Beware the leaves of the fall in Shervage Wood, for beneath them hides the Wyrm, a thing of decay and rot, a slinking beast with two heads – one at either end. You may pass it by, thinking it nothing more than a fallen tree, yet it is alive, and hungry. Sheep and ponies are its staple, but many things go into the wood and do not return…

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After several attempts at putting together a commission for the next Open Design, I’ve got to admit to a certain degree of confusion as a publisher. While some folks were excited by the content of the adventures being considered on the KQ Forum, many of the questions boil down to “What edition will you be supporting?”. That’s an important element, no doubt, and it keeps a designer of adventures quite humble. Which may be a good thing.

But I don’t want to burden patrons with seeing every option in two edition flavors, and asking everyone to vote BOTH for an edition and for an adventure pitch. Patronage shouldn’t be complex (and there’s a Open Design FAQ here to keep it simple).

So, I’m not fighting the tide. The theme is set in advance, and the patrons will decide whether this project will be OGL (effectively 3rd Edition compatible) or 4th Edition. (Those patrons whose edition is not chosen will get a full refund, as always). After so much Feywild elfness, I need a change of style — full details after the cut. [More..]

Welcome back to Behind the Spells, the series that provides a historical background, secret effects, and related material to one of the classic spells of the world’s most famous fantasy roleplaying game. The rules (presented after the “Spell Secret” header) are compatible with any 3.5/OGL fantasy game while the background incorporates the spell into lore of the game’s previous three editions and provides story ideas for the GM.

An ancient gold dragon named Maxolt Alberiim is our narrator. Actually, Maxolt is the name of the human fighter-mage the wyrm wears as a disguise when he travels the land, but HTML won’t display Draconic characters properly.

The Creator
Hedirac Dugat was one of the most infamous human wizards of his age. Though he would just as soon destroy another man as speak with him, Hedirac became obsessed with prolonging his own life. He wanted to become the most powerful wizard who had ever lived (there’s a cliché!) and he believed the best way to achieve that goal was to live forever. [More...]

Bursting into the chamber, your triumphant shout of “I have you now, villain!” dies in a surprised gasp. This room is a mass of turning cogs, swinging pendulums, and immense gears. Your enemy laughs, ducking behind a giant spring and into an obscuring burst of steam. “Foolish heroes,” he says. “I told you that my plans always run like clockwork. Well, here it is!”

The Watchmaker’s Lair is filled with dangerous clockwork devices. These are hazards rather than traps, as they operate regardless of the characters’ presence and no Perception check is required to notice them. This makes them no less dangerous, especially when combined with appropriate enemies.

In a giant clocktower, on the Plane of Gears, or in the hollow heart of a colossal golem, the Watchmaker’s Lair provides numerous encounter groups to challenge PCs. Not to mention flinging, smashing, or crushing them. [More...]

Louisville, KY (WKQ News): Earlier today, four teenagers fell to their deaths at the Norfolk Southern Railway trestle. One survivor suffered multiple fractures and is in guarded condition at Ten Broeck Hospital. He told authorities that the teens, all recent high school graduates, had been visiting legendary sites including the New Jersey Pine Barrens and the Altamaha River in Georgia. They stopped in Louisville to visit the Pope Lick Monster before traveling north to Michigan.

This survivor claims the group was pushed off the bridge. Authorities had no comment on that rumor. [More...]