The World Serpent Awaits Midgard is a dark world of deep magic, with seven regions flavored by the folklore of Central and Eastern Europe plus a heady dose of weird fantasy. Designed by Wolfgang Baur, Jeff Grubb and Brandon Hodge with the Open Design community, it is a sprawling setting supported by Kobold Press adventures and sourcebooks that are compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Dungeons & Dragons, AGE System, and more. Midgard is ley line magic and warped alchemical experiments; the Western Waste’s giant, shambling horrors and magic-blasted landscapes; diabolical gnomes and the schemes of immortal Baba Yaga; wild, wind-riding elves and swashbuckling minotaur corsairs; the Mharoti Empire’s lethal assassins and exotic splendors; and the dragon- haunted crags of the icy Northlands.
Sample file Chapter 6
army officers, or any other spirit they can corral long enough for a few T
without a substantial navy. It is the most eldritch and peculiar as well, pointed questions. This practice provides Kammae with lore, secrets, he with an emphasis on displays of public piety, works of true charity, and and insights not available to rival cities, but it comes at the price of great deeds of devotion. addiction, madness, and death. Visitors to Kammae are advised to avoid the requiem dens. S Kammae Straboli, City of the Oracle even The city is a fine sight of red tile roofs and whitewashed houses, all Halls of the Oracle well kept, its people learned and pious. Kammae is the only place in The oracle’s building adjoins the Great Gold and Silver Temple of the Seven Cities where Mavros is not one of the great gods, for Oracle the Three Goddesses: Hecate the Moon Goddess, and her sisters
Yeneva abhors war, and her goddess Hecate commands the oracle gain Rava the Weaver of Fate and Lada the Golden. The halls are gilded C throughout the interior and lit by magical lights that dim only at the power in other ways than brute strength, fire, and mayhem. In many ities ways, Kammae is the perfect society, with little crime and a unified new moon. Its altars are redolent of fresh flowers in summer and rich people. And yet it is not entirely happy. incense and lavender in winter. The oracle holds oracular sessions for the three days of each full moon. Only the most favored heroes and The Requiem Dens wealthiest donors are guaranteed a hearing at these times. The oracle One of the clearest reasons for Kammae’s difficulties is that many of traditionally sits on the ivory stairs at the center of the temple when its novice priests and most devoted zealots give themselves over to receiving visions. requiem, using the drug to speak to the ghosts of elven wizards, dead
The Price of Requiem Requiem Bliss Requiem is a powerful and addictive drug that allows users to Type poison (drug), inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 15 speak with the dead. Made from the death’s head mushrooms, Onset 1 minute; Frequency — requiem is a potent drug when smoked. It gives users visions of Fortitude DC 15 + 1/question asked; Withdrawal the dead but is highly addictive. It comes in two forms: a muddy Addiction form called Clay, and a refined version called Bliss. cumulative −3 penalty to all saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks contact other plane, nonlethal damage, Effect speak with dead, Requiem Clay see text; Cure 3 consecutive saves Type poison (drug), inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 13 Price 4,500 gp Onset 1 minute; Frequency — DESCRIPTIOn Addiction Fortitude DC 13 + 1/question asked; Withdrawal Made from death’s head mushrooms and various other unsavory cumulative −2 penalty to all saving throws, attacks, ability checks, components, this potent and highly addictive euphoric drug and skill checks gives users visions of the dead. (Unwilling users can make a DC Effect speak with dead, nonlethal damage, see text; Cure 2 15 save to avoid effects.) consecutive saves By smoking requiem bliss, you summon the spirit of a single Price 750 gp deceased person whose name you know. The spirit takes on the DESCRIPTIOn physical characteristics it had in life and might touch you, though it cannot harm you. Made from death’s head mushrooms and various other unsavory speak with dead spell components, this potent and highly addictive euphoric drug gives You are granted the benefits of a users visions of the dead. (Unwilling users can make a DC 13 save (CL 10th), and the spirit cannot lie. Additionally,contact you other are plane to avoid effects.) simultaneously granted the benefit of the Upon smoking requiem clay, you summon the spirit of a single spell (Outer Plane, greater deity option), as the summoned deceased person that you personally knew in life; you are granted spirit consults with others and relates information about a single Kammae Straboli the benefits of aspeak with dead spell and can ask 10 questions. question that would otherwise be unknown to it. Theocracy of Kammae Straboli The spirit’s image is visible, and its voice can be heard in whispers, Afterward, you suffer 3 hp of nonlethal damage per but it cannot touch you. question asked and must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Symbol: Black field, a silver serpent below three 1/question asked) or become addicted to the drug. For he inquisitors of Kammae Straboli know when golden moons, and above three golden oak leaves The spirit cannot refuse to answer your questions, but it might attempt to deceive using Bluff. The spirit receives a +3 bonus to each week that requiem bliss is not smoked, you suffer you are plotting a crime. The priests of the Ruler: The Word of the Moon and Voice of Wisdom, any Bluff checks. a cumulative −3 penalty to all saving throws, attack rolls, Her Resplendence the Oracle Yeneva Podella (LE female Moon Goddess know when you are seeking to Afterward, you suffer 2 hp of nonlethal damage per question asked ability checks, and skill checks. Smoking either requiem bliss T human oracle 18) leave town. The oracle herself knows her enemies’ every and must make a Fortitude save (DC 13 + 1/question asked) or or requiem clay eliminates all accumulated penalties from abstaining. Breaking the addiction requires casting a remove plot, and yet Kammae Straboli is not the new imperial heart Important Personages: Lygren Ullos, the Dark Eye of the become addicted to the drug. For each week that requiem clay is Moon (LE male human inquisitor 14) disease or heal spell or abstaining for at least 3 weeks with a but a city-state struggling against problems of its own. Its people not smoked, you suffer a cumulative −2 penalty to all saving throws, Population: 173,800 (154,000 humans, 12,000 minotaurs, attacks rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. Smoking either requiem DC 20 Will save at the end of each week. Three consecutive resent the oracle’s dictates, however well meant. Its foes and rivals 7,800 kobolds) bliss or requiem clay eliminates all accumulated penalties from successful saving throws are necessary to break the addiction through abstinence. expend great effort to obscure their actions through magic; and Kammae, population 37,900 (32,000 humans, 4,400 abstaining. Breaking the addiction requires casting a remove disease Capital: COnSTRUCTIOn just because Oracle Yeneva knows that Capleon will refuse to sell kobolds, 1,500 minotaurs) or heal spell or abstaining at least 2 weeks with a DC 20 Will save at the end of each week. Two consecutive successful saving throws are Requirements Craft (alchemy), crematedcontact ashes other of a sentientplane; Cost Kammae grain, she does not immediately have a new source of food Major Cities: Antiba, population 15,000; Lunnaum, population necessary to break the addiction through abstinence. being, crushed pearl, speak with dead, for her people. Foresight has not guaranteed victory or contentment. 6,100; Deapri, population 1,200 COnSTRUCTIOn 2,250 gp So the people of Kammae know much, and yet do not aspire to do Hecate (patron), Charun, Lada, Ariadne (Rava), Great Gods: Requirements Craft (alchemy), cremated ashes of a sentient being, much more than spread the word and grow slowly. The heady days Volund speak with dead; Cost 375 gp after the chaining of Nethus, when divinely fired soldiers marched Trade Goods: Marble, statuary, wine, lumber, apples, hazelnuts, 139 and conquered with a sense of certain victory, are gone. Kammae is a religious amulets, charms, icons, requiem (smuggled) place of informers, suspicions, and strange pieties, where the anger of the sea lurks below the surface. It is the only one of the Seven Cities
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WWW.KOBOLDQUARTERLY.COM/K/MIDGARD The Pedagogy of Horror Contents
MICHAEL NEWTON PAUL KANE SPIRO DIMOLIANIS THERESA BANE $75 hardcover (8∂ × 11) $49.95 hardcover (7 × 10) $38 softcover (7 × 10) $75 softcover (7 × 10) 356 photos, glossary, 75 photos, notes, 26 photos, notes, bibliography, index appendices, bibliography, index bibliography, index print 978-0-7864-6360-2 bibliography, index p 978-0-7864-2752-9 p 978-0-7864-4547-9 ebook 978-0-7864-8894-0 p 978-0-7864-2036-0 e 978-1-4766-0069-7 e 978-0-7864-8472-0 e 978-0-7864-9153-7
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PAUL MEEHAN KYLE WILLIAM BISHOP GEORGE OCHOA ANDY FISH $39.95 softcover (7 × 10) $25 softcover (6 × 9) $40 softcover (6 × 9) $17.99 softcover (7 × 10) 77 photos, filmography, 33 photos, filmography, 48 photos, notes, bibliog- full color illustrations notes, bibliography, index notes, bibliography, index raphy, index p 978-0-7864-6798-3 p 978-0-7864-4597-4 p 978-0-7864-4806-7 p 978-0-7864-6307-7 e 978-0-7864-8911-4 e 978-0-7864-6219-3 e 978-0-7864-5554-6 e 978-0-7864-8654-0
800-253-2187 McFarland www.mcfarlandpub.com Contents Editorial The World Serpent Awaits 4
Features Dispater 8 by Wes Schneider Learn to submit at the feet of the First King of the Infernal City. Wes Schneider continues his examination of the lords of Hell for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Slithering in Moonlight 18 by Marc Radle Scales and plots make for more than monsters. Be a lamia and be a hero with this new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game player race.
Pages From Asmodeus 26 On the Cover by Ed Greenwood This issue's cover is "Master of Demon Is your soul worth knowledge from the blackest pit? Plumb the Mountain" by Emile Denis, whose art has mind of Asmodeus, Lord of Hell, through his own writings. previously appeared in KQ #17 and #21.
Mechuiti 34 Design and DMing by Adam Roy Devil’s Food 50 Imprisoned far across Midgard's Western Ocean, the demon by Michael Lane lord Mechuiti, lord of apes and cannibals, still sows chaos in Crossroads Crowned 55 this Pathfinder Roleplaying Game-compatible warning. by Terry Maranda & Eric Hindley
Characters SamplePathfinder file Society Quest: The Urge to Evolve 76 Gauntlet Witch 40 by Adam Daigle by Morgan Boehringer and Jim Wettstein Living Gods for 13th Age 80 Selling your Soul 58 by Ash Law by Rodrigo García Carmona Earthdawn Pathfinder 82 A Few Suggestions 64 by Hank Woon, Craig Guarisco, Katherine Fang, and Ira Mertes by James Thomas Columns The Devil Smiter 66 Game Theories: by Peter von Bleichert Different Kinds of World Building 48 by Monte Cook Simplifying Sunder 68 by R.C. Higgins Howling Tower: Real Scares 45 The Fruits of Friula 70 by Steve Winter by Christina Stiles Ask the Kobold 62 Monk of the Glorious Endeavor 74 by Skip Williams by Matt Blackie Coming Next Issue 83 Comics by Kobold Staff d20 Monkey 54 Free City of Zobeck: Bolt & Quiver 65 Sign of the White Bat 88 10'x 10' Toon 69 by Wolfgang Baur
Kobold Quarterly 23 3 Editorial
Editorial: The World Serpent Awaits
he Midgard Campaign Setting is here! The lore and commerce rule, to the Mharoti Dragon Empire where and canon of the world grew steadily over years, the Sultana commands armies of dragonkin—and the elder Tthrough articles in this magazine and adventures dragons command the Sultana. and sourcebook from Open Design; but things really took Midgard is the land of Baba Yaga, the land of the gnomes off in January 2011, when patrons pledged support for the from hell, the land of dark gods from the fertility cult of Freyr development of a worldbook by me, Jeff Grubb, and Brandon and Freya to the horrors of bloody-handed Marena. It has Hodge. Now, the World Serpent has awoken, and the world is artifacts, new spells, and new PC races like the kobolds and here for your exploration and enjoyment. gearforged that So what is Midgard, exactly? players may enjoy just as well as dwarves and elves. If you’ve been following Kobold Press for a while, you know It’s a setting that has grown from real play and careful it is a world of secrets, high magic, and dark fantasy in the crafting, with a balance of focus and depth to support your European tradition. It is ley lines, shadow roads, the Cult of the preferred style of play. World Serpent, and the master alchemists of swampy Maillon. Midgard is a setting built with attention to craft and culture, Midgard is the first campaign setting created as a shared and a world of villainous and heroic nations struggling to survive world by a collaborative design process of this scale. Literally against a tide of rising darkness that threatens to swallow all. hundreds of gamers have provided feedback and playtest Midgard is a world of doom-ridden heroes and shining and review. The result is not a formless kitchen sink, but a exemplars of virtue. As a reader of Kobold Quarterly, I urge setting of seven distinct regions: from the Wasted West where you to take a look and discover its secrets for yourself. You’ll elder gods walk the earth, to the Crossroads where trade find much that’s worthy of your attention. Sample file
Kobold in Chief
4 Autumn 2012 The Runelords Rise Again!
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The very fi rst Pathfi nder Adventure Path returns with a vengeance in the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition, a hardcover collection of the legendary original campaign that launched Pathfi nder 5 years ago! Newly updated to the Pathfi nder RPG rules with expanded encounters, new monsters, and tons of new art, this amazing book sets the scene for one of the most beloved fantasy campaigns ever published! PZO1002 • $59.99 • 978-1-60125-436-8 paizo.com/pathfi nder Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, and Pathfi nder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, AVAILABLE NOW! and the Pathfi nder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC.