Harpy Tactics - The Monsters Know What They're Doing

Once again, I find myself turning to The Monsters Know blog, to think through the tactics of a specific monster my players are going to encounter more than once. The initial encounter during this last session was a nice appetizer and was pretty easy for them, as I expected. This is especially true with the mid-level (8^th) of the PCs currently and their supporting numbers. However, what they have to expect (or perhaps not) is that this won't be the last time.

Reading through Harpy Tactics - The Monsters Know What They're Doing, I can see some nice suggestions on harpies using their luring song ability in some small scale sneak attack situations. I'm toying with the idea that the harpy reinforcements will follow the company and begin to set up traps and pick off some of the wayward squads in small raids. However, I think something the article writer missed and was pointed out in the comments, is that the song ability is an Emanation ability with a huge 300' range. This means it covers EVERYONE in that range. This is a huge globe. And when multiple harpies sing it overlaps, so anyone caught in multiple affects has to save for each one. Harpies aren't very intelligent, but perhaps there is a really BIG ambush that they might stumble into creating for the company. We'll see if that makes sense.

One bonus that I only just stumbled upon is specific lore surrounding harpies in Eberron. It turns out the Byeshk mountains, and not the Graywall mountains, are a natural place to find LOTS of harpies in organized groups. They sound like warring tribes. My plan was to have the group the PCs face be more monstrous, but keeping with the "monsters are people too" theme I keep toying with, I might have the PCs meet up with these Byeshk harpies at a future point. Again, we'll see.

4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook Wallpapers

It's possible that nothing else can better set the mood for role-playing games excitement as good fantasy art. In a related fashion, role-playing can inspire the dabblers and professionals in fantasy art. The two passions go hand-in-hand.

Wizards of the Coast has some brand new fantasy art available free on their site, specifically formatted for desktop wallpaper.

With the release of the 4^th Edition of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual, you also get glorious new art. We've chosen a few pieces to showcase here for you, and they've been formatted into handy-dandy desktop wallpaper sizes so that your computer doesn't feel left out of the 4th Edition fun. (Maybe you should send a link to the one depicting a noncombat encounter to remind your least cautious party member that blithely strolling through even an 'empty' dungeon isn't always a Good Idea.)

There are only nine so far, but it really gives a good idea of what artistic style can be found in the books. Check them out at 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook Wallpapers.

Succubus

Succubus
Originally uploaded by wetcat.

So gamers today wonder why Dungeons & Dragons got such a bad reputation with parents in it's early years. I mean, it's just a game! Right?

Well, imagine yourself as a well-meaning parent in the early eighties and you randomly pick up a strange-looking book in your young child's room while tidying up and the book falls open to this page.

Yeah, so you might start to wonder...