By Kobold Staff May 25, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
There you are, playing and everyone’s excited as they’re about to finally meet the big baddie they’ve struggled so long to get to, and you unveil… whatcha been cooking? Something impressive right? Some nasty boss fight? Something the players haven’t seen already? Something to really bring the session to the next level…? Well, just for you this week, to give you something to ensure your players are blown away,...
By Robert Fairbanks May 22, 2020 | Articles, Out of the Frying Pan |
In a southwestern “backwater” of Zobeck’s Collegium District, near the banks of the Derry River, sits a crooked little side street on which stands a tilted little shop. The sign reads, “P. Scrybb; Herbalist, Taxidermist, Conservator Exotique.” PCs find themselves traveling the narrow lanes and backstreets of this rather “less-illuminated” neighborhood, searching out said Mr. P. Scrybb. Have adventurers returned from distant expeditions with...
By Lou Anders May 20, 2020 | Articles, Preview |
It was with a chill of excitement that I opened up Kobold Press’s latest offering. Empire of the Ghouls is the product I’ve been dreaming of since I first discovered the Midgard setting—a hardcover adventure, and one which takes PCs all the way from 1st to 13th level. From lead designer Richard Green with contributions from Wolfgang Baur, Jeff Lee, Chris Lockey, Kelly Pawlik, and Mike Welham, this roughly 350-page hardcover volume is both an...
By Kobold Staff May 18, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
Staying safe and sane at home? Playing lots of games? Us too! So this week, to ensure that you have plenty to play with, we’re giving away Prepared! A Dozen Adventures for 5th Edition, giving you 12 ready-to-go, one-shot adventures. Just add dice! Download yours now! All you have to do is use the coupon code SaferAtHomeWeek2 during check out, and you’ll be good to go: prepared with Prepared! This will be available through Sunday,...
By Grut Duckgut, Orcish Armorer May 15, 2020 | Articles, The Amber Bazaar |
Why should any enterprising GM settle for any old +2—hey, what are you— AHAHA, puny humans, you are now subject to the wares of Grut Duckgut, Orcish Armorer to Warchief Krup of the One Functioning Eye! Gaze upon the unmatched might of orcish ingenuity and surrender your goods and services! YOU! Describe them with your pathetic human words! Alright, alright. I guess this month it’s… orc… weapons. AHAHA! BEHOLD! Name Cost Damage...
By Victoria Jaczko May 13, 2020 | Articles, Warlock's Apprentice |
No creature epitomizes the art of graceful service like the courtfolk, an accomplishment these halflings take with great (but quiet) pride. Courtfolk are defined by their dedication and deference to the great elven courts of old, but their identities are in flux in the wake of the Great Retreat. Now their oaths are sworn to the variable moods and personalities of scattered elfmarked lords, to the humans in large cities who see halflings as a...
By Kobold Press May 11, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
To help brighten your days, here are some video conferencing backgrounds, completely free for use in your favorite web conferencing software. We’ll be releasing more free materials in the coming weeks. Just sign up at the link for the newsletter to be the first to hear more. Future releases will contain a variety of things to use in your home games.
By Kobold Staff May 8, 2020 | Articles, Wallpapers |
It’s May, and everyone’s gaming! So here’s an undying set of wallpapers for your computer, your smartphone, or whatever electronic device you’ve got. This month, we’ve got a piece from the Empire of the Ghouls (artist Egil Thompson). Let’s find us some undead, adventurers! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Please, click on the image you want to download to expand it into a downloadable...
By Beth Ball and Jonathan Ball May 6, 2020 | Articles, One-on-One Roleplaying |
After you’ve covered the basics of running 5e one-on-one, you’re ready to move on to step number two, adapting your game’s PC for this smaller-party play style! In terms of mechanics, one-on-one works best when you make sure the PC is flexible in both melee and ranged combat. This post covers a few different options for making these adjustments to the core classes. Even with a more flexible PC, we still suggest adjusting the number of...
By Kobold Staff May 4, 2020 | Articles, Monsters |
This hunched, man-like figure lurches with a strange, half-hopping gait. Tattered clothing hangs from its muscled shoulders, and its legs are those of a ram, ending in cloven hooves. Trespassers on the Rites. The first of the goat-men was the victim of a powerful curse intended to punish him for spying on magical rites exclusive to the women of his tribe. Admiring the grotesque result, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young adopted...
By Kobold Staff May 1, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
Great news! GAMA’s recently created a friendly local game store (FLGS) locator to help you find nearby stores, saying… During these changing times, stores have begun offering alternate shopping experiences such as curbside pick-up or local delivery for purchased items. Some stores are also offering gift cards as another outlet for customer support. Search for your nearby store(s) and support the gaming community! Game on,...
By Nick Landry May 1, 2020 | Articles, Midgard, Midgard Ley Magic |
Welcome back to our series on Midgard ley magic. In the inaugural entry, we revisited ley lines, discussed GM prep, and introduced a couple of new ley magic spells. In this article, we dive deeper into GM preparation, presenting a set of optional tables used to answer the most common geomancer question: “Are there any ley lines nearby?” Locating Ley Lines Ley line savants (2nd-level geomancers) and Ley Initiates (feat) can sense the presence of...
By Wade Rockett Apr 29, 2020 | 13th Age, Articles |
Now, let’s look in more detail at the third of the 13 Midgard icons: Ozmir Al-Stragul, the Dragon Sultan! There’s an overview of the 13 Midgard icons here along with icon relationship mechanics you can use to connect player characters with their world more powerfully in D&D, Pathfinder, and many other RPGs. DRAGON SULTAN The scarred and cunning dragonkin ruler of the Mharoti Empire, Dread Sultan Ozmir Al-Stragul, is a general of great skill...
By Kelly Pawlik Apr 27, 2020 | Articles, Inbar’s Guide to the Northlands |
Dearest Mother and Father, It has been too many months since my last letter. Fear not, I am safe and well though I made the unfortunate error of embroiling myself in a conflict between two families in Glasvale… Familial Feuds Some issues are beyond solving with words or at the holmganga. When this occurs in the Northlands, it often results in a feud. While feuds sometimes result from legitimate wrongs, just as often they begin as petty...
By Kobold Staff Apr 24, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
The Empire is here!!! Citizens of the free city of Zobeck are going missing! Catacombs beneath the streets may provide answers, but what lurks in them may not enjoy company… Who will uncover and stop the foul and ghoulish workings? Will your adventurers have the fortitude and ambition—or the greed and cunning—it takes to put a stop to them? Empire of the Ghouls is a complete campaign for characters level 1 to 13 for the 5th edition of the...
By Victoria Jaczko Apr 22, 2020 | Articles, Warlock's Apprentice |
From ramshackle patchwork barges to the decks of fishing boats and smuggling vessels, riverfolk halflings are found along the greatest rivers of the Crossroads… and some of the less great. The gruff barge pilot in the wide-brimmed hat, predicting a river with near-prescient skill; the singer, stamping out rhythms on the deck while belting out bawdy songs; the charming huckster, swindling the big folk out of their savings for promises and...
