The empathic connection between a master and familiar has a way of shaping the behavior of both… [previously] __ Lennox pleaded with the grey-bearded man in the park. “C’mon… I know you know the old woman in the swamp outside the city. You told a nobleman she could raise animals from the dead. Now please, […]
Familiar Roles: Practical Ideas for Animal Familiars (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
“When you told me you wished to ‘drop in on an old friend’ while we were in the city, I do not recall you ever mentioning that the ‘friend’ was the local arch-priest,” Benedict said to Jerika as they ran down the stone corridor, the temple guards behind them. “Perhaps it slipped my mind,” said
Divine Favor: the Inquisitor Read More »
(Illustration by Jeff McFarland) Fetid, gore-choked breath—you smell the abomination before seeing her. Taller than two men, this massive creature stares down from a crazed woman’s face of cerulean skin, the color of the deepest seas, wreathed in a wet tangle of blue-green, kelp-like hair. Her eyes are obsidian, her mouth a twisted, oversized gash
Kankodraa, Scion of Dagon Read More »
The vow of poverty is a highly restrictive roleplaying challenge… [previously] Protest A few monks take the vow of poverty as a form of protest, their convictions made manifest to demonstrate against an injustice or philosophy that they will not abide by. Almost universally, they brand themselves in some way to showcase the offense they
Wow of Poverty (Part 4 of 4) Read More »
“The Impious King,” a story well known and often recited in taverns. But told only when the lord and his men are absent. __ Long ago, in a distant land, there was a king who was very greedy and cruel. He always smiled when he slept because when he dreamed of all the wicked things he would
Midgard: The Impious King Read More »
There is a game master rule of thumb: who, where, how, and why, but never when. In most cases, you can plan an encounter with all elements fixed in place except the time it triggers. Therefore, you can plan for NPCs to be at a certain place for a certain reason doing a certain thing,
How to Set Up an Assassination Attempt without Upsetting Your Players (Part 2 of 3) Read More »
The lich chuckled dryly as the scrying glass showed yet another party of would-be heroes die in one of his fiendish traps. For centuries he had existed in perfect safety within this maze of stone catacombs, a lair crawling with unnatural guardians he had raised from the dead or summoned from the Abyss. Nothing could
Divine Favor: the Cleric Read More »
Lurking in jungles and thick caves, many eyes watch your movement. Not an unusual feeling for adventurers. What is unusual is that this creature locals fear not just because it’s deadly, but because, if you survive, life will never be the same again. The Amazon spider is an oddity among beasts. At first, it seems
The vow of poverty is a highly restrictive roleplaying challenge… [previously] Freedom On occasion, a monk chooses to take on the vow to avoid enslavement to material possessions. Although far from the carefree attitude of overindulgent revellers, the monks that follow this path are often surprisingly free spirited, outgoing, and generous. More than one drunken
Wow of Poverty (Part 3 of 4) Read More »
The patronage project Dark Roads and Golden Hells is plane-hopping along! Dan and Wolf asked me to put together a few words about writing a good planar location (I don’t mean “Good” necessarily, but the advice applies), and I thought that you all might appreciate some sage advice from a master planesmaster. Unfortunately, Zeb and
Dark Roads and Golden Hells: Writing Good Planar Locations Read More »
When the time gets close, you start to get excited. Will you pull this encounter off successfully? Will your players be surprised, amazed, and excited? You want everything to work out perfectly. That is when you fall into the deadly GM trap of leading the play. Allow Players to Direct Character Actions It starts with
How to Set Up an Assassination Attempt without Upsetting Your Players (Part 1 of 3) Read More »
It’s not easy being a monster in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Over time, adventurers and monster hunters have a significant impact on monster populations, leaving only the strongest, luckiest, and most cunning to survive. Sometimes, though, monsters band together to increase their chances. They use their powers to complement one another and, in turn, present
Deadly Harmony: Birds of a Feather Read More »
Master Pett’s Your Whispering Homunculus presents only the finest in British gaming. Indeed, you are not likely to find a more comprehensive assortment of miscellany anywhere. (So much more than just another bloke in a dress.) [previously] __ “A chill night master. Might you need your warming pan?” “I have no need of mere mortal warmth,
Your Whispering Homunculus: For One Night Only—Heavy Snow, Urban Read More »
The constant warfare and border skirmishes of the Seven Cities spawn many mercenary companies and warrior orders. One of the largest and most well known is the Order of the Septime Lancers… [previously] Slyboots (Septime Lancer Utility 6) Control of your position on the battlefield is key to a swift victory. You take a moment
The Order of the Septime Lancers (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
In 887 A.D., on an island off the east coast of England, the Vikings celebrating their sack of a British monastery fall silent when the night’s burgeoning storm clouds roil back to reveal a red comet low in the sky. As a haunting, discordant sound of flutes echoes across the bleak landscape, a rain of
A Baleful Eye: Call of Cthulhu Now Available Read More »
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