Sir Dryw knew something was wrong when the duergar team halted midway through their charge. The leader held up a mailed hand and snarled something in their strange tongue. Sir Dryw shook his sword and shield. The wizard behind him started to say something but fell silent when the duergar turned tail and ran. “Do […]
Every so often at Open Design, we send out review copies. At the moment, we have an excellent spring lineup coming along, and I’d like to add some reviewers who have already published reviews of RPG books or magazines. If you qualify and you’re interested, contact me with your information. Send in the following: Your
Call for Reviewers Read More »
Very soon, I sense there will be some very wet PCs! Why? Because hot on the heels of the Open Design/Paizo joint project From Shore to Sea is the sourcebook Sunken Empires. Uncover the secrets of Lost Azlant with the first and tailor your own underwater world and characters with the second. Well, we want
Behind the Curtain: Sunken Empires Read More »
Ancient tomes speak of an age when magic was feral, where magic-users wielded nearly unimaginable and insurmountable power—provided they survived their first forays into spellcasting. One such power was that of disjunction, or the separation of magic into its most base elements. While this ability was harmless on its own—and, in fact, valuable to early
Hump Day Hazard: Disjunction Decay Read More »
This is a well of souls, built by fell religions as a prison for their failures, heretics, or worse. A place where Good dies and is reduced to a form of currency. A well of souls is a place where many traps come together. Four stairways lead down to a well of sorts. A greyish
Trapsmith: The Well of Souls Read More »
Steggar stayed behind while his fellow hunters returned to the village. Despite their warnings about the dangers in the swamp, Steggar knew he must return successfully from the hunt or face dishonor from the elders. As he thought about how he’d rather die than return empty-handed, he suddenly found himself knocked off his feet, face
Monday Monster: Swamp Drake Read More »
Smoldering Host of the Risen “This is not what we had planned to create,” sighed the Archdaemon of Wasting. “This is not what I wanted.” “Can you call it a failure?” Her consort and servitor asked in return with a wry expression of pride. “Yes Trelmarixian, I do.” The reply dripped with a curious mixture
Wayward Children of the Abyss (Part 3) Read More »
“The Last Map of the Cartomancer” presents a series of magical maps introduced through the escapades of Lan Su’Vavock and Kai Geyser, two sages on the trail of interconnected clues left behind by an ancient cartographer of legend. ___ “That’s not a map.” “It most certainly is.” “No, it’s a potion—and probably a dangerous one
The Last Map of the Cartomancer (Part 1 of 5) Read More »
Wolfgang Baur has been invited as a panelist and speaker at NorWesCon 33, this April 1 to 4 in Seattle. The convention panels will include a number of RPG luminaries from the local game industry whose brilliance rivals that of the local favorites from Open Design, including some worthy gentlemen from Green Ronin, Paizo, and
Kobolds at NorWesCon 33 Read More »
At first glance, it looks to be nothing more than a sword rack, masterfully carved from a single piece of dark wood, holding weapons in stylized arms. However, approaching the sword rack, it comes to life as its arms unfold to wield the sharp payload. It bounces menacingly towards you, flourishing the blades with an
Bait & Switch: Trap or Monster? Read More »
Instead of leaves, the gnarled black tree grew sharp, metallic slivers, ringing out like a thousand tiny bells in a constant trickle of wind. Stronger gusts often cause a razor or two to disconnect, falling lazily and slicing blades of grass in its descent. The accumulation of dismembered birds that lay by the tree in
Monday Monster: Razor Treant Read More »
The shopkeeper looked at the leopard-spotted dog sitting outside his shop, and he found himself oddly compelled to leave his shop so he could pet the sad-looking animal. The dog sat there while he consoled it and asked it where its owner was. Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded to his left, and the dog trotted
Friday Funny: Krenshar-Pei Read More »
Trebuchets are the dominant siege engine in parts of the world. They have advantages over many other weapons, including longer range, the ability to throw a variety of objects, easy maintenance, and variable power. Trebuchets include a frame from which a long, unbalanced arm (virga) swings. The virga is attached to the frame by means
Ancient Weapons: The Trebuchet Read More »
“The door was thick—made of stone, I think—but I could still hear it. Damn my soul, I could still bloody hear it.” The priest sat in silence, casting a long frown over the ninth bowl of oatmeal the warrior had ignored this week. “When it first touched my ears, it sounded like a barrel of
Humpday Hazard: Ghoul Vomit Read More »
Though he’s too modest to brag about it himself, our Web Editor Scott Gable has launched a dual-edition set of Spirit Magic that I think is the most promising new company launch in ages. Now I might be slightly biased, but if you’ve seen Gable’s writeups in Kobold Quarterly, you might not be surprised. This
Rituals and Incantations:
Welcome Zombie Sky Press Read More »
There is always room for improvement. This is a basic fact known to trapsmiths. The only limits to improvement are time and money: usually clients only want “reasonable” protection or warding. Trapsmiths offer a plethora of reasonably priced enhancements to improve standard issue traps, making them something special and unique. Many traps are that much
Trapsmith: Trap Enhancements Read More »
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