Kobold Press
Kobold Press is a privately held tabletop RPG publisher founded in 2007 serving D&D 5E, Pathfinder, and Tales of the Valiant players and game masters through original settings, monster compendiums, sourcebooks, and its proprietary RPG system distributed via owned e-commerce, D&D Beyond, DriveThruRPG, Kickstarter, and Gen Con.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKirkland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kobold Press does
Kobold Press (legal entity Open Design LLC) is a privately held tabletop roleplaying game publisher founded by Wolfgang Baur in Kirkland, Washington, operating since approximately 2007. The company produces a portfolio of original and third-party-licensed RPG content targeting game masters and players of D&D 5th Edition, Pathfinder, and its own proprietary system. Core products include Tales of the Valiant—an OGL-compliant 5E-compatible RPG system released in 2024 under the Black Flag/ORC open license—the Midgard original campaign setting, monster compendiums (Tome of Beasts, Monster Vault, Creature Codex Revised with 400+ creatures), the Deep Magic sourcebook series, Campaign Builder toolkits (Castles & Crowns, Pirates & Plunder), and the RiverBank RPG system.
The business operates a hybrid B2C model combining owned e-commerce (koboldpress.com store), digital marketplace distribution (D&D Beyond, DriveThruRPG), crowdfunding (Kickstarter), and direct convention sales at Gen Con, where it runs more game events than nearly any other publisher and tripled event count from 2023. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the Labyrinth World Archive, Encounter Builder, Midgard interactive map, and VTT integrations (e.g., Shard). Distribution is global via digital channels and concentrated in North America physically.
The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed external institutional investment. It generates revenue primarily through one-time book and PDF sales across multiple platforms, supplemented by Kickstarter campaigns and convention sales. In July 2026, Kobold Press was named a Wizards of the Coast Annual Setting Support partner, formally elevating it from third-party publisher to an endorsed official D&D partner alongside Ghostfire Gaming and Visionary Productions.
Kobold Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kobold Press
- Legal name
- Open Design LLC
- Website
- https://koboldpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kobold Press is a privately held tabletop RPG publisher founded in 2007 serving D&D 5E, Pathfinder, and Tales of the Valiant players and game masters through original settings, monster compendiums, sourcebooks, and its proprietary RPG system distributed via owned e-commerce, D&D Beyond, DriveThruRPG, Kickstarter, and Gen Con.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kobold Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tabletop RPG Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH)
Keywords
Where Kobold Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kirkland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kobold Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: Sale of hardcover and paperback RPG books including sourcebooks, monster compendiums, adventures, and campaign settings through their e-commerce store and retail distribution.
- Digital Product Sales: PDF downloads of all products sold through their store, D&D Beyond, and DriveThruRPG.
- Kickstarter Campaigns: Crowdfunding campaigns for major releases with pledge tiers offering various product combinations and exclusive content.
- Subscription Newsletter: Kobold Courier newsletter with weekly updates, though the primary subscription appears to be free with promotional content.
- Convention Sales: Direct sales at conventions like Gen Con, including convention-exclusive products and signings.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kobold Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kobold Press is a tabletop RPG publishing house that designs, publishes, and sells fantasy roleplaying game systems, sourcebooks, monster compendiums, adventure modules, and campaign settings. Their flagship product is Tales of the Valiant (ToV), a 5E-compatible RPG system released under the Black Flag open license, complemented by the Midgard campaign setting and an extensive catalog of supplementary content for D&D 5E, ToV, and Pathfinder.
Product overview
Kobold Press is an established tabletop RPG publisher offering a portfolio of products across multiple game systems. The core offerings include Tales of the Valiant (ToV), their flagship 5E-compatible RPG system developed as Project Black Flag; the Midgard campaign setting available for multiple systems; Black Flag Roleplaying under ORC license; and RiverBank RPG. Supporting products include the Monster Vault and Creature Codex Revised monster compendiums (400+ creatures), Deep Magic sourcebook series, and Campaign Builder toolkits (Castles & Crowns, Pirates & Plunder). Digital tools include the Labyrinth World Archive, Midgard Map, Encounter Builder, and various monster/adventure search tools. The company publishes primarily for 5E D&D, Tales of the Valiant, and Pathfinder, with 142 Pathfinder RPG titles created over an 8-year run. Products are distributed through the Kobold Store, DriveThruRPG, and major retailers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tales of the Valiant: An independent fantasy tabletop RPG system compatible with D&D 5th Edition, released in 2024.
- Midgard
- Black Flag
Products and services
- Tales of the Valiant (ToV) Kobold Press's flagship tabletop roleplaying game system; a 5E-compatible RPG with improved ranger, fabled items, item pricing, weapon maneuvers, and luck mechanics; compatible with D&D 5E and 2024 D&D.
- Midgard Campaign Setting Kobold Press's original fantasy campaign setting; a rich world with distinct regions, deities, and lore available for multiple RPG systems including 5E, Pathfinder, and Tales of the Valiant.
- Black Flag Roleplaying The open gaming license foundation of Tales of the Valiant; released under ORC (Open RPG Creative) license and Creative Commons; enables third-party publishers to create compatible content.
- RiverBank RPG A standalone fantasy RPG system developed by Kobold Press; part of the portfolio of game systems supported by the publisher.
- Creature Codex Revised Revised edition monster compendium featuring 400+ monsters for D&D 5.5e/5E, including umbral vampires, demon lords, and original horrors; compatible with Monster Vault and Monster Manual.
- Tome of Beasts Monster collection for 5E and Pathfinder; part of the Kobold bestiary line with hundreds of original creatures; multiple volumes published.
- Deep Magic Sourcebook Series Magic sourcebook series including Shadow Magic, Battle Magic, Chaos Magic, Illumination Magic, and Ley Lines; expands spell options and magical systems for 5E.
- Campaign Builder: Castles & Crowns Extensive toolkit for ToV and 5E gamers covering subclasses, magic, and monsters for ruling or overthrowing realms; includes map folio with cartography for palaces, vineyards, castles, and manor houses.
- Northlands Worldbook Setting supplement for Tales of the Valiant featuring the land of ice and snow; includes content for players seeking a Norse-inspired campaign with gods pulling the strings of mortal heroes.
- Campaign Builder: Pirates & Plunder Complete seafaring campaign toolkit for 5E D&D and Tales of the Valiant; enables running campaigns and adventures at sea with a pirates theme.
- Book of Ebon Tides / Tales from the Shadows Shadow Plane sourcebook with 14 adventures; available on D&D Beyond; follow-up to Tome of Beasts 1 on the digital marketplace.
- Dungeons Deep Adventure Collection 176-page adventure collection featuring monsters found in both Monster Vault and Monster Manual; compatible with both systems; appeals to broader audience than single-ruleset adventures.
Companies that use Kobold Press
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kobold Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kobold Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wizards of the CoastcoreKobold Press is part of Wizards of the Coast's Annual Setting Support partnership program, providing annual official TTRPG support for D&D's iconic campaign settings alongside Ghostfire Gaming and Visionary Productions. This represents a significant endorsement of Kobold Press as an official third-party D&D partner.
- Blizzard EntertainmentminorIndirect partnership through Wizards of the Coast - Kobold Press benefits from the broader D&D Universes Beyond initiative that includes World of Warcraft collaboration, though this is managed through WotC.
- Steamforged GamesminorSteamforged is producing a Tales of the Valiant Starter Set, expanding distribution of Kobold Press's proprietary RPG system through a licensed manufacturing partner.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kobold Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Goodman Games: Independent tabletop RPG publisher known for Dungeon Crawl Classics and third-party D&D content; competes head-to-head with Kobold Press in the third-party D&D supplement and adventure module category.
- Paizo: Publisher of Pathfinder and Starfinder tabletop RPGs, the closest direct peer: an independent publisher of core RPG systems, campaign settings, and adventure paths sold through similar channels (own store, conventions, DriveThruRPG).
- Mongoose Publishing: UK-based publisher of Traveller and other tabletop RPGs and miniatures games; comparable as an independent publisher producing both original systems and licensed supplements, with convention-led distribution.
- Free League Publishing: Swedish publisher of tabletop RPGs (Mörk Borg, Vaesen, The One Ring 2E); comparable as an independent RPG publisher building owned systems with strong art direction and digital tool support.
- Chaosium: Publisher of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and other tabletop RPGs; comparable as a long-running independent RPG house with proprietary systems, a community of freelance designers, and multi-channel distribution.
- MCDM Productions: Matt Colville's tabletop RPG company building an original fantasy RPG (Draw Steel) and D&D-adjacent content; comparable as a creator-led independent publisher transitioning from third-party 5E supplements to an owned RPG system.
- Green Ronin Publishing: Independent publisher of tabletop RPGs including Mutants & Masterminds and Fantasy AGE; comparable as a third-party D&D-adjacent publisher producing settings, adventures, and original systems for the same hobby audience.
- Darrington Press: Publishing arm of Critical Role producing original tabletop RPGs (Daggerheart) and D&D-compatible content; comparable as a creator-led publisher leveraging a large community audience to sell RPG systems, settings, and adventures.
- Ghostfire Gaming: Independent tabletop RPG publisher named alongside Kobold Press in WotC's Annual Setting Support program; directly comparable as a third-party D&D content creator now producing official setting support for Wizards of the Coast.
Broad incumbents
- Wizards of the Coast: Owner of Dungeons & Dragons and Kobold Press's largest commercial partner; operates broadly across tabletop RPGs, miniatures games, and digital play (D&D Beyond) and sets the licensing environment Kobold Press operates within.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kobold Press social profiles
Digital presenceKobold Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kobold Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kobold Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kobold Press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kobold Press
What does Kobold Press do?
Kobold Press is a tabletop RPG publishing house that designs, publishes, and sells fantasy roleplaying game systems, sourcebooks, monster compendiums, adventure modules, and campaign settings. Their flagship product is Tales of the Valiant (ToV), a 5E-compatible RPG system released under the Black Flag open license, complemented by the Midgard campaign setting and an extensive catalog of supplementary content for D&D 5E, ToV, and Pathfinder.
Is Kobold Press a public or private company?
Kobold Press is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kobold Press founded?
Kobold Press was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kobold Press based?
Kobold Press is headquartered in Kirkland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kobold Press make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Product Sales, kickstarter Campaigns, subscription Newsletter and convention Sales.
Who are Kobold Press's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Goodman Games, Paizo, Mongoose Publishing, Free League Publishing, Chaosium, MCDM Productions, Green Ronin Publishing, Darrington Press and Ghostfire Gaming. Wizards of the Coast is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Kobold Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kobold Press.
What industry is Kobold Press in?
Kobold Press's product category is Tabletop RPG Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAH, Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.