Writing, Game Design, and the Oral Tradition I’ve been thinking a lot about exactly how we tell our stories. Mostly, this is at my youngest daughter’s request or instigation, though (given that she is 5 years old) she probably did not intend to induce such writerly pondering. She just wanted me to change the way […]
Midgard Notebook: Writing, Game Design, and the Oral Tradition Read More »
March of History There’s a sense in some fantasy campaign settings of being entirely encased in amber, and with good reason: players want the world to remain familiar and useful for play. Removing dragons from Dragonlance or advancing a timeline 100 years in a world of your own invention without consulting your game group… well,
Midgard Notebook: March of History Read More »
Villains and Corruption One of the great elements of Midgard since the earliest days has been its villains and cults. These draw their power partly from their magic and secrets but also from the flaws of each heroic race. In particular, cults and villains thrive because humans are especially susceptible to corruption, such as by
Midgard Notebook: Villains and Corruption Read More »
Midgardian Magic One of the principles behind the revised Midgard Campaign Setting is the “Dark Roads & Deep Magic” ethos. Not surprisingly, this means additions to player and game master options alike with the incorporation of new schools of magic from the Deep Magic series. The existing school of heavily Midgardian magic are well known:
Midgard Notebook: New and Old Schools of Midgardian Magic Read More »
The Midgard Races The revised edition of the Midgard Campaign Setting is coming along nicely, and it’s time to talk about what’s new and what’s changed. This article is part of an occasional series on the process of refining and sharpening the setting to address its development since its first hardcover compilation. One of the
Midgard Notebook: Thoughts on the Midgard Races Read More »
When I was a wee lad growing up in a rather Germanic household,the Advent calendar was one of the joys of each year. A picture or a chocolate lay behind each of its 25 little cardboard cutouts, and—because you only opened one per day—the last window in the Advent calendar was always for Christmas. It
One of the joys of a monster design contest for me is always seeing monsters at the low end of the CR spectrum. It is much easier to design a monster at a medium-to-high power level, because you have more options: the creature can have more powers, more magical fallbacks, and elements that only a
Judge’s Commentary: Monarch of the Monsters 5—Low CR Design Read More »
Like many Kobold Press projects, the Southlands Kickstarter offers great gaming and great adventure at a good price. But if you’re looking to throw a few extra platinum pieces our way, we will try to make it worth your while. Two of the higher-pledge rewards are the Special Editions and the private forums for design
Special Editions and Forum Discussions: Southlands Read More »
Come learn more from Wolfgang about the Southlands and its Kickstarter in today’s blog installment about gnolls. One of the best elements of the Southlands, from my point of view, is that it features a hefty dose of hyena-like gnolls and their half-demonic, half-trickster-ish ways. Gnolls and I have been friends since the days of
Gnolls! Raiders and Slavers Read More »
It’s a not-so-secret fact that I’m a total monsterholic. The Monster Manual was the first hardcover book I bought for AD&D, the Bestiaries from Paizo are totally my gaming addiction, and I am always excited to get new and original monsters in my hands, whether it is from a design contest, a book of mythology,
Let There Be Monsters! Read More »
For those who love high adventure in mysterious places…lost mines and desert tombs…mighty viziers and powerful djinn…jungle valleys where white apes and dinosaurs guard fabulous treasure…. the Southlands Kickstarter is here. Allow me to confess my deep and abiding love for all things wild and free, dangerous and ancient, roguish, magical, and lost in a
Why I Love the Southlands Read More »
The kobolds arrived from near and far, and built a nice booth. It includes two convention exclusives, including a new T-shirt option and an entire Goblin Brewery adventure available to the first fifty visitors. We give them until Friday afternoon before they are all gone. When the last of them disappears, we will have a
Gen Con 2014: Setup and Exclusives Read More »
The annual ENnie Awards have posted their list of nominations plus their Judges’ Spotlight awards — and the kobolds are in the running! I’m honored and delighted to see the Kobold Guide to Magic and the Midgard Bestiary: 13th Age Compatible Edition nominated. It’s always gratifying to have a book nominated that’s designed to bring new
ENnies 2014 Nominations Announced Read More »
Let’s get down to the basics: The Cult of the Dragon is one of the longer-running and more interesting villain organizations in the Forgotten Realms, and I was delighted to hear that Wizards of the Coast wanted the first big adventures for the new edition of D&D to feature these bad guys. My first thought
Tiamat Tuesdays: The New Cult of the Dragon Read More »
The Kobold Guide to Magic is written by a star-studded cast of designers and authors. In this preview of an essay titled “Why I Hate Teleport Spells,” the chief Kobold himself, Wolfgang Baur, tries to talk you out of using teleportation magic in your games.Pre-order the Kobold Guide to Magic at the Kobold Store! Here’s
Kobold Guide to Magic: On Teleportation Magic Read More »
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