As we’re starting to kick off the pre-launch before the campaign, we want to give you on quick project update and introduce you to two of our favorite creatures in the bestiary!
Update
The foundried player race will NOT be restricted to US backers. We apologize for starting with that restriction, but we had to be cautious and make sure we can fulfill it internationally. Now we know we can!
Wayfinder Automaton
Rolling around on wheeled legs, this construct possesses no visible weapons. But with a command from its creator, its wheels retreat into its body, and a maw of razor-sharp blades emerge from its mouth as it drops onto four limbs and charges its target, murder in its eyes as sparks fly off its metal frame.
Stalwart Defenders. Wayfinder engineers create these automatons to serve as the company’s pet and assist in battle. Their loyalty is to the engineer who created them, but they will obey commands from other individuals as instructed.
Malformed Flesh Golem
The creature is stitched together using bits and pieces from a dozen people, but whoever made it did a terrible job; its limbs don’t work as they should, and it looks to be in terrible, terrible pain.
Created from a Dozen People. Mömielle avoids throwing away things that might be of future use. That includes the sacrifices she makes on a daily basis; instead, she repurposes those sacrifices into her flesh golems. She’s never quite figured out how to make one work just right, though, so they end up hideously malformed.
Foundried Player Race. Unlike other creatures, foundried are not born—they’re forged. The first foundried was created in ancient times by a smith, long forgotten by the rest of the world. For centuries, perhaps millennia, they remained hidden from the outside world and only emerged into the daylight in recent years.
Each foundried is imbued with their individuality and intelligence during the forging process. The exact magic or machines used to create them are closely guarded secrets known to only a select few foundrieds, never to be divulged, not under bribery, torture, nor even death. Not even magical compulsions have managed to shed light on the process.
Lair Zine is the next incarnation of our long running Lair Magazine series. From 2021 to 2025, Lair Magazine was published as as a digital magazine only. However, now we're bringing Lair Zine to you as a physical magazine that you can hold in your own hands!
Lair Zine still includes everything you came to love about Lair Magazine. This issue includes two new player options, three full-length adventures, five short adventures, and fifteen brand-new monsters.
Lair Zine includes two new player options: a playable race and a rogue subclass.
Homunculus. Homunculi are artificial beings, rather than natural occurrences. Most are crafted by wizards or other tinkerers and only exist while they serve their purpose. A few, however, were so finely crafted that they had souls that endured after their purpose ended and were able to reproduce, creating an entire artificial race. You are one of those rare few, a being who shouldn't exist and yet you have a unique opportunity to create your own destiny.
Stitcher. While many rogues seem content to be loner outcasts, not all embrace the stereotype… at least not fully. While a stitcher doesn’t exactly help themselves stop being an outcast, they’ve discovered a way to avoid being alone; at least, that’s what they tell themselves as they put together yet another abomination to travel with them. Inspired by golems and mechanical soldiers, stitchers use once-living flesh as the base for their creations and graft together a vile menagerie of parts meant to help them in their work.
Lair Zine includes three full-length adventures:
A Bit too Charming. A small village known for the husbandry of unusual creatures has recently become the target of a rogue charmer who desires their unusual creatures. At first, the charmer approached the village to purchase a few creatures, but the villagers became aware of the charmer’s abilities and canceled the purchase. The charmer has responded by returning with a few “friends” to take possession of the creatures he wants.
The Siege of Edgerton. The City of Edgerton is under siege. A large group of mercenaries known as the Wayfinders have blocked off all exits and waged war against the city. Their attack could not have arrived at a worse time, adding panic to the brewing fears over the magical collapses happening everywhere. If the siege remains unbroken, Edgerton will be doomed to disease and starvation.
Appia’s Hope. A short while ago, Appia was given a lifeline: a new aqueduct began bringing water to the imperiled city, granting it a reprieve from its water crisis. However, this would not be the end of the story for Appia; nay, it was merely the beginning. Shortly after the water started flowing, a vile drow witch took control of the machine that keeps the water clean and flowing, nearly choking the city. If she cannot be stopped, Appia's last hope may be lost forever.
Lair Zine includes 15 new monsters to use in your games! These monsters are also the featured villains in the three full-length adventures and several short adventures in the zine. Whether you need an interesting one-off creature or you need a drow witch to serve a more robust villainous role, these creatures are perfect.
Unlike random encounters, each of these short adventures includes everything you need to fully engage your players: multiple encounters, real NPCs, and loot for players to discover. They're ideal for slotting into your campaign when you want something more robust than an ordinary random encounter but don't want to use a full-length adventure. In fact, the majority of these short adventures include info to help you start the adventure while the characters are just wandering down the road!
Shipping Shipping is only available for US backers; the cost of shipping is included in your pledge.
Compatibility
Lair Zine is designed to be compatible with both D&D 5e (2014) and D&D 5.5e (2024). There will not be separate books for each version. Instead, the zine is primarily written to be compatible with the 2014 rules. Sidebars will provide information on how to use the content with the 2024 ruleset with the fewest number of changes possible.
Fulfillment Timeline Lair Zine will be fulfilled within a couple months of the project closing.
No AI Content
AI was not used to create the Lair Zine. Everything in the zine was created by artists and writers.
