This post contains an updated entry with information on using Traits in the rules-light TSRPG!
What Would Buddha Play?
While doing researching games played in ancient and Medieval India, I stumbled across what is apparently the earliest known list of games, dating to the 5th or 6th century B.C.!
Oddities for a Ren Faire
What could be more amusingly odd than Renaissance Faires, whose quirkiness starts with that extraneous “e” that they somehow need to have? This post contains some of the weird things, some truer to life than we might like to admit, that one might find at places of this sort …
Men & Monsters of the Aegean: Olympian (D&D 5E Race)
Olympians are people who can trace their bloodlines back to one or more of the deities associated with the Olympian pantheon. They tend to be attractive, well-formed, and generally pleasing to look at and be around, and to exhibit characteristics associated with the gods from which they are descended.
Charon (D&D 5E Epic Fantasy Monster)
Charon is a Lich-like undead monster who dwells on the banks of the Styx in the underworld and is tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead from one side of the gloomy river to the other. His vessel is an ancient Egyptian-style funerary barge that is propelled by a half-dozen animated oars on each side.
Werehyena (D&D 5E Monster)
Werehyenas are tough lycanthropes that are somewhat scrappy in appearance and who tend to keep to themselves, living either solitarily or in small, close-knit communities.
A Brief Guide to Heraldry
Painted shields and devices, and later additions such as embroidered surcoats, crests, and horse trappings, were an important means of identifying fully armored — and therefore anonymous — friends and foes on the battlefield.
Sandstorm (D&D 5th Edition Environmental Hazard)
While sand and dust are frequently blowing around the deserts and semi-arid farmlands of Aigyptos, a true sandstorm can rise up in the wake of otherwise regular bad weather, on its own, or as the result of potent magic, and can be quite dangerous.
Variant Rules for 'Castle Risk'!
With an eye to giving people something fun they can use to punch up one of their old boardgames, gamedev Michael O. Varhola has created some variant rules “Castle Risk” version of the “Risk”!
Gates of Hell (D&D 5E Artifact & Monsters)
This artifact inspired by the description of the Gates of Hell in the "Inferno" of Medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri is based on the similarly-inspired bronze sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin.
'The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles'
This short story was originally published in 1950 by author Margaret St. Clair (aka,IdrisSeabright). It appears in an expanded edition of Skirmisher Publishing LLC's A Brief History ofGnolls:Anthropophagyand Emeralds from Wales to Wisconsin and Beyond, a book by author Paul Haynie that traces the history of the title fantasy creature in literature and gaming.
Variant Size Giant Scorpions (D&D 5E Monsters)
Oversized scorpions are especially common in places that are warm, particularly areas with active volcanoes or other geological activity, and are almost omnipresent in subterranean locales.
Sandal of the Titans (Wondrous Item)
This hobnailed piece of footwear is four feet long and 18 inches wide, if used as a weapon is the equivalent of a heavy greatclub, and inflicts extra damage against any monsters like centipedes, spiders, and scorpions.
‘The Call of CthulWho’ Shoutout to our Followers!
Iä! Iä! CthulWho Fhtagn! If you have been following but not yet backed this campaign, or are looking at it for the first time, this would be an ideal time for you to come on board with it. Here are some great reasons to support it now:
'Freshwater Monsters & Hazards' Released by Skirmisher!
Skirmisher Publishing is pleased to announce its release of a revised, updated, and expanded edition of game developer Derek Holland's "Freshwater Monsters & Hazards"!
'The Call of CthulWho' Preview Video
Iä! Iä! CthulWho Fhtagn! Skirmisher Publishing is excited to announce that it has launched a Kickstarter campaign for “The Call of CthulWho,” a complete, self-standing, MythosPunk RPG adventure!
Skirmisher's ‘The Call of CthulWho’ First Stretch Goal Unlocked!
Hitting the $1,000 mark for this campaign will allow us to provide backers with a full set of electronic tokens and avatars for the character monsters and various guards, scientists, and other creatures associated with this scenario.
‘The Call of CthulWho’ Skirmisher Kickstarter Funded!
Iä! Iä! CthulWho Fhtagn! Thanks to all 31 of the great people who have backed Skirmisher Publishing’s campaign for “The Call of CthulWho” and funded it 100% in just two days!
'Call of CthulWho' Mythos Horror Kickstarter Launched by Skirmisher!
Skirmisher Publishing is excited to announce that it has launched a Kickstarter campaign for “The Call of CthulWho,” a complete, self-standing, Mythos Punk RPG adventure!
Brown Dragon, Adult (D&D 5E Monster)
Following is a writeup and stats for an Adult Brown Dragon, one of the creatures that appears in Skirmisher Publishing’s sourcebook on "Men & Monsters of Ethiopia"!