Russ, Author at YUM/DM

May 21, 2026May 28, 2026

d12 Monthly – Issue 57 – Wilderness Encounters

Issue 57 of d12 Monthly has landed – and this one’s for those who love a challenging encounter.

This issue gives you over 20 wilderness encounters you can use in your campaign. They are structured to appear in one of many terrain locations, such plains, desert, badlands, forests, woodlands, and many more.

This way, you can easily add them to random encounter tables, or create them as set pieces.

Finally, each encounter has an idea on how to expand it into a larger adventure.

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April 7, 2026May 28, 2026

Adventures Are Killing Your D&D Campaign

Summary: Running adventures, where everyone needs to show up at your table or the session is cancelled, is ruining your campaign. There is a better way, which involves running an open world sandbox.

Last night I was GM in my two-player Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but only one player could make it.

And it was a blast!

The thing is, there was no set adventure, which meant we could play even though there was only one player.

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March 2, 2026

d12 Monthly – Issue 56 – Equipment & Trappings

Issue 56 of d12 Monthly has landed – and this one’s for those who keep a close eye on their gear.

Inside are 38 tables and three articles dedicated entirely to mundane equipment. No glittering magic items – just the ropes, sacks, mirrors, tools, and everyday essentials that keep adventurers alive. Plus items for everyday life.

It’s more equipment than you’ll ever strictly need.

But in a grounded campaign, the right simple item at the right time can mean everything.

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March 1, 2026

d12 Monthly Issue 55 Web Enhancement

Not every horror in the dungeon stalks on two legs. Some slide. Some seep. And some wear your face.

Issue 55 of d12 Monthly delved into oozes and shapeshifters – but a few particularly dangerous specimens refused to stay contained within the printed pages.

Inside you’ll find variant gelatinous cubes that glow with phosphorescent lure, erupt in corrosive flashes, or move with unsettling hive-driven speed.

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February 22, 2026

Change – Become A Better D&D GM With This One Word

Change is inevitable.

It is the quiet engine that drives history forward. Kingdoms rise and fall. Forests swallow roads. Children become rulers. Empires fracture.

Your campaign world should be no different.

If nothing changes, nothing matters.

Embrace change and you will become a far stronger GM – because change is what makes player choices feel real.

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February 12, 2026February 12, 2026

Random Encounter – Dusrin Shrines

Dusrin is the deity of travel and patron of messengers and explorers, alike.

Due to this, there are many shrines to the god of travel sitting along the side of roads and rivers for people to pay tribute – both in word and in silver – to Dusrin.

Below you will find three unique shrines that characters are likely to discover along more popular road- and river-ways.

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February 5, 2026April 12, 2026

Revisiting What The Monsters Are Doing Chart

Back in 2021 I released Issue 1 of my d12 Monthly zine which had a table that let you roll what a monster was doing when the PCs showed up.

This was mainly for random encounters, but could be used for any encounter really.

Later that year I wrote an article about it to showcase how it could be used and the importance of it when trying to simulate a fantasy world and to keep verisimilitude.

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February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

Where To Find My Zines

Where to find my zines

Just a quick note to let you know I no longer have a webstore.

It was becoming too expensive with three prices rises in the last 12-18 months.

I will be looking to find another solution soon, but until then, please reach out and let me know if you are wanting to purchase printed issues of d12 Monthly. I ship anywhere in the world (with a few exceptions).

Or, you can join my Patreon and get a printed issue each month automatically sent to you. Check out my tiers.

You can also find PDF issues over at DriveThruRPG.

Free versions are always available on my site.

Take care. And, as always, happy gaming!

February 1, 2026February 10, 2026

d12 Monthly – Issue 55 – Bestiary (Oozes & Shapechangers)

Issue 55 of d12 Monthly has landed – and it’s an icky one.

This issue is all about oozes and shapechangers: creatures too frightening and insidious to think about, let alone face. And how you can fit them into your campaign world.

Unlike most bestiaries, this one focuses on the world-building aspects of monsters.

Oozes and Shapechangers are both terrible creatures – both hidden where you least expect – and can easily kill adventurers if the players are not careful.

Bestiary: Oozes & Shapechangers focuses on making these creatures dangerous, memorable, and campaign-shaping. See below for the creatures I have included in this issue.

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January 29, 2026February 12, 2026

d12 Monthly Web Enhancement For Issue 54 – Bestiary (Giants)

Get more mileage out of every issue with bonus material crafted specifically for d12 Monthly. Enhance your game sessions with bonus material for the most gameable content for your favourite old school fantasy TTRPG.

Issue 54’s issued – a bestiary all about giants and monstrous humanoids – featured additional traits you could add to monsters to make them a little more interesting and to surprise veteran players.

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