It is not often a demon graces our fair city, but last week I was given the dubious pleasure of interviewing a relatively even-tempered balor that was on “business trip.” The fiend was spending its days lurking inside a factory within the Towers of Thul consulting on a mystical device being manufactured in its name. Our discussion covered topics from demonic politics to their favorite food. As horrible as its life sounded, what astounded me most is that the balor was happy. Even when its life was filled with violence, pain, and depravity, the creature found reasons to smile. Its fondest memory was the act of force-feeding an ogre to a giant , a feat of physical prowess I’d prefer to leave to my imagination. ~ Jayce Jones, Lead Editor of the Cosmic Chronicle 5th Edition is filled with all manner of dangerous foes, but one stands out from the crowd as the pinnacle of the system’s monster design. Open your Monster Manual to page 55 and you will discover what I consider the best statistics block in all of official 5e: the balor. Putting aside the balor’s spectacular lore and iconic “Balrog” design, we are left with a robust creation that exemplifies 5e’s greatest design principles in one tidy package. You may think this hyperbolic, but this author is firmly of the opinion the balor is the gold standard of creature design to which all other 5e creations should be held. Why is this, you may ask. Well, let us count the ways.
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You're invited to join the Cosmic Chronicle, 2CGaming’s updated Patreon with expanded scope and new content. 2CGaming has been developing content for TTRPGs and 5th Edition for more than 5 years. In that time, we’ve learned a lot and have written a ton of books, thanks to the generous support of thousands of project backers and customers. As we continue to grow as a company, our capacity to expand upon our body of work grows with us. This “newspaper” is our way of giving you more content based on our existing worlds. If you love to soar the skies with Dragonflight, square off against villains from Tyrants and Hellions, embark on legendary adventures with Epic Legacy, or face mighty challenges from our Total Party Kill series, then the Cosmic Chronicle has something for you. Accompanying this monthly content are in-character presentations of its elements, assisting DMs and players in integrating our content into your games. What Is the Cosmic Chronicle?This periodical is partially written from the perspective of a team of journalists from Nexus, the City of Legends. This spectacular city is a 2CGaming creation introduced in the Epic Legacy Campaign Codex and serves as a crossroads between the various realms of the multiverse. All are welcome in Nexus—from gods in exile to raucous demons looking for a good pub. This results in a fantastical cultural melting pot unlike any other, consisting of beings from thousands of worlds from all walks of life. Nexus’s unique population makes it the perfect vehicle to present entertaining and flavorful in-character explorations of content. Each periodical of the Cosmic Chronicle makes full use of this premise to discuss its content and bring it to your game table. Using Nexus in your game is not a requirement for this content, but we couldn’t resist the chance to build upon such a beloved setting location. Like a fantasy morning newspaper, there is something for everyone to enjoy. From player options to DM tools, your favorite aspects of 2CGaming content both new and old are receiving continued support through this periodical. The May articles include:
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