Martin Searching for his stolen past in the Dying Earth. He calls himself Farouche, after a character from legend, but his reality is that his memories and identity were stolen from him by a secret enemy.In a far-future world of wizards and walled cities, he finds himself trailing a wealthy merchant's caravan across a dusty plain. Possessed of a soldier's skills, he hires on with the merchant and begins to build a life. But his efforts to discover his past reveal a dark prospect: was he a participant in a notorious massacre of innocents?Will Farouche come to know the truth? Will he survive the journey across a lawless land to the remote city of Olliphract, ruled by half-mad thaumaturges? And when he finally lays bare the plot in which he has been ensnared, will it be too late?Matthew Hughes delivers another dark fantastical adventure set in a decadent Dying Earth, where men and half-men and even the gods themselves contend for earthly power and unearthly prizes.A God in Chains is a Dying Earth adventure of men, half-men, and gods and is the latest Matthew Hughes' Archonate series novel."Hughes's boldness is admirable" -- New York Review of Science Fiction About the Author: Matthew Hughes writes fantasy and space opera, often in a Jack Vance mode.  Booklist has called him Vance's "heir apparent."His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Postscripts, Lightspeed, and Interzone, and invitation-only anthologies including Songs of the Dying Earth, Rogues, Old Mars, Old Venus, The Book of Swords, and The Book of Magic, all edited by George R. R. Martin and/or Gardner Dozois.He has won the Arthur Ellis Award, and has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick, Aurora, Nebula, Endeavour (twice), A.E. Van Vogt, and Derringer Awards.He spent more than thirty years as one of Canada's leading speechwriters for political leaders and corporate executives.  Since 2007, he has been traveling the world as an itinerant housesitter, has lived in twelve countries, and has no fixed address. Praise: "Hughes's boldness is admirable" - New York Review of Science Fiction "Hughes effortlessly renders fantastic worlds and beings believable" - Publishers Weekly "Heir apparent to Jack Vance" - Booklist "Criminally underrated" - George R.R. Martin ***

    We've included dozens of helpful tips to help you better organize your games, design adventures, and make your NPCs come to life. In addition, we've included a number of settings for unusual dungeons. In short, there's something for everybody in this exciting addition to the AD&D game system.

    The heroes must bring the devastating War of the Lance to its end and drive back Takhisis, Queen of Darkness. This all-new version of the classic TSR adventure has been completely revised, drawing on twenty years of Dragonlance history, incorporating material most recently featured in the Silver Anniversary edition of the adventures. It includes new character statistics featuring the popular Heroes of the Lance.

    100,000 first printing.

    But before you begin your adventure, there’s so much more you can do with your character to make him or her your own! Just how evil is she? What does his dating profile look like? Where did she get that scar? What does he want for his birthday? With fill-in-the blank narratives, prompts, and fun activities to help you customize your character at the start of the game, or build out your backstory as you play, The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Book will help you fully imagine your character and bring them to life for the ultimate gaming experience!

    All players and game masters. Illustrations, some in color.

    Brilliant burglars and easygoing farmers. Now The Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings reveals the secrets of these two popular races - their culture, beliefs, and subraces (including two new subraces), as well as twenty-eight new character kits, from the gnome Goblinsticker to the halfling Forestwalker. If you enjoy playing gnome or halfling characters, or if you're a DM interested in creating an all-gnome or all-halfling campaign, this is the book for you!

    New weapons, new proficiencies, new fighting styles, and "Fighter Kits" make this optional AD&D accessory a useful item for players and DMs.

    WHITE PLUME MOUNTAIN is from the Special ("S") series; like others in this series, it is meant to stand on its own and is a complete ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure. The recommended number of players is four to ten, with levels ranging from fifth to tenth.Introduction:White Plume Mountain has always been a subject of superstitious awe to the neighboring villagers. People still travel many miles to gaze upon this natural wonder, though few will approach it closely, as it is reputed to be the haunt of various demons & devils. The occasional disappearance of those who stray too close to the Plume reinforces this belief.Thirteen hundred years ago, the wizard Keraptis was searching for a suitable haven where he could indulge his eccentricities without fear of interference. He visited White Plume Mountain, going closer than most dared to, & discovered the system of old lava-tubes that riddle the cone & the underlying strata.With a little alteration, he thought, these would be perfect for his purposes. The area already had a bad reputation, & he could think of a few ways to make it worse. So, taking with him his fanatically loyal company of renegade gnomes, he disappeared below white Plume Mountain & vanished from the knowledge of men...

    Describes the characteristics and attributes of a variety of monsters, zombies, demons, giants, werewolves, animals, and aliens for use in the Dungeons and Dragons game.

    Whether sinister or seductive, ferocious or foul, the creatures lurking within these pages will challenge the most experienced characters of any campaign. This supplement for the D&D game unleashes a horde of monsters to confront characters at all levels of play, including several with Challenge Ratings of 21 or higher. Inside are old favorites such as the death knight and the gem dragons, as well as all-new creatures such as the bronze serpent, the effigy, and the fiendwurm. Along with updated and expanded monster creation rules, "Monster Manual II" provides an inexhaustible source of ways to keep even the toughest heroes fighting and running for their lives. To use this supplement, a Dungeon Master also needs the "Player's Handbook" and the "Dungeon Master""'s Guide." A player needs only the "Player's Handbook."

    Classic monsters such as centaurs and frost giants make their first 4th edition appearance here. In addition, this book includes scores of new monsters to challenge characters of heroic, paragon, and epic levels.

    "Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells" is a supplement designed to be the definitive resource for information about devils and the Nine Hells of the D&D world. Like its predecessor "Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss," this game material is completely compatible with the D&D core rulebooks and is intended for both D&D players and Dungeon Masters. AUTHOR INFORMATIONRobin Laws is a freelance writer who has designed dozens of roleplaying game products, including most recently "Dungeon Master's Guide II." Robert J. Schwalb is a freelance developer and editor who primarily works on game products for Green Ronin Publishing.

    This handy and comprehensive Dungeons and Dragons book is intended as a quick rules reference. It contains the complete core rules for the 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Game. In addition to providing an overview of the game and how it is played, this book presents the core rules in a format that is easily referenced during a game. It includes information on level advancement, combat, experience points, treasure, skills, equipment, and more.

    The "Dungeon Master's Guide II "builds upon existing materials in the"Dungeon Master's Guide." It is specifically designed to facilitate play, especiallywhen the Dungeon Master has a limited amount of preparation time. Chapters include discussion on running a game, designing adventures, building and using prestige classes, and creating campaign settings. Ready-made game elements include instant traps, pre-generated locations, treasures, and a fully realized and rendered town. JESSE DECKER is the development manager for Wizards of the Coast, Inc.whose recent roleplaying game design credits include "Complete Adventurer"(TM), "Races of Stone"(TM), and "Unearthed Arcana"(TM). DAVID NOONAN is an RPG designer/developer at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Recent credits include authoring "Complete Divine"(TM) and co-authoring "Races of Stone "and "Unearthed Arcana." CHRIS THOMASSON previously served as Editor-in-Chief of "Dungeon"(R)Magazine. His design credits include "Fiend Folio"(TM) and "Monster Manual"(TM)"III," as well as "Bow and Blade "for Green Ronin Publishing. JAMES JACOBS is the associate editor of "Dungeon"(R) Magazine and has published numerous articles in "Dragon"(R) Magazine. His most recent credits with Wizards of the Coast, Inc. include co-authoring "The Book of Aberrations," "Races of Faerun"(TM), and "Frostburn"(TM). ROBIN D. LAWS, game designer and novelist, is best known for the roleplayinggames "Feng Shui," "Heroquest," and "Dying Earth," along with, "Robin's Laws ofGood Gamemastering."