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At Raging Swan Press, we believe that games set in a richly detailed, immersive world are better than games that are not. It should come as no surprise that we are huge fans of dungeon dressing, but what exactly is dungeon dressing, and why do we keep going on about it?
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Few things are worse than a character showing interest in a throw-away monster. Perhaps, the heroes have entered a dungeon, butchered its denizens and now loot their enemies’ still-warm corpses. Use these lists to fill their enemies’ pockets with interesting but essentially worthless things.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreEven villains must have clothes or favourite foods, and these tables can generate such details. Such small items may spark the characters’ interest and could lead to interesting role-playing opportunities or could even give insights into the NPC’s personality and interests.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreEven villains must have clothes or favourite foods, and these tables can generate such details. Such small items may spark the characters’ interest and could lead to interesting role-playing opportunities or could even give insights into the NPC’s personality and interests.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreCampaign worlds need deep dungeons, lost dwarven holds, crumbling castles, ebon caverns and dusty necropolises for the characters to explore. Such locales need suitably evocative names.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreThrones are meant to present an image of power. The exalted personage occupying a throne is important and sits in style and comfort while others stand in their presence.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreA marvel of architectural engineering, the archway lends itself as much to decoration as it does to functionality. Many things can lurk in shadowed dungeon archways.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreUse these random encounters to add spice and interest to your dungeon. The encounters are designed to be relatively generic and should be easy to insert into almost any dungeon. As always, change or ignore any details that do not work for your setup.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreUse these random encounters to add spice and interest to your dungeon. The encounters are designed to be relatively generic and should be easy to insert into almost any dungeon. As always, change or ignore any details that do not work for your setup.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreA tapestry can be nothing more than decoration. However, a tapestry can also hide a concealed door, be climbed on or even be used to enfold an enemy (when pulled from the wall). More importantly, they can also be loot!
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreAs well as including “large” pieces of dungeon dressing—statues, interesting pillars and so on—in your dungeon, smaller pieces of dressing can also tell an interesting story and help bring your creation alive in your players’ imaginations.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreAs well as including “large” pieces of dungeon dressing—statues, interesting pillars and so on—in your dungeon, smaller pieces of dressing can also tell an interesting story and help bring your creation alive in your players’ imaginations.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreDungeons rarely comprise featureless corridors swept clean of debris (unless a gelatinous cube wanders the halls). Here, strange things abound.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWhether it be a cobweb-covered gate, a portcullis adorned with a green iron devil's face or a fissure in the stony ground belching a sulphurous smoke, the entrance to your dungeon sets the tone for the adventure.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreA bridge normally crosses a river, ravine, chasm, gorge or another obstacle. In a dungeon, a bridge could also span a deadly lava flow, glacial lake, pit of spikes, the den of dangerous subterranean creatures or other outlandish terrain feature. Deep pits (or more perilous falls) make bridges dangerous terrain to cross and fight on, particularly for characters without the ability to fly.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreOne is hard-stretched to design a dungeon without noting the appearance of its walls. Whether the dungeon is an ancient and forgotten crypt haunted by the ghosts of yesteryear or a newly-built den of smugglers and slavers staffed by men most foul, a dungeon’s walls help set the tone for an adventure as well as player expectations for what horrors might lurk within.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreA ceiling affects a room’s mood and style. A ceiling’s style can vary between simple and plain to expansive and elaborate with ornate painted frescos (or somewhere in between).
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreTrapdoors come in many different shapes and sizes and often provide access to hidden chambers, treasure vaults, cellars, prisons and so on.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreThe dungeon’s floor is the one feature with which every adventurer will interact.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read More
It’s no secret that at Raging Swan Press, we are big fans of dressed dungeons. A dressed dungeon feels more real than an undressed dungeon. A dressed dungeon engages your players’ imaginations, promotes creative play and helps them immerse themselves in the adventure.