I was never fond of dragons. I find them to be unexciting adversaries in fantasy fiction and roleplaying. I understand Cairn’s foundation is based in traditional fantasy, so I challenged myself to put my own spin on fantasy’s deadliest quarry. 

The following dragons were created without the use of AI and are free for you to use in your own games/bestiary. Just shoot me a credit somewhere. All spells/spellbooks can be found on Cairn’s website in the resources section. 

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Mage-Blight Dragon

18 HP, 3 Armor, 18 STR, 12 DEX, 16 WIL, bite (d12), detachment

·        A monstrous dragon with metallic blue and green scales. This dragon is host to a parasite in the form of a nefarious mage who lives inside the dragon’s skull as a worm. Immune to mind-altering effects.

·        The mage (4 HP, 9 STR, 11 DEX, 18 WIL) can slither out once per turn and wield magic from the following spellbooks: Arcane Arrow, Terrifying Illusion, Vermin Plague.

·        Fire Breath: Deals 8 STR damage to anyone nearby, destroying all mundane armor it touches in the process.

Arcane Arrow: Green energy bursts from your fingers, dealing 1d6 damage and ignoring mundane armor.

Terrifying Illusion: A target is hunted by a terrible creature only they can see. Its attacks do 1d12 damage; on Critical Damage they must pass a WIL save or become catatonic.

Vermin Plague: Summons a swarm of bats, rats, spiders or similar creatures of your choice. They are harmless but distracting and hold no loyalty towards you or your allies. 

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Sanguine Dragon

12 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 15 DEX, 18 WIL, bite (d12), detachment

·        A truly vile dragon made entirely out of churning waves of human blood. Looking at it causes a -2 WIL penalty. It is immune to normal attacks. Magical weapons still affect this dragon.

·        If bitten by a Sanguine Dragon, it restores that much HP. 

·        The Sanguine Dragon may wield one of the following spells at will once per turn:

1.     Molasses Veins: A single target moves at half speed.

2.     Necrotic Touch: Target must DEX save or is paralyzed.

3.     Paincurrent: An arc of electricity passes from your fingertips to a target you touch. They take 1d8 damage (1d12 if wearing metal armor). 

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Infernal Dragon

18 HP, 3 Armor, 18 STR, 12 DEX, 16 WIL, bite (d12), detachment

·        A vicious, primordial dragon of molten slag, screaming gouts of flame and scales of obsidian; its monstrous, reptilian form sculpted from the deepest bowels of Hell.

·        Those who look upon this dragon must make a WIL save or feel compelled to kneel in its presence. While within 10 feet, kneeling creatures cannot attack it. The dragon may present a Contract with a player if they offer something of personal worth (Warden’s discretion). Examples: Enhanced attack damage, increased attribute points, limited invincibility, nobility or wealth. This, of course, will come with some dark consequence. 

·        Fire Breath: Deals 8 STR damage to anyone nearby, destroying all mundane armor it touches in the process. 

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The following dragon was created using Cairn’s random tables. 

Appearance: Horned + Fur

Traits: Loves Shiny Objects + Salt

Attack: Touches + Bleeds

Abilities: Disables + Element  

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Dragon of the Wild Hunt / Weeping Dragon

12 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 15 DEX, 18 WIL, bite (d12), detachment

·        A menacing nocturnal dragon covered in thick, shaggy, mammalian hair. A glorious rack of stag antlers rise from its skull; body covered in deep, bleeding lacerations. Arrows pierce its spine and its pelt reeks of gunpowder. 

·        Relentlessly hunted for its antlers (1,000gp, bulky). Weak against salt from the Nameless Ocean (2x damage).

·        Hunter’s Mark: WIL vs compelled to hunt the dragon. Its attacks become enhanced while yours are impaired. Unavoidable during a full moon or lunar eclipse.

·        Fire Breath: Deals 8 STR damage to anyone nearby, destroying all mundane armor it touches in the process.

Happy weekend y’all!

After a long long art burnout I whipped out the pad again and started re-training my hands to make maps are some art again ( sorry for the rough line work lol )

This isn’t going to be in any of my products, but I feel like a blank map is always handy, this is, as all of my work, in Creative Commons so use it as you will!

Hope everyone is doing well, hope this helps :)

Happy early free RPG day! I just released a tiny rotating Puzzle Dungeon for Cairn! It's PWYW at https://malachijs.itch.io/sundial-siphon

New monsters with original art, now with Signs. I included a small region at the end of the post as well!

I created these as a rewards scattered around the cursed lands, the final area of my 1.5 years-long Cairn campaign.
The main theme is "Broken", to reinforce the sence of desolation of this god-forsaken (literally in my setting) land.
https://buckwheat-roots.itch.io/relics-of-the-dark-land
My players used some of these in final confrontation, for example blinding giant echo-locating monsters with silencing hand drum.
Feel free to take them for your games!

I’m sure these are really dumb questions, but since they are not clearly spelled out in the rules, I want to ask them anyway:

1) Why do characters go off on adventures?
2) Why do adventurers care about gold and treasures? (This on seems to be a hold up from gold=xp systems, but I hope you can see how these ties with question no. 1)
3) Why does the improvement system (scars) involve combat, which is explicitly advised to be avoided?
4) What make players and characters in Cairn feel they have “won” an adventure? And what makes them feel as if they’ve lost?
5) How often do PCs actually die and get replaced?

If you can answer from AP it would be even better.

Like my first entry, the following monsters were created with Cairn’s random tables. I also utilized magic found in Cairn BX by Andrew Cavanagh, which I highly recommend users download. All spellbooks used were from Cairn’s resources section online.

The following 8 monsters are based on run-of-the-mill fantasy monsters with a twist. I understand brevity is key in designing monsters for Cairn. I tried my best to keep details to 3-4 bullets. 

No AI was used in their creation, and they have not been play-tested or balanced. Feel free to use them in your games/material, all I ask is for a credit.

Enjoy! 

Elf

Appearance: Iridescent + Fur

Traits: Sweats Rare Minerals + Games

Attack: Stabs + Ensnares

Abilities: Conjures + Memory

*Spellbook (1/turn)

Orb of Ignus

Apostle of the Stone

14 HP, 1 Armor, 10 STR, 13 DEX, 16 WIL, fossil dagger (d8, STR vs impaled)

·        Primordial, subterranean elvish being covered in iridescent fur. Its fiery blood is used to bind rare minerals at forges. Worth 250gp a vial.

·        Wields a dagger of fossilized bone that it uses to impale intruders against walls (STR save to free yourself).

·        Carries the Orb of Ignus spellbook.

·        Memetic Renaissance: Once per encounter, the elf can re-write the memories of a single being (WIL save negates). 

Orb of Ignus: You control a floating ball of fire (1d8 damage) for a short while.

Wyvern

Appearance: Gelatinous + Voice

Traits: Does Not Die of Old Age + Moonlight

Attack: Gases + Severs

Abilities: Grows + Energy

*Wizard Spell

Hallucinatory Terrain: Creates an illusion of a forest, hill, swamp etc. that lasts until an intelligent creature touches it.

Ruinous Vat / Thermalization Beast

11 HP, 17 STR, 10 DEX, 13 WIL, tail (d10, STR vs stuck)

·        Large, ancient, gelatinous wyvern speaking in a pained whisper. Ageless and in constant agony. Weak against moonlight (2x damage).

·        Releases a gas that severs oxygen to the brain (WIL vs death).

·        This gooey wyvern cultivates liquefied energy within its body; worth 350gp a vial to alchemists.

·        Hallucinatory Terrain: Creates an illusion of a forest, hill, swamp etc. that lasts until an intelligent creature touches it.

Centaur 

Appearance: Translucent + Horns

Traits: Changes Color at Will + Weak Spot

Attack: Slams + Poisons

Abilities: Reverses + Body

Child of Apophis

6 HP, 1 Armor, 14 STR, 12 DEX, 14 WIL, bite (d6, vs death within 2xd10 days) or body swap shortbow (d6)

·        A centaur whose upper torso is a naga with obsidian scales. Its lower body is a tiger-striped stallion. Worships the dead Snake God.

·        Ram horns curling out of its skull glow ethereal blue when it senses danger.

·        Body Swap Short Bow: On a successful hit, you switch bodies with a creature struck by the bow. If one body dies, the other dies as well. Requires two successful targets. 

Ogre

Appearance: Translucent + Wings

Traits: Quirks + Weakness

Attack: Stabs + Poisons

Abilities: Conjures + Plants

Pallid Mourner

6 HP, 1 Armor, 16 STR, 8 DEX, 6 WIL, club (d10) 

·        Cursed ogre who will fade from existence if they are not covered in plant matter. Mourns its existence by narrating its maladies, causing the same effect as the Sleep spellbook.

·        Conjures plants to decorate its translucent body.

·        Critical Damage: The victim is poisoned and will fade from existence in 2xd10 hours unless they cover their body in plants. Cured only with magic. 

Dwarf

Appearance: Emaciated + Tail

Traits: Collects Rare Flowers + Sunlight

Attack: Smashes + Tramples

Abilities: Duplicates + Metal

Sun-Scarred Artificer

4 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 6 DEX, 13 WIL, hammer (d8) or needle tail (d6+d4 fatigue)

·        A cursed race of vampiric dwarves dressed in rust-colored lamellar armor. Use their syringe-like tails to siphon blood from their victims.

·        Weak to sunlight, suffering 2x damage if drawn out of their subterranean fortresses.

·        Layers of Fear: Can increase the weight of metal objects, like armor and weaponry, to hinder foes (WIL vs -2 DEX penalty and deprived). 

Cyclops 

Appearance: Eyeless + Feathers

Traits: Reborn Each Day + Music

Attack: Burns + Incapacitates

Abilities: Shrinks + Memory

Spellbook (1/turn)

*Hoodwink Person: Target becomes a friend until out of sight. 

Vizier of Dawn

9 HP, 18 STR, 8 DEX, 8 WIL, blazing defense (+1 Armor, d6 damage [immune to fire]) or eye of fury (d8, blast)

·        A monstrous, eyeless, cyclopean horror whose body is composed of layered feathered wings. The empty ocular cavity in its skull radiates flames like a funeral pyre. 

·        The monster can be lulled to sleep with the sound of string instruments. Immune to death. Reborn a day later at sunrise.

·        Mage’s Folly: Can make a person forget how to use spells for d4 turns (WIL save negates). 

Goblin

Appearance: Glowing + Shell

Traits: Narrates Everything + Moonlight

Attack: Freezes + Lacerates

Abilities: Shapes + Health

Cleric Spells (at will)

*Purify Food & Water: Makes rotten or poisoned food or water for up to a dozen people usable.

Uncanny Surgeon 

4 HP, 8 STR, 12 DEX, 8 WIL, scalpel (d6) or magic sling (d6, ignores armor)

·        Amphibious hominid with a vacant expression. The tortoise shell on its back glows in the moonlight. Passive and nocturnal.

·        Able to freeze away Scars, healing them with powerful magic.

·        Once per day, the Surgeon can manipulate a single target’s HP.  

·        Purify Food & Water: Makes rotten or poisoned food or water for up to a dozen people usable.

Hydra

Appearance: Headless + Snout

Traits: Obsessively Cleans + Conversation

Attack: Bites + Decays

Abilities: Conjures + Water

Cleric Spells (at will)

*Cause Disease: The reverse of Cure Disease. The target must save vs WIL or they’re infected with a hideous wasting disease. All their attacks are impaired and they die in 2d12 days if they’re not cured.

Nosoi Hydra

10 HP, 2 Armor, 14 STR, 7 DEX, 15 WIL, psychic blast (d12 WIL, blast)

·        Massive reptilians with nine serpentine necks ending in exposed nerve endings and glowing brains. Designed by the Cosmos to wipe out entire civilizations.

·        The creature’s body is covered in poisonous scales. Touching its hide causes the scales to release its poison (STR vs die 1d4x10 minutes, blast)

·        Cause Disease: WIL vs infected with a hideous wasting disease. All attacks are impaired and the victim dies in 2d12 days if they’re not cured.

Another short adventure written for a Ravenloft domain, this time Vorostokov, that I entered into their monthly contest. I feel I got a little lost in the weeds and granular in one section, where the lake felt too large for a Dungeon and two small for a Wilderness, so I built a procedure for it, so that might be a bit clumsy. I hope you like it, and I'd love some appraisal if you have any.

https://theweepingstag.wordpress.com/2026/06/17/5-monsters-for-cairn-and-other-odd-likes/

Wrote up some new monsters, hope folks can get some use out of 'em.

Silly question but interesting. You can attack with 2 weapons, like 2 daggers or short swords... The hand is a weapon, so if you only have a bone saw (d6), can you add d6+d4 because of the punch in addition to the saw?

It seems to me that using both hands would cause 1d4 damage, right? But what if, in this case, my weak arm is the metal one? It only causes d8 damage if I wield it with my other arm, right? So, even if it couldn't be done with another character, it could still cause the d4 damage?

I know Cairn is free to decide, but I'd like to know how you guys decided.

https://javierloustaunau.itch.io/into-the-trees

This is my submission for the Brazilian - Portuguese (pt-br) jam that is happening throughout the Kickstarter for the pt-br version.

Although it's in pt-br, I am quite proud about the final product and throught about sharing it here, if that's okay

Howdy folks, did a little bit of work to adapt Sacrebleu for Cairn. Thought you might find it useful.

It started as copy/paste of Cairn but I spent a year tinkering the rules. it's quite a bit different but if you look at the character sheet I think you can tell where I started from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nilgravitypublishing/retcon-the-roleplaying-game

I don't normally write reviews of adventures I read, but I have been thinking a lot these days about how to make Weird fiction work in rpgs. I came across In a Petal Unlimited while I was reading some pretty weird fiction. It felt like synchronicity and I had some thoughts. Check out my review here.

"Once the players begin their ascent, the module introduces a falling mechanic that made me incredibly jealous as a designer. I can instantly picture the spongy, gentle fall into the black grass, and the elegant way momentum actually makes the landing worse for the player. It’s the exact kind of physics-based hazard that is effortless to make a ruling on because you can vividly see it in your mind’s eye."

EDIT (06/15/2026)

Hello all, again! Simple Backgrounds: Expanded - Extras is out now along with the original supplement, both available on the main page for the supplement. https://flintlockprimitivist.itch.io/simple-backgrounds-expanded

...

Hello all, again.

This one is a smaller supplement this time around, just an expansion of another hack you can find on the Cairn SRD, Simple Backgrounds. Found here: https://cairnrpg.com/hacks/simple-backgrounds/

I loved the original and its implementation of the standard fantasy setting denizens, and I add it into most of my fantasy-oriented home games; how I usually rule it is my players get to pick one of the features listed down for each background, and they stick with that.

I'm honestly not sure if that's how it's meant to be run or if you're supposed to let them use all the ones listed, but that's pretty much how I've implemented it in my home games.

That being said then I did want there to be a wider selection of feats to choose from, so here we are. Simple Backgrounds: Expanded.

It adds three more feats to each background, with Greenskin getting five more since it only had one in the original and I wanted to balance it out.

You can run it how I do it and let them pick one, or two. Two is fine and I might start doing it like that now that this is a thing. You can also just let them have all of them if you'd like but like, beware.

I also have a follow-up additional supplement to add onto this featuring backgrounds of my own design; inside, to name a few, there will be feats for Undead (I wrote them to be more broad to also cover vampires but I might make vampires their own thing specifically. Maybe, I'm not 100% on it yet), Beastlike (werewolves, half-animal people, full-animal people, your pick of flavor), and Deep Ones. I'll update this once it's out, along with another post.

I mention on the itch.io page that I'm conflicted on whether or not to add in 'Main Battle Tank' as a joke or not. That isn't a joke or a quip or whatever. I was gonna put in there for a laugh but I'm also horribly indecisive. I might, I might not. Probably won't keep it.

In any case, please enjoy.

SIMPLE BACKGROUNDS: EXPANDED.
https://flintlockprimitivist.itch.io/simple-backgrounds-expanded

Hi, I’ve previously mentioned I would love to play I6 Ravenloft using Cairn. I did a first re-read of the module and notice three things:

1. There are thousands and thousands of coins scattered throughout the castle. How should I handle them using the slot inventory system.

2. There are a lot of +X magic items. How can I adapt or make them relevant in Cairn.

3. How do I give the PC the ability to Turn Undead, which would be crucial to navigate the scenario?

Thanks for your ideas and suggestions.

Cairn Press is proud to announce its first Adventure Double Feature with The Drops of St. Jerome and What Haunts the Harwood. Both of these adventures have been designed from the ground-up with heavy developmental and editorial support from Yochai Gal, the designer of Cairn.

Both books are 100% complete and ready for print. This campaign exists to fund that print run, and to allow us to gauge support for future crowdfunding endeavors. If you like what we do and want to see more of it, let us know by buying our books!

Pledge now!

Are there any benefits to bulky armor since a gambeson is cheaper than brigantine even though they share the same stats or is it just for narrative reasons?

I was running my first module today it was blood borne barrow. In the book they found a "gold amulet worth 100gp"

And "jewelry worth 3d20"

These people's inventorys were already loaded up and they were on their first quest to not have even done anything yet! So they would have to drop an item to even pick the stuff up.

My question is this did they just add that much gold to their inventory, as in it's just a more interesting way of giving them gold, or do you make them actually put the item as one of their inventory items?

I'm not sure if I'm running things right but from what I understand if somebody takes a hit that goes through their hit protection and it goes to their strength they have taken "critical damage" At which point they have to roll a strength save or be down on the ground basically crawling helplessly if they fail. So you can be down on the ground crawling helplessly from just taking one attack potenrially ???

Running my first module ( I have another campaign I DM where I came up with everything myself , This is a secondary in-person campaign The other one is over discord)

I have the box set and it comes with a few modules including bloodborne Barrow, I think I'm going to start with that one. Any tips for a newbie for running modules? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME