With their punishing climate and near-total lack of precious water, deserts are one of the most hostile environments in existence. Those who spend enough time among the desert sands know that some monsters can thrive even in these hellish wastes. Such creatures are feared and respected by wise adventurers, for they are invariably predatory and […]
Death Among the Dunes: Desert Monsters–The Scythe Scarab Read More »
The yellow planet Temperos is a testament to the inscrutability of the gods. Who can say what brought Gades the Titan to this dusty, primitive world millennia ago? And who can even begin to explain his carnal rampage through the planet’s unsuspecting megafauna? And if some sense of responsibility motivated him to birth a horde
Magic of the Celestial Sea II—Rune Magic of Temperos Read More »
The gnolls of Midgard are a bloody and ferocious lot. These feats are designed to make gnoll player characters and nonplayer characters as terrifying and fierce as can be. Note that they are designed for and refer to gnolls, but they are appropriate for any savage warrior race (barbarians, orcs, ogres, trolls, goblins, and so
Building Character: Feats for Gnolls Read More »
“Indifference, to me, is the epitome of all evil.” ― Elie Wiesel We gamers like to dwell in worlds that differ greatly from our own. Perhaps this is because the world around us fails to make sense in the way the worlds on the pages of our books and in our mind’s eye can. Despite
Old Hat Monsters: The Potential Hidden Threat Read More »
The Brothers Grimm were two traveling brothers who collected and documented the many folk tales of their time and region, collecting over two hundred tales, each one with variations to further expand the material they compiled. Since then we have had several of the tales immortalized in pop culture, such as Cinderella and Snow White,
Grim Games: The Two Travellers Read More »
The flat world of Midgard sits in the center of a vast ethereal ocean called the Celestial Sea. Dizzying wonders and unspeakable terrors await those travelers with the bravery and means to take a leap past Veles the World Serpent and into the starry void. From visiting other worlds barely visible in the night sky
Magic of the Celestial Sea I – Ether Mages of the Star Citadel 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.) “Master, is your tale over?” “Cease your interruptions, slug-thing, or I’ll have you toasted over an open fire.” The
Your Whispering Homunculus – Nevermore (Part 2) Read More »
Last week, a colleague of mine tackled the paper tiger nature that a lot of monster gods have. It had me thinking about how many monsters are intelligent enough to worship a deity (Intelligence 3 or better) but generally lack the statistics to have clerics, inquisitors, druids, or oracles. Where there’s a gap in monster
Old Hat Monsters: Divinely Monstrous Read More »
Once again I find myself with multiple projects, but I will be back next week with my own brand of Old Hat Monster work. This week I asked for a little help from my friends, and John Belliston answered the call. He and I met through the Paizo boards, and we have been collaborating on
Old Hat Monsters: Paper Tigers Read More »
Last time we looked at how to construct three-act subplots, and I used three example subplots from my own campaign. Remember, you are not limited to any number of plotlines. It’s just a question of how many balls you can keep track of. Layering the Subplots in a Three-Act Structure Using the examples from my
From Screenplay to RPG: Interweaving Plotlines with a Three-Act Structure (Part Two) Read More »
Warning! Possible Railroading Ahead! Okay, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, we can delve into the realm of plotlines. Interweaving plotlines within a campaign can be amazing, but it can also lead to your players feeling like you are forcing them down certain paths. The trick is to build layered subplots without
From Screenplay to RPG: Interweaving Plotlines with a Three-Act Structure (Part One) Read More »
You still have a chance to grab the wondrous Bundle of Zobeck — now with seveneight great Midgard PDFs! This special set-your-own-price offer ends early on Saturday, so move fast. We’ve just added a new item to the Bundle: Your Whispering Homunculus by Richard Pett! This book is the GM’s humble servant and guide to the vile, whimsical, disgusting,
Last Call for Bundle of Zobeck! Read More »
Ride Hard and Loot Everything! In Midgard’s Rothenian Plain, the dangers are everywhere: slavers, demonic warlock, raiding centaur bands, bandits and more . But on the open grasslands, it is easy to make a life of banditry and adventure as well, for a fresh start is just over the horizon. The centaur shamans, human horsemen,
Available Now: Player’s Guide to the Rothenian Plains Read More »
I’m fortunate to be surrounded by good people who also happen to be strong and experienced roleplayers. Jeff Harris and I often trade off on the GM role, and since I am mired in multiple deadlines this week, he has graciously offered to fill my shoes for this week’s Old Hat Monsters article. —Frank Gori
Old Hat Monsters: Give Them Monster Bits Read More »
If you haven’t yet voted in the ENnies, you still have a bit of time left. Please do venture forth and consider voting for the Kobolds. As a reminder, the Kobolds are up for the following awards. And, as always, we are very grateful for your support. Best Writing Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding Best RPG
Final Call for ENnies Voting! Read More »
In the recent interview I did, I mentioned my love of fencing, feinting, and second intentions. Let me show you how that is applied to trapsmithing. First, let’s acknowledge that the players are excellent and efficient problem solvers. A GM presents a problem and most players will find a solution for it within a minute—usually
Trapsmith: Keep Them Guessing Read More »
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