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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We storm into February with a small flock of new resources for your gaming pleasure along with some new pages for our website.
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…
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.
Lydia Miela (CG female human) carouses with breathtaking enthusiasm. Few have her stamina for dancing or capacity for drink. Lydia knows every barkeep and serving wench in the vicinity, and could be a useful friend. She wears the latest fashions and always needs money.
Read MoreDuring the course of their adventures, our heroes are likely to slay many evil wizards (and loot their bodies). Sadly, most such individuals seem to never carry anything beyond a spell component pouch, a few magic items and some loose coinage. Use this list, to add depth and flavour to a dead wizard’s possessions
Read MoreFar Wanderer lies docked amid a hive of activity. This caravel’s poop deck and hull shows signs of fire and crush damage. Sailors swarm about her making repairs. Her crew tell of a terrible battle against a fearsome fire-breathing kraken.
Read MoreRaita’s Candles opens at dusk and closes at first light. Its owner, Tuure Raita (NE old male human), prefers working at night. The shop’s cellar displays a macabre collection of lifelike waxen figures. Tuure shows his work to those paying for the privilege.
Read MoreKauko Ilma (CN old male human) staggers about haranguing seagulls, stray cats and annoying children. Mad, and crippled in a boating accident, Kauko leans on an ornate carven walking stick. He thinks, the seagulls and the cats are out to get him. He's right.
Read MoreWearing comfortable clothing suitable for sea travel, this human woman stands just over five feet tall. She keeps her light brown hair closely cut and wears a patch over her right eye.
Read MoreAmma—sleek and dangerous—has a reputation as a smuggler’s ship. Captained by the blackguard Ambro Kontio this galley has a foul crew. Notable crew include Kaija Kiekka the Sea Witch and Otava Himottu, “the Strangler”. Several adventuring bands seek the Amma.
Read MoreDiagon Alley runs parallel to the docks. Heaps of fishmongers’ leavings and so on make this a foul-smelling, slippery place. The stench of rotting fish, excrement and worse keep most folk away. It is a good place for dark doings and secret meetings.
Read MoreDuring the course of their adventures, our heroes are likely to slay many evil wizards (and loot their bodies). Sadly, most such individuals seem to never carry anything beyond a spell component pouch, a few magic items and some loose coinage. Use this list, to add depth and flavour to a dead wizard’s possessions
Read MoreAlbin Tovia (N male human) composes frightening poems hinting at unseen dimensions beyond the material. With wild, unkempt hair, and a scratching, haunting voice, Albin clings to the very edge of sanity. He has no friends.
Read MoreThe vast majority of books in a library are nothing more than tomes of mundane knowledge, travelogues, diaries and other normal writings. A few books, however, are different. A few books—either because of the foul things they reveal, the power they hold or their monetary value—are kept away from the public in the library’s special collection.
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.
Read MorePenna’s Grave stands in a hollow by the trail. Fresh cut flowers often appear on the low burial mound, no matter the weather. Folklore tells of a silent, grey-hooded figure seen kneeling at the grave. Recently, an apple tree has sprouted from the mound.
Read MoreWatersmeet surrounds six lofty crags of remarkable geometric alignment. Four rivers flow into the lake, churning up the water, making casual boating dangerous and difficult. Folklore tells of mysterious winged humanoids seen visiting the crags.
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.
Read MoreSihvo Kaipia (N male human) revels in the over-confidence of youth. He believes he is best—at everything. Annoyingly, for those he meets, he’s rarely wrong. Strong, charismatic and clever Sihvo lusts for adventure. The party would be lucky to have him.
Read MoreHideaway Mine stands beyond a huddle of ivy-clad stone buildings. This abandoned old tin mine is haunted, locals say. Bandits sometimes use it as a lair, but seldom stay long. The mine’s flood-prone deeper galleries intersect with a subterranean lake.
Read MoreThe 400 wind their way over a lofty, craggy hill. Cut by unknown hands long ago these vertiginous steps are in bad shape. The faint outline of a ruin sprawls across the hill’s summit. Folk atop the hill enjoy sweeping views of the surrounds.
Read MoreMany towns lie on the edge of deep, dark woodlands. Terrible things often lurk in these woods, and the town’s folk need protection. Enter, brave adventurers! Use this list, to add pieces of interesting dressing to the lumber towns in your campaign:
Read MoreTeemu Viti (LN male human) dislikes any idea not his own. He is ferociously intelligent, and believes he is better than others. He shares this truth with acidic words. Teemu sports a balding pate and a paunch. He travels with his miserable wife, Martta.
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Everyone—even the powerful—has enemies, and the Nameless Mage was no exception…
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.