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The solid cover art suffers a bit from the text splatter, and see one of those stumbles before even cracking a page. A last minute article change seems to have escaped layout, leaving the Warlock-themed teaser without any associated prose. That’s going to frustrate folks hoping to enjoy increased 4E content.
The article split is 50/25/25. Half of the material is for OGL, a quarter for 4E, and a quarter is system independent. Truthfully, three of the OGL articles would require little effort for conversions to 4E or Pathfinder. This seems like a good mix, and helps solidify KQ’s position as a gaming magazine, rather than an OGL or 4E publication.
The Monte Cook column is probably the second gem of the issue, aimed at game masters and designers. It covers interesting points on verisimiltude that matter, regardless of edition. If you follow Dungeon-a-day, you’ll be pleased to note that this isn’t just a retread of the material there.
The OGL material is a solid combination of flavor and crunch. I especially like the bard article, chock full of feats, spells, and alternate class options for a class many leave for a cohort or 1-shot game. The bandit lair comes in a close second with its absolutely gorgeous isometric map, and fans of socially-focused games and the Open Design projects will enjoy the Courtiers of Zobeck article, though it’s probably more useful to those wondering how to add a bit of social interaction to their game. The Camazotz article provides a good write up on an exotic god, but I wonder how often a CR24 Bat-god avatar will see table time. The CR3 OGL’d Skinbat is a kissing cousin of the Skinkite from closed sources— I would have preferred a new creature. The Pathfinder identification for Camazotz is nice, though, and gives a solid reference point for integrating the god in that setting. The Oaths article is probably the easiest to convert to 4E and probably the most appropriate for conversion. This piece provides a cool way to give characters a reason to bind themselves to a purpose and drive stories without shoehorning them into a geas or quest spell.
The 4E material follows a similar vein on mechanics and inspiration, providing two detailed races for play, though the Maedar also has conversion notes for the Pathfinder Beta system and the Kitsune received an online OGL treatment at koboldquarterly.com. Specifically, I thought the Maened article was a good step towards creating a psionic aspect to 4E and are more authentic when considering the creature’s mythic roots. While purely 4E, the Chasing the Grave article doesn’t skimp on the worldbuilding bits, and gives a couple of story seeds for inspiring dark 4dventure in a grim, urban setting while putting a twist on a traditional far east culture hook.
There are a couple of editing issues, but apparently (according to twitter) the magazine is trying to use of out-of-house typesetting, and kinks aren’t all worked out yet. The art is maintaining a top-notch caliber, and the contributor list continues to boast veterans like Jeff Grubb, Monte Cook, and Richard Pett while giving newer voices an opportunity. I’m happy to keep up with KQ as it enters its third year; it seems to be maturing fantastically.
