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!
Get our RSS Feed
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?
Read the Sunday Supplement here or subscribe to get it delivered direct to your inbox.
Check out our recent posts, many of which include free downloads, or visit the Archive to browse all our blog posts.
A 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 MoreOur Patreon campaign is Raging Swan Press's backbone. Our patrons help us continue to do what we love—publishing flavoursome, detail-rich supplements designed to help GMs run better games with less stress and hassle.
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 MoreI am delighted to announce that this week, Raging Swan Press restarts its Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 2nd Edition support.
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 MoreDouble doors almost always guard areas of great importance. Often throne rooms, subterranean chapels, crypts housing the remains of important personages and similarly important locations lie beyond. Thus, such dungeon features are often well-built, sturdy and ornately decorated.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWith the immediate horror of the OGL fiasco kind of behind us, Raging Swan Press hurls itself like a starving panther into February.
Read MoreDungeon doors come in many different shapes and sizes. Doors are one of the most basic dungeon features and as such can offer clever explorers vital clues to what might lie beyond.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MoreWhile often crafted to represent beautiful people, ferocious beasts, heroes or deities, fountains also serve a vital function by providing fresh drinking water. Fountains in a dungeon or cavern setting may be artistic creations of the current or past occupants, altars to deities (fair or foul) or something else entirely.
A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.
Read MorePools 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 MoreWith all the controversy over the upcoming OGL changes and Wizard’s recent statement that supplements already released will be unaffected by the upcoming license (whatever form it takes), it seems jolly sensible that I should bring forward the release of several large compilations we have in the design and development pipeline.
Read MoreI've received many questions in the last week about the leaked draft of the OGL 1.1 and its effect on Raging Swan Press.
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 MoreA new year—a new beginning—beckons. It seems appropriate, then, to start the New Year with a new line of books.
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 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.