The Death Cookie

1. Monster of the Week: The Hellhound
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

... to breathe fire and reports exist of hellhounds who can speak and even use magic. Agents should not dismiss eyewitness accounts of a hellhound’s powers, no matter how far-fetched they might sound. ...

2. Monster of the Week: The Wampus Cat
(Columns/Monster of the Week)

...  Sightings: Stories of the Wampus Cat pre-date European colonization. One Cherokee tale claims that the Wampus Cat was born when a woman who didn’t trust her husband observed magical rituals forbidden ...

3. Archetype of the Week: The Noble Savage
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

...  A variation on the noble savage theme is the "Magical Negro" archetype, which includes characters like Uncle Remus, Bagger Vance, and numerous Morgan Freeman characters. Although the Magical Negro ...

4. A Six Pack of Stagger Lee
(Features/Gaming Articles)

... murderer to semi-sympathetic tragic figure, become identified with the civil rights movement, hung out with Jesse James, and even picked up a handful of magical powers. In all his forms, Stagger Lee ...

5. Archetype of the Week: The Trickster
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Conspiracy Theory, Cross Dressing, Disguise, Dumpster Diving, Drug Lore, Eavesdropping, Fast Talking, Freeloading, History, Law, Magic Tricks, Mythology, Panhandling, Practical Jokes, Public Speaking, ...

6. Archetype of the Week: The Fool
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Television Reporter, Real Estate Developer, Roller Derby Coach, Security Guard, Slacker, Small Time Thief, Soldier, Sportscaster, Stage Magician, Used Car Salesman, Warrior, Wildlife Marshal Suggested ...

7. The Rules: Sword & Sorcery
(Features/Gaming Articles)

... do without training (most magic, for example). Rule #4: Everybody Knows How To Fight Sword & Sorcery settings are violent, brutal places. Also, killing things is exciting. Therefore, everybody knows ...

8. Archetype of the Week: The Mentor
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Victim of the Past, War Wound Suggested Skills: Alchemy, Bad Jokes, Brawling, Brewing, Classical Music, Chess, Disguise, Fishing, Gambling, Gardening, History, Leadership, Magic Tricks, Martial Arts, ...

9. WB101 Part 6: Son of The Big Picture
(Columns/World Building 101)

...  Technobabble The last column finished up by discussing magic. According to Clarke’s Law and RPG tradition, the next logical subject to tackle is technology. I want the world I’m building to have slightly ...

10. The Rake
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Campus, Daddy's Little Girl, Double Jointed, Friends In Low Places, Hung Like A War Criminal, Love Magic, Knows Where The Bodies Are Buried, Ladies' Man, Pick-Up Artist, Reputation, Rugged Good Looks, ...

11. WB101 Part 5: The Big Picture
(Columns/World Building 101)

... whose origins are the result of an ancient curse (like the minotaur or werewolves in Greek mythology) or other magical misadventure. There is, of course, one broad monster type still to be dealt with: ...

12. The Gambler
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Player, Jockey, Lawyer, Lone Shark, Lounge Singer, Noble, Pit Boss, Pool Hustler, Professional Poker Player, Riverboat Gambler, Rounder, Sports Journalist, Spy, Stage Magician, Swashbuckler, Texas Oilman, ...

13. The Hacker
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Insider Information, Internet Celebrity, Magic Touch, Photographic Memory, Read About It On Usenet, Rich, Sounds Honest, There’s An App For That, Thinks In Code, Third Time’s A Charm, Wonderful Toys Suggested ...

14. WB101 Part 4: Map Time
(Columns/World Building 101)

... What kind of technology is available? What’s magic like? Find out next month.    ...

15. The Zombie
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... story to story: a corpse can become a zombie through dark magic, disease, or exposure to radiation or cosmic rays. The last explanation (used in Night of the Living Dead) is further proof of the Stan Lee ...

16. The Psychic
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

... Teller, Jedi Knight, Judge, Junkie, Monk, Mystic, Philosopher, Prison Guard, Private Detective, Self-Help Guru, School Administrator, Stage Magician, Star Fleet Officer, Student, Super-Hero, Television ...

17. The Magician
(Columns/Archetype of the Week)

The magician is, as the name suggests, a character skilled in the use of magic. The type of magic the character is able to use and the specific tradition that he or she follows depends on the genre and ...

18. WB101 Part 3: These Are The People In My (Imaginary, Very Large) Neighborhood
(Columns/World Building 101)

... mythology centered around quests (my “quest magic” idea from the initial brainstorming session will obviously find a home here), ancient magic, trials by combat, and all the other Round Table-y stuff. ...

19. In The Works
(Blogs/Hexagrams)

... for girls, one unhindered by watchdog groups or cheap animation.  In Laser Ponies, players take on the roles of intelligent ponies who live in the magical world of Panagonia.  These ponies romp, frolic, ...

20. WB101 Part 2: Spiral Notebooks and You
(Columns/World Building 101)

... of consciousness notes that might or might not be comprehensible, even to me. Here’s a sample of some notes from my initial brainstorming: Zombie Disease Decadent Empire Quest Magic ...