight of a vicious trap or hazard so
they have an unobstructed view of adventurers being
hurt or killed as they approach.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Mephits
A ir M ephit
Air mephits prefer to
live in places where
natural winds
constantly blow,
such as on mountaintops or along
windy shores.
They are small
creatures whose
upper halves
are humanoid
with wispy wings
growing from their
shoulder blades.
They have no lower
limbs, so their midsections seem to sprout from
the top of small whirlwinds.
Air mephits are more skittish than many of their
kin from the other elements. If pressed, they will
fight, but they would rather avoid conflict altogether.
D ust
M ephit
Air Mephit
Level 3 Skirmisher
Small elemental humanoid (air)

HP 46; Bloodied 23
AC 17, Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 14
Speed 6, fly 6 (hover)
Immune lightning, poison
XP 150
Initiative +6
Perception +0
Darkvision
Traits
Regeneration
The mephit regains 5 hit points whenever it starts its turn
and has at least 1 hit point. If the mephit starts its turn on
the ground, its regeneration does not function that turn.
When the mephit takes psychic damage, its regeneration
does not function on its next turn.
Blurred Breeze
While flying to move, the mephit gains a +4 power bonus
to all defenses.
Standard Actions
m Claws At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 2d6 + 4 damage.
C Air Blast F Recharge 5 6
Attack: Close blast 3 (creatures in the blast); +6 vs.
Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + 3 damage, and the mephit pushes the target up
to 2 squares.
Skills Bluff +7
Str 8 (+0)
Dex 17 (+4)
Wis 8 (+0)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 12 (+2)
Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Primordial
Dust Mephit
Level 3 Controller
Small elemental humanoid (air, earth)

HP 44; Bloodied 22
Speed 6, fly 6
Immune fire, poison
XP 150
Initiative +4
Perception +1
Darkvision
Traits
Regeneration
and has at least 1 hit point. When the mephit takes cold or
psychic damage, its regeneration does not function on its
next turn.
Standard Actions
m Claws F At-Will
Hit: 2d6 + 4 damage, and the mephit can slide the target
1 square.
C Blinding Cloud F Recharge 5 6
Attack: Close blast 3 (creatures in the blast); +6 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + 4 damage, the target is blinded until the end of
the mephits next turn.
Minor Actions
C Dust Cloud (zone) F Encounter

Effect: Close burst 1; the burst creates a zone of thick dust
that lasts until the end of the mephits next turn. The
zone is lightly obscured.
Sustain Minor: The zone persists.
Skills Stealth +9
Str 13 (+2)
Dex 17 (+4)
Wis 11 (+1)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 14 (+3)
Con 12 (+2)
Dust mephits live in

extremely arid and dusty
areas, such as deserts
or abandoned buildings that have not been
cleaned in a long time.
They have gray, rough
skin and seem to secrete
dust and grit as they move.
Dust mephits are particularly irritating creatures. When
forced into combat, they are extremely
persistent and do not retreat easily.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Mephits
E arth M ephit
Earth mephits prefer
to live in caverns far
undergroundthe
deeper and darker,
the better. Their
bodies have dwarflike proportions
but are hairless and
have large misshapen
wings.
Earth mephits
tend to be less cruel
than many of the other
mephit types. They
are curious about
mortals, perhaps
because they rarely
see any in the remote
places they call home.
Fire
M ephit
Although fire
mephits rarely live
anywhere outside
the Elemental Chaos,
they can be found
where conflagrations
burn out of controlareas with forest
fires, volcanic activity,
or other sources of frequent natural flames.
They have dull red skin
streaked with black, and a halo
of fire surrounds their thin and
translucent wings.
Earth Mephit
Small elemental humanoid (earth)
HP 54; Bloodied 27
Speed 6 (earth walk), fly 6
Traits
Level 3 Brute
XP 150
Initiative +1
Perception +0
Darkvision
Fire Mephit
Level 3 Skirmisher
Small elemental humanoid (fire)

HP 46; Bloodied 23
Speed 6, fly 6
Immune fire
XP 150
Initiative +6
Perception +0
Darkvision
Regeneration
and has at least 1 hit point. If the mephit starts its turn in
the air, its regeneration does not function that turn. When
the mephit takes psychic damage, its regeneration does
not function on its next turn.
Traits
m Slam At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 or Melee 2 while Large (one creature); +8
vs. AC
Hit: 2d8 + 4 damage, or 2d10 + 9 damage while Large.
C Earth Blast Recharge when first bloodied
Attack: Close blast 3 (creatures in the blast); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 2d10 + 3 damage, and the target falls prone.
Expand (polymorph) Recharge 5 6
Effect: Until the end of its next turn, the mephit becomes
Large, occupying 4 squares instead of 1. Any creatures in
the mephits new space are pushed into a space adjacent
to the mephit.
Skills Bluff +8
Str 17 (+4)
Dex 10 (+1)
Wis 8 (+0)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3)
m Claws (fire) At-Will

Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save
ends). If the target is already taking ongoing fire damage,
it increases by 5 up to a maximum of 10.
C Flame Blast (fire) Recharge 5 6
Hit: 2d8 + 3 fire damage.
Standard Actions
Regeneration
next turn.
Standard Actions
Move Actions
Dancing Flames At-Will

Effect: The mephit shifts up to half its speed.
Skills Bluff +8
Str 8 (+0)
Dex 17 (+4)
Wis 8 (+0)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 14 (+3)
They can be malicious when interacting with

mortals. Indeed, fire mephits consider themselves
superior to all non-fire creatures and delight in tormenting them.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Mephits
Ice M ephit
Ice mephits are as cruel as they are
cold, preferring to stay
at a distance and
jeer at other creatures as they
struggle in the
freezing places
the mephits call
home. They are
the meanest of
all the mephits,
taking great
pleasure in watching the suffering of
others.
The body of these
creatures can easily be
mistaken for ice, since they are blue-white and freezing cold to the touch. Their small wings are so thin
that they are almost transparent.
M agma M ephit
Magma or lava mephits
originated from the seas
of boiling lava and
molten rock found
throughout the
Elemental Chaos.
Legends claim
that the Sea of Fire
potentially contains
tens of thousands of
these creatures beneath its
surface, moving through
the magma as if it
were water.
Ice Mephit
Small elemental humanoid (water)
HP 44; Bloodied 22
Speed 6 (ice walk), fly 6
Immune cold
Level 4 Artillery
XP 175
Initiative +6
Perception +2
Darkvision
Traits
Magma Mephit
Level 4 Lurker
Small elemental humanoid (earth, fire)

HP 48; Bloodied 24
Speed 6
Immune fire, poison
XP 175
Initiative +7
Perception +3
Darkvision
Traits
Regeneration
and has at least 1 hit point. When the mephit takes fire or
next turn.
Regeneration
next turn.
m Claws (cold) F At-Will

Hit: 1d6 + 6 damage plus 1d6 cold damage, and the target
cannot take actions until the start of its next turn.
R Frost Dagger (cold) F At-Will
Attack: Ranged 10 (one or two creatures); +9 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + 6 cold damage.
C Freezing Blast (cold, zone) F Recharge 5 6
Hit: 1d8 + 4 cold damage, and ongoing 5 cold damage
(save ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The blast creates a zone of icy ground that lasts until
the end of the mephits next turn. The zone is difficult
terrain for creatures without ice walk.
Skills Stealth +11
Str 12 (+3)
Dex 18 (+6)
Wis 11 (+2)
Con 14 (+4)
Int 8 (+1)
Cha 15 (+4)
m Slam (fire) F At-Will

Hit: 1d10 + 6 damage plus 1d10 fire damage.
C Molten Blast (fire) F Recharge when the mephit uses
magma form
Hit: 2d6 + 6 fire damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save
ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Magma Form (fire, poison, polymorph) F At-Will
Effect: The mephit takes the shape of a Large pool of
magma, occupying 4 squares instead of 1, until the
mephit ends the effect as a minor action. While the
mephit is in this form, the mephit cannot attack. If
squeezing in this form, the mephit moves at full speed
rather than half speed, and the mephit does not grant
combat advantage for squeezing. While the mephit is
in this form, it can enter occupied spaces and creatures
can enter its space. A creature that starts its turn in the
mephits space takes 2d6 fire and poison damage.
Skills Stealth +8
Str 14 (+4)
Dex 12 (+3)
Wis 12 (+3)
Con 18 (+6)
Int 6 (+0)
Cha 14 (+4)
Standard Actions
In the material world, they are frequently found

in areas of high volcanic activity, such as around
active volcanoes. Their bodies are made of glowing
red magma and molten rock, and they radiate intense
heat noticeable from several feet away.
Magma mephits are the least intelligent of all
the mephits. They are dumb, lumbering brutes
that seldom speak and that enjoy bashing things
with their stony hands. When given a task by their
masters, the orders are usually very simplistic and
dont involve effort beyond standing in one spot and
Standard Actions
attacking anything that approaches. Asking a magma

mephit to do anything beyond that would be futile
and the order most likely ignored.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Mephits
M ist M ephit
Mist mephits are an
offshoot of steam
mephits that prefer
cooler climates in
the material world,
such as swamps
and marshes that
generate thick fog.
They have graywhite bodies that
constantly secrete
mist from their skin,
covering the mephits in a
thin layer from head to toe.
Their bodies sometimes look
translucent, and they have the ability
to become insubstantial and blend in
to the haze that surrounds them.
Mist mephits are quite shy, preferring to
stay at a distance and remain hidden in the darkness.
Steam
M ephit
Steam mephits
inhabit areas of
intense heat that also
generate a high level
of steam and geothermal activity,
such as a lava flow
pouring into the
ocean or among naturally occurring steam
geysers and hot springs.
They are gray in color and
Mist Mephit
Level 3 Skirmisher
Small elemental humanoid (air, water)

HP 45; Bloodied 22
Immune poison
XP 150
Initiative +6
Perception +2
Darkvision
Traits
Steam Mephit
Level 4 Lurker
Small elemental humanoid (air, fire, water)

HP 43; Bloodied 21
Immune fire
XP 175
Initiative +10
Perception +2
Darkvision
Traits
Regeneration
and has at least 1 hit point. When the mephit takes fire or
next turn.
Regeneration
next turn.
m Claws F At-Will
C Choking Mist (poison, zone) F Recharge 5 6
Hit: 2d6 + 4 poison damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The blast creates a zone of mist that lasts until
the end of the mephits next turn. The zone is lightly
obscured, and the mephit gains a +2 bonus to all
defenses while in the zone.
Mist Form (polymorph) F Encounter
Effect: The mephit becomes insubstantial until the end of
its next turn. If squeezing in this form, the mephit moves
at full speed rather than half speed, and it doesnt grant
combat advantage for squeezing.
Sustain Standard: The effect persists until the end of the
mephits next turn.
Skills Stealth +9
Str 10 (+1)
Dex 17 (+4)
Wis 12 (+2)
Con 13 (+2)
Int 9 (+0)
Cha 10 (+1)
m Claw F At-Will
Hit: 2d6 + 4 damage plus 1d8 damage if the target cannot
see the mephit.
R Boiling Jet (fire) F At-Will
Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save
ends).
A Boiling Rain (fire) F Recharge 5 6
Attack: Area burst 1 within 10 (creatures in the burst); +7
vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + 4 fire damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save
ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Standard Actions
constantly drip scalding hot water from every part of

their bodies.
Steam mephits are bossy, overconfident, and
impetuous. They enjoy combat against creatures that
they feel are inferior, even if that assessment is in
error. They hide among nearby clouds while waiting
for the right time to attack. Due to their oversized
egos and their need to show they are superior to all
Standard Actions
Minor Actions
Dissipate F Recharge when the mephit misses with a melee

attack
Effect: The steam mephit becomes invisible until the end of
the next turn or until it hits or misses with an attack.
Skills Stealth +11
Str 11 (+2)
Dex 18 (+6)
Wis 11 (+2)
Con 13 (+3)
Int 8 (+1)
Cha 15 (+4)
other mephits, they rush in to battle at the first opportunity they have.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Mephits
Water M ephit
Water mephits live
anywhere there is
abundant water
from a lake or
river to the ocean
depthsthough
they prefer to
inhabit waters
that are part of
thriving ecosystems. They
are covered with
scales and have large
bulbous eyes and finlike
wings.
Most creatures
find water mephits
to be annoyingly
cheerful. These mephits
enjoy playing with other living
creaturessplashing them, using water blast to create
unexpected currents, and generally making wellmeaning nuisances of themselves.
About the Authors
David Flor has been a software engineer and game designer

in Miami, Florida, for close to 30 years. Recently he has made
the move from video game and alternate reality game design
to developing campaigns and accessories for Dungeons &
Dragons 4th Edition through his own company, Darklight
Interactive. And he knows better than to fight the gazebo
alone.
Jared Espley wrote the Dark Sun adventure Beneath the
Dust, which appeared in Dungeon 187. He studies plasma
physics in his day job as a scientist for NASA. He tried to slip
a plasma elemental into this article, but he was caught. Perhaps he can slip a grue into his next science paper instead.
Water Mephit
Level 3 Controller
Small elemental humanoid (aquatic)

HP 46; Bloodied 23
Speed 6, fly 6, swim 6
Immune acid
XP 150
Initiative +1
Perception +0
Traits
Regeneration
fire damage, its regeneration does not function on its next
turn.
G 12!
IN 20
M
O R
C TE
IN
W
OFFICIAL
MERCHANDISE
Standard Actions
m Claws At-Will
C Acid Breath (acid, zone) Recharge 5 6
Hit: 1d6 + 3 acid damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The blast creates a zone that lasts until the end of
the encounter or until the mephit uses this power again.
The zone is lightly obscured, and a creature that ends its
turn in the zone takes 5 acid damage.
Minor Actions
C Water Blast At-Will

Attack: Close blast 3 (creatures in the blast); +6 vs.
Fortitude
Hit: The mephit slides the target up to 2 squares.
Miss: The mephit can push the target 1 square.
Skills Bluff +8
Str 17 (+4)
Dex 10 (+1)
Wis 8 (+0)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3)
Ask your
local retailer
for details
TM
& 2012 Wizards of the Coast LLC.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
Lords of
Chaos:
Cryonax
By Michael E. Shea
Illustration by Julie Dillon

Forged from the coldest formations of raw chaos and
the demonic embrace of the Abyss, Cryonax represents one of the most mysterious and powerful forces
in the Elemental Chaos. As a being that exists outside
the four primary elemental forces of fire, earth, air,
and water, Cryonax is not bound by their struggles for
power or contained by the equal yet opposite forces of
The Elemental Princes

of Evil
You can find more information about the Elemental Chaos and the powers bound there in
the Heroes of the Elemental Chaos sourcebook.
This article works in concert with the classes and
themes in that book. You can find more information on the elemental princes of evil Ogrmoch
and Imix in Monster Manual 3, and the Lords of
Chaos article in Dungeon 199 covers the princes
Yan-C-Bin and Olhydra.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
10
Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

the gods of law and order who keep the other elemental princes in check.
The call of the Elder Elemental Eye stirs the Prince
of Elemental Cold as much as the other elemental
princes of evil. The only forces keeping his desires in
check are the massive adamantine chains binding
him to his glacier in the Teeth of Lormoch.
In the mortal world, wild hordes of cannibals in
the icy wastes of the north hear the roaring call of
their patron. They call to Cryonax, performing rituals
Cryonax
Level 34 Solo Brute
Huge elemental humanoid (cold, primordial) XP 195,000

HP 1,248; Bloodied 624
Initiative +23
AC 46, Fortitude 48, Reflex 44, Will 46 Perception +27
Speed 8
Darkvision, blindsight
Immune cold; Vulnerable 10 fire
Saving Throws +5; Action Points 3
Traits
O Shardstorm (cold, thunder) F Aura 30

This aura is inactive within 10 squares of Cryonax. The
active aura is difficult terrain and heavily obscured. Any
enemy that ends its turn in the active aura takes 25 cold
and thunder damage and, if flying, falls prone.
Cold Absorption (healing)
If Cryonax would take cold damage, he instead regains a
number of hit points equal to that damage.
Elemental Footing
Cryonax ignores difficult terrain. If an attack would knock
Cryonax prone, he can make a saving throw to avoid falling
prone.
Epic Resilience
If Cryonax is dazed, dominated, petrified, stunned, or
weakened, or knocked unconscious with 1 hit point or
more remaining, he ignores the effects of the condition
and instead grants combat advantage and gains vulnerable
10 to all damage for the conditions duration.
Frostbrittle
If an enemy adjacent to Cryonax hits him with a melee
attack, that enemy grants combat advantage and gains vulnerable 10 to all damage until the end of that enemys next
turn.
Threatening Reach
Cryonax can make opportunity attacks against enemies
within 5 squares of him.
and sacrifices to tap into his power. Every dark rite

they perform brings the cold lord one step closer to
freedom and eternal power.
Cryonax
Chained for countless millennia in the depths of the
Elemental Chaos, the elemental prince Cryonax nevertheless grows stronger as the eons pass. He feeds off
the raw energy of chaos that surrounds him, and he
Standard Actions
m Tentacle F At-Will
r Spit Black Frost (cold, necrotic, zone) F At-Will
Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature, or two creatures when
Cryonax is bloodied); +39 vs. AC
Hit: 3d10 + 28 cold and necrotic damage.
Effect: Until the end of Cryonaxs next turn, the attack creates a zone in a close burst 1 around the targets square.
Squares within the zone are lightly obscured. Any creature that ends its turn in the zone takes 25 cold and
necrotic damage.
M Cryonaxs Fury F At-Will
Effect: Cryonax makes five basic attacks.
C Breath of Chill Death (cold, necrotic) F Recharge when
first bloodied
Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in the blast); +37 vs.
Fortitude
Hit: 10d6 + 28 cold and necrotic damage, and the target is
slowed and weakened (save ends both).
First Failed Saving Throw: The target drops to 0 hit points.
Miss: Half damage.
Move Actions
Primordial Charge F Recharge when first bloodied

Effect: Any effect that renders Cryonax slowed, immobilized, or restrained ends, and he moves up to his speed.
Each time Cryonax comes within 5 squares of an enemy
for the first time during the move, he uses tentacle
against that enemy.
Str 33 (+28)
Dex 22 (+23)
Wis 30 (+27)
Con 32 (+28)
Int 20 (+22)
Cha 24 (+24)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Common, Primordial
revels in the knowledge that one day he will consume

the power of the Elder Elemental Eye and use it to
bend all of creation to his desires.
Cryonax appears as a twisted amalgamation of
demon and elemental. His body and head appear as
a huge yeti. Instead of arms, four muscled tentacles
erupt from his shoulders. Around him swirls a massive storm of ice that threatens to shred any mortal
being who attempts to draw close.
The adamantine chains that bind Cryonax to his
lair grow weak, giving Cryonax freedom over the icy
plateau upon which he resides.
Lore
Arcana DC 32: As the Elemental Prince of Ice,
Cryonax has no specific opposing force keeping him
in check. A being birthed of the evil of the Abyss and
the raw elements of chaos, Cryonax seeks the ultimate power of the Elder Elemental Eye. The rage of
Cryonax fuels a storm of splintered ice that surrounds
him, tearing at the prison the gods bound him to
during the Dawn War.
Cryonaxs servants, beings of cold and ice, work
to break their master free. They hammer away at the
chains that bind him, performing rituals and sacrifices to shatter his bonds. His intelligent servants seek
lost Dawn War lore to end his imprisonment.
Encounters
Cryonax fights his imprisonment in a fury of chaotic violence. A series of sundering rifts surround
the platform upon which he is imprisoned, making
movement around the glacier challenging. When
approaching Cryonax, combatants see only the swirling storm 150 feet out from the Prince of Elemental
Cold. The storms make it impossible to fly toward
Cryonax. Any creature that attempts to fly into
the storm is smashed to the ground, taking falling
damage and possibly damage from the princes aura.
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Cryonax in Combat
Cryonaxs Chains
The swirling storm of chaos that surrounds Cryonax

protects the prince from nearly all outside influence, including physical and magical attacks. Those
who penetrate his storm are shredded by shards of
razor-sharp ice. In melee, Cryonax attacks with his
powerful tentacles to shred his opponents.
Cryonaxs most devastating attack is his breath
of chill death, a reflection of his Abyssal nature. This
breath surrounds his opponents, encasing them in
a life-draining ice. If they fail to break free, the ice
draws the life from their bodies.
Contact with Cryonaxs skin sends a great chill
through his attackers, slowing their reactions and
weakening their defenses.
Cryonax is bound between two spires of the Teeth of

Lormoch with adamantine chains, each link of which
towers over a human. These massive chains challenge both his enemies and his allies. Since his prison
is infused with the power of the gods, the elemental
prince cannot be killed as long as he remains bound
by these chains. Destroying them, however, means
releasing the Cryonax into the cosmos. Cryonaxs followers spend their lives trying to find a way to break
him free of the chains without sacrificing his invulnerability in the process.
T he T eeth of
L ormoch
At the end of the Dawn War, the gods shackled Cryonax to the glacier in the mountain range of the Teeth
of Lormoch. The mountains are steep crags of black
rock piercing out of the ice. Numerous chambers and
chasms lie below them, with deep fissures exposing
them to the outside.
In the heart of the glacier is the first temple to Cryonax. The temple, completely formed from black ice,
surrounds a pool of blood formed of drips from Cryonaxs wounds. In the depths of this pool is a portal
leading to the mortal world. There, mixed with the
ancient ice of Cryonaxs glacier, the blood provides
power to the princes mortal followers.
A half-fiend frost titan priest known as Agrendon
Rimehammer leads Cryonaxs most devout followers,
including a cadre of demon-blooded frost titans and
ice elementals. Though he seldom leaves the temple,
Agrendon serves Cryonaxs interests with those who
seek Cryonaxs power, bargaining in return for the
elemental princes release.
Cryonaxs Blood
Within his chest, the heart of Cryonax pushes blood
colder than the deepest reaches of the Far Realm. The
chains that bind Cryonaxs upper body create deep
wounds that continually drip the elemental princes
blood to the ground below. Each drop of this raw lifeblood is said to reach temperatures so cold it could
freeze the blood of the gods themselves. Mixed with
the icy runoff of the glacier at his feet, this blood can
empower mortals with a touch of his strength.
The Wizards of Blackheart

Piercing out of the Teeth of Lormoch, a hollowed-out
spire of ice and obsidian serves as the lair of three
liches known as the Wizards of Blackheart. Within
this tower, the three liches store and study artifacts of
the Dawn War and command Cryonaxs agents.
The tower contains priceless artifacts captured
across the cosmos over thousands of years and held
within the towers upper chambers. The liches
fortified the tower with powerful arcane magic preventing scrying and teleportation into or within
the chambers by anyone other than the three
wizard-liches.
A fallen knight of Bahamut, now a death knight,
and his dracolich mount rule over the lowest levels of
the tower, commanding a legion of fallen soldiers of

the Dawn War that have been twisted into undead.
The summoning and scrying chambers of the
liches take up the middle floors of the tower. Guardian demons and bound devils defend these chambers
and serve as eyes and ears across the planes.
The libraries and storerooms for the Dawn War
artifacts make up the upper reaches of the tower.
There the three liches continue their research to
find the artifacts capable of releasing their master.
Arcane-infused golems, magical constructs, and
deadly traps defend these chambers against those few
foolhardy enough to breach the towers defenses.
Sundering Rifts
Throughout the Teeth of Lormoch, rifts expose the
energy of the Abyss to the cold of the lowest reaches
of the Elemental Chaos. Creatures that stand on or
near these chaotic rifts might be twisted mentally or
physically. Sundering rifts usually fill 4 squares.
Effect: A sundering rift potentially affects a creature that ends its turn on or within 1 square of the
rift. Roll 1d8 to determine the results.
14: No effect.
he creature takes 5 cold and necrotic damage
5: T
per tier and is blinded until the end of its next
turn.
6: T he creature takes 10 cold damage per tier and
is slowed until the end of its next turn.
7: U
ntil the end of its next turn, the creature takes
a 2 penalty to defenses and has vulnerable 5 to
all damage per tier.
s a free action, the creature moves up to its
8: A
speed toward its nearest ally and attacks that
ally with an at-will attack.
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T he Frostblood
Cult
In the uncharted reaches of northern mountains,
a cult of blue-skinned humans known as the Frostbloods pay homage, with blood and sacrifice, to their
chained lord Cryonax. Few civilized people know of
this cult. Only the wild folk who live on the borders
of civilization and the wild north know of the existence of the Frostblood cult. Even among the wild
barbarians and uncivilized tribes of the north, the
Frostbloods are shunned and condemned as cannibals and monsters.
No one knows how many Frostblood cultists exist.
Their organization is broken up into separate tribes
that roam the frozen wastes. Their tribes are mostly
nomadic, traveling in groups of eighteen to thirty.
The Blood of Frost: Born human, Frostbloods
must undergo three rituals at different points in their
lives to become Frostbloods. Each of these rituals
proves fatal to half of those who undergo it, thus keeping the total number of adult Frostbloods low. During
the first ritual, a drop of Cryonaxs blood, diluted
through its transfer between the Elemental Chaos
and the mortal world, is fed to a child of four years. If
The Frostblood Cult in

The Nentir Vale
The Frostblood cult can work alongside the
Tigerclaw Barbarians and frost witches found
in Monster Vault 2: Threats to the Nentir Vale.
In a Nentir Vale campaign, the ties between
the Frostbloods, the frost witches, and the
Tigerclaws create interesting conflicts and possibilities to challenge the characters.
the child survives, it ingests another larger amount of

the blood at age twelve. Finally, at age seventeen, the
young adult is given the final largest dose of the black
liquid. This infuses the new Frostblood with terrible
visions of the chained lord, Cryonax, atop his plateau in the swirling storms of chaos. It also gives the
Frostblood a touch of his power and turns the young
adults skin blue. The newcomers blood grows as cold
as ice, and his or her body is brought to the edge of
death. A candidate who survives this final transformation awakens as a member of the Frostblood cult.
Feeders of Flesh: The northern tribes are right
to fear and shun the Frostbloods. Any humanoids
captured by the Frostbloods are designated either
as sacrifices to Cryonax or as food. The Frostbloods
consider themselves beyond mortality and ingest the
fresh warm blood and flesh of their mortal victims.
Horrid tales spread among the northern tribes tell of
large herds of captured slaves held by multiple Frostblood warbands as a surplus of food for the tribes.
Beings of Ritual: The Frostbloods revere Cryonax. They believe the ingestion of the blood of
Cryonax is necessary, and they slaughter any who
dare speak against the ritual.
The Trials: Disagreements between members
of the Frostblood often leads to the tribes only form
of justice: the Trial. When two members of the tribe
or two tribal leaders feud over a topic, they are both
placed in a ring infused with the glyphs of winter to
battle one another. The victor in this battle opens up
the chest of the fallen and devours the defeated opponents heart. Frostblood witches often reanimate the
victim as a zombie shambler to serve the victor until
the victors own death.
Frostblood Oracle
Some female members of the Frostbloods find their
spiritual vision extended beyond the visions of Cryonax. These females become oracles of the tribe. They
speak with the voice of Cryonax and oversee the
rituals and cannibalistic sacrifices conducted in the

Elemental Princes name. These oracles appear as old,
blue-skinned human women, with thin hair hanging
down their back. They wear thick robes of animal fur
and humanoid skin.
Frostblood Oracle
Level 13 Controller
Medium natural humanoid, human

HP 124; Bloodied 62
Speed 6 (ice walk)
Resist 10 cold
XP 800
Initiative +9
Perception +10
Standard Actions
m Ice Whip (cold) F At-Will

Hit: 3d6 + 9 cold damage, and the target is slowed until the
end of the oracles next turn.
r Frostbrittle Spear (cold, force) F At-Will
Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +16 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + 6 cold and force damage, and the target grants
combat advantage and has vulnerable 5 to all damage
until the end of the oracles next turn.
C Cryonaxs Storm (cold, thunder, zone) F Encounter
Attack: Close burst 2 (enemies in the burst); +16 vs.
Fortitude
Hit: 3d6 + 15 cold and thunder damage, and the target is
blinded (save ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: The burst creates a zone that is difficult terrain and
heavily obscured to enemies until the end of the oracles
next turn.
Triggered Actions
Prescience F At-Will
Trigger: An enemy makes a ranged attack against the
oracle.
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The triggering enemy must
make the attack roll twice and use the lower result.
Skills Arcana +17, Religion +17
Str 10 (+6)
Dex 16 (+9)
Wis 18 (+10)
Con 12 (+7)
Int 23 (+12)
Cha 20 (+11)
Alignment evil
Languages Common, Primordial
Equipment hide armor, whip
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Frostblood Icelord
The Roaming Camps
Commanders of the Frostblood clan reach their position by slaughtering enemies of the cult and personal
rivals. The line of succession of a Frostblood icelord
is forged in the death of previous lords, not lineage.
To become a Frostblood icelord, a warrior must have
devoured the hearts of the mightiest fallen members of the tribe. Frostblood icelords appear as large
muscled humans with blue skin and intricate tattoos
painted by the oracles of the tribes.
Frostblood cultists travel in warbands of eighteen to

thirty members. These bands usually reside in four
or five small burrows buried beneath icy drifts. Their
disdain for any sort of fire makes them very difficult to spot, although some icelords use fire as a way
to bait traps. When they arent hiding, Frostblood
cultists hang the eviscerated corpses of partially
devoured victims from large x-shaped racks around
their camp to warn away potential threats. Each of
these roaming camps usually contains one icelord
and one oracle along with a contingent of warriors,
berserkers, and children.
Frostblood Icelord
Level 15 Brute (Leader)
Medium natural humanoid, human

HP 183; Bloodied 91
Speed 6 (ice walk)
Resist 10 cold; Vulnerable 5 fire
XP 1,200
Initiative +10
Perception +9
Standard Actions
m Greataxe F At-Will
C Roar of Cryonax (cold, fear, psychic) F Recharge when
first bloodied
Attack: Close blast 5 (enemies in the blast); +18 vs. Will
Hit: 3d6 + 13 cold and psychic damage, and the target falls
prone.
Miss: Half damage.
The Throne of Ice

In the farthest reaches of the icy tundra resides a fortress of ancient ice formed by a coven of Frostblood
oracles on behalf of their Frostblood warchief. Known
as the Throne of Ice, this fortress has served the Frostbloods through fourteen different warchiefs.
Numerous catacombs rest below the fortress in
which the Frostbloods lay to rest the bodies of previous warchiefs, icelords, and other heroes of the
Triggered Actions
C Brutal Exultation (fear) F At-Will

Trigger: The icelord drops a creature to 0 hit points or
scores a critical hit.
Attack (Free Action): Close burst 5 (enemies in the burst);
+18 vs. Will
Hit: As a free action, the target moves its speed away from
the icelord.
Effect: Each ally in the burst gains a +5 power bonus to
damage rolls until the end of the icelords next turn.
Skills Athletics +17, Endurance +18
Str 21 (+12)
Dex 16 (+10)
Wis 15 (+9)
Con 23 (+13)
Int 8 (+6)
Cha 20 (+12)
Alignment evil
Languages Common
Equipment hide armor, greataxe
Filling out the

Frostblood Ranks
This article contains two types of Frostblood
cultists. You can skin numerous other humanoids to fill out your Frostblood encounters. The
githyanki in the Monster Vault make excellent
additional cultists. Convert their psychic attacks
to cold attacks, and you instantly create a dangerous band of blue-skinned hunters.
Frostbloods. Animated by Frostblood oracles, some

of the spirits and corpses of these heroes still lurk
in the icy chambers below, protecting the remains
and executing those who dare to intrude on this
sacred ground.
A powerful warchief named Darkmountain
currently holds the throne. One to two hundred
Frostblood warriors along with an equal number of
mates, children, and slaves reside in the fortress.
The Blue Deeps

Buried under a glacier that split apart two huge
mountains lies a crevasse that burrows miles deep
beneath the earth. Down in this crevasse sits an oily
black pool regarded as a sacred and holy place to the
Frostbloods. This liquid drips from a rift in the glacier above leading to the Elemental Chaos. Cryonaxs
blood drips from the rift into the pool, diluted by the
runoff of the glacier. The liquid of this pool gives the
Frostbloods their power and identity.
The Frostbloods revere this pool as the essence of
Cryonax that pours from his wounds as he struggles
atop his plateau of ice. Each drop they ingest gives
mortals a touch of Cryonaxs power if they survive
the ritual.
A band of frost giants loyal to the Elemental Prince
of Cold protects these chambers, along with their ice
archon companions. These guardians accept the presence and worship of human Frostbloods who arrive
on pilgrimage to these chambers.
An ancient white dragon, once the loyal companion of Cryonax but now banished to the mortal world,
guards this pool as it has done for three thousand
years. Those loyal to Cryonax might depart with a
small amount of the black liquid. All others suffer the
dragons wrath.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
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Cryonax Campaign
A rcs
You can weave the story of the Frostbloods and their
lord Cryonax into your campaign either as a primary or
secondary story arc throughout all three tiers of play.
Heroic Tier:
Ice and Darkness
This arc begins when frontier farms and logging villages along the northern borders of civilization call
for adventurers to defend them from attacks by barbarians of the north. The adventurers respond to
these attacks either through direct confrontation with
the barbarians or investigation. The party might learn
that the most brutal attacks come from a distinct sect
of renegade cultists who worship Cryonax.
The party can either continue their confrontation
with the barbarians or seek a delicate alliance with
the barbarians against the renegades who threaten
both the larger barbarian tribe and the civilized
settlers of the north. They find that a blue-skinned
witch, a Frostblood oracle, leads the renegades.
During the conclusion of this arc, the characters
might ally with the barbarians or a small army of civilized northerners to root out the renegades and their
Frostblood leader.
With the renegades defeated, the characters
discover that the Frostblood people, a race of blueskinned warriors of the deepest north, are amassing
an army to invade the barbarian tribes and the civilizations of the north.
Paragon Tier:
The Frozen Wastes
The party soon learns the legends of the Frostblood
cultists, cold-blooded cannibals who enslave and
devour those who dare to wander too far north.

Seeking to learn more, the characters track down a
Frostblood raiding party and face these foes head on.
Soon thereafter, the characters learn of and face a
large Frostblood slaving caravan bringing hundreds
of slaves north to the growing army of Frostbloods
surrounding the Throne of Ice. It is possible that
missing allies of the characters reside among these
slave herds.
The characters head north to the Throne of Ice
to face the warchief of the Frostbloods and behead
the army that threatens the area. A series of battles
based on either direct conflict or subterfuge takes
place at the Throne of Ice, where the characters face
powerful Frostblood cultists, oracles, and Warchief
Darkmountain.
They learn that a coven of Frostblood oracles
traveled to the Blue Deeps, an unholy rift to the
Elemental Chaos. There the characters battle the
frost giants and ice archons that defend the black
pool of Cryonaxs blood. Finally, they face the Frostblood oracles and the white dragon guardian before
destroying the pool that fuels the cold blood of the
Frostblood cultists.
each item the characters recover, the agents of Blackheart recover another. When all items have been
recovered, the characters must face the guardians of
the Wizards of Blackheart in the Teeth of Lormoch.
With all of the artifacts in their possession, the
characters face a dangerous choice. The bonds of
Cryonax have already weakened greatly and might
soon shatter. The characters could use the artifacts
to rebind Cryonax, chaining him once again to his
mountains and granting him immortality. Or they
could use the artifacts to break Cryonaxs chains
and defeat the primordial monster forever. Whichever path they choose has everlasting effects on
the multiverse.
Epic Tier: The Blizzard King
Physically powerful followers of Cryonax gain the

ability to perform a bitter strike. When they call upon
their patron, their claws or weapons become surrounded in a swirling blue-white aura. When they
use this weapon on their foes, it chills their victims to
the bone and freezes them in place. This power works
best for brutes, soldiers, and skirmishers.
During the final arc of the campaign, the party steps

into the reaches of the Astral Sea and the Elemental
Chaos. They learn of the Wizards of Blackheart who
seek to release Cryonax from his bonds. Dozens of
agents of the Wizards of Blackheart scour the multiverse, looking for the artifacts the gods once used to
bind Cryonax. This group plans to use these artifacts
to unbind their master and give him both freedom
and eternal power.
The characters begin a race against these agents,
hunting down artifacts in the Dawn War ruins of the
Astral Sea, the floating cities and million-year-old
caverns of the Elemental Chaos, the scorching lands
of the Nine Hells, and the depths of the Abyss. For
Monster T heme
Powers
Worship of Cryonax grants his followers powers
beyond those of ordinary creatures. The following theme powers are available to creatures loyal
to Cryonax.
Bitter Strike
Triggered Actions
Bitter Strike (cold) F Recharge when first bloodied
Trigger: This creature hits with a melee attack.
Effect (Free Action): The attack deals 5 extra cold damage
per tier. The target is also immobilized until the end of
this creatures next turn.
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Breath of Chill Death

Some servants of Cryonax gain the elemental princes
ability to breathe a cloud of life-draining cold. Enemies of these creatures might hear them whispering
in the strange deep voice of the elemental prince
before they exhale a rush of black mist that steals the
life from their enemies.
Standard Actions
C Breath of Chill Death F Encounter

Attack: Close burst 5 (enemies in the burst); level + 3 vs.
Fortitude
Hit: The target loses a healing surge, and the target is
slowed and weakened (save ends both).
Cryonaxs Cloak
This power surrounds the creature in a swirling
storm of wind and ice that does not harm the creature or its allies but can shred its enemies flesh from
bone. This power works best for controllers, leaders,
or artillery.
Traits
O Cryonaxs Cloak (cold, thunder) F Aura 3

Any enemy that ends its turn in the aura takes 5 cold and
thunder damage per tier and grants combat advantage
until the end of its next turn. The aura is lightly obscured
to enemies.
About the Author
Mike Shea is the webmaster of SlyFlourish.com, a site

focused on building the better 4th Edition Dungeon Master,
and the author of Sly Flourishs Dungeon Master Tips
and Sly Flourishs Running Epic Tier D&D Games. Mike
lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Michelle, and his
direwarg, Jebu.
www.ddo.com
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
16
Bazaar of the Bizarre:
Legendary Items
of Krynn
By Daniel Helmick
Illustration by Claudio Pozas

During the turbulent period known eventually as
the Fourth Age, the gods of the realm removed themselves from the affairs of the mortal races after a great
Cataclysm that devastated the landscape of Krynn.
This event destroyed Krynns civilized lands and
threw the entire world into chaos.
After an absence of more than 300 years, the dark
goddess Takhisis rose to prominence and threatened the world with a vast, seemingly unstoppable
army that boasted mighty dragons in its vanguard.
City after city fell to the onslaught of the goddesss
minions. The mortal races marshaled troops to fight
against the encroaching wave of conquest, but the terrible presence of the dragons paralyzed the defenders
with fear. More often than not, the armies of Takhisis
slaughtered their foes to a man, and more and more
flocked to the banners of the Dark Queen. Thus was
the Fourth Age of Krynn dubbed the Age of Despair.
The turn of the tide came unexpectedly and in
the most inauspicious of locations: an inn, built in
the boughs of a mighty vallenwood tree. A group of
friends and adventuring companions had pledged
an oath to meet there after going their separate ways
to discover more about the evil plaguing the land. At
the appointed time, the knightly Sturm Brightblade
entered the Inn of the Last Home in the company of
two barbarians of the Plainsone of whom held the

hope of the future and the return of the gods, quite
literally, in her hands. These few adventurers, born
from humble origins, would come to be known as the
Heroes of the Lance.
Although rarities are assigned to all the items in
this article, each of them except the dragonlance is
unique.
Brightblade
In the dark times following the Cataclysm, the onceadmired Knights of Solamnia fell into great disfavor
among their people. Monstersfell creatures awakened by the fury of the gods assaulthad overrun
Solamnia. The Knights of Solamnia fought against
these creatures of darkness, but without the blessings
of their patron gods, Paladine and Kiri-Jolith, they
could not help but falter. In time, the people of Solamnia lost faith in the Solamnic orders and even came to
blame the Cataclysm on the knights.
Born to a long and illustrious legacy of knighthood, the young cadet Sturm Brightbladeson of
Angriff Brightbladewas sent with his mother to the
distant town of Solace during a particularly dangerous time. Starved and destitute, the peasants of the
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
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Legendary Items of Krynn

Brightblades lands had gone mad and were threatening open revolt. Sturm carried himself as a knight,
adhering to the chivalric Code and the Measure,
and growing the symbolic mustaches of the Knights
of Solamnia, despite the scorn these practices often
earned him. Sturm returned to his childhood home
years later to find it burned and his father missing.
He received his fathers armor and the sword Brightblade as his birthright before returning to Solace.
Crafted by dwarves and presented to Berthal
Brightblade two millennia before the War of the
Lance, Brightblade is the ancestral sword of the famed
Brightblade family of Solamnic Knights. Members
of this family have wielded the sword for hundreds
of years, generation after generation. According to
legend, Brightblade is invulnerable to harm as long
as its wielder stays true to the code. The Oath of the
Knights of Solamnia (Est Sularis Oth Mithas, or My
honor is my life.) exemplifies that code for the Brightblade clan.
Brightblade
Level 15 Rare
This splendid sword, crafted in the old dwarven style, is as

deadly and beautiful as when it was first forged.
Weapon: Greatsword
25,000 gp
Enhancement Bonus: +3 to attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +3d10 damage
Properties
FY
ou gain a +3 bonus to passive Perception checks to avoid
being surprised.
F You gain a +3 item bonus to Diplomacy checks.
M Attack Power Daily (Free Action)
Trigger: An enemy reduces you to 0 or fewer hit points with
an attack.
Effect (Free Action): You move up to your speed, then make
an at-will weapon attack with this weapon against the
triggering enemy.
Utility Power Daily (Minor Action)
Effect: You and each ally who is within 10 squares of you
and can hear or see you gain a +1 bonus to all defenses,
saving throws, and attack rolls until the end of the
encounter.
Rabbitslayer
Kender Spoon of Turning
Few heroes have had a more profound impact on

Krynns history than the infamous adventurer, Tasslehoff Burrfoot. A member of the childlike kender race,
Tas has been at the center of three wars, befriended
gods and dragons, fought powerful adversaries, and
helped to save the world on more than one occasion.
Like most kender, he had a fearless curiosity coupled
with light fingers, and this combination landed him
and his companions in a great deal of trouble from
time to time. Despite these widely perceived flaws, he
was a loyal companion with a true heart, and he eventually acquired a sense of responsibility to his friends
that was virtually unique to the kender race.
Tasslehoff found the knife that would eventually
be known as Rabbitslayer in the ruins of Xak Tsaroth
while on the run from the Red Dragonarmy. Caramon Majere, disdainful of the small blade, teased
Tasslehoff, saying that the dagger would be suitable
only for slaying rabbits. Despite Caramons assertions,
the blade served Tas well for the remainder of his
career.
Curiously, no matter where the irrepressible
kender left the dagger, he always found it on his
person whenever he needed it.
During the Summer of Flame, Tasslehoff and his

companion Usha were imprisoned in a chamber in
the Tower of High Sorcery at Palanthas, guarded by
a fearsome specter. After turning out his pouches
in search of anything useful, Tas found this spoon,
which he immediately identified as the famous
Kender Spoon of Turninga powerful kender tool for
dealing with the undead. Dubious about the spoons
magical powers, Usha remarked that the utensil
resembled one of the spoons they had used during
supper with Dalamar, the Master of the Tower, and
Rabbitslayer
Level 19 Uncommon
Even the most absent-minded adventurer always finds this

knife in its sheath.
Weapon: Dagger
105,000 gp
Critical: +4d6 damage, or +4d10 damage if the attack was a
Sneak Attack
Property
I f unattuned, the weapon can be attuned, over an

extended rest, to a character. Once the weapon is
attuned, it returns to its sheath immediately if unintentionally dropped or within 1d8 hours if otherwise lost.
The weapon becomes unattuned only when freely given
to another or when the owner dies.
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pointed out a smear of strawberry jam on the handle.
Tas would not be dissuaded, however, insisting that
the spot was the blood of an undead vanquished by
the object. The brave kender went on to confront the
specter armed only with the spoon.
No one except members of the kender race has
ever confirmed the holy properties of this object.
Some speak of the spoon in hushed tones, claiming
it to be a holy symbol of Branchala, the god of music
and poetry. Others scoff at the notion of a piece of
silverware being a holy object, but Tas and Usha did
somehow escape from the specter and, ultimately,
from the Tower of High Sorcery.
Kender Spoon of Turning
Level 14 Uncommon
Whether this item is truly a kender holy symbol or simply a

piece of tableware, the spectacle of a diminutive kender waving a spoon at an undead monster is usually well worth the
price of admission.
Implement: Holy symbol
21,000 gp
Critical: +3d10 damage, +3d10 radiant damage to undead
creatures
Requirement: You must be a kender to use this item.
C Attack Power (Radiant) Daily (Standard Action)
Attack: Close burst 2 (undead creatures in the burst); Charisma or Wisdom + 5 vs. Will.
Hit: 2d10 + 3 + Charisma or Wisdom modifier radiant
damage, and you push the target a number of squares up
to 3 + your Charisma or Wisdom modifier. The target is
immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Wyrmslayer
The history of Tanis Half-Elven, born Tanthalas
Kanan, began in tragedy. During a raid on the elven
community of Qualinesti, a band of human brigands
captured and impregnated his mother, killed her
husband, and then left her for dead. Though she was
eventually recovered and nursed back to health in the
household of her deceased husbands brother Solostaran, the Speaker of the Sun, she gradually wasted
away, finally succumbing to death after the birth of
her half-human son.
The circumstances of Taniss conception and birth,
as well as his mothers untimely death, affected how
the other youths of Qualinesti viewed him. Despite
his gift for archery and his charismatic nature, he
was forever branded as an abomination in the eyes of
many. The Qualinesti regarded full-blooded humans
as backward savages, but Tanis by his very existence
represented a betrayal, and even elves raised alongside him grew to resent him.
After befriending the dwarf woodcarver Flint
Fireforge, Tanis left Qualinesti to pursue a life on the
road. His natural charm and quiet integrity drew
others to him, and he eventually became the unofficial leader of his group of companions. It was in this
role that he came to the forefront in the War of the
Lance.
During the war, Tanis and his friends volunteered to enter the fortress of Pax Tharkas and rescue
several prisoners held by the forces of the Dragon
Highlord Verminaard, a powerful cleric of Takhisis.
While he and his companions traversed the ancient
passage to Pax Tharkas (known to the elves as the
Sla-Mori), draconian soldiers in Verminaards employ
ambushed them. Legend holds that during the
ensuing melee, the spirit of the long-dead elf hero
Kith-Kanan granted Tanis his personal weaponthe
ancient sword called Wyrmslayer, crafted eons ago in
the Second Dragon War.
Wyrmslayer
Level 14 Rare
This blade thirsts after the blood of dragons and dragonkin.

When roused, its murderous desire is far from subtle.
Weapon: Greatsword
21,000 gp
Critical: +3d10 damage, +3d12 damage against draconians
and dragons
Properties
F A baaz draconians stone dead power cannot trap this
weapon.
F You gain a +3 item bonus to Intimidate checks against
draconians and dragons.
F When within 20 squares of a dragon, this weapon buzzes
loudly, automatically alerting the dragon and revealing
your location.
Attack Power (Fear) Encounter (Minor Action)
Attack: Close burst 20 (draconians or dragons in the burst);
+17 vs. Will
Hit: The target takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls, saving
throws, and all defenses (save ends).
Aftereffect: The target takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls,
saving throws, and all defenses (save ends).
Trigger: You hit a draconian or dragon with a melee weapon
attack using this weapon and do not score a critical hit.
Effect: The triggering attack deals maximum damage to one
target.
Staff of Magius
In the long history of Krynns wielders of magic, no
one has yet left behind a legacy to surpass that of
Raistlin Majere. Born to a poor family in the village
of Solace, Raistlin and his twin brother Caramon
proved to be opposites in both demeanor and form.
Caramon was a hearty youth, easygoing and athletic.
Raistlin, on the other hand, had poor health coupled with a fierce intelligence that drew him to the
study of the arcane artsan area in which he proved
extremely gifted, even at a young age.
The exact events of Raistlins great Test, which is
undertaken by anyone wishing to study higher magic,
have been the subject of much speculation. The
Test is one of survivala crucible intended to weed
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in the Third Dragon War. Though not the most powerful item of magic in the Towers of High Sorcery, it
nonetheless proved quite useful to Raistlin.
Staff of Magius
Level 10 Rare
A perfectly formed crystal sphere, clutched by three carved

dragon claws, tops this handsome mahogany staff.
Implement: Staff
5,000 gp
Critical: +2d8 force damage
Properties
F You gain a +2 item bonus to AC.
F You gain a +2 item bonus to skill checks made for performing rituals.
Utility Power At-Will (Minor Action)
Effect: The staff sheds bright light out to 10 squares.
Utility Power Encounter (Free Action)
Trigger: On your turn, you fail to sustain an arcane implement power you could sustain.
Effect: You sustain the effect until the end of your next
turn. You can still sustain the effect as normal.
Utility Power Daily (Free Action)
Trigger: You hit an enemy with an arcane implement attack
power using this staff and do not score a critical hit.
Effect: The triggering attack deals maximum damage to one
target.
Staff of Mishakal
out those unsuited for studying the higher mysteries. Raistlin emerged from his test with his already
fragile health shattered, and from that time forward
wracking coughs periodically shook his body. In addition, his skin had turned a golden hue, and his eyes
resembled twin hourglasses. But Raistlin had gleaned
more than just physical changes from the Testhe
had also acquired the famous relic known as the Staff
of Magius.
According to legend, this staff had once belonged
to Magiusfriend and trusted companion of the legendary knight Huma Dragonsbane, who had fought
Goldmoon, Chieftains Daughter of the Que-shu

tribe, was worshiped as a living goddess by her
people because of her golden tressesa hue virtually unknown among the people of the Plains. It was
the bravery of the stalwart ranger Riverwind, who
pledged to return to the village with proof of the
ancient gods, that eventually won her heart. On a
dark and restless night, Riverwind returned to the
Chieftains Daughter, half-dead and raving, clutching
a blue crystal staff in his fevered hands.
This staff proved to be the catalyst in a series
of events that would eventually culminate in the
gods return to the world. An exhausted Goldmoon,
with her bedraggled escorts Riverwind and Sturm
Brightblade, brought the staff to the Inn of the Last

Home. Though the Princess of the Plains would not
discover the truth for some time, her blue crystal staff
had once been blessed by Mishakal, goddess of healing, and Goldmoon was to become her first cleric
since the Cataclysm.
In the subterranean dungeon of Xak Tsaroth, the
nascent priestess and her friends came face-to-face
with a creature out of mytha powerful black dragon
named Khisanth. After receiving a vision from
Mishakal, Goldmoon sacrificed her life by destroying the staff, engulfing both herself and the dragon
in blazing, holy fire. The grief of her companions was
short-lived, however, because Goldmoon was restored
to life in the Temple of Mishakal, elsewhere in the
sunken city.
Staff of Mishakal
Level 10 Rare
Though it appears as an ordinary wooden staff, this item

reveals its true forma gorgeous blue crystal staff, pulsing
with life energywhen its divine powers are activated.
Implement: Staff
5,000 gp
Critical: +2d6 radiant damage, +2d12 radiant damage to
demons, undead, and devils
Properties
F This staff can also be used as a holy symbol implement.
F You gain a +5 item bonus to skill checks made for restoration rituals.
Utility Power (Healing) Encounter (Standard Action)
Effect: One creature you touch regains hit points as if it had
spent a healing surge.
Utility Power (Healing) Daily (Standard Action)
Effect: You and each ally within 5 squares of you regain hit
points as if each of you had spent a healing surge.
Utility Power (Healing) Daily (Standard Action)
Requirement: You must use this power at the end of a short
or extended rest.
Effect: You restore a dead creature to life with 1 hit point.
The target takes a 1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks,
ability checks, and saving throws until it has reached
three milestones or taken three extended rests.
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The Dragonlance
Riding a silver dragon and wielding the mythical
dragonlance, the Solamnic Knight Huma defeated
the Queen of Darkness in ages long pastor so say
the legends. Many Knights of Solamnia learned of
Humas deeds in the years following the Cataclysm,
but few if any lent credence to the tale, dismissing it
as nothing more than a story for children.
During the War of the Lance, however, a group
of Heroes discovered the truth of this ancient tale.
Led by the Kagonesti elf Silvara, the Heroes located
Humas tomb, wherein lay the silver dragonmetal
needed to create the fabled dragonlances.
Arguably the most visible symbols of the longfought War of the Lance, the dragonlances turned the
tide of the war in favor of the forces of good. This
weapon is anathema to dragonkind, causing such
creatures great harm in the hands of even a relatively
unskilled warrior.
About the Author
Daniel Helmick is a software tester, content translator,

developer, and consultant for the D&D Insider studio at Wizards of the Coast in Renton, Washington. His hobbies outside
of roleplaying games include running, complaining about the
weather, and tormenting various members of the R&D staff
with his horrific singing.
Dragonlance
Level 10+ Rare
A magnificent dragonmetal lance, shining with the holy light

of the Platinum Dragon, is mankinds ultimate weapon for
fighting the Dark Queens forces.
Lvl 10 +2
5,000 gp
Lvl 25 +5
625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp
Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Weapon: Spear
Enhancement Bonus: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 radiant damage per plus; +1d12 radiant
damage per plus against draconians and dragons
Properties
F You gain resist 5 to all damage a dragon or draconian
deals you.
F A baaz draconians stone dead power cannot stop this
weapon.
F You gain an item bonus to Intimidate checks equal to the
enhancement bonus against draconians and dragons.
M Attack Power (Radiant) Encounter (Free Action)
Trigger: You hit a dragon or draconian with a melee weapon
attack using this weapon.
Effect: In addition to the attacks normal damage, the target
takes 3d12 radiant damage and is dazed until the end of
your next turn. If the target drops to 0 hit points, you do
not expend this power.
Level 15 or 20: 4d12 radiant damage.
Level 25 or 30: 5d12 radiant damage.
Trigger: You hit a dragon or draconian with a melee weapon
attack using this weapon, and the d20 roll is 15 or higher.
Effect: The hit becomes a critical hit. If the target drops to 0
hit points, you do not expend this power.
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You Say
Dragonborn,
I Say Draconian
By Daniel Helmick
Illustration by Wayne England

Draconians are unique among the
races of Krynn. Most races were created by the gods in ages long past, but
draconians were shaped by servants of
the Dark Queen for one purpose: the conquest of the world. Thousands of dragon eggs
were transmuted (some say cursed), resulting
in the hatching of powerful, disciplined,
and seemingly endless shock troops.

Several varieties of draconian exist,
and each is determined by the type of
dragon egg used in its creation. Auraks are
rare and powerful users of mind magic. The natural
shapeshifting talent of the massive sivaks allows them
to act as brutal but effective spies. Kapaks lick their
arrowheads and blades to coat them in poisonous saliva, ensuring an imminent (if agonizing)
death to those hit by the weapons. The bozaks,
much like the auraks, are natural users of
magic. Even the lowliest of the draconians,
the baaz, are deadly foot soldiers in their own
right. (See the Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons
sourcebook for more details.)
Most draconians are inured to a harsh and
wicked lifestyle. Intended to be the willing
strong arms of the Dark Queens ground army, during

wartime their vicious instincts were encouraged
rather than suppressed, so that most displayed little
better temperament than the ogres and goblins they
commanded. Draconians are expected to be cruel,
and they enjoy reinforcing that belief.
Even in the midst of waging the war for which
they were created, though, some draconians found
a purpose other than blind servitude. Some, such as
the sivak Slith, obeyed their orders loosely, more concerned with turning a healthy profit than conquest.
Others, such as the renowned bozak engineer Kang,
struggled with a foreign concept learned on the field
of battle: honor.
These exceptional draconians and others like
them were pioneers. Their individuality inspired
others, until the draconian race eventually learned to
not only survive without the direction of their Dark
Queen but to also thrive without it. With time, they
learned to coexist with the other races of Krynn.
Two types of draconians are presented in this
article for use as player characters: the bozaks, magicusing subcommanders of the dragonarmies, and the
kapaks, naturally gifted in the art of assassination.
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You Say Dragonborn, I Say Draconian
how to shape your

draconian from a
dragonborn
Other than the obvious physical similarities,
its fair to ask whether dragonborn really have
enough in common with draconians to stand in
for them. Using dragonborn for draconian player
characters might seem like a bit of a stretch.
Most of the differences between the races
represent cultural and historical idiosyncrasies
rather than physical differences. Physically, the
races are quite similar. Both are covered in scales
and resemble their draconic forebears. Both tend
to be strong, proud, and remarkably tough. Both
races have innate, dragon-themed racial powers
and abilities.
Two specific factors offer unusual perspectives for roleplaying a draconian character.
First, a draconian player character is assumed
to be a cut above rank-and-file soldiers in terms
of training, perspective, and power.
Second, the draconian race is a young one.
Most of the remnants of the Dark Queens draconian army are uniform in ability and personality,
but exceptions naturally occur. The years following the War of the Lance see the draconian race
coming into its own. Your character might have
special gifts, abilities, and attitudes outside the
norm. The draconian race doesnt really have a
common culture to speak of, so your character
can forge a unique path.
If you are seeking inspiration for the creation of
a draconian player character, you might want to
read the Kangs Regiment novels by Margaret Weis
and Don Perrin. These books deal with a group of
draconian veterans of the War of the Lance learning to coexist in a world never meant for their kind.
Roleplaying a
Draconian
When creating a draconian character, consider the
following points.
You are the boogeyman. Draconians have a
well-deserved reputation as killers, conquerors, slavers, and bringers of war. To say that most people
dont care for you is an understatement; you are likely
reviled by all who behold you. It might take some
impressive deeds to persuade members of other races
to accept you as the individual you are, rather than
just another typically brutal draconian.
You are proud. Draconians verge on arrogance,
certain of their superiority. In spite of their cruelty
and vice, most draconians are as fearless and bold as
their opponents. Even the staid and proper Knights of
Solamnia bear a grudging respect for the courage and
guile of their draconian foes.
You must change. During the war, it was easy
to follow the orders of your superiors and to give
in to your baser instincts. You were at the top of
the food chain, and the creatures you subjugated
had to submit to you and your comrades in arms or
risk being crushed and discarded. Now, the changing landscape has forced you to find a new path for
which you are ill-prepared. You have been forced to
acknowledge the shocking reality that your greatest
changes are yet to comeif you truly wish to adapt
and survive in this world.
R acial Variant:
B ozak Draconian
Bozak draconians are widely regarded as some of
the most dangerous soldiers that served under the
Dark Queen. Their magical power is exceeded by the
auraks and their physical strength is dwarfed by the
sivaks, but the bozaks exist in far greater numbers.
RACIAL VARIANTS
When you create a character belonging to a
subrace, you have the option to select from
several benefits unique to that subrace. Each
benefit replaces a standard racial trait, as noted
in the benefits description. Unless indicated
otherwise, you can select as many of a subraces
benefits as you want. See the Neverwinter
Campaign Setting for more information on racial
variants.
Their natural cleverness and magnetism make them

trusted, effective, and intelligent leaders. Bozaks
prefer the more destructive flavors of magic, such as
elemental evocations, over the subtle spells employed
by their aurak cousins.
Bozaks are dangerous even in death, thanks to
their tendency to explode and damage creatures
around them at the moment of their demise. A slayer
of a bozak draconian might find his or her own death
with the swords final stroke.
On average, bozak draconians stand just over 6
feet tall and are covered in bronze scales. They have
the most highly developed wings among the draconian subraces. Bozaks generally prefer light or no
armor, because anything heavier interferes with their
arcane gestures and flight.
Bozak player characters are usually sorcerers, representing those who prefer to delve fully into their
natural magical talents, or hexblade warlocks, for
those who wish to blend their natural strength and
magical power. Bozak sorcerers make adept dragon
or cosmic sorcerers, playing to their natural gifts.
Bozak hexblades tend to opt for the elemental or
infernal pacts. Bozaks can also make effective blackguards or assault swordmages.
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When creating a bozak draconian character, you
can pick from the following benefits.
Arcane Blood: The essence of your draconic
forebears surges through your veins. Born to a legacy
of arcane might, you have learned to augment your
spells with this gift.
Benefit: You gain a +1 racial bonus to the damage
rolls of your arcane attack powers. This bonus
increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 21st level. This
benefit replaces Dragonborn Fury.
Instinctive Flight: Although your wings are
neither large enough nor
strong
enough to sustain flight for long, your battleground

mobility is still quite extraordinary.
Benefit: You gain a flight speed of 6 squares (altitude limit 1). You cannot use this fly speed if you are
carrying more than a normal load. You must land at
the end of your turn. This benefit replaces Draconic
Heritage.
Concussive Vengeance: You have learned to
trigger your death throes prematurely as a last resort,
through a mixture of self-discipline and arcane
experimentation. Be wary, thoughmimicking your
death throes might well result in the genuine article.
Benefit: You gain the concussive vengeance power.
This benefit replaces Dragon Breath.
Draconian
backgrounds
If you choose a racial background, you either
gain a +2 bonus to checks with one of its associated skills, or you add one associated skill to
your classs skills list before you choose your
trained skills.
Bozak Draconian: From the moment of your
birth, you were a match for virtually any human
soldier. Your natural aptitude for both magic and
combat and your gift for command make you a
force to be reckoned with.
Associated Skill: Arcana, Diplomacy, or
Intimidate
Kapak Draconian: You are as slippery as a
kender and as deadly as a minotaur. When you
set your sights on a foe, it is as good as dead.
Associated Skill: Intimidate, Stealth, or
Thievery
Concussive Vengeance
Bozak Racial Power
Searing pain courses through you as percussive force from

your body strikes out at those nearby.
Daily F Thunder
Standard Action
Close burst 1
Target: Each creature in the burst
Attack: Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity vs. Reflex.
You gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll.
Level 11: The bonus increases to +4.
Hit: The target takes thunder damage equal to your
bloodied value and falls prone.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: You take damage equal to your bloodied value,
and you fall prone. This damage cannot be reduced by
any means.
Special: If it has not been used for the day, this power
automatically triggers when you die.
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R acial Variant:
K apak Draconian
Like their bozak cousins, kapak draconians also stand
just over 6 feet tall, though their scales are coppery
rather than bronze. Bozaks have the overall shape of
burly humans, whereas the sinewy kapaks have serpentine features with long limbs and torsos.
Kapaks have a reputation for being vicious in their
dealings with other races and are well known for bullying creatures smaller and weaker than themselves.
The wisest among them have learned the value of
avoiding attention, and those kapaks are more dangerous for their slyness.
The kapaks are widely regarded as the fastest and
most agile of the draconians. Their impressive speed
is far from their most dangerous attribute. Glands
underneath their tongues secrete a paralyzing toxin
with which they can poison their weapons.
Like all draconians, they are capable of killing even
as they meet their own fate. When kapak draconians
die, they immediately dissolve into a pool of highly caustic acid, inflicting horrible burns upon the unwary.
Kapaks make fine assassins, particularly executioners, as well as effective rogues and thieves. Some
kapaks learned to adapt to life in the wilderness as
rangers, and a few studied the bardic arts, supporting
troops while in the service of the dragonarmies.
When creating a kapak draconian character, you
can pick from the following benefits.
Instinctive Flight: Although your wings are not
large enough or strong enough to sustain flight for
long, your mobility is still quite extraordinary.
Benefit: You gain a fly speed of 6 squares (altitude
limit 1). You cannot use this speed if you are carrying
more than a normal load. You must land at the end of
your turn. This benefit replaces Draconic Heritage.
Murderous Eye: You instinctively exploit your
foes weakness.
Benefit: You have combat advantage against enemies that are slowed, immobilized, or weakened. This
benefit replaces Dragonborn Fury.
Sinuous Agility: Your movements are quick and
precise, your lean muscles a study in economy.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to your Dexterity and
Charisma ability scores. This benefit replaces the
normal racial ability score bonuses for dragonborn.
Caustic Heritage: You have poison in your mouth
and acidic blood.
Benefit: You gain the toxic saliva and acidic revenge
powers. This benefit replaces Dragon Breath.
Toxic Saliva
Kapak Racial Power
You lick your weapon, coating it in venom.
Draconian Feats
The feats in this section enhance the capabilities of
draconian characters.
Bozak Evoker
Drawing upon your inner resources, you charge your
spells with explosive power.
Prerequisite: Bozak draconian, Arcane Blood
racial feature, Concussive Vengeance racial feature
Benefit: If you score a critical hit with an arcane
attack power, the target falls prone. In addition, while
you are bloodied, you double your racial bonus to
damage rolls with arcane attack powers.
Encounter F Poison
Minor Action
Personal
Target: An axe, heavy blade, light blade, pick, or spear, or
an arrow or crossbow bolt.
Effect: Your next successful weapon attack with the
target also deals 1d6 poison damage and the target is
slowed (save ends).
First Failed Saving Throw: The target is instead
immobilized (save ends).
Level 11: 2d6 poison damage.
Level 21: 3d6 poison damage.
Draconian Wings
Acidic Revenge
Kapak Resistance
Kapak Racial Power
When you die, acid explodes from your corpse.

Daily F Acid
Immediate Reaction Close burst 2
Trigger: You die.
Target: Each creature in the burst
Attack: Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity vs. Reflex.
You gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll.
Hit: 1d8 + Constitution modifier acid damage, and ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends).
Level 11: 2d8 + Constitution modifier acid damage, and
ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends).
Level 21: 3d8 + Constitution modifier acid damage, and
ongoing 15 acid damage (save ends).
Through a rigorous regimen of toughening exercises,

you have improved your strength for the purpose of
movement.
Prerequisite: Bozak or kapak draconian, Instinctive Flight racial feature
Benefit: You ignore the speed penalty for wearing
heavy armor, and your altitude limit for Instinctive
Flight increases to 2.
Your origin provides you with a degree of protection

against the vile and venomous.
Prerequisite: Kapak draconian, Caustic Heritage
racial feature
Benefit: You gain resist 5 acid and resist 5 poison.
This benefit increases to resist 10 acid and resist 10
poison at 11th level, and resist 15 acid and resist 15
poison at 21st level.
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Unearthed
Arcana:
Alternative
Multiclass
Rules
By Robert J. Schwalb and Matt Sernett
Illustrations by Chris Seaman, Goran Josic, and
Tyler Walpole
Having thwarted the schemes of a mad mage, a ranger discovers a magic tome in an arcane library. After examining
the book, she learns to cast her first spell.
A cleric ministers to the partys thief, hoping to change the
adventurers ways. After a near death experience, the thief
finds new piety and embraces the power of the gods.
After succumbing to a devils temptations, a cavalier abandons his virtue and turns onto the fighters path. Only by
atoning can the fallen paladin regain his place in the light.
Each class in the Dungeons & Dragons game
can accommodate numerous character concepts. A
fighter might be a two-weapon swashbuckler, a noble
knight, a berserker, or a bare-fisted unarmored warrior. Choosing specific features and powers within a
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Alternative Multiclass Rules

class can help reinforce one of these concepts. Even
so, a single class sometimes proves insufficient to
encompass all of a characters story, ambition, or
mechanical concept. In these cases, players can look
to other classes for additional options.
Multiclass rules are an important option for allowing a characters story to be borne out in game play. For
example, a paladin who suffers a crisis of faith would
not continue to be a paladin. Similarly, if a fighter
teaches advanced combat techniques to a thief, those
should be reflected in the thief s unique attack powers.
For a number of other reasons, even considering
the number of classes available in the game, a player
might want to create a character whose concept goes
beyond the confines of any single class. From the
fighter who dabbles in spellcasting, to the pious thief,
the shadow-touched ranger, and the hexblade who
awakens sorcerous power, many one-of-a-kind characters can be modeled using multiclass rules.
Multiclassing also helps address a desire for
optimization. Each class, as designed, performs a different rolea fighter defends, a cleric leads, a rogue
is a stealthy scout, and so on. It can be beneficial,
however, to diversify a characters talents to handle a
wider range of situations. A fighter might take some
warlord abilities to become a more effective combat
leader. A barbarian might branch out into fighter
abilities to better defend his or her companions. Multiclassing allows characters to take better advantage
of features and powers in the game.
All these needs are addressed to some degree by
the multiclass systems already present in the game.
Characters can explore other classes by taking the
multiclass feats, or fuse two classes by using the
hybrid character rules in Players Handbook 3. Each
of those options allows a character to be developed
in interesting ways, but each path comes with limitations and costs.
This article introduces a new multiclass system
that offers a different approach to character building.
Multiclassing
In this system, any character can become a multiclass
character by choosing a level-based benefit from a
class other than his or her initial class.
Primary Class
Every multiclass character begins with one class. The
class you choose during character creation is your
characters primary classthe foundation on which

your multiclass character is built. You create a character using the normal rules for character creation.
Gaining Levels
Use the Character Advancement Table in the Players
Handbook, page 29, or the advancement table for your
primary class in another source, such as Heroes of the
Fallen Lands. When you gain a level, you can choose
System Limits
The rules presented here are intentionally broad. The
degree to which you invest in any secondary classes
is up to you. Having a large number of choices can
make it harder to pick how to advance. Your decisions might create unforeseen imbalances.
This system makes it easier to optimize. Any
player who wishes to create a character more powerful than one with a single class can do so. Some
powers are simply better than others, or they offer
more opportunities for exploitation. For instance, the
barbarian and sorcerer have powers that deal more
damage than is standard for other classes. Such an
increase in character damage might not be a problem
until other striker class features are applied.
The DM should supervise the use of this system to
assure the outcome is desirable for his or her game.
To put more controls in place and prevent extreme
optimization of characters, the DM might allow this
multiclass system but impose some of the following
restrictions in the game.
One Secondary Class: A character can take
levels in only one other class using this system,
but can still take multiclass feats to expand into
other classes. This restriction helps reduce the
number of available options and limits unbalanced

combinations.
Even-Numbered Levels Only: A character
can take benefits in a secondary class only at evennumbered levels. This restriction means that all a
characters attack powers come from the characters
primary class, ensuring that a multiclass character
functions in the characters expected role.
Prerequisite: To choose a class as a secondary
class, a character must have a score of 15 or higher
in the ability the class uses to make its attacks. This
option prevents characters from dipping into a wide
range of classes to skim the best powers from each
class. It also encourages players to choose secondary
classes that complement a characters primary class.
Striker Limits: Class features that increase
damage, such as Sneak Attack, might apply only to
attack powers from the class that grants the feature.
This rule, which shows up as part of the hybrid character system, prevents unintended damage stacking.
Alternatively, such damage increases might be forbidden on any power from another striker class,
such as the barbarian or sorcerer, that already enjoys
higher damage than normal.
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to take new level from your primary class, or you can
take the level in a different class.
What You Gain

Any new class you choose becomes a secondary class
for you. You gain the following benefits and abilities
from that class.
Hit Points: Your hit points increase according
to your chosen secondary classs hit points per level
gained. For example, any character who takes a secondary cleric level gains 5 hit points.
Powers: It you gain a power, you choose it from
among those available to the secondary class for
selection at that level. For instance, a 10th-level
character who takes a level of cleric can choose a
10th-level or lower cleric utility power.
You can gain a power that has no level only if your

primary class grants that power and you take the
level at which the power is granted in your primary
class. For example, you can gain the restore life druid
power only if your primary class is sentinel druid and
you advance as a sentinel druid at 8th level.
The Exceptions section has some possible alternatives to strict enforcement of these rules.
E xceptions
Three or More Classes
If your primary build and class is warpriest cleric, a

couple of levels in a secondary class offer exceptions.
These rules allow you to gain powers from any

number of classes. Be aware, however, that the more
secondary classes a character has, the less focused
that character becomes. You might find a character
with too many classes becomes unable to fill any specific party role and is thus not a viable character.
What You Dont Gain
Paragon and Epic Tiers
When you choose a secondary class, you gain none of

that classs other features, powers, or proficiencies, as
well as none of those from your primary class. (You
can never gain features and powers from more than
one class at the same level.) This fact means that it
benefits you to choose from among classes that share
similarities, especially in proficiencies. A fighter who
decides to take a wizard attack power should also
take a feat (such as Arcane Initiate, Learned Spellcaster, or Witchcraft Initiate) to gain proficiency with
an implement so as to use that power most effectively.
Whenever a new level in a secondary class offers
a power or feature of a type your primary class
cannot gain, your multiclass character cannot gain
that power. Such a level is best taken in your primary
class. For instance, a character whose primary class is
a fighter with the knight or slayer build cannot gain
daily attack powers using this multiclassing system.
Similarly, a character whose primary class is rogue
cannot gain domain powers and features from the
warpriest cleric.
You gain a paragon path and an epic destiny as any

normal character does. You cannot multiclass to
change paragon path powers or epic destiny powers.
Retraining and Replacing

The normal retraining rules apply to multiclass characters, with one modification. When you retrain a
power, you can exchange that power only for another
power from the same class. For instance, if you opt to
retrain a cleric utility power, you can exchange it only
for another cleric utility power.
A similar principle applies to replacing powers at
higher levels. If you want to replace a power when
your advancement allows you to do so, you can select
a power only from among those available to the same
class from which the replaced power comes.
The next sections of this article spell out exceptions

to the basic system rules. You and your DM can use
these examples to help define other possible exceptions to the basic system.
Cleric (Warpriest)
F If you take secondary class levels when you would
gain a domain encounter attack power from
taking a level as a warpriest cleric, you can select
an encounter attack power of that level from the
secondary class. This exception does not apply to
devout warpriest powers.
F Similarly, if you take a secondary class level when
you would gain a domain utility power from taking
a level as a warpriest cleric, you can select a utility power of that level or lower from the secondary
class. This exception does not apply to devout
warpriest powers.
Druid (Sentinel)
If your primary build and class is sentinel druid, a
few levels in a secondary class offer exceptions.
F When you take 3rd level or 7th level in a secondary class, instead of gaining Improved Combined
Attack, you can gain one encounter attack power
of that level from the chosen secondary class.
F When you take 16th level in a secondary class,
instead of gaining the a thousand faces power, you
can gain one utility power of the appropriate level
or lower from the chosen secondary class.
F If you take 17th level in a secondary class, instead
of gaining an animal companion power of that
level, you can replace one of your encounter
attack powers. You need to do so only if you took
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a secondary class level at 3rd or 7th level, thereby
gaining an encounter attack power from a secondary class.
Fighter
A few levels in fighter provide the opportunity to
choose among alternatives. A character who has the
primary class of fighter and the knight build or the
slayer build already gains similar benefits and can
ignore these options.
F When you take 3rd level in the fighter class,
whether primary or secondary, you can gain the
power strike power instead of a new fighter encounter attack power.
F When you take 13th level in the fighter class,
whether primary or secondary, you can replace
one of your fighter encounter attack powers gained
at 1st, 3rd, or 7th level with the power strike power.
If you already have power strike, you can replace
such an encounter attack power with the ability to
use power strike one more time per encounter, but
still only once per turn.
F When you take 17th level in the fighter class,
and you have a fighter encounter attack power
you could replace, you can gain one fighter atwill stance power from among the options on
pages 130 (the knight) and 153 (the slayer) of
Heroes of the Fallen Lands, replacing one of your
fighter encounter attack powers with the chosen
stance. You cannot replace power strike or a use
of that power with this option. After you select
a stance, you cannot replace it at later levels
unless you retrain into another stance among the
options allowed.
Paladin
A couple of levels of paladin provide an opportunity
to choose between alternatives. A character who
has the primary build and class of cavalier paladin already gains similar benefits and can ignore
these options.
F When you take 3rd level in the paladin class,
whether primary or secondary, you can gain the
holy smite power instead of gaining another paladin encounter attack power.
F When you take 13th level in the paladin class,
whether primary or secondary, you can replace
one of your paladin encounter attack powers
gained at 1st, 3rd, or 7th level with the holy smite
power. If you already have holy smite, you can
replace such an encounter attack power with the
ability to use holy smite one more time per encounter, but still only once per turn.
Psionic Classes
Psionic classes require a few exceptions.
F If your primary class grants the Psionic Augmentation class feature, you should take all levels at
which you gain power points and gain or replace
at-will attack powers in your primary class.
F If you take levels in a psionic class as a secondary class, you can gain power points and at-will
attack powers from the class only by taking other
character elements, such as feats, that grant such
benefits. It is recommended that a character
who takes a secondary psionic class also take the
Psionic D
abbler feat as soon as possible.
F If you have no power points because you have
gained none from your advancement choices, you
are considered to have 0 power points only if doing
so is harmful to you. For example, if you have no
power points from having gained none during
advancement, and you take the Invincible Mind
epic destiny, the Reinvigorating Attack feature provides you no benefit.
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Ranger
Several levels in ranger, whether primary or secondary, provide the opportunity to choose among
alternatives. A character who has the primary class
of ranger and the hunter build or scout build already
gains similar benefits and can ignore these options.
F When you take 3rd level in the ranger class, you
can gain the disruptive shot or the power strike power
instead of another ranger encounter attack power.
F When you take 5th level in the ranger class, you
can take the reactive shift power instead of selecting
a new daily power. If you do so, you cannot replace
the reactive shift power at later levels.
F When you take 9th level in the ranger class, instead
of choosing a daily attack power, you can gain either
the Close Combat Archery class feature or the
dual weapon attack power. If you do so, you cannot
replace the selected option at later levels.
F When you take 13th level in the ranger class, you
can replace one of your encounter attack powers
gained at 1st, 3rd, or 7th level with the disruptive
shot or power strike power. If you already have disruptive shot or power strike, you can replace such an
encounter attack power with the ability to use one
of those powers one more time per encounter, but
still only once per turn.
F When you take 13th level in the rogue class, you

can replace one of your rogue encounter attack
powers gained at 1st, 3rd, or 7th level with the
backstab power. If you already have backstab, you
can replace such an encounter attack power with
the ability to use backstab one more time per
encounter, but still only once per turn.
About the Authors
Robert J. Schwalb has contributed design to or developed

nearly two hundred roleplaying game titles for Dungeons
& Dragons, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, A Song of Ice and
Fire Roleplaying Game, Star Wars Roleplaying Game, and the
d20 system. Some of his more recent work for Wizards of
the Coast can be found in Book of Vile Darkness and Players
Option: Heroes of the Elemental Chaos. For more information
about the author, check his website at www.robertjschwalb.
com or follow him on Twitter (@rjschwalb).
Matt Sernett is a writer and game designer for Wizards
of the Coast who has worked on both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering . Recent credits include
Halls of Undermountain, Neverwinter Campaign Guide, and
Scars of Mirrodin. When hes not making monsters or building worlds, hes watching bad fantasy movies you dont realize
exist and shouldnt bother to learn about. You can follow him
on Twitter, where hes @Sernett.
Rogue
A few levels in the rogue class, whether primary
or secondary, provide the opportunity to choose
between alternatives.
F When you take 3rd level in the rogue class, you
can gain the backstab power instead of gaining a
new rogue encounter attack power.
F When you take 5th level in the rogue class, you can
take the cunning escape power instead of selecting
a new daily attack power. If you do so, you cannot
replace the cunning escape power at later levels.
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Abyssal Trade Goods:

Not a Bad Thing
By Ed Greenwood
Illustration by Noah Bradley
Something about that man feels...otherworldly,
Dondras said, shivering. Cold, slithering, watchful. Waiting for a moment of weakness.... Lets skip his tent.
Otherworldly, indeed, his fellow merchant replied
with a smile. He claims to sell wine hes personally brought
straight from the Abyss. And no merchant would stretch the
truth to make a sale, eh?
Straight from the Abyss

For more than a thousand years, the phrase straight
from the Abyss has been used by traders all over
the Realms to describe rare and exotic goods theyre
trying to sell, particularly if they want to be vague
about where those goods came from.
A few merchants, however, really do trade directly
between the Abyss and the continent of Faern,
selling or swapping certain fruits and cheeses of
the Realms (not to mention food-slaves1) to Abyssal
inhabitants with a taste for the freshest produce and
meat, and bringing back to markets Abyssal trade
goods that command high prices.
Alchemists and arcane spellcasters and the

enchanters of items have always valued the body
parts and bodily fluids of demons, because their
inherent nature (linked to the Elemental Chaos) both
captures and unleashes magical energy, and so is
useful in all matters magical. Illicit or covert trade in
demonic treasures, as some call them, will always
exist, and this trade involves high prices, scarcity, and
clients of fell intent.
Several Abyssal goods are more widely useful
and less deadly to procure, and as word of them has
spread across the Realms, so has their popularity.
Right now, the most popular Abyssal wares
are these.
Bathaerel (pronounced bath-hair-ell): Also
known as rustbanish, bathaerel is a purplish
powder or gravel made of certain rocks from the
Abyssal layers of Rauwend and Voorzzt.2 When the
rock is agitated in a bag with rusty metal items or
mixed into a paste with water, crushed raw potato or
grist, and certain green-shoot plants, the resulting
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Eye on the Realms

mixture stops rust and removes it, leaving behind
clean metal (though it doesnt replace metal already
lost to rust).
Droth (drawth): Also called demons blood,
droth is a black, sticky substance made from the
blood of manes and the boiled-down chitin (body
plates) of derghodemons. When smeared on the eyes,
it cures certain sorts of blindness in some individuals, and when ingested (its taste is generally described
as salty and horrible), it can help to cure certain diseases.3 When smeared on acid-drenched items or
living creatures, it cuts the corrosion done by the acid
in half. Ingested or smeared, droth stops all green
slime effects instantly, and turns back existing slime
into the living material it was before being slimed.
Moonhoney: The substance with the unlikely
name of moonhoney is actually the dung of groundworms that dwell on many Abyssal layers (and which
are eaten by many demons). It is a smoky-tasting,
nourishing, even rib-sticking treat to humans, halflings, dwarves, elves, and half-elves. Its name
comes from its consistency and appearance (both of
which are rather like the honey produced by wild
bees), and the fact that when bathed in moonlight,
it momentarily acquires a rough, fleeting sweetness.
Moonhoney doesnt spoil unless it is scorched in open
flame or soaked in citrus juices, and so it is an ideal
trail food for wayfarers of all kinds, who can readily
carve it into handy chunks.4 It is prized for its property of neutralizing almost all known poisons active
within those who eat it.
Quelaerel (kwel-air-ell): The fiery, thick brown
sauce known as quelaerel is derived from boiling the
wormlike bodies of the threeb, a variety of bloodsucking leeches found in the swamps and jungles of many
Abyssal layers (such as the Screaming Jungle area of
the Gaping Maw, the fetid layer of Shedaklah, and
the Slugbed). Quelaerel is used in Calishite and other
cuisine of the South. Meeting the tongue rather like
a lighter and more varied tamarind sauce, quelaerel
twists the taste of rotting meat or fermenting fruits

and vegetables into something pleasant and palatable.
Stonesulder Wine: The long-dead merchant
Ariast Stonesulder popularized the vintage that bears
his name by tirelessly selling it all over the Heartlands of the Realms. The yellow-hued, sharp-flavored
liquid known as Stonesulder wine is now a staple in
many kitchens.5 Not only does this pleasant drink
cleanse the palate when imbibed by itself, but it also
has the property of binding sauces and gravies to rice
and root vegetables (such as potatoes, turnips, parsnips), so that the flavors of the sauces cling and mask
or alter the natural flavors of what they cling to.
Stonesulder wine is made by crushing the fruits
and leaves of certain jungle and swamp plants found
in many layers of the Abyss to capture their sap or
juice, which is then fermented in wooden barrels.
The fermentation process takes place either in the
Abyss or in the Realms, and the barrels must be
from a hardwood, or else the wine is soured, and the
aging should be in a damp and warm, rather than
cold, place.
Abyssal Traders
Elminster warns that there are a dark handful of
demons who shuttle back and forth between the
Abyss and the Realms, posing as merchants but really
pursuing slaving or ruler-influencing interests.
The Abyssal traders examined here, however,
are non-demon inhabitants of the Realms, each of
whom is human, part human, or readily able to pose
as human.
They share certain characteristics, beyond a
hunger for making coin and access to a demongate
or an Abyssal portal. Many humans would say that
madness is an essential trait for such individuals, but
those who look closer would see confidence, fearlessness, toughness, foresight, and a good memory,
all of which are used often to prepare for the worst
(with caches of weapons and coin, agreements made
with allies who can be called upon if things go awry,

escape plans, and magic items for use in combat or
defense). Such traits are typical of any Abyssal trader
who survives more than a single trading expedition
(and makes subsequent forays).
High Stakes Hurluu

The most colorful and widely known of the currently successful Abyssal traders is the garrulous,
jovial, toad-ugly man who calls himself High Stakes
Hurluu (though he never participates in gambling
games, or wagers on outcomes; his only gambles are
investments). Always eager to make a friend or a new
trading deal, Hurluu is a roaringly amiable figure rapidly growing in legend.
No one but Hurluu knows what he truly is, but he
can transform his body into at least three forms: the
short, burly, wart-covered human trader most folk in
the Realms see; a naga-like, human-headed snake of
great length and mottled gray-green hue; and a floating or flying, many-eyed and many-tentacled body
that can fight several foes at once. He wears or carries some sort of magic item that can teleport him
away from a confrontation that goes badly, and he has
escaped several certain death traps.
Hurluu dealsunscrupulously and with raw good
humorin everything. As he often says, No deal
too large, and none too small! He is usually found
lurking in a tavern, a festhall, or a seedy club in
Waterdeep, Athkatla, Westgate, Suzail, or Selgaunt.
He cultivates street gangs and thieves guilds to be
his allies if things go wrong, and he has caches and
hiding places arranged in his five favorite trading
citiesnot to mention complicated escape plans.
Hurluu is infamous across the Realms for unleashing a menagerie of monsters to maraud in the streets
of Athkatla when the beasts owner tried to doublecross him in a trading deal.
Hes also known for hiring a succession of young
and beautiful escorts to pose as his offspring, who
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Eye on the Realms

distract clients with their charms (influencing the
clients into making deals that benefited Hurluu more
than themselves).
When a cabal of Sembian traders tried to have
Hurluu eliminated, the jovial trader poisoned many
Selgauntans by tainting casks of wine that were
bound for the homes of the cabal members...and
many other clients in the city of Selgaunt.
If someone amuses himeven a foe trying to do
him illHurluu will regard the source of amusement
as delightful entertainment, to be goaded or even
aided, so that the jester might survive to entertain
him in the future. On the other hand, he has casually
murdered folk who get in his way, and he takes glee
in framing passing adventurers for his misdeeds.
Others of Renown
Several other Abyssal traders have made wide reputations for themselves in the areas where they operate.
Laraethra Arankuil (Lar-ay-thra Arr-an-kwil) is
a small, raven-haired, terse (and seemingly human
female of wide education) merchant who trades
discreetly in upper rooms in Westgate, Saerloon,
and Urmlaspyr.6 She has been observed to take on
bat shape to escape by air from attackers. Arankuil
primarily deals in demon eyeballs, droth, and rustbanish, often paying in gems. She accepts all forms of
payment, including city property and ship cargoes.
Theregos Balakhwood (Thair-eh-goes Baallack-wud) is a long-gray-haired, heavyset man of
demonstrated strength who has large hands, a coldly
even temper, and a smile like a shark. Either he has
the natural ability to sprout tentacles that can wield
weapons, lift and move heavy items, and fight for
him, or else he wears (across his belly) some sort of
magic item or carried creature that can sprout such
tentacles, more than a score at a time and reaching
up to a dozen feet away. He wears a small arsenal
of sheathed and scabbarded piercing and edged
weapons (notably darts and poniards) that seem to
be coated with substances that cause sleep, blurred

vision, loss of strength or control over limbs, and
other maladies in victims struck by them.
Balakhwood travels to cities all over the Heartlands and the Sword Coast, selling droth, moonhoney,
lots of quelaerel, and casks of Stonesulder wine and
firegullet wine (which is Stonesulder mixed with the
blood of certain demons and with red wines from
across the Realms, to yield a peppery and filling
hearty wine). He accepts coin, new weapons, and
sometimes too hot to handle locally stolen goods by
way of payment, and he seldom stays anywhere in the
Realms for long.
Gaskil Salanter (Gass-keel Sah-lann-tur) is a
drawling, decadent-seeming handsome male who
dresses and acts like a bored Cormyrean noble. He
has a prodigious capacity for strong drink (remaining apparently unaffected after imbibing massive
amounts), and he either has an innate resistance to
many poisons or sleep-inducing substances, or he
doses himself with the means to resist such perils
before his every public appearance in the Realms.
He travels and trades widely, always surrounded
by well-armed bodyguards and even better (but more
covertly) armed servants, including an ever-present
advisor that is really a member of the Hlarryd
(Huh-larr-id) charged with watching over Salanters
activities.
The Hlarryd is a cabal of fewer than a dozen
illithids who use magic to disguise themselves as
humans. They control the portal known as The
Way of Hlar (see below), and as payment for its use
demand a human with an interesting mind per passage (of any amount of traders and cargo).
Salanter is interested in building contacts among
courtiers, rulers, and nobles who are in debt or need,
and then becoming useful to such people. He buys
new weapons, farm and city properties, mansions and
castles, and sells lots of droth and Stonesulder wine,
and a little moonhoney and quelaerel. In lieu of other
payment, he often accepts suitably intelligent and

lively humans to give to the Hlarryd.
Nornora Thelbrynd (Nor-nor-ah Thel-brind) is a
fiery-tempered, scheming woman and weretiger, who
serves the fallen noble family of Mallyth as their
trading agent.7 She loves negotiations and danger
and chases and brawls, and she is not above seducing humans of either gender to seal a deal or gain an
ally. She prefers to work alone, and she wears several
useful magic items to make up for often being outnumbered in trade negotiations. Most often found
somewhere along the overland trade routes between
Waterdeep and Sembia, she trades in small, portable
amounts of all demonic treasures, including all the
currently popular goods described herein.
Abyssal Tradeways
The portals and demongates used by Abyssal traders (to travel between the Realms and various layers
of the Abyss) tend to be dark secrets, but a few of
themthanks to the activities of the traders described
hereare becoming known. All are guarded by guilds
or powerful wizards or noble families, and they are
located in buildings that those guards control, often
in cellars or hidden rooms.
Some of these tradeways remain largely mysterious, their locations implied rather than known. These
include one near Westgate and others within the
walls of Selgaunt, Saerloon, and Suzail.
More can be said at present of two Abyssal portals.
Orochs Stride bears the name of a human merchant whose dealings with the Abyss ended badly for
him. For years Oroch controlled this portal, in the
cellar of a nondescript building in northeastern Scornubel, that links the Realms with the Abyssal city of
Morglon-Daar. It is currently controlled by Tarnrose,
a renegade female drow wizard, and her gang, who
deal fairly with all users that pay proper passage fees
(66 gp per transit of any number of traders, wagons,
and goods using the gate while a sandglass runs8).
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Eye on the Realms

The Way of Hlar is somewhere in the upper
floors of a palatial spired building in Athkatla. It links
the Realms to the city of Zelatar in Azzagrat (specifically with the neighborhood of Gallenghast).
It is controlled by the Hlarryd cabal of mind flayers, who taste the thoughts and memories of an
ever-growing collection of humans whom they try not
to kill or drain to mindlessness, but rather to savor for
decades. Their best-known contact in Athkatla is the
mind flayer who poses as Ontias Zround (Awn-tee-az
Zur-oond), a darkly handsome, sophisticated young
male collector of expensive curios.
Notes
1. The term food-slaves refers to live human
captives being delivered to Abyssal buyers to be
devoured; but in fact a wide range of creatures, from
oxen to beavers and even rats, are prized as delicacies
by various Abyssal inhabitants.
2. These are two layers of the three ruled by the
demon lord Grazzt, collectively known as Azzagrat.
Rauwend is an endless and largely wild wood, gray,
gloomy, subdued, and forgettable; Voorzzt is the
place where cold is hot and vice versa (flames glow
blue and deal cold damage, and frigid gales burn), a
dark skyscape lit by a dim cerulean sun. Elminster
says these are by no means the only layers of the
Abyss where certain rocks have rustbanish effects if
brought to the Realmsbut the others will have to be
found by exploration and experimentation, whereas
these two layers are known sources.
3. Sages are furiously debating the efficacy of
droth in combating this or that disease; Elminster
says it seems that droths effects vary widely from
individual to individual and affliction to affliction,
but a substantial dose tends to slow or halt the harm
a disease does for 1d12 days.
4. Moonhoney doesnt melt in sunlight, even
when its left to bake on a rock or shield in the desert.
Actual flame (or certain of the strongest acids) is

required to reduce it to a foul, unpleasant liquid.
5. Stonesulder wine has an acidic tang or edge to
its taste that clears the throat and has been described
as sweet fresh fruit crushed and squeezed to jet
juices down ones gullet (by the Sage of the Table
and gourmand Halitz Marlel of Athkatla).
6. An upper rooms trader is someone who meets
a buyer in a place owned by another merchant or
even a noble or local official or ruler. The host of the
meeting quietly contacts possible buyers about the
traders impending visit (often in the middle of one
night, but sometimes after a certain time on two successive nights) and provides security. Upper rooms
traders usual deal in gems, magic items, drugs, and
other rare, valuable, and potentially dangerous wares.
7. The House of Mallyth was ennobled some centuries back in Tethyr, but the family members were
soon stripped of their status because of their grasping ways. (They sold their influence when they were
given titles or authority, bought and sold land and
ships with much use of duress and blackmail, and
also sold royal lands, buildings, and permits they
had no right to dispose of.) The Mallyths promptly
decamped to Westgate, Turmish, Scornubel, and
Sembia, and they went right on clawing wealth into
their laps by any means. Trading in demonic treasures seemed like a great sideline to them, as long as
they could find an agent to do the dangerous work,
and just collect a percentageso thats what they did.
8. Here, sandglass refers to the Scornubrian
sandglass or miniature hourglass, whose contents
take two seconds longer than two minutes to entirely
run through. This time measure is used locally as
a delimiter for such purposes as making moves in
games or choices in certain guild negotiations, chasing and catching live food animals in a pen, and even
selecting partners in some contests or festhalls.
About the Author
Ed Greenwood is the man who unleashed the Forgotten

Realms setting on an unsuspecting world. He works in
libraries, plus he writes fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and romance stories (sometimes all in the same novel),
but he is happiest when churning out Realmslore, Realmslore, and more Realmslore. He still has a few rooms in his
house in which he has space left to pile up papers.
M a rc h 2 013 | D R AG O N 4 21
34
Coming Next Month

Hyrsa m, Prince of Sat yrs
Barlars Bucket Helm
By Mark Monack
By Ed Greenwood
Hyrsam is so ancient that he remembersand

missesa time before Corellon and the other gods
discovered the Feywild.
Barlar Belasko is a man of above-average height,

handsomeness, and ego. But an annoyed wizard
brought him down a peg.
BUILDING Char acter
Tinker Gnomes
By Matt Sernett
By Daniel Helmick
Have you grown tired of humble farmboys and

rebellious noble daughters? Roll up a new, unique
background for your hero.
As dwarves need to mine and elves need to sing,

tinker gnomes need to invent.
A nd More!

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A Dungeons & D ragons Roleplay ing Ga me Supplement

Issue 421 | MARCH 2013

10 Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

31 Abyssal Trade Goods:

Development and Editing Lead

Kim Mohan, Miranda Horner

Senior Creative Director

Publishing Production Manager

Digital Studio Consultant

Jared Espley, David Flor, Ed

Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald

Noah Bradley, Christopher

Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, D&D Insider, their

The pitching process is important for you because

Illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi & Christopher Burdett

contact with an environment in opposition to their

TM & 2013 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

shift easily to better serve their masters. They are

Small elemental humanoid (air)

Small elemental humanoid (air, earth)

C Dust Cloud (zone) F Encounter

Dust mephits live in

Small elemental humanoid (fire)

m Claws (fire) At-Will

Dancing Flames At-Will

They can be malicious when interacting with

Small elemental humanoid (earth, fire)

m Claws (cold) F At-Will

m Slam (fire) F At-Will

In the material world, they are frequently found

attacking anything that approaches. Asking a magma

Small elemental humanoid (air, water)

Small elemental humanoid (air, fire, water)

constantly drip scalding hot water from every part of

Dissipate F Recharge when the mephit misses with a melee

About the Authors

David Flor has been a software engineer and game designer

Small elemental humanoid (aquatic)

C Water Blast At-Will

& 2012 Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Illustration by Julie Dillon

The Elemental Princes

TM & 2013 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

Level 34 Solo Brute

Huge elemental humanoid (cold, primordial) XP 195,000

O Shardstorm (cold, thunder) F Aura 30

and sacrifices to tap into his power. Every dark rite

Primordial Charge F Recharge when first bloodied

revels in the knowledge that one day he will consume

Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

The swirling storm of chaos that surrounds Cryonax

Cryonax is bound between two spires of the Teeth of

The Wizards of Blackheart

the tower, commanding a legion of fallen soldiers of

Lords of Chaos: Cryonax

The Frostblood Cult in

the child survives, it ingests another larger amount of

rituals and cannibalistic sacrifices conducted in the

Medium natural humanoid, human

I f unattuned, the weapon can be attuned, over an