By Mike Welham Sep 21, 2020 | Articles, Expanding Codex |
Alternate Traits and Actions The following changes allow GMs to alter a devil shark without modifying its challenge rating. Amphibious. The devil shark can breathe air and water. It also has a speed of 10 feet. The devil shark loses its Water Breathing trait. Additionally, its swim speed is reduced to 40 feet. Crushing Charge. If the devil shark swims at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and hits with a slam attack on the same turn, the...
By Kobold Staff Sep 20, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
Periodically, the kobold crew will be sharing sneak peeks of some of the fantastic art set to appear in the pages of the Scarlet Citadel adventure. Today, we share the opening piece for Chapter 6! Flowing deceptively still through a sinister cavern, the Black River winds its way through the fifth level of the Scarlet Citadel dungeon. In this dynamic piece by artist Egil Thompson, three heroes carefully cross the river in a rowboat when suddenly...
By Jeff Lee Sep 18, 2020 | Articles, Demon Cults & Secret Societies |
The Emerald Order is a mystic cabal that jealously guards the Emerald Tablets, upon which the secrets of the universe were inscribed by Thoth-Hermes himself. The most dedicated and driven members of the Emerald Order gain the opportunity to study in the order’s private libraries, sifting through books and scrolls penned by members past and present that explain the mysteries of the Emerald Tablets. The most promising of this inner circle are...
By Lou Anders Sep 16, 2020 | Articles |
Empire of the Ghouls is certainly a monumental achievement from the kobolds as the first hardcover-length adventure that spans 1st to 13th level and takes the players on a tour of Midgardian highlights before it delves deep into hitherto unseen realms as rich as they are dark. But the unwholesome feast on offer doesn’t end with that one book, magnificently macabre though it is, but continues in the twin goodness that is the Underworld Player’s...
By Kobold Staff Sep 15, 2020 | Articles, Wallpapers |
It’s September, and everyone’s gaming! So here’s a blood-soaked set of wallpapers for your computer, your smartphone, or whatever electronic device you’ve got. This month, we’ve got a piece from the forthcoming Scarlet Citadel (artist David Auden Nash). Let’s go find us a dungeon, adventurers! And check out the Scarlet Citadel Kickstarter now! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Please, click on the image you want to download to...
By Kobold Staff Sep 14, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
Do you like classic-style dungeons? How about adventures from the creators of Empire of the Ghouls and the darkly fantastical world of Midgard? Well, sound all the bells, slide-whistles, and kazoos at hand because we’ve just launched our Scarlet Citadel for 5th Edition Kickstarter project! Written by tabletop RPG luminary Steve Winter, Scarlet Citadel includes a sprawling adventure for 5th Edition in the classic style for 10 levels of play....
By Nick Landry Sep 11, 2020 | Articles, Midgard, Midgard Ley Magic |
Welcome back to this series where we dive into the world of Midgard and the magical currents of ley lines that course through it. If you’ve not had a chance to read prior entries in the series, you can find them here. Given that only one subclass (that is, geomancer wizards) can truly interact with ley lines, it is probably no surprise that many of you have not had a chance to use them in your adventures. This month’s entry presents an...
By Jerry LeNeave Sep 9, 2020 | Articles, The 4th Pillar |
While consumables can have an effect on matters of balance in your campaign, let’s first talk about how they can change the overall fun-level of your game. Potions, scrolls, and other consumables are those things that linger. They linger on character sheets, and they linger in the backs of the minds of the players and the GM. The real conundrum of consumables comes not from which ones to use but from the decision whether to use them or...
By Greg Marks Sep 7, 2020 | Articles, Trapmaster |
Been thinking a lot about the Exploration pillar in 5th Edition lately—and traps in particular. When you are adding combat scenarios to your game, it’s easy to understand why they’re there: bandits want to steal from the characters, demons want to spread chaos, and for beasts, they just want to defend their lairs. Similarly, it’s easy to understand the motivation behind roleplaying and social encounters: the spy is hoping the character will let...
By Basheer Ghouse Sep 4, 2020 | Articles, The Art of Skirmishing |
The first step of creating any successful skirmish is to set compelling stakes and objectives for that skirmish and to communicate them clearly to the players. The worst-case scenario for a skirmish is the players not caring about the outcome of the fight or not understanding what they need to do to effect that outcome. In a deathmatch, this is handled for you. If you lose, you’re dead. If you win, you’re not. The stakes and, generally...
By Wade Rockett Sep 2, 2020 | 13th Age, Articles, Midgard |
In this post, we’ll get an in-depth look at another of the 13 Midgard icons: Vermes II, Exarch of the Wastes! EXARCH OF THE WASTES Exarch Vermes II is the most influential wizard in the Wasted West, a land riddled with mysteries and horrors. Leader of Bemmea’s Ninemage Council, the Exarch has made that city into the foremost center of magical study in Midgard. Quote “Mastery of magic is mastery of the world.” Usual Location In Bemmea’s Spire...
By Amanda Hamon Sep 1, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
Straight from the Editorial Director’s snout, the Dispatch provides a sneak peek at upcoming publications and projects headed from the warrens to gaming tables everywhere, so you’ll know what to watch out for. Greetings, scaly ones! Fall is almost here, and the buzz in the warrens has taken a decidedly red-colored hue. I refer, of course, to the upcoming Scarlet Citadel Kickstarter. The kobolds are so excited to spill all the details of this...
By Mike Welham Aug 31, 2020 | Articles, Expanding Codex, Monsters |
Alternate Traits and Actions The following changes allow GMs to alter a flame-scourged scion without modifying its challenge rating. Blight Burst (Recharge 6). The flame-scourged scion showers the area around itself with the ooze leaking from its skin. Each creature within 10 feet of the flame-scourged scion must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one....
By Jonathan Ball and Beth Ball Aug 28, 2020 | Articles, One-on-One Roleplaying |
Effectively running combat for one-on-one 5E is a major area of concern for many GMs. After all, the monster challenge ratings, player options, and adventure and encounter design guidelines all assume parties of at least four adventurers. When you play one-on-one, those assumptions don’t necessarily work. So how can GMs build encounters that are challenging for the party without being more deadly than planned? How do we adapt and balance...
By Jerry LeNeave Aug 26, 2020 | Articles, The 4th Pillar |
Not only are some of the most popular movies, books, and other media devoid of “balance,” so are our lives. Sure Frodo and the Ring or David vs. Goliath is compelling, but even more so are the actual human stories we can read about on a regular basis. The odds are most certainly never in everyone’s favor, which is what pulls us in. There are countless tales of heroism that follow a similar arc the world over, from every region and culture...
By Kobold Staff Aug 25, 2020 | Announcements, Articles |
The warrens are abuzz today with some exciting news: there’s a new social media Kobold in our midst! Victoria Rogers takes the reins today on Kobold Press’s social promotions and initiatives, including on Twitter, Facebook, and beyond. Victoria is a seasoned professional in the tabletop gaming sphere, and we’re so excited she’s joining us! Here’s a little more about her: Victoria Rogers is the producer and GM of the award-winning RPG podcast...
