The Tricky Owlbear's Den

Freelancer Writers Wanted!

2012-01-16T07:11:00.001-05:00

Are you interested in writing for the Owlbear? We'd love to see some submissions from both experienced freelancers and novice writers looking to get their foot in the door. Systems accepted include Pathfinder, Swords & Wizardry, and the upcoming DCC rpg from Goodman Games (releases in Spring 2012). Send inquiries to: bret.boyd@trickyowlbear.com

Pug's Bazaar released

2012-01-02T14:54:00.002-05:00

Better late than never with this little press release (how could I forget to post about it everywhere except the company blog/web page?!).

Meet goblin merchant Pug and peruse the wares of this first tent in a series of Pathfinder-compatible pdfs featuring new items and spells. Each piece in the product comes with a brief story about it plus an adventure hook. Perfect for players and GMs alike, Pug's Bazaar: Tent #1 is sure to please!

Sin of the Fathers released [Halloween adventure for PFRPG]

2011-10-24T15:49:00.001-05:00

The last few generations of people residing in Shadowfield have known only one major calamity—Thibbet Vaum. This human was responsible for no less than two dozen slayings before he was captured by a group of brave men who had simply had enough. Neither adventurers, nor deputized lawmen, this band of individuals one day agreed to track down Vaum and end his bloody spree.

The group eventually caught up with Vaum at an abandoned ranger's homestead on Shadowfield's western frontier. The killer had been offering up his victims' hearts in some kind of gory sacrifice to a nameless deity of evil. Vaum was beaten into submission before being taken in for trial. The next day saw the vile human at the gallows in what turned out to be a solemn gathering of the entire community. It seemed as though no resident had gone untouched by Vaum's heinous deeds. The man used his last breath to curse the attendees and vow that he would somehow return to exact vengeance on those who had captured him.

These men thought little of the threat as the murderer swung by his neck and, indeed, they each lived out happy lives. It is their descendants, however, who might wind up paying for the...

Sin of the Fathers

This Halloween-themed introductory PDF adventure was written with new GMs in mind. Perfect for this spooky holiday, "Sin of the Fathers" also establishes a base of operations in Shadowfield for a new campaign. Major NPCs of this hamlet are presented with plot hooks to explore once the adventure is run. That is, if the PCs survive the evil their ancestors believed they stopped nine decades before!

Written by Bret Boyd, this pdf retails for $4.95 and is available at Paizo, OBS, and Your Games Now!

Behind the Monsters - The 10th Issue!

2011-09-24T19:55:00.003-05:00

BtM: Dark Folk was released yesterday. This marks the last v3.5 pdf we're going to sell. But I think we closed the series with a great issue. Check it out and let us know!

Did Someone Say "Dead Tree?"

2011-09-15T07:10:00.002-05:00

Forgotten Foes is now available in print!!!

You can grab your copy wherever rpg books are sold. Paizo has a blurb for it in their store HERE!

Achievement Feats, vol 2 reviewed

2011-09-11T07:44:00.002-05:00

Shane O'Connor has graced our little pdf with a 5-star review!

Forgotten Foes review

2011-09-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

A new, if brief, 5-star review for our favorite monster book has appeared over at Paizo. Check it out!!

Chapbook Cover!

2011-08-10T20:50:00.002-05:00

We're pretty close to green-lighting this product, so we thought we'd give a preview of the cover for the Tricky Owlbear v3.75 Player's Chapbook. Like your information in one place without having to sift through flavor text and art? Then this is the book for you! We've combined the player's rules from the Pathfinder core book and the Advanced Player's Guide in one convenient tome and it's going to be 6"x9" for easy handling.

Check it out here!

"Buy it. Buy it now."

2011-07-20T07:51:00.000-05:00

A new 5-star review has rolled in for Forgotten Foes!

Achievement Feats: Volume 2 released!

2011-06-29T07:50:00.002-05:00

Great heroes perform great deeds—whether saving the world from annihilation, discovering heretofore unknown continents and planes of existence, unearthing the mysteries of forgotten civilizations, or defending entire cities from hordes of undead. Such acts of heroism, and occasionally villainy, leave their marks upon the souls and bodies of these heroes. Achievement Feats: Volume 2 details the in-game effects these grand heroics might have on a PC. This volume uses a slightly different approach than volume 1 in the series in that it requires little bookkeeping. It's a win-win for everyone!

Written by Susann K Hessen, AF2 retails for $2.95 and is available at PAIZO, RPGNow, and at YourGamesNow!

2011 Update

2011-06-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

It's with some alarm that I notice no new posts since the end of last year. I have only myself to blame. Hope everyone's having an enjoyable spring of gaming and is ready for some Owlbear releases. Here's what we're working on...

The Tricky Owlbear v3.75 Player's Chapbook: If you know of Mongoose Publishing's old 3.5 player's handbook (bare bones book with rules and that's all) then you've got the right idea about this release. We'll be looking over the finished edit soon and, so far, it's looking good. The Chapbook will contain all of the Pathfinder core rules pertaining to players as well as the player bits from the Advanced Player's Guide.

Achievement Feats, part 2: Written by Susann Hessen, this new take on the achievement feats concept is sure to please lovers of the first pdf and those new to the concept as well.

Forgotten Foes: Our flagship monster tome was submitted to the ENnies and will also be seeing a release into print in August. We're printing and distributing through Studio 2 Publishing so this great creature resource will be available in stores before too long. I know many people have been waiting for this one (us among them)!!

What Goes Up!: I know, I know, I've been posting about this one for awhile. I'm determined to get this old school adventure written and ready for release by summer's end. It features fantastic cover art by Jan Pospisil, uses Swords & Wizardry rules, and has to do with gnolls...using gliders...yes, you read that right. The adventure is for a party of level 1 adventurers.

Behind the Monsters: Compendium: Unfortunately, this series just never hit the sales numbers we were looking for. We're going to release the final issue--BtM: Dark Folk (featuring dark creepers and stalkers)--and then wrap all the issues together into a Pathfinder-compatible print version (and pdf too of course). We're going to print a limited number of these compilations at a local printer and mail it out ourselves. Probably only have 75 or so of them to make sure they sell out.

Many apologies for being so quiet over the last few months. Bret (me) has been dealing with some health issues and Scot is currently, as they say, in between jobs at the moment, making things more than a bit stressful for him, his wife, and their new baby. But bear with us, for the Owlbear will deliver more gaming goodness soon!

Best. Year. Ever!

2011-01-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

Although I only posted it on the Paizo forums, this "thank you" is to all of our valued customers.

Learning Curve Review

2011-01-01T17:32:00.001-05:00

The first review is in for our apprentice-level rules pdf and it's a hit!

Learning Curve: Apprentice-Level PCs (PFRPG)

2010-12-29T08:49:00.002-05:00

Tricky Owlbear is pleased to release its next Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement: Learning Curve: Apprentice-Level PCs.

It seems like forever that you wanted to become an adventurer. You've been practicing with your hand-me-down sword and you've made darned sure that your friends have practiced their spells, prayers, and lockpicking. With everyone's parents at the winter gala, it's the perfect time to strike out as a team and right some wrongs in the city. With a little luck, you can do it. But never, ever, let dad find out and drag you home early.

Learning Curve allows players to adventure the way they should at beginner level--the hard way! With the rules in this pdf, you can now multiclass at 1st level in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or, if you choose, start your adventuring career as a half-level PC. There's also a brief discussion on how and why a GM might want to use these rules in his campaign.

Written by Marc Radle (Kobold Quarterly, Super Genius Games) and retailing for $2.95, Learning Curve is available from RPGNow, YourGamesNow, and very soon from Paizo!

Like Free Products?

2010-12-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well, who doesn't?! Check out our Holiday Giveaway!

100 Strong and Growing

2010-11-17T08:05:00.001-05:00

Forgotten Foes has definitely proven itself as Tricky Owlbear's most popular book. We've now reached 100 purchases in a short time. Thanks to everyone who's picked up a copy and let's keep this momentum going!!

The first FF review!

2010-11-01T22:26:00.002-05:00

It's a warm welcome from the first reviewer. Let's hope this is the first of many 5-star writeups for Forgotten Foes! Review here!

Forgotten Foes unleashed! Tell your friends!!!

2010-10-29T10:15:00.000-05:00

Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is thrilled to release its most ambitious product to date--Forgotten Foes--for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. This 183-page, lavishly illustrated tome is sure to please every fan of the world's most famous fantasy roleplaying game, for inside are conversions for First Edition creatures like the grick, crypt thing, and azer alongside Third Edition mainstays such as the nightshades. We've also combed through the best third-party monster resources to bring newer favorites, such as the nefarious inphidians, up to date.

Forgotten Foes features over 120 monsters each with statistics, description, illustration, and a handy lore table for those knowledgeable PCs who may try to get an upper hand before an encounter. As if that isn't enough, FF also presents 38 new/converted spells and includes appendices that list the monsters by type, CR, and terrain. For ease of reference, the book also reprints the Universal Monster Rules in their entirety.

This must-have creature resource is now available in pdf from Paizo, YourGamesNow, and R PGNow/DriveThru for a special introductory price of $9.99 through Monday, Nov. 1, 2010! After 11/1/10, the price increases to $15.99. In a few weeks, you can pick up Forgotten Foes in print form from our Lulu storefront (price to be announced when the product is ready).

For this monster-themed Halloween weekend, it's the perfect time to grab a copy of Forgotten Foes, add PCs, and take your game to the next level!

Tricky Owlbear would like to thank all of the fans who've been waiting patiently for this book and to also thank the authors (Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky) and art director K. Axel Carlsson (Headless Hydra Games) for making FF the essential resource that it is.

Another review for Feats!

2010-10-19T06:57:00.002-05:00

Achievement Feats received another very nice review. I must thank Owen Stephens for pointing out the fact that robotviking.com was looking for more Pathfinder 3pp products to review.

BtM: Roper reviewed

2010-10-10T17:43:00.000-05:00

We'll take 4 stars. Read it here!

Achievement Feats

2010-09-26T14:38:00.004-05:00

Our newest pdf release is a collaboration by Mark Gedak and Stefen Styrsky called Achievement Feats. It brings together the handful of such feats already available from Paizo and adds original feats to come up with a grand total of 50 feats for just $2.95. If you like to track your PC's signature moves, achievement feats allow you to do so toward a tangible game goal. With the Beacon of Life achievement feat, for example, you must track the damage your channeling PC inflicts upon undead but, once a certain threshold is crossed, he can damage undead just by being near them!

Sample Page

2010-09-15T17:40:00.002-05:00

Here's a little preview of Forgotten Foes featuring the Arrowhawk.

Christmas in July Sale!

2010-07-23T22:25:00.002-05:00

We're offering 25% off all products in conjunction with RPGNow's mid-year holiday sale. Enjoy!

Third Anniversary!

2010-07-07T06:56:00.003-05:00

Today marks the completion of 3 years of Tricky Owlbear goodness. To help celebrate, we've decided to let you see the mock-up of the new Forgotten Foes cover art!

11th Hour Review

2010-06-21T08:11:00.001-05:00

Someone has blessed this inventive adventure with another 5-star review. Check it out!

Compendium Sale

2010-05-16T08:35:00.003-05:00

A great many people have Behind the Spells: Compendium either in their wish lists or shopping carts over at RPGNow. We'd like to help them move the product from the 'want to buy' to 'bought' list. To that end, we're offering a 50% discount on the Compendium until 5/19 with this link!

Gargoyle Review

2010-05-05T17:23:00.001-05:00

One of OBS' staff reviewers graciously gave Behind the Monsters: Gargoyle a 5-star review! Still on the fence about this pdf or the series? Perhaps the review will sway you...

Facebook, Anyone?

2010-05-03T22:02:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that we have a facebook presence? Join us, won't you?

BtS: Permanency released!

2010-05-03T21:48:00.001-05:00

Available now at the normal pdf venues: Paizo, OBS, and YourGamesNow. :)

Free U.S. shipping for Compendium

2010-04-16T22:19:00.003-05:00

Lulu.com is offering free shipping (or at least a $3.99 discount if outside the US) for orders placed now through May 1, 2010. Just enter the promo code FREEMAIL305 when checking out to have the discount applied. Sounds like a good time to grab that copy of Behind the Spells: Compendium now doesn't it?

What Goes Up! (cover art)

2010-03-28T16:41:00.002-05:00

Here's the art-only version (no logos, etc.) for the cover of our upcoming Swords & Wizardry adventure What Goes Up! It's by Jan Pospisil who is very easy to work with and did the amazingly cool interior pics for A Matter of Faith. (Yes, those are hang-gliding gnolls)

Pathfinder Locale #2 Live

2010-03-21T15:09:00.001-05:00

On sale now is the second in Tricky Owlbear's locale line of products for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: The Favored of Skexxiz. This is a GM-centered pdf featuring a fully detailed troglodyte lair complete with stats, map, and a new god (Skexxiz, lord of stealth and deception) perfect for your monstrous humanoids' ambitions. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Pick up this 17-pg pdf for $4.95 at Paizo, OBS, and YourGamesNow!

Sale Update

2010-03-07T08:24:00.002-05:00

Our GM's Day Sale is doing gangbusters over at Paizo. The BtS: Compendium deal is really attracting attention and I want to heartily thank Paizo for putting it in their blog (as several people have mentioned seeing it there). It's not too late to cash in on the deal (see the thread in the post below)!

Sale: Day Two!

2010-03-04T12:19:00.001-05:00

Things are going quite well with the sale. I wanted to mention that if you're planning on making a purchase through Paizo, you might want to check out this thread first!

GM's Day Sale!

2010-03-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

We've got all pdfs on sale (25% off) from now through Monday, March 8th. Stop on by OBS, Paizo, or YourGamesNow to grab some good deals!

New Ad

2010-02-28T22:49:00.002-05:00

Scot has taken the cool pic for our Forgotten Foes cover and turned it into an ad page for future promotions. What do you think?!

FF Art Previews

2010-02-25T13:45:00.002-05:00

I keep forgetting to mention that you can check out some previews of the monster art for Forgotten Foes at Axel's company blog. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

MMM #1 Review

2010-02-15T19:47:00.003-05:00

The great old school blog Grognardia has graciously reviewed the first of our OSR products--Maxolt's Magical Menagerie #1--and, while it doesn't come out unscathed, the review gives us a direction to go in to make MMM #2 that much better. Review here!

11th Hour Review

2010-02-09T18:55:00.003-05:00

We've received a nice brief review from Chris Mortika for our 11th Hour adventure. This was written by me for Ronin Arts back in the day (maybe '06?) so it still has Ronin Arts' logo and whatnot but Phil graciously allowed me to port this (and my other RA work) to Tricky Owlbear when we started up.

Forgotten Foes

2010-02-08T09:11:00.001-05:00

With word leaking out, I finally decided to start up an official thread about our monster book over on the Paizo forums. Stop on by!

Forgotten Foes

2010-02-02T08:42:00.003-05:00

I mentioned this on my own blog but it's gone unheralded here (honestly, I'm not certain how many folks drop by here)--Tricky Owlbear is producing a monster book for Pathfinder called Forgotten Foes. Two writers came to me late last year with the proposed project of writing up many of the monsters that did not make the cut for Paizo's own Bestiary. It sounded like a great idea to me so I gave it the green light. So far, we're over halfway to 100+ monsters. At the start, we were not going to have any artwork for the project. We're but a tiny company and illustrating over 100 monsters would likely cost more than we have in the coffers. And then, just last month, something magical occurred...

Axel Carlsson of Headless Hydra Games (and former freelancer for us--see BtM: Barghest) came to me after hearing the project would be without art. He wanted his company to be involved with this book and offered to pay for pretty much all of the artwork and to act as art director. For a percentage of royalties and his company's logo on the cover, how could I refuse? The artists that are lined up for this will make this great book all the better. Axel has started to tease the art side of things on his company's blog here: http://headlesshydragames.wordpress.com/

In fact, why not give you a peek at one of the illustrations? Here's the grimlock...

BtM: Vegepygmy released!

2010-01-24T13:13:00.002-05:00

Tricky Owlbear is pleased to announce the ninth release in the Behind the Monsters line--Vegepygmy! The series is narrated by Jadrin Nelv, a monk of the Order of the Sacred Branch, who schools novices in the ways of the multiverse's creatures and we, the readers, get to listen in. Whether you're a player or a GM, you'll find something of use within these pages. BtM: Vegepygmy includes two "character advantages," one new minor artifact (the Mold Bomb), and one new monster variant (the Vegegyant)! Written by Mike Ferguson (BtM: Xorn, numerous Goodman Games products), this 6-page pdf is available at OBS, YourGamesNow, and Paizo and retails for $2.00.

Gamers Helping Haiti

2010-01-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't yet heard, OBS has setup a donation project at their site. Simply donate $20 and not only does your money go direct to Doctors Without Borders but, in return, you get a LOAD of rpg pdfs! Tricky Owlbear is proud to have donated 3 pdfs to the effort (as well as Scot and I both pitching in a monetary donation of course!). Please donate to this worthy cause!

Maxolt's Magical Menagerie #1

2010-01-19T00:52:00.002-05:00

Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to announce that it is dipping its toe into the OSR. Our first pdf release is "Maxolt's Magical Menagerie #1" and features 12 magical items for $1.00. The Maxolt mentioned in the title is the product's narrator (the same wise presence who also narrates our old-school-honoring "Behind the Spells" series). Each item comes with a complete description as well as a paragraph of background information that features some kind of plot hook or other in-game tidbit. This product is currently for sale at...

OBS, Paizo, and YourGamesNow!

We're looking forward to producing many more products for the Swords & Wizardry rules and hope you'll come along for the ride!

"Lotsa Blocks!" Price Reduction

2009-12-10T11:42:00.002-05:00

After a decent response to the sale on our Lotsa Blocks! pdf, we've decided to permanently set the price at $4.00 (a 50% savings from the original price)! You can grab this pdf at any of our online stores: Paizo, OBS, or YourGamesNow!

Happy Cyber Monday!

2009-11-30T10:13:00.003-05:00

We're offering two of our higher priced pdfs at a great discount for today only!

BtS: Compendium is 50% off for a price of $7.50: http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?discount=47098

Lotsa Blocks! is an astounding 75% off for a price of $2.00 (that's just 2 cents a block!): http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?discount=7872

Facebook Fan Page

2009-11-19T19:20:00.001-05:00

We've had a couple small discussions at the RP Media Network but now you can also give us some fan love at our Facebook Fan Page!

Join Us!

2009-10-25T09:46:00.003-05:00

Come on down and visit Tricky Owlbear's page on the brand spankin' new RolePlay Media Network!

BtM: Roper released!

2009-10-07T20:42:00.003-05:00

Available now at RPGNow is the 9th pdf in the Behind the Monsters series, this one focusing on the Roper! Written by the talented and prolific Stefen Styrsky, this pdf puts the roper back where it belongs--in the aberration category!

Edit: we're now live at Paizo.com!

Abbey Review

2009-09-28T11:41:00.001-05:00

The first review of Abbey of the Golden Sparrow has appeared at OBS!

BtS: Compendium compatibility update

2009-09-05T00:36:00.001-05:00

Several folks have inquired about a Pathfinder-compatible version of our popular Behind the Spells: Compendium pdf. I suspected there would be little to update and, indeed, was proven correct as I combed through the book today. 99% of the work is compatible already but, of course, there's always a couple things that need attention due to some minor changes from 3.5 to Pathfinder. Thus, I decided that I would simply post the "errata" to make the Compendium Pathfinder-compatible right here...

Dispel Magic: remove the "Area Dispel" section from the second spell secret

Shield: replace the Strength check with the combat maneuver bonus when attempting the bull rush for the first spell secret

Web: replace the Strength checks with combat maneuver bonuses (the DC for these and Escape Artist checks is the DC of the spell)

Wish/Limited Wish: ignore the spell secrets dealing with XP

Aside from these fixes, you must also account for skill changes such as Spot = Perception, Decipher Script = Linguistics, etc. These are seldom encountered as most skill checks in the book deal with Spellcraft and Knowledge.

That's it! Now, you needn't hesitate in picking up BtS: Compendium to bring your spellcaster up to full potential.

Paizo FTW!

2009-08-18T19:01:00.001-05:00

Abbey is now live at Paizo.com!

Abbey of the Golden Sparrow released! (Pathfinder compatible)

2009-08-13T22:26:00.002-05:00

Abbey of the Golden Sparrow is the first in our line of “locale” supplements featuring information for players and Game Masters alike. Locales are places of interest that can be dropped into any fantasy campaign that help bring the setting to life for the already harried GM. Abbey of the Golden Sparrow is designed especially with an eye toward monk characters but there is no reason that another character class might not be living at or visiting the abbey (or make use of many of the new rules presented). No matter the class, players using this text will be able to give their characters that much more background which only enhances the roleplaying experience. Likewise, GMs will find plenty of plot hooks and adventure ideas that can occur either inside the abbey or outside, using the locale as a springboard for adventures nearby.

The supplement begins with a short narrative describing the typical life of an initiate at the abbey. This is followed by the locale’s physical description, history, two local myths, and sample doctrines. Then we get to the rules. New feats as well as new character traits are featured. Following these are a new special material (obsidian), three new magic items, and two signature NPCs of the abbey. In short, you get a grab bag of material that can be used together or separately without hindrance.

This 17-page Pathfinder-compatible pdf is available from OBS, YGN, and (soon) from Paizo for $4.95!

A Matter of Faith released!

2009-07-26T22:50:00.002-05:00

Is Your Faith Strong Enough?

In 12th-century England, the Welsh-English border is an unstable place. But one Christian outpost is determined to make its stand--with the PCs help, of course! Part adventure and part setting, A Matter of Faith is a 1st-level adventure designed for beginner Game Masters and brings 3.5/OGL fantasy adventure to medieval England. Once the adventure is completed, the outpost will make the perfect home for the new adventuring party.

A Matter of Faith provides...
* A murder-mystery featuring equal parts roleplaying and combat
* Detailed maps of the Malbank Outpost, its church, and the English landscape around it
* Over 20 fully-detailed NPCs that bring the Malbank Outpost to life
* Numerous adventure possibilities that use the outpost as a backdrop (including a quest for a religious item of biblical proportions!)

Will your novice characters have enough faith both in their abilities and in their hearts to overcome the forces of evil and save the outpost from certain doom?

A Matter of Faith retails for $5.95 and is available from OBS, YGN, and Paizo!

'Abbey of the Golden Sparrow' preview

2009-07-16T13:18:00.004-05:00

I wanted to show something of our very first Pathfinder-compatible product and decided on this image from Tricky Owlbear regular artist David Hamilton. This is an interior b/w but I believe we'll also feature it on the cover. As I've mentioned on my blog, the Abbey is a mountain locale for monks and the product details a typical life there as well as all the requisite new crunch (new feats, items, 2 sample NPCs, new Character Traits as featured in Paizo's Player's Companion: Second Darkness). What kind of locales would you like to see Tricky Owlbear tackle? We'd like to develop products in this line that are reusable and we think Abbey fits that bill nicely and is a great first product.

Below is the symbol of the monks--the golden sparrow--and is seen on the medallions they wear. These tokens are also one of the new magical items, allowing the monks to magically message nearby monks.

2nd Anniversary!

2009-07-07T12:44:00.001-05:00

We've been pretty quiet lately but bigger and better products are in the works. See my post on ENWorld regarding our status HERE!

BtS ends its KQ run

2009-06-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

With today's article--Unseen Servant--Tricky Owlbear's mini-series for koboldquarterly.com comes to an end. We've had a fun 11 issues with Wolfgang and company but now the series returns to the nest where it will continue in its normal, longer format. As always, you can stay tuned to Tricky Owlbear on twitter, via my blog, or here on the TO blog. Thanks for your support!

BtS: Compendium at Amazon!

2009-05-28T20:52:00.003-05:00

Yes, you read that right. Grab your copy right here! Come and see for yourself what the reviewers are squawking about...

"These pdfs were one of my favorites..."

"In game, this book should be in the library of any serious mage or magic college worthy of the name; in the real world it's well worth having in yours!"

"These tidbits are great fluff to add depth to any campaign world."

"...most named spells aren’t really created by the pretentious blowhards who add their names to them. Things like this really make the book a joy to read."

BtS: Instant Summons (KQ)

2009-05-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

We've now hit the tenth article in our series for KQ: Instant Summons: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article750.php

This time around there's a brief sidebar by the spell's real-life creator, former TSR luminary Jim Ward!

BtS: Explosive Runes!

2009-04-29T08:34:00.001-05:00

Issue #9 is now live: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article594.php Can you guess the race of this spell's creator before clicking the link? I'd bet not. :)

Medieval adventure!

2009-04-14T13:19:00.002-05:00

So I finally got off my duff and finished editing A Matter of Faith--an adventure set in medieval England in the early 12th century. You can call it an alternate history since it takes v3.5 rules and shoves it into the setting. Magic is around but not overly used since its users are always initially distrusted by others.

Scot has the manuscript and the maps and illustrations so hopefully it won't be terribly long before we can offer it for sale. Did I mention that it's for 1st level PCs and geared for newbie GMs?

BtS: Entangle

2009-04-01T07:39:00.001-05:00

Check out #8 in the BtS series for KQ.com--http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article333.php

Spiritual Weapon at KQ.com

2009-03-11T07:03:00.000-05:00

http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article191.php

Enjoy this tale of self-sacrifice and power-up your next casting of this spell with your favorite domain.

GMs Day Sale!

2009-03-02T20:49:00.002-05:00

Only at the ENWorld storefront, Tricky Owlbear is offering 25% off all products through the GMs Day week! Missing some Behind the Spells or Behind the Monsters issues? Maybe you need a quiet 1st-level mystery adventure offered by The 11th Hour? Or perhaps you just need some good old-fashioned stat blocks to speed up your 3e game with Lotsa Blocks! No matter your 3.x/OGL needs, check out Tricky Owlbear's wares to take your game to the next level of fun!

Sale site: http://enworld.rpgnow.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=2158

A Special Stimulus Offer!

2009-02-22T22:27:00.003-05:00

We at Tricky Owlbear Publishing want to help you stretch your gaming dollars as far as they'll go. To that end, we're offering a special deal from now through Saturday, Feb 28th. Here's how it works...

Step 1: You buy Behind the Spells: Compendium at any online vendor. PDF format is available at Paizo here: http://paizo.com/store/downloads/trickyOwlbearPublishing/behindTheSpells/v5748btpy83z0
YourGamesNow here: http://www.yourgamesnow.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&manufacturers_id=64&products_id=2267&zenid=2e6f0d0c513df6099be57fe7c12e918f
OBS here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56664 Print format available via our Lulu.com storefront here: http://stores.lulu.com/trickyowlbear

Step 2: When you receive an email confirming the purchase from one of these sites, send us a copy of that email to: stimulus@trickyowlbear.com

Step 3: We email you the 4 "Behind the Spells" pdfs produced after the Compendium was published. These include Vampiric Touch, Sanctuary, Feather Fall, and Darkness.

Buy 1 book and get 4 products for free. It's that easy and you'll then have the entire "Behind the Spells" collection as of this date! Not a bad deal to own all the facts behind your favorite SRD spells. Take advantage of the Tricky Owlbear Stimulus Offer today!

Water Breathing

2009-02-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

No need to hold your breath any longer, issue #6 is now ready for your enjoyment: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article172.php

Are these spell histories and their accompanying magics tickling your fancy? Let us know here or over at the KQ forums.

Traveller Meeting

2009-02-16T20:28:00.004-05:00

I had a productive lunch meeting today with Chuck Cuthbert (co-author of BtM: Terror Turkey) and have tapped him to do most of the writing legwork for our first Traveller adventure. He's much more familiar with the material than me and has a great eye for detail when it comes to science and technology. He and I hammered out the basic plotline for this adventure geared toward first-time Traveller GMs and it's not bad. Needs something which I'll have to think about for our next meeting. Still, a very fun way to spend 2-1/2 hrs at Pizza Hut.

More KQ goodies

2009-02-14T15:26:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I really don't update this very often. Since the last post, we've produced one more Behind the Spells mini-issues for koboldquarterly.com. That one was Summon Monster and the follow-up I'm nearly finished with is Water Breathing. It is a follow-up in the sense that both spells surface in the BtS timeline at the same Magefair contest (you'll just have to read them to find out which one comes out on top).

We're also prepping an introductory adventure for 3.5/OGL aimed at new GMs which takes place in medieval England (1104 to be exact).

Floating Disk now up at KQ

2009-01-14T14:06:00.000-05:00

The newest Behind the Spells for Kobold Quarterly is now ready for your perusal: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article149.php

Is my take on Tenser too far out there? Or would you like similar spins on these classic casters as they come up? Feedback is always welcome.

BtS: Time Stop

2008-12-31T19:59:00.002-05:00

The 3rd installment in our freebie "Behind the Spells" at KQ.com: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article139.php

KQ BtS #2

2008-12-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

Magic Aura: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article128.php

BtS: Darkness released!

2008-12-09T19:42:00.002-05:00

Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to release the 40th pdf issue in the Behind the Spells series--Darkness! Although this release features the same protagonist as seen in BtS: Light, that issue is not required to enjoy this one.
Behind the Spells examines those spells from the v3.5 SRD that are listed time and again on character sheets throughout gaming. These are the spells which, if on your character's class list, will be taken as soon as possible and include such quintessential favorites as magic missile and fireball. Each pdf in this series examines the spellcaster who created the spell, one or more of the spell's hidden capabilities, and possible variants for the spell.
This issue includes two spell secrets, a new metamagic feat (Spell-shade) and a new spell (Cone of Shadows)! You can purchase this pdf at the following sites...
Paizo: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/t/trickyOwlbearPublishing/behindTheSpells/v5748btpy86aj
YGN: http://www.yourgamesnow.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2511&zenid=82f40694db815a41d8ff8ae317ea2f1a
RPGNow: http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=59254
And don't forget, Tricky Owlbear has also combined forces with Kobold Quarterly to bring you special mini-issues of Behind the Spells at koboldquarterly.com! Check out the first issue--Color Spray--here: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article117.php

BtS comes to KQ.com!

2008-11-30T09:14:00.004-05:00

We are more than pleased to announce that the "Behind the Spells" series is now featured over at KoboldQuarterly.com! Big thanks to Ed Healy for making this happen. Every two weeks (we hope!) we'll drop another smaller web-issue to KQ.com for everyone to enjoy. With luck, these freebies will entice readers to check out the many other BtS and other pdfs we sell. For now, check out BtS: Color Spray here: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article117.php

Compendium Review #4

2008-10-26T12:14:00.002-05:00

This one from Rpg-resource--many thanks to Megan for her time!-- http://www.rpg-resource.org.uk/index.php?article=3954&visual=4

Compendium Review #3

2008-10-20T21:19:00.003-05:00

Not sure how I missed this, given that the date of the review is in July, but nevertheless, I give you review #3 from Paizo: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/t/trickyOwlbearPublishing/behindTheSpells/v5748btpy83z0

Compendium Review

2008-10-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

A quick link to a very favorable review: http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpg-book-reviews/242519-behind-spells-compendium.html#post4498979

BtM: Gargoyle

2008-09-22T12:51:00.001-05:00

Behind the Monsters: Gargoyle now available at the usual online venues--Paizo, YourGamesNow, and RPGNow. This is the first BtM release to include a sample lair with map so let us know if you like this little addition!

Compendium Podcast

2008-09-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

Our first product-specific podcast commentary is now available for Behind the Spells: Compendium which you can listen to/download here: http://www.trickyowlbear.com/podcast/description/bts-compendium.php

Unlike the first podcast, this one only features me as I give you all the details you need to commit to buying this great book!

Tricky Owlbear Podcast 0

2008-09-02T07:53:00.000-05:00

Whether the roleplaying public is ready or not, Scot and I have delved into the wide world of podcasts! I sketched out an outline in about half an hour and then Scot and I just recorded an off the cuff "Podcast Zero" for Tricky Owlbear here: http://www.trickyowlbear.com/podcast/description/ep00.php

We're great fans of the Car Talk show for NPR (which you can find at http://www.cartalk.com/ ) so we left most of the laughs in! You can hear me utter the awkward phrase: "We would like to read people's emails..." and near the end of the show we pretty much have a breakdown. Thank goodness is was over by that point! In any case, we had great fun and hope you do as well. :)

Emporium Sale

2008-08-29T14:33:00.001-05:00

For the month of September, the Tricky Owlbear Emporium is selling all items at only 20% above cost! Buy something, will ya: http://www.cafepress.com/trickyowlbear

Compendium Reviewed!

2008-08-26T22:36:00.001-05:00

5 out of 5, baby!

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=18174&products_id=56664

Hardcover Ahoy!

2008-08-22T17:22:00.000-05:00

The Compendium is finally available in hardcover format: http://stores.lulu.com/trickyowlbear

Unusual Sale

2008-08-12T10:33:00.002-05:00

In my town there's a small herb shop which produces some fine coffee I partake of daily. I'm friendly with the shop owner and her sister (her used to work there quite a bit). In any case, that sister was working again yesterday and I told her over the weekend that I'd have to bring my newest book (Compendium) to show her. Well, she was so darned impressed that, even though she'll never use it, she had to have a copy. So, off my hands went my only softcover copy for the $20 pricetag. I've never had such an easy (or unusual) sale but I'm not complaining!

Review!

2008-07-23T15:54:00.001-05:00

The first review for the Compendium is in: http://okayyourturn.yuku.com/sreply/164779/t/-Tricky-Owlbear--1st-Anniversary--BtS-Compendium-released-.html

Paizo still on Sale

2008-07-17T23:04:00.001-05:00

Since the Compendium was not posted for sale until this week, we decided to extend the pdf sale of it through the weekend. the news blurb I sent them even made their blog: http://paizo.com/store/blog#v5748dyo5l9g5

Merchandising!

2008-07-12T15:41:00.001-05:00

Love our logo? So do we! Now you can buy it on the various items available through cafepress: http://www.cafepress.com/trickyowlbear

Buy now and be the envy of your gaming group!!

Buy Print Now!

2008-07-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

The print version of Behind the Spells: Compendium is now available at Lulu.com! Follow this link: stores.lulu.com/trickyowlbear to get your (softcover) copy now. Hardcover coming soon (we are waiting for our publisher copy for approval).

Compendium Released!

2008-07-07T16:29:00.001-05:00

At long last, the book many have been waiting for is finally available and just in time for Tricky Owlbear's 1st anniversary! Behind the Spells: Compendium presents the first 36 issues of the Behind the Spells series along with brand new content and behind-the-scenes comments by the author!

As always, for each spell you get a history of the creator, at least two "spell secrets" (new rules for using the spell), and "related research" (new material which somehow relates to the spell or its creator). Whether you're a player or a GM, there's wealth of v3.5/OGL information in these pages just waiting to be unleashed at the game table.

Why buy books packed with new spells when there is still so much that can be done with the classics? Get back to basics with Behind the Spells Compendium!

As of this day, this title is only available as a pdf at RPGNow here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56664 , Your Games Now here: http://www.yourgamesnow.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2267 and Paizo.com. But within the next week, you'll be able to purchase a print copy through Lulu.com (softcover and hardcover)! Watch for that announcement soon.

Retail price for the pdf is $15 but in honor of our anniversary, we're offering it at 20% off (or $12) for the next week. Thanks to everyone for your support of the series over the last 3 years!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-07-06T19:58:00.004-05:00

Tricky Owlbear Publishing turns one year old on 7/7/08! to celebrate, we're putting the pdf of Behind the Spells: Compendium up for sale. The normal price will be $15 but for the next week, we're offering it at $12. Not too shabby considering that, to buy the 36 pdfs separately, you'd need upwards of $40. We should also have a print copy of the Compendium to review tomorrow and then we'll be able to make that announcement as well.

Traveller

2008-07-04T11:00:00.002-05:00

Mongoose is producing the newest version of Traveller with the classic look. But even better, they're allowing publishers (and fans) to produce material for the game! See here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=234390

I'm sure we'll be participating and am looking forward to it.

TC:2 Review

2008-06-27T13:56:00.002-05:00

Treasure Chests: Volume 2 gets its first review and it's good! See here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=17758&products_id=55499

Lifting the 100 Copy Limit?

2008-06-26T11:27:00.002-05:00

We've been discussing scrapping the small print run in favor of just putting up the Compendium onto Lulu.com for sale for all time. More than one person believes we are making a mistake by limiting ourselves to 100 books and, frankly, maybe I was being to pessimistic with that number. Besides, it would be nice just to let Lulu handle everything and not worry about the printer negotiations, warehousing, shipping, etc. If you have an opinion on Lulu, we'd love to hear it.

Compendium Update

2008-05-12T21:03:00.003-05:00

Here's a look at the front and rear covers of our first print product!

Compendium in progress

2008-05-03T10:31:00.002-05:00

After some months of just talking about it, the Behind the Spells: Compendium is finally being laid out. I spoke with Scot about it many times but, being a two-man operation, I knew that Scot's time was limited and he could just about get our smaller regular releases laid out and uploaded in a timely fashion. So, I decided we needed some help and went to Open Design layout man Stephen Wark, who I knew has been a follower of the BtS series. He graciously accepted our manuscript and what I've seen so far looks great! I also think we've decided on a publisher to court for the printing so things are finally rolling along for this, our first print product.

Treasure Chests: Vol. 2

2008-04-25T21:43:00.002-05:00

Tricky Owlbear Publishing, Inc. is pleased to present the follow-up to our popular Treasure Chests release: Volume 2! This 6-page PDF, written by Bret Boyd, presents 10 more treasure chests that GMs can use to store treasure or use as treasure. As with the first volume, this pdf includes both magical and mundane treasure chests. Each entry lists the chest's physical description, defenses, and quirks.

This pdf features the following types of chests: Clan Chest, Coin-Scatter Coffer, Decoy Chest, Earth Chest, Heraldry Chest, Oracle Chest, Sailor's Chest, Straw Box, Traveler's Chest, and the Watch Chest!

Treasure Chests: Volume 2 retails for $2.00 and can be purchased at the following sites: Paizo, YourGamesNow, and RPGNow.

Please Note: The first Treasure Chests pdf is listed as a new release on Paizo and YGN but this is actually the old pdf in our new format. So, if you already own the original, don't let the new look fool you. :)

Update

2008-04-17T19:28:00.001-05:00

BtM: Gargoyle is proceeding according to schedule and should be finished (at least in terms of the writing) by the weekend. We also got a couple great reviews for BtM: Owlbear over at Paizo: http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/t/trickyOwlbearPublishing/behindTheMonsters/v5748btpy82qm

BtM: Owlbear review

2008-04-13T19:12:00.001-05:00

See the 10th post in this thread where a Paizo-ite has reviewed the first pdf in the BtM line: http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/dnd/trickyOwlbearOnBoardAtPaizo

Upcoming Releases

2008-04-13T10:07:00.001-05:00

Here is a tentative roster of releases for Tricky Owlbear (so you can get your dollars ready!). These products, like the rest of our catalog, are v3.5/OGL, and are subject to change.

April
Behind the Monsters: Gargoyle
Treasure Chests, volume II
Behind the Spells: Feather Fall

May/June
Behind the Monsters: Dark Creeper
Behind the Spells: Darkness
When Heroes Fall: An adventure for PC levels 4 to 6, utilizing information from the other releases this month. Adventurers are disappearing and it's up to the PCs to unravel the mystery.

July and beyond
Behind the Spells: Compendium: A print collection of the first 36 BtS releases complete with errata and extras! We hope to have the pdf version out in the months prior to this. I know folks have been waiting and waiting and we won't let them down.
Behind the Spells: Permanency
Behind the Monsters: Naga
Behind the Monsters: Demilich and Behind the Monsters: Vegepygmy: Both of these written by noted DCC author Mike Ferguson.

Guess Who's Now Selling at Paizo.com!

2008-04-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

Best known for investigating the monster and spell histories of the world's most famous fantasy game, Tricky Owlbear brings the "Behind the Monsters" and "Behind the Spells" lines, as well as our entire catalog, to Paizo.com: http://paizo.com/store/downloads/trickyOwlbearPublishing

Haven't yet sampled our works? Try out "Behind the Monsters: Owlbear" here: http://paizo.com/store/downloads/trickyOwlbearPublishing/v5748btpy82qm

I'm thrilled to have us now at Paizo! It's a fairly busy site and I'm hoping those users (some of whom I'm betting stay within the site's confines for purchases) check us out.

Record Sales Month!

2008-03-29T17:15:00.002-05:00

Whether it was the announcement of the Pathfinder rpg from Paizo, the GM's Day Sale, or simply the fact that spring has finally sprung, Tricky Owlbear has had record sales this month. Thanks to everyone for their support and watch for the upcoming announcement that we're selling at a new venue for your buying convenience.