Welcome to the Raging Swan Press blog. Herein you’ll find resource and advice articles to make your game better. From time to time, we’ll also post exciting Raging Swan Press news!
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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.
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.
It’s always the perfect time to game, and we hope you can find something below that will help you have more fun with your friends!
Small roadside shrines appear in many towns and cities. They venerate important saints, local deities, or gods without a formal church in the area and are often tended by a small group of dedicated lay worshippers.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
One or more stables can be found in any settlement of note—and many of those without note.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
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?
With Citadel on the Wilderlands now out in the world, our attention turns to the Late 2024 edition of Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands and the Player's Guide to Citadel on the Wilderlands!
St. Cuthbert’s Crossing straddles the river where it flows over a narrow rock shelf. Wagon traffic across the ford is one-way at a time; arguments often ensue. St. Cuthbert is said to have raised the rock shelf to keep his feet dry during a pilgrimage.
Read MorePieti Tuuli (NE male human) fears the characters are after him, and is skittish and guarded. Sweat soaks Pieti's tunic, as he hugs his bulging, damp pack close. He runs screaming from the group for the slightest reason. Pieti is a coward…and a murderer.
Read MoreThe Wishing Tree throws its vast crown over a busy crossroads. This elder oak is a shrine to Behron, god of travel, and many weary folk rest in its shade. A hoard of coins—offerings for a safe journey—stud the tree’s glimmering trunk.
Read MoreThe Oratory juts from a hill overlooking the road. Prophets, madmen and hucksters regale traveller from this craggy, flat-topped outcrop. Most travellers pass by as fast as they can. Shouting matches here are common.
Read MorePerttu Kainu (N middle-aged male human) wonders about so many things. Many aspects of life baffle the inquisitive Perttu. Balding, with a bad squint and a “colourful” dress sense he stands out from the crowd. For all that, Perttu is a kind, patient man.
Read MoreThe Mason’s Arms stands near Tumblestone Quarry. Walled apple orchards surround this popular traveller’s inn, which is famed for its rough, dry cider. Vast murmurations of starlings swoop and wheel over the inn, at sunset during the winter.
Read MoreLong Pool fills a natural fold in the land, which the road skirts. Swaths of rushes surround the lake. During the spring, the frenzied croaking of mating frogs fills the air. After heavy rain, the road turns into a boggy morass.
Read MoreKnut Auvo (CE male human) staggers along, under the weight of a bulging pack. Knut wears peasant garb, but carries an inordinate (perhaps suspicious) amount of adventuring gear. This blackhearted swine has looted a nearby abandoned campsite.
Read MoreHierophant’s Path winds along a steep, wooded ridge overlooking the road. Local legend has it the adherents of an elder nature cult wore the path which ends on a craggy bluff. A singular monolith of rough hewn stone stands atop the bluff.
Read MoreCold Brook Hollow lies under a rocky overhang, at the head of a shadowed ravine. The stream’s chill waters flow from a deep cave and through a vine-strangled ring of curious monoliths. Low rumblings and a hideous fetor periodically emerge from the cave.
Read MoreBrute (N male dog) bleeds from several deep slashes on his flank. This tall and lanky downcast mongrel lopes toward the party. Brute is skittish, and must be calmed. He bears a leather collar with his name, and the name of his owner: Eeva Kari.
Read MoreDunstan’s Hall offers a warm fire and cheery welcome amid the ruin of an old church. Dunstan uses the church’s crypts for storage, and a crumbling wall and graveyard surround the inn. Rumours (inevitably) tell of hauntings, lost treasure and more.
Read MoreAymer’s Gorge cuts through a range of steep hills. Ancient oak forest alive with birdsong fills the gorge. Amid the trees, a river wends its way through three deep pools and over four waterfalls. It is a good place to camp.
Read MoreAuni Kallas (N female half-elf) worships Behron, god of travel. She’s just starting out, but wants to visit every nearby village and town. She’s friendly and happy to travel with like-minded groups. Auni's also a survival expert.
Read MoreThe Three Maidens—ancient, worn obelisks of unknown origin—form part of the Blind Fiddler’s wall. Faint, illegible carvings cover the stones where they protrude into the street. Unknown to most, a fourth Maiden comprises part of the tavern’s cellar wall.
Read MoreWindy Corner is a busy junction. Here, three roads meet, and chaos ensues. It is often jammed with carts, wagons and frustrated pedestrians. Thieves and cutpurses stalk the crowd while pedlars sell refreshments of dubious origin from battered handcarts.
Read MoreVappu Aikio (CN female human) paints strange, otherworldly vistas of disconcerting aspect. Dwelling in a cramped, rundown garret Vappu is always short of money. Consumed by her art she cares little for her appearance or health. She seeks a patron.
Read MoreThe Blind Fiddler offers cheap beer, sour wine and wild times. Raucous laughter, drunken singing and wild yells often come from this ramshackle tavern. Kuura Tuntia (N male human), the gregarious alcoholic owner, welcomes any with coin. Drinking here isn’t for the faint-hearted.
Read MoreVentla’s Lament threads its narrow, crooked and gloom-shrouded way through the slum. Named for a streetwalker found dead years ago it is a fetid, dangerous place. Desperate, predatory folk live in the tottering houses flanking the alley. The watch never come here.
Read MoreTuure Raita (NE old male human) sculpts lifelike waxen figures which he paints, dresses and displays in a back room museum of his chandlery. Some figures depict normal folk. Others take more blasphemous, disturbing forms. Tuure emits a faint miasmic scent.
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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.