Kobold Guide to Magic
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Kobold Guide to Magic
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Narrated by:
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Colby Elliott
About this listen
The popular and wildly useful Kobold Guide series tackles the biggest subject in fantasy: Magic!
What makes a fantasy fantastic? Magic, of course! Whether it’s unearthly beasts, scheming sorcerers, legendary swords, or locales that defy logic and physics, a compelling fantasy story needs magical elements. The tricky part is that in order for the story to work, you have to get your reader or player to believe the unbelievable.
The Kobold Guide to Magic takes you behind the scenes to learn the secrets of designing and writing about magic from 20 top fantasy authors and game designers. Find out how to create more compelling, more interesting, and more playable magic at your table or in your stories - with the word from some of the most talented creators working today.
The topics are wide-ranging, from the secrets of Irish magic to tricks of impractical magic, from how to generate a sense of wonder at the gaming table to how to rejigger the teleport spell for stronger adventures tohow to sell a character's soul and how to run a game with visions and prophecies. There's even sections on the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien and the tools available to a game master for making magic their own.
The Essential Guide to Magic in Fiction and Games
This essential companion for fantasy gamers and listeners alike features essays by:
Wolfgang Baur
Clinton Boomer
David Chart
David "Zeb" Cook
James Enge
Ed Greenwood
Jeff Grubb
Kenneth Hite
James Jacobs
Colin McComb
Richard Pett
Tim Pratt
John Rateliff
Thomas Reid
Aaron Rosenberg
Ken Scholes
F. Wesley Schneider
Amber E. Scott
Willie Walsh
Martha Wells
Steve Winter
This volume in the best-selling and award-winning series of Kobold Guides tackles the mystery at the heart of the fantasy genre. Improve your game and expand your magical power with the Kobold Guide to Magic!
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Open Design, LLC (P)2020 Last Word AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Ugh.
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The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
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- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 224
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In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM's burden by helping you understand your monsters' abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don't whip out their field manuals for the first time when they're already under fire, a DM shouldn't wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Audible Got this RIGHT - Chapters have names!
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Your Best Game Ever
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- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Story4 out of 5 stars 49
Inside this audiobook, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider's look at everything that isn't part of the game rules - building chemistry for a gaming group that really clicks, making a character you will love and remember forever, running engaging and exciting games your players will always look forward to, creating thrilling adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting memorable game nights...and that's just for starters.
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4 out of 5 stars
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This guy has a really annoying voice.
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MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing
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- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 53
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
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Story5 out of 5 stars 40
From the author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a follow-up strategy guide with MOAR! monster tactics for Dungeon Masters playing fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 133
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
It was the eve of the Time of Troubles. The chaos of spilled blood, lawless strife, monsters unleashed, and avatars roaming Faern was still to come. Unbeknownst to mortals, the gods had been summoned together, and among them was Mystra, grown proud and willful in the passing eons. With the others, she was about to be stripped of her godhood. The secret of her power gave her an idea. She made certain preparations, looking always for one who would be her successor.... But until that person's ascension, her power must be preserved.
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5 out of 5 stars
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PURE ENTERTAINMENT! From start to finish
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- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story5 out of 5 stars 18
The world is a dangerous place—especially when you’re up to no good. Whether you’re a rampaging monster, a calculating mastermind, or the current possessor of the Golden MacGuffin, someone’s going to come at you. In How to Defend Your Lair, gamemaster Keith Ammann pulls back the curtain on an underrated but crucial part of any tabletop roleplaying game: the theater of battle. Say goodbye to encounters in randomly generated dungeons and hello to a game in which where the fight takes place is just as important as who is doing the fighting.
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 stars all around, but…
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Kobold Guide to Roleplaying
- Kobold Guides
- By: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, and others
- Narrated by: Ray Greenley
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
There’s a reason it’s called a tabletop roleplaying game. Taking on the personae of different characters in the story brings a richness and depth to the experience and can make your game sessions exciting and memorable. But how can the poor, harried Game Master wrangle a whole slew of unique personalities on top of all the other work that goes into preparing each week? The Kobold Guide to Roleplaying has the answers you seek.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Ugh.
- By Michael on 04-17-24
By: Keith Ammann, and others
-
The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Book 1
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 25 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 224
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 219
In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM's burden by helping you understand your monsters' abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don't whip out their field manuals for the first time when they're already under fire, a DM shouldn't wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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Audible Got this RIGHT - Chapters have names!
- By Lego Man on 02-13-20
By: Keith Ammann
-
Your Best Game Ever
- By: Monte Cook
- Narrated by: Rudy Basso
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 49
Inside this audiobook, you will find advice and suggestions for enhancing your RPG experience at the table and away from it. This is an insider's look at everything that isn't part of the game rules - building chemistry for a gaming group that really clicks, making a character you will love and remember forever, running engaging and exciting games your players will always look forward to, creating thrilling adventures, finding all the right ideas, hosting memorable game nights...and that's just for starters.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
This guy has a really annoying voice.
- By Raven Lord on 03-10-20
By: Monte Cook
-
MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 40
From the author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a follow-up strategy guide with MOAR! monster tactics for Dungeon Masters playing fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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Did you like the first one? You’ll love this
- By brian on 01-04-22
By: Keith Ammann
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Shadows of Doom
- Forgotten Realms: The Shadow of the Avatar, Book 1
- By: Ed Greenwood
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 133
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
It was the eve of the Time of Troubles. The chaos of spilled blood, lawless strife, monsters unleashed, and avatars roaming Faern was still to come. Unbeknownst to mortals, the gods had been summoned together, and among them was Mystra, grown proud and willful in the passing eons. With the others, she was about to be stripped of her godhood. The secret of her power gave her an idea. She made certain preparations, looking always for one who would be her successor.... But until that person's ascension, her power must be preserved.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
PURE ENTERTAINMENT! From start to finish
- By Douglas and Jessica on 01-09-13
By: Ed Greenwood
-
How to Defend Your Lair
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing
- By: Keith Ammann
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 18
The world is a dangerous place—especially when you’re up to no good. Whether you’re a rampaging monster, a calculating mastermind, or the current possessor of the Golden MacGuffin, someone’s going to come at you. In How to Defend Your Lair, gamemaster Keith Ammann pulls back the curtain on an underrated but crucial part of any tabletop roleplaying game: the theater of battle. Say goodbye to encounters in randomly generated dungeons and hello to a game in which where the fight takes place is just as important as who is doing the fighting.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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5 stars all around, but…
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Elminster: The Making of a Mage
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,488
In ancient days, sorcerers sought to learn the One True Spell that would give them power over all the world and understanding of all magic.... The One True Spell was a woman, and her name was Mystra - and her kisses were wonderful. It is the time before Myth Drannor, when the Heartlands are home to barbarians, and wicked dragons rule the skies. In these ancient days, Elminster is but a shepherd boy, dreaming of adventure and heroics. When a dragon-riding magelord sweeps down upon him, though, the boy is thrust into a world of harsh realities, corrupt rulers, and evil sorcerers.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely Horrible Narrator
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Aglirta is known as the Kingless Land. Once prosperous and peaceful, it has now fallen into lawlessness, studded with feuding baronies engaged in a constant state of war. The only hope for peace lies in the legend of the Sleeping King, destined to rise and restore peace when the Dwaerindim stones are recovered.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Awkward Paused and a Good Story
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On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I
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Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.
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5 out of 5 stars
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all hail mishka
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Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
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Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master builds off of the concepts of the well-received GM's guidebook Lazy Dungeon Master, updating that book with five years of new experiences, new approaches, and new observations of the way people prepare and run RPGs. This new book is a completely self-contained work, which does not require anyone to have previously heard the Lazy Dungeon Master. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master offers a new focused approach for preparing and running our roleplaying games.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A fantastic resource for all GM's
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Sly Flourish's The Lazy Dungeon Master
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You love Dungeons and Dragons. As an experienced dungeon master, you've run dozens, if not hundreds of games. You put a lot of work into making your games great. What if there's another way to look at how you prepare your game? What if it turned out you could spend less time and less energy and have a better game as a result? It's time to unleash the Lazy Dungeon Master.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Helpful tips for Dungeon Masters
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Why do some stories work and others don't? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA Award-winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story's major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel's pacing and progression.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Designers & Dragons: The '70s
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Designers & Dragons: The ’70s is a comprehensive picture of the beginnings of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 50,000 new words to this volume alone. Learn about the colorful history of TSR and the wave of D&D inspired games (and gaming companies) to follow, and dip your toes into war gaming trivia. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
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5 out of 5 stars
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the forgotten realm of where RPGs arize
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Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering
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- Length: 2 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 82
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
Has your game got the blahs? Are your players spending more time thumbing through your book collection than hunting down clues, more energy heckling one another than in crushing their cruel foes? Never fear, o beleaguered Game Masters, for Robin D. Laws, noted game designer (Feng Shui, Hero Wars, Dying Earth, Rune) and columnist for Dragon magazine is here to help. Know your players! Analyze your system! Build your campaign! Design adventures! Prepare to be spontaneous, and improvise like a fiend!
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not bad
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Worldbuilding for Fantasy Fans and Authors
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- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story5 out of 5 stars 22
Be you an established planner, pantser, or unsure new author, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Adopting a "tools not rules" approach, you’ll discover dozens of definitive worldbuilding tricks and strategies, including surveys showing what audiences want; identifying ineffective, effective, and inspired worldbuilding; the ins and outs of immersion; enhancing audience experience with fantasy conceits; and the four Cs of worldbuilding.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Stick to storytelling, not audience reaction
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By: M.D. Presley
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Of Dice and Men
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,251
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,137
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,133
In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game’s roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game’s origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting Topic, but Terrible Execution.
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Never Unprepared
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- Narrated by: Colby Elliott
- Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Whether you're new to game mastering or have been running the same campaign since 1974, Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep will help you prepare for games faster, avoid common pitfalls, and have more fun in the process. Never Unprepared breaks game prep down into its component phases - Brainstorming, Selection, Conceptualization, Documentation, and Review - and provides the tools you need to make the most of each phase. If you hate prep, you'll find ways to make it more enjoyable.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This Book Changed My Prep!
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Think Like a Game Designer: The Step-by-Step Guide to Unlocking Your Creative Potential
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- Narrated by: Justin Gary
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 56
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
Do you love gaming? Do you have ideas for games of your own and want to learn how to produce them professionally? Longtime game designer Justin Gary has the answers you seek. After 20 years in the gaming industry, creating such games as Solforge, Ascension, and the World of Warcraft Miniatures Game, Justin is now sharing all his secrets in Think Like a Game Designer. Best of all, Justin’s secrets are really simple, practical, and common sense steps you can take yourself.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Do you like quotes?
- By Reaver on 04-05-24
By: Justin Gary
Great for DMing and Worldbuilding
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Take some notes, worldbuilders!
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