The next edition of Dungeons & Dragons is on the horizon, and players have more options than ever to get their tabletop fantasy fix. It’s in this spirit that we present The Defenders of Midgard, available at DriveThruRPG and Paizo, with 7 outstanding new themes — and lots of other crunchy D&D goodness — made […]
Defenders of Midgard Are Here! Seven New D&D Themes and More Read More »
Bursting from the infernal depths in a cloud of fire and brimstone comes Kobold Quarterly’s Fall 2012 issue! Either this is the promised “demons and devils” issue, or the magazine is being guest-edited by Ronnie James Dio. This issue is packed with Stygian foes, diabolical adventure, cannibal demon apes, soul-sundering artifacts and evil chocolatiers. Kobold Quarterly #
Kobold Quarterly 23 Now Available Read More »
Imprecations—curses—are as old as recorded memory. They appeal to supernatural powers to inflict harm on a person or group. Practiced by many cultures, the curse usually involves crafting an effigy of the victim with clay, stuffed cloth, wax, or wood, and marking or painting to represent the target. Though malicious and spiteful evil magic, the
It’s a piece of RPG legend that D&D arose from wargaming. Although that’s true, it’s a case of something not really meaning what people think it means. A more accurate statement would be that D&D arose not from wargames but from wargamers. After all, the magical spark at the core of D&D is that it
Howling Tower: Rise of the Miniature Read More »
When is the last time one of your characters bothered to own a horse in a D&D game? How long has it been since anyone soared over the mountains on the back of a roc or traversed the underworld on a lizard or giant worm? Has anyone ever even seen a chariot?
Howling Tower: Mounts Read More »
The introduction of skills into D&D and its offshoots solved some important problems in the game, but those solutions came with costs of their own. The earliest editions had rules for fighting and not much else. That’s not surprising, considering they were written by wargamers, for wargamers. No one yet understood what a roleplaying game
Howling Tower: The Tongue-Tied Bard Read More »
In an earlier column, I looked at ways to keep a road trip interesting. That article was about a standard walk in the sun. A different type of journey with problems and possibilities all its own occurs underground. Any fantasy world worthy of the label is practically hollowed out by a network of caverns, tunnels,
Howling Tower: I’ll Take the Low Road Read More »
Like the Scarecrow, I believe that one of the greatest rewards for having a human brain is the ability to think deep thoughts. To imagine the big picture. To envision a grand machine in your mind and then command its wheels to turn and its gears to mesh. It’s the joy of invention, of imagination,
Howling Tower: Imagine a World… Read More »
Today we’re going to finish talking about boss battles in your tabletop games, including how you can borrow a few ideas from Diablo 3 and other titles as well. Arenas, Temptations, and Movement: Providing a Memorable and Challenging Environment Another idea to borrow from Diablo 3 when it comes to boss battles is to crank
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Memorable and Challenging Boss Battles (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
Back in the fall of 2009, Chris Dinkins and I interviewed a host of game designers and novelists who were also experienced game masters. We sent around too many questions to too many GMs and received far too much material for one article to hold. As a result, a lot of great material got scrapped.
The Lost GM Scrolls: Mike Mearls on Stepping Up and Taking a Poke at the World Read More »
Back in the fall of 2009, Chris Dinkins and I interviewed a host of game designers and novelists who were also experienced game masters. We sent around too many questions to too many GMs and received far too much material for one article to hold. As a result, a lot of great material got scrapped.
The Lost GM Scrolls: A Friday Funny with Mike Mearls Read More »
Today we’re going to talk about boss battles in your tabletop games, including how you can borrow a few ideas from Diablo 3 and other titles as well. Making these climactic encounters a true apex to your adventures is crucial, and they are loads of fun to dream up. Remember, folks, D&D invented the “boss
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Memorable and Challenging Boss Battles (Part 1 of 2) Read More »
The trap is a D&D icon. Classic dungeons such as Tomb of Horrors and The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan are famous for their mechanical ambushes. Traps are so central to the concept of dungeons that an entire class—the thief—was developed to deal with them (along with locked doors). In real life, of course, archaeologists have
Howling Tower: Placing Traps to Serve a Larger Purpose Read More »
Demons and devils occupy an odd position in the pantheons of most fantasy RPGs. For the most part, those terms are just two more names in a long list of monster classifications, not much different from fairies or talking animals. They’ve been stripped of their terrifying spiritual implications. That’s a shame, because their unholy aspects
Howling Tower: Plight of the Demon Read More »
Summer’s here, and you know what that means! Flee indoors and play games until the fiery sky-ball no longer burns our skin with its cruel flames. Seriously though, there’s enough great stuff in Kobold Quarterly #22 to keep you occupied all summer. Get it in print + PDF or PDF only and you’ll enjoy articles
Kobold Quarterly #22 Now Available Read More »
Take a look at the second part of a two-part article from Jerry that explores Diablo’s traps. This time Jerry tackles events that can work as larger traps. Traps as Events Does a trap have to be a single-fire, whizz-bang affair? Certainly not. Diablo 3 does a pretty good job of emphasizing constant peril and
From Diablo 3 to D&D: Traps with a Twist (Part 2) Read More »
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