Magic defeats magic. This simple rule explains why trapsmiths refrain from using it in their designs. If any wizard’s apprentice can detect the trap, what is the point of using it? For instance… Burning Hands Trap CR 3; magic device; proximity trigger (alarm); automatic reset; spell effect (burning hands, 5th-level wizard, 5d4 fire, DC 11 …
The creature galloped across the outcrops and lurched before us. It was a great beast akin to some sort of huge ram or shire horse with a single great horn erupting from its head. It stood for a moment, as though considering its next move, and then, with a snort, it lowered its head and …
When you cast a spell as a swift action (maybe because the spell has a casting time of a swift action) can you also cast as spell as a standard action the same round? What happens if I cast a spell as a swift action while an enemy threatens me? And what if I then …
Clang! The grate slams to the floor, sealing the exit — and alerting every monster in hearing distance…. Most traps are active defenses, contesting every foot of the dungeon. However, a passive defense can be a valuable deterrent as well. Two entry-level passive traps are the portcullis and the razor-wire trap, which we’ll re-design this …
Sean Macdonald never intended to become a freelance RPG cartographer. An internet programmer by trade, he got into RPG cartography through his work as a website designer. He started his freelance cartography career in 2003 mapping the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Three years later he won a gold ENnie for Tasslehoff’s Map Pouch: War of the …
As Much of the Story as Possible:
Map Talk with Sean Macdonald Read More »
The box looks like a fat, heavily pregnant woman with fangs instead of teeth. Her copious belly contains a rather grotesque image of an infant with three heads, each with an open mouth like a key-hole. No ordinary receptacle will do for treasure in the Land of Gothic Horror. The infuriating Ustalav Doll Casket is …
“Ye weren’t there.” Günter’s hand shook as he reached for the tankard. “They donna care what they hit. Donna care who’s in the way, cacklin’ as they fire. Cacklin’…” He gulped at the drink, spilling down his chin, then wiped foam from his braided whiskers with the back of his scarred and puckered hand. “Ye …
The toad, frog and newt are classic choices for a transmuting mage with an itchy casting finger and a prepared polymorph any object. However, sometimes your foe deserves something more creative or stylish. Below is a list of forms that will add some memorable panache to the proceedings. d% Result (Duration) 1. A 120-foot-long trading carrack (1 …
With RPG titles like Classic Horrors Revisited (forthcoming from Paizo), Seven Days to the Grave (Paizo), and Cage of Delirium (Goodman Games), F. Wesley Schneider’s work clearly runs toward the dark. Indeed, Schneider’s writing and his tastes are downright diabolical. “In RPG terms, I’ve always been way more interested in devils than in other fiends,” …
A Question of What’s Cool:
A Conversation with Wesley Schneider Read More »
Welcome back to Behind the Spells, the series that provides a historical background, secret effects, and related material to classic spells of the world’s most famous fantasy roleplaying game. This 11th installment concludes our series of Behind the Spells; we hope you’ve enjoyed the series. As always, the rules (presented after the “Spell Secret” header) …
Every good trapsmith knows about the three C’s: Cheap, Crude and Cruel. The correct application of the three C’s while designing a trap gets you the desired result when the PCs have to decide whether they want to risk pushing on for “just one more room.” And nothing is as cheap as a hole in …
“Come in the water,” the lady whispered. “I’m so lonely.” Stephan glanced around the campsite. He’d been on watch a few hours and had a few more hours to go, yet. Old Yoric and Bernard were sleeping, dead to the world. “Come in the water,” the lady whispered. “I’m so cold.” She was beautiful—pale as …
The first review of the Open Design podcast is in, from Emerson’s Bookshelf.
If you are just joining us, the previous installments of Greenweek are available: Part I, Part II, and Part III. On average, Ed Greenwood completes three novels, nine short stories, and a variety of other projects each year, including articles, introductions, essays, and gaming products. Fortunately for his fans, he writes quickly and often. The …
The Grim Human and the Buxom Elf Princess:
A Conversation with Ed Greenwood Part IV Read More »
Greenweek continues with part III of our interview with Mr. Greenwood. If you missed part I or part II, it’s easy to get caught up! In Ed Greenwood’s The Sword Never Sleeps, the final novel of the Knights of Myth Drannor trilogy, characters rush through a series of confrontations, resolving chases and conflicts established earlier …
A Beautiful Banquet:
A Conversation with Ed Greenwood Part III Read More »
What qualifies as “dropping” an opponent when you’re using Cleave feat? For instance, if I use the Knock-down feat and successfully trip my opponent, does that count? [More…]
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