The Sociopolitical Implications of the Mushroom Kingdom

Consider the Mushroom Kingdom, the most common setting of the Super Mario Brothers franchise. Set aside the fact that its main populace consists of anthropomorphic mushrooms and focus instead on the downright bizarre social and political implications presented by Nintendo’s flagship franchise. Now consider how much weirder things get when you expand outward to games like Mario Party and Mario Kart.

This is a kingdom in a state of constant political upheaval, and yet there is no succession plan should the ruler be deposed. It lacks any sort of organized military despite being under constant assault by a literal fire-breathing dragon. The inhabitants show very little prejudice, and yet the social system is filled with incredible amounts of systemic bias.

Clearly, this strange kingdom bears a more thorough investigation.

Read more at The Screamsheet!

Out Now: The Blakros Deception

Something funny is happening in the Blakros Museum…again! After many break-ins and disasters, it’s time for the Pathfinder Society to assess the competence of museum curator, Nigel Aldain…and your PCs are the ones assigned to the job!

The Blakros Deception is one of the newest Pathfinder Society scenarios, and is a Pathfinder adventure for characters of level 5 to 8. It represents my first Pathfinder Society scenario using the second edition rules, and also happens to be one of the most fun writing projects I’ve been involved in! Playing around in the Blakros Museum gave me a chance to jump into a wide range of Golarion lore, and the opportunity to use the Influence rules from the GameMastery Guide opened doors to a new dimension of play.

You can pick up The Blakros Deception on Paizo.com and run it as part of the Pathfinder Society campaign or as a one-shot at your own table.

Check out The Blakros Deception today at Paizo.com!

Out Now: Tome of Beasts 2

Need more monsters for your D&D game? Kobold Press has you covered! Tome of Beasts 2 brings in 400 new monsters to the game, allowing you to spice up adventures with cool new allies and enemies that will catch your players by surprise!

Why do I mention this book here? Because I’m tucked away in the credits as a contributor! My monster, the dream-walking fey known as the yumerai, appears in this tome. Check it and the hundreds of other great monsters out today!

Check out the Tome of Beasts 2 at Kobold Press!

Out Now: Vengar the Reader

Vengar the Reader

Few people know goblins as sages and spellcasters, but Vengar the Reader proves that it can happen. A new Dungeons & Dragons villain who combines a goblin’s dangerous sense of curiosity with some deadly necromantic surprises, Vengar and his minions are ready to drop into any adventure or campaign.

This articles for En5ider provides a new spellcasting villain and several new options to enhance undead for use on unsuspecting PCs. By subscribing to the En5ider Patreon, you can get this and more than 300 other D&D articles to enhance your game!

Check out the En5ider Patreon here!

Out Now: The Sin Dragon’s Lair

Sin Dragon

The sad news is that the TRAILseeker Patreon is wrapping up with this issue. The good news is that it goes out with a bang. “The Sin Dragon’s Lair” features an interesting and unique 12th-level monster that can fit into any Pathfinder campaign. The article includes background and stats for the Sin Dragon, several new magic items that lie atop its hoard, and fantastic art by Marcel Budde.

The other good news is that you can get this article and many, many more with a single $2 payment. This is your last chance to check out all the great stuff that TRAILseeker has released over the years, so check it out!

Check out the TRAILseeker Patreon!

Out Now: The Steelskin Warrior

Steelskin Warrior

Whether you’re looking for a loincloth-clad barbarian or an acrobatic warrior who seems impossible to hit, the Steelskin Warrior archetype for the Pathfinder RPG gives you plenty of options. This archetype provides feats for those who don’t want to wear armor but who still want to live the harrowing life of an adventure.

As with all TRAILseeker entries, you can get access to this and more than 100 more Pathfinder articles for just $1 on the Patreon!

Click here to check out the TRAILseeker Patreon!

Out Now: Second-Chance Heroes

Second-Chance Heroes

Not everybody gets to be a hero the first time around. “Second-Chance Heroes” introduces a new Pathfinder ancestry known as the created, which combine humanoid spirits with constructed bodies. If you’ve ever wanted to play a clockwork creation, a stone/metal hybrid, or a creature that looks like a porcelain doll, the created are available for you!

As with all TRAILseeker entries, you can get access to this and more than 100 more Pathfinder articles for just $1 on the Patreon!

Click here to check out the TRAILseeker Patreon!

NaNoWriMo 2019, #17: The End

NaNoWriMo Winner

Lytha knew that regrowing seared flesh hurt, yet still didn’t feel prepared when she had to go through it herself. She spent weeks waking up in agony, feeling as though tiny insects crawled inside her skin as her potions did their work. J Until she woke up cringing multiple nights in a row, she hadn’t realize that a part of her had always wrongly considered Garyl weak for the way he had carried on when she regrew his tongue.

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NaNoWriMo 2019 #16: Penultimate Confrontation

Serpent

In a world filled with monsters, tracking one alone seemed virtually impossible. Garyl turned into a cryptid hunter over the next few years, following rumors and urban legends wherever he found them. With no leads to begin with and no idea what form Tiane’s awakening power would take, he had little recourse but to guess in which direction the girl might have fled, investigate as many reports of strange occurrences as he could, and move on once his leads ran cold.

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