🎲 “Rolling with Weird Al: How Humor Elevates Your Campaign” 🎲
I just went and saw Weird Al in concert last night. The Bigger and Weirder Tour is the 4th time I have seen him in concert over the last 25 years. It was an amazing show. His humor and genius always has me rolling with...
Music, Smoke, and Shadows: Immersive Descriptions for the Zoo Mafia World
In Zoo Mafia, the world is more than just talking animals in pinstripes—it’s a moody, sultry, unpredictable landscape where every creaking floorboard and smoky jazz riff paints a piece of the story. Whether your game is set inside the confines of a zoo or sprawls...
The Sky’s Teeth: A One-Shot Survival Horror Adventure in Aether Skies
“The message was garbled. The coordinates barely held. But they found her—drifting between cities, lights dim, no crew in sight. The hull groaned like a beast in its sleep. And still, something moved below…” In a world of haunted aetherships, corrupted skies, and floating cities clinging...
When the Best Choice Isn’t the Smartest One: Embracing Sacrifice for Better Storytelling in D&D
We all love building clever, capable D&D characters—ones with tools for every situation, contingency plans in their packs, and enough hit points to tank a few questionable decisions. But sometimes, the most memorable and meaningful moments at the table come when you choose the wrong...
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...
