Sometimes you’ve got to end it all before you can get started. Ennie-winning Tales of Zobeck contributor Ben McFarland starts a new five-part series by taking a look at Michael Kortes’ piece from Kobold Quarterly #10, “Back and Better than Ever.” He offers a way to integrate the article’s death feats into the beginning of […]
Start Your Campaign With a TPK Read More »
Open Design has agreed to design an official adventure for the Paizo campaign setting of Golarion. The adventure will be called From Shore to Sea and will describe an ancient set of ruins off the Cheliax coast. The project’s lead designer is Brandon Hodge, whose work on Halls of the Mountain King and strong pitch
Open Design to Write Official Paizo Adventure Read More »
In honor of Kobold Quarterly’s landmark 10th issue, here is a list reflecting on the best things about this fine magazine. 10. It’s like 10,000 spoons when you need 10,000 spoons. 9. If not for his KQ editorial duties, Wolfgang Baur would be free to walk the Earth. 8. The Ecology articles give you insight
Friday Funny: 10 Things I ♥ About KQ Read More »
I can’t believe it’s been a month, but GenCon always plays havoc with a sense of time. The latest and greatest Open Design Podcast is now available for your listening pleasure. In addition to regulars Skip Williams and Monte Cook, yours truly and co-hosts Ed Healy and Rone Barton discuss the recent crop of ENnie
Open Design Podcast 4:
Greenwood, Kenson, Styrsky Read More »
One of the biggest and best RPG bloggers, Uncle Bear, recently took a look at the Dwarves of the Ironcrags book. It seems to have hit the mark: As I was scribbling in my purple dragonskin notebook, rejecting and crossing off ideas almost as quickly as I can come up with them, Wolfgang Baur apparently
Review: Dwarves of the Ironcrags Read More »
Every good trapsmith knows about the three C’s: Cheap, Crude and Cruel. Every wise trapsmith knows that goblins excel at designing traps based on the three C’s and as a result, many retain the services of a goblin as a servant or assistant. Neighbors may complain, but consulting a goblin’s expertise is usually worthwhile, as
Trapsmith: The Skull-On-A-Rope Read More »
This well muscled dragon has fine scales the color of overripe lemons and strangely luminous green eyes. Its wings are short and seem barely capable of lifting it off the ground and its body is stocky and lacks the grace of its draconic brothers, yet its claws are razor sharp and its mouth is filled
Monday Monster: Svara Read More »
I wasn’t sure how the release of Tales of Zobeck to the wider public would go over. If this review is anything to judge by, though, it was the right move. Let me just say that this is one well-deserved [Silver ENnie] award, and this ebook should go to the top of your list of
Review of Tales of Zobeck Read More »
To date, Open Design has been about competition between competing proposals, pitting projects and editions against one another. In an effort to accommodate everyone, we even completely redesigned Halls of the Mountain King in two editions. While that project was huge, we’re not pursuing that approach again. We’re learning from the experience and doing something
Triple Launch:
Shadow Fey, Azlant, and Azathoth Read More »
Nothing is quite so important to a trapsmith as novelty and invention in design. For in their war against trespassers, new tricks tip the balance of power in the trapsmith’s favor. This is why some trapsmiths favor the art of alchemy: in the alchemical world, innovation takes place at an extraordinary speed, providing new tools
Trapsmith: Shadowspores Read More »
Had I not paused, I would have crushed its skull, thinking it to be a kobold. It was a kobold, and yet it was not – no kobold smokes a pipe, wears blue breeches, and carries a spyglass. And no kobold would ever quote poetry. Or would it? And would I ever be able to
Monday Monster: Kobold Knockers Read More »
Never let it be said that Kobolds never win! We are very pleased to announce that Kobold Quarterly has won the Silver ENnie Award for Best Website. Much to our surprise and delight. We tried to swipe the Gold, but that went to our honorable friends at Obsidian Portal (and deservedly so). The competition was
Kobolds Take the Silver…
And the Gold!
And MORE SILVER! Read More »
Lay worshipers and priests of Ninkash spend much time brewing ale. Every drop of the ale they make, which has had prayers to the matron goddess of dwarven wine and beer chanted over it during the brewing, is “holy ale.” But certain ales are infused with the magic spells of the Vaer, the priests of
The 7 Ales of Ninkash Read More »
Why in the world is the shadow walk spell 6th level when teleport is 5th level? Is seems to me that shadow walk’s travel limit of 50 miles/level is less useful that teleport’s 100 miles/level. Besides, teleport is instantaneous travel, whereas shadow walk can eat up hours of game time. Why shouldn’t shadow walk be
Ask the Kobold: Teleport and Shadow Walk Read More »
The Origins Award nominated Kobold Guide to Game Design gets a writeup over at the WIRED blogs. Here’s what they’re saying: So, you want to break into RPG writing? Or maybe you just want to write better adventures for your players. Could be you aren’t a roleplayer and just love the worldbuilding aspect of writing
Kobold Guide to Game Design at WIRED Read More »
Maps do much more than tell us where we are or how to get where we’re going. Maps tell us about the world they depict and the cartographer who created them. As RPG cartographer Jonathan Roberts says, “A good map should be functional. The primary purpose of any map is to be clear and precise.
The More Fantastical It Can Be:
Map Talk with Jonathan Roberts Read More »
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