Monster Monday: Sabertooth Salmon - Deadly and Delicious

I've mentioned before that I'm really in to prehistoric animals and that I would try to bring more of them into Pathfinder.  Well, for this Monster Monday I'm bringing you a pretty unusual one: the sabertooth salmon.

(c) Ray Troll.  Prints of this piece are available for sale on his website.

Yes, that's a real thing that existed.  Oncorhynchus rastrosus (formerly known by the more colourful Smilodonichthys rastrorsus) were 8-10 feet long, 300-400 pounds, and equipped with a pair of sharp fangs.  They lived about 5 million years ago along the Pacific coast of North America.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.

d20 Despot Reviews Snow White and the Huntsman

Like many of you, I gave 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman a pass when it first came out, but I just watched it a few days ago and I'm glad I did.  While it is not at all a great movie, it is enjoyable on a surface level, especially from the perspective of someone who enjoys fantasy and GMing.

Universal Pictures

That said, while I feel I owe it to the movie to explain why you should watch it for its intriguing and delightful fantasy visuals, I also feel the need to delve into Snow White's many failings as a story and a film.  So, as is traditional, let's start off with the negative stuff:

[Spoilers, obviously]

Monster Monday: Wadjet - Ancient Egyptian Fire Cobra

Last week, d20 Despot received its 10,000th pageview!  It was only a few months ago that we got to 5,000 and, as I mentioned in last week's news-post, it was made possible by a reader's post to the RPG section of Reddit.  d20 Despot is a labour of love, and I'll keep coming out with new content no matter how many readers I have, but if you want to start seeing illustrated d20 Despot PDFs chock full of bonus content, I'll need a bigger reader-base.  And for that, I'm relying on you, my loyal minions!  Spread the word all around these glorious interwebs!

Speaking of content, today's Monster Monday entry is the dazzling wadjet, a giant winged cobra straight out of ancient Egyptian legend.  Watch out for their poisonous spit and their searing gaze!

via Amentet Neferet

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.

No Post This Week (Except for This Post)

Sorry, loyal readers and new arrivals.  Things have been pretty busy here at d20 Despot HQ and I haven't had time to get a post done.  Come by next week (June 2nd) for a new Monster Monday entry.

In the meanwhile, why not browse through the archives?

I've recently made minor changes to my advanced language rules and my old post about swords.  I also added an alternate first page of my Improved Character Sheet v2.0 for people who are playing 3.5 Edition D&D and need that super-long list of 3.5 skills.

Or check out the current most-viewed article on this blog: 3 Undead Monsters More Deserving of Cultural Ubiquity than Zombies and Vampires.

If you're looking for ways to support this blog, share it around the internet.  Last month a reader linked my Togbins post to Reddit and gave this site its biggest month ever.  This month, I've noted a ~33% increase in readership as a result.  I'm pretty terrible at self-promotion, so I rely on *you* to get the word out about my blog and all its free content.  The greater my reader-base is, the more comfortable I will feel investing in producing high-quality PDFs and maybe getting a kickstarter going to print some books.  So if you want to someday own a d20 Despot Bestiary full of original monsters and professional artwork, or a guide to my medieval Indian campaign setting of Chattara full of unique weapons, monsters, and class archetypes, help spread the word!

-your absent d20 despot

Everything Wrong with 'Dark Dungeons', the Infamous D&D Chick Tract

Last week I used the infamous Chick Tract 'Dark Dungeons', by evangelical comic author and professional confused grandpa Jack Chick, to poke fun at the idea that D&D teaches you necromancy.  This week I'm going back to that ancient well to draw up another fetid bucket of laughs to pour down your gullet (don't forget to check for throat leeches!).  'Dark Dungeons' is 30 years old this year, and the fact that the earth has not been consumed by Orcus, Demon Prince of Undeath, means that Jack Chick is either laughably incorrect or D&D players are just terrible at the dark arts.  I dunno, maybe they took out the rules for 'real magic' in 2nd Edition or something.

This and all further pictures in this blog post are ©1984-2014 Chick Publications, Inc. I am reproducing the tract in it's entirety here (minus the last page about how you can 'get saved') under what I believe is Fair Use as part of a satirical review piece.  I won't be linking to Chick Publications' website, where you can view this tract and others like it for free.

Without further ado, let us delve into the world of the 1980s D&D scare which, just like the scares about comic books, rock music, and video games, has proven to be 100% valid.  

Debunking 6 Common Myths About D&D

D&D has been around for a long time now, and it is the subject of its fair share of myths and misunderstandings.  I feel it is my duty to debunk six of the more common myths right here, before your very eyes, using only this blog and the time I should be spending on my finals.

6. It's Antisocial

Warner Bros. via ofdiceandmen

I may have mentioned before that D&D is an inherently social game.  Either you're playing with a group of friends or you're meeting new people by playing with them.  D&D is basically the opposite of an antisocial activity; unlike, say, videogames, it forces you into social interaction.  And if you really get into it, it forces you into regular social interaction.

Fixing the Weapons Table, Part 5: Indian Weapons

The second campaign I ever ran was set in Chattara, a mighty multicultural empire ruled over by a caste of turbaned, woolly rhino-riding dwarves.  I did a lot of research into Indian weapons at the time, to make sure my party could really get the feel of the land they were adventuring through.  For today's post, I'm revisiting these weapons, updating them for Pathfinder and with a more practiced eye for game design.

When D&D books start talking about eastern weaponry, you know they mostly mean Chinese and Japanese stuff.  Pathfinder has been a bit better at this, but I find Indian weapons are still a gap that doesn't get filled in as much as it deserves to be.  That's why I'm Fixing the Weapons Table.  The Indian subcontinent has a rich history of unique and exotic weaponry that deserves a chance in the hands of a PC.  From the thrown chakram to the badass pata to the deadly urumi, here are nine awesome Indian weapons for your D&D game.

The following weapons given in gold text are available as Open Game Content under the OGL.  Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.