Horizons 3

Hello, one and all, and happy Horizons release day! We’re thrilled to present the spring issue of Horizons—and it’s a chonky one jam-packed with GM- and player-facing goodness, plus an interview with the one and only Brennan Lee Mulligan!

You can download Horizons 3 as a full-color PDF and grayscale PDF attached to this post.

Cover Art by Adrián Ibarra Lugo

We asked Adrián for a doorway set in elaborate architecture that opens into a fantastical landscape—and the result is simply wow. Adrián drew on both Mesoamerican and Middle Eastern architectural styles and motifs to create this beautiful wizard’s study which I very much want to visit (small dragon-lizard friend and cats included)!

The Desk of Many Thoughts

Villains, Accomplices, and Bystanders: Portraying antagonists and power systems

An interview with Brennan Lee Mulligan

We had the honor and pleasure of chatting with all-star DM, improviser, and student of philosophy Brennan Lee Mulligan for an exclusive interview in Horizons! Brennan is known for DMing Dimension 20, Worlds Beyond Number, and several Critical Role miniseries. We sat down with him to ask how he portrays bad guys and entrenched systems of power so effectively—and how the resulting stories of hope, friendship, and solidarity carry over into everyday life.

Deals and Appeals: The Crowd Patron

Become the avatar of your people

Author: Leon Barillaro | Artist: Nikki Dawes
System: 5e (Character Options)

A Warlock of the people, by the people, and for the people! Draw on the power of your crowd—whether they’re your ancestors, community, or fans—to influence hearts and minds, support your allies, and pull off explosive combos. The Crowd Patron is accompanied by GM advice for roleplaying the crowd itself, as well as new Eldritch Invocation options!

The Gilded Quill

A fantastic casino full of games, illusions, and danger!

Author: Sam Mannell | Artist: Katerina Ladon | Cartographer: Clara Daly
System: 5e, easily adaptable for other systems (Location, NPCs, Stat Blocks, Magic Items)

This lavish villa is filled with games of chance and skill, talented performers, delicious drinks … and many secrets. Let your player characters unwind and relax (or get into trouble), meet colorful NPCs and undertake their quests, play Rout and Sixes, and gradually uncover the fiendish scheme behind the whole show. Confronting these fiends and their cultists is no simple matter, but a clever and determined party can make powerful allies, break the fiends’ protective enchantments, and take down the avaricious devils!

The Avenging Heart

Restore a legendary weapon and seek justice for a disgraced hero

Author: Brandes Stoddard | Artist: Jessica Nguyen
System: 5e (Storyline, Encounters, Magic Items)

A Holy Avenger is among the mightiest weapons a Paladin can hope to wield, representing an obligation and an honor earned through many trials. “The Avenging Heart” presents a storyline surrounding this iconic weapon, which is intended to be a Paladin player’s personal story for a GM to incorporate into an ongoing campaign. The storyline includes six new magic weapons, including scaled-down and corrupted versions of the Holy Avenger that recognize the Paladin character’s potential and evolve based on their actions.

Deathmatch Atlantis

Atlantis has risen from the sea. Production demands that you Play to Win™. 

Author and Cartographer: Tim Denee | Artist: Anna Grinenko
System: Deathmatch Island (Location, Encounters)

The fabled island of Atlantis has risen from its watery slumber, erupting into the sunlight for the first time in thousands of years. Production knows just what to do with such a sacred site: turn it into a location for a fight to the death on a new season of Deathmatch Island! And you, brave competitor, have been selected for this unique opportunity. By winning, you will earn not only your freedom, but also the wealth of kings.

Don’t forget about the Deathmatch Island discount code for Horizons subscribers! The coupon 20HORIZONS is good for 20% off all in-stock items for Deathmatch Island (both physical and digital) through June 30, 2025!

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Horizons includes bios for our designers, editors, consultants, artists, alpha testers, and staff, and a page of handy resources and links for getting started with the game systems featured in each issue.

We can’t wait to hear about your adventures with Crowd Patron Warlocks, investigating devils in The Gilded Quill, restoring the Sword of Sorrows to its glorious Holy Avenger form, and Playing to Win™ in Deathmatch Atlantis! Thank you a thousandfold for your support—you make all of this possible and we’re honored to have you with us in the mage tower.

—Hannah, Editor-in-Chief

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