I tried mapping and didn't like it Mapping sounds fun but the reality is tedium that draws players out of the story. Next time I'll try reviewing the map one room at a time.
Cairn Advancement Hack An additive hack for Cairn that enables characters to grow through failed attribute saves
December 30, 2025
in
RPGs Random Table of German Names A random table of 200 German-sounding names for boys and girls. Useful for generating names for player characters in a game or story, or for naming your next child!
GM Mistake #2: Blocking low-stakes exploration If a player wants to explore and the stakes are low, then let them do it. It's good for morale and the game.
Shadowdark characters are fragile
Cairn 1999
Hazard table
5 tips for designing better adventures Good adventures have an objective, a reason, a location, a time limit, and a villain.
The Copper Caves A simple dungeon-crawling setting for table-top role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons
GM Mistakes #1: Balancing Realism and Playability A lesson in balancing realism and playability in your adventure games
Rethinking wolves Subverting the trope of villainous wolves from folklore for your adventure games
SoloDark Together: Session 1 Retelling the first session playing the SoloDark rules for Shadowdark with two players
Random Encounters Resources for adding random encounters to your adventure
Spellcasting Chaos Table Adding a little chaos to spellcasting in your adventure games (TTRPGs)
Cairn Starter-package Table A starter-package table for Cairn based on Into the Odd.
Five-room Dungeons General recommendations for creating five-room dungeons for your adventure games
Cairn RPG Resources and more for Cairn, the rules-light tabletop roleplaying game