GamesU — The Game DesiGn Unconference

Learn about the craft and business of game design from

seasoned industry pros. Visit http://youtube.com/neoncon

PLaY Games. maKe frienDs. DefeaT eViL.

• The Bazaar – Our dealer room is open to the public• Pathfinder Society – Play an exclusive interactive• Independent Games Festival – Story Games Galore• White Wolf Camarilla – Southwest Featured Game• Warhammer Fantasy/40K Grand Tournament• D&D Miniatures - North American Arena Championship• Cthulhu Mythos – Call of Cthulhu and Cthulhu Live • Living Forgotten Realms – All the latest adventures• Magic: The Gathering – Exclusive Tournament Events • Starfleet Battles – Rated Ace & Open Patrol Tourneys• Board Games – The hottest US & Euro Games

NOVEMBER 4 – 7, 2010TROPICANA LAS VEGAS hOTEL & CASINO

REGISTER TODAY FORNEONCON LAS VEGAS

YOU GAME?

CREATE. EDUCATE. CELEBRATE. GEEK LIFE.www.neoncon.comwww.twitter.com/neoncon

Take 10% off with promo code KQ10

Sam

ple

file

A new age of fantasy roleplaying has begun! Based on the hit Dragon Age: Origins computer game, the Dragon age roleplaying game brings the excitement of BioWare’s rich fantasy world to the tabletop. This classic-style boxed set includes a Player’s Guide, Game Master’s Guide, a poster map of the land of Ferelden, and three six-sided dice. All this for the low price of $29.95!The core system is easy to use and fun to play, featuring an innovative stunt system that keeps combat and spellcasting tense and exciting. So gather your friends, grab some dice, and get ready to enter a world of heroes and villains, of knights and darkspawn, of gods and demons...

The world of Dragon age!

Dragon Age, the Dragon Age logo, BioWare, and the BioWare logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Green Ronin, Adventure Game Engine, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing.

NeedsYOU!

Sam

ple

file

Contents

PAIZO.COM/PATHFINDERPaizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. ©2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC.

™

®

Release łhe Hordes!

MORE THAN 300 NEW MONSTERS CULLED

Available

FROM MYTHOLOGY, PATHFINDER ADVENTURES,

AND 35 YEARS OF FANTASY GAMING!

Now!Pathfinder Bestiary 2

PFRPG Bestiary2 ad for Kobold.indd 1 9/20/10 4:23:19 PM

Sam

ple

file

Editorial

Trapped! 4 Features

Nature’s Orders 8by Ryan Costello, Jr.Pathfinder druids wild shape their class.

Ecology of the Giant Ant 14by Jonathan McAnultyThe ants come marching two by two.

Reasons to Ride 26by David Adams4th Edition mounted combat springs into a gallop.

Rig This! 34by John FlemmingPortable traps for thieves on the go.

Pits of Despair 38by Andrew HindA pack of petrifying Pathfinder pit traps.

On the CoverThe art of William O'Connor

appears on KQ covers frequently, but nothing quite like this piece, "Merlin and Arthur."

Contents

Simulating Game Reality 54by Monte CookDragons, Con Artists, and Space Outlaws 56 An Interview with Margaret Weisby Wade Rockett

Coming Next Issue 67

Book Reviews 68by Pierce Watters

Free City of Zobeck: The Cartways 72by Wolfgang Baur

10' x 10' Toon 41Bolt & Quiver 51

Design and DMing

Characters Columns

Comics

Masters of Great Skill: 42 4e Skill Stances and powersby Anthony Eichenlaub

Collaborative Killers 44by Michael Kortes

Blades from the Past 47by Alex Putnam

Those Dark Dungeons Blues 52by James LowderChildren of the Wood 61 Woodland magic for Pathfinderby Stefen Styrsky

King of the Monsters: Horakh 50 by Jobe BittmanA Call to Awesome 58 Story Critical for 4eby Quinn MurphyGoing Vertical 64 Using side-view dungeonsby Mario Podeschi

Jack in a Trap 70by Philippe-Antoine Menard

Sam

ple

file

Kobold in Chief

The world around us seems safe, but it’s so clearly not. Disease, slippery stairs, ands currents carrying us out to sea are all part of the natural world: it’s

not just butterflies and flowers out there. Traps take this fear of invisible dangers to an extreme, playing on our fear and suspicion of the world around us. That’s what lurks behind them.

Certainly the obvious dangers are, well, obvious. Fire burns, dragons bite, no one is surprised by this.

Traps are different. Their dangers are hidden right on top of us while remaining oblivious; then suddenly, traps change the world we know. Elevators fall. Air turns poisonous. Boulders tumble, and ceilings collapse.

That unexpectedness makes traps a joy for the GM (“Gotcha!”). Traps can be a giant physics lesson. You know, the approach that says: “Hey, your hero may defeat dragons, but he still plummets at 9.8 m/s2.” Or they might be fiendishly well hidden, exploiting a moment of weakness when PCs are rummaging through loot.

While traps make players rightfully wary, traps can—in theory!—be a lot of fun for players as well. Finding them, knowing how to circumvent them, and turning them against foolish monsters can all be pretty satisfying. As a player, I find great satisfaction in not falling for a trap, in outwitting the trapsmith (and outwitting the GM by

proxy). And hey, there’s XP in defeating that as well. Traps are the ultimate expression of competitive, head-to-

head rivalry between players and GMs. Unlike monsters, traps reveal how clever a GM is in dreaming up places to put them while lulling PCs into a false sense of security. Monsters are expected and planned-for. Traps, on the other hand, are just lurking around the edges, invisible until they make everything more exciting and potentially lethal. The best are baskets brimming with ticking bombs and secondary cascading triggered runes and tertiary explosions and spikes rigged in clever ways.

As a designer, I’m often stumped by ways to make traps live up to their potential. So this issue features different takes on them for players (with thief rigs in “Rig This!”) and for GMs (with “Pits of Despair”). The trap needs reinvention every now and again. And we’re happy to provide the trigger.

Let’s remember the value of a little wariness. Even among the boldest heroes, victory is not quite certain, and death may claim even the stoutest heart when a hidden adder strikes. So celebrate the trap. Go forth, and set your snares for the foolish.

Until next time,

Editorial:

Trapped!

Sam

ple

file

“. . . breathless, swashbuckling tale of intrigue, spying, and sword fights. . . . Likely to charm Anglo-phone audiences who enjoy action-packed adventure with a true historical sensibility.”

—PUBLISHERS WEEKLYstarred review

“. . . rival religions, vividly choreo-graphed fights, and lots of bloody battle. . . . This heroic fantasy should please fans of, say, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels.”

—BOOKLIST

“Werewolves clash with legends in the harrowing and beautiful third novel. . . . Will enthrall fans of the dark and sinister.”

—PUBLISHERS WEEKLYstarred review

Pyr® / Toll Free: 800-421-0351 / Fax: 716-691-0137 / www.pyrsf.com

Taking t he Fight t o t he Next Level

Coming from Pyr

Heroic Advent ureat It s Finest

The Wolf Age cover art by Dominic Harman

Sam

ple

file