Kobold Press, also known as Open Design, is an American game company that produces
role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
s and game supplements.
History
Wolfgang Baur
Wolfgang Baur (born 1968) is an American game designer, best known for his work with ''Dragon'' magazine. He designs role-playing games and is known for his work at Wizards of the Coast. Baur is also the founder of Open Design LLC, later known ...
launched Open Design in 2006. Open Design funded projects using a
crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
model dubbed "patronage," with the resulting products available exclusively to backers through
PDF
Portable document format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Inc., Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, computer hardware, ...
releases and limited print runs. The first product published by Open Design was ''Steam & Brass'' (2006), a
steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
-themed
adventure module
An adventure is a playable scenario in a tabletop role-playing game. These can be constructed by gamemasters for their players, and are also released by game publishers as pre-made adventure modules. Different types of designs exist, including ...
using the
d20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, originally developed for the Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, 3rd edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The system is named after ...
. ''Steam & Brass'' was also the first product set in Baur's setting of Zobeck, later known as ''Midgard''.
In 2007, Baur launched ''
Kobold Quarterly'' through Open Design, which filled in the gap in the role-playing industry left by the end of
Paizo Publishing
Paizo Inc. (; originally Paizo Publishing) is an American role-playing game publishing company based in Redmond, Washington, best known for the tabletop role-playing games '' Pathfinder'' and '' Starfinder''. The company's name is derived from ...
's run on the magazines ''
Dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' and ''
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...
''. Unlike previous projects from the company, ''Kobold Quarterly'' was available to the public. ''Kobold Quarterly'' ran for 23 issues, with the final issue produced in October 2012.
Open Design began to shift away from a focus on the "patronage" model in 2008, releasing titles such as the ''Zobeck Gazetteer'' (2008) to the public, and began publishing products entirely outside the "patronage" model in 2011, including a series of
game design
Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems, rules, and gameplay of a game. Game design processes apply to board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, Wargame (video games), war ga ...
guidebooks. In 2012, Open Design began producing books under the imprint "Kobold Press"; by the end of the year, the company had ceased publishing as Open Design and exclusively published products as Kobold Press.
In 2014,
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...
commissioned Kobold Press to create the two adventures for the initial ''Tyranny of Dragons'' storyline for ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' 5th Edition, ''
Hoard of the Dragon Queen
''Hoard of the Dragon Queen'' is an adventure module for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It is the first part of the ''Tyranny of Dragons'' storyline and followed by a second adventure, '' The Rise of Tia ...
'' (2014) and ''
The Rise of Tiamat'' (2014).
Leaked documents from Wizard of the Coast in January 2023 suggested that Wizards planned to change the
Open Game License
The Open Game License (OGL) is a public copyright license by Wizards of the Coast that may be used by tabletop role-playing game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, no ...
(OGL), developed for its ''Dungeons & Dragons'' products, to be more restrictive and potentially harm third-party content creators.
In response to the OGL leak,
Paizo
Paizo Inc. (; originally Paizo Publishing) is an American role-playing game publishing company based in Redmond, Washington, best known for the tabletop role-playing games ''Pathfinder'' and '' Starfinder''. The company's name is derived from th ...
announced plans to develop a new license called the
Open RPG Creative License
Open gaming is a movement within the tabletop role-playing game (RPG) industry with superficial similarities to the open source software movement. The key aspect is that copyright holders license their works under public copyright licenses that pe ...
(ORC) – this would be an open, perpetual, and irrevocable system-agnostic license stewarded by a nonprofit. Additional publishers, such as Kobold Press, will also be part of the ORC development process.
''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain.
The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' reported that "in the weeks that Hasbro spent publicly flailing, customers spent an extraordinary amount of money investing in its competition".
Kobold Press informed ''Polygon'' "that its sales quadrupled in January".
Games and products
As Open Design, the company's products included the magazine ''Kobold Quarterly''; a line of game design guidebooks, such as ''The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design'' (2011) and ''The Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design'' (2012); and a number of "patronage"-funded adventures and sourcebooks, many of which were set in the ''Midgard'' setting.
The ''Midgard Campaign Setting'' was originally published in 2012.
As Kobold Press, the company continues to produce game design guides and material for the ''Midgard'' setting, and has moved to
Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
to fund additional projects.
In 2017, the company ran a Kickstarter to update the ''Midgard'' setting with a new edition of the ''Midgard Campaign Setting'' (2018);
this book is "useable with any fantasy roleplaying system".
This Kickstarter also included supplements for specific role-playing game systems such as ''Midgard Player's Guide for Pathfinder RPG'' (2018) and ''Midgard Heroes Handbook for 5th Edition'' (2018).
The company has published other titles compatible with the ''
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
The ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that was published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing. The first edition extends and modifies the System Reference Document (SRD) based on the revised 3rd edition ''Dungeons ...
'' including ''Deep Magic'', ''Southlands'', and the ''Advanced Races Compendium''.
Kobold Press has released many Midgard projects compatible with ''Dungeons and Dragons'' 5th Edition such as ''Midgard Heroes for 5th Edition'' (2015) and ''Midgard Worldbook for 5th Edition'' (2021). Compatible adventures and supplements in the ''Midgard'' setting have also been released for
13th Age
''13th Age'' is a d20 fantasy role-playing game designed by Rob Heinsoo (lead designer of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th Edition) and Jonathan Tweet (lead designer of ''D&D'' 3rd Edition), and published by Pelgrane Press. 13th Age has been well s ...
and the AGE System.
On January 10, 2023, Kobold Press announced that it was developing an "available, open, and subscription-free"
ruleset for tabletop role-playing games codenamed ''Black Flag''.
Christian Hoffer, for ''
ComicBook.com
''ComicBook.com'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of comic books, television, films, video games, and anime. The site came online in 1996 serving as a holding page for sales links and press releases related to comic b ...
'', stated that "the announcement is a clear pushback against recent rumored changes to the Open Game License, which provides the framework for publishers such as Kobold Press to make material compatible with ''Dungeons & Dragons.'' Kobold Press is one of the largest publishers of third-party D&D 5E material" and "is one of the publishers likely to face the most challenges under the OGL 1.1".
In April 2023, Kobold Press announced that this project will be titled ''Tales of the Valiant'' and that the game will be built off the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th Edition portion now under the
Creative Commons license
A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted "work". A CC license is used when an author wants to give other people the right to share, use, and bu ...
. It will launch with a Kickstarter in May 2023 to crowdfund the ''Player's Guide'' sourcebook and the ''Monster Vault'' sourcebook.
Awards and nominations
Publications
''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th Edition
Midgard
* Limited Edition Tales of the Old Margreve for 5th edition (2019)
* Tales of the Old Margreve for 5th Edition (2019)
* Necropolis of the Mailed Fist for 5th Edition (2019)
* Enigma Lost in a Maze for 5th Edition (2019)
* Courts of the Shadow Fey Handouts
* Courts of the Shadow Fey for 5th Edition (Limited Edition) (2019)
* Courts of the Shadow Fey for 5th Edition (2019)
* 12 Peculiar Towers for 5th Edition (2018)
* Midgard Sagas for 5th Edition (2018)
* Zobeck Gazetteer for 5th Edition (2018)
* Tomb of Mercy for 5th Edition (2018)
* Midgard Worldbook for 5th Edition and PFRPG (2018)
* Midgard Heroes Handbook for 5th Edition (2018)
* Shadows of the Dusk Queen for 5th Edition (2018)
* Eldritch Lairs for 5th Edition (2018)
* Wrath of the River King (5th Edition) (2018)
* Streets of Zobeck for 5th Edition (2017)
* Demon Cults & Secret Societies for 5th Edition (2017)
* Grimalkin (5th Edition) (2016)
* Blood Vaults of Sister Alkava for 5th Edition (2016)
* Unlikely Heroes for 5th Edition (2016)
* Last Gasp (5th Edition) (2015)
* Tomb of Tiberesh (5th Edition) (2015)
* Cat & Mouse (5th Edition) (2015)
* Midgard Heroes for 5th Edition (2015)
* Southlands Heroes for 5th Edition (2015)
Other Sourcebooks & Adventures
* Tome of Beasts II for 5th Edition (2020) - Upcoming
* Deep Magic for 5th Edition: A Tome of New Spells & Arcana (2020) - Upcoming
* Warlock Grimoire for 5th Edition (2019)
* Creature Codex Lairs for 5th Edition (2018)
* Creature Codex for 5th Edition (2018)
* Prepared 2: A Dozen One-Shot Adventures for 5th Edition (2017)
* Items Wondrous Strange PDF (5th Edition) (2017)
* Demon Cults & Secret Societies for 5th Edition (2017)
* Prepared! A Dozen Adventures for 5th Edition (2016)
* Sanctuary of Belches for 5th Edition (2016)
* Book of Lairs for 5th Edition (2016)
* Tome of Beasts for 5th Edition (2016)
References
{{reflist
Role-playing game publishing companies