Laidback DM: Free Map – Sewer Neighbours

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Sewer Neighbours

There’s nothing like neighbours who don’t get along. Four lairs, all next to each other, all causing a problem for the folks upstairs in the streets. Time to clean up!

Above: Just right click and save.

This map is free to use for non-commercial purposes, as long as you acknowledge me and my website stevestillstanding.com. If you want to use it commercially, please send me an email and we can talk terms.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

Kickstarter Completed Successfully!

The SHOTGLASS Adventures Kickstarter has completed, and I’m more than happy with the outcome. It means I can pursue a career in writing and game design, something I’ve wanted to do since I was a teenager playing my first role playing game.

I love poetry, and will still publish poetry regularly in book form and on this site, but it’s the RPG work that will pay the bills in the long term (not there yet, this is just the first one lol). I’m sure most poets out there (aside from the few published ones who might make a decent income) will agree that poetry is a labour of love, and love alone.

Thanks to everybody who supported the Kickstarter, and to all the poetry lovers who waited patiently for me to post poems in between Kickstarter updates!

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 29, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 11th + 12th Stretch Goals Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 11th + 12th stretch goals are unlocked!

Four more town maps have been added to the PDF book Connectable Fantasy Town Maps (plus eight digital files added to the zip file of gridded and grid-less maps with a royalty free license so supporters can use them in their own publishing projects)! I think I might just call it Volume 2.

I printed and laminated most of them the other day. I think they look pretty schmick!

And here’s what some look like set up for play (okay, they’re laid out on a bed, but hey, I’m short on space, here).

Of course, you don’t have to laminate them, but it means you can draw on them with a dry-erasable pen (I LOOOVE dry-erasable pens. I would laminate everything, if I could, including the non-existent cat).

On to the next stretch goal!

13th Stretch Goal at $5500 – another 2 connectable town maps (4 gridded and grid-less digital images) added to the Connectable Fantasy Town Maps package!

14th Stretch Goal at $6000 – another 2 connectable town maps (4 gridded and grid-less digital images) added to the Connectable Fantasy Town Maps package!

The Kickstarter finishes soon, less than 2 days left! (Those of you who prefer poetry will be relieved lol.)

Game on!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 27, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 10th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 10th stretch goal is unlocked!

A PDF book of Ten Connectable Fantasy Town Maps, plus a zip file of 20 gridded and grid-less maps with a royalty free license so you can use them in your own publishing projects!

Ever had your players wander into one of those random towns along the road and start raising a ruckus, just because they could? I have. Players are nothing if not unpredictable. In fact, they’re predictably unpredictable. That’s why I put together this little maps package.

This stretch goal consists of ten A4-size print-and-play maps you can print out and arrange anyway you want, for any occasion the players enter a new town or village and you don’t have one available. Use all ten maps in any number of combinations, or just a few of them, and voila! A new town/village. On each map I’ve left several buildings with floor plans exposed, deliberately leaving out furnishings, so you can use them any way you want.

Included in this stretch goal are grid and grid-less versions of maps, so you can use whichever version you prefer. Oh, and a commercial license so you can use them in your own publishing projects as well (‘cause I like to share the love).

Oh, and now:

11^th Stretch Goal at $4500 – another 2 connectable town maps (4 gridded and grid-less digital images) added to the Connectable Fantasy Town Maps package!

12^th Stretch Goal at $5000 – another 2 connectable town maps (4 gridded and grid-less digital images) added to the Connectable Fantasy Town Maps package!

Tell your friends, spread the word! Ends Soon! Click on the link below!

Game on!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 25, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 9th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 9th stretch goal is unlocked in the Shotglass Adventures Kickstarter!

Critical Fumble Cards are designed to be used during melee combat when a player (or monster) rolls a 1 on d20. The cards feature a number of impacts that add a new element to fumbling an attack!

Critical Fumble Cards can be home printed in color or black and white, single or double-sided as you prefer. Printing the cards twice doubles the size of your deck and gives the added option of potentially drawing the same critical fumble again (DOH!). For extra longevity, you can laminate them.

I love using these in my game to spice up combat, and my players like them because they affect their opponents as well. There’s nothing like an Orc hitting himself for maximum damage. Now that’s gonna leave a mark!

Next Stretch Goal to be unlocked: Ten Connectable Fantasy Town Maps with a royalty free license so you can use them in your own publishing projects! Or you can just print them out and arrange them to randomize a fantasy town on the fly.

The Shotglass Adventures Kickstarter has only a few days left, so now is the time to jump on board and access all the original and unlocked content at a minimal pledge! Just click on the link below!

Game on!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 24, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Have Merc(er)y on Me

Matt Mercer hosts Critical Role on YouTube, one of the many D&D online channels that have helped propel the game’s popularity into the stratosphere, and is arguably one of the best DMs around. A trained voice actor, he has a wonderful storytelling ability and excels at immersive and engaging story telling. And for the rest of us mere mortals, that can be a little bit of a problem.

I don’t get the chance to play that much, but when I do I like to observe how other DMs run their games. As one would expect, there are differences in style, the way some rules are interpreted, the way people manage their players. Some are good, some are average. Some are appalling. One aspect that shows up more often or not, however, is DMs trying to be Matt Mercer.

Now, I have the utmost respect for Mr Mercer, but the fact that he is so good makes it difficult for most DMs to measure up. Many DMs just don’t have the range and acting chops that he does, and sometimes it comes across like they’re trying too hard to be like him. Here are a few things DMs need to realise (especially beginners).

1. You don’t have to be Matt Mercer to be a good DM. Just be yourself and establish your own style.

2. Matt Mercer is a trained actor. He also does a LOT of preparation for each session you see. And while he was previously an unpaid DM, now he is employed to do that job. Many of us mortals have full time day jobs or are full time students or have full time family responsibilities. Remember you can still be a good DM, but you need to be aware of your own limits.

3. Long, drawn-out Matt Mercer-style descriptions during combat can be great and really bring combat to life, but they do slow combat down (which can be a long and sometime frustrating process to start with if you have a lot of players at the table). Include your players—let them take part in describing the scene. If you do everything it seems like the game’s more about you being the centre of attention than them.

4. If you want to be an evocative DM, don’t forget to learn how to narrate the non-combat scenes. This is an area that some DMs appear to struggle with.

5. You don’t have to do accents if you’re not good at them. Focus on telling a good story, and involve your players. Evoke the scene with interesting descriptions. Play to your strengths.

6. You shouldn’t focus on jokes if you’re not good at them. If they fall flat every time, it’s generally a sign. Adventures with a serious tone can be fun, too. And if you’re not a funny DM, your players will fill in the humour gaps.

Yes, Matt Mercer is great, and he has a wonderful style. But be aware you aren’t him. You can always learn from him, but be yourself and you and your players will still find the game rewarding.

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 23, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 8th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 8th stretch goal is unlocked for Shotglass Adventures, currently running on Kickstarter!

These handy Initiative Cards are designed to be used during combat sessions as a no-fuss turn order tracker, whether you’re using figures on a grid map or running theater-of-the-mind combat. Each card folds in half, and can be hung on a DM screen or stand on the gaming table. Each two-sided, free-standing card lists the PC’s class and has space on one side for players and the other side for the DM, so PC/NPC names, passive perception or current conditions can be recorded.

Card art is by David Lewis Johnson and Luigi Castellani!

Initiative Cards can be home printed in color or black and white. For extra longevity, you can laminate them. Laminated versions can be written on with dry-erasable pen, for multiple re-use.

I use these cards in all my 5e games to free me up to concentrate on running fast combats and telling better stories with my players. Now you can, too.

Next Stretch Goal to be unlocked: Print-and-Play Critical Fumble Cards!

Now’s the time to jump on board the Kickstarter to receive not only Shotglass Adventures, but all the unlocked stretch goals as well!

Game on!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 21, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 7th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 7th stretch goal is unlocked!

Print and Play 5e Condition Cards to use in D&D 5e games! I use these two-sided cards to keep track of PC and monster conditions during combat. Just pop them on the table next to the miniature, or if you’re playing theater-of-the-mind, hand them to the player. They include a brief summary of the condition’s rules to save you and the player having to remember them all. They’re also a great visual reminder for everyone at the table. This package contains 16 double-sided print and play cards, which can be printed in multiples (for those times when players and monsters suffer numerous conditions during combat).

Game on!

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 19, 2019 2

Kickstarter: 6th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

Woo hoo!! The 6^th stretch goal is unlocked! Four 600 DPI maps have been added to the digital maps collection (unfortunately, we’re out of space in the book – any more added and the printing cost increases).

The maps are:

City Corner Cross Section – a fantasy city intersection with cutaways of the buildings and houses
Barrow Mound – who doesn’t love some undead hunter/killer action?
Descending Caves – Caves are always better when they’re deeper
Halfling Hole – because I’m not allowed to call them Hobbits – DOH! I just did

Here’s a preview:

That means we’re now up to 43 total maps in the package (which includes grid and grid-less versions for many of the maps, plus original pre-book versions of some maps, plus unlocked maps).

Next Stretch Goal: Print and Play 5e Condition Cards to use in your games (see below)! I use these two-sided cards to keep track of PC and monster conditions during combat. Just pop them on the table next to the miniature, or if you’re paying theatre-of-the-mind, hand them to the player. They include a brief summary of the condition’s rules to save you and the player having to remember them all. They’re also a great visual reminder for everyone at the table.

Game on!

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here

March 17, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 5th Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

The 5^th stretch goal is unlocked! A new, old school, hand drawn map with adventure seed has been added to the book as a bonus for supporters to use for their own adventures. And for Excelsior Supporters, another 600 DPI map added to the digital maps collection.

The new map is called ‘The Lonesome Heart’.

The Lonesome Heart is a lonely peak overlooking a stark plain, with a dwarven mine, forest giant camp, a wizard’s tower, ambush caverns and a strange mountain top refuge.

The mountain peak called Lonesome Heart stands incongruously on a stark plain. The bizarre cloud-covered structure crowning the summit is home to a metallic hovering globe. No one has returned from climbing to the summit and the globe’s lightning prevents flyers from getting too close. Along the mountain path: a lone Dwarf seeking help to free his family’s mine from the monsters within; a camp of Forest Giants searching for their lost child; a gang of cave-dwelling ambushers with a penchant for kidnapping; an evil wizard in her tower using dark magic to take control of all. And what of the mysterious globe? What treasures await those willing to venture to the summit of the Lonesome Heart?

Now, let’s unlock some more!

Cheers

Steve 😊

March 15, 2019 3

Kickstarter: 4TH Stretch Goal Unlocked, PLUS New Stretch Goals Available!

LaidbackDM - stevestillstanding - Header

Hi all!

We’ve unlocked our 4^th stretch goal – a new, hand drawn map with adventure seed to be added to the book as a bonus for you to use for your own adventures. For Excelsior Supporters, another 600 DPI map is added to the digital maps collection.

The new map is called ‘The Tomb of Meshkua’.

The Tomb of Meshkua is full of traps, puzzles, platforms, hidden rooms and a poisonous underground lake for good measure!

The great, great, great grandson of the Pharaoh Meshkua has asked the party to break into the ancient tomb of his forefather. He’s dying of a hideous wasting disease and suspects the Pharaoh’s curse. Below Meshkua’s ancient step pyramid lies a maze of rooms, filled with traps and puzzles, and three tombs that must be breached prior to visiting Meshkua’s final resting place on an island in a toxic underground lake. The grandson and his entourage are coming with you. But is it the curse he’s suffering from, or something else? What does he really want from inside the tomb…

Also, a whole bunch of new stretch goals have been unlocked, which you can see listed below:

Gotta unlock ‘em all (to paraphrase Pokemon)! Why not tell your friends all about the Shotglass Adventures Kickstarter!

Cheers

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 13, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 3rd Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

We’ve unlocked our 3rd stretch goal in the Shotglass Adventures Kickstarter – a new, hand drawn map with adventure seed to be added to the book as a bonus for supporters to use for their own adventures. For Excelsior Supporters, another 600 DPI map is added to the already burgeoning digital maps collection.

The new map is called ‘Hartlis Abbey’. Hartlis Abbey has multiple levels, a bell tower, underground caves and burial catacombs, and lots of space inside for big battles.

I’m adding adventure seeds to each map – supporters don’t have to use the seed, it’s more a way to kickstart (forgive the pun) some ideas for ways they can use the map for their own adventures.

The Abbey of the Goddess Hartlis sits on a cliff overlooking a wild and windy coast. The monks and friars there have worked in solitude for decades, having occasional contact with surrounding villages at fairs to preach and sell produce. But all contact has ceased, and now farmers go missing from the fields around the Abbey. A demon lord has taken control and is using the monks to gather human sacrifices to increase its power. But are the monks mind-controlled, or are they worshipping the beast? The underground tunnels and cellars below the Abbey are a hive of activity, as the demon lord prepares its army for the coming storm…

Cheers

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM, click here

March 9, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Villains – upping the ante

Role playing games enable players to take part in their own ongoing TV show—a soap opera of sorts, with a growing number of support characters, a fantastic and evolving environment, and ongoing stories linked to the players’ backgrounds and adventures.

As with any melodrama, what can make or break a long form story is the villain. A good villain is worth a thousand henchmen, as it were. Here’s a few ideas to up the ante with your campaign villains.

1. The Recurring Villain

Some of the best villains are the ones that come back to aggravate the player characters (PCs) again and again. This can be tricky in a game where the bad guys are regularly dispatched. If you want a villain to return, make sure he has an escape plan. One of my fave villains was a quirky NPC with the mannerisms of Captain Kirk, as played by the inimitable William Shatner. Great fun for the players and me, and one of the reasons they didn’t kill him.

2. The Apocalyptic Villain

This guy is set on destroying the world. Always great for a campaign, as it ups the stakes and drives the heroes onward to stop them. Must be immensely powerful, so that the PCs have a great challenge and really feel like they’ve earned their win (or death). I like using a major villain who was defeated in an earlier campaign but has come back more powerful than before, using his followers to harangue the PCs and providing gradual insights into his nefarious schemes of revenge and world domination.

3. The Sympathetic Villain

This villain has a backstory or motivation that puts the PCs in a moral quandary, forcing them to choose between helping or hindering them. I love these types of villains, and use them a lot. One of my faves was a priest who lost his wife and child to a scouting party and sought revenge by tracking down the murderers. The PCs were tasked with protecting the murderers, but as they gradually discovered the villain’s backstory they had to choose who to back. Made for some fiery discussions.

4. The Hidden Villain

This is the ‘slow burn’ villain. You don’t know much about them as they manipulate from behind the scenes. It’s often someone known to the PCs as an upstanding citizen, supportive of the party in public but secretly working against them behind the scenes. As long as they remain a mystery, the big reveal leaves the PCs gobsmacked, making it all worthwhile.

Great villains are the foundation of great campaigns. Spend a bit of time creating your villain, and the payoff will come in spades for you and your players.

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 6, 2019 0

Kickstarter: 2nd Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

Another update about the SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES Kickstarter that’s running as we speak!

We’ve unlocked our 2nd stretch goal – a new, hand drawn map to be added to the book as a bonus for supporters to use for their own adventures. And for Excelsior Supporters, that also means another 600 DPI map added to their digital maps collection.

The new map is called ‘The Twisted Tree’.

And I’m going to add adventure seeds in the book for each map, as well. Just thought it would be nice to have them in there as well. For this map:

The Twisted Tree’s dark and moss-encrusted boughs and roots are home to giant spiders, snakes and strange woodbeasts, and its ancient magics prevent teleportation and flying spells in its vicinity. Inside the tree, mazes of passages lead explorers astray, while living root systems and branches attack the unwary by surprise. Each level has a challenge – a creature to defeat, an environmental puzzle to overcome. And at the very top awaits The Twisted Guardian, an ancient and powerful druid who does not take kindly to trespassers. She protects the tree’s magical living heart, sought far and wide as an ingredient for powerful potions and magic items…

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 5, 2019 0

Kickstarter: First Stretch Goal Unlocked!

Hi all!

Just an update about the SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES Kickstarter that’s running as we speak!

We’ve unlocked our first stretch goal – a hand drawn map to be added to the book as a bonus for supporters to use their own adventures. For Excelsior Supporters, that also means another 600 DPI map added to the digital maps collection.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the map I call ‘The River Caverns of Argolus‘.

The caverns feature a fast flowing underground river connecting them, rapids, cavern shelves for ambushes, a copse of giant fungi, strange crystal formations dotted throughout, a cave in and living root systems. I picture Argolus as an powerful underground plant elemental, charged with protecting a number of living fungi and underground plant creatures. Unfortunately, something in the ecology is polluting the river, which flows to a nearby town. The town has sent adventurers to find the source of the pollution and stop it – at any cost! A moral quandary – how to solve the problem of the pollution without slaughtering the plant creatures? Maybe it won’t matter to the adventurers, who are just keen to loot and pillage. What would your players do? I can hear your DM gears grinding already at the possibilities!

If you’re a DM who’s interested in supporting this Kickstarter, click on the link below to find out more.

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

March 3, 2019 2

Laidback DM: Free Map – Tinsen’s Bluff

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Tinsen’s Bluff

From a recent adventure I ran for my 13th-level players. Tinsen’s Bluff was a quiet backwater until the people started mutating into crazed, blighted beasts. The Duke’s distant cousin sent a letter indicating this might be some kind of infection that could spread across the country. But what is the source? No one has heard anything more from the town. Time to investigate. Don’t forget to wrap up – it’s the dead of winter and you know how the snow brings out those mutated abominable yeti and white wolves…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

February 28, 2019 0

Shotglass Adventures – 10 adventures for D&D 5e and OSR Role Playing Games – KICKSTARTER LIVE!

Hi all!

I’ve been working very hard over the last few months to write a book of D&D adventures, and the Kickstarter to fund the project is live right now!

Follow the link below to read all about it! I’d appreciate your support, as this is the first time I’ve done this!

Click on the link below to find out all about the project:

Cheers

Steve 🙂

February 26, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Elemental Cruxis

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Elemental Cruxis

The party have to recover elemental seeds from each part of the cruxis, teleporting from the column room to each of the elemental crucibles and facing various elemental hazards and creatures. Once the seeds are joined, they summon an elemental god of your choice. Who’s not very friendly…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

February 20, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Ruined Tower and Crypts

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Ruined Tower and Crypts

Here’s a map you can spring on your players. The labels may be misleading – after all, the map’s pretty old, and it may have passed through a few sets of hands and many years before it got to the current possessors…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

February 13, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Mountain Monastery

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Mountain Monastery

Nothing like a remote mountain monastery and temple full of crazed monks for the player characters to discover. Not only will they have to fight those jazzed-up, battling ninja monks, they also have to deal with the deadly demons the monks made pacts with to fuel their power…

This is a bit different from my other maps – I spent a bit of time getting the architecture of the temple sections right. All hand drawn, of course. I thought it turned out pretty good!

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

February 6, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Serial Killer Inn

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Serial Killer Inn

The party stops overnight on the road between adventures. It just so happens this roadside inn is run by a serial killer, who preys on travellers who stay overnight. They kidnap unsuspecting guests during the night and hold them in deep, sound-proof pits in the cellar. They only go after individuals. Looks like each party member will be getting a room to themselves, tonight…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

January 30, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Above and Below

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Above and Below

An interdimensional nexus created by a mad wizard, ‘Above and Below’ features moving corridors and rooms that rise up and down. Rooms that pass near corridors can be seen from the corridor (if the corridor is above) and vice versa. This moveable feast makes for interesting combats and pursuits, say by a few Goristro demons (MM). Of course, the player characters will need to recover several items in order to activate the teleporter in the middle to escape. Oh, did I mention the nexus is unstable, so the construct is collapsing in on itself? The PCs are on a timer, upping the ante and adding another layer of tension…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

January 24, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map! Giant Mound

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my hand-drawn maps any chance I get.

This week: Giant Mound

You can use this map for any kind of giant insect or burrowing animal you like: Giant Ants (KTOB), Burrowlings (KTOB), Thri-kreen (MM), Kruthiks (MTF), Cave Fishers (VGM), Chitines (VGM), Choldrith (VGM), Meenlocks (VGM), Neogi (VGM), Tlincalli (VGM), Dogmoles (KTOB), Millitaurs (KTOB), Ratfolk (KTOB), Giant Rats (MM), Tosculi (KTOB), etc., to name a few.

Change the scale and suddenly it’s a Purple Worm (MM) breeding mound! Or home to mutant insect/dragon hybrid creatures! The sky (or rather the mound) is the limit!

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

January 18, 2019 0

Laidback DM: Free Map – Tower and Undertemple

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Tower and Undertemple

Local villagers have been going crazy after visiting a ruined tower on a peak not far from town. Something has been climbing up from the bowels of the earth, infecting them and the denizens of the ruined temple below the tower with madness. The huge cracks lead to the source of the infection, deep down…

D&D fifth edition (or 5e) has this lovely little bonus for players called ‘inspiration’. It’s an extra d20 that is awarded to the player for doing something cool, great role playing, etc. They can use it to re-roll a d20 roll they’ve failed. It’s a groovy concept, but it is a bit limiting (they can only have one at a time), and I’m one of those DMs who often forgets to give it out. Doh!

Laidback DM - stevestillstanding.com — I was ‘inspired’ to take this photo. Yeah, I know. Sorry.

This is complicated by the fact that some players are more extraverted or better role players than others, which can make it a bit harder for others to shine. As DM, it’s our job to ensure everyone gets their time in the sun, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier to award inspiration!

If you’re like me, maybe you need a new approach to inspiration awards. Here’s a few ways you can up the ante with inspiration:

1.Inspiration Pool – each time the party does something great as a team—like working together to cross a tricky ravine or solving a puzzle collectively—award the party an inspiration d20, added to a pool in the centre. This can be drawn on by anyone in the party (as agreed by the team). The pool can be carried over from game to game and has no limit.

2.Multiple Player Inspiration Awards – each player starts the game with an inspiration d20. During the game they can award their inspiration die to any other player, but not themselves. A player can be awarded multiple d20s.

3.End of Adventure Inspiration Awards – everyone receives a d20 inspiration at the end of each game session—the contribution and inclusion award. It has to be used before the end of the next session (yes, this is a lazy way of doing it, but it does make your job easier).

4.Fate Points – the Fate Core game has ‘Fate points’, allowing players to invoke or compel aspects during the game. The DMG includes a system called ‘hero points’. Fate Points in D&D would not be limited by the hero point rules. Each player would have 5 Fate Points per game to spend on d20 re-rolls, no matter what type of d20 roll it is—including an NPC’s roll. This gives players a LOT of heroic leeway, but is fun nonetheless (especially when multiple rolls fail, lol).

5.Inspiration Fails – the player is awarded an inspiration die when they fail a skill roll. Sort of a reward for screwing up—“better luck next time”. The normal inspiration rules apply i.e. one die per player until used, but means they should get more inspiration dice on average per game.

I hope you were inspired by these ideas, if not the bad pun.

Keep on gaming!

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM, click here.

December 14, 2018 7

Laidback DM: The Virtues of the Mini-Campaign

I like short role playing game (RPG) campaigns. That’s not to say I don’t like the occasional long-termer, but mini-campaigns (say, around 3-4 months) are my current preference.

For those not in the know, a campaign is a series of adventures linked by a common thread or goal—a bit like a season of a modern TV or cable show. Some RPG campaigns can last for years, representing long term investment in player character stories and plot development. Some campaigns might last only a few months, representing a tangible milestone completed—for example, a huge Orc Boss whose ongoing machinations to take over the valley the heroes call home is finally brought to his knees. It’s these shorter campaigns I’m talking about.

I enjoy long campaigns, however I don’t like them going any longer than a year. This is due to time restraints, but also because any longer can sometimes lead to burnout—mine, specifically. I found this the case playing Tomb of Annihilation with one of my groups. All up it took about nine months to play, and I was glad when it finished. We stuck to mini-campaigns after that (DM’ing Curse of Strahd was a different matter—that’s one I would have enjoyed even if we played for longer than the seven months it took).

Long campaigns are great because players see their characters, the game world and the story they are contributing to, evolve like a living thing. But mini-campaigns have many attractions, too:

1. Generally less preparation is required

2. The goal is tighter and more specific, so players don’t lose focus on what they’re trying to achieve

3. It’s easier for players and DMs with busy lives to commit to a shorter campaign

4. Mini-campaigns don’t tend to drag because they have a short end date, so there’s less chance of DM and/or player fatigue

5. The goal can easily lead into another mini-campaign—remember that Orc Boss? Turns out he had an even bigger boss manipulating him behind the scenes…

So give some thought to the mini-campaign. You can still have a long endgame goal, but break it into smaller, more manageable chunks. It could save you a few headaches.

Cheers

Steve 🙂

December 5, 2018 0

Laidback DM: Avoiding The TPK

As DMs, we’ve all done it at some time or other: we’ve killed the entire party and drained the fun out of the D&D session. Sometimes it’s unintentional, sometimes it’s mean spirited, sometimes it’s to punish players for being complete d$&@s.

But no matter how you look at it, the Total Party Kill (TPK) is a bummer for your campaign. No one wants to go out that way, unless it just happens to be the final battle of the campaign and a TPK means the big bad gets it as well.

Most players get attached to their characters. Having them all die at once can lead to losses from your gaming group, or players giving up playing the game altogether (a bit extreme, but it does happen).

Here’s some ways to avoid the TPK:

1.Have a contingency prepared – perhaps the PCs were all knocked unconscious and saved as they proved useful to the villain’s plan. They awaken chained up and breaking rocks. Now you have a cool prison escape scenario instead of multiple funerals and habitual moaning and mourning.

2.Fluff your dice – I’m not a fan of this option, but you’re the DM. Just don’t make it too obvious.

3.The Deus Ex Machina – something amazing happens that saves the party: A company of Dwarven Commandos intervenes; the ground cracks open, swallowing the bad guy before he can deliver the coup de grace; an even bigger bad guy appears and fights the villains, giving the party time to escape. Just make sure the rescuer/event is relevant and part of the ongoing story, not something that just happened “because” (even if it did).

4.The alternate universe/another plane save – the PCs are dead, but now they find themselves in the afterlife or a screwed up version of their world (come on, you always wanted to run one of those Star Trek Mirror Universe episodes, didn’t you?). Now, they just have to find their way back home. A quest to return to life!

5.It was all a dream – This is another one of those options I don’t like much, but it could work if used the right way and if it makes for a better story. Perhaps the real big bad is a dream deity manipulating things behind the scenes and wants the players to suffer both mentally as well as physically to harvest their energy on the way to achieving ultimate power?

In the end, if the PCs are just being stupid, then maybe they need to die to teach them a lesson. As always, it’s up to you, the DM, to decide. Just remember this: killing everyone almost always kills the fun.

Cheers

Steve 🙂

December 1, 2018 7

Laidback DM: Free Map – Duergar Stronghold

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Duergar Stronghold

Down into the Underdark we go, to a Duergar Stronghold protecting the only bridge connecting north and south for 300 miles!

What are the mysterious stone-carven columns over the bottomless chasm’s north side, and why do strange lights flicker and move amongst them, barely perceived out of the corner of one’s eye? Any who linger amongst the columns are never heard from again…

The Drow Outpost on the north side supplies local Duergar addicts with Faerie Dust, the latest magical hallucinogenic drug. What’s their true purpose here?

And what is the mysterious mist that rises from the Stronghold’s streets, bringing madness in its wake?

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve

P.S. I’m writing a book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

November 28, 2018 0

Symbaroum – a tabletop fantasy RPG that reeks of deep darkness, blighted evil and drawn out death. Fun!

Steve Still Standing

(“You and your crazy role playing games,” says Alpha Girl surveying the books, sheets and dice on the kitchen table. “You’ve even got Beta Max involved.”

“It’s all good fun,” says Beta Max, rolling a handful of dice and cheering at the result. “Another dead goblin, thank you very much.” He sits back, hands behind his head, looking smug. “Any time soon, those magical math powers will kick in.* ”

“You know, you could play if you want,” I say.

“Would I be able to kill you?” says Alpha Girl.

“I guess so-”

“I’m in. Tell me what I have to do.”)

I like role playing games (RPGs). I can’t help it. There’s something about giving up mundane reality to become a fearless knight fighting evil monsters in fantastic and mysterious lands. Yeah, it’s nerdy, but that’s okay. It helps to relax my overwrought brain. It also enables me to…

View original post 600 more words

November 22, 2018 0

Laidback DM: D&D 5e Rules Summaries

Hi All!

I’ve been DM’ing and playing D&D 5e since the new version premiered (and AD&D – or 1e – previously), and like many people I occasionally forget rules. So, I created a few placemats your players can use as reminders.

Starter Placemat – Laidback DM – stevestillstanding (just click on th is link )

This one is for beginners – those who have never played the game before – it has pictures of the various polyhedral dice on it as well as the rules summary.

Rules Summary Placemat – Laidback DM – stevestillstanding (just click on th is link)

This one is for more experienced players – those who just need a reminder about the rules every now and then – and doesn’t have the dice on it.

They look lovely when they’re printed and laminated (I’m a bit of a laminating junkie).

Free to use and enjoy!

Cheers

Steve 🙂

For more Laidback DM posts, including free maps, CLICK HERE!

November 22, 2018 8

Laidback DM – Free Map! Dungeon A La Carte

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Dungeon A La Carte

A simple dungeon map I drew with a 1st-level party in mind. Some easy monsters, a few traps: the north-east room fills with water while the PCs solve the puzzle; the south-east room has two teleporting pools that shift stuff back and forth while gargoyle heads spew poisonous gas; the central chamber is a floor tile puzzle that, when solved, reveals the secret door behind the statue (an easier way to the main treasure room); several trapped and impossibly locked doors; pit traps; triggered floors; undead guardians. Phew!

Above: Just right click and save.

This map is free to use for non-commercial purposes, as long as you acknowledge me and my website stevestillstanding.com. If you want to use it commercially, please send me an email and we can talk terms.

Happy Gaming!

Steve

P.S. I’m writing a 52-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

November 11, 2018 2

Laidback DM – Free Map! The City State of Ranisvlad

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Ranisvlad, City State of Thieves

Anything goes in Ranisvlad, a murky, muddy and depraved city state in the outlands, ruled by Ranislov, so-called Lord of Thieves. Humans, humanoids and otherworldly creatures mingle and mix, fight and trade. Dangerous job offers and shady deals can be found all along Skull and Dagger Way. Disputes are settled in the Lord’s Arena, the only real justice in town. In Ranisvlad, you can find fame, fortune or a quick death, if you choose.

Beware the dark secrets of Barislev Tower, where vampires and wizards collude to raise the Demon King of Bats. Lone travellers are often waylaid by cannibal brigands on the Bridge of Thieves. The necropolis of Death’s Throne is the repository for Ranisvlad’s dead, who rise from their graves at night to claw at the cemetery gates…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

P.S. I’m writing a 52-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

November 6, 2018 2

Laidback DM: Free Map – Demonic Prison

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Demonic Prison

Ever wondered where evil wizards keep their raised demons? How about a special-built magical prison in the side of a cliff? Heck, why not? Have fun using this baby!

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

P.S. I’m writing a 52-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

October 31, 2018 2

Laidback DM: Barrow Mound – Free Map!

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: The Barrow Mound of the Ghengar Urgs

The Ghengar of the mightiest Orc War Band to ever plague the world was put to rest in a burglar-proof barrow mound, his many Urg Leaders buried with him. Magical energies seeped up from the underworld and re-animated the bodies, changing them into Wights, Zombies and Unger Dogs; the Ghengar himself was transformed into an undead Deathlok. For a hundred years they have waited for release.

Recently, an adventuring party came across a strange Orcish statuette, one that sages informed them fits the oddly shaped depression in the barrow mound’s door…

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

P.S. I’m writing a 48-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

October 24, 2018 0

Laidback DM: Free Cave Map/Encounter!

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: The Caves That Bleed

Find the missing kid! The Caves that Bleed await! The notes are self explanatory.

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

P.S. I’m writing a 48-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

October 17, 2018 0

Laidback DM: Free City Quarter Map!

Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for D&D adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give them away any chance I get.

This week: Poorside – A city quarter map

You can use this map for any overcrowded area in a walled city. It’s nestled against the ramparts and includes lots of back alleys for shady deals and ambushes. Many buildings’ floorplans are exposed for you to use them as bases, lairs, safe houses, taverns, inns, etc.

Above: Just right click and save.

Happy Gaming!

Steve 😊

P.S. I’m writing a 48-page book of dungeon maps, adventures, tables and tips! Coming soon!

For more Laidback DM posts, click here.

October 10, 2018 6

April 2019
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Mar
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

This week: Sewer Neighbours

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

1. The Recurring Villain

2. The Apocalyptic Villain

3. The Sympathetic Villain

4. The Hidden Villain

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Tinsen’s Bluff

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Elemental Cruxis

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Ruined Tower and Crypts

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Mountain Monastery

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Serial Killer Inn

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Above and Below

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Giant Mound

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Tower and Undertemple

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Big Bad Boss Castle

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Clifftop Temple

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Entombed!

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Four Encounter Settings

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

This week: Duergar Stronghold