Hi all, I’ve been asked in the past about what creative process I use in developing adventures and TTRPG products. Here’s a shortened version of an article I originally wrote for my Shotglass Rounds #11: Duumhaven adventure (available on DrivethruRPG). Hopefully it answers some of your questions. Please note that my process can vary fromContinue reading “Laidback DM: Notes on the Creative Process”
Category Archives: The Laid Back Dungeon Master
‘SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES: Two More $1 One Shots’ is LIVE on Kickstarter!
SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES rides again! Lurkers and The St. Avon’s Day Massacre are the newest adventures in the popular Shotglass Adventures PDF One-Shot series! Both are fully play-tested One-Page One-Shots for 5e and OSR systems for 3rd-4th level characters, including full stat blocks with both old and new 5e and OSR/1e monsters, plus grid and grid-less maps. And all for just $2 AU (about $1.35 US). This Quickstarter runs for 8 DAYS ONLY, so don’tContinue reading “‘SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES: Two More $1 One Shots’ is LIVE on Kickstarter!”
Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 29-31
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017-18, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018-19. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 29-31”
Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 26-28
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 26-28”
Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 23-25
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 23-25”
SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES #2 and #3 Now Available on DrivethruRPG !
Ever long for the days of simple one-shot adventures with everything included on one page? No hassle, limited prep? Something you could throw at your players and finish in one or two sessions? My first One-Page scenarios for 5e were released in 2019 in Shotglass Adventures, Volume 1. Since then, my creations have grown in scope, but I‘ve alwaysContinue reading “SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES #2 and #3 Now Available on DrivethruRPG !”
Out of the Abyss: Sessions 20-22
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss: Sessions 20-22”
Free Map: Old School Lava Caverns
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map comes with a grid and is perfectly sized (1750 x 1750 pixels, 25 squares x 25 squares)Continue reading “Free Map: Old School Lava Caverns”
Free Map: Lava Caverns
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This Lava Caverns map is grid-less, measures 1750×1750 pixels (25 x 25 squares) and is perfect for Roll20, FantasyContinue reading “Free Map: Lava Caverns”
Laidback DM: Running New TTRPGs
Everyone likes to try out a new TTRPG. New mechanics, new lore, new style of play – you name it, there’s a reason why you decided to buy that game and crack open the book or box. Here are a few suggestions to avoid issues when running your first new game session. Finally, don’t putContinue reading “Laidback DM: Running New TTRPGs”
Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 17-19
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018-2019. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 17-19”
Laidback DM: The Year in Review 2022
My Year in Review! This is a post about all the stuff I released in 2022. I haven’t done one of these before, so here goes nothing lol. Each of the products is listed in release order. Maps for Fantasy RPGs 3 was released in February 2022. What can I say, hand drawn, royalty-free mapsContinue reading “Laidback DM: The Year in Review 2022”
Free Map: Castle Ruin
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map comes with a grid and can be used for face-to-face games or Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, or Foundry!Continue reading “Free Map: Castle Ruin”
Free Map: Forest Temple
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map comes with a grid and can be used for face-to-face games or Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, or Foundry!Continue reading “Free Map: Forest Temple”
The Madness of St. Avon is now Available on DrivethruRPG!
Ever long for the days of simple one-shot adventures with everything included on one page? No hassle, limited prep? Something you could throw at your players and finish in one session? My first One-Page scenarios for 5e were released in 2019 in Shotglass Adventures, Volume 1. Since then, my creations have grown in scope, butContinue reading “The Madness of St. Avon is now Available on DrivethruRPG!”
Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 14-16
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 14-16”
‘Gates of Shun-Zin’ is Now Available on DrivethruRPG!
Available now on DrivethruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/418968/SHOTGLASS-ROUNDS13-Gates-of-ShunZin GATES OF SHUN-ZIN is the 13th adventure in the SHOTGLASS ROUNDS series! This 64-page PDF adventure is compatible with 5e, Old School Essentials (OSE), OSR retro-clones based on Basic/Expert, and includes 5e and full OSE monster stats! GATES OF SHUN-ZIN is for 3rd-Level characters and can be played as a One-Shot or asContinue reading “‘Gates of Shun-Zin’ is Now Available on DrivethruRPG!”
Laidback DM Social Media Links
Hi all, If you’re looking for me on social media, you can find me at these links: Website: https://stevestillstanding.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaidbackDM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevestillstanding/ Mastodon: https://dice.camp/web/@laidbackdm Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevestillstand DrivethruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13989/ Onward! Steve, Laidback DM
Free OSR Map: Serpent Tombs
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Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 12-13
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss 2020: Sessions 12-13”
Maps for Fantasy RPGs 6 is Available on DrivethruRPG!
Available at DrivethruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13989/ DMs and fantasy TTRPG designers always need maps, but they’re not always easy for people to make, especially if you want a particular hand drawn aesthetic that you can’t get with digital map making applications. Maps can be expensive to commission, and when you’re a small indie TTRPG game or product designer,Continue reading “Maps for Fantasy RPGs 6 is Available on DrivethruRPG!”
Free Map: Lakeside Fort Ruin
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map comes with a grid and can be used for face-to-face games or Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, or Foundry!Continue reading “Free Map: Lakeside Fort Ruin”
Out of the Abyss: Sessions 10-11
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss: Sessions 10-11”
Free Map: Cavern Dock
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map is grid-less and can be used for face-to-face games or Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, or Foundry! It’s perfectlyContinue reading “Free Map: Cavern Dock”
The Goblin Jarl is Available on DrivethruRPG!
THE GOBLIN JARL is the 12th adventure in the SHOTGLASS ROUNDS series! This 66-page PDF adventure is compatible with both 5e, Old School Essentials (OSE) and OSR retro-clones based on Basic/Expert and includes 5e and full OSE monster stats! THE GOBLIN JARL is for 2nd-Level characters and can be played as a One-Shot or as the second adventureContinue reading “The Goblin Jarl is Available on DrivethruRPG!”
Free Map: Desert Tomb
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This map comes with a grid, is perfectly sized for Roll20 (1750 x 1750 pixels, 25 x 25 squares)Continue reading “Free Map: Desert Tomb”
Out of the Abyss: Sessions 8-9
Hi all, I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017, and the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign from 2018. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that). Here’s another campaign – 2020’sContinue reading “Out of the Abyss: Sessions 8-9”
Free Map: Slam Dungeon
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. This slammed-together dungeon map was an experiment with pen and pencil shading. It’s 1750 x 1750 pixels (perfect sizeContinue reading “Free Map: Slam Dungeon”
Free Map: Beach Dock
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps by hand for Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy TTRPG adventures. I have far too many, so I like to give away my maps whenever I can. I drew this Beach Dock map for a home game a few weeks back. It’s grid-less and can beContinue reading “Free Map: Beach Dock”
DUUMHAVEN now available on DrivethruRPG!
DUUMHAVEN is the 11th adventure in the SHOTGLASS ROUNDS series! This adventure is compatible with both 5e, Old School Essentials (OSE) and OSR retro-clones based on Basic/Expert. It is the first SHOTGLASS ROUNDS adventure to include full OSE monster stats! DUUMHAVEN is a 70-page PDF that includes Duumhaven Valley and Village, a fully detailed wilderness and town setting, complete with NPCs, new monsters and side-missions, plus an adventure for 1st-Level CharactersContinue reading “DUUMHAVEN now available on DrivethruRPG!”
Laidback DM: SteveStillStanding.com 