D&D Adventure: “Still as Death – A Journey into the Forest of Stone”
If you are looking to play some games around the city of Crystalia then you might need some adventures to help guide your way. There are a few posts about the city itself as well as this is the second encounter in a series pointing...
Captain Ravenloft: The Undying Sentinel of Barovia
“I can do this all night. But preferably before sunrise. That’s when the zombies get handsy.” —Captain Ravenloft Barovia has many champions. Most are doomed. Some are morally questionable. A few sparkle dramatically when exposed to sunlight (if they ever find any). But only one carries...
Alley Turf to Velvet Lounges: District Design Tips for Zookeepers(GMs)
Creating Memorable Locales for Every Kind of Zoo Mafia Game When you're the Zookeeper (GM) for a Zoo Mafia campaign, one of your greatest tools is the world your players get to play in—and the best worlds are built district by district. Whether you're running a...
What Does It Mean to Be Beastkin In Aether Skies?
Identity, Corruption, and Creative Freedom in Aether Skies In the drifting world of Aether Skies, where floating cities glitter above a nightmare-scarred surface, identity is always in flux. The Aether changes everything—land, law, mind...
Cursed Luck and Lucky Charms: Why Your RPG Character Should Have Superstitions
Add flavor, flaws, and fortune to your roleplay—one bizarre belief at a time. We spend hours crafting our characters—backstories, stats, weapons, goals. But what about the irrational things they believe? Superstitions—those little quirks of behavior tied to fate, fear, or tradition—can make a character feel real,...
The Cluck Heard ‘Round the World: Why Every Campaign Needs a Stupid Terror
Some monsters strike fear with ancient curses, demonic intellects, or bone-chilling silence. And then there's Hei Hei the Calamity Cluck—a clueless, bug-eyed chicken infused with Tarrasque blood who can level a village while trying to eat a rock. But here’s the thing: making a “stupid terror”—a creature...
Encounter Design: “Bleeding Blades” — A Survival Gauntlet in the Sea of Blades
💀 Terrain as Weapon: The Deadly Plains of the West Welcome to the Sea of Blades—an ocean of tall grass that cuts like steel. This isn’t your average field; here, each swaying stalk is a blade that can flay the flesh from bone. Thri-kreen prowl these...
Zoo Tech: How the Animals Fight Dirty
In a world of tooth, claw, and cunning, fighting fair is a luxury no one can afford. In Zoo Mafia, where Prohibition runs deep and power is always up for grabs, it’s not just about who can throw a punch—it’s about who’s packing a trick...
Granglehold: Where the Sky Sags Low. Aether Skies floating cities
Desperation, Innovation, and the Edge of Collapse in Aether Skies Suspended by creaking tethers and half-forgotten debts, the city of Granglehold does not rise above the world. It hangs—heavy with guilt, corruption, and hope that smells like ozone and desperation. Last week we delved into a...
“Friends on the Other Side”: Bringing the Shadow Man into Your D&D Game
When it comes to charismatic villains steeped in shadow and mysticism, few are as captivating as Dr. Facilier, the Shadow Man from Disney's The Princess and the Frog. His sleight of hand, [caption id="attachment_45674" align="alignright" width="300"] The fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide describes...
Between the Grit and the Giggle: Balancing Comedy and Crime in Zoo Mafia
When you picture a hard boiled gangster story, you probably imagine trench coats, cigarette smoke curling in the air, and tension so thick you could cut it with a claw. But when your gang is made up of animals—like a jazz-loving giraffe, a button man...
Piatracas: The City of Smoke and Stone – Aether skies Floating cities
Forged in Steam, Hardened by War—The Industrial Heart of the Aether Skies High above the scarred world below, nestled within coils of perpetual smog and hammer-sparks, floats Piatracas—a city that never sleeps, never smiles, and never forgets. Home to the dwarves and those who admire their uncompromising...
Welcome to Balaria – The Iron Dome in the Black Sands
Far beyond the chaos-warped outskirts of Crystalia and the petrified sentinels of the Forest of Stone, a new city rises from the obsidian dunes like a forge-born titan. Welcome to Balaria, a brutalist marvel of steel and magic — where ambition is alloyed with danger,...
The Witch in the Tower: A Tangled-Inspired D&D Adventure
A vanished heir. A radiant tower lost in time. And a witch who lives forever in the light. Some towers keep their prisoners locked inside. Others keep reality locked out. Inspired by Tangled, this D&D adventure transforms the story into a dreamlike, high-stakes rescue mission set inside...
Personal Goals and Crew Tension: Internal Drama Done Right
The Underworld Ain’t Just About Enemies—Sometimes the Real Trouble’s Inside the Family When you sit down at the table to play Zoo Mafia, you're stepping into a gritty world of fur, feathers, and felony. Sure, there are bank jobs, speakeasy raids, crooked coppers, and rival families...
