20 Dressings: Inside a Ruined Wizard's Tower

Within wizard’s towers, terrible, eldritch deeds are wrought and strange, otherworldly research is carried out to its logical, but sometimes unwise, conclusion. Such arcane works leave their mark on the fabric of the place.

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstMarch 15, 202220 Things, Wilderness Dressing, Urban Dressing, Dungeon DressingComment

Gygax On: The GM is Not the Enemy

I've been telling my players this for years...

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 14, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax Writes: Lareth the Beautiful

How often have your characters killed Lareth? How often has he killed them?

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 13, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax Writes: To Hommlet

How many times have you read this to your players?

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 12, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax On: Preparing a Module Your Way

Your game. Your module. Your campaign.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 11, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Minor Urban Landmarks

Some urban landmarks are only notable in the immediate locality. The landmarks below could appear in virtually any village, town or city.

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstMarch 10, 202220 Things, Urban Dressing Comment

Gygax On: Designing Your World

So, so true. D&D is so much more than a mindless hackfest.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 10, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax On: Preparing a Module

Make it your own.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 9, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Urban Landmarks

Every town and city has landmarks great and small.

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstMarch 8, 202220 Things, Urban Dressing Comment

Gygax On: A DM's Satisfaction

As a DM, I’m a big fan of not fudging dice rolls. With challenge comes reward.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 8, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax On: The Allure of Roleplaying

Which is why it is awesome.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 7, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax Writes: Death in the Vault

Yikes.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 6, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax Writes: To the Keep!

Where do I Sign Up?

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 5, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax On: A DM's Reward

Today, Gary smashes it out of the park.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 4, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

4d4 Witch's Hovel

Shunned by most, the witch is the taker of children, bringer of bad harvests and seducer of good men. Living apart from good honest folk, the witch plays on superstitions to create her terrifying reputation. Beware the dark woods…

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstMarch 3, 20224d4, 20 Things, Wilderness Dressing, Monstrous LairComment

Gygax On: Imagination & Creativity

When you strip roleplaying games back to their basics there you find imagination and creativity.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 3, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Gygax On: Enjoying the Game in a Group

Roleplaying is a social, group-orientated hobby. Everyone--players and DM alike-- should enjoy it. Don't be the person who forgets to help their friends have fun.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 2, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

The Dwarf's Folly at a Glance

Standing on Selka Street, this rowdy inn is a favoured haunt of adventurers, mercenaries and other rough and ready sorts. Run by the grizzled ex-mercenary Rister Osma the place offers cheap, no-frills food, drink and accommodation.

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstMarch 1, 2022At a Glance, Ashlar, Dungeon Backdrop Comment

Gygax On: Enjoying the Game

Basic and timeless Gygaxian wisdom. Don't lose sight of it.

GM's Advice, Player's Advice, Gary GygaxCreighton BroadhurstMarch 1, 2022Gary Gygax, GMAdvice, Player's AdviceComment

Starfall Chantry at a Glance

Lurking twixt the crag-jagged hills south of Dunstone sit the ruined remains of an old dwarven fortress-temple. Rusted helms and broken blades jut from the surrounding soil like cast-off husks of iron grain, betraying the area’s violent history.

GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstFebruary 24, 2022Ashlar, At a Glance, Dungeon Backdrop Comment

Feb 11, 2025

One-Pager, Dungeon Backdrop, Dungeon Dressing, Ashlar

Hidden Sanctum of the Nameless Mage

Everyone—even the powerful—has enemies, and the Nameless Mage was no exception…

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

Feb 3, 2025

News

February 2025 at Raging Swan Press

We storm into February with a small flock of new resources for your gaming pleasure along with some new pages for our website.

Jan 28, 2025

One-Pager, Ashlar, Languard

The Orc's Head

Famed inn popular with adventurers and their hangers-on

Jan 21, 2025

Ashlar

First Look: Dunstone: Town on the Borderlands

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…

Dec 17, 2024

One-Pager, Urban Locale, Urban Dressing

Urban Locale: Fence

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.

Dec 10, 2024

Urban Locale: Warehouse

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.

Nov 20, 2024

Urban Locale: Monastery

Houses of worship and quiet contemplation stand in or near many settlements. Within, the occupants seek spiritual enlightenment in the service of their patron.

Nov 19, 2024

Urban Locale: Boarding House

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.

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