Kobold Quarterly 23

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Demons & Devils Black As Your Soul

Kobold Quarterly's fall 2012 issue is not for the faint of heart! Starting with the fearsome art featuring the Master of Demon Mountain on the cover, you will enter an issue packed full of devils and demons to give PCs pause. With a new playable lamia race lurking within, even players might be tempted to join the dark side. (Also the dark side has chocolate, as we learn in the adventure “Devil’s Food.”)

  • The dark aristocratic glory of Dispater, First King of the Infernal City, by Wes Schneider
  • The Vile Black Book, a grimoire written by Asmodeus himself, with five new diabolical spells, by Ed Greenwood
  • “The Urge to Evolve”, a new Pathfinder Society Quest by Adam Daigle
  • Mechuiti, Midgard’s demon lord of apes and cannibals, with new spells, monsters and adventure hooks
  • “Devil’s Food”, an adventure among Midgard’s diabolical gnomes 
  • GM tips from Steve Winter on creating an atmosphere of horror at the table

KQ #23 also features inks and poisons from Midgard’s Seven Cities, worldbuilding with Monte Cook,  a lamia PC race, plus devil-smiting, soul-selling, and much more vileness as black as a derro's soul.

The full table of contents is:

  • Cover: Midgard’s Master of Demon Mountain by Emile Denis
  • Dispater by Wes Schneider - Pathfinder RPG
  • Slithering in Moonlight by Marc Radle - Pathfinder RPG
  • Pages From Asmodeus by Ed Greenwood - Pathfinder RPG
  • Mechuiti by Adam Roy - Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
  • Gauntlet Witch by Morgan Boehringer and Jim Wettstein - Pathfinder RPG
  • Selling your Soul by Rodrigo Garcia Carmona - AGE System
  • A Few Suggestions by James Thomas - Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, D&D 3.5, OSR
  • The Devil Smiter by Peter von Bleichert – D&D 3.5
  • Simplifying Sunder by R.C. Higgins - Pathfinder RPG
  • The Fruits of Friula by Christina Stiles - Pathfinder RPG
  • Monk of the Glorious Endeavor by Matt Blackie - Pathfinder RPG
  • Devil’s Food by Michael Lane - Pathfinder RPG
  • Crossroads Crowned by Terry Maranda & Eric Hindley - Pathfinder RPG
  • Pathfinder Society Quest: The Urge to Evolve by Adam Daigle - Pathfinder RPG
  • Living Gods for 13th Age by Ash Law – 13th Age
  • Different Kinds of World Building by Monte Cook
  • Real Scares by Steve Winter
  • Ask the Kobold by Skip Williams
  • Sign of the White Bat by Wolfgang Baur
  • d20 Monkey by Brian Patterson
  • Bolt & Quiver by Stan!
  • 10'x 10' Toon by Stan!

Grab your copy today!

The adventure The Urge to Evolve is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Its Chronicle Sheet and additional rules for running this module are a free download (82 KB zip/PDF).

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Once again, an issue filled with Epic Win

5/5

This issue of Kobold Quarterly has a distinct slant toward demons and devils, which is quite fitting for a Halloween issue. However, if fiends from the lower planes aren’t your thing, don’t despair – this issue also has over a dozen articles covering a wide variety of non-infernal topics. Let’s look at a few of them first.

What does your older brother plus a water balloon have in common with spreading dread amongst your players? More than you might think. The connection is explained, very eloquently and entertainingly, by Steve Winter in his Howling Tower article, “Real Scares, 11 Techniques for Creating a Strong Horror Atmosphere at the Table.” And no, absolutely none of the techniques involve hiring your older brother to ambush your players with water balloons.

James Thomas brings us “A Few Suggestions, 8 Ways to Influence Weak Minds.” With humor, concise examples, and even a Star Wars reference, Mr. Thomas shows that the humble suggestion spell is unfairly neglected by GM and players alike. And of course, he also shows how to easily remedy that neglect.

“Slithering in Moonlight” by Marc Radle is a guide to using Lamia Commoners as player characters. In addition, he also explores lamias in a way that recalls the excellent “Ecology Of…” articles from back in the print-edition days of Dragon Magazine. Whether as prospective PC’s or just as better-developed foes, this article improves the usefulness of lamias. Also, I thought the story fragment used to introduce this article was particularly effective.

“The Gauntlet Witch” by Morgan Boehringer and Jim Wettstein is an archetype that lets characters mix martial and magical arts. This is the most well-developed archetype description I’ve ever seen. Most archetypes are described in a couple of short paragraphs which say “swap this power for that power.” That’s not the case here. Brace yourself for a detailed, in-depth discussion.

This issue includes two adventures: The first adventure, “Devil’s Food” by Michael Lane, is suitable for a 6th level group. It involves autumn festivals, chocolate, and some wonderfully nasty gnomes. This adventure is set in the world of Midgard, but as with all good adventure modules, some careful name changes will let you securely place it in your own world.

The second adventure, “The Urge to Evolve” by Adam Daigle is a Pathfinder Society Quest. It is nicely compact, should be playable in the course of a single game session, and even includes a sidebar suggesting how to scale it for your group.

I do have one nit to pick with both these adventures. Both use the “I have a job for you” setup, which is one of my least-favorite ways to start an adventure. However, this complaint reflects my personal prejudice rather than any flaw in the adventures themselves, both of which looks like they will be properly entertaining.

Now let’s look at a sampling of the Fiendish Articles:

“Dispater” by Wes Schneider provides everything you need to bring this Arch-Fiend to life in your campaign. Giving major foes a real personality and complex, understandable motives can be quite a challenge … for me, anyway, but apparently not for Mr. Schneider. He shows exactly how to do it for this iconic arch-devil. He has even included a sidebar on the real-world history of Dispater.

Ed Greenwood gives us “Pages from Asmodeus”, a book unlike any I have ever heard of before. This evil object is more imaginative and intriguing than any of the Artifacts from back in 1st Edition days, yet it is suitable for use with a group of almost any level.

“Selling Your Soul” by Rodrigo García Carmona presents a detailed and excellent set of rules to guide both GM’s and players in striking a Fiendish Bargain. I am not familiar with the Age system for which this article was written, but that doesn’t matter. The information in this article is so clearly and logically presented that I know I’ll have no trouble at all adjusting it for use in my 3E/PF game.

Please be assured, I enjoyed all the articles in this issue, even the ones I didn’t choose to mention here. Every article had something interesting, useful, or entertaining to say.


Another Fantastic Issue!

5/5

Yet another excellent issue of Kobold Quarterly with their Autumn 2012 Demons and Devils issue. I really enjoyed Pages from Asmodeus by Ed Greenwood, one of the feature articles this month. Also an article on Selling your Soul to the devil for the AGE system, but plenty of useful parts for any system. The art work is once again top notch.

My full review of this issue can be seen at The Iron Tavern.


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Soooo... any time table on this issue? :D I'm sure it's soon-ish.

Don't mind me. I'll just sit here quietly and wait for the release info. [/f5]

Contributor

Good question! I'll see if the Overlord knows.

The Exchange Kobold Press

It is very soon-ish. I'm guessing next week, though, this week there's still other things cooking.


Ooh! I wasn't expecting it to be that soon! The excitement!


Nice! Can't wait.

Liberty's Edge

If the lamia have anything to say about it, the issue will come out on the night of the next full moon ...


I was going to ask about what work Marc or Ryan did on this issue, if any, but I guess half of that question is answered now. :)

Liberty's Edge

Cheapy wrote:
I was going to ask about what work Marc or Ryan did on this issue, if any, but I guess half of that question is answered now. :)

Not necessarily ... I might just like lamia .... :)


So, October 29th? Is that the Kobolds' goal, or just the lamias' goal? ;)

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Cheapy wrote:
I was going to ask about what work Marc or Ryan did on this issue, if any, but I guess half of that question is answered now. :)

Not this time (unless Wolfgang fast tracked the article I just submit), but you know I'll be buying a copy.

Contributor

Cover image! ...That's hot.

Silver Crusade

Lamia PC race?

Devil's food?

Dispater article?

o mi

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Mikaze wrote:

Lamia PC race?

o mi

I have it on pretty good authority that you might even get some Lamia history, culture and religion as well ...

That's what I hear, anyway :)

Silver Crusade

Awesome. Is the PC race emulating "lion" lamias or "snake" lamias?

Either way will probably be presenting solutions to people trying to homebrew PC races of certain builds!

Liberty's Edge

Mikaze wrote:

Awesome. Is the PC race emulating "lion" lamias or "snake" lamias?

Interesting question ...

We probably should not reveal specific details until the issue comes out. Let's just say that the lamia have a word for those bizarre half-lion creatures - gesh’ vek ( which means 'false lamia')

Silver Crusade

Cannibal Demon Apes? I am in! Also excited about the Gauntlet Witch.


Mechuitl, Cannibal Demon Lord, and ecology of dragonkin. Are these articles still the magazine?


All these questions and more answered after this commercial break!

The Exchange Kobold Press

Dragonkin was actually issue 22. But yes, it's a great issue and some great articles.

Not to mention, the official Pathfinder Society adventure by Adam Daigle.


please have flumphs, please have flumphs, please have flumphs...

Paizo Employee Director of Narrative

Sorry, Cheapy. No flumphs in this one.


Oh well, should still be good!

Contributor

LordNull wrote:
Mechuitl, Cannibal Demon Lord, and ecology of dragonkin. Are these articles still the magazine?

I certainly want you to preorder the issue, so I'll spill some beans of the items listed on the Devil/Demon issue's cover).

Mechuiti (the Cannibal Demon) and his demon apes and the cannibal behtu are certainly in the issue--they are somewhat of a preview of Journeys to the West material, and Mechuiti's island is described in the [i[Pirates of the Western Ocean[/i] supplement for Journeys. Wes Schneider has a great devil article in this issue you won't want to miss (he had one in the previous issue, as well), and Adam Daigle has a wonderful Pathfinder piece in the issue. We've got Ed Greenwood with an article about a book of Asmodeus. I've added some poisons and magical inks to Midgard from Friula (one of my favorite areas of the setting). Marc Radle has an article on the lamia. Steve Winter talks about terrifying your players.

We've got first articles from Morgan Boehringer and Matt Blackie on new archetypes: the gauntlet witch and a weapon-specialist monk. And, there's a look at the new Earthdawn for Pathfinder. I'm forgetting some stuff for sure.

It's really a jam-packed issue of goodies, and I absolutely loved working on it. Preorder a good jolt of evil for your campaign today!

Contributor

Product description updated!

Contributor

Liz Courts wrote:
Product description updated!

Ha ha! Even better, Liz! Thanks. :)

Dark Archive

<Donkey>Are we there yet?</Donkey>

Sounds like an awesome installment of Kobold Quarterly.

Question: Is the Pages From Asmodeus feature specific to Golarion? Or is it a setting-neutral article?

The Exchange Kobold Press

Pages from Asmodeus is setting neutral and could be used in any campaign, including Golarion or Midgard.

Liberty's Edge

Can't wait for this bad boy to arrive in my mailbox!


WOOT!!!

I got my email to download the PDF of issue 23. That means hard copy is enroute.

Silver Crusade

silverhair2008 wrote:

WOOT!!!

I got my email to download the PDF of issue 23. That means hard copy is enroute.

Silverhair, I was curious about the Gauntlet Witch. Is is a witch archetype or a regular 20 level class? Could you let me know. Thanks.


It's an archetype, I think.

Contributor

Chris Zank wrote:


Silverhair, I was curious about the Gauntlet Witch. Is is a witch archetype or a regular 20 level class? Could you let me know. Thanks.

It is an archetype.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Haha! Finally, the kobolds wrangled the elusive clockwork stalker! PCs- start trembling...

Liberty's Edge

Wow, the Simplified Sundering article for PFRPG is a great trick!
I’ve already printed that sucker out and put it in my DM notebook.

E D I T - That's REALLY embarrassing and strange - after I submitted that I went to the top of the page and noticed that I wrote the article. Which, I actually didn't. My name is attached to it but I actually didn't write it - someone named R.C. Higgins did. Might wanna correct that! :-)

The Exchange Kobold Press

Webstore gninja has already fixed it. So faaaasst.

Contributor

Like Ice Cream Gninja! *readies an action*


Hey hey where did the 4E content go???? My DM pal isnt going to be happy, first theres no new 4E books at all and now KQ doesn't even have one article on it - mind you I love the magazine cuz Im a Pathfinder person myself so keep up the good work but no 4E stuffs goona make some ppl sad pandas!


As Wolfgang has said before he cannot print what is not submitted. You want 4E articles, write one.


This website might explain the missing 4e content.

Liberty's Edge

John Grovel wrote:
Hey, where did the 4E content go? My DM pal isn't going to be happy; first there's no new 4E books at all and now KQ doesn't even have one article on it. I love the magazine because I'm a Pathfinder person myself, so keep up the good work there!

If your friend wants to see 4e material in KQ, he needs to either submit it or get others to submit it. If no one writes it, the Kobolds can't publish it, simple as that.

The Exchange Kobold Press

It's true, the D&D Next playtest has sucked a LOT of the life out of 4E submissions. However, tell your DM about this 4E release with intro by Rob Heinsoo and he might be happier.


Wow, lots of articles. How many pages does the typical KQ have on average? Lots ads in them?


I have issues that run from 60 to 90 pages. It mainly depends on the number and length of the articles that are submitted for publishing. If you want an average then I think in the 70-80 page range would fit.

Understand I am a subscriber not an employee nor am I affiliated with Kobold Press in any way.

Unless the publisher is independently wealthy you are going to find ads in any magazine. I don't sense that KQ has an unreasonable number of ads.

Wolfgang could answer your questions more accurately as he is the Kobold-in-Chief.

The Exchange Kobold Press

This issue has 88 pages, and is on the bigger side. Last issue had 80 pages.

It varies on ads, but usually at least 10 to 12 pages of ads. Keeps costs down, of course.


Yeah, I have no issue with ads. I was just wondering how many pages of content you had. I'm impressed by the number of articles. Seems like there are more articles than in the old printed Dragon mag.

Very tempting. Appropriate for an issue about demons and devils. :)


It's delicious. You should really give it a try.


Great issue!

The Exchange Kobold Press

goldomark wrote:

I'm impressed by the number of articles. Seems like there are more articles than in the old printed Dragon mag.

Very tempting. Appropriate for an issue about demons and devils. :)

Please sign right here for delivery. :)


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I agree. Not only do I not mind the ads, I typically read them all.

It's been said before but back in the pre-internet days of Dragon and Dungeon that was a key way to learn about new products. They're not selling me toasters, they're typically advertising the very types of things I'd be interested in as a KQ reader.

Some of the ad art is really high quality - it's almost like bonus content. Well maybe that's pushing it, but I expect a healthy industry magazine to carry at least some ads for me to peruse.


I agree, I like the ads to. Liked them in the print D + D mags too. I guess, tho, that if the same ad is in there time after time they get a bit annoying. But if the advertisers keep updating their ads, I'll keep looking.

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