Dawnfist Newsletter - Stalking Fame, Biting Curses, and a Book Giveaway!

Welcome to the monthly Dawnfist Newsletter where we share community gems, helpful advice and always bring you a new creation of our own! If you aren’t already subscribed, click on the button below.

Our 5 Favorite Community Gems

Every month, we sift through all the goodness from the TTRPG community and handpick our five favorites — the ones we believe are the most useful and valuable.

This month, we devoured 172 articles, blog posts, threads, and videos to bring you the five absolute standouts. Because that’s the purpose of this newsletter, to save you valuable time and help you find some golden nuggets.

1. Earthmote released a video on using reputation tables as a way for NPCs to know about the PCs before they even meet. It’s a refinement of similar systems from Luke Gearing and Murkdice. The change to a D100 table is brilliantly simple, working in 1% increments feels more intuitive, and it gives much more flexibility and options for the GM. Definitely check this video out, and implement a version of these reputation tables in your campaign!

2. Goblin Punch posted a D6 table of Dungeon Merchants. These are evocative and unique merchants that roam the dark, from gigantic ghouls to gelatinous sentient flowers. Dropping these in your next dungeon will surely bring some interesting role-play opportunities, as well as highly memorable moments of horror mixed with relief. Picture your players on edge as a nine-foot-tall ghoul shambles into view, wheelbarrow piled high with corpses — only to realize it’s… friendly? Or at least, not hostile. Pure gold.

3. D4 Caltrops built an expanded version of the iconic dungeon stocking table from Basic/Expert D&D. The original is a D6 table containing the entries: “Empty”, “Monster”, “Special” and “Trap”, which has worked quite well for traditional dungeon generation. But it is a bit generic, and only four “types of rooms” is a bit light according to D4 Caltrops, and I agree. The new table is a D66 table and contains entries like: “Empty: Consider adding a change in Temperature/Moisture. This can also be drawn from or inform Surrounding Areas.” and “Trap: Consider Placing a Trap that doesn’t Harm, but instead Alerts, Separates, Captures, or Consumes Resources/Time.”. It uses the same probabilities as the original table, but having 36 entries adds a lot more granularity and detail, and I can personally say that if I’m rolling for room contents I obviously need input that can spark my creativity, and rolling “Trap” or “Special” isn’t enough.

4. Cursed items are criminally underused, in my opinion. Many GMs shy away from them because it can feel anti-climactic to discover a powerful magic item only to realize it clings to your character like a parasite. But if we avoid them entirely, they’ll only become more stigmatized. So let’s bring them back! Thankfully, Phlox over at Whose Measure God Could Not Take published a D10 table of cursed items and D8 table of Double-edged swords. These tables contain evocative curses that can be used as-is, or used as fuel when inventing your own curses.

5. I personally struggle with making combat encounters dynamic and memorable. They often turn out fine, but I know they could have been much better if I incorporated some other components than just unique enemies. The Improved initiative blog published a guide on Combining traps with combat, as a way to make the encounters more dynamic and multi-layered. A well designed trap can pose an extra risk for the PCs, but also be used against the enemies, for even more fun and engaging combat.

Monthly Dawnfist advice

Improvising is a key skill for any Game Master, you can’t prep it all, and you shouldn’t either. Prep the critical stuff, and hone your improvisation skills instead, it’s far more dynamic and time efficient.

The post below contains tons of advice on improvising as a Game Master, but it’s not necessarily what you expect, there’s nothing on “Yes and…”, because that’s not what being a GM is about.

Book giveaway!

This month we are giving away a physical copy of the Adventurous™ core rules. For a chance to win, all you have to do is click the button below and fill out the form. We will contact the winner on 2025-01-09.

The new thing - An order of fanatic pyromaniacs

This month we bring you a faction, built following the Mausritter faction rules, which is one of the best faction management subsystems out there. Even if you don’t use the Mausritter system, the faction mechanics are 100% compatible with any system.

Mausritter faction rules summary

Factions have goals tracked with progress points (2–5 points) and resources, like Wealth and Influence. After each session, the GM rolls 1D6 and adds +1 for every resource relevant in working towards the next goal. On a total result of 4-5 the faction gains one progresses point, on a result of 6 they gain 2 progress points. Once a goal is reached, add another resource.

Order of the Perfect Flame

The Order of the Perfect Flame is a zealous sect devoted to a singular purpose: discovering the Perfect Kindling to ignite the Perfect Flame and bring forth their prophesied Lord of Light. To them, fire is both a tool and a sacred test. Living creatures — beasts, innocents, or even willing zealots — are considered the most promising fuel, though relics, enchanted materials, and rare resources are also eagerly gathered and burned.

They wander far and wide, scouring the land for potential kindling. Once a new kindling is found it is carefully gathered and brought back to their sacred home, where Archpriest Ignis oversees the ritual burnings. Each offering is meticulously tested in the Emberforge, every flicker of flame analyzed for signs of divinity. Their fanaticism is a relentless pursuit of the Perfect Flame.

"The Lord of Light shall rise from the Perfect Flame. But for that, we need the Perfect Kindling." Their eyes are always searching, their flames always hungry.

Leader: Archpriest Ignis

A grim, composed figure clad in soot-stained robes and a crown of ever-burning ember shards. Ignis speaks rarely, but when he does, it’s with the weight of prophecy and finality. His calm demeanor belies an unyielding obsession with finding the Perfect Kindling.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to explore our games, modules and supplements on DriveThruRPG via the button below. See you next month!

///Sebastian Grabne - Dawnfist Games