Few races in Midgard live amid so much rumor, suspicion and outright falsehood as the ravenfolk. They are condemned as solitary wanderers bearing misfortune, and praised as messengers from the gods. They are loyal comrades and treacherous thieves, brave warriors and contemptible cowards. But these truths, half-truths and lies conceal a greater mystery that very […]
Advanced Races 5: Ravenfolk Now Available Read More »
Initiates of the Mysteries wish to learn and gain power from Charun, the frightening escorts, guardians, and guides of the dead. One faction of the Initiates is led by Kyrios Kiseon (Master Undertaker) Mux. Wiping sweat from the crossed hammer and oar tattooed on his forehead, Mux flares his robe and climbs weathered stairs to
The Cult of the Charun: Initiates of the Mysteries Read More »
“Four demons are painted upon the crumbling north wall. They are depicted as slaughtering warriors, then escorting the dead by chariot and boat. Carvings identify the four as Kharon, or Charun.”—The King’s High-Archaeologist (cataloging an ancient tomb unearthed during the construction of His Majesty’s Highway). What if life were just a dream? What if we
The Cult of the Charun—What Are Charun? Read More »
Do you need some more magic in your game? Perhaps you want your character to temporarily hinder an opponent? Steven’s curse of man spell could give you a flavorful option for imposing humanity upon a humanoid. Curse of Man School transmutation [polymorph]; Level cleric 2, druid 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2 Casting Time 1 standard
Lost Magic: Curse of Man Read More »
Last week, I introduced some new concepts for bar brawlers to liven up your next dustup. I said I’d present all three if I got enough comments, and you folks delivered. It’s time to pay up! Join me after the jump for your brawler crunch.
Old Hat Monsters: Brawler Crunch Read More »
From the genesis of the D&D game, random lists have been used to create, inspire, and complicate games everywhere. A GM is essentially keeping all the knowledge of a fabricated world inside his or her head, along with all the relevant laws of physics and mechanics, which are transformed into a living story around the
The Random GM: Pits Read More »
With Deep Magic on the horizon, author James Eder has provided us with some orders and more to satisfy the craving for more magic for our games. Take a look… The Walkers of the Ways A relatively small order, the Walkers of the Ways are a lawful group dedicated to exploring the dimensions. Its members
Dimension-Warping Magic Groups Read More »
During the Lost Magic contest, we received many interesting and fun entries, and among them was Tommaso Danti’s spell called Hasty’s gamble. This spell could lend itself to a bit of a surprise in your game, but it comes at a cost to the caster. Hasty’s Gamble A bet binds the fate of the bard
Lost Magic: Hasty’s Gamble Read More »
Last time we went crusty with the old guy/creature that would kick your butt based on defensive abilities. I was satisfied with this until a commenter pointed out he was hoping to see an old guy that punches you in just the right spot to crumple you. The more I thought about it, the more
Old Hat Monsters: You Spilled My Beer! Read More »
From the genesis of the D&D game, random lists have been used to create, inspire, and complicate games everywhere. A GM is essentially keeping all the knowledge of a fabricated world inside his or her head, along with all the relevant laws of physics and mechanics, which are transformed into a living story around the
The Random GM: NPC Descriptions Read More »
Tips and Tricks for Keeping Your Players’ Heads in the Game Storytellers have a lot to deal with when it comes to running a roleplaying game. They have to construct the world, build the bad guys, assign stats to NPCs, name the taverns, blaze trails through the woods, and do all of that behind-the-scenes work
Keeping It in Character Read More »
One of the Gold-ENnie bloggers at Gnome Stew, Martin Ralya, has written a guest blog post for Kobold Press. You can read what he has to say about short campaigns and give some thought as to how you’d implement such a campaign at your own table—or jump in with comments on your own experiences running
Despite their powerful magical abilities and natural aptitudes for spellcasting, living stars that choose to interact with other beings typically relish the visceral rush of melee combat and frequently have a weapon of choice with which they are highly expert. While most wield potent magic weapons from points around the Celestial Sea, a lucky few
Magic of the Celestial Sea V – Akaya’s Armory Read More »
Do you ever wonder where some of the basic concepts for how magic items work in tabletop games come from? Sure, some of it came from more modern fantasy, but early folklore and fairy tales influenced those stories. In the story, “The Wishing Table, the Gold Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack,” we can
Grim Games: The Wishing Table, the Gold Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack Read More »
In Pathfinder, aging is addressed in game mechanics by a slow degradation of the physical attributes and an equally slow gain in mental attributes. I agree that for perhaps the majority of stories this makes perfect sense, but then I think of some of my favorite characters that are older and how they seem to
Old Hat Monsters: Going Crusty Read More »
Master Pett’s Your Whispering Homunculus presents only the finest in British gaming. Indeed, you are not likely to find a more comprehensive assortment of miscellany anywhere. (So much more than just another bloke in a dress.) “Our tale is almost at an end, huskface.” “But how does the tale end, master? Do the good ravens
Your Whispering Homunculus—Nevermore (Part 3) Read More »
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