In other words, it’s time that we had an art contest. Wow us with your own sense of wonder given visual form.

How does this work? First, think of something that is tied to magic that you simply must illustrate and then illustrate it. We’re making the overall focus of this contest very broad so that you have room to play. You can choose whether you use pencils, inks, watercolors, pixels — as long as you can scan the image in (or convert it in the case of digital format) and send it to us in a jpg file, we are happy. Your submission will be evaluated by a panel of industry professionals and by the fans. As with other contests we’ve done here on the Kobold Press site, fame and prizes play a part in this again. (More on that in a bit!)

So, what do you need to do? First, read all the stuff beyond the jump, then start letting those artistic talents of yours take over.

Contest Entry

Here’s how it works: To enter the contest, your art submission MUST…

• ADDED May 15 2013: Have been created in the previous calendar year.
• Be sent to the Kobold Artistry II Contest at miranda(at)koboldquarterly(dot)com no later than June 2, 2013, by noon PST.
• Be submitted as a jpg attachment.
• Read Kobold Artistry II Submission [insert illustration's name] in the email’s subject line. Your full name and contact information should be in the body of the email (not in your attachment).
• Be at least 300 pixels wide, but no more than 1MB in size. (If you win, we’ll ask for a print-quality version of the file, so hold on to that original artwork!)

Judging

All submissions that meet the criteria will be entered in the contest and be judged by us, the Kobolds, and our guest judges on originality, artistry, and uniqueness. The 5 best pieces of art will be published here on koboldpress.com and be voted on by the public. Of those 5 art pieces, the one with the winning votes will become the 2013 Kobold Artistry winner.

So who’s judging? We have a trio of extremely talented and wise judges: Wolfgang Baur, artist Terry Maranda, and art director Marc Radle. Take a look at their bios below.

Wolfgang Baur is the founder of Kobold Press, its publisher, and general go-to kobold. He enjoys the Gothic style in architecture, the Venetian style of rampant mercantilism, and the Dutch style in gardens and hydroengineering. For adventures, he’s an omnivore. Wolfgang is the author of the Midgard Campaign Setting, the Dark*Matter setting, the Kobold Guides to Game Design, and a smattering of other RPG titles dating from the days when TSR walked the earth. Wolfgang lives in an impenetrable set of warrens near Kirkland, Washington.

Marc Radle is a professional graphic artist and designer by trade. He also does lots of freelance illustration, graphic design, writing, and game design for various RPG companies. Marc’s very first professional RPG game credit (for illustrations, logo design, and graphic design) came in 1994′s Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth from Last Unicorn Games. He is currently the Art Director and primary graphic designer for Kobold Press.

Last year’s winner of the Kobold Artistry contest, Terry Maranda can be found in the mostly frozen wastes of Montreal, painting furiously with his nose to the screen, a digital pen in one hand and warm coffee in the other. During the day, he works as a lead artist in the video game industry, but at night he delves in to the darker side of his craft, designing battle-ready swords for Darksword Armory as well as illustrating tabletop RPGs, creating adventuring characters, viscous beasts, arcane items, and maps of distant lands for White Wolf (Exalted Series), Storm Bunny Studios (Rhune World), and BlackStar Studios (Shadowland). He also now creates denizens for the massive world of Kobold Press’s Midgard. Our Kobold Artistry II contest image (above) is Krik, Terry’s winning entry from last year’s Kobold Artistry contest. You can learn more about him at his website.

Prizes for the 2013 Kobold Artistry Winner

The winning artist will receive a cover commission from Kobold Press, plus be interviewed for the Kobold Press website (more on that later). All five finalists will receive a gift certificate to the Kobold Store.

Additional Rules

1. The contest is open to all.
2. One entry per person. The entry must be your own work, which has not been published previously, is not being considered for publication by any other publisher, and is original and does not infringe upon any copyrighted material.
3. All entries become property of Open Design LLC. ADDED May 16, 2013: Artist grants Open Design LLC the right to publish the submitted art on the Kobold website as part of this contest. Winner grants Open Design LLC the right to publish the winning image in the Kobold Press newsletter and in similar promotional and publicity uses.
4. By entering this contest, you authorize the use of your name and likeness without additional compensation for promotion and advertising purposes in all media.
5. This contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws where applicable.
6. Open Design reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
7. All decisions of Open Design LLC and the judges are final.

Last year’s contest was amazing in terms of the talented artists who submitted their artwork, and we are looking forward to seeing the creativity that comes from our vastly talented Kobold Press audience this year.

Lament no longer! The Expanded Battle Scion is just such a class!

Designer Marc Radle builds on his battle scion class to create the combat caster you’ve been craving. The Expanded Battle Scion includes:

• Force Blaster and Bonded Scion archetypes
• 5 new feats including Awakened Arcane Bond, which imbues your arcane
• bond object with intelligence and will
• A Prepared Spell Tracking Sheet, usable by any prepared spell caster
• New rules for legendary magic items, and 3 new items: the legendary shield, sword and armor of the first battle scion

If you dream of scattering your enemies with a powerful force attack before finishing them off with lethal bladework, New Paths 4: The Expanded Battle Scion is for you! Get it at Paizo or DriveThruRPG today.

This 36-page collection of materials provides players with an overview of the central  region of the Midgard Campaign Setting, plus a wide range of new powers and options for any Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign, including:

• 3 New PC races: Kobolds, ghoulish Darakhul, and Gearforged
• The Shadowsworn Class: a 20-level class of roguery and shadow magic, with 7 new spells!
• Dark Holidays of the Crossroads
• New options for Cavaliers, Paladins, and Rogues, including Griffon Knights, Fixers, and White Lions
• Ghoulish and Vampiric Sorcerer Bloodlines
• Clockwork and Illumination Schools of Magic
• 60 new feats and dozen of regional traits
• 8 new weapons for dwarves, gypsies, and rogues, including the rat poniard and Nordmansch greatax

Master the secrets of the Crossroads region and unleash its new spells, feats, and mysteries!

The young man appeared calm, his lank blond hair falling over his eyes as he gesticulated and spoke the words of power. His trembling hands gave him away, however.

A ruddy light glowed within the circle of power, and then a bang reverberated around the room. The young jumped involuntarily, but his invocation never faltered. Smoke poured and roiled in the circle, and a clawed hand reached out, testing the barrier. It was thrown back by a blast of silver sparks.

“The blood, boy! Give it the blood!” Another voice, old and tremulous, shook the youth from his daze. The young man waved his hand, and a small bowl brimming with thick, crimson liquid moved rapidly through the air and into the circle. They heard a hungry lapping sound within the circle.

The smoke cleared to reveal a tiny gremlin tipping the bowl back, drinking heartily of the vital fluid. The master wizard clapped his apprentice on the back.

“A little small, but not bad for your first try.”

Books such as the Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud create a powerful image of summoning and binding extraplanar servants: a nervous young wizard standing before the circle, tripping over his command words as he summons an ancient, malevolent creature from the outer planes. Although summon monster spells in Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 allow for quick combat allies, the roleplaying opportunities and strategic options of a more long-term servant are lost until level 10.

The two spells below allow lower-level wizards and sorcerers to summon lesser outsiders at their own peril. At 3rd level, a summoner can call forth simple outsider vermin, along with gremlins of various types. At 4th level, a wizard can summon and bind a mephit or imp, not without danger to themselves in the process, for a number of days.

Least Planar Binding
School conjuration (calling)
Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 10 min.
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Target one elemental or outsider with 1 HD or fewer
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no and yes; see text

This spell functions like lesser planar binding, except that you call a single creature of 1 HD or fewer. Each creature gets a saving throw, makes an independent attempt to escape, and must be individually persuaded to aid you.

This spell is often taught to apprentice conjurers specializing in planar binding. Along with the ability to prepare a magic circle, they begin to learn their craft by summoning gremlins and planar vermin.

Minor Planar Binding
School conjuration (calling)
Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 10 min.
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Target one elemental or outsider with 3 HD or fewer
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no and yes; see text

This spell functions like lesser planar binding, except that you call a single creature of 3 HD or fewer, or up to three creatures of the same kind whose Hit Dice total no more than 1. Each creature gets a saving throw, makes an independent attempt to escape, and must be individually persuaded to aid you.

This spell is often used to summon mephits, lemurs, or very weak elementals. Conjurers specializing in planar binding often make great use of this spell.

(This post is Product Identity.)

To celebrate the release of Open Design’s

Banner of Power

Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 5,400 gp; Weight 15 lb.

DESCRIPTION
The maw on this howling standard is empowered to swallow a spell of 3rd level or lower that creates a fear effect or grants a morale bonus (bless, good hope, prayer, crushing despair, fear, scare, and so on). Such a spell can be cast specifically into the standard’s bronze head and later unleashed by the banner’s wielder (who need not be a spellcaster) as a standard action.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, calm emotions; Cost 2,700 gp…

Banner of Roaring

Aura moderate or strong evocation; CL 7th
Slot —; Price 20,000 gp; Weight 15 lb.

DESCRIPTION
This howling banner lets out a thunderous roar on command. Treat this exactly as a horn of blasting. Greater banners of roaring can also be found (treat as a greater horn of blasting).

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, shout or greater shout; Cost 2,210 gp

Skis, Enchanted

Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd
Slot feet; Price 2,500 gp; Weight 14 lb.

DESCRIPTION
These bone skis are carved from lindworm ribs and engraved with the runes raidho and isaz. They’re almost impossible to fall over in, granting the wearer a +5 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks made while skiing.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, cat’s grace; Cost 1,250 gp

Mead of Heiðrún

Aura moderate conjuration; CL 11th
Slot —; Price 17,820 gp; Weight 4 lb.

DESCRIPTION
The great goat Heiðrún dwells upon the roof of Wotan’s hall and nibbles at the ever-green leaves of Yggdrasill. From its udders drips mead of a taste and potency unmatched in all the Nine Worlds. Each day, it flows in sufficient quantities that all the einherjar of Valhalla can quench their mighty thirst. Wotan’s shieldmaidens sometimes carry wineskins of the mead to revive and fortify heroes in their time of need. Kings and connoisseurs have spent whole treasuries trying to purchase it.

Each wineskin holds enough divine mead for nine doses. As well as being the finest drink the imbiber has ever tasted, each portion bestows the effects of a hero’s feast on the drinker.

CONSTRUCTION
The mead of Heiðrún cannot be created by mortal spellcasters although characters are welcome to try milking Wotan’s goat if they dare.

Sack of Air

Aura faint transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot —; Price 1,080 gp; Weight ½ lb.

DESCRIPTION
This sack contains meadow or sweet coastal air that can sustain a traveler high in the mountains. Inhaling its contents is a full round action, which grants the user all the benefits of a deep breath spell lasting 6 hours.

The bag can be refilled once expended by leaving it open to catch a lowland breeze for 4 hours. Casting deep breath into it also refills it.

CREATION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, deep breath; Cost 540 gp

Tafl Board, Tyrannous

Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd
Slot —; Price 5,320 gp; Weight 2 lb.

DESCRIPTION
This set is enchanted to assist its owner but at a price. Dice roll favorably and pieces shift position, giving its owner a +4 bonus to his or her Wisdom check to beat an opponent. A Perception check (DC 25) is required to detect this cheating. In addition, every time an opposed check is made in the normal course of the game, the loser suffers 1 damage/HD he or she possesses. Once any game begins, both players are subject to a suggestion to play to the end (DC 13).

The set’s beneficial magic ceases to function for the owner if he or she loses a game played on it.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Create Wondrous Item, prestidigation, inflict light wounds, suggestion; Cost 2,660 gp

Trackless Snowshoes

Aura faint transmutation; CL 3rd
Slot feet; Price 2,000 gp; Weight 5 lb.

DESCRIPTION
This is a pair of well-constructed snowshoes, made of pine and sinew. The wearer does not leave prints behind in snow, as per the pass without trace spell. The wearer’s scent is not masked. Trackless snowshoes also reduce movement by 10 ft.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, pass without trace; Cost 1,000 gp

(This post is Product Identity.)

Wizards, sorcerers, and witches can all have familiars. While familiars continue to grow more powerful along with their masters, some arcane casters want something more…

[previously]

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Altered Familiar Feat

This feat changes the nature of your familiar but not its type. For example, you can have a clockwork toad familiar or an undead rat. They keep the familiar’s normal abilities.

Casters can choose from several forms, and once chosen, that form cannot be changed for that familiar. However, a new familiar can have a different form from the previous familiar. Sometimes, very different indeed…

Clockwork familiar

Requirements: Familiar class feature, arcane bond or arcane bloodline, and either Deft Hands or 1 rank in Knowledge (engineering).

Clockwork familiars are complicated but often elegant machines. Those who have clockwork familiars learn the skills to maintain them. Repairing a disabled (dead) clockwork requires a Disable Device check (DC 15 + damage beyond 0). This takes 1 min./point of damage beyond 0. Healing a clockwork familiar with magic requires mending (healing 1d4 hp) or make whole (which acts as heal). Clockworks gain the construct type.

These familiars are loud, giving you a −4 penalty to your Stealth checks. However, you are much more resistant to distractions, gaining a +4 bonus to all concentration checks.

The clockwork can shoot a spare sprocket 1/day/2 caster levels. These act as shuriken with a range of 10 ft., dealing 1d2 damage and using your attack bonus. Additional sprockets can be purchased for 1 gp each. Commanding a familiar to shoot a sprocket is a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Wondrous Familiar

Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item.

The familiar is a living statuette made of precious or semi-precious material. The familiar is Tiny and gains a +1 bonus to Dex, AC, and CMD and a −1 penalty to Str, attack rolls, and CMB. Wondrous familiars are susceptible to dispel magic—they become inert for 1 day (DC 15 + your CL)—shatter, and sunder attacks. They can be affected by shatter and sunder while they are inactive. Familiars damaged by a sunder attack gain the broken condition and impart no wondrous benefit until repaired with a craft check or mending.

Wondrous abilities function only when the familiar is activated. It can be active for a number of rounds per day equal to 2 x your CL: thus, a 3rd level wizard could have a wondrous familiar active 6 rounds/day. Activating one’s familiar is a swift action that does not invoke attacks of opportunity. There are several types of wondrous familiar.

Type (hardness): Special Ability

Amethyst (3): +2 bonus to saves against fear effects; +1 bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects.

Darkwood (8): +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks; +2 bonus to Swim checks; +2 bonus to Survival checks.

Electrum (8): +1 luck bonus to saving throws.

Hematite (4): +2 bonus to stabilize checks for all creatures within 20 ft.; +2 to heal checks; you ignore the first point of bleed damage each round.

Iron (10): +2 bonus to saves against fey magic (spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities of fey); +1 shield bonus to AC.

Onyx (4): grants use of 0-level light spell 3/day; at 8th level, also grants daylight 1/day (at your  CL).

White Jade (3): grants resist cold 5.

Undead Familiar

Requirements: School specialty necromancy, undead bloodline, Spell Focus (necromancy), or you experienced the death of a familiar.

Whether morbidly attached to a dead familiar or for darker reasons, some choose an undead familiar. Undead familiars gain the undead type and can only be healed by channeled negative energy or by inflict spells. In addition, you suffer a −4 penalty to social interactions (Diplomacy, Bluff, and Sense Motive) with living creatures.

Skeletal—gain a +3 bonus to confirm critical hits on undead.

Spectral—your weapon gains the ghost touch quality for 1 round/2 CL.

Zombie—gain a +4 bonus to Diplomacy checks with undead and a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks dealing with undead.

Wild Familiar

Requirements: Con 13.

A wild familiar surges with primal energy and imparts some of its ferocity to you. It grants a +1 bonus to Survival checks, and you can attack with ferocity 1/day. You gain a +1 bonus to damage with melee weapon attacks or natural weapons (but not touch attacks) for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your CL. Attacking with ferocity causes all spells you currently maintain by concentration to stop immediately, even those that normally linger.

(This post is Product Identity.)

Wizards, sorcerers, and witches can all have familiars. While familiars continue to grow more powerful along with their masters, some arcane casters want something more. Perhaps constant exposure to their magic has shaped or warped the familiars. Perhaps they have decided to replace the familiar with a more resilient form. Or perhaps the caster seeks a familiar that articulates their particular style or philosophy. Whatever the case, the following two feats allow casters to improve upon their familiars. These feats can be changed when gaining a new familiar as long as requirements are met.

Arcane Familiar Enhancement Feat

This feat magnifies the school specialization of the caster. Familiars retain all other abilities unless otherwise specified…

Requirements: 1 rank in Knowledge (arcana), appropriate arcane school specialization or Spell Focus in the appropriate school.

Benefits: Your familiar gains the following abilities associated with your specialized  school of magic.

Abjuration—The familiar can cast shield as a spell-like ability (at 1/2 your CL) on itself as a swift action 2/day. The familiar can expend both spells to instead cast shield on you as a standard action.

Conjuration—The familiar grants a +1 familiar bonus to hp per HD of the summoned creature when you cast a summon monster spell, up to 2/day.

Divination—The familiar grants the ability for you to roll a second initiative die and choose the better die, 2/day. This must be announced before rolling any initiative dice for the character.

Enchantment—The familiar is particularly striking. Choose Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate: this skill is always considered a class skill for you as long as you have this familiar. You gain a +3 familiar bonus to checks for that skill.

Evocation—The familiar is tied to a particular element. Choose one energy type: acid, cold, electricity, fire. The familiar grants a +1 familiar bonus to damage per spell level of any arcane spells with that descriptor you cast. For example, a fireball (3rd level) cast by an 11th level wizard would be 6d6+3).

Illusion—As a supernatural ability, the familiar can alter its appearance 1/day (at your CL). At 1st level, the familiar can cast disguise self as an animal of similar size. At 3rd level, it can cast either disguise self or invisibility.

Necromancy—This vile familiar evokes fear in others. The familiar can cast cause fear 1/day (at 1/2 your CL). Furthermore, it grants a +2 familiar bonus to Intimidate checks.

Transmutation—The familiar is a shape changer. Each time you prepare spells or regain your daily allotment, you can command your familiar to change shape. Roll 1d20 and consult the chart. If the result is the same as its current form, it stubbornly refuses to change shape. You benefit from the new form’s special ability bonus (if any). Bonus spells granted to witches are unchanged from the original form. This familiar’s form does not grant the standard ability. (That is, a transmutation arcane enhanced cat familiar only grants the cat special ability when in cat form.)

Roll, Familiar, Special Ability

1-3, GM’s choice, GM’s choice of shape

4, Bat, You gain a +3 bonus on Fly checks

5, Cat, You gain a +3 bonus on Stealth checks

6, Fox, You gain a +2 on Reflex saves

7, Goat, You gain a +3 on Survival checks

8, Hawk, You gain a +3 bonus on sight-based and opposed Perception checks in bright light

9, Lizard, You gain a +3 bonus on Climb checks

10, Monkey, You gain a +3 bonus on Acrobatics checks

11, Owl, You gain a +3 bonus on sight-based and opposed Perception checks

in shadows or darkness

12, Pig, You gain a +3 on Diplomacy checks

13, Rat, You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves

14, Raven*, You gain a +3 bonus on Appraise checks

15, Viper, You gain a +3 bonus on Bluff checks

16, Toad, You gain +3 hp

17, Weasel, You gain a +2 bonus on Reflex saves

18-20, PC’s Choice, Player’s choice of shape

*A raven familiar can speak one language of your choice as a supernatural ability.

Universal—Your familiar provides some resilience toward magic. Each day, when you prepare spells or otherwise gain your daily spell allotment, you choose one school of magic. You gain a +1 bonus to saves against spells and spell-like effects of that school. This lasts until you prepare spells again or regain your daily allotment of spells.

(This post is Product Identity.)

Last week saw the release of

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The ancient power of the Old Margreve courses through the veins of a sorcerer with the Margreve bloodline. A distant ancestor may have been a legendary druid, a Margreve hedge witch, a dryad, or even a daughter of Baba Yaga. In time, the sorcerer begins to understand the Margreve and even become part of it…

PCs with the Margreve bloodline who were not raised in the Margreve may not yet realize the source of their power. These include gutter orphans, “wolf children” stolen from the woods and civilized, and children of violators of the Old Ways escaping the wrath of the Margreve in the city.

Class Skill: Knowledge (nature).

Bonus Spells: entangle (3rd), spider climb (5th), summon nature’s ally III (7th), bestow curse (9th), baleful polymorph (11th), transport via plants (13th), animate plants (15th), creeping doom (17th), shapechange (19th).

Bonus Feats: Alertness, Augment Summoning, Brew Potion, Empower Spell, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]).

Bloodline Arcana: Within the confines of the Old Margreve, your magic goes unnoticed by the forest, as if you were under a permanent feed the forest spell effect (see Tales of the Old Margreve, page ##).

Bloodline Powers: You can channel the power of the Margreve by calling upon the Old Ways. Over time, this process transforms your mind and body.

Witches’ Hex (Sp)—At 1st level, you can bestow a minor curse on a target with a melee touch attack. The target suffers either a −2 penalty to attack and weapon damage rolls or temporarily loses access to one randomly determined spell or spell-like ability of the highest level they can cast (your choice).

In either case, the condition persists for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your sorcerer level. Multiple touches do not stack but add to the duration. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Woodland Stride (Ex)—At 3rd level, you can move through any sort of undergrowth—such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain—at your normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas magically manipulated to impede motion still affect you.

Animal Form (Sp)—At 9th level, you gain the ability to transform yourself into an animal for a number of minutes per day equal to your sorcerer level. This ability functions as beast shape II. The duration need not be consecutive, and you can assume different animal forms at different times (although you may not transform directly from one animal to another).

Siphon Magic (Su)—At 15th level, you can siphon magic used against you. As an immediate action, you may force any creature targeting you with a spell or spell-like ability to make a CL check (DC 10 + your sorcerer level). Failure means all variable numeric spell effects are halved, and the save DC decreases by 2. If the spell affects an area or multiple targets, these modifications only apply to you. You may use the stolen energy to boost the CL of your next spell by 2, if you cast it before the end of your next turn.

Tree Form (Su)—At 20th level, the Margreve accepts you as part of itself, bestowing many plant creature traits on you. You gain immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning.

In addition, no creature of the animal or plant type attacks you within the Margreve unless compelled by magic. You may cast legend lore (1/day) as a spell-like ability using your sorcerer level as your CL.

(This post is Product Identity.)