Axioms Magazine

By Issue

Published Issues

Axioms #1

  • Beyond Arcane and Divine: rules for designing custom magic types for your campaigns
  • The Shades of Magic: Rules for shaded magic, where dark magic can cause corruption of the body and soul
  • Introducing the Wizard: a Mage-like class that utilizes shaded magic
  • The Art of Arcanogenesis: Creating new life forms with magic from scratch
  • Overcasting: Casting spells beyond one’s traditional limits, with a price

Axioms #2

  • A Culture of Battle: History and Social/Economic structures of beastmen
  • Domains of Chaos: Rules and demographics for beastman clanholds, chaotic domains, and tribal warriors.
  • The Weapons and Warriors of Woe: Variant rules for beastmen arms, armor, and leaders.
  • Bred for War: Building custom classes with beastman racial builds.
  • Who Stands Against the Beastmen?: How the Auran Empire defends its borderlands.

Axioms #3

  • Strongholds and Domains: Refined rules for ACKS domains
  • Seperating Land and Lordship: Running domains where the ruler of the land and the owner of the land are distinct entities
  • Senatus Consultum Ultimum: Rules for domains with a senate or other ruling body
  • Wandering Into War: Random encounters at the domain level – wandering beastmen and monsters arriving to pillage or settle
  • Of Coins and Commerce: The underlying economic system of ACKS, and rules for mercantile investments
  • The Economics of Peasant Families: How peasant families generate value
  • Flocks and Herds And Silver And Gold: How animal husbandry generates value

Axioms #4

  • Pitching Battle!: A revised ruleset for Domains At War: Campaigns battle resolution
  • Aide De Camp: Printable play aids for the above ruleset
  • Elite Troops: Training region or culture specific elite troop types
  • Morituri Te Salutant: Running gladiatoral games, and maintaining a gladiatoral school as a domain type

Axioms #5

  • Hedge Wizardry and Village Wisdom: Cantrips for ACKS.
  • Potions, Lotions, and Other Commotions: Cantrip Items and item creation.
  • Of Mischief and Mountebanks: Two new classes.
    • The Fool: A class relying on charisma and luck
    • The Mountebank: A trickster who can brew quacksalves (potions of dubious effectiveness)
  • A Blight Upon The Earth: Drawing divine power from the land itself.

Axioms #6

  • What’s Your Condition?: A dictionary of various conditions (affecting creatures) in ACKS
  • Well Met! Now Prepare to Die, Handsome: Expanded mechanics for diplomacy, intimidation, and seduction in ACKS
  • Prepare for the Future: A peek into what might happen in an ACKS 2E

Axioms #7

  • Magic Item Research: Calculations of value for each magic item in ACKS, to aid in item creation.
  • Magical Compounds: Enhancing the flexibility of the magic item creation rules by using/distilling common, multi-use compounds from monster parts.
  • Alternate Progressions for the Arcane Values: Reworking the lesser arcane value spell slot progression for better value balance
  • A Grimoire of Spells: Nine new spells of 5th level and higher.

Axioms #8

  • Make Magical Items Magical Again: Thematic minor effects to indivualize magical items.
  • Put Your Game Face On: Generating PC/NPC appearances based on race and ability scores
  • Stocking the Wilderness: Revamped mechanics for broadening the scope and flavor of wilderness encounters
  • What’s In Its Pockets?: Valuables, trinkets, and oddities found in other people’s pockets.

Axioms #9

  • Creating Custom Fantasy Races: Creating races compatible with the Player’s Companion class building system
  • Hauberks and Hobbits: Armor weights and costs for small and large creatures
  • Folks Fair and Foul: Eight new fey monsters.
  • Noncombatant Characters: Leveling noncombatant, non-adventuring characters – normal men – into higher levels

Axioms #10

  • Grim Heroes: Three new grimdark classes for grimdark worlds:
    • The Flagellant: a zealot fighting fores of Chaos
    • The Revenant: Free willed undead with a singular goal
    • The Sorcerer: A spellcaster steeped in Chaos, with a custom magic type weighted towards summoning and control
  • Terrors of the Night: A pair of new undead creatures inspired by monsters of legend.
  • The Fetid Crypt of Anatu the Defiler: a dark and haunting dungeon in the Auran Empire’s Borderlands

Axioms #11

  • Behind the Veil: A new class – Nobiran Veildancers, a graceful fighter with divine power
  • Temptress of the Temple: Revealing the dark secrets of the Priestesses of Nasga
  • Lore of the Stars: astrology in the Auran Empire
  • Metaphysics of the Cosmos: the cosmogonic secrets of the universe, revealed!

Axioms #12

  • The Art of Thievery: revisiting the rules for thieves and related classes
  • Re-Thinking Thieves, Part I: a mathematical assessment of whether thief skills are balanced
  • Re-Thinking Thieves, Part II: some roguish ideas to tinker with thieves
  • Live by the Fist: presenting a streetfighter that packs a punch
  • The Purse is Mightier than the Curse: with the newly revised venturer, the wizards work for you
  • Hench Wanted: finding and hiring the right henchman for the job at hand

Axioms #13

  • Machinery to the Max: Vastly expanded Automaton rules for Machinists

Axioms #14

  • Codex & Scroll I: Writing, Reading, Buying, and Selling Books
  • Codex & Scroll II: Libraries and Authorities
  • Codex & Scroll III: Spells, Formulae, and Systems

Axioms #15

  • Lords of the Night: The Nosferatu as a racial class.
  • Scion of the Shadows: The Nosferatu Scion class.
  • The Katripol of Eastern Ulruk: A New Race for ACKS and Auran Empire Campaigns, the Katripol, with skill in machines
  • The Magical and the Mechanical: The Katripol Artificier class.

Axioms #16

  • Wounds & Woe: Expanded rules for permanent wounds and tampering with mortality

Axioms #17

  • Ore Never Changes: Rules for placing veins of ore, domain mechanics for mines, and dwarven steampunk mining!

Axioms #18

  • Integrated Spell Power Guidelines: Integrated tables combining the Player’s Companion and Heroic Fantasy Handbook‘s spell building resources in one place.

Axioms #19

  • Dynasties: New rules for dynasties, including birth, succession, blood rights, and more.
  • Cohorts: New mechanics for adventurer-scale battles with large formations of troops.

Axioms #20

  • Of Arms and Armor: Overview of historical metallurgy, revised weapon and armor characteristics based on physics, plus rules for armor made of unusual materials

Axioms #21

  • Classical Auran: An overview of the Auran language, with a primer for English speakers, overviews of pronunciation, grammar and syntax, plus a 1,000 word dictionary of useful terms for naming places, people, and items.

Axioms Special Bonus Issue 2017

  • Campaign Play: Scheduling the resoution of various domain play activities
  • Campaign Activities: Managing various activities – adventuring, growing congregations, ruling domains, magical research, guild hijinks, and mercantile adventures in the framework of a long term campaign.

Axioms Special Bonus Issue 2018

  • Abstract Dungeons: Running adventures in dungeons without the dungeon – great for groups of henchmen or secondary characters
  • Abstract Wilderness: Running wilderness lair encounters and clearing hexes with an abstracted system

Axioms Special Bonus Issue 2019

  • Custom Powers Compendium: All custom powers from ACKS, Player’s Companion, and the Heroic Fantasy Companion in one place!

Axioms Special Bonus Issue 2020

  • Compiled Equipment Collection: The collection of all arms, armor, and equipment from ACKS, Player’s Companion, Domains at War, and Heroic Fantasy Handbook.

Axioms Special Bonus Issue 2021

  • HEROES & HOPLITES: A mini-sourcebook for role-playing in the Mythic Mediterranean…
    • Choose from the Hypaspist, Psiloi, Pantokrator, Mathematikos, or Mechanikos character classes.
    • Extemporaneously cast magic by using Pythagorean mathematics.
    • Equip your hero with a labrys, sarissa, gastraphetes, kontos, and linothorax
    • Become powerful and earn the gifts of the gods. Become immortal, take kingship, and rule with the blessings of Olympos!

Unpublished Articles

These articles are available now on Autarch’s Patreon, and will soon be available as individual issues.

  • ACKS v.01: A look at the set of house rules modifying B/X that birthed the system
  • ACKS Encounter Table Generator: Quickly customize wilderness encounters for any area you define
  • Calling, Conjuration, and Summoning: Expanded options for summonings and conjurations by Frank Skeivoll Romsvig
  • History and Timeline of the Auran Empire
  • Who’s On Point?: A look into streamlining sneaking and surprise in ACKS 2E
  • The Flow of Combat: A study and overhaul of ACKS’ combat sequence
  • Horsing Around: The economics of horse herds.
  • What is Best in Life? I,II,II: The underlying economics of nomads, such as the Mongol, and how their domains are structured in ACKS
  • Magical Research Revised, I,II,III: An update for Magical Research rules in ACKS, plus updates to the Experimentation rules from ACKS:PC and drawing Arcane Power from the dungeon.
  • Secrets of Dwarven Mycoculture: The mechanics and methods of dwarven mushroom farms (Now Available in By This Axe)
  • Rule of the Few: Oligarchies in ACKS
  • The Price of Everything: A review of prices of common merchandise in ACKS
  • The Econometrics of Aurëpos: A review of how new demographics rules alter the econometrics of the Auran campaign setting.
  • The Ecology of Aurëpos: a deep dive into the biomass, food intake, and population figures of various creatures. Working from both top-down historical numbers and bottom-up ecological analysis, we’ll discover that we can put a huge venerable dragon in every wilderness hex on our map.

By Content

Characters

  • Axioms #1
    • Introducing the Wizard: a Mage-like class that utilizes shaded magic
  • Axioms #5
    • Of Mischief and Mountebanks: Two new classes.
      • The Fool: A class relying on charisma and luck
      • The Mountebank: A trickster who can brew quacksalves (potions of dubious effectiveness)
  • Axioms #8
    • Put Your Game Face On: Generating PC/NPC appearances based on race and ability scores
  • Axioms #9
    • Noncombatant Characters: Leveling noncombatant, non-adventuring characters – normal men – into higher levels
  • Axioms #10
    • Grim Heroes: Three new grimdark classes for grimdark worlds:
    • The Flagellant: a zealot fighting fores of Chaos
    • The Revenant: Free willed undead with a singular goal
  • Axioms #11
    • Behind the Veil: A new class – Nobiran Veildancers, a graceful fighter with divine power
    • Temptress of the Temple:Revealing the dark secrets of the Priestesses of Nasga
  • Axioms #12
    • Live by the Fist: presenting a streetfighter that packs a punch
    • The Purse is Mightier than the Curse: with the newly revised venturer, the wizards work for you
  • Axioms #13
    • Machinery to the Max: Vastly expanded Automaton rules for Machinists
  • Axioms #15
    • Lords of the Night: The Nosferatu as a racial class.
    • Scion of the Shadows: The Nosferatu Scion class.
    • The Katripol of Eastern Ulruk: A New Race for ACKS and Auran Empire Campaigns, the Katripol, with skill in machines
    • The Magical and the Mechanical: The Katripol Artificier class.

Custom Classes

  • Axioms #1
    • Beyond Arcane and Divine: rules for designing custom magic types for your campaigns
    • The Shades of Magic: Rules for shaded magic, where dark magic can cause corruption of the body and soul
  • Axioms #2
    • Bred for War: Building custom classes with beastman racial builds.
  • Axioms #4
    • Morituri Te Salutant: Running gladiatoral games, and maintaining a gladiatoral school as a domain type
  • Axioms #7
    • Alternate Progressions for the Arcane Values: Reworking the lesser arcane value spell slot progression for better value balance
  • Axioms #9
    • Creating Custom Fantasy Races: Creating races compatible with the Player’s Companion class building system
    • Noncombatant Characters: Leveling noncombatant, non-adventuring characters – normal men – into higher levels

Equipment

  • Axioms #2
    • The Weapons and Warriors of Woe: Variant rules for beastmen arms, armor, and leaders.
    • Hauberks and Hobbits: Armor weights and costs for small and large creatures
  • Special Edition 2020
    • Compiled Equipment Collection: The collection of all arms, armor, and equipment from ACKS, Player’s Companion, Domains at War, and Heroic Fantasy Handbook.
  • Axioms #20
    • Of Arms and Armor: Overview of historical metallurgy, revised weapon and armor characteristics based on physics, plus rules for armor made of unusual materials

Spells And Magic

  • Axioms #1
    • Overcasting: Casting spells beyond one’s traditional limits, with a price
  • Axioms #5
    • Hedge Wizardry and Village Wisdom: Cantrips for ACKS.
  • Axioms #7
    • A Grimoire of Spells: Nine new spells of 5th level and higher.
  • Axioms #14
    • Codex & Scroll I: Writing, Reading, Buying, and Selling Books
    • Codex & Scroll II: Libraries and Authorities
    • Codex & Scroll III: Spells, Formulae, and Systems
  • Axioms #18
    • Integrated Spell Power Guidelines: Integrated tables combining the Player’s Companion and Heroic Fantasy Handbook‘s spell building resources in one place.

Adventures

  • Axioms #6
    • What’s Your Condition?: A dictionary of various conditions (affecting creatures) in ACKS
    • Well Met! Now Prepare to Die, Handsome: Expanded mechanics for diplomacy, intimidation, and seduction in ACKS
  • Axioms #8
    • Put Your Game Face On: Generating PC/NPC appearances based on race and ability scores
    • What’s In Its Pockets?: Valuables, trinkets, and oddities found in other people’s pockets.
  • Axioms #16
    • Wounds & Woe: Expanded rules for permanent wounds and tampering with mortality

Campaigns

  • Axioms Special Edition: Campaign Play
    • Campaign Play: Scheduling the resoution of various domain play activities
    • Campaign Activities: Managing various activities – adventuring, growing congregations, ruling domains, magical research, guild hijinks, and mercantile adventures in the framework of a long term campaign.
  • Axioms #12
    • Hench Wanted: finding and hiring the right henchman for the job at hand
  • Axioms #16
    • Wounds & Woe: Expanded rules for permanent wounds and tampering with mortality
  • Axioms #19
    • Dynasties: New rules for dynasties, including birth, succession, blood rights, and more.

Strongholds And Domains

  • Axioms #3
    • Strongholds and Domains: Refined rules for ACKS domains
    • Seperating Land and Lordship: Running domains where the ruler of the land and the owner of the land are distinct entities
    • Senatus Consultum Ultimum: Rules for domains with a senate or other ruling body
  • Axioms #4
    • Morituri Te Salutant: Running gladiatoral games, and maintaining a gladiatoral school as a domain type
  • Axioms #17
    • Ore Never Changes: Rules for placing veins of ore, domain mechanics for mines, and dwarven steampunk mining!

Domains At War

  • Axioms #3
    • Wandering Into War: Random encounters at the domain level – wandering beastmen and monsters arriving to pillage or settle
  • Axioms #4
    • Pitching Battle!: A revised ruleset for Domains At War: Campaigns battle resolution
    • Aide De Camp: Printable play aids for the above ruleset
    • Elite Troops: Training region or culture specific elite troop types
  • Axioms #19
    • Cohorts: New mechanics for adventurer-scale battles with large formations of troops.

Magic Research

  • Axioms #1
    • The Art of Arcanogenesis: Creating new life forms with magic from scratch
  • Axioms #5
    • Potions, Lotions, and Other Commotions: Cantrip Items and item creation.
    • A Blight Upon The Earth: Drawing divine power from the land itself.
  • Axioms #7
    • Magic Item Research: Calculations of value for each magic item in ACKS, to aid in item creation.
    • Magical Compounds: Enhancing the flexibility of the magic item creation rules by using/distilling common, multi-use compounds from monster parts.
  • Axioms #14
    • Codex & Scroll I: Writing, Reading, Buying, and Selling Books
    • Codex & Scroll II: Libraries and Authorities
    • Codex & Scroll III: Spells, Formulae, and Systems

Monsters

  • Axioms #2
    • The Weapons and Warriors of Woe: Variant rules for beastmen arms, armor, and leaders.
  • Axioms #9
    • Folks Fair and Foul: Eight new fey monsters.
  • Axioms #10
    • Terrors of the Night: A pair of new undead creatures inspired by monsters of legend.

Treasure

  • Axioms #5
    • Potions, Lotions, and Other Commotions: Cantrip Items and item creation.
  • Axioms #8
    • Make Magical Items Magical Again: Thematic minor effects to indivualize magical items.
  • Axioms #14
    • Codex & Scroll I: Writing, Reading, Buying, and Selling Books
    • Codex & Scroll II: Libraries and Authorities
    • Codex & Scroll III: Spells, Formulae, and Systems

The Auran Empire

  • Axioms #2
    • A Culture of Battle: History and Social/Economic structures of beastmen
    • Who Stands Against the Beastmen?: How the Auran Empire defends its borderlands.
  • Axioms #11
    • Lore of the Stars: astrology in the Auran Empire
    • Metaphysics of the Cosmos: the cosmogonic secrets of the universe, revealed!
  • Axioms #21
    • Classical Auran: An overview of the Auran language, with a primer for English speakers, overviews of pronunciation, grammar and syntax, plus a 1,000 word dictionary of useful terms for naming places, people, and items.

Secrets

  • Axioms #2
    • Domains of Chaos: Rules and demographics for beastman clanholds, chaotic domains, and tribal warriors.
  • Axioms #3
    • Of Coins and Commerce: The underlying economic system of ACKS, and rules for mercantile investments
    • The Economics of Peasant Families: How peasant families generate value
    • Flocks and Herbs And Silver And Gold: How animal husbandry generates value
  • Axioms #6
    • Prepare for the Future: A peek into what might happen in an ACKS 2E
  • Axioms #8
    • Put Your Game Face On: Generating PC/NPC appearances based on race and ability scores
    • Stocking the Wilderness: Revamped mechanics for broadening the scope and flavor of wilderness encounters
  • Axioms Special Edition: Abstract Play
    • Abstract Dungeons: Running adventures in dungeons without the dungeon – great for groups of henchmen or secondary characters
    • Abstract Wilderness: Running wilderness lair encounters and clearing hexes with an abstracted system
  • Axioms #12
    • The Art of Thievery: revisiting the rules for thieves and related classes
    • Re-Thinking Thieves, Part I: a mathematical assessment of whether thief skills are balanced
    • Re-Thinking Thieves, Part II: some roguish ideas to tinker with thieves

Lairs And Encounters

  • Axioms #10
    • The Fetid Crypt of Anatu the Defiler: a dark and haunting dungeon in the Auran Empire’s Borderlands