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TrickyOwlbear's page
449 posts. 2 reviews. No lists. No wishlists.
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After years of adventuring and narrow escapes from dungeons (and other merchants!), Toeslicer goblin peddler Pug is ready to assist you with all your adventuring needs. Sure, he's got competition from that other goblin huckster but Pug is as trustworthy as they come! He invites you to stop by his tents and see the amassed treasures...which you can have if the price is right.
Tent #1 includes the following valuable items for sale:
Dragon's Blood
Lucky Tortoise Shell
Seing Stone
Vampiric Chakram
Faerie Mist
Canopic Jars of Khasekenej
and the following spells:
Eavesdropping
Draconic Servant
Lycanthropic Bite
Prismatic Blade
Written by Tessa Maria Cavagnero, Pug's Bazaar: Tent #1 is available for $2.49 and is the start of a new series from Tricky Owlbear. Grab some new gear and get adventuring!
Now available! See what Pug has "in store" for you in this first of many tents!
Now live! Come and get your Halloween goodness!!
The last few generations of people residing in Shadowfield have known only one major calamity—Thibbet Vaum. This human was responsible for no less than two dozen slayings before he was captured by a group of brave men who had simply had enough. Neither adventurers, nor deputized lawmen, this band of individuals one day agreed to track down Vaum and end his bloody spree.
The group eventually caught up with Vaum at an abandoned ranger's homestead on Shadowfield's western frontier. The killer had been offering up his victims' hearts in some kind of gory sacrifice to a nameless deity of evil. Vaum was beaten into submission before being taken in for trial. The next day saw the vile human at the gallows in what turned out to be a solemn gathering of the entire community. It seemed as though no resident had gone untouched by Vaum's heinous deeds. The man used his last breath to curse the attendees and vow that he would somehow return to exact vengeance on those who had captured him.
These men thought little of the threat as the murderer swung by his neck and, indeed, they each lived out happy lives. It is their descendants, however, who might wind up paying for the...
Sin of the Fathers
This Halloween-themed introductory pdf adventure was written with new GMs in mind. Perfect for this spooky holiday, Sin of the Fathers also establishes a base of operations in Shadowfield for a new campaign. Major NPCs of this hamlet are presented with plot hooks to explore once the adventure is run. That is, if the PCs survive the evil their ancestors stopped nine decades before!
Sin of the Fathers is written by Bret Boyd, illustrated by Erik Roman and Rick Hershey, and will retail for $4.95.
Now available, our last v3.5 PDF! Join narrator Jadrin Nelv on this final exploration of the dark folk--creepers, stalkers, and the even more mysterious dark keepers. Where and how did this race originate? What do they want and how can you use their own weaknesses against them? Find out all of this and more!
Hey folks! Just a dropping a quick note to say that our popular Learning Curve pdf has now been updated to include the classes from Paizo's Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. If you've already bought the product, you should have received an email informing you of the update and free upgrade. If you haven't, now's a great time to jump into some apprentice-level fun!
Wow, thanks for mentioning us on the store blog; truly an honor!
I need to point out that the success of Forgotten Foes could not have been achieved without three people: Mark Gedak, Stefen Styrsky, and K Axel Carlsson. The first two individuals you may know as the brains behind Purple Duck Games while the third "heads up" Headless Hydra Games.
With Mark and Stefen as the authors and Axel as art director, there was really no way this book was going to go wrong. To be honest, most times I felt like just a ringmaster--directing people in a whirl of organized chaos. My own small writing contributions and editing are minor compared to the herculean efforts of the terrific trio mentioned above.
So if anything, you folks who have (or will) enjoy FF should give a look at those two companies as well. It'll be well worth your time.
Bret Boyd
President
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.
Great heroes perform great deeds—whether saving the world from annihilation, discovering heretofore unknown continents and planes of existence, unearthing the mysteries of forgotten civilizations, or defending entire cities from hordes of undead. Such acts of heroism, and occasionally villainy, leave their marks upon the souls and bodies of these heroes. Achievement Feats: Volume 2 details the in-game effects these grand heroics might have on a PC. This volume uses a slightly different approach than volume 1 in the series in that it requires little bookkeeping. It's a win-win for everyone!
Written by Susann K Hessen, AF2 retails for $2.95 and is available at PAIZO, RPGNow, and at YourGamesNow!
Now available! We're eager to see how folks like Susann's take on achievement feats.
Hey, everyone!
Sorry the Owlbear has been so quiet as of late. I've posted a rundown of some of our upcoming releases which you can read on our newly redesigned website: www.trickyowlbear.com
As always, thanks to everyone for their patience as our tiny company chugs slowly along.
The bundle is live! Haven't checkout out what Tricky Owlbear has to offer for Pathfinder? Now you can grab everything for one low price! See official press release HERE.
We at Tricky Owlbear Publishing know it's difficult to choose just which 3PP to spend your hard-earned dollars on. In truth, all of them are worth the money but then the decision becomes just which product you're going to purchase out of a vast amount of material.
For the month of April, we've decided to answer these dilemmas with a Super Sale! For one low price, you can pick up all of our Pathfinder-compatible pdfs for the low price of $24.99 (nearly 50% off the combined cover price)! We're also throwing in fan-favorite Behind the Spells: Compendium to sweeten the deal.
These Tricky Owlbear titles include the following...
Abbey of the Golden Sparrow
Written by Dale McCoy, Jr.
There's something for players and GMs at this remote abbey where monks guard a dangerous artifact. One of our locale supplements to be placed where needed in your campaign.
--RPGNow featured reviewer Shane O'Connor says, "PC's who want to flesh out their monks background, noting different fighting styles and philosophies, will find some very good material here to work with..."
Achievement Feats
Written by Mark Gedak & Stefen Styrsky
This work presents 50 feats that award your PC for achievements you know darned well he's going to make during the campaign. Why not power up with these ingenious feats?
--Reviewer Billy Gibbs at Robot Viking says, "All in all this is a decent collection of feats that provides something for characters to plan around, and give a little bit more relevance to using craft skills and other parts of the game that see less use than I would like."
Forgotten Foes
Written by Mark Gedak & Stefen Styrsky
Well over 100 monsters to satiate any GM's appetite! Converted classics from 1e to 3e, as well as new creations, can be found within this critically-acclaimed tome of monster goodness.
--RPGNow featured reviewer Shane O'Connor says, "Forgotten Foes is one of those books where, having read it, I'm honestly not sure how I was running a Pathfinder game without it."
Learning Curve: Apprentice-Level PCs
Written by Marc Radle
The how's and why's of multiclassing at 1st level (and also playing a 0-level PC) are laid out in an easy to understand manner.
--Resident Paizo reviewer Dark Mistress says, "Now some are going to ask how does [Learning Curve] stack up to The Genius Guide to Apprentice-Level Characters...I will say as a whole I personally liked this one better..."
The Favored of Skexxiz
Written by Bret Boyd
The second in our locale style of products, this pdf features a band of troglodytes under the banner of a new deity of stealth and deception for your campaign. Full stats and a detailed map are included. This is an ideal side-trek for those characters who think they know everything there is to know about troglodytes.
Behind the Spells: Compendium
Written by Bret Boyd
Although not strictly PF-compatible, the Compendium requires only minor tweaking to bring its wealth of magical knowledge to your PF campaign. This series highlights the game's classic spells--who created them, what tweaks can be done with them, and what variants exist for them--providing something for players and GMs alike.
--Reviewer Megan Robertson says, "In game, this book should be in the library of any serious mage or magic college worthy of the name; in the real world it's well worth having in yours!"
There will simply never be a better time to check out what Tricky Owlbear has to offer. We may not be the most prolific company but every product is of the highest caliber we, as a tiny publisher, can make it. The sale has already begun at RPGNow and will be live here at Paizo on April 1. Thanks and enjoy!!
Some companies like to do end of the year status reports and, while this message comprises some of that, it's really me taking the opportunity to thank you, our Paizo customers and, equally, Paizo itself.
Tricky Owlbear has been in operation since 7/7/07 (the "mark of the owlbear" as we like to call it). releasing small pdfs as befit our desire and budget. And then Pathfinder came along. It was, as we all know, a shot in the arm for us gamers who saw what 4e was bringing and decided that we wanted something more familiar; something that spoke more eloquently to the game's roots.
To say that Paizo and its fanbase responded to the PF game is something of an understatement. And a few third party publishers quickly emerged as the frontrunner producers of quality content such as Super Genius and Rite Publishing. On the flip side of the 3PP coin, Tricky Owlbear is, and will probably remain, a side business for myself and my brother; a way for us to produce products we love and hopefully make enough money to fund the next project or two.
And then we released our monster book Forgotten Foes (which would be nothing without the art direction of Axel Carlsson from Headless Hydra Games and writers Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky from Purple Duck Games) and things took off. Copies flew off the virtual shelves and positive reviews were aplenty for this monstrous tome. Sales of FF were able to fund our more recent Pathfinder releases such as Learning Curve and Achievement Feats. In short, 2010 was a profit explosion for the Owlbear and, just taking into account Paizo.com sales, Tricky Owlbear pulled in over $1,300. Amazing!
So I sincerely thank each and every Paizo-ite who invested their hard-earned dollars into Tricky Owlbear this year. You've helped make our 2010 an awesome one and we hope to put those dollars to good use bringing you more products you'll love in 2011. Here's a peek into what we're putting together for the new year...
1) Print version of Forgotten Foes: We're waiting for the test copy from Lulu to reach us and, if it checks out, we'll release it for sale asap!
2) Authors Mark and Stefen are back to produce a different monster tome for your Pathfinder game, one with a decidedly horrific theme. I don't want to give too much away but can you say "Cthulhu fhtagn"? Also set to include new spells, items, technology, and adventure sites.
3) Sins of the Fathers: This horror-themed adventure is for 1st-level PCs and is a more exciting way of getting a group together than the customary "you start in a tavern" scenario. It's the first adventure I've written for Pathfinder.
4) Guide to Illusionary Characters: I've wanted to write and/or publish this for a number of years. This product introduces the idea that your PC isn't quite what he appears to be...or is as real as he appears to be! Your PC uses the PF rules for characters but may find it's better to delve into one's physical for abilities rather then rely on more "class"-ic ways of training.
5) Locales: As a GM, I've always been a fan of locales and, even though they're not the best sellers, I want to do a few more for Pathfinder. One is The Junkyard, featuring a site that is the nexus of multiple waste portals maintained by far away kingdoms. The site is home to mundane and magical cast-offs and has naturally attracted the attention of local creatures (some of which have been mutated by the ambient magics of the dump). The Junkyard is a great place to acquire free items...if you can live long enough to claim them!
6) What Goes Up!: Perhaps of less interest to this particular forum, we're releasing a Swords & Wizardry adventure! When gnolls attack from the sky, can the party save a sleepy countryside?
7) When Heroes Fall: Also for S&W, this adventure pits the PCs against the mysterious culture of the dark creepers and their silent masters, the dark stalkers. This adventure delves deep into the culture of these dark ones and tells the characters that something worse than death awaits unlucky adventurers.
If you have questions about any of our products or suggestions for future ones, feel free to leave them below. We're always looking for new talent as well so feel free to submit short pdf ideas to me at: bret (dot) boyd (at) trickyowlbear.com and thanks again everyone for your patronage!
Bret Boyd
President
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.
Tricky Owlbear is pleased to release its next Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement: Learning Curve: Apprentice-Level PCs.
It seems like forever that you wanted to become an adventurer. You've been practicing with your hand-me-down sword and you've made darned sure that your friends have practiced their spells, prayers, and lockpicking. With everyone's parents at the winter gala, it's the perfect time to strike out as a team and right some wrongs in the city. With a little luck, you can do it. But never, ever, let dad find out and drag you home early.
Learning Curve allows players to adventure the way they should at beginner level--the hard way! With the rules in this pdf, you can now multiclass at 1st level in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or, if you choose, start your adventuring career as a half-level PC. There's also a brief discussion on how and why a GM might want to use these rules in his campaign.
Written by Marc Radle (Kobold Quarterly, Super Genius Games) and retailing for $2.95, Learning Curve is available from RPGNow, YourGamesNow, and very soon from Paizo!
As promised, we're once again offering some holiday cheer in the form of a product giveaway! As before, we're giving away two copies each of our Pathfinder pdf products but, this time, adding a miscellaneous category as well. The "random" category is your choice of any non-Pathfinder pdf we have in our catalog. And if that's not enough, I'm also throwing in 5 copies of The Complete Guide to Dragonkin from Goodman Games. I wrote this v3.5 supplement for them back in the day and have numerous copies that I don't need sitting around my place. I will gladly autograph these (if requested) and ship them at no cost to the winners.
This is how the giveaway works: choose one number from the ranges below (you can try for any or all of the products and win multiple times if lucky enough!). The giveaway will run from now until 11:59pm EST on 12/15/10). I'll announce the winners, who will then email me, and I'll provide the product. Please note that if there's anything else in our catalog that you'd like which is of equal or lesser value than the product you've won, you may gladly request an exchange. And here we go...
Abbey of the Golden Sparrow
1-100
Achievement Feats
101-200
Forgotten Foes
201-300
The Favored of Skexxiz
301-400
Random non-PF product
401-500
Complete Guide to Dragonkin
501-600
Good luck to all!
For our Paizonian fans, we've decided to give away two copies each of our Pathfinder pdf products! This is how the giveaway works: choose one number from the ranges below (you can try for any or all of the products and win multiple times if lucky enough!). The giveaway will run from now until 11:59pm tomorrow 12/7/10). I'll announce the winners, who will then email me, and I'll provide the product. Please note that if there's anything else in our catalog that you'd like which is of equal or lesser value than the product you've won, you may gladly request an exchange. So, without further ado...
Abbey of the Golden Sparrow
1-100
Achievement Feats
101-200
Forgotten Foes
201-300
The Favored of Skexxiz
301-400
Good luck to all!
This pdf is an introductory $9.99 price through Monday, Nov. 1 2010. We'd love to know what people think about this release!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is thrilled to release its most ambitious product to date--Forgotten Foes--for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. This 183-page, lavishly illustrated tome is sure to please every fan of the world's most famous fantasy roleplaying game, for inside are conversions for First Edition creatures like the grick, crypt thing, and azer alongside Third Edition mainstays such as the nightshades. We've also combed through the best third-party monster resources to bring newer favorites, such as the nefarious inphidians, up to date.
Forgotten Foes features over 120 monsters each with statistics, description, illustration, and a handy lore table for those knowledgeable PCs who may try to get an upper hand before an encounter. As if that isn't enough, FF also presents 38 new/converted spells and includes appendices that list the monsters by type, CR, and terrain. For ease of reference, the book also reprints the Universal Monster Rules in their entirety.
This must-have creature resource is now available in pdf from Paizo, YourGamesNow, and RPGNow/DriveThru for a special introductory price of $9.99 through Monday, Nov. 1, 2010! After 11/1/10, the price increases to $15.99. In a few weeks, you can pick up Forgotten Foes in print form from our Lulu storefront (price to be announced when the product is ready).
For this monster-themed Halloween weekend, it's the perfect time to grab a copy of Forgotten Foes, add PCs, and take your game to the next level!
Tricky Owlbear would like to thank all of the fans who've been waiting patiently for this book and to also thank the authors (Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky) and art director K. Axel Carlsson (Headless Hydra Games) for making FF the essential resource that it is.
Do you use achievement feats in your PF games? We'd love to hear about it (especially if you decide to use the new ones presented in the pdf)!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to announce its next release for The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game - Achievement Feats! These feats allow your character to grow his abilities as a direct result of his actions during a campaign. In order to qualify for the feats, he must first achieve a specific goal or set of goals that requires you to play him in a certain way or track certain elements of game play. Achievement feats may require a little more PC planning on your part but the rewards are well worth the extra effort. With the Beacon of Life achievement feat, for example, you must track the damage your channeling PC inflicts upon undead but, once a certain threshold is crossed, he can damage undead just by being near them!
Written by Mark Gedak & Stefen Styrsky, this pdf includes the few achievement feats that already exist for the rules system which makes a grand total of 50 feats! Achievement Feats retails for $2.95 and is available at Paizo, Your Games Now, and RPGNow.
Forgotten Foes, now in layout, is the largest book ever produced by Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. This project pairs the awesome writing powers of Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky together with the art directing talents of K. Axel Carlsson (Headless Hydra Games) to produce a spectacular monstrous tome of over 120 creatures for your PF campaign. Without further ado, here's what's inside...
Monster List
Achaierai
Aerial servant
Aranea
Arrowhawk
Athach
Azer
Basilisk, abyssal
Basilisk, greater
Belker
Blink dog
Bodak
Brownie
Bunyip
Catoblepas
Chaos beast
Chaosiic (ancestor, greater, lesser, master, medial) (aka slaad)
Chaosiic, Lord of Entropy
Chaosiic, Lord of the Insane
Cooshee
Crypt thing
Daemon, hydro-
Decapus
Delver
Demon, herensugue
Demon, paigoel
Destrachan
Devil, doll
Devil, domination
Devil, judgement
Devil, shadow angel
Digester
Dragon, Sin (envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, wrath)
Elemental, junk
Ethereal filcher
Ethereal marauder
Evil eye (aka beholder)
Flail snail
Formian (worker, warrior, taskmaster, royal guard, queen)
Frog, giant dire
Frog, killer
Gorgimera
Gorgoni*
Grey render
Greymalkin
Grick
Grig
Grimlock
Hellcat
Hippocampus
Howler
Inevitable (kolyarut, marut, and zelekhut)
Inphidian (cobra-back, common, dancer charmer, night adder, and rattler)
Jubear
Juggernaut
Kamadan
Kirin
Krenshar
Lejnth*
Locathah
Lurker above
Lycanthrope (werebear, wereboar, and weretiger)
Magmin
Mâlite (warrior)
Necrophidius
Nightshades (nightcrawler, nightswimmer, nightwalker, and nightwing)
Owl, giant
Phantom fungus
Phasm
Phrenic scourge (aka mind flayer)
Pond drinker*
Possessor
Pyrolisk
Rast
Ravid
Scavenger worm
Sea cat
Shedu
Shedu, greater
Shrieker
Skeleton, black
Skulk
Soul eater
Sphinx, andro-
Sphinx, crio-
Sphinx, hieraco-
Spider eater
Tendriculos
Tentamort
Thoqqua
Thorny
Titan
Tojanida
Trapper
Triton
Troglodyte, stone*
Troll, stone
Troll, two-headed
Tsathar
Tunnel brute (aka umber hulk)
Yrthak
*= a brand new monster
You also get a few variants of the above monsters plus details on a handful of new planes, a new planar trait, and writeups for over 36 PF-updated spells many of the monsters utilize. Appendices that round out the book include listing the monsters by type, CR, and terrain.
Click on the links for a preview of the COVER and one of the INTERIOR illustrations.
We at Tricky Owlbear Publishing would like to thank the many people who have purchased and enjoyed our products over the last three years. We may not release products at the rate of some of our esteemed third party colleagues but, I think you can agree, the quality of the content is on the same level.
To usher in Year Four, we've got a preview of the cover spread of our upcoming mega-spectacular Pathfinder-compatible monster book Forgotten Foes which you can see HERE!
Open Call
But the Owlbear does not wish to be an island unto itself and so we turn to you, the Pathfinder community, for aid in future projects. If you are well-versed in the PF rules and have an idea for a product of approximately 5,000 words or less, we'd like to hear your thoughts. Send an email to me at: bret (dot) boyd (at) trickyowlbear (dot) com. In this email, detail briefly your idea for a small pdf supplement and why you would buy it. It's that simple! Just be sure to watch the grammar in your proposal letter. A bad first writing impression makes it unlikely your idea will be accepted.)
Thanks again for all of your support and here's to making Year Four and beyond an equally fantastic experience!
Bret Boyd
President
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.
For those of you who might still be on the fence about this release (or the series in general), I thought you might like to see this 5-star review!
I cannot believe we're on the 41st release in this line (actually 52nd if you count the smaller issues seen on Kobold Quarterly last year). We're always looking for feedback for the series--especially what spells you'd like to see next!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Behind the Spells: Permanency! This series examines those spells from the SRD that are listed time and again on character sheets throughout gaming.
These are the spells which, if on your character's class list, will be taken as soon as possible and include such quintessential favorites as magic missile and fireball. Each pdf in this series examines the spellcaster who created the spell, one or more of the spell's hidden capabilities, and either new magics or possible variants relating to the spell.
This 41st issue includes two spell secrets and two new magic items--the sash of magical weakening and locket of attunement--and is available right here at Paizo for $1.50.
On sale now is the second in Tricky Owlbear's locale line of products for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: The Favored of Skexxiz. This is a GM-centered pdf featuring a fully detailed troglodyte lair complete with stats, map, and a new god (Skexxiz, lord of stealth and deception) perfect for your monstrous humanoids' ambitions. Check it out and let us know what you think!
It's that time again, my friends, for the GM's Day Sale (special 2010 Paizo edition)! From March 3rd through March 8th, all of Tricky Owlbear's pdfs will be 25% off. But that's not all! While this sale is running at all of Tricky Owlbear's pdf venues, we're offering two special deals for those dedicated Paizo-ites reading this forum...
Deal #1) If you buy our PF-compatbile Abbey of the Golden Sparrow, you can choose any pdf from our catalog of equal or lesser value and I'll send it to you for free!
Deal #2) If you buy our critically-acclaimed Behind the Spells: Compendium, I will complete the BtS collection for you! We've released 4 BtS pdfs since the Compendium was published which I'll happily send you to complete the series as it stands right now. Yup, that's 4 free pdfs for the price of one. Did I mention that you need only a few tweaks to make the Compendium PF-compatible? I've outlined those tweaks HERE.
In both cases, you must email me a copy of either the Order History page after checkout or the order confirmation email to confirm you have bought the pdf(s) in question. At that time, if you chose Deal #1, you would also inform me which pdf you would like sent to you. There's no reason you can't take advantage of both these deals either. Don't delay in checking out what Tricky Owlbear has to offer and thanks for your continued support!
Since word seems to be getting out about this release, I thought I'd put up a central thread for questions and comments.
Here's the official scoop: Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is producing a monster book called Forgotten Foes which features between 110 and 120 monsters for your Pathfinder game. At first, the project started with just the classic monsters Paizo couldn't fit into its Bestiary but it has since filled out a bit with other interesting creatures the writers felt needed the PF treatment. This means you'll not only get old-school monsters like the aerial servant, flail snail, and slaad (which we renamed "chaosiic") but also newer favorites like the multiple types of inevitables, formians, and sin dragons! Each monster will be illustrated and come with its own Lore table.
Forgotten Foes is being written by Mark Gedak (OGL Wiki) and Stefen Styrsky (Kobold Quarterly/Open Design) with some additional tweaking by yours truly. Artwork is being handled by Axel Carlsson and his company, Headless Hydra Games. Axel is already out pimping his end of things HERE.
This book promises to be the next big thing for your PF monster needs and we plan on its release this summer in both pdf and print forms (the latter through Lulu and OBS' new POD program which starts next month).
Bret Boyd
President
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.
Tricky Owlbear is pleased to announce the ninth release in the Behind the Monsters line--Vegepygmy! The series is narrated by Jadrin Nelv, a monk of the Order of the Sacred Branch, who schools novices in the ways of the multiverse's creatures and we, the readers, get to listen in. Whether you're a player or a GM, you'll find something of use within these pages.
BtM: Vegepygmy includes two "character advantages," one new minor artifact (the Mold Bomb), and one new monster variant (the Vegegyant)!
Written by Mike Ferguson (BtM: Xorn, numerous Goodman Games products), this 6-page pdf is available at the usual venues including right here at PAIZO and retails for $2.00.
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to announce that it is dipping its toe into the OSR. Our first pdf release is "Maxolt's Magical Menagerie #1" and features 12 magical items for $1.00. The Maxolt mentioned in the title is the product's narrator (the same wise presence who also narrates our old-school-honoring "Behind the Spells" series). For this series, Maxolt (actually an ancient gold dragon who takes human form to better disseminate his wisdom) rummages through his hoard of magical paraphernalia and presents the most interesting items which many have thought long lost to the ages.
Each item comes with a complete description as well as a paragraph of background information that features some kind of plot hook or other in-game tidbit. This product will be up shortly at the Paizo store. We're looking forward to producing many more products for the Swords & Wizardry rules and hope you'll come along for the ride!
Bret Boyd
President
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc.
It's Christmas early at Tricky Owlbear HQ so we've decided to permanently set the price of Lotsa Blocks! at $4.00 (a 50% savings from the original price). Enjoy!
I just ported over a review for The 11th Hour which I recalled had been hidden away in ENWorld's blog section (I believe their reviews section had been down during that specific time). I thought Crothian's review could use some time in the sun so enjoy!
It's been awhile since the last pdf in the series but Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to now release the 9th in the Behind the Monsters line--Roper! These pdfs follow a format similar to that found in the popular Behind the Spells series (also presented by Tricky Owlbear Publishing) so chances are good that, if you enjoy that series, this one will also strike your fancy. Each issue is narrated by Jadrin Nelv, monk of the Order of the Sacred Branch. Jadrin schools novice monks in the ways of the multiverse's creatures and we, the readers, get to listen in. Whether you're a player or a GM, you will find something of use within these pages.
BtM: Roper includes many character advantages (different ways your PC can tactically fight the beast), six new roper variants, and three new items! You can purchase this release right here at Paizo.com!
The guest author for this issue is Stefen Styrsky, frequent contributor to Open Design and the DM Sketchpad!
Several folks have inquired about a Pathfinder-compatible version of our popular Behind the Spells: Compendium pdf. I suspected there would be little to update and, indeed, was proven correct as I combed through the book today. 99% of the work is compatible already but, of course, there's always a couple things that need attention due to some minor changes from 3.5 to Pathfinder. Thus, I decided that I would simply post the "errata" to make the Compendium Pathfinder-compatible right here in the forum...
Dispel Magic: remove the "Area Dispel" section from the second spell secret
Shield: replace the Strength check with the combat maneuver bonus when attempting the bull rush for the first spell secret
Web: replace the Strength checks with combat maneuver bonuses (the DC for these and Escape Artist checks is the DC of the spell)
Wish/Limited Wish: ignore the spell secrets dealing with XP
Aside from these fixes, you must also account for skill changes such as Spot = Perception, Decipher Script = Linguistics, etc. These are seldom encountered as most skill checks in the book deal with Spellcraft and Knowledge.
That's it! Now, you needn't hesitate in picking up BtS: Compendium to bring your spellcaster up to full potential.
Is Your Faith Strong Enough?
In 12th-century England, the Welsh-English border is an unstable place. But one Christian outpost is determined to make its stand--with the PCs help, of course! Part adventure and part setting, A Matter of Faith is a 1st-level adventure designed for beginner Game Masters and brings 3.5/OGL fantasy adventure to medieval England. Once the adventure is completed, the outpost will make the perfect home for the new adventuring party.
A Matter of Faith provides...
* A murder-mystery featuring equal parts roleplaying and combat
* Detailed maps of the Malbank Outpost, its church, and the English landscape around it
* Over 20 fully-detailed NPCs that bring the Malbank Outpost to life
* Numerous adventure possibilities that use the outpost as a backdrop (including a quest for a religious item of biblical proportions!)
Will your novice characters have enough faith both in their abilities and in their hearts to overcome the forces of evil and save the outpost from certain doom?
This adventure retails for $5.95 and should be up very shortly here!
Greetings, folks! I wanted to post a small art preview for our first Pathfinder-compatible product: Abbey of the Golden Sparrow
You can check out that preview HERE!
With today's article--Unseen Servant--Tricky Owlbear's series for koboldquarterly.com comes to an end. We've had a fun 11 issues with Wolfgang and company but now the series returns to the nest where it will continue in its normal, longer format. As always, you can stay tuned to Tricky Owlbear on twitter, via my blog, or the TO blog. Thanks for reading!
We at Tricky Owlbear Publishing want to help you stretch your gaming dollars as far as they'll go. To that end, we're offering a special deal from now through Saturday, Feb 28th. Here's how it works...
Step 1: You buy Behind the Spells: Compendium in any format. PDF format is available here at Paizo. Print format available via our Lulu.com storefront HERE.
Step 2: When you receive an email confirming the purchase from one of these sites, send us a copy of that email to: stimulus@trickyowlbear.com
Step 3: We email you the 4 "Behind the Spells" pdfs produced after the Compendium was published. These include Vampiric Touch, Sanctuary, Feather Fall, and Darkness.
Buy one book and get $6 worth of product for free. It's that easy and you'll then have the entire "Behind the Spells" collection as of this date! Not a bad deal to own all the facts behind your favorite SRD spells. Take advantage of the Tricky Owlbear Stimulus Offer today!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to release the 40th pdf issue in the Behind the Spells series--Darkness! Although this release features the same protagonist as seen in BtS: Light, that issue is not required to enjoy this one.
Behind the Spells examines those spells from the v3.5 SRD that are listed time and again on character sheets throughout gaming. These are the spells which, if on your character's class list, will be taken as soon as possible and include such quintessential favorites as magic missile and fireball. Each pdf in this series examines the spellcaster who created the spell, one or more of the spell's hidden capabilities, and possible variants for the spell.
This issue includes two spell secrets, a new metamagic feat (Spell-shade) and a new spell (Cone of Shadows)! You can purchase this pdf right here at Paizo!
And don't forget, Tricky Owlbear has also combined forces with Kobold Quarterly to bring you special mini-issues of Behind the Spells at koboldquarterly.com! Check out the first issue--Color Spray!
While we at Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. continue to produce the "Behind the Spells" series (and other goodies) for pdf retail, we're also now in league with the great and powerful Kobold Quarterly to bring you smaller issues for their website. The first of these is BtS: Color Spray and you can find it HERE!
You are invited to comment on this issue either here or over at the KQ.com forums and also to comment on what spells you think deserve the "Behind the Spells" treatment in the future.
Can't get enough "Behind the Spells"? Remember that Tricky Owlbear is still running its Black Friday Weekend Sale on the Compendium through Monday!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to bring you our flagship product--Behind the Spells: Compendium--for 20% off the regular price for this holiday weekend. From Friday through Monday you can grab the 100+ page pdf for a mere $12. We've also cut the prices on the softcover and hardcover print versions over at our Lulu store!
There's no better time to pick up this critically-acclaimed magic supplement for your 3.5/OGL game. Perfect for players and GMs alike, the Compendium would make a great gift for the gaming friend on your list. See what all the buzz is about and pick up Behind the Spells: Compendium this weekend!
See the above link to order your print version or grab the pdf right here at Paizo
Thanks for your continued patronage and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!!
The 5-star reviews have been rolling in since the July release of Tricky Owlbear Publishing's Behind the Spells: Compendium. Do you have your copy yet of one one of the last must-have books of the 3e era?
Learn why critics call the Compendium "one of my favorites" and how "it's well worth having" in your gaming library. Another reviewer praises, "This is one of the most creative series I have ever read" while another calls the Compendium "a joy to read."
Now is the perfect time to join narrator Maxolt Alberiim as he traces the histories of the best-known spells of the world's most famous fantasy roleplaying game! Whether you want new/variant rules or just a good fiction read, Behind the Spells: Compendium is the right book for you.
The Compendium is available in PRINT at Lulu.com or in PDF format from right here at Paizo!
Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the 7th pdf in the v3.5/OGL Behind the Monsters line: Gargoyle! Each issue is narrated by Jadrin Nelv, monk of the Order of the Sacred Branch. Jadrin schools novice monks in the ways of the multiverse's creatures and we, the readers, get to listen in. Whether you're a player or a GM, you will find something of use within these pages.
BtM: Gargoyle includes two adventurer advantages, two new monster variants, and one new alchemical item. This offering in the series is also the first to feature a sample lair with map--let Tricky Owlbear do the work for you! The 10-page pdf is written by Bret Boyd with art by Rick Hershey and cartography by Butch Curry and is on sale right here at Paizo!
Not familiar with the Behind the Monsters series? Try out the free premiere issue--Owlbear--here at Paizo or at our website!
Here's what folks are saying about other releases in the line...
BtM: Skeleton
from RPGNow Staff Reviewer Peter Ingham: "These variants and ideas can add some spice to the skeleton, and the flesh stealer skeleton can be quite creepy. Mechanics are generally good, and nothing presented is too outlandish."
BtM: Bulette
from RPGNow Staff Reviewer Peter Ingham: "Overall, I enjoyed this pdf...This provides a more complete world-view to any campaign story, turning creatures encountered into more than just an encounter, but also a myth or a legend. The information can easily be incorporated into a campaign world..."
BtM: Xorn
from RPGNow purchaser Mark Gedak: "Overall, I was pleased by this Behind the Monsters offering. The history provides a well-thought out explanation for the xorn's incursion on the Material plane, the behavioural area provides a couple of neat ideas for making the combat with the xorn be memorable and I like the magic item presented."
BtM: Owlbear
from Paizo forum member Fizzban: "All in all this was a great fluff piece that I enjoyed. I loved the new spin that was put on an odd idea. And I feel like you really knew how to add just the right amount of odd detail that makes the product really shine. Plus you can't beat the price. I would highly recommend this product, and if this is a taste of what’s to come I’d recommend the company as well."
In the great tradition of brothers doing radio shows (okay, maybe that tradition only applies to NPR's "Car Talk"), my brother and I have recorded our very first Tricky Owlbear podcast. You listen to other people's ramblings, so why not ours? Hear it here while you surf: http://www.trickyowlbear.com/podcast/description/ep00.php
In Podcast 0, we discuss a little about ourselves (personal and company history), our products (I mention Paizo and Pathfinder--plug! plug!), what we are planning for the future, give a soundtrack review, and offer up a little contest where I utter the awkward line "We would like to read people's emails..." The show is pretty much unscripted and we love it, warts and all! So if you enjoy people talking (and who doesn't?), come and have a listen today!
The Behind the Spells series continues with the feather fall spell! This series examines those spells from the v3.5 SRD that are listed time and again on character sheets throughout gaming.
These are the spells which, if on your character's class list, will be taken as soon as possible and include such quintessential favorites as magic missile and fireball. Each pdf in this series examines the spellcaster who created the spell, one or more of the spell's hidden capabilities, and possible variants for the spell.
This issue includes two spell secrets, a new magical weapon quality (Floating) and a new spell (Feather Storm)!
You can purchase BtS: Feather Fall right here: Paizo
At long last, the book many have been waiting for is finally available and just in time for Tricky Owlbear's 1st anniversary! Behind the Spells: Compendium presents the first 36 issues of the Behind the Spells series along with brand new content and behind-the-scenes comments by the author!
As always, for each spell you get a history of the creator, at least two "spell secrets" (new rules for using the spell), and "related research" (new material which somehow relates to the spell or its creator). Whether you're a player or a GM, there's wealth of v3.5/OGL information in these pages just waiting to be unleashed at the game table.
Why buy books packed with new spells when there is still so much that can be done with the classics? Get back to basics with Behind the Spells Compendium!
As of this day, this title is only available as a pdf at the usual online venues and here at Paizo.com. But within the next week, you'll be able to purchase a print copy through Lulu.com (softcover and hardcover)! Watch for that announcement soon.
Retail price for the pdf is $15 but in honor of our anniversary, we're offering it at 20% off (or $12) for the next week. Thanks to everyone for your support of the series over the last 3 years!
Thanks for the review! The background of the creator is kept purposely generic, of course, for ease of insertion into any fantasy campaign. I look at the fiction as more of idea-generation-text than as something you're to use wholesale.
Thanks for the review! I think Maxolt's chatty-ness makes a great change of pace from just giving you dry background text (but than I'm a bit biased). Unfortunately, the fiction is meant more for GMs--to jumpstart adventure ideas--but hopefully makes a great read for players as well.
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