“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 »
“Now I know the fiendish fable That the golden glitter bore; Now I shun the spangled sable That I watch’d and lov’d before; But the horror, set and stable, Haunts my soul for evermore.” —from “Astrophobos” by H.P. Lovecraft When fearless leader Wolfgang Baur commissioned me for an article on “character tropes and exemplars” I
Pulp Archetypes: Dread Laureate Read More »
” ‘Yonder in the unknown vastness’—his long finger stabbed at the black silent jungle which brooded beyond the firelight—’yonder lies mystery and adventure and nameless terror.’ ” -Robert E. Howard, “The Hills of the Dead” The road may go ever on, but each game session has an assured – and often untimely – conclusion. And
Narrow Escapes & Twists of Fate: The Art of the Cliffhanger Read More »
“I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, so transcendentally stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.” —Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four From the early exploits of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective to the two-fisted tales of Robert
Plaza of Dark Delights: Potent Poisons and Forbidden Fruits Read More »
Well met, intrepid readers—and welcome back to the darkest corners of the Crossroads! In my recent articles for Kobold Press, I’ve been celebrating the legacy of pulp literature in gaming by developing some home-brewed campaign material inspired by Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age. Hopefully, you braved the trip to dead Xuchotl with me in Lost
Pulp Plunder: Three Treasures of the Hyborian Age Read More »
“Olmec spoke further, of dark and mysterious matters, of black magic and wizardry conjured out of the black night of the catacombs, of weird creatures invoked out of darkness for horrible allies.” —Robert E. Howard, “Red Nails” Well met—and welcome back to the dark corners of the Crossroads! Over the past several months I’ve been
Eldritch Horrors: Two Supernatural Terrors Read More »
“Memories and possibilities are ever more hideous than realities.” —H.P. Lovecraft, “Herbert West–Reanimator” Howard Phillips Lovecraft is considered by many to be the godfather of modern horror—and appropriately so, for his macabre influence can be seen far and wide while navigating the 21st century pop culture landscape. For me, Lovecraft was something of a gatekeeper
The Lovecraft Factor: Bridging the Gap Between Miskatonic and Midgard Read More »
“Wits and swords are as straws against the wisdom of the Darkness…” —Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix on the Sword” When it comes to roleplaying games (as with any engaging drama), conflict is king. An adventurer is nothing without the mountain impeding his path. And since the earliest days of D&D, the eponymous dungeons have
Building a Better Nemesis Read More »
“Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars…” —Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix on the Sword”
Home-Brewed Hyborian Adventure Read More »
Our expert judges have conferred, and we have our five finalists for the Enter the Dragon’s Lair contest! Each day this week, we’ll post one of the finalists, and then we’ll set up a voting process so that you, our readers, can vote for your favorite entry. Today’s entry comes from Christopher Lockey—congratulations, Chris, for
Enter the Dragon’s Lair Finalist: The Black Crater of Blinder’s Keep by Chris Lockey Read More »
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