Experience helps you level up but it isn’t and shouldn’t be the only reward for the doing of great things that characters do in a campaign. Looking beyond gear— devices that make numbers go up and render characters more puissant practically— there are other achievements for characters to chase and receive for their deeds. What’s […]

I should have posted this yesterday. The inspirational prompt is "suspense" but I just could not come up with anything from it. "Suspense" comes to English via French from the Latin suspensus which refers to hanging up, making uncertain, and killing by hanging. This last definition is what I'm going to utilize to pivot to... […]

How are messages sent over distance in your game world? Game of Thrones popularized ravens. Pigeons were used from ancient times all the way through WWI. The image of the rider on a horse with a bag full of letters slung over their shoulder is a classic image of the Old West and beyond. Magic […]

The tavern is a ubiquitous site in fantasy tabletop roleplaying games. It is where adventurers eat, drink, sleep, seek out adventures, advertise services, and host meet & greets. For most campaigns, the tavern is a vital institution. In my setting, I'm getting rid of many of them. Let me explain why and present a couple […]

When a wandering creature appears, it often doesn’t come with any sort of context. It falls to the Referee to decide what it’s doing and why. Here are a handful of tables to help flesh out ordinary encounters in which a creature appears and we want to know something about what they're doing and why […]

I decided to try my hand at #RPGaDay2025 which, for the month of August, presents topics on which to create some type of content about. The first topic is Patrons. When we look up the definition of patron, the most common results are some variation of: an influential supporter or financial sponsor of an individual, […]

Carved gems were common in the ancient Mediterranean world. The facade of the gem might be carved with a familial, mythic, or civic subject.

A good dictionary can be invaluable for inspiration when searching for a good name.

What do dungeon defenses look like if we switch our POV to the creatures who live in the dungeon?