The best roleplaying sessions I ever played were a GangBusters campaign run by the game’s designer, Mark Acres. This campaign was legendary around TSR. Everyone wanted in, so Mark routinely wound up handling twelve or more players at a time. Understand that GangBusters is a tabletop version of simple, straightforward cops and robbers set in […]
Howling Tower: Gangsters Have Much to Teach Us Read More »
We hit our funding goals for the Midgard Bestiary for 4th Edition! Thanks go to everyone who kicked in on this project. Now, since we have many days left in this project, let’s take a look at the Table of Contents (as they stand right now) so that those of you who haven’t yet backed
Designer Diaries: Midgard Bestiary, 4th Edition Style (Part 2) Read More »
“You kill those who stand between you and your goals. You strive to pull down the mighty, and usurp their power. You plunder ancient tombs and spend your coin on the pleasures of the flesh. Tell me, Pathfinder: will you be able to stand against the Monsters of Sin? Or have you already fallen to
Monsters of Sin for Pathfinder: Avarice Read More »
As ever, readers who are new to the diary, please read the earlier installments first. (Art by Chris McFann.) DAY FIFTY, late night, [panic mode activated] Aaaaaagh! Date on Friday AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! DAY FIFTY (very early) With . . . with . . . Abliguritia Thundersmasher-Roth! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! DAY FIFTY-ONE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! It is Tuesday now. Lots of
Oh, I’m Going to Get Killed Any Minute Now (Part 21) Read More »
Welcome to the third installment in Jerry’s Diablo 3 to D&D series of blog posts. You can read about skill runes and treasure pygmies (the first two parts) before starting with socketed items. How It Works Aside from whatever magical properties armor and weapons has, most items function in only a few different ways. That’s
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Socketed Items Read More »
Rolling boulders are a dungeon staple, and their only drawback is that they are a one-shot deal: once evaded they lose their effectiveness. Magic can be used to upgrade the basic design. To see a good example of magic augmenting a trap, take a look at the ball of tentacles trap is a good example.
Trapsmith: Crushing Iceball Trap Read More »
Cities and towns crop up frequently in most RPG campaigns, assuming you’re not spending all your time in a megadungeon. Given their importance in establishing a setting in general and in immediate game events, I’ve never been very happy with the way most RPGs deal with them. Published town descriptions all too often focus on
Howling Tower: Social Studies Read More »
You might be thinking that you’d love to have more 4th Edition monsters. Well, we have quite the Kickstarter for you! Open Design has started up a 4th Edition Midgard Bestiary project, and you can find out more about it on the Kickstarter site. You can also learn more about it by reading our design
Design Diaries: Midgard Bestiary, 4th Edition Style Read More »
As ever, readers who are new to the diary, please read the earlier installments first. (Art by Chris McFann.) DAY (technically night) FORTY-EIGHT . . . later on than my other two entries today, obviously, and very, VERY possibly already quite a bit into the dark beginnings of DAY FORTY-NINE. I still don’t have a
Oh, I’m Going to Get Killed Any Minute Now (Part 20) Read More »
Welcome to the second installment in Jerry’s Diablo 3 to D&D series of blog posts. You can read about skill runes first, if you want, or dive right into this week’s topic: treasure pygmies. Ah, treasure pygmies. Here’s another bit of Diablo 3 that any fun-loving group of gamers should readily enjoy at their tables.
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Treasure Pygmies Read More »
A trapsmith must possess a certain degree of showmanship. A good trap consists of three parts ruthless efficiency and one part “you really shouldn’t be here.” Tomb robbers, trespassers, and adventurers are a persistent lot—they don’t reconsider their course of action easily, so it takes a certain measure of persuasion to make them do so.
Trapsmith: Floating Pincushion Read More »
Adventure hooks are those little clues that DMs drop here and there to attract characters to particular adventure areas, usually the ones the DM has invested considerable time and energy into detailing. They can take many forms (more on that below), but what’s important is that they tantalize the players enough to whet their appetites
Howling Tower: Baiting the Hook Read More »
It is that time! Those of you who received the Kobold Courier newsletter this weekend already know who has earned the crown for King of the Monsters 3. But, for those who don’t know yet, we have a winner! Necrocorn by Jobe Bittman Congratulations, Jobe, and thanks for entering the contest! You are now the
King of the Monsters 3: The Crowning! Read More »
The ritual magic system that is detailed within the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Player’s Handbook provides your characters with the ability to create interesting and useful effects. By building on that system, you could introduce a new element to your campaign: the realm of Dreaming. This article introduces new rituals, an item, and a
The Realm of Dreaming Read More »
As ever, readers who are new to the diary, please scroll down a bit to where you see the Thppgrg tag. Click on it. Yeah, that’s right. Otherwise, if you missed part eighteen, you can just click here. (Art by Chris McFann.) DAY (technically night) FORTY-EIGHT . . . later on than my other entry
Oh, I’m Going to Get Killed Any Minute Now (Part 19) Read More »
Let me preface this series of articles by introducing myself. My name is Jerry LeNeave, and I’ve been addicted to games far longer than I care to mention. I run a blog over at The Dread Gazebo, help run the show over at Obsidian Portal, and also co-host the Haste podcast. I’ve been playing video
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Skill Runes Read More »
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