Explosive Runes

The Official Magazine of RPG Crossing

Explosive Runes publishes fantasy, horror, and science-fiction role-playing games, or anything related to play-by-post and RPG Crossing. The magazine also accepts some short stories and fiction, as well as artwork. Although Explosive Runes is dedicated to members of RPG Crossing, anyone is welcome to submit material. There is no word count, but shorter works under 5,000 words are preferred. No payment. For all queries and submissions please send a PM to wodine or Admin Dirk.

Current Issue

Issue #35, the Quick Shot Edition, is our winter 2023 issue. Inside, you can find interviews with your fellow gamers and writers, news from around our site, and some tips and tricks to improve your gaming. Thank you to contributor Leviticus; artists wodine and JaydenLilith; and editor wodine. Enjoy!

Past Issues

Issue #34, the Evil Edition, is our summer 2023 issue. Inside, you can find interviews with your fellow gamers and writers, news from around our site, and some tips and tricks to improve your gaming. Thank you to contributors Leviticus, HotsuSama, Admin Dirk, and 47 Ronin; artists JaydenLilith, Tigra, and lostcheerio; and editor wodine. We hope you enjoy adding more villainy to your games!

Issue #33 is our winter 2022 issue. Inside, you can find interviews with your fellow gamers and writers, news from around our site, and some tips and tricks to improve your gaming. Thank you to contributors Leviticus, HotsuSama, Kenjitsu, and Birched; artists JaydenLilith, and GallupsMirror; and editors wodine, and Admin Dirk. Have a great holiday season and winter (or summer, if you are in the southern hemisphere.)!

Issue #32 is our summer 2022 issue, the "Horror Edition!" Inside, you can find interviews with your fellow gamers, news from around our site, tips and tricks to improve your gaming (and make it more horrifying!), adventure ideas, a prepared adventure for D&D 5e, and more fun and games from our tavern. Thank you to contributors Leviticus, HotsuSama, Aethera, stepanxol, lostcheerio, and Kapera; artists JaydenLilith, and Ungainly Fool; and editors wodine, and Admin Dirk. Have a terrifying June!

Issue #31 is our winter 2021 issue, and contains interviews with your fellow gamers, news from around our site, tips and tricks to improve your gaming, and more fun and games from our tavern. Thank you to contributors Leviticus, HotsuSama, Birched, Bhelogan, Spoonybard, and LadyNotAGirl; artists JaydenLilith, and GallupsMirror; and editors wodine, and Admin Dirk. Happy December!

Issue #30 is our summer 2021 issue, and contains interviews with your fellow gamers, news from around our site, tips and tricks to improve your gaming, and more fun and games from our tavern. Thank you to contributors Admin Dirk, wodine, JaydenLilith, HotsuSama, Leviticus, Unko Talok, Wynamoinen, and Security Snail.

Issue #29 is our holiday 2020 issues, and is packed with content to keep you company in the coming weeks. This issue contains interviews with your fellow gamers, news from around our site, tips and tricks to improve your gaming, and more fun and games from our tavern. Thank you to contributors Admin Dirk, wodine, JaydenLilith, GodRosen, HotsuSama, Leviticus, Aethera, and Yamaneko. Featuring original artwork from our resident artists, including a new original cover by JaydenLilith!

Issue #28 is just in time to keep you busy through the summer 2020 season (or, to cure your winter doldrums below the equator.) This issue contains interviews with your fellow gamers, news from around our site, tips and tricks to improve your gaming, fun and games from our tavern, the second in our series of articles about medieval weaponry, another game review, and original artwork from our resident artists, including a cover by JaydenLilith!

Issue #27 is our stellar holiday 2019 issue, in time for the winter holidays! As always, the issue looks fabulous, full of fun and games to help you stay in the gaming groove through the season.

Issue #26 contains short stories by wodine and parzivalfair; news from around our site; original artwork from our resident artists; hints and tips to help your gaming; and puzzles!! (spoiler warning: the last page has the solutions)

Issue #25 contains short stories by Graeylin and GeneT; news from around our site; original artwork from our resident artists; hints and tips to help your gaming; and short adventures by Inem!

Issue #24 contains news from around our site; original artwork from our resident artists; a review of Starfinder RPG; short stories by GeneT and undeadrajib; hints and tips to help your gaming; an introduction to Tug of War; an interview with the winner of Outplay 2017; an interview with Hall of Fame GM Melchior; and short adventures by chocoladevla and Vallesh!

Issue #23 contains short stories from our Library Competitions; news from around our site; original artwork from our resident artists; hints and tips to help your gaming; and a short adventure for gamers (from our very own Cerealnommer!)

Issue #22 contains short stories from our Library Competitions; news, contest winners and reviews of the 2016 year; original artwork from our resident artists; hints and tips to help your gaming; a short adventure for 5e gamers (from our very own Avner), as well as an interview with an Outplay Competition Judge!

Issue #21 focuses on steampunk! It contains storytelling tools by dirkoth, character design advice from Aeternis and a Victorian Lost review by RedRab. You'll also find January and March 2015 Short Story Competition winners and additional Steampunk themed shortstories.

Issue #20 focuses on superheroes. It contains storytelling tools by WoLT and GM Interviews by EngrInAZ. You'll also find May, June and July 2014 Short Story Competition winners, Miri, ItsaVerb and Tongue.

Issue #19 contains storytelling tools by Aethera and dirkoth, including Holiday Gifts and Why Yule Love the Holidays. You'll also find Spring and Summer 2013 Short Story Competition winners, Spankucus and sammichweasel, along with September (SirAlvin), and November (GeneT) Winners. There is a Holiday themed adventure from Alegria, followed by the latest of Constables to wrap it all up. Throughout are the gorgeous illustrations of Lady of Hats and Solomon777, with cover art by Solomon777.

Issue #18 contains storytelling tools by RonarsCorruption, dirkoth, and WoLT including Set Pieces, To DM or Not To DM, Colors of the Game, and The Super Supers Soapbox Sermon. You'll also find Winter 2013 Short Story Competition winner The Jaded, along with December (The Jaded & Troy), and February (akaczism) Winners. There is a wonderful Sourcebook addition from jj_wolven and the folks of The Crossing and a new feature, Out of the Box that will provide reviews of gaming systems. Lastly, there's an adventure from RoBi, followed by the latest of Constables to wrap it all up. Throughout are the gorgeous illustrations of Lady of Hats, Fil Kearney, and Solomon777, with cover art by Fil Kearney.

Issue #17, the first issue belonging to RPG Crossing has an expansive collection of material centered on topics of the undead, with storytelling tools by RonarsCorruption, dirkoth, and WoLT including Set Pieces, Death in Games, and Elements of Horror. You'll also find November's Short Story Competition winner The Jaded, and a wonderful d20 addition from jj_wolven and the folks of DOOM. Lastly, an adventure from Solomon777, followed by the latest of Constables to wrap it all up. Illustrations by Lady of Hats, Still Pond, and Solomon777, with cover art by Fil Kearney.

Issue #16, featuring It's a Trap - Over 50 traps to show your players; Mixyl's Temple - An adventure by Sean Samonas; Mapping Made Easy for PbP Gaming - A great view of how to make maps for your online games; A new installment of the Constables comic and many other great articles; Illustrations by Fil kearney, LadyofHats, Lushmoss, Solomon777, & Stormhammer.

Issue #15, featuring Holiday in Costa Rica - an adventure by A.C. Gogolski; insightful gaming advice from RonarsCorruption; Grogg Tree's interview with the 2011 Iron DM winner; short stories by Sean Samonas and Hallstadt; Constables; Set Pieces by RonarsCorruption; The Book of DOOM; artwork by LadyofHats, Lushmoss, & Stormhammer; and many other great articles.

Issue #14, featuring The Wisdom of 40 Fools - an adventure by A.C. Gogolski; insightful gaming advice from RonarsCorruption; Grogg Tree's interview with the 2011 Outplay Champion; short stories by Evil/Insane_Genius; Constables; Set Pieces by RonarsCorruption; The Book of DOOM; artwork by LadyofHats, Solomon777, Lushmoss, & Stormhammer; and many other great articles.

Issue #13, featuring El Queso Negro - an adventure by A.C. Gogolski; Grogg Tree's interviews with the DMs of the games newly inducted into the Hall of Fame; a huge list of new curses created by some of our writers; insightful gaming advice from RonarsCorruption; short stories by Dirkoth, D.H. Austin and Hallstadt; Constables; The Book of DOOM; artwork by LadyofHats, Lushmoss, Peter172 & Stormhammer; and many other great articles.

Issue #12, featuring The Haunted Tower of Balagor - an adventure by Hallstadt; Interview with Iron DM 2010 winner idilippy by Grogg Tree; short stories by Dirkoth and Evil/Insane_Genius; Constables; artwork by Lady of Hats, lushmoss & kedcoleman; and many other great articles.

Issue #11, featuring The Pit and Periculum - A 2010 Iron DM adventure by Ethics & RonarsCorruption; Interview with Securis - a resignation interview of a long time staff member by Grogg Tree; Constables - a comic strip written by RoBi and illustrated by Lady of Hats; Artwork by Lady of Hats, paiute & kedcolman; and many other great articles.

Issue #10, featuring Peace of a Shipwreck - An Episodic Adventure by RonarsCorruption; Thorns Curse - a short story by Vitus, A new Literary review by Naresh, several stories by Savior, tons of 4e content, a new installment of the Constables Comic, and much more. Illustrated by Lady of Hats, Paiute, RonarsCorruption, and Kedcolman.

Issue #9, featuring The Last Days - An Episodic Adventure by RonarsCorruption; Perfecting your Game, an article on good playing by Alegria; China Doll Caper, a short story by RoBi, a new installment of the Constables Comic, and much more. Illustrated by Lady of Hats, Paiute, RonarsCorruption, and Kedcolman.

Issue #8, featuring The Squib Squabble - An Episodic Adventure by RonarsCorruption, THAC0, a new 2e column by Kariel Lateef, a DM interview by Grogg Tree, a new installment of the Constables Comic, and much more. Illustrated by Lady of Hats, Paiute, and Kedcolman.

Issue #7, featuring The Dungeon of Ho-Gyroth - An Episodic Adventure by RonarsCorruption, Orders Of Unity - an original article by Amber E. Scott, Constables - a comic strip written by RoBi and illustrated by Lady of Hats, Artwork by Lady of Hats, paiute and kedcolman and much, much more.

Issue #6, featuring articles by Orcbane, Lushmoss, Jason Duke, Robert Bee, Kristine Ong Muslim, Rick McQuiston, Terquem, and artwork by Lady of Hats.

Issue #5, featuring articles by Cleokatrah, Dinkleberg, Eggydez, Bill Kte'pi, Jason Duke, and artwork by Quiet, LadyofHats, Steven Adams, and Travis Akin.

Issue #4, featuring articles by Securis, Jason Duke, Eggydez, Saros, Orcbane, Evil/Insane_Genius, and artwork by LadyofHats, Steven Adams, Kenneth Sowinski, and Travis Akin

Issue #3, featuring articles by Securis, Sine Semper, Jason Duke, Eggydez, Evil/Insane_Genius, Anon, Hyoban, Orcbane, Eoghan, Saros, and artwork by LadyofHats, Ascendant, Black Knight, Quiet, Wiseman20, and Jason Duke