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Kobold Quarterly 17 PDF

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Is this issue… ticking? Yes, Kobold Quarterly issue #17 is all about the rogues and villainy!

For your inspection, a list of highlights from the table of contents:

  • Ambush in Absalom: Our first official adventure for Paizo’s Pathfinder Society, a little piece by Mark Moreland.
  • "So We Meet Again!" Special adversary abilities for recurring villains and the PCs who hate them. These adversary mechanics give recurring villains and PCs the ability to uniquely track, thwart and escape each another over many adventures. For Pathfinder RPG.
  • The Right Way to Do Wrong: Brandon Hodge presents classic swindles for your rogue to play. Say, would you watch this violin for a second?
  • Know Why You Play: Jeff Tidball gives us both an insightful interview and the complete scoop on the Dragon Age RPG stunt mechanic, and how to adapt it to D&D or Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
  • Elf Needs Food, Badly: Yes, magical foods make an appearance, and are giving us a case of the nom nom noms!
  • Magical Squibs and Firecrackers: Rockets, firecrackers, and squibs were good enough for Prof. JRR Tolkein in The Hobbit. Now they're here for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
  • The Black Goat: A tavern mini adventure for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game that will leave your PCs changed...forever.
  • Group Concepts: Nine ways to kick off a perfect campaign, with the right concept for the PCs from the start. Excellent advice, with examples from the Midgard campaign setting.
  • Getting Ahead: Taking trophy heads and turning them into magical items might cross a line somewhere, but we're guessing both PCs and villains will do anything to get a head when they see what these beauties do. For Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
  • Ask the Kobold: Gaming legend Skip Williams takes on the use of magic items on companion animals, with rather amusing results.

Not to mention monster advice from Monte Cook, two articles for the AGE System on stunts, plus book reviews, details of the Midgard campaign setting, and much, much more!

Kobold Quarterly #17 is replete with moustache-twirling villainy, classic crunch, and the finest RPG flavor available anywhere! Pick up your copy today!

"Ambush in Absalom" is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Its Chronicle Sheet is a free download (108 KB zip/PDF).

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Best issue yet! Just keeps getting better.

5/5 —

Ah, villainy... foundation of all the best conflict! Where would the heros be if there were no villains for them to strive against? Indeed, heros are often more interesting if they have a touch of villainy themselves. (Really, which is your favorite Star Wars hero - the smuggler and space-pirate Han Solo, or squeaky-clean Luke Skywalker?)

As you have certainly guessed already, Kobold Quarterly #17 takes a look at villainy. Five of its dozen-and-a-half articles were chosen for this theme. If you're not looking for villainy right now, that still leaves over a dozen articles for you enjoy.

The theme articles are:

Wolfgang Baur's introduction, which makes some excellent suggestions about believable motivations for villains. He also makes some points about motivations that don't work. (Spoiler Alert -- Insanity is a lame reason for being evil.)

"So We Meet Again" by Michael Kortes: An intriguing set of "nemesis and hero" abilities specifically designed for use by (and against) recurring enemies.

"The Right Way to Do Wrong" by Brandon Hodge: Describes nine real-life cons used by grifters back in the pre-internet days. Naturally, he also describes how these schemes can be used in your game.

"The Scourges of Vael Turog" by Stefen Styrsky: This article is less about villainy than its aftermath - three magical diseases created by a long-gone empire of evil. Diseases which have outlived their makers and yet still seek new victims; diseases which have spawned changes to the very landscape where they lurk.

"The Value of the Monster" by Monte Cook: When you are planning the next arch-nemesis for your group, don't overlook all those truly inhuman creatures in the Monster Manual / Bestiary. A lot of Game Masters, myself included, tend to use human (or at least nearly human, like elven or dwarven) foes when creating a long-term threat. Mr. Cook presents some compelling reasons for breaking that habit.

Stepping beyond this season's theme, here are the general gaming articles:

"Know Why You Play" by Jeremy L. C. Jones: An interview with Jeff Tidball, author, screenwriter, and game designer. Chances are very good that you have encountered his work more than once.

"Ambush in Absalom" by Mark Moreland, with art by Jenny Clements and cartography by Corey Macourek: This is an official Pathfinder Society quest.

"On the Streets and In the Books" by Quinn Murphy: This short article has some excellent ideas about how to conduct an exciting chase scene, and also how to inject some interest into doing research. Yes, I said "doing research", as in "looking stuff up in libraries" - the kind of scene that is usually glossed over with a music montage in movies, and just as often resolved with a single bland skill check in d20 games. This article is written for the Dragon Age system, but everything in it is very easily portable to other systems.

"Elf Needs Food Badly" by Matthew J. Hanson: Fifteen ways to add some "flavor" to your campaign. Potions aren't the only magic items that must be swallowed to be effective. Despite the tongue-in-cheek title, there are some crunchy tidbits in this article.

"Secrets of the Four Golden Gates" by Davis Adams: This article presents new options for 4th edition monks, including some intriguing monk-specific magic items.

"Magical Squibs, Crackers, and Fireworks" by Jonathan McAnulty: Remember those early scenes in the first "Lord of the Rings" movie, where Gandalf brings a wagonload of enchanted fireworks for Bilbo's birthday party? Yep -'nuff said!

"The Black Goat: by Richard L. Smith II, with art by Kevin Crossley and cartography by Sean Macdonald: This nicely creepy little module has a spooky Lovecraftian feel. Unlike most adventure modules, you can place this one in a town or city that your players frequent, and let them slowly discover that something is amiss.

"Feats of Stunning Might and Brilliance" by Jeff Tidball: An article about how stunts work in the Dragon Age Roleplaying Game. Lots of game-design insight makes this an interesting read even if you're not a Dragon Age gamer.

"Lackeys, Hirelings, and Henchmen" by Tom Allman: Your players don't exist in a vacuum. This article shows how and why you can make NPC's a part of the adventuring group, while enhancing everyone's fun at the same time.

"Group Concepts" by Mario Podeschi: How do you put together a new group? How do you make a set of PC's or NPC's coherent enough to qualify as a group? This article explains it all. Although presented as part of the Midgard Campaign Setting, everything here is immanently portable to any setting or game system.

"Getting Ahead" by Ben McFarland: The subtitle sums it up perfectly - "Seven Magical Heads of Power". Beware the headhunter...

"It's Not Supposed to End This Way" by Scott A. Murray: What can you do when a series of unlucky dice rolls threaten to kill off a character at the most inopportune and awkward moment possible? Is there a way to save the character for a better death later without actually cheating now? Why yes; in fact there is not just one way, there are six ways!

"Seven Secrets of the Seven Cities" by Wolfgang Baur: Although technically part of the Zobeck campaign setting, these seven ideas can be used in any game.

Plus regular columns like "From the Mines", "Ask the Kobold", and "Book Reviews"

By the way, this review would not be complete if I didn't mention something about the advertisements. Serious book publishers have finally realized that we fantasy role players represent a ready-made market for good history books. (Do you know any gamer who doesn't own at least one factual book about swords, the crusades, or knighthood?) As you read through this issue, look at some of the books being advertised. I plan on owning several of them before the year is out.

Full of Goodies

5/5 —

Once again KQ delivers a packed issue of great articles. I like that they're supporting Dragon Age with new stunts. Goblins and fireworks also go well together. I also always enjoyed the article on food, from orcish pie to pickled aboleth brains.

Why don't you have a copy yet?

Search Thread

Search this Thread:

When will then be now?

-Ben
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Soon

Click me:
KQ #17 is scheduled for April I guess?
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

And I have it!

Downloaded it from my KQ account this morning. Once again a pretty nifty cover.
Liberty's Edge
Darkjoy wrote:

And I have it!

Downloaded it from my KQ account this morning. Once again a pretty nifty cover.

Wow, really? The KQ.com front page still shows #16 as the current issue. Must be nice being so special! :)

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC
Marc Radle wrote:
Darkjoy wrote:

And I have it!

Downloaded it from my KQ account this morning. Once again a pretty nifty cover.

Wow, really? The KQ.com front page still shows #16 as the current issue. Must be nice being so special! :)

Well, theoretically you can go to the "my downloads" page on the KQ web site and download it. I say theoretically because that only works if you don't have autorenew on your subscription.

If you DO have autorenew, the *only* way to get it is to wait for them to send you the publication email and then use that link - their order management system has never been fixed so that it recognizes autorenew subscribers as current subscribers. :|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

1) I am special

2) I logged in, checked my account, selected the order with my current subscription and KQ#17 was available for download. I don't really think that I am doing something out of the ordinary - maybe just a little ahead of schedule ;>

3) The good thing is that, after skimming the contents, I am seeing 3 articles I can probably use in my Dark Heresy campaign. At work now, can't really read KQ while at work.
Scarab Sages
Darkjoy wrote:

And I have it!

Downloaded it from my KQ account this morning. Once again a pretty nifty cover.

Got mine. Some good stuff in there. :)

Saaaaaay.

What's that hanging on your belt? Quite the snazzy little accessory you've got there, did you spot it in KQ#17?

Seems like the super kind of bling a star adventurer ought to be sporting. ;) Certainly makes the cut in my book. :D

-Ben.
Liberty's Edge

Huh ...

I logged on to my account over at KQ.com and dug around but did not see anything that indicated I could download #17 yet.

Oh well, no worries - I'll just wait for the e-mail and, more importantly, the print issue to arrive in the mail!

Sounds like another great issue though - can't wait to check it out!
Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Time to burn another DVD for work I see...
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
terraleon wrote:

Saaaaaay.

What's that hanging on your belt? Quite the snazzy little accessory you've got there, did you spot it in KQ#17?

Seems like the super kind of bling a star adventurer ought to be sporting. ;) Certainly makes the cut in my book. :D

-Ben.

Yes, I did spot those particular trophy's......

The Exchange Kobold Press

And the magazines are delivered and in the Paizo warehouse. Should see them on sale here by tomorrow, at a guess.

In which magazine appeared the first adventure for Pathfinder?
Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy
gfvelastegui wrote:
In which magazine appeared the first adventure for Pathfinder?

This issue contains the first official Pathfinder Society adventure to be published by someone other than Paizo.

Dark Archive

Mark Smilye again! *head_explodes*

Seriously, the new stunts for DragonAge (a system that is growing on me by the day, I just discovered the fan created "Esoterica from Thedas" volumes), the stunt inspired ideas for PF, the Mythos tainted inn, fireworks, columns... what a great issue!
The Exchange Kobold Press

"We strive to make heads explode" is KQ's new mission statement. :)

The very first Pathfinder adventure in KQ was..... Quite a while ago. We've had them every issue for at least a year. I know Tim Connor's "Amber Heart" in issue #14 is my personal favorite.

But I think KQ published at least one Pathfinder adventure *before* issue 14, though. Yep, Kobold Quarterly #13 had a Pathfinder adventure in it.

And Kobold Quarterly #11 had an entire underdark city, but not especially for Pathfinder, more general.

Hm, I'm guessing issue #13, by the strictest definition.
Liberty's Edge
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Mark Moreland wrote:
gfvelastegui wrote:
In which magazine appeared the first adventure for Pathfinder?
This issue contains the first official Pathfinder Society adventure to be published by someone other than Paizo.

Is there a Chronicle sheet with the Boon you get for the "Quest"?

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy
Dragnmoon wrote:
Is there a Chronicle sheet with the Boon you get for the "Quest"?

Yes. Wolfgang surprised us with this yesterday (we were expecting it late in the month for whatever reason), and we'll have a Chronicle available both on this product page and from the Additional Resources page later today.

Dragnmoon wrote:
Mark Moreland wrote:
gfvelastegui wrote:
In which magazine appeared the first adventure for Pathfinder?
This issue contains the first official Pathfinder Society adventure to be published by someone other than Paizo.
Is there a Chronicle sheet with the Boon you get for the "Quest"?

Thank you.

I´ll check these numbers.
Grand Lodge
Mark Moreland wrote:
Dragnmoon wrote:
Is there a Chronicle sheet with the Boon you get for the "Quest"?
Yes. Wolfgang surprised us with this yesterday (we were expecting it late in the month for whatever reason), and we'll have a Chronicle available both on this product page and from the Additional Resources page later today.

I assume this adventure will follow the normal 1 GM/ 1 Player credit limit?

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Pathfinder Society Quests provide boons only, so they can be played as many times with a given character as you want. The rules for playing the adventure and receiving a Chronicle (both for GMs and players) are located in a sidebar on page 28.
The Exchange Kobold Press

Hey, the issue has it's first 5-star review! Woot!
Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

A link to download the Chronicle for "Ambush in Absalom" has been added to the bottom of the product writeup. When we next update the Additional Resources page, it will be included there as well.
The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
Mark Moreland wrote:
Pathfinder Society Quests provide boons only, so they can be played as many times with a given character as you want. The rules for playing the adventure and receiving a Chronicle (both for GMs and players) are located in a sidebar on page 28.

That makes sense, Mark, but: can a character roll for a day job?

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy
Chris Mortika wrote:
Mark Moreland wrote:
Pathfinder Society Quests provide boons only, so they can be played as many times with a given character as you want. The rules for playing the adventure and receiving a Chronicle (both for GMs and players) are located in a sidebar on page 28.
That makes sense, Mark, but: can a character roll for a day job?

Nope. Day jobs are just for scenarios.

You know why my characters don't need day jobs?

Severed heads.

A whole belt of them. Tends to "smooth the way" when it comes to talking with innkeepers about the bill. ;) Wenching is a little harder to do, though. :)

-Ben.
Grand Lodge

Are character death and expendables being spent being treated like a regular scneario, or like the modules (Godsmouth, Ebon)???
Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy
godsDMit wrote:
Are character death and expendables being spent being treated like a regular scneario, or like the modules (Godsmouth, Ebon)???

Modules

Liberty's Edge
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Mark Moreland wrote:
godsDMit wrote:
Are character death and expendables being spent being treated like a regular scneario, or like the modules (Godsmouth, Ebon)???
Modules

Mark you might want to add a Rules section for Quests to the Chronicle Download.

The Exchange Kobold Press

And good news, Paizo newsletter announced that this issue is the #2 best-seller in the store (for non-Paizo releases, that is!).

Pretty good stuff. Thank you to everyone who has picked it up!

Also, I'm thinking we might need to do another PF Society adventure soon.
The Exchange Kobold Press

Well, this is rare. After being the #2 Paizo bestseller last week, KQ has moved up the rankings to #1 this week!

So I'm curious: what about this issue made it especially appealing?
Wolfgang Baur wrote:


So I'm curious: what about this issue made it especially appealing?

I'll put my money on the PFS scenario. It really adds bang for the gaming buck.

-Ben.

I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet. But I've been a subscriber since the beginning.

But I also think the Kobold's reputation of quality is growing.

People are noticing. In a good way! :)

Patrick
The Exchange Kobold Press

Growing reputation or PFS adventure, either way the issue is the #1 non-Paizo bestselling download this week!

Thanks to everyone who has checked out the issue, please let us know what you think with a mini-review (go all retro and write a letter to the editor at Letters@koboldQuarterly.com).

I have a review that is limited in scope to "The Black Goat." I inserted the tavern into my game last Friday and it was one of the best gaming sessions we've had in a while. I don't want to spoil anything so let me just say two things. First, a location article like "The Black Goat" is only as much fun to play through as a GM makes it. "The Black Goat" provides excellent structure (no pun intended) to build upon. It's GM-a-liscious.

Second, the concept for The Black Goat has my PCs on an emotional rollercoaster. Why did the GM put so much thought into this tavern? Is that a color map he's looking at? Something MUST be going on here! Nah, it's just a well-run tavern! I wish I could give details of our game and the beautiful ironies from Friday night but that would be overkill.

Let me close by saying this was a fantastic issue. I expected no less.

Does this contain info on Ooze Magic?

The Midgard Campaign Setting says that "More information on the ooze magic of Vael Turog can be found in Kobold Quarterly#17." but I'm seeing no indication of that.

Hey, the Ooze magic article is in issue 20. I wrote it, so lemme know if you have any questions!

Hey, nifty! Were the connections to Vael Turog dropped?

I don't know if they were ever there. . . It may be a case of great minds thinking alike (or fools seldom differing) Still, the Ooze is there if you wish to use it!
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