Gnolls have slaughtered their way to gaming infamy, and they are a favorite of gamemasters (GMs) and players alike. This article can be used by GMs to round out this age-old monster, or players can use it to create new characters. The following gnoll variant is formatted for AGE—though you can convert the material to […]
Gnasty Gnolls: Cultists and Guardians in AGE Read More »
“Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson In many tribal societies, the chieftain leads the social hierarchy (along with sometimes a council of elders), the hero leads war parties, and the shaman serves as spiritual leader. The tribal shaman is sometimes the only member of a tribe with magic, and
Old Hat Monsters: Tribal Shaman Read More »
This blog hosted “Penny Dreadfuls: Against the Nostalgia Fetish in Fantasy Roleplaying” yesterday, a pleasant-but-perhaps-confused rant against nostalgia in roleplaying game design, and in favor of progress and modernity. Maybe I’m just old enough to see the upside of the conservative worldview, but let me be the first to say “bah, nonsense!” and offer this
1,000-Word Rebuttal: Against the Fetish of Progressive Design Read More »
Ever since the announcement of “D&D Next”—or, to translate marketing-speak into actual English, Dungeons & Dragons: 5th Edition—more than a year ago, Wizards of the Coast’s efforts to unite the disparate tribes of fantasy roleplaying enthusiasts under one system of roleplaying has been contentious at best. Fans of disparate—and mutually exclusive, in some cases—styles of
Penny Dreadfuls: Against the Nostalgia Fetish in Fantasy Roleplaying Read More »
As you might expect from the title of this article, Pete continues his look at the gnoll. If you missed the first part, take a quick peek here first, and then come back to explore all that is the Midgard AGE gnoll avenger! Gnolls have slaughtered their way to gaming infamy, and they are a
Gnasty Gnolls: The Avenger in AGE Read More »
“My lands are where my dead lie buried.”—Crazy Horse Tribal cultures sometimes have a different leader in war then when in peace. The tribal chieftain template I discussed last week was for a chieftain who mostly leads primarily by speaking. The tribal hero, or war chief if you prefer, leads by action. You can represent
Old Hat Monsters: Tribal Hero Template 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! Look what I’ve found in the dungeon.” “Ah, my old adventurer’s tent. How much I miss the days of
Your Whispering Homunculus: 100 Spots for Overnight Roughing It (50 Fair and 50 Foul) Read More »
Last fall Christina Stiles approached me about participating in an event she was organizing for MACE 2012 entitled Midgard Mayhem. The event was designed to showcase the just released campaign setting of Midgard by Wolfgang Baur by running adventures set in it. The idea sounded cool and I agreed to run a couple of adventures
Midgard Mayhem at MACE 2012 and MACE West 2013 Read More »
“The sight of it made the earth seem unearthly. They were accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there—there you could look at a thing monstrous, beautiful, and free.” —Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness. My first Old Hat Monster article was about breathing new life into the classic monster races
Old Hat Monsters: Tribal Chieftain Template Read More »
Not all healers are tied to a church; in some places there are surgeons, hospitalers, and village elders. The most refined healer not associated with a deity is the chemist. Combining superior alchemical knowledge with medical research, the chemist can create compounds, tinctures, salves, and extracts of vast power. The adventuring chemist adds arcane lore
The Midgard Campaign Setting fan community is growing faster than an ill-advised alchemy experiment in Maillon! It’s an active, vibrant community, full of people who want to take what we’ve created and run with it in exciting and fun directions. So we thought, why not make it easier for them? To encourage fan sites and free
Announcing the Kobold Press Community Use Policy Read More »
Filled with wondrous creatures and devastating monsters, Midgard holds adventuring challenges no matter where you are on the map. This article presents a short, divisional encounter. Although designed for Midgard—specifically the Northlands—it can be easily adapted to other locales. An unfinished tower in the wilds is under construction, but at whose command? And what creatures
Gnolls are one of my all-time favorite monsters. From the blue box’s hyena-men, to the latest variations, these monsters have been hacking at parties for time immemorial. The following mini-ecology is system neutral, and it can inspire gamemasters and players to help cover the world with these beloved-yet-despised creatures. Feral hunter-scavengers, gnolls are demon-twisted humanoid
Gnasty Gnolls: Lore and Adventurers Read More »
We’ve civilized, mutated, and mashed our classic monsters into a fantasy paradox; they’re familiar yet new. On the horizon I have at least three more monster templates ahead that may well breathe new life into your old favorites, but I must confess that sometimes the best way to surprise your players isn’t to change the monster
Old Hat Monsters: The Encounter Read More »
Taylor presents us with a way to help you quickly establish a character’s background before you truly start playing the game. Take a look, and then jump in with your comments and examples in the comments field below! The party is gathering for the first time at a town square to witness the blessing of
Building Character: The Moment Before Read More »
In part 1 of the Shadow Knight, you gained information on adjusting the shadowdancer archetype in interesting ways. This time, K.C. provides you with spells and a feat. Umbral Weapon Imbuement School illusion (shadow); Level magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 3 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V Range personal Target you Duration 1 round/level (D) Saving
Shadow Knight (Shadowdancer Archetype, Part 2) Read More »
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