“The knowledge and the arts of the ancients are beyond the ken of modern man.” —Pan Dan Chee, Llana of Gathol by Edgar Rice Burroughs Well met, intrepid readers, and welcome to another pulp-laden pontification of the tabletop arts! Here are treasures to astonish—designed to dazzle the demystified and beguile even the most battle-hardened of […]
Lost Arts: Two Super-Science Magic Items 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
Magicians are performers and charlatans of the highest caliber, fooling even the most seasoned warlock or witch into believing they perform real magic. In actuality, their powers are far more mundane, but no less clever. They rely on sleight of hand, optical illusions, and the power to mystify through grandiose speeches and gestures. Only they
Rare Magic: The Magician, a Fifth Edition Wizard Read More »
Wildlings are those who have made the wilderness their home, whether by choice or by circumstance. Rather than draw upon magic, the wildlings’ power comes from their ability to blend into the wild, to mimic the form of its many creatures, and to use the wilderness to their tactical advantage.
Rare Magic: The Wildling, a Fifth Edition Druid Read More »
Cartography by Meshon Cantrill She lay down her sword and wept; her tears are the water. She lay down her body and slept; her bones are the fountain. Atop the mountain, at the war’s end, a place for gods to wonder. “Atop the Mountain” is an explorable fifth edition location designed to offer a hard
Prepared!: Atop the Mountain Read More »
The necromancer is an archetype whose power players crave, but whose darkness many gamemasters will look askance at. This is particularly true for gamemasters who want groups of heroes, not simply characters who are a lighter shade of gray than the servants of darkness they’re standing against. Those who deal with the dead are often
The Anti-Undead Necromancer Read More »
This place—with its endless granite faces leering up at her—this place scared her. There was something wrong here; something wrong underneath the endless sand and the dust. But then, if thieving had taught her anything it was that all the things worth stealing are found in places like this… Irijiem is an impossibly ancient fortress.
Places to Go, People to See: Irijiem, the City of Statues Read More »
Friars are the spiritual leaders of their community, protecting the bodies and souls of their people from the temptation and evil that plagues the hearts of humanity. Friars are ordinary men and women who are made powerful by their faith in their deity, and the faith their followers have in them. Healers and Inspirers The
Rare Magic: The Friar, a Fifth Edition Variant Cleric Read More »
Magic is a wondrous, awe-inspiring, and sometimes scary force in roleplaying games. Although fifth edition handles it well mechanically, it can also make magic seem kind of mundane. Cantrips make magic a common occurrence, and now that every class has a spell-focused player option, it’s more common. So, you might be left feeling that because
Rare Magic: Variant Fifth Edition Campaigns Read More »
Travelers taking the road to Hirschberg out of Salzbach might be mindful of the goddess Ceres’s fickle nature, should they seek refuge or rest at Wicker’s Tithe Barn. The scythe the harvest goddess wields cuts two ways. Sowers and herdsfolk who are industrious and attentive often reap a bountiful harvest, true enough, but she also
Grand Duchy: Wicker’s Tithe Barn Read More »
Let’s take a moment to remember those brave souls who are no longer with us. They were so full of life when penciled onto their character sheets and brimming with synergistic crunch. Now struck down before their time. Some found themselves in the wrong type of campaign while others just weren’t cut out for the
In Memoriam: Obituaries for Four Imprudently Optimized Pathfinder PCs Read More »
You grew up in a cult, worshiping a demon, evil god, or some unpronounceable horror from beyond time and space. You were not a priest or anyone in power—just one of the chanting horde. Good thing for you that you found your way out of that mess. Work out with your gamemaster the nature of
Former Cultist: A Fifth Edition Background Read More »
So, if you’re stumped for fun and want to read what others have to say about some of the offerings we have here at Kobold Press, you can peek at the reviews below and venture forth to learn more—or acquire more games if you wish! Shadows of the Dusk Queen “Shadows of the Dusk Queen
Review Round-Up: Oh the Fun You’ll Have! Read More »
Cartography by Meshon Cantrill It’s true I used to run with the Untamed—back when Owl was the leader. I don’t associate with ’em now though—not after what I saw. I got a stomach for all manner of things, but whatever it was I spied through the door at the back of the hideout…a room with
Prepared!: The Room with Five Corners Read More »
Pennants of maroon, navy, and amber wave from atop this richly and colorfully adorned grand pavilion tent erected in a choice glen or copse in proximity to a Dornig market town’s fairgrounds. Although the pavilion’s purpose is to serve as the Grand Imperatrix’s command tent on military expeditions, it has gained far more notoriety serving
Grand Duchy: Her Majesty’s Market Fair Pavilion Read More »
You spent your early life going from one plane to another. Perhaps you were born to it or perhaps you are but a refugee from a cosmic disaster that spilled into your native plane. Your formative years spent thus, you have acquired a unique perspective on the multiverse, and while you may have settled down,
Planar Nomad: A Fifth Edition Background Read More »
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