Hi all! Far be it for me to spruik for a living, but hey – it’s how I make a living now. So, here are some of my products available on DrivethruRPG in print/PDF/digital. You can buy any or all of these fine products by visiting this nifty little link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13989/Laidback-DM?term=laidback Game on! Steve 🙂Continue reading “Laidback DM: Products Available Now!”
Tag Archives: Role Playing Games
Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Reviews – Tomorrow Must Burn
I’ve been buying all the Pathfinder 2e products, so I may as well review them. Sorry it’s taken me a while to get to this adventure path. Just call me lazy. Limited Spoilers! Tomorrow Must Burn is the third part of the epic Pathfinder 2e adventure path Age of Ashes, containing three adventures for charactersContinue reading “Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Reviews – Tomorrow Must Burn”
‘Maps Your Party Will Die For’ available now in Print and PDF
Hi all, My latest project – Maps Your Party Will Die For – is now available from DrivethruRPG at the following link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13989/Laidback-DM?term=laidback Game On! Steve 🙂
Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Review – Cult of Cinders
I’ve been buying all the Pathfinder 2e products, so I may as well review them. Sorry it’s taken me a while to get to this adventure path. Just call me lazy. Spoilers!! Cult of Cinders is the second part of the Age of Ashes adventure path. It contains four adventures taking PCs from 5th-8th level,Continue reading “Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Review – Cult of Cinders”
Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Reviews – Hellknight Hill
(I’ve been buying all the Pathfinder 2e products, so I may as well review them. Sorry it’s taken me a while to get to this adventure path. Just call me lazy.) Hellknight Hill is the first in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path for P2e, taking PCs from 1st-4th level. The first mini-adventure sees theContinue reading “Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Reviews – Hellknight Hill”
Laidback DM – Lost Omens World Guide (Pathfinder 2e) Review
I’ve been buying everything Pathfinder 2e related over the past few months, so I thought I’d do a few reviews. Lost Omens World Guide is exactly what you think it is – a gazetteer of the world of Golarion, Pathfinder’s official setting. Okay, it’s actually the Inner Sea region, Golarion’s analogue of Europe, Africa andContinue reading “Laidback DM – Lost Omens World Guide (Pathfinder 2e) Review”
Laidback DM – The Quiet Player
I’m willing to bet money you have a group that has at least one quiet, introspective player, who tends to not speak up much (I’ll refrain from calling them an introvert as sometimes introverts can be outgoing, too). I’m also willing to bet that you’ve DM’ed a game with an unfamiliar group with subdued playersContinue reading “Laidback DM – The Quiet Player”
Laidback DM: Designing Dungeons
So, you have a map of a dungeon / building / ruin / chasm / extra-planar setting / landscape, etc. Now, you just have to stock it with some monsters and traps. Here’s some hints for designing cool dungeons: Who’s the Boss? Decide who your big bad is going to be from the beginning. SelectContinue reading “Laidback DM: Designing Dungeons”
Free Old School Map: Bandit Ruin
Time for a free map! I love drawing maps for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I have far too many, though, so I give away my old school hand-drawn maps any chance I get. This week: Bandit Ruin The Bandits of the Murkmire prey on small villages on the periphery of the swamp. Your party hasContinue reading “Free Old School Map: Bandit Ruin”
Laidback DM: Anatomy of a (not quite) break up
So, I’m taking a break from DMing to hone my ‘player’ chops. Part of the reason was my increasing work and study loads and part of it was burn out. I just needed a break from all the work involved in preparing and running a game each week, from my brain constantly thinking about D&DContinue reading “Laidback DM: Anatomy of a (not quite) break up”
Free Map: Descending Caves
It’s been a while since I gave away a free map. So, without further ado! Okay, just a little… 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: Descending Caves! Okay, it needs a better nameContinue reading “Free Map: Descending Caves”
Laidback DM: World Building
Have you ever spent far too much time drawing a map of your world, developing and designing societies, cultures and religions to fill it, creating reasons for its existence, only to find you didn’t need all that for your campaign or the players didn’t care anyway? I guess all burgeoning DMs have at some pointContinue reading “Laidback DM: World Building”
Laidback DM – Pathfinder 2e Product Reviews
I went a bit crazy and bought all of the Pathfinder 2e products currently available. Here’s a short review of some of them. Pathfinder 2e Gamemaster’s Screen A strong, 4-panel GM screen with great art and useful tables and reminders: conditions, actions, DCs, death and dying, monster types, etc. P2 is a rules-heavy system, andContinue reading “Laidback DM – Pathfinder 2e Product Reviews”
Laidback DM – Descent into Avernus review
I was sooooooo looking forward to getting this adventure. But like so many things in life, the experience didn’t quite live up to the expectation. I’m not going to explain the storyline—by now you would have read the advertising blurb. Descent into Avernus is a campaign adventure for characters levels 1-13. It has great art,Continue reading “Laidback DM – Descent into Avernus review”
Laidback DM: Weapon and Armor Durability
I know what you’re going to say—in D&D it’s so much easier not to have to worry about weapons getting damaged. But what happens when they do? And how do you have a simple (or laidback, as I prefer to call it) system that doesn’t bog down the game? Here’s my personal take on weaponContinue reading “Laidback DM: Weapon and Armor Durability”
Laidback DM – One-Page Dungeon Competition 2019 Winner
Hi all I was one of the winners of the 2019 One Page Dungeon competition at https://www.dungeoncontest.com. I used one of my old adventures from Shotglass Adventures volume 1, which is available in print and PDF from DrivethruRPG (see the link below). Here’s a copy of the adventure I submitted, which you can download byContinue reading “Laidback DM – One-Page Dungeon Competition 2019 Winner”
Laidback DM: Treasure Alternatives
All too often, treasure seems to be the major incentive for PCs to complete missions and quests in fantasy role playing games. So what about something else just as beneficial? Here’s some ideas for things that are just as useful as mo money, that could be offered as alternative rewards for jobs: An ongoing discountContinue reading “Laidback DM: Treasure Alternatives”
Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Review
I bought copies of the Pathfinder 2nd edition Core Rulebook and Bestiary the other week, and after a solid read (they are over 600 and 200 pages respectively) here are my thoughts on the game. Pros: Great layout and design – tabs and index make it easier to find stuff. The PDF is also fullyContinue reading “Laidback DM: Pathfinder 2e Review”
Laidback DM: Keeping Secrets
Are you one of those DMs who finds it hard keeping secrets from your players? This may be the case if you see your players regularly, through work, school or at the pub, and enjoy talking about your game. You may find it’s hard not to blurt out some spoilers. But think about it. SpoilersContinue reading “Laidback DM: Keeping Secrets”
Laidback DM: Alignments in Games
Alignments are a leftover from the days of old school role playing. Originally there were three—Lawful, Neutral and Chaotic. Then Mr. Gygax decided in AD&D that he’d spice it up a little by adding Good, Neutral and Evil suffixes to provide a bit more clarity. But are alignments necessary in a D&D game? Players andContinue reading “Laidback DM: Alignments in Games”
Laidback DM: Shotglass Adventures II available in print!
The products from my last Kickstarter, including Shotglass Adventures II, are now available in PDF/print on DrivethruRPG. Here’s a look at the printed version of the book: SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES II For D&D 5e and other OSR fantasy role playing games. • 10 one-shot adventures for characters of 6th-10th level, including murder, dungeon crawl, gauntlet, planar,Continue reading “Laidback DM: Shotglass Adventures II available in print!”
Laidback DM: Playing in the Sandbox
So what exactly is a sandbox? And how does it relate to RPGs? ‘Sandboxing’ is where you let your players loose in the world to do whatever they want. Give them a map and they decide where they go and what they do. Consequently, the world is built around their actions. It’s a bit likeContinue reading “Laidback DM: Playing in the Sandbox”
Laidback DM: Saving Throws – the Nat 20 Bonus
So you scored a natural 20 on that saving throw? Awesome. You passed. Doesn’t sound as great when you think about it, now does it. But what if you got something a little extra to celebrate with? Here’s some ideas that won’t break the rule bank. Obviously you only get to choose one of theseContinue reading “Laidback DM: Saving Throws – the Nat 20 Bonus”
Splitting the Party: strength in numbers? Nah!!
Every time I GM an RPG, whether it be D&D, Stars Without Number, Numenera, Kids On Bikes or another genre, the players take it upon themselves to split their party because some want to do one thing and others want to do another (usually because strong personalities compete). And every time they do it, theContinue reading “Splitting the Party: strength in numbers? Nah!!”
Flanking: Good Team Work or Unbalancing the Game?
Flanking is an optional rule in D&D 5e, generally used with miniatures (although you can also use it in theater-of-the-mind combat if you want—I do). Flanking is where two or more miniatures ‘surround’ another (which we’ll call the 3rd), on directly opposite sides. The theory is that the 2nd miniature is distracting the 3rd whileContinue reading “Flanking: Good Team Work or Unbalancing the Game?”
Shotglass Adventures 2 Preview
Hi all, Here’s a little preview of the adventures and contents of SA2, currently on Kickstarter! The adventures are for D&D Fifth Edition (the current version of the game) and Old School Revival (OSR) games like Swords and Wizardry, OSRIC, White Box and Dungeon Crawl Classics (to name a few). Here’s a taste: I’ve uppedContinue reading “Shotglass Adventures 2 Preview”
Connectable Town Maps Volumes 1 & 2 and Maps for Fantasy RPGs available now!
Connectable Town Maps Volumes 1 & 2 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 these little maps packages – Connectable TownContinue reading “Connectable Town Maps Volumes 1 & 2 and Maps for Fantasy RPGs available now!”
Shotglass Adventures available now in Print and PDF!
Hi All! SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES, my first D&D 5e/Old School Revolution (OSR) role playing game book, is now available at DrivethruRPG, the world’s largest online role playing game store. SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES is published under the OGL and compatible with 5e and other OSR fantasy role playing games. Inside this 52-page book you’ll find: 10 ‘adventure-on-a-page’ one-shotContinue reading “Shotglass Adventures available now in Print and PDF!”
Laidback DM: Trading Places
During long campaigns, some players might not turn up for sessions, some might retire, new players will join. There are good reasons for changes in your ongoing cast—work and family commitments, sports, meetings and significant events in peoples’ lives. And some players just move on because your game might not be what they’re looking for.Continue reading “Laidback DM: Trading Places”
Laidback DM: Shotglass Adventures in Print!
Hi All, The print proof for Shotglass Adventures arrived today and I just finished sending rewards emails to all the Kickstarter Supporters (who get a digital copy for free, along with all the digital stretch goal rewards shown at the bottom of this post, and have the option to purchase a softcover book version atContinue reading “Laidback DM: Shotglass Adventures in Print!”
Laidback DM: SteveStillStanding.com 