How is it virtually the tip of February (time of this weblog publish)? Whereas I’ve been busy trying by means of all the heists in Keys from the Golden Vault, one other situation of Arcadia has crept up on me. I’m going to attempt not to consider how these points at the moment are sort of a countdown to the tip of the journal.
Disclaimer
I obtained a overview copy of Arcadia 25 from MCDM, and I’ve obtained different overview copies of MCDM merchandise. That stated, I even have my very own subscription to the MCDM Patreon and would have obtained this on its launch date. Whereas I’ve not had the chance to make use of any of the fabric from this situation, I’m very acquainted with D&D 5e each as a participant and as a DM.
Arcadia Situation 25
Managing Editor Hannah Rose
Authors Steve Fidler, Imogen Gingell, Sam Mannell
Editors Scott Fitzgerald Grey, Sadie Lowry
Sensitivity Marketing consultant James Mendez Hodes
Playtest Director Lars Bakke
Format Jen McCleary
Title Brand Tom Schmuck
Accessibility Chris Hopper
Neighborhood Coordinator John Champion
Buyer Assist Bobby McBride
Particular Thanks Kelli Butler, Laura Hirsbrunner
Artwork Administrators Nick De Spain, Hannah Rose
Cowl Artist Ernanda Souza
Inside Illustrators
“Legendary Inspiration”: Marcel Budde (Conceptopolis)
“Malevolent Forces”: Bruno Machado
“Fast, Take My Spellsled!”: Linda Lithén
Inside
This situation of Arcadia is 33 pages lengthy, together with the credit web page, desk of contents, a letter from the editor, a useful resource web page with hyperlinks, web page of creator bios, and a full-page OGL assertion. I’m nonetheless curious to see what it would appear to be once I get by means of a third occasion 5e product and run right into a Artistic Commons license.
It’s all the time slightly unfair as a result of when an organization persistently places out enticing materials, it turns into virtually too straightforward to take that with no consideration. Between the riotously colourful cowl, article paintings (together with new monster pictures), and the journey set piece pictures, every thing appears fantastic inside the difficulty.
The journal is (as all the time) effectively laid out, with articles with their very own colour palettes, attractively constructed tables, headers and sidebars, and an easy-to-reference two-column format.
The Articles
This month’s Arcadia options the next articles:
- Legendary Inspiration (Guidelines)
- Malevolent Forces (Monsters)
- Fast, Take My Spellsled! (Journey, Magic Merchandise)
Legendary Inspiration
I’ve accomplished lots of conjecturing on methods to modify the inspiration guidelines, and I’m all the time to see how different individuals add to or contextualize these guidelines. I hate tossing or changing guidelines, even once I really feel like they’re lacking one thing, so I wish to see how individuals construct out guidelines components from the within out, which is what this text does.
First, the article appears at various triggers for gaining inspiration, resembling exploring “non-obligatory” areas of an journey, rolling 20s, rolling 1s, and my favourite new addition, gaining inspiration when the finite useful resource of a category capacity is used up.
The following part of the article appears at extra methods to spend inspiration, together with a model which is just about what number of tables I’ve been at makes use of it somewhat than how it’s worded, and different makes use of that permit for the introduction of narrative components right into a scene, modifications to the motion economic system, or particular boosts to expertise, saves, or therapeutic.
Very similar to the inspiration set off for characters that dissipate their class skills, there may be an fascinating use of Inspiration that particulars class skills and the way inspiration may be spent to get extra makes use of of some skills. I like this addition about as a lot as I did the “out of sources set off,” as a result of it’s positively a component in lots of heroic fantasy to see somebody try this one very last thing that they didn’t have the power to carry out beforehand. There are guidelines for occasion inspiration that set up an affordable cap on it, and create a logical, workable cut up between particular person inspiration and occasion inspiration.
The ultimate part introduces banners, magic gadgets that work together with the inspiration guidelines. Banner, on this case, is a catch-all time period for one thing that may be seen and will urge gamers to push on. There are examples of literal banners, reliquary gadgets, and even helmets.
Total, it’s a stable article for those that need to push in opposition to the boundaries of the Inspiration guidelines with out utterly scrapping them or changing them with a distinct system.
Malevolent Forces
The theme of this monster article are unusual monsters that aren’t instantly associated to the rest at present present in your monster guide of selection. That’s a tall order, particularly contemplating what number of bestiaries are on the market, however these are some fascinating creatures with a couple of twists to them.
- Cranium Hound (Monstrosity, CR3)
- Vespergriff (Monstrosity, CR 4)
- Gravedigger (Plant, CR 4)
- X’ek Drone (Monstrosity, CR 6)
- Shard (Assemble, CR 7)
- Coldshell (Monstrosity, CR 8)
- X’ek Queen (Monstrosity, CR 8)
- Dreameater (Fey, CR 11)
There are many enjoyable concepts on show right here. Cranium hounds are mainly lizard canines with a skull-like head, a hive thoughts, and restricted psionic capacity, and I’ve to confess I’ve a gentle spot for bizarre “virtually animals” in D&D settings. Vespergriffs are basically bat-jaguar griffons. X’ek are sweet-smelling bugs that develop a gem-like carapace. Dreameaters are spider-like fey creatures that actually get into your head with psychic skills.
There’s a tie for my favourite monsters on this article. The gravedigger is a colony of fungus that grows on corpses that transport them to someplace to be fed upon, and the fungal plates across the physique resemble armor. The shard is an enigmatic creature that exists between realities, created to gather information for some unknown historic grasp, present to vivisect dwelling beings.
I’m a simple mark for monster articles, and I’m fairly proud of this one.
Fast, Take my Spellsled!
That is extra of an prolonged encounter that may serve to introduce magical skateboards into your recreation. The PCs run throughout somebody being harassed by a spellsled gang, and the sufferer asks the PCs to race in opposition to the chief of the na’er do wells for pink slips.
There’s a chart used for resolving completely different legs of the race, and characters can try to take one another out, although outright killing somebody can be a horrendous escalation to what’s basically a enjoyable diversion that additionally entails the ego of the native youths.
The journey takes place in a city known as Silverside, which is dwelling to the Universitas Arcanum, meant to be slotted into no matter world you need to use. As quickly as I learn concerning the concentrate on youth tradition and the proximity to a college, in addition to curiosity in utilitarian magic gadgets, I assumed this might be an excellent prolonged encounter to make use of in a Strixhaven marketing campaign, particularly on condition that journey additionally introduces its personal sporting occasion.
Remaining Ideas
It is a stable and all-around enjoyable situation of Arcadia. It jogs my memory that I’d like to see extra articles about utilizing present guidelines in new methods, with some further materials constructed round them (for example, I’m additionally a fan of the Journey guidelines launched in Adventures in Center-earth, in addition to the viewers guidelines in the identical). Between the exploration of utilizing Inspiration in numerous methods, and getting an prolonged motion sequence that isn’t predicated on lethal violence, it jogs my memory that I’d like to see extra “sports activities” or contests that may very well be slotted right into a marketing campaign earlier than monster slaying and villain deposing encounters.
