A Tough Act to Follow
When you put yourself in harms way, you set your life firmly on the line. Those who enter the field of battle without a solid […]
Articles by Paul Baldowski
Symbaroum at Gen Con
It’s just over a week until Gen Con. While I never expected it to happen, I will be attending this year. Indeed, if you pull […]
The Mythology of Symbaroum
The mythology of Symbaroum lies in the hands of the GM. When you really consider the nature of the world set down in Symbaroum, you […]
The Lies That Bind
The PCs come to a settlement where many of the population have gathered in the centre to listen to the words of a rough clad […]
Longcon 2017
Some conventions seek to serve up a platter of gaming opportunities, a buffet of snacks and tasters, quick adventure and demos. And then there are […]
The Smart Party
I chat with The Smart Party grandees Gary Bee and Baz Stevens about the genesis and expansion of All Rolled Up – the home of award-winning dice […]
Arrows and Quivers
The business of arrows and quivers in Symbaroum doesn’t seem ready to slink into the background. In a Reddit discussion about Symbaroum archers being overpowered, […]
Intermissions and ENnies
For those waiting on the progress of my A-to-Z Challenge, I promise that it will return. However, it will return at a pace conducive to […]
N is for Nihilism
The prospect of having a game that embraces nihilistic behaviour isn’t too far from the core of Symbaroum. From the get go, the situation looks […]
M is for Mounts
Out of the unimaginable blackness beyond the gangrenous glare of that cold flame, out of the Tartarean leagues through which that oily river rolled uncanny, […]
L is for Long Doors
The rules aren’t the same wherever you go; the world just doesn’t work that way and will throw you a curve ball when you least […]
K is for King’s Isles
The enigma of Davokar is not confined to the depths of the dark region to the north or the puncture points of ruined towers dotted […]
J is for Jokes
Setting the mood for your games of Symbaroum makes all the difference, given the general tone of dark fantasy communicated through the background and imagery. […]
I is for Identity Magic
The act of stealing the identity of another can only come from violence. The assumption of the physical appearance of someone else demands payment of […]
H is for Hex Mapping
Within the Symbaroum Core Book you have enough background within the first 70-pages or so to get you up and running, with particular focus on the […]
G is for Gaoian Mysticism
Witches of the barbarian tribes embrace the traditions of the Old Gods, discounted or blasted as heretical by the church of Ambria. The witches know the […]
F is for Faceless Horde
I saw a small black aperture, felt a ghoulish wind of ice, and smelled the charnel bowels of a putrescent earth… I saw outlined against some […]
E is for the Ever Realm
Ambra sits on the north coast, less than 100 miles from the north-western fringe of Davokar, where the trees literally tumble into the ocean. The grey […]
D is for Despair and Dismay
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown The stress and […]
C is for Collector of Faces
A new world of redness and darkness, A horrible coma call’d living The false, hollow phantoms of beauty That cloak all the evils of Dzannin. […]
B is for Boons and Burdens
The nicest thing about Boons and Burdens, introduced in the Advanced Player’s Guide, has to be that they have a much less obvious connection to […]
No Unpleasant Surprises
Newcomers to any game have a lot of questions to ask and I hope those who already play those games can offer some good advice. A new […]
A is for Ambra Assailed
The streets of Ambra are alive with people. Sometimes, you have to remind yourself where you are, what sort of situation we find ourselves in. […]
What’s a Scene?
The basis of an adventure in Symbaroum, a Scene stands as a means to determine the ‘value’ of an adventure — or just a session […]
Le Pacte De Fer
I can hardly believe that I have been reading, playing and gamemastering Symbaroum for more than a year and running The Iron Pact for most […]
Quick Arrow Reclamation
The Symbaroum Advanced Player’s Guide (APG) includes a whole selection of optional mechanics in the Alternative Rules section. Some will work for you, some not. If you […]
Theme Reveal for April
I missed the Theme Reveal day for the A-to-Z Challenge, which was Monday, 20th March. However, I can easily make up for that right now; […]
