D&D Weapons as More Than Damage Dice

Beyond Damage Dice is a new Dungeons & Dragons supplement from Kobold Press that’s meant to provide players more flavorful options in the choice of weapons for their characters. The 11 page, $3 ebook presents a variety of maneuvers and special actions tied to specific weapons, including, for example, the ability to disarm, disorient, or trip an opponent. No magic required.

 

  • Comments Off on D&D Weapons as More Than Damage Dice

Clockwork 5E

Deep Magic 1 Clockwork 5EClockwork is a 17 page supplement of gear-based magic for Dungeons & Dragons. Kobold Press’ first volume of a Deep Magic series for Fifth Edition, the ebook ($4 via DriveThruRPG) presents a Clockwork domain for clerics, the Great Machine pact for warlocks, a school of magic for wizards, and of course lots of new spells.

 

  • Comments Off on Clockwork 5E

Crowdfunding Highlights

Kill Doctor Lucky Deluxe Anniversary EditionThough Cheapass Games’ classic has seen a number of reprints over the years, the new Deluxe Anniversary Edition of Kill Doctor Lucky will have revised rules and a refined map-board. Think of the game as a wacky prequel to Clue. Players move their pieces around a map of the mansion, attempting to catch up with Dr. Lucky and kill him without any witnesses. Should someone manage to find him alone, opposing players, however, still have an opportunity to play their cards in Dr. Lucky’s favor, giving him that quick boost of luck that allows him to escape murder—temporarily.

Kobold Press is putting together a book of 300 new monsters for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, as well as a collection of monster lairs with detailed battle maps. Backers can get the Tome of Beasts, the Book of Lairs, or both, in any combination of print or PDF.

Scythe is a Euro-style 4X game set in an alternate-history version of early 20th century Eastern Europe. It has mech miniatures, deterministic combat, and unique factions. And as Stonemaier Games is wont to do, the game is available in premium, collector, and connoisseur editions with metal coins, plastic modeled resource bits, and an art book.

Ninja Star Games’ Wolf & Hound is a card game played in partnerships. As shepherds, the goal of players is to manipulate the wolf in to chasing away their opponents’ sheep, while using the sheepdog to rescue their own sheep from the forest.

Machu Picchu Dice

Machu Picchu Dice are to be hand-made in Cusco, Peru from Nephrite stone inlaid with silver, chrysocolla, lapis lazuli, spondylus, and abalone. Available in three styles, a pair of dice will run $39-55.

High-tech instead of artisanal, Boogie Dice are self-rolling. They respond to sudden noises, such as clapping or the snapping of fingers, by bouncing around of their own accord. What this accomplishes, I have no idea but it sure is cool. A pair with charging station goes for $38. If the project gets to $200k, they’ll also make 20-sided boogie dice.

D&D: Rage of Demons

What’s the biggest, baddest dungeon in Dungeons & Dragons? I’d have to go with the Underdark, the cavernous maze that spans an entire game world. This world under the world is the setting for Wizards of the Coast’s next storyline, Rage of Demons.

And yes, there’s a Drizzt.

Rage of Demons cover

(See?)

The main concept behind the new storyline involves a demonic invasion of the Underdark with adventurers traveling “with the iconic hero Drizzt Do’Urden”. Like the previous storylines, Rage of Demons will be told through the tabletop roleplaying game and electronic (PC and Xbox One) games. The Neverwinter: Underdark expansion for the Neverwinter MMO will be released in 2015 (with the Xbox version coming after the PC version) while the Out of the Abyss adventure for D&D 5th Edition is scheduled for the fall. Partner companies WizKids, who have developed games for the D&D line; Gale Force Nine, who did the DM Screens for the earlier storyline adventures; and Smiteworks, who have developed Fantasy Grounds, a virtual tabletop product supporting D&D, are all on board for Rage of Demons.

Earlier storylines had their tabletop campaigns developed by third-party companies: Tyranny of Dragons’ Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat were developed by Wolfgang Bauer’s Kobold Press while Elemental Evil’s Princes of the Apocalypse was developed by Rich Baker’s Sasquatch Game Studio. Out of Abyss will be developed by Green Ronin, who have previously done the Dragon Age RPG, A Song of Ice and Fire RPG, the Freeport setting for D&D 3.5 (and Paizo’s Pathfinder game), among others. Out of the Abyss will be a single volume book, like Princes of the Apocalypse.

  • Comments Off on D&D: Rage of Demons

Kobold Guide to Magic

Kobold Guide to MagicSummoning, invisibility, divination, and secret societies are just some of the subjects covered in the Kobold Guide to Magic. Kobold Press’ latest game design guide also includes chapters on “Making Magic Believable” and “Putting the Magic Back Into Magic”.

With chapters penned by 20 different game and fiction authors, the Kobold Guide to Magic is 160 pages of fantasy gaming advice.

  • Comments Off on Kobold Guide to Magic

Dark Fey for Pathfinder

Dark FeyDark Fey, from Kobold Press, is a Pathfinder RPG supplement written for the company’s Midgard setting, but as they say, usable in any dark fantasy campaign. Dark Fey describes a new fey animal template, introduces several fey courts, and details 18 malevolent fey species, including the Aridni slaver pixies and the arctic sprite Beli.

  • Comments Off on Dark Fey for Pathfinder