The Summer War is a fairytale type of novella. While it has some interesting elements, overall it is not very memorable story.| A Dance With Books
Fantasy, gothic e horror: le mille sfumature di V. E. Schwab A tutti gli appassionati di fantasy e letteratura alternativa sarà stato difficile non incappare nel nome di V. E. Schwab nelle librerie e online, soprattutto negli ultimi anni. Parliamo di un'autrice statunitense che dal 2013 sforna un successo dopo l'altro, dando vita a incredibili […] The post V. E. Schwab e i suoi incredibili mondi: da Shades of Magic al nuovo libro appeared first on Oscar Mondadori.| Oscar Mondadori
This book was recommended by Kim @ Traveling in Books The best stones have gone, taken to form the cornerstones of farmhouses. Old pagan rocks holding the new world on their shoulders. The on…| Volatile Rune
A few months ago, I was invited to present a series of events at FISM — often referred to as the Olympics of Magic. It’s a gathering of over 2,500 magicians from around the world, featuring days of…| Richard Wiseman
This encounter could be used in a dungeon, at a site in the wilderness, or maybe even in a town - preferably in some run-down house tucked away in a dark alley out of sight. You may want to plant rumors in the surrounding areas of strange robed figures gathering and chanting heard in the vicinity if you wish to lead your players to investigate.| Tales of the Lunar Lands
The process of revising PARIAH continues apace. The most recent uploads to itch.io include two zinis-worth of rituals (amounting to a total of 3500 words), most of which are updated versions of magic previously published here or in PARIAH Vol. Rituals come in two distinct flavours: | Alone in the Labyrinth
I recently shared a revision to the curse of the spirit-touched, tying curses in PARIAH to PC inventory, in a nod to Cairn & Eco-Mofos. Continuing my ambition to publish revisions to the game as a series of modular zinis, I compiled the following curse "templates" (they can be applied as a lateral progression/impending doom track to any character) into the four-side format and published on itch:| Alone in the Labyrinth
When I read the blurb for Higher Magic, I was intrigued by the premise that Classic Literature contained some kind of magic or spells in it that helped shape the reality of today. Because really haven’t books helped to shape our reality? While that portion of the novel remained the most interesting part to me, […]| Books of My Heart
Doctor Strange: …Welcome to the Chamber of Extrospection. The Orb of Agamotto for the most part suffices for me, and so I do not come here often. Topaz: I—see…. Doctor Strange: This should be the portal by which we may see something. I need you to sit here. Topaz: Of course, Stephen. Doctor Strange: Now, […]| Dojo Darelir, the School of Xenograg the Sorcerer
Excerpts from books, films, television, and other websites to inspire your role-playing. Also original fiction, game design ideas, and commentary.| Dojo Darelir, the School of Xenograg the Sorcerer
Every once in a while I'm reminded of SyFy's notoriously bad TV adaptation of Earthsea, and think, maybe I should watch it just once, like the Star Wars Holiday Special. This is not a review. This is why I still haven't seen it.| Hyperborea: New Posts
Page count: 360 pagesRating: 4 stars| Malin's Blog of Books
This five room dungeon showcases a “before” and “after” version of an adult dragon’s lair, and it seems appropriate for this month’s RPG Blog Carnival, “After the Dragon,” hosted by Sea of Stars. I like the layout of the map, but I’m not sure I like how I detailed it. I’m used to old-school maps […]| RPG Wandering
“It’s not easy being green” Even though this was my first time hosting an RPG Blog Carnival, it is actually pretty easy, and the folks of the community did not disappoint! I did not have a lot of time to write this month, but I did get two posts done: a little bit of magical […]| RPG Wandering
My backyard is blooming, so I thought a list of mundane and magical plants might be interesting. It also works as part of this month’s RPG Blog Carnival theme: It’s Not Easy Being Green…| RPG Wandering
A two-person ‘Rengay’ By Ivor and David is- i’ve no appetite to be the new King’s taster bad seeds don’t regrow db- little princeling muffles heave spits foie gras into goblet is- royalty’s snobbish ways are wasted and inconsequential to hungry grazers days db- pastures lie barren herders curse… Continue reading Beasts’ feast; Famine’s rations, or: A rengay→| The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱
A two-person ‘Rengay’ By John and David jm- all the lovely books give me black looks as I pass on by db- pages weave their charms through me I’ll be back in just a spell jm- wish I could jump back in like I did back then but streaming netflixed me db- entranced by pixels… Continue reading Remote control, or: A rengay→| The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱
The magnetic pencil is a magic trick that's easy to learn but will still take practice to pull off. "How to Do the Magnetic Pencil Magic Trick" appeared first on Scout Life magazine.| Scout Life magazine
A post in response to this month's RPG blog carnival: beyond Vancian magic| Alone in the Labyrinth
Last year I returned to the untied loose end of the Dawn Realm (crudely, Pariah's equivalent of the feywilde) with this slightly long, sketchy post. It's been fermenting since then with a great deal of reagents added following conversations on this blog and elsewhere, of which many were with Max Cantor of Weird and Wonderful Worlds. It took watching Scavengers Reign for me to take this pot of potent brew off the flames and let it cool, let the residue crystallise, and then snort a big hefty o...| Alone in the Labyrinth
Curses as lateral progression/doom templates: lycanthropy, the Hunger (becoming a ghoul), Thirst (proto-vampirism), possession and loss of a true name| aloneinthelabyrinth.blogspot.com
Fireball is actually a weak spell if you think about it.| Mythcreants
Hello friends, happy Monday! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m posting my review of the final novel in the Scholomance trilogy, The Golden Enclaves by: Naomi Novik.| Meghan's Whimsical Explorations & Reviews
This encounter can be used anywhere outdoors, but probably has the most potential in a wilderness environment relatively close to civilizati...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with the Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post. Have you noticed how much kids love screens today? They almost always seem to be using some sort of technology. Even books come on screens. However, there is something magical about reading a paper book. Today we are sharing a magical book that shares the magic of reading an actual book and how...| Crafty Moms Share
The Secret Diary of Archbishop Oda of N ê mes Probably not actually written by the titular archbishop, who was mostly known for a poorly rec...| craggenloch.blogspot.com
Without divulging any youthful indiscretions, I recently was going back through some of my personal archives and came across a disc I burned around 2002 with some music stored on it. Normally I would find MP3 files, but in this case the file had a ACE extension. I remembered the format as an alternative to the common RAR or ZIP format often used to compress content for transporting (sharing) around the internet. I did what I normally do when something is compressed and reached for 7zip. But t...| Obsolete Thor
What's the magic word? Is it "please"? "Abracadabra"? Wingardium leviosa"? Why are humans drawn to incantations and affirmations?| The Scholarly Kitchen
A worthy sequel to an exciting fantasy series| Trey Stone, Author
I while ago I wrote a class about being an elves stuck between the worlds of the Sun and the Moon. This class assumed assumed the standard ...| whimsicalmountain.blogspot.com
The Faerie Morgana Author: Louisa Morgan Genre: Fantasy Publication Date: September 16, 2025 Publisher: Redhook Thank you to Orbit, Redhook, and Oliver Wehner for sending me an ARC of this book in …| Leah's Books
A childhood spent under the spell of sleight-of-hand taught me skepticism, curiosity, and the habit of looking beneath appearances.| The MIT Press Reader
Author Keith Miller’s latest book is acclaimed by award-winning authors DARTFORD, KENT – 28 August 2025 – Elsewhen Press, an indie publisher specialising in speculative fiction, is delighted to ann…| Elsewhen Press
Q: How Could Dragons Consume Rings Of Power? ANSWER: This is one of those questions for which there is no direct citable answer. In May 2025 a reader asked: I suppose my question is simple. When Ga…| Middle-earth & J.R.R. Tolkien Blog
…The Thousand Son [Space Marine] intoned words of power and an ellipsis of light burned into the deck plate. The Prosperine hieroglyphics on his staff flared bright vermillion. Spinning the staff around, Mhotep drove the scimitar into it pommel first and it became a spear. — Battle for the Abyss, Chapter 7| Dojo Darelir, the School of Xenograg the Sorcerer
| Concrete Theatre
Top Ten Tuesday: Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump includes a great list of middle grade books for readers of all sorts!| Literacious
It seems a friend of mine collects four-leaf clovers.| Go To Hellman
Hello friends, happy Monday! I hope you are all well. Today I’m posting my review of book two in the Scholomance trilogy, The Last Graduate by: Namoi Novik.| Meghan's Whimsical Explorations & Reviews
Maud and her five-year-old half-vampire daughter, Helen, join Arland on his home planet of Daesyn, where he is the Lord Marshal and his mother, Lady Ilemina, is the Head of the House, The Preceptor. Arland has proposed, but Maud has put his offer on hold until she knows that she and Helen will fit in […]| Books of My Heart
If you are down on your luck because fate, that fickle B, has worked you into a corner and it looks like there is nowhere for you to go and nothing you can do, well you might just be a great candidate for a new kind of magical school. This is not the Hogwarts letter […]| Books of My Heart
Q: What Were The Spirits Of The Watchers Of Cirith Ungol? ANSWER: Although Tolkien fans have discussed the nature of the Watcher for decades, there has never been a definitive answer to this questi…| Middle-earth & J.R.R. Tolkien Blog
My…tutelage with the mist began, in earnest, only after I loosened my soul and softened my piercing gaze. Until then my eyes did not allow me to see the magic of life around me. In time, however, I slowly came to understand that when approaching nature and spirit, one must enter these realms with a […]| Dojo Darelir, the School of Xenograg the Sorcerer
14. Heart Of The Beast: Cast this spell on a slain monster’s heart (or reasonably equivalent organ or portion), then consume it. At any time, you may take the devoured creature’s shape, once, for 10 minutes. You will retain some physical mark of this transformation afterwards.| Trollsmyth
Magic, politics, drugs, comics, and music: Arthur magazine mixed them all together and set the result to newsprint.| The Beat
Toss out the technobabble and do this instead.| Mythcreants
Why should wizards cast fireballs when they can use machine guns instead?| Mythcreants
To bring back the magic, today's necromancers need fresh ideas and great execution.| Mythcreants
Art by Lindsey Crummet Once again , we're discussing the nature of the divine in the Dragon Quest series. There are two separate occasions ...| tales-of-the-lunar-lands.blogspot.com
There is so much about magic that is similar to writing – the timing, the paring down to create suspense, the need to dig deep in order to create a meaningful effect. Not that I make any clai…| The Heart of the Matter
This post describes the thinking and feeling behind our new zine Plural Tarot (and Plural Tarot Companion). It takes the form of an interview between the self who created it – Fox – and another self – Ara. If you haven’t read one of our plural blog-posts before and aren’t sure who these people are, […]| Rewriting The Rules
Issue 48 of my Dungeons and Dragons zine, d12 Monthly, is out! This is the second of a 3-part series on treasure. Don’t miss Issue 47 (Treasure & Loot), and Issue 49 (Beyond All That Glitters) – the latter due in July 2025. Issue 48 is the Treasure & Loot issue. It features articles on: … Continue reading "d12 Monthly – Issue 48 – Magical Treasure" The post d12 Monthly – Issue 48 – Magical Treasure appeared first on YUM/DM.| YUM/DM
Material components for spells in D&D are annoying, but the idea is a flavorful one. A wizard throwing a handful of magical powder into a spell feels right. Unfortunately a lot of attempts to fix this are more complicated than I’d like.| The End Of All Things
Wizard| The End Of All Things
"I bin trawlin' these waters since I was a wee little scamp, even younger than you, ya grimy landlubber. I thought that nothin' could shock ...| anxiousmimic.blogspot.com
Whales are weird | Anxious Mimic
About Duryan the Gardener | Homebrew Homunculus
A strange mummy wanders the sandy wastes, not bound to a tomb | Homebrew Homunculus
Go to part 1. We continue on the track started by Jackson Malloy's post about hybrid classes at Sword and Scoundrel. This is a separate post because it's a bit more out there than the first, and is hungrily eyeing a couple sacred cows.| Homebrew Homunculus
Check out my book review of Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston to see what she thought of this romance book with magical reaslism between a songwriter and rock star.| She Reads Romance Books
"Cosmic Tree (Pochote)" by Jesús Lozano Paredes| 1999 A.D.
The secret to making me love your story is to tell me just less than I want to know. As the writer, you of course are welcome to know all that stuff. But don't tell me all those details, keep me wanting, keep me looking for everything. Make me want it so bad I start making up my own stories.| the Little Red Reviewer
Originally intended to be GLOGTOBER content, but that ship has long since sailed, ho-hum.| Craggenloch Tribune
The common man has infinite options available to them, and like the diffuse rays of the sun their will presses itself only lightly upon the World. The true master prunes his will, aligns and collimates it, as a lens focuses light into a narrow point - and the World burns beneath it.| Craggenloch Tribune
Why not just take one spell from DCC and turn it into a whole GLOG wizard? Yeah, lets do that.| Craggenloch Tribune
Over the past few weeks I've been running Greg Gillespie's Dwarrowdeep for two separate groups, one online and one in-person. The guts of the system we've been employing is Basic Fantasy, precisely because it is so basic that it provides an excellent framework for me to hang a bunch of ideas off. Also because as a Brit of a certain age it reminds me a lot of Kwik Save's No Frills own-brand, which I have nostalgia for in an internalised traumatic way.| Craggenloch Tribune
It is well known that spells employed by wizards are a form of semi-sentient solar spirit, somewhat less known is that the miracles called down by clerics are manifestations of the host of angels that invisibly accompany them.| Craggenloch Tribune
Here be a selection of spell charms for theisticGilthoniel's Hypogeum magic users, in turn inspired by my old post of MtG: Arena wozerd-duellists. Spells being tangible items is cool and fun and you should use it wherever possible.| Craggenloch Tribune
A worthy, gritty task- thwarting human traffickers- and an equally challenging opportunity at romance awaits stern, disciplined Richard Mar. I settled in to enjoy this last of the series. Though The Edge series are standalone paranormal romances, there are enough ties of characters and plot connecting the books for it to read best in […]| Books of My Heart
I am in the lucky position that I live close to the wonderful island of Siquijor, in the Visayas region| Pacificklaus – Pacificklaus
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m posting my review of Naomi Novik’s novel, A Deadly Education.| Meghan's Whimsical Explorations & Reviews
I don’t know if I can get away with this or not but let me try. Talking with our latest guest inspired me. Here goes: Andrew Mayne is A-Mayne-zing! Still with me? I sure hope so. Wynne and I …| The Heart of the Matter
It never looks anything like this. Credit Greg Rutkowski| Meandering Banter
Delighted to say that tonight at 8pm I will be presenting a 60 min BBC Radio 4 programme on mind magic, focusing on the amazing David Berglas. After being broadcast, it will be available on BBC Sou…| Richard Wiseman
Galen recently wrote a wonderful response to my “Fool’s Gold” essay, trying to pinpoint where he and I disagree about when it comes to pragmatic theories of representation. This letter won’t make much sense unless you’ve first read his salvo. Epistemic status very much “Fumbling around in the dark”—lots of ideas and discourses invoked that […]| Suspended Reason
(Photos: Patrick Stuart, Scrap) Attention As Devotion In Nottingham we visited the Museum Of Curiosities. It boasts “haunted items from around the world”, gathered via its owner’s “paranormal investigations and his contacts within the world of the macabre”. Mummies, tools from Victorian morgues, dybbuk boxes. Basically: goth Halloween kitsch. Besides a shelf of “spell kits”, I took no photographs, inside. I have to admit I was unnerved. Back home, a collection claiming to exhibi...| Zedeck Siew's Writing Hours
Series: The Notorious Virtues #1 A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime. At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention,… Continue reading ARC Review: The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton| Down the Rabbit Hole
JUDGEMENT IS A BLADE She is a good sorcerer, but a poor disciple. She finds it difficult to concentrate. When she arrives the bell has been struck—the lesson has already started. The teacher looks at her sideways. The teacher sighs, closes his eyes, and continues. “Judgement is a blade,” he says. “When you judge another,” the teacher says, “you thrust a dagger at their chest. It may be that you cause a wound.” She sits on her meditation cushion, and tries to settle. “When you ...| Zedeck Siew's Writing Hours
Installment Immortality is the fourteenth book in the Incryptid series which follows different members of the Price family as they try to protect the cryptid community from The Covenant of St George and others that might hurt it. This story focuses on Mary Dunlavy, part of the Price family, even though she is a former crossroads […]| Books of My Heart
Imagine, if you will, a brighter reality. One where auras glow, souls shines, and magic winds blow ethereal sparkly motes across reality, energizing the cosmos. Imagine this reality to be more permeable and transparent. The winds of magic care little for matter as they blow right through it, and bright souls and glowing auras can […]| Lost Pages
Previously we exhumed and revived some mystic rituals, with the added details of where they might go wrong if performed by those not fully practised in their execution. This time we're going to look at sorcerous rituals, accompanied by an appropriate image:| Alone in the Labyrinth
PROABLY NOT BALANCED! (suggestions and feedback encouraged) Before I write this post, I think it is important to recognize and contextualize...| explodecorpse.blogspot.com
My last post has been around 2 or 3 years ago, those that frequent the secret gathering places of gretchlings will know I never really went away, I just went from a participant to a lurker. Likely becouse I have been playing recently I have had ideas about what to write. I don't want to promise anyone more consistant posting, but I do have a class for you today.| The Whimsical Mountain
The purpose of a wall is deny access to a location, the purpose of a tunnel is to allow access to a location, the purpose of a door is to do both. Ironically many of the thaumaturges who devote themselves the most to doors must blind themselves to this fact if they want to practice the secret Arts of Key and Lock.| The Whimsical Mountain
Recently I ran a "Exquisite CΔrpse" on the Phlox GLOGscord. It's like the game of Exquisite Corpse, but instead of drawing we're writing abilities. You can read the rules here. Special thanks to SunderedWorldDM, Locheil, Phlox, Lexi, Spawk, Squigboss, Owlbear Chickenhawk and a Random Wizard for participating. As well as Hawk-Moth for helping with coming up with a name for this thing.| The Whimsical Mountain
It's been a while and I kind of stopped blogging out of shame over half-assing the Ink-tober post with the cat and general malaise. But now I'm back and I found a brand new RPG thingy that I'm going to make content for!| The Whimsical Mountain
Spells By Any Other Name Would Cast As Harsh. POWERS ENUMERATED:OLDTECH & FANTASCIENCE These are the accepted and known secret sciences, indistinguishable from magic, that promise mastery over worlds of matter and mind. BY SOURCE UVG 2E What is a spell?* Is it an old ritual for jump-starting an autogolem? Handed-down sacred physics? Or actual…Continue readingPowers Enumerated I| Wizard Thief Fighter
There is but one rule to not miserably fail at your 2025 goals in January. I know about this rule because I’ve tried it and it has never failed me. Is there an unwritten rule to succeed at your New Year resolutions? I only know about one. And it’s so simple, you might consider me […] The post The One Secret To Not Screw Up Your 2025 Goals By January 31st appeared first on Gabriel Iosa.| Gabriel Iosa
I might have mentioned before that I'm not typically a fan of graphic novels. I like creating my own mental images of characters and settings and so I don't usually choose graphic novels. BUT, holy cow, these two new ones have such interesting story lines and the art work is SO compelling, you have to look for them!| The Book Search
Happy birthday for a 2nd time On Christmas night, the first night of Hanukkah, and my sister-in-law Karen's birthday, we light a bunch of...| Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Magician Steven Frayne killed off his alter-ego Dynamo in his last TV special, now he's back to his old tricks.| Big Issue
I did it. The brand new (yet old) 63-chapter, 160,000-word fantasy book featuring magic, dragons, wizards, gritty heroes, and lots and lots of lore is done. I finished the project within roughly six months of leisurely writing (for the most part), give or take a few weeks. On its own, this wouldn’t be a major feat, except … I have tried to “rewrite” this idea three times already, unsuccessfully. But now, I finally succeeded.| The Lost Words
Three hundred years ago, a colony of miners vanished off the face of the earth.| Anxious Mimic
In honour of the Halloween season, we are focusing on the icons, signs & symbols related to witches and witchcraft.| Psychic Light
I wrote a way back about a hidden problem in 5e with advantage. I've recently become aware of another, perhaps more insidious problem: the flavor/fluff writing and the mechanics *do not match*.| Of Slugs and Silver
Following a discussion on the OSR Discord... I made this in 15 minutes. You've been warned.| Of Slugs and Silver
Magic resistance in AD&D is not very precisely defined, although it’s not too bad compared to some rules. It is initially covered in the Monster Manual thusly:| Nagora's Corner
