Ruined castles are a classic adventure locale--particularly for low-level adventures. That's why I'm a little bit embarrassed that it took us so long to actually get to ruined castles in the 20 Things line. No matter, we've made the trek now, and I think you'll enjoy the result!
(You might also note some subtle restyling of the book's cover and its layout; I'm trying to improve the way I work and make...
2018-06-29 07:00:16 +0000 UTC View PostThis week we are releasing (probably) the last instalment in the Campaign Backdrop line (which I think is also the largest release in the line): Campaign Backdrop: Caves & Caverns. Marvellously, the book will also be available in print if you prefer physical copies.
We are also hurling into the world Monstrous Lair #11: Dark Creeper Village. If you are running any underground campaign, these books should make getting ready for the next session considerably easier! 2018-06-22 07:54:36 +0000 UTC View Post
What Ho!
This week, we are back in Languard exploring the Shambles--a slum area ripe with memorable locations and NPCs for your players to explore!
Languard Locations: The Shambles presents ten additional locations designed for use with City Backdrop: Languard. While the locales within are designed with Languard in mind, they are easily convertible for use in your campaign. This instalment deals with locations in the Shambles district.
2018-06-15 08:02:07 +0000 UTC
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It's been a crazy, busy week here at Raging Swan Press, but not busy enough to stop us unleashing Mike Welham's Village Backdrop: Victory Elm onto a largely unsuspecting the world.
If you are planning an adventure set in a rugged hill or mountain range--or one featuring giants--this is the one for you!
Victory Elm, the glorious tree giving its...
2018-06-08 07:40:48 +0000 UTC View PostWould you like to spend those free gold pieces on real-world gaming supplies?
Of course you do!
As part of my quest to never have a proper job and to design games full-time, Raging Swan Press recently opened its own online store. I've been pondering how to make the store more awesome and hit upon the idea of a reward points scheme. So I set one up.
Signing u...
2018-06-07 07:54:31 +0000 UTC View PostAs you know, I spent the weekend at Games Expo UK. I had a blast (more on that tomorrow on my blog) and got to meet up with some old friends I hadn't seen in ages.
One of the comments I heard repeated while at the con was something along the lines of, "You should publish material for [insert game system]." Of course, Raging Swan's focus is very much Pathfinder/5e/OSR because those are the kinds of games I know, love and play.
I thought I'd ask here, however, if there was any ...
2018-06-06 09:45:14 +0000 UTC View PostWhy, yes I do love Monty Python's Holy Grail--how ever did you know?
Most peasants, townsfolk and villagers are essentially invisible; they are unremarkable, boring people. Most GMs have no time to design and develop more than a handful of such NPCs on the off-chance a PC will actually talk to them.
That's where 20 Things #26: Townsfolk & Villagers comes in. Within, you'll fin...
2018-05-31 07:53:37 +0000 UTC View PostIt occurred to me the other day that although we produce Pathfinder, 5e and System Neutral Edition versions for many of our products I don't know what version you actually download and use.
Hence this poll. I'd love to know which editions you actually download and use. I'm guessing--for example--that most Pathfinder GMs download the Pathfinder edition, but if you play an OSR game, 3.5 or some other game what edition do you download and use?
Let me know (and leave a comment if...
2018-05-30 08:10:02 +0000 UTC View PostAs you might recall, I'm off to UK Games Expo later this week. (It's the first major convention I've attended since the last Gen Con UK and I'm jolly excited!)
But I need your help. I fear I will fall into the trade hall's writhing tentacles and will be helpless in their fell grip*. They will compel me to buy shiny new games. To placate my non-gamer wife, who will become angry with me if I fail to resist, I'm running a sale at the 2018-05-29 09:17:27 +0000 UTC View Post
We've got something for everyone, this week.
For the Pathfinder GMs among you, we have Campaign Backdrop: Sun & Sand while for the 5e and System Neutral Edition gamers we have Monstrous Lair #9: Wigh...
2018-05-25 07:57:01 +0000 UTC View PostWe've got two new releases for you this week, and everyone at the $2 and up levels gets them both as part of their pledge! Epic.
First up, we've got the first instalment in the Languard Locations line--Languard Locations: Low City. While the nine locations within are designed for use with City Backdrop:...
2018-05-18 07:56:50 +0000 UTC View PostIt's that time again! It's up to you which creatures or monsters we feature in upcoming Monstrous Lair releases. These two releases will appear in July and early August.
To refresh your memory, upcoming releases (as voted by you) in the line include:
This week, John Bennett returns to the fray with Village Backdrop: Underdell. John is--I think--Raging Swan's longest serving freelancer (poor s*d) and he "gets" more than most the kind of feel I'm shooting for with our supplements. That's why I had no hesitation unleashing John on the last Village Backdrop set in Ashlar. John's done both Dunstone and Dulwich and I knew he'd do a cracking job w...
2018-05-11 08:00:35 +0000 UTC View PostI've been looking forward to releasing this book for weeks as I've used some of the material in my own campaign recently and had a blast!. I love it when the PCs go shopping and find something odd or unexpected. It not only parts them from their ill-gotten loot, but also adds depth and flavour to the world. Strange objects can even lead to the PCs' next adventure--like in WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure!
(And, in my campaign, who knows what strange events may centre ar...
2018-05-04 07:51:30 +0000 UTC View PostYou might remember last week, I asked if you used a GM screen. Roughly 80% of you do use a a screen and so this week, I am revealing the sinister reason for that question!
I've been giving a lot of thought to how I can make your games easier to run and how you could actually use our products "in game" without your players realising what you are doing. Thus will they be amazed by your amazingness before showering you in pizza and adulation.
To that end, I've uploaded two (draft, pre...
2018-05-02 08:06:38 +0000 UTC View PostAs you'll recall from last week, I tweaked this month's release schedule slightly so I could expunge a particularly irksome (and embarrassing) typo in GM's Miscellany: Places of Power (5e) and (SNE). I'm delighted to report I have been victorious and crushed my enemy.
So, this week all Patreon at the $5 and up levels will get a pile of books. This includes:
This week, it's a jolly simple question! I'd be very interested in if you (generally) use a GM's screen when running your game.
As a bit of background, I'm considering a line of GM screen-style products designed--as always--to help you run your game with less stress and more fun detail and I'd love to know where you stand (metaphorically, not literally) on GM's screens.
Thanks very much, in advance!
This week, I've unleashed a slight change of plan into our release schedule. We were meant to release GM's Miscellany: Places of Power I (5e and System Neutral Edition) and GM's Miscellany: Places of Power II (Pathfinder) this week, but I discovered a wildly irritating typo wh...
2018-04-20 08:01:35 +0000 UTC View PostGreetings all!
We've got another jam-packed week of releases for you and I can't wait to see what you think of them! First up we have Places of Power: Fort Vigil by Amber Underwood (available in 5e, System Neutral Edition and Pathfinder) as well as Monstrous Lair #6: Minotaur Den. You gu...
2018-04-13 08:04:37 +0000 UTC View PostThis week, we've got Jacob W. Michael's new village for you--and this is one your players are not likely to forget! Jacob often comes up with slightly "out there" designs and I think this village definitely qualifies as atypical. (In fact, I think Jacob and Jeff Gomez are in some kind of warped competition!)
In any event, behold, Gulls' Roost:
Memory walks t...
2018-04-06 08:06:07 +0000 UTC View PostI've recently run a couple of polls regards what to feature in the Monstrous Lair line. I enjoy getting your feedback immensely and so I'm back with another poll!
In the near future, you'll be terrorised/rewarded with:
That takes us ...
2018-04-03 15:17:38 +0000 UTC View PostThis week, I've got a free Monstrous Lair for you! (If you recall, I spent a fair bit of time re-organising our free 20 Things archives in the last few weeks--normal 20 Things service will be resumed next month).
In a recent poll, I asked which monsters we should focus on for the Monstrous Lair line. The top two choices were harpies and minotaurs. We've got the minotaur instalment coming later this month, but for now it is the turn of the harpies! Behold:
This is an epic week! Not only have I completed the archive reorganisation, but we are also releasing GM’s Miscellany: 20 Things III!
Every year, this is the book that takes me the longest to write ...
2018-03-23 09:42:52 +0000 UTC View PostWe've been snowed in--again--at Global HQ which has meant I've had more time on my hands than I had initially planned. Therefore, I've started the Great Archive Reorganisation I mentioned last week.
Phase one is complete. I've created the various sub-pages to better divide ou...
2018-03-20 09:46:45 +0000 UTC View PostWe've got another bumper release week for you with no less than four books! Everyone at the $2 level and up gets the Pathfinder, 5e and System Neutral editions of Places of Power: Dreamden by Jeff Gomez as well as Monstrous Lair #4: Goblin Raiding Camp in (by a bizarre twist of fate) J...
2018-03-16 09:35:28 +0000 UTC View PostThis is just a quick post to update you on some exciting 20 Things news. In fact, I've got two pieces of news I wanted to share!
Over the last three years or so, we've released the best part of two hundred 20 Things articles. One downside of this is that the "archives", or the Free Resources page, at Raging Swan's websi...
2018-03-15 15:58:27 +0000 UTC View PostThis week, we've got a herd of new books for you. (Well, I'm not sure "herd" is the correct terminology, but I'm sure you get my point.) We've got three version of Village Backdrop: Laewas as well as a new Monstrous Lair--#3: Ogre Cave. That's a lot of gaming goodness for the weekend!
Also don't forget I'd love your opinion on Pathfinder 2.0. I've blogged about my initia...
2018-03-09 08:54:47 +0000 UTC View PostAs I am sure you know, Paizo has just announced the playtest for the second edition of Pathfinder. Pathfinder is a huge part of our offering and of course this announcement has implications for Raging Swan Press.
Information its sketchy, but I've just blogged about my initial rea...
2018-03-08 10:11:02 +0000 UTC View PostAs I type this, I am being punched full in the face with the irony stick. Global HQ is in the midst of a red weather warning for both snow and dangerously high winds. That's why releasing 20 Things #24: Sun-scorched Desert makes total sense at this precise moment!
In any event, I hope you enjoy the book and that it helps you to run a more awesome desert campaign!
I've been plotting hard recently about how to add more cool stuff to our Patreon and I've finally come up with a plan!
As you may know, Raging Swan Press has its own online shop. One of the things we offer at the store are poster maps to enhance some of our products. (Notably, this includes town and city map posters as well as posters of Gloamhold and Ashlar). Behold the (framed) posters on the wall at Global HQ:
2018-02-28 11:14:04 +0000 UTC
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