According to information released by WotC, and this thread over at the Enworld forum The new Game System License (GSL) for 4th Edition D&D has been released early and is every bit as restrictive as I had feared.

Linae Foster of WotC clarifies that:

• Publishers can put out a product under the OGL - OR - they can put out a product under a 4E GSL.
• 3.x or 4E
• Not both
• One or t’other
• By “mutual exclusivity” I mean, different versions of the same product cannot occur at the same time.

Regarding ‘Mandatory Restrictions’ in the GSL, Scott Rouse, also from WotC, states that:

No Covered Product may contain rules or instructions of any kind that:

• Describe a process for Creating a Character
• Describe a process for Applying the Effects of Experience to a Character

No Covered Product may change or extend the definition of any Defined Game Term as enumerated in this Guide.

No Covered Product may include “Miniatures.”

No Covered Product may use the term “Core Book” on its cover, title, advertising, or self-reference.

No Covered Product may be an “Interactive Game” as defined in this Guide.

It is very clear that they want people and companies to support their new product line - after spending multi-millions in developing it - why shouldn’t they? So it will remain a company by company choice whether to remain under the 3.x OGL, or move to the new GSL.

For the above reasons alone, I shall not be adopting the GSL for this site, or for the LoreWeaver Wiki. I’ll have more to say about this later in Table Talk, as more information, community and 3rd party reaction takes place.

I picked up Paizo’s GameMastery - Critical Hit Deck today and we just played it out for one encounter; The Party vs. 4 Skum controlled by an “Ancyent crtvre named SMAVG BELLY DWELLING SPIRIT” (Aboleth)

We used a new system of rolling 2d10 instead of 1d20 and drawing a ‘Critical Hit’ on a ‘natural 20′. In this way the odds result is skewed toward the end of a soft, bell-like, probability curve, rather than a linear 1-20. The result was fewer crits over all, but much more excitement (and DAMAGE) when it does come up. They are useful in all situations as each card has an entry for one of four damage sources/types; bludgening, piercing, slashing, and magic.

It worked brilliantly, only coming up three times, twice for the party, and once for Smavg. The resulting critical damage was as follows:

Knockback on a piercing shot from Kennyth’s Composite Longbow. (I used Shift 1, instead of the cards staggering 1d6!)

Roundhouse after a blow from Adon’s Hammer of the Gods that kicked a skum off Layla, (allowing her a Mind Save to end Smavg’s control!)

Distraction from Smavg’s Mind Controlling Illusion! Double damage and an illusory skum that flanks an opponent for 1d4 rounds (or Mind Save)

The kids LOVED it and it took things to another cinematic level for the narrator! Very easy to use and build action into encounters. I could see having a corresponding deck for Critical Failures on a natural 2.

I can see why the makers also recommend first limiting it to either a Player only, or by Epic Level Bad Guys (Smavg qualifies.) or in special situations. I could see doing it based on burning Prayers, Feats or Action Points, Encounter and Daily Powers, or some other character derived input mechanic. It would be easy to do these for Power Sources and Saves in the new D&D system. You could make your own decks on 1/2 of an index card. Kind of like Monopoly.

Did I mention easy?

A great way to spent $9!

Now I can has critical.

The Verdict

Roll (er, draw?): Critical Hit Crunchy! ★★★½

Creating an Elemental Creature

When you choose to apply this template, pick one of the following descriptors: air, earth, fire, or water. When using the template, apply only those abilities that relate to the subtype you chose.

“Elemental” is an inherited template that may be added to any animal, elemental, humanoid, or vermin. When applying this template to an elemental creature, consider what particular form of matter the fusion of two elements represents. For example, the combination of an earth elemental with the water subtype could create a mud paraelemental.Note that it is possible to create creatures that incorporate two or three elemental types by applying this template to the same creature in successive iterations. If you opt to apply the template to a creature more than once, you must choose a different elemental descriptor each time you use the template. Furthermore, a creature may not be given the elemental template that corresponds to its original subtype, if any. For example, you could not choose the earth option below when applying this template to an earth elemental.

An elemental creature uses its base creature’s characteristics except where noted below. Remember, apply only those modifications listed for the particular subtype you chose. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skill points if its type changes.

Challenge Rating: As base creature +1.

Size and Type: Size is unchanged. The creature’s type changes to elemental and it gains a new subtype corresponding to the chosen descriptor. Elemental creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype.

AC: Elemental earth creatures gain a natural AC bonus of +4. This bonus stacks with the base creature’s existing natural AC bonus.

Speed: Depending on the subtype chosen for use with the template, the base creature may gain new movement modes.

• Elemental air creatures may fly at twice their walking speed with good maneuverability.
• Elemental water creatures gain the ability to swim at twice their ground speed. If the base creature can fly, the elemental creature may opt to use this speed as its swimming speed.

Attacks: All paraelemental creatures gain a slam attack if they do not already have this attack mode. The creature’s size determines the damage inflicted by this attack. An elemental earth creature counts as one size larger when determining the damage its slam deals. Thus, Gargantuan elemental earth creatures inflict 3d8 damage with a slam attack.

Paraelemental Slam Attacks

Size	Slam Damage
Fine	1d2
Tiny	1d3
Small	1d4
Medium	1d6
Large	1d8
Huge	2d8
Gargantuan	3d6
Colossal	3d8

Damage: Elemental fire creatures gain the ability to inflict fire damage in addition to the normal damage inflicted with their physical attacks. When fighting with natural weapons, the creature deals damage listed below. When fighting with melee weapons, the elemental fire creature also deals additional fire damage.

Fire Elemental Creature Melee Damage

Creature Size	Physical Attack Dmg	Melee Weapon Dmg
Fine	+1d2	+0
Tiny	+1d2	+0
Small	+1d3	+1
Medium	+1d4	+1
Large	+1d6	+2
Huge	+1d8	+3
Gargantuan	+2d6	+4
Colossal	+3d6	+5

Special Attacks: The elemental creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special attacks determined by its new elemental subtype.

Air

Whirlwind (Su): Three times per day, an elemental air creature may create a small whirlwind. Treat this whirlwind as one created by an air elemental two sizes smaller than the base creature. If the base creature is smaller than Large size, it cannot use this ability. The whirlwind lasts for five rounds. The elemental air creature may command and direct the whirlwind as a free action. The whirlwind uses stats appropriate to the air elemental to which it corresponds.

Earth

Push (Ex): Elemental earth creatures are strong and dense enough to start a bull rush without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Fire

Burn (Ex): Any creature hit by a elemental fire creature must make a Reflex save or catch fire. This ability applies only to the elemental fire creature’s slam attack. The creature’s size determines its save DC. Burning creatures take 1d6 points of damage per round for 1d4 rounds. A creature ignited in this manner may automatically douse its flames as a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

Fire Elemental Creature Burn DC

Creature Size	Burn Reflex DC
Fine	6
Tiny	8
Small	10
Medium	13
Large	16
Huge	19
Gargantuan	22
Colossal	25

Water

Drench (Ex): A elemental water creature can extinguish torches, bonfires, and similar mundane conflagrations with a touch. This ability works on any fire of size Large or smaller. If the elemental water creature attempts to douse a magical fire, it can dispel the flames as if it cast dispel magic (caster level equal to its HD).

Vortex (Su): Three times per day, a elemental water creature may generate a whirling vortex in a body of water. Treat this vortex as one created by a water elemental two sizes smaller than the template creature. Medium and smaller template creatures cannot use this ability. Otherwise, treat the vortex as a water elemental under its creator’s mental control. The water creature may direct the vortex with a free action. The vortex lasts for 5 rounds.

Special Qualities: The elemental creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following:

Elemental Traits: Darkvision out to 60 feet. Immune to critical hits, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stunning.

The following special qualities apply to a specific elemental subtype granted by this template.

Air

Air Mastery (Ex): Flying creatures, or any other airborne opponent, suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls and damage rolls against an elemental air creature.

Earth

Earth Mastery (Ex): Elemental earth creatures gain a +1 bonus to attacks and damage if it and its opponent both stand upon the ground. If the elemental earth creature’s foe is airborne or waterborne, the elemental earth creature suffers a -4 penalty to attack and damage.

Fire

Fire Subtype (Ex): Elemental fire creatures gain immunity to fire and vulnerability to cold.

Water

Water Breathing (Ex): Elemental water creatures can breath normally when submerged.

Water Mastery (Ex): Elemental water creatures gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage if it and its foe are in water. If either creature is standing on solid ground, the water elemental suffers a -4 penalty to attack and damage.

Abilities: Each of the four elemental subtypes grants a different set of modifiers to the base creature:

Air: +4 Dex.

Earth: +4 Con.

Fire: +4 Dex.

Water: +2 Str.

Environment: The appropriate Elemental Plane.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +2.