When Zubana made to leave the city of Lamakan, pursued by the sultan’s assassins, she thought back to the words spoken to her by the Witch of Nibraq. Because Zubana had lied to her, the witch replied with an evil truth: “The gods decree that Zubana shall lie dismembered on a street in Lamakan.” Zubana was not one to submit meekly to fate. All the same, as she traversed the city when first entering it, she gave a silver coin to every beggar and every idol she passed.

Zubana did not stop now for anything, knowing the sultan’s men were behind her. Just as she was feeling confident with her escape, Zubana tripped on something and fell to the dusty ground. She pushed herself up and saw a fakir looking at her through glaucomatous eyes. She had tripped over his begging bowl.

Forgetting the assassins for the moment, Zubana picked up the bowl and searched the dust for its spilled contents. She found only a single coin. Minted in distant Ilun, Zubana knew that only she could have given it to the fakir, and that only she had given to the fakir that day.

In Kobold Quarterly issue #20, you’ll find quite a bit of archery-based fun awaiting you. One of the articles, “The Elven Archer” by John E. Ling, Jr., provides you with a Pathfinder-based archer. We’re going to take a look at both a player’s point of view for the class, as well as a GM’s take on having it in his game.

The Player Perspective: Jeannette

When I was asked to play this character class, I was a bit leery at first. I played rangers all the time. Something always seemed to be missing after a while, the character got boring, and I wouldn’t want to play any longer. In fact, before I started playing the elven archer, I had stopped playing for about seven years. Now, Jillian, my archer and my favorite character, is retiring, and I am really upset.

The archer class, as set forth in the description in the article, is fun to play because he or she is more flexible than most other character classes.

In Part 1 of the mountain priest character theme, you read about mountain priests and learned the rules benefits for using the theme with your character. We continue the theme by providing you with the optional utility powers available to you. We start with the 2nd-level utility power, and more are beyond the jump!

Optional Powers

Level 2 Utility Power
The dangers of living in remote regions are many. You learned early that the spirits of water can be a great boon when living in dangerous lands if one is injured, because they can alleviate lesser hurts.

Healing Waters     Mountain Priest Utility 2
You call on the spirits to bolster the water elements found in all living things so that healing occurs.
Daily • Healing, Primal
Minor Action Melee touch
Effect: You or one creature you touch regains 5 hit points and gains temporary hit points equal to your highest ability score.
Level 11: Regain 10 hit points.
Level 21: Regain 15 hit points.

Mountain priests are spiritual and meditative people who are bound to the land in a way that few others understand. To a mountain priest, everything is infused with an elemental spirit that, for those who listen carefully, can be a powerful ally in most situations life conjures for them. Mountain priests believe that they can become better at hearing the spirits through discipline and the rigorous ritual trials they must undertake that test courage and devotion.

In some places mountain priests form into organized groups, making religious orders that venerate the elemental spirits of the land. Most are loners, however, who have a special talent that allows them to call on the elemental spirits for aid in all manner of tasks.

(Illustration by Blanca Martinez de Rituerto)

Skittish but hardy survivors within and beneath civilization’s centers of urban decay.

Chad and Josh collaborated on a roachling background that would allow players to play a roachling in their home AGE system game. Josh worked on the mechanics, and Chad helped with the storytelling portions of the background. Take a look to see how this particular creature works for the AGE system by peering beyond the jump. Additionally, you can revisit the 4th Edition Roachling blog entry by Chad Middleton.