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Ragnar’s Keep – a mediaeval castle setting for fantasy RPGs

Are you a GamesMaster for a fantasy role-playing game? Do you struggle to make your settings feel real? Do you need a castle home base? Or a castle for the players to attack? Or a refuge from the dangers on the road? Maybe some NPCs in a wilderness stronghold? Ragnar's Keep is a detailed castle … Continue reading Ragnar’s Keep – a mediaeval castle setting for fantasy RPGs →

Cultured Language – a New Perspective

Characters lay on the charm while bartering for magic items with a green hag

Languages never seem to play much of a part in my D&D games. It's much easier to assume everyone speaks Common and get on with it. But how do you represent how well a character knows an area? Or how different cultures interact? Based on a proposal by Dave Clark @bedirthan, maybe we could replace "language" with "culture".

RPGaDay2026 – join the conversation!

#RPGaDay2026 is coming. Here are the prompts - start preparing now, and share your creations throughout August!

Adding a sentient magic item? Be careful!

Armoured man looking at sword. Photo by Imad Clicks via Pexels

Intelligent swords have been the stuff of fable, and in D&D since the start. I thought it would be cool, but I wish I'd known this before I started...

Revising lock-picking – an update

I have spent most of the year working on a new set of lock-picking mechanics, and I presented it to my players. This is how they reacted, and a couple of tweaks we have made as a result.

A Brief History of Time

What units of time are used in D&D? Sounds a simple question, but it turns out I was thirty years out of date. So here's a review across the editions.

Revising Lockpicking in D&D?

Revised lock-picking rules for D&D 5e. In an earlier post, I lamented how trivial picking a lock felt in a session. I've explored alternatives and rules; time to come up with a proposal. So here you are.

What’s the chance of success?

A large number of dice on an opened copy of the Players Handbook

Have you ever wondered just how quickly the chances of success add up if you can make a check repeatedly without consequence? This post looks at d20 checks, including with advantage or disadvantage, and how this changes if there is a chance of instant failure.

How long does it take to pick a lock?

How long does it take to pick a lock in #DnD? A review of the various editions, plus real life.

A Contract with a Devil

How do you persuade your players to enter a contract with a devil for their characters? How can a page of legalese make for a fun session? Here's how I managed, with inspiration from Devil's Advocate

Message – RPGaDAY 2025 Day 4 – update

In RPGaDay 2025 Day 4, I responded to "Message" by talking about how difficult it is to communicate long-distance without telephones. This is an update after a reader reminded me of sempahore and other signals at a distance.