Kobold Quarterly #2

[+5 Keyboard!]

KQ #2 is out now and I'd like to hear what everyone has to say. But more importantly, Wolfgang Baur would like to know what you all have to say. What were its strengths? What were its weaknesses? What did you like and want to see more of in future issues? Any article requests?

Here's a couple links to a couple of reviews for those of you thinking of purchasing it either in print or as a .pdf that might help you make up your mind:

http://purpleduckcreations.blogspot.com/2007/10/digital-front-review-corner-kobold.html

http://gamerbling.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/another-kewl-kobold/

Tim Connors, who wrote the article (with his wife Eileen) on Belphegor, the prince of laziness, was my roommate at Gen Con Indy '07 a couple months back. One night when we were winding down in our hotel room we had a really long conversation about this article (he was still writing it at that point). He said it was really hard to write because there were so many things inherent in laziness that ran counter to the whole concept of a diabolical prince of such a vice. Anwyay, I'd love to hear how you all think the article turned out.

Finally, if you support Wolf in trying to create what could soon become the new Dragon magazine, please spread the word, support it by purchasing it, and give him some reviews.

 

[Mouseferatu]

He said it was really hard to write because there were so many things inherent in laziness that ran counter to the whole concept of a diabolical prince of such a vice.

Maybe so, but he pulled it together fantastically. The character, his background, and his methods are fantastically well done. I thought it was one of the best articles in the issue--and since I thought the entire issue was excellent, that's saying a lot.

Heck, to be perfectly honest, I think it's better than my own forthcoming contribution to the Dukes of Hell series.

Overall, I'm absolutely pleased with the fact that I subscribed.

 

[RichGreen]

Hi,

KQ is a great magazine and excellent value. Of all the articles in #2, the Belphegor one was my favourite. Who'd have thought the archdevil of laziness could be so interesting?

Cheers


Richard

 

[humble minion]

Posted a brief review on Wolfgang Baur's LJ after reading KQ2, reposting it here...

* * *

I really liked the paladin variant class features and the honorary aristocrat levels rule, I didn't find the interview or the Ed Greenwood article particularly useful, and while I haven't done any playtesting, the assassin base class (and I do agree one was needed to replace the spellcasting version in the DMG) seems at a glance to be considerably overpowered as written (and the possibility of having a PC die off-screen due to a single botched 'assassinate' roll is something I wouldn't allow anywhere near my table - that stuff is for playing out). Belphegor was interesting, flavoursome, and well-written, but not something that I can see myself actually using a great deal during a game. The cover picture was nothing short of great, and is now my official monster art next time I need to show my players what a nightwing looks like.

I bought the issue for the ecology, since they're one of my favourite critters and a cabal of class-levelled greater barghests who prey on godlings and other powerful outsiders will be replacing the ur-priests in Scuttlecove when my Savage Tide campaign reaches that point. Mixed bag, really. Some of the background was wonderfully evocative, and the new feats add an entire new dimension to the creature, but it was perhaps a bit short, the article as a whole is aimed, for obvious reasons, at lower-level characters than I plan to be using it against (not a criticism, just an observation), and the art style wasn't to my taste. There are a few editing mistakes too, particularly in the sample character description (size contradiction between the stat block and the fluff text, reference to a 'Great Hunt' that seems as if it should have been detailed elsewhere in the article, the odd grammatical error).

All up, worth the (cheap!) price, but not absolutely compelling. I'll probably buy at least some future issues, conditional on whether the content of a specific issue is useful to my campaign.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

More comments, please. Do you all hate Wolfgang so much?! Why do insist on making him cry?! He's very sensitive you know.

This goofy post has nothing to do with the double Darvocet I took earlier for my back. Nothing at all to do with that.

 

[hewligan]

I subscribed last night, as well as buying both issue 1 and 2. All on PDF, as I am UK based and don't want to pay the shipping. Looks like a fun little magazine!

EDIT: Oops, just realised that my subscription actually already included access to issue 2. Still, only $6 wasted at Paizo on that duplicate issue 2.

 

[Odhanan]

Kobold 1 and 2 are awesome. I just read the Assassin core class in #2 last night, and I like it a lot. It's generic med-fan from the Black Company's player's companion, but it's great for Thieves' World, Ptolus, CIO/Wilderlands and so on, so forth.

 

[sckeener]

Tim Connors, who wrote the article (with his wife Eileen) on Belphegor, the prince of laziness, was my roommate at Gen Con Indy '07 a couple months back. One night when we were winding down in our hotel room we had a really long conversation about this article (he was still writing it at that point). He said it was really hard to write because there were so many things inherent in laziness that ran counter to the whole concept of a diabolical prince of such a vice.

I found that article the best. So far the two issues have made me want to use hell's politics much more in my games. thanks!

also....weird as I am.... I also liked seeing ads in the magazine. I miss them from Dragon/Dungeon. I'd love to see some sort of previews like Dragon did before this DI thingie....

 

[DaveMage]

I'd like to see Wolfgang make some recommendations regarding good D&D/OGL/d20 products - maybe spotlight one or two an issue. I do NOT want a product review section, but rather his opinion on some of the gems he's encountered from the 3.x/OGL world, and why he thinks positively about them. They can be .pdf products or whatever.

Just a thought.

 

[TerraDave]

I can't wait to see his (or I should say there) reaction to 4th ed.

BTW: issues 1 & 2 really good.