Kobold Quarterly 009
With its ninth issue, Kobold Quarterly continues to solidify its position as the successor to Dragon and Dungeon magazines. This issue continues to deliver well-thought out and well written articles to expand both Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and 4th Edition with new feats for social characters like the Bard, a new playable 4th Edition race (the Kitsune or Fox Folk), magical oaths, rules for familiars, and three sets of bad guys that will make any players’ lives hell: the Bat God Camaztoz, the leastling, and an article entitled “Living With Dinosaurs.” However, all of these creative ideas take second place to the issue’s centerpiece: an interview with the recently passed Dave Arneson.
Overall, Kobold Quarterly #9 does a great job of continuing to provide excellent source material for any D20-based fantasy campaign. Monte Cook makes a profound point in his Game Theories column: that RPGs should be concerned with nothing more and nothing less than bringing people together to have fun. Andrew Hind’s write up of Comazotz is very cool and is the type of thing DMs can easily drop into their campaign. Richard Pett’s leastlings, a race of one foot tall killing machines, are fun little toys DMs can throw against players who have upset the local thieves or mages guild.
Sadly, despite the wealth of information, it all takes a back seat to Jeremy L. C. Jones’ interview with Dave Arneson, one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons. This recounting of Dave’s life was at once uplifting and unsettling. I have the article open next to me as I write this and it occurs to me that Dave was not the type of person who would have wanted to eclipse everyone else’s good work, especially if that work supported the game he so loved. However, due to his passing, how could it not?
The story quotes several famous names in role playing: Ed Greenwood, James Lowder, and Matt Forbeck all saying that Dave was an amazing person who inspired them. Greenwood gives numerous reasons that we, as players, should seek out Dave and just talk to him, hear his stories, and learn from his experience. That’s the uplifting part. The fact that as Kobold Quarterly went to press, no one had any inclination he was going to pass made it unsettling. Even worse, it was not until I read that article that I truly understood how I had personally undervalued his contribution to role playing. Now, all I can do is regret not being able to have the chance to talk with him.
Despite the impression Jones’ article had on me, I finished reading the rest of the issue. After setting it down, there were three pieces that left an impression and are probably the best parts of this issue (excluding the interview with Dave). The first is Cook’s column. I really like what he said about creating fun and there being no single right way to play. I also could not help but feel that this issue of Kobold Quarterly is a bridge. Now that Gary Gygax and Dave are gone, the mantle of Dungeons & Dragons thought leadership falls on men like Cook, Kobold Quarterly editor Wolfgang Bauer, and Greenwood, all of whom took part in this issue.
The second piece I enjoyed was the Mitsune article. While the many-tailed fox people are no slouch in combat, they seem like a fun race to play. The way they are drawn and described makes Mitsune look like they are good at causing mischief, sort of like kender, but not nearly as irritating.
The last thing that made a firm impression on me was the “Bolt And Quiver” comic, which, while not as significant as Cook’s article or an entirely new playable race, was really funny. It poked fun at every DM’s tendency to keep the action going, even when players are dragging their feet. Those who read the issue will know what I mean.
Even with these three worthy additions, the ninth issue of Kobold Quarterly will likely always be remembered for the last interview with Dave Arneson. If you are not a Kobold Quarterly subscriber, you should still buy a copy, just to remember the man who helped create the role playing industry. However, once you have read about Dave Arneson’s life, read some of the other articles. You might just find you become a Kobold Quarterly fan.
Want to learn more about Kobold Quarterly Issue 9? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Kobold Quarterly 009 (Atomic Array 021)
- Game Cryer: Review by Chris Perrin
- Allgeektout: Unleash Your Inner Fox: The Kyubi Epic Destiny
- RPGAggression: The Rudis Review
Drop by Kobold Quarterly.com to pick up your copy today!