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New Pre-Order 2026 Release Schedule
Essentials (OSR) The Citadel on the Wilderlands (OSR) The Duchy of Ashlar (OSR) The Lonely Coast (OSR) Dungeons (OSR) Treasure (OSR) Urban (OSR) Villages & Towns (OSR) Wilderness (OSR) Collections & Miscellaneous (OSR)
Essentials (5e) The Citadel on the Wilderlands (5e) The Duchy of Ashlar (5e) The Lonely Coast (5e) Dungeons (5e) Treasure (5e) Urban (5e) Villages & Towns (5e) Wilderness (5e) Collections & Miscellaneous (5e)
Essentials (Pathfinder) The Duchy of Ashlar (Pathfinder) The Lonely Coast (Pathfinder) Dungeons (Pathfinder) Treasure (Pathfinder) Urban (Pathfinder) Villages & Towns (Pathfinder) Wilderness (Pathfinder) Collections & Miscellaneous (Pathfinder)
Essentials (System Neutral) Be Awesome at (System Neutral) Cartography & Campaign Settings (System Neutral) Markdown 20 Things (System Neutral) Monstrous Lairs (System Neutral) System Neutral Special Collections Treasure (System Neutral) Urban (System Neutral)
About AI Statement Get the Sunday Supplement Raging Swan Press on Patreon The Tome Club
All Posts Game Design. Game Play. Game Advice The Sunday Supplements The Wisdom of Gary Gygax Swanblog Archive
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New & Pre-Orders New Pre-Order 2026 Release Schedule OSR Essentials (OSR) The Citadel on the Wilderlands (OSR) The Duchy of Ashlar (OSR) The Lonely Coast (OSR) Dungeons (OSR) Treasure (OSR) Urban (OSR) Villages & Towns (OSR) Wilderness (OSR) Collections & Miscellaneous (OSR) 5e Essentials (5e) The Citadel on the Wilderlands (5e) The Duchy of Ashlar (5e) The Lonely Coast (5e) Dungeons (5e) Treasure (5e) Urban (5e) Villages & Towns (5e) Wilderness (5e) Collections & Miscellaneous (5e) Pathfinder Essentials (Pathfinder) The Duchy of Ashlar (Pathfinder) The Lonely Coast (Pathfinder) Dungeons (Pathfinder) Treasure (Pathfinder) Urban (Pathfinder) Villages & Towns (Pathfinder) Wilderness (Pathfinder) Collections & Miscellaneous (Pathfinder) Shadowdark System Neutral Essentials (System Neutral) Be Awesome at (System Neutral) Cartography & Campaign Settings (System Neutral) Markdown 20 Things (System Neutral) Monstrous Lairs (System Neutral) System Neutral Special Collections Treasure (System Neutral) Urban (System Neutral) Free
Raging Swan Press
Resources for busy GMs
New Releases |Sunday Supplement | About | About AI Statement Get the Sunday Supplement Raging Swan Press on Patreon The Tome Club Swanblog | All Posts Game Design. Game Play. Game Advice The Sunday Supplements The Wisdom of Gary Gygax Swanblog Archive Contact

Welcome to the Raging Swan Press blog. Herein you’ll find resource and advice articles to make your game better. From time to time, we’ll also post exciting Raging Swan Press news!

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Featured Posts

Featured
Raging Swan Press in One Word
June 9, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design
Raging Swan Press in One Word
June 9, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design

What single word defines Raging Swan Press?

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June 9, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design
You Should Practise Foveated Campaign Design
May 25, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design
You Should Practise Foveated Campaign Design
May 25, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design

Having a detailed, believable setting laden with verisimilitude is the foundation of a successful campaign. That said, designing an entire world for your game is exhausting, impractical and unnecessary.

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May 25, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource, Campaign Design
Run Your Games in HD
April 13, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource
Run Your Games in HD
April 13, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource

When you watch a film, do you prefer watching it in Standard Definition or High Definition?

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April 13, 2026
Design Advice, GM's Resource
Finding the Time
December 30, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource
Finding the Time
December 30, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource

I remember the Good Old Days when I had acres of free time to game. It was a carefree time. School holidays were epic—we’d game for days at a time. We had nothing else to do.

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December 30, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource
Dungeon Design Tips For Beginners
September 2, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource
Dungeon Design Tips For Beginners
September 2, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource

Designing a dungeon can be a daunting prospect. Fear not. If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on the way to designing a fun, engaging dungeon for your friends!

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September 2, 2025
Design Advice, GM's Resource
GMs! Details Matter
April 11, 2025
GM's Resource
GMs! Details Matter
April 11, 2025
GM's Resource

To be a successful GM, your adventures and settings must connect deeply with your players.

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April 11, 2025
GM's Resource
Dressed vs. Undressed: An Example of Play
November 5, 2024
GM's Resource
Dressed vs. Undressed: An Example of Play
November 5, 2024
GM's Resource

Raging Swan Press is a big fan of dressed dungeons. A dressed dungeon feels more real than an undressed dungeon. A dressed dungeon engages your players’ imaginations, promotes creative play and helps them immerse themselves in the adventure.

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November 5, 2024
GM's Resource
Dungeon Dressing Explained
October 8, 2024
GM's Resource
Dungeon Dressing Explained
October 8, 2024
GM's Resource

Games set in a richly detailed, immersive world are better than games that are not. It should come as no surprise that we are huge fans of dungeon dressing, but what exactly is dungeon dressing, and why do we keep going on about it?

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October 8, 2024
GM's Resource

Recent Posts

Check out our recent posts, many of which include free downloads, or visit the Archive to browse all our blog posts.

Troglodytes' Warren
Troglodytes' Warren

Feral cave dwellers, troglodytes are the fallen scions of a once-mighty empire fallen into ruin and obscurity. Now they are little more than savage scavengers.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 18, 2022One-Pager, Dungeon Dressing, Monstrous LairComment
Mountains Dressing
Mountains Dressing

Hiding abandoned dwarven holds, lost mines, dragon lairs and more, mountain ranges are often the site of exciting, desperate adventures far from civilisation’s comforts.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 16, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness DressingComment
Enter the Onyx Prison
Enter the Onyx Prison

Legends tell of Blackshard Hold—a dwarven redoubt nested far to the south, in the all but impenetrable Forest of Gray Spires. The dwarves of clan Kildare built the hold around a vast monolith of glimmering black onyx

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NewsCreighton BroadhurstAugust 15, 2022Dungeon Backdrop, Ashlar, 5e, OSR, PathfinderComment
Farming Village
Farming Village

Most rural farming villages are a hive of activity.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 11, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness DressingComment
The Dread Thingonomicon Complete
The Dread Thingonomicon Complete

Amid scenes of wild jubilation, Creighton Broadhurst, Publisher of Useful Items at Raging Swan Press, emerged blinking and dazed into the daylight to announce to the expectant gathered throng that the print manuscript of the Dread Thingonomicon was finally complete.

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News, GM's ResourceCreighton BroadhurstAugust 10, 202220 Things, pre-order Comments
Plains Dressing
Plains Dressing

Plains are far more than endless vistas of rolling grassland and hills. Wandering adventurers will encounter many things on a plain.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 9, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness Dressing Comments
Wererats' Sewer
Wererats' Sewer

Cursed with lycanthropy, wererats lurk in the dirty, foul places no one else wants or can tolerate.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 4, 2022One-Pager, 20 Things, Urban DressingComment
Shambling Mound's Den
Shambling Mound's Den

Sentient, carnivorous clumps of rotting vegetation, shambling mounds are excellent ambush predators. They particularly enjoy elf flesh.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstAugust 2, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness DressingComment
Pirate Town
Pirate Town

A pirate town is a dangerous and unique place to visit. The wise hero watches their step in such a place.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 28, 2022One-Pager, 20 Things, Urban DressingComment
Seedy Tavern
Seedy Tavern

Adventurers often seem to be found in seedy dives and other disreputable drinking establishments.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 26, 2022One-Pager, 20 Things, Urban DressingComment
Pixies' Glade
Pixies' Glade

Pixie glades are magical, otherworldly places where the tiny elf-like creatures cavort and hold court. Pixie glades are idyllic examples of ancient, primal woodland.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 21, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness Dressing Comment
Treant's Grove
Treant's Grove

The mighty and ancient treants are the forest's guardians and the shepherd of its trees. Longer-lived than even the elves, treants rarely seek out short-lived folk.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 19, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness Dressing Comment
Blue Dragon's Lair
Blue Dragon's Lair

Arrogant to the core blue dragons lair in ancient temples and dedicate them to the worship of themselves.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 14, 2022One-Pager, Dungeon Dressing, Wilderness Dressing Comment
Desert Dressing
Desert Dressing

Deserts are far from bland locales comprising nothing but sand dunes, the occasional cactus and unending sun. Gnoll tribes, ferocious blue dragons and ancient ruins all lurk in the interior ready for brave adventurers to discover them.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 12, 2022One-Pager, 20 ThingsComment
Ruined Castle
Ruined Castle

Ruined castles dot the landscape of every campaign.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 7, 2022One-Pager, 20 Things Comments
Fort on the Borderland
Fort on the Borderland

One of the quintessential locales for adventurers to rest between adventures, a fort on the borderlands is a safe haven offering many of civilisation’s beguiling comforts. Here adventurers can rest and recuperate between expeditions into the wilderness.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJuly 5, 2022One-Pager, 20 ThingsComment
Behold the Swandex (Version 1.0)
Behold the Swandex (Version 1.0)

Yesterday, version 1 of the Swandex—a new GM's Resource from Raging Swan Press— went live at our store.

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NewsCreighton BroadhurstJuly 5, 2022NewsComment
The End of (20) Things
The End of (20) Things

All good things must come to an end, and the 20 Things line is a good thing.

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NewsCreighton BroadhurstJune 29, 202220 Things Comments
Hill Dressing
Hill Dressing

Ancient ruins, lost mines and strange burial sites often lurk in the hilly wilderness areas bordering civilised lands. Adventure lies in such places.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJune 28, 2022One-Pager, Wilderness Dressing Comments
Manticore's Lair One-Pager
Manticore's Lair One-Pager

These fierce winged predators patrol vast areas in search of fresh meat. They prefer dismal lairs—typically underground or in caves—in warm places. They eat virtually anything but prefer human flesh.

A free GM’s Resource for any fantasy roleplaying game.

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GM's Resource, Free DownloadCreighton BroadhurstJune 23, 2022One-Pager, Dungeon Dressing, Wilderness Dressing Comment
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“Everything is Better with Tentacles ”
— Creighton Broadhurst