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y of Ashlar is small and constrained. Always, the forces of evil and shadow press inwards upon its borders. If it were not for a stout few, death and darkness would have long ago overwhelmed the land. Dunstone was once Ashlar's northern bulwark. Now…
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Successful thieves need a fence—someone willing to buy and sell their ill-gotten gains. Like their customers, such folk must keep their true business secret, and thus, they often openly practise some other legitimate trade.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Merchants, traders, artisans, and some ordinary folk, need somewhere to store their bulky goods. Some own their own warehouses, while others hire the requisite space on a temporary basis.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Houses of worship and quiet contemplation stand in or near many settlements. Within, the occupants seek spiritual enlightenment in the service of their patron.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Normally places for the poor or the penny-wise, boarding houses offer lodgings and food; most such places offer only the barest of essentials to their guests.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Far below the sunlit surface lie places and things undreamt of by decent commonfolk. Some such things have never seen the light of day, while others have escaped into the Underlands to escape the hated sun.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Pools add an element of mystery to a dungeon. In their often murky depths, they can hide both treasure, monsters or other secrets. Dungeon pools can be magical or mundane. Some are naturally occurring with swiftly flowing water, while others feature elaborate fountains, traps or other features. It is a brave adventurer who willing steps into unknown waters.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWealthy or powerful individuals may have elaborately decorated sarcophagi dripping with gemstones, precious metals and other decorations. These treasure-filled tombs are certain to be guarded with fiendish traps or deadly guardians to keep out would-be grave robbers.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreStatues come in many shapes and sizes and are a staple of most dungeons.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreStairs come in many shapes and sizes, including steep, gradual, precipitous and spiral. Stairs in dungeons don’t even have to be made of stone—some can be of wood, bone or other magical or fantastical substances.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MorePortcullises are imposing obstacles for adventurers. Their grid-like construction offers a glimpse of what lies beyond while providing defenders a powerful position from which to strike at interlopers.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreConcealed and hidden doors are a requirement for any suitably interesting dungeon, building or ruin. A secret door is generally a deliberate part of the dungeon crafted when the place is constructed. Concealed doors are somewhat more mundane, and can easily be added later.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreSecret doors are prolific in literature and even more ubiquitous in fantasy gaming. Rare is the dungeon crawl that doesn’t feature a handful of cunningly hidden secret doors. The challenge is in making each door a unique experience worth a few moments of wonder instead of just another excuse for a search check.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreChests, or more accurately their contents, are most adventurers’ favourite dungeon feature. Chests represent their hard-earned reward after days in the dark, exploring new terrain and overcoming challenging foes. Therein new and shiny discoveries await, equipping the heroes for even greater challenges.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWells are important places in dungeons—a well might be the only readily accessible source of drinking water in the entire place. Given most dungeon denizens require water those controlling a well can become wealthy and powerful charging others for the water they draw. Thus, a well can also be a source of much conflict between the dungeon’s denizens as they all seek to gain control of such an important resource.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreAltars dedicated to dark, forbidden powers are a staple of many fantasy dungeons. Here, evil high priests officiate over bloody, blasphemous services or cultists gather to worship their terrible patron. Such locales are thus often an excellent place to find and slay said evil-doers or to recover their hidden treasures. A few such locales have even established a tenuous link with the deity itself, and strange, odd effects occur in their immediate vicinity.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MorePits are a lurking danger that have spelt the doom of countless adventurers. Pits can be used to kill, injure or trap intruders, block progress or prevent escape. An explorer trapped in a pit with no way of getting out is at the mercy of the first creature or character to discover their predicament.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreDrow, terrors of the Ebon Realm, normally stay away from the sunlit surface lands yet sometimes they wander too close. Setting up outposts near the surface they sneak forth to capture slaves to carry back to their subterranean home.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreCunning ambush predators, ropers lie in wait pretending to be stalagmites so their prey blunder too close to escape.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreBuried deep in the snow and ice a white dragon’s frigid lair is a terrifying locale.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreDwelling in the seemingly eternal glaciers of the far north and south and in snowy mountain ranges, frost giants work the ice itself into magnificent castles and fortifications to better suit their frozen hearts.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreImmensely strong burrowing predators, bulettes—or land sharks as they are sometimes called—live only to feed. They fear nothing and treat everything moving as food. Bulettes range over a wide area and are always on the move.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreStirges hunt warm-blooded creatures, swooping down to use their long proboscis to drain their prey’s blood. Once sated and bloated with their prey’s blood, they fly away to digest their meal.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreVicious, warlike and mercenary hobgoblins set up their military-style camps almost anywhere. The camps are not just their home but also the springboard for their campaigns.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWild and feral orcs take over caves with little care for secrecy or subtlety. Proudly displaying their battle trophies, they taint the area with their awful, savage presence.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreThe haunted manor house is a classic adventure locale. Every town and city—and many villages—has such a locale: an old, ill-favoured house lurking amid the myths, rumours and legends of the locality.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
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Famed inn popular with adventurers and their hangers-on