This week we take a look at Kobold Quarterly #10, a gaming magazine created by Wolfgang Baur. With the ideas, articles, editorials and even locations, the magazine is a perfect match for the time-strapped gamer.
Cover
The cover is a very inspiring scene for creative GMs. Good stuff. This particular artwork did not seem to fit with any of the articles, but then that is just nitpicking. (It's probably harder than it sounds to line something like that up).
Size
This issue totaled 90 pages. With pdf subscriptions costing only $16 and purchasable via Paypal, I think this is a very good deal. Combined print and PDF purchases are $28, which is still a good deal.
Advertisements
Personally, I like the ads. I like to hear about new products. I actually went to three of the websites advertised in this book based solely off of the cool artwork they had. Frequently advertisements have some excellent artwork that I have stolen for a campaign or that has inspired an idea I later used in a campaign. The fact that all the ads I checked were hyperlinked in the PDF back to the website is an excellent practice. The Alpha-Omega website that is advertised in the pdf is awesome. I spent a good fifteen minutes just rummaging around.)
Editorial
"Ethical and Unethical Gaming" by Wolfgang Baur tackles the interesting question of whether rifling through that dead creature's pocket is inhereintly good or not. Interesting and thought provoking.
Letters
This is just a personal shout out from me. There was a letter about the Adopt-A-Soldier Program that Kobold Quarterly runs, and a soldier had sent a letter about the program and how much he enjoys the magazine while deployed. So kudos from me personally to the guys behind KQ. Thanks, guys. Every little thing people back home do to support the guys deployed really is appreciated.
Articles
This issue contained four Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 articles, one D&D 4e article, one additional article that provided details for both D&D v3.5 and 4e, two articles for Pathfinder, six book reviews, eight miscellaneous articles such as Game Theory and details on Gods in Baur's setting The Free City, and an adventure location called Ruyintan Caravanserai that could be dropped into any campaign.
The immortal Ed Greenwood explores the Gods of dwarven drinking in "Revering Ninkash," and let me just say I like this goddess; she's my kind of gal.
Pathfinder gets a good solid sneak peek in two articles. World building (and Marvel Super Heroes!) genius Jeff Grubb goes under the microscope in ‘We Need a Cleric’.
Monte Cook tackles the "Old School" argument in "No School Like an Old School." I admit I disagree with much he says, but hey, who am I?
"Back and Better than Ever" provides some interesting takes on feats that characters can gain by dying and then being resurrected. A good interesting read. I am sure players will be clamoring for some of these powerful feats.
"The Ecology of the Hill Giant" goes into more detail than anyone probably wanted to know about the hill giant, but again, good reading material, and a good place from which a creative GM can garner some inspiration.
"Ask the Kobold" with Skip Williams (yes, that Skip Williams) serves up some good advice for GMs. The information in his sidebar "Making Players Suffer" is excellent advice from which even experienced GMs can learn.
"On the Care and Keeping of Gelatinous Cubes" is the sort of fun reading I used to enjoy in Dragon Magazine. It's full of fun facts and interesting takes on something often overlooked but something an inspired and creative GM could take and throw in their campaign with ease.
I especially enjoyed "The Halberd." This is just the sort of useless historical information that infuriates my wife when I can pull weird details like this from out of nowhere.
Overall Substance
For basically $4 (for the pdf) or $7 (print & pdf) an issue, you get a hell of a lot with Kobold Quarterly. While not every article might pertain to your gaming system, each article is an enjoyable read and has a wealth of ideas to inspire the GM in all of us. With this many articles in an issue, everyone should be able to find a few articles from which they can borrow ideas to use for their gaming sessions. With the added interviews and book reviews, it only increases the value of the magazine. Kobold Quarterly #10 is proof that quality can come with quantity.
3 comment(s):
How viable is this magazine for adapting stuff for us Savage Worlds Savages?
I am actually considering cancelling my subscription to Wired magazine and picking up KQ. I was never a big Dragon fan but I really enjoyed Shadis when it was around. KQ has a Shadis kind of vibe to me.
Sorry, missed your comment. Savage Worlds is a fairly easy system for converting (evident by the huge number of conversions that can be found on the web!). I am fairly certain most of the details in the magazine is pretty easily converted.
That said, something I look for in products such as this (or the old Dragon/Dungeon mags) is the artwork and the informations ability to inspire. I admit that I rarely use something exactly as presented, and so the artwork and ideas presented are as much, if not more important to me. I use products like these for inspirational purposes as much as a rules addendum. So with that regard, I think this magazine is worth every penny in that $4 pdf purchase!
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