Raging Swan Press releases Random Urban Encounters
This week, Raging Swan Press is proud to announce the release of Random Urban Encounters a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible GM’s RESOURCE by Ben Armitage and Creighton Broadhurst. Got barely enough time to prepar[...]Read on >>
Supplement Review: New Paths: The Expanded Spell-less Ranger by Mark Radle from Open Design
May 8, 2012 from Game Knight Reviews
Filed under: design, dungeons & dragons, Game Design, GM, pathfinder, Reviews, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub
Way back when the D20 craze started, I seem to recall there being plenty of new classes in book after book. But of late, we’ve seen more and more adventures, settings, and other things, with fewer classes. (Maybe i[...] Filed under: design, dungeons & dragons, Game Design, GM, pathfinder, Reviews, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub
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Gothridge Manor publishes the Manor
Throughout last years the OSR has seen several print zines being established including Christian’s excellent Loviatar. This month my friend, Tim of Gothridge Manor, decided to release one of his own, The Manor. Obvious[...]Read on >>
What Would ______ Do? [Random]
Maybe you're running a game and you're just not sure how man-at-arms #5 would react to the thief's bribe. Maybe your a player who wants to mix things up a bit. Maybe you just like stupid random tables ...Whatever you're [...]Read on >>
Old and new together
I played D&D 3rd ed. yesterday, and it was a very interesting mix of old and new. Most of the players were older than the hobby, which is not always the case these days! We don't need no stinking character sheets! G[...]Read on >>
NOD 14 and Avengers
A few quick notes ...1NOD 14 has been released as an e-book. Print book will follow after I've seen my review copy."Issue 14 arrives with two new chapters in the Hellcrawl, sending players through the swamps of Stygia an[...]Read on >>
NOD 14 and Avengers and Rappan Athuk
A few quick notes ...1NOD 14 has been released as an e-book. Print book will follow after I've seen my review copy."Issue 14 arrives with two new chapters in the Hellcrawl, sending players through the swamps of Stygia an[...]Read on >>
Dungeon! and the Invention of Old-School Play
In Eric’s original post about the original Dungeon! boardgame, he writes “It’s amazing how well the gameplay lines up with the OSR playstyle.” I’m going to go out on a limb and argue that this [...]Read on >>
More Greyhawk Heraldry
I thought I'd knock out some of the easier ones this time. As before, these were done using the wonderful Coat of Arms Visual Designer by Inkwell Ideas. The images are all in .png format, so they should scale pretty well[...]Read on >>
Creature Daily Sneak Peek: Trigger Gnome
The folks over at Creature Daily have provided us with a sneak peek at something that’s due to show up on their site in May! Come take a look at the trigger gnome (who could resist taking a closer look at this guy?[...]Read on >>
[Review] The Expanded Spell-less Ranger for Pathfinder
The spell-less ranger, which first appeared in Kobold Quarterly 11, has been updated. Marc Radle (of white necromancer fame), brings in more recent developments and conventions into the design of the spell-less ranger, a[...]Read on >>
Death in Absentia: Characters and the Law
As with so many things, when you’re looking at how you handle malefactors in role-playing games, it’s often wise to look back at the beginning… Once upon a time there were wargamers, and they had little[...]Read on >>
RetroReview: X2 – Castle Amber (Chateau d’Amberville)
X2 Castle Amber (Chateau d’Amberville) X2: Castle Amber was written by Tom Moldvay and published by TSR in 1981. It is a 32 page module for use with the Basic Dungeons and Dragons Expert Rules Blue Box (set 2). As [...]Read on >>
Getting Past the Holocaust
One of the things I think is lacking in most post-holocaust RPGs is the "fish out of water" element. That is, most such games, like Gamma World, have the player characters come having grown up in the setting, many with m[...]Read on >>
Ruins of Nol-Daer II
As you may remember, Red Hodges has taken a break from slaughtering us in Fate of Istus to slaughter us in Ruins of Nol-Daer instead. It’s a refreshing change and if you want to see how things went, take a look[...]Read on >>
It’s a Dirty Job … [Random Jobs]
In my Google + Nod game, two characters recently found the need to do some day jobs while the party was resting between dungeon delves. One just didn't have much coin, and the other decided to take Jeff Rients' Carousing[...]Read on >>
Unwelcome Side Effects — or Why Do Old School Players Reject So Many "Obvious" Improvements to D&D?
Old school D&D players are often accused of being against even "obvious improvements" to D&D rules like unified experience tables and ascending armor class. Often the reason they are against a "obvious improvemen[...]Read on >>
Pathfinder Monk Remake
Revision 1.01: Flurry movement is now limited to a single speed of movement; previously it allowed for movement up to double the monk’s speed. Additionally I added Dodging Monk and Swift Target insights (that grant[...]Read on >>
Creighton’s Corner: Encounter & Adventure Design
May 6, 2012 from Game Knight Reviews
Filed under: advice, Campaign, design, dungeons & dragons, GM, pathfinder, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub
When considering adding an adventure or encounter to a campaign a GM should always view it from his players’ perspective. A GM should already know the general interests of the participating players (Know Your Players).[...] Filed under: advice, Campaign, design, dungeons & dragons, GM, pathfinder, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub
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Authorial Voice
I'm not a big fan of "consensus".I think, especially in creative endeavors, that following a single driving vision is preferable to having something designed by a committee. Some folks are going to like it, some folks ar[...]Read on >>
Table for Criminal Organizations in a Fantasy Setting
tom timsum said: Hows about a table of random street gangs or criminal organizations suitable for a fantasy world. Thank You! Choose or roll d8 four times. Roll 1d8 Organization Type Alignment Basis Reputation 1 [...]Read on >>
Dragon by Dragon – August 1976
August of 1976 – A month after the bicentennial, and Marvelites were grooving to such titles as Planet of the Apes, The Champions and Black Goliath, the Seattle Seahawks were playing their first game, Big Ben breaks do[...]Read on >>
Forest for the Trees
This pdf from Adventureaweek.com is 30 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving a total of 27 pages of content, so let's check this out! [...]Read on >>
Monsters Unleashed V.5
The fifth installment o Purple Duck Games’ Monsters Unleashed-series is 13 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page advertisement and 1 1/2 pages of SRD, leaving 9 1/2 pages of content, so let's che[...]Read on >>
Dungeon! and the Invention of the Dungeon
Eric’s post about the re-release of the Dungeon! boardgame reminded me that I still haven’t written about meeting its creator, Dave Megarry, at Gary Con. It was awesome and painful in equal measure, as I was[...]Read on >>
[Carrion Crown] The Manticore and the Gnome
This week in Carrion Crown, Annie (Grift),[1] a Dan (Sir Horace Gunderson), Geoff (Andris Kreitov), Toby (Solis and his eidolon Gea) and Tyler (Alexandros Callimachi) and GM Hunter returned to the table to resolve the qu[...]Read on >>
Deviant Friday – Mike Hawthorne Edition
Mike Hawthorne - MisterHardtimes on DeviantArt - has a clean, modern style and a gallery that ranges from comic books to video games. Take a look and visit his gallery. If you like his stuff, let him know.Star Wars Erran[...]Read on >>
in search of the unknown
I've heard a lot of references to the 1981 module "In Search of the Unknown:" it came with the first edition of Basic D&D, and a lot of people have fond memories of it. I've never read it. When I got a heavy box of [...]Read on >>
On sale now! The 2nd Annual Wayne Foundation Charity RPG Pack!
Available only from May 4th – May 18th 2012 Starting today, right now, the 2nd Annual Wayne Foundation Charity RPG Pack is on sale! With $235 worth of product and retailing for just $25, you’ll be hard pressed to fi[...]Read on >>
Dave Arneson’s Personal Game Collection
This was a great way to start my morning (no sarcasm intended at all). Apparently, Dave Arneson's personal collection of games and notes from his days as a designer were left in a storage unit after his death. Eventually[...]Read on >>
Borderland of Adventure: Dungeon of the Fire Opal
At the end of last session we left the heroes in Ratikhill recovering from their recent exploits. While the group spent some much deserved downtime, Klara discovered more of the mysteries of her patron (Fharlanghn) and[...]Read on >>
Friday Knight News – Gaming Avengers Edition: 4-MAY-2012
May 4, 2012 from Game Knight Reviews
Filed under: 4e, Campaign, design, dungeons & dragons, Game Design, GM, Inspiration, news, pathfinder, Reviews, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub, Tools
Sure, it’s Friday. That automatically bumps today up a notch on the “doesn’t-suck-ometer,” right? But when you also have a movie like The Avengers released on a Friday, that blows the scale out of[...] Filed under: 4e, Campaign, design, dungeons & dragons, Game Design, GM, Inspiration, news, pathfinder, Reviews, roleplaying, RPG, RPG Hub, Tools
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Fane of the Fallen Pathfinder Edition
This epic adventure from Frog God Games is 172 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, 3 pages of advertisement and 1 page back cover, leaving 164 pages of content, so let's check this o[...]Read on >>
Ranger Options: Knacks of Nature
This pdf from Super Genius Games is 11 pages long, 2/3 of a page front cover, 1 page editorial/SRD, leaving 9 1/3 pages of content, so let's check out what SGG has cooked up for the rangers! [...]Read on >>
Crystar for Mystery Men! Swords & Sorcery
We've done the granddaddy of Swords and Sorcery - that Cimmerian guy - and his female counterpart - the red head. I delved into cartoons with She-Ra. Now to go into another character that mixes Swords, Sorcery and Superh[...]Read on >>
Hints, Metaphors, and Mindgames: Naming Adventures (Part 1)
May 3, 2012 from Campaign Mastery
Filed under: 3.x, Adventure Prep, DM Advice, Hero system, Inspiration, RPG Hub
I use scenario/adventure titles all the time. Used correctly, they can put players into the correct frame of mind to react in the “right” way to the events in a scenario, conceal the identity of a villain unt[...] Filed under: 3.x, Adventure Prep, DM Advice, Hero system, Inspiration, RPG Hub
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Expedition RPG News and a bonus
May 3, 2012 from The Spirits of Eden
Filed under: D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, Other Systems, RPG, RPG Hub
I’m working on a sample adventure for Expedition soon that will hopefully give you something to start with on creating your own adventures with the system. If you’re already familiar with fantasy games of any[...] Filed under: D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, Other Systems, RPG, RPG Hub
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Dungeon!s and Dragons
I doubt it’s news to anyone reading this blog that Wizards of the Coast is reprinting the classic TSR board game Dungeon! For those not familiar with the game, which first came out at the dawn of D&D in ’[...]Read on >>
Skull & Shackles, Me Hearties
Demonstrating the adage that you wait ages for a bus, then three come along at once,[1] I get to climb on board a shiny new Skull & Shackle Pathfinder campaign tomorrow evening. I’m feeling a little more hip t[...]Read on >>
Old School Forgotten Realms
I have been reading the grey box Forgotten Realms lately. Yesterday I also took out the first supplement, Waterdeep. Apart from some very interesting art in that book, I suddenly realized that these books differed to som[...]Read on >>
Pain of Publication: Ninja Testing
Having successfully been a Guest GM before and having been inspired by excellent posts on using Marvel to power a fantasy-based system, I decided to try something odd. I sensed my normally tireless DM was getting burned[...]Read on >>
EN World Review – Way of the Wicked (Book One: Knot of Thorns)
Today’s blog is coming at you a bit late, Dear Readers, and I feel fortunate to be able to have gotten anything accomplished at all. I managed to injure myself earlier in the day, which left me fairly incapable at si[...]Read on >>
Trapsmith: Fear the Arrow—The Return of Pain
In a previous Trapsmith entry, we explored the merits of fear and how a trapsmith uses it in his designs. “Arrows of the Arbonesse” in Kobold Quarterly #20 introduces several new arrows that you can use to breathe l[...]Read on >>
DIS, Grand City of Hell – Preview 3 or 4 or something
I have no idea which preview this is, and yeah, I'm just lazy enough not to look.Today, we're looking at Spades.Originally, I had planned on spades being associated with war, but then I realized that Spades was where I h[...]Read on >>
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Character Change Log
The first product from Asparagus Jumpsuit for use with The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is here! Having played in groups with both experienced players and casual gamers, I’ve seen things grind to a halt when it̵[...]Read on >>
XP Charts for custom classes
During the Swords & Wizardry/Majestic Wilderlands campaign I ran for the past several years, my players (Dwayne, Tim, Rusty Battle Axe) and I decided that we didn't like the weird bumps that are in the regular [...]Read on >>
Borderland of Adventure: One Year On
Last session, we hit a milestone – we’ve got through an entire year of game time! That’s pretty cool (although at times I marvel that the group is still alive). In that time we’ve had 22 sessions and one charac[...]Read on >>
Jade Regent – Night of Frozen Shadows, Session 3
Third Session (14 page pdf) – We assault Ravenscraeg, Thorborg’s hideout. It is full of ravens, and ninjas, and raven-ninjas. And we totally find the intelligent ancestral sword of the Amatatsu family in a hole! O[...]Read on >>
Tuesday Magic Item – Purifying Bough
Gather the juniper, rowan and may and tie it tight with grass and wild flowers. Place it above your door for protection from evil spells and spirits. If you are worried that ill has afallen you, burn two such boughs [...]Read on >>
Healing Surges in 5e, Room For Two?
Let's Just Call Them Surges What if it were implied that surges just in fact gave a surge of something not to be named. We're sticking to abstraction here, right? A surge of courage, energy, bravado, luck, knowledge..[...]Read on >>
