oh no

Five portraits from the lake.

Jakob, Albert, Dale, Laura and Rose—my completed Rusty Lake surreal portrait series.

1. The FBI's Famous Cases & Criminals archive (fbi.gov/history/famous-cases) has detailed breakdowns of real fraud cases, Ponzi schemes, and confidence operations. The language they use is clinical and precise, which is perfect for getting the procedural details right.

2. The FTC Consumer Sentinel Network publishes annual reports on the most common fraud tactics in the US. Great for understanding how modern scams actually work and what makes people fall for them.

3. The Smithsonian's American Art Museum has a free digital collection of forgery case studies. If your character forges documents or art, this is gold.

4. Court Listener (courtlistener.com) is a free legal database where you can read actual court transcripts from fraud trials. Want to know how a real con artist talks under oath? This is where you find out.

5. The Internet Archive's collection of old newspaper crime sections. Search for "confidence man" or "swindle" in papers from the 1920s through 1960s and you'll find incredible real stories that would feel too dramatic for fiction.

Bonus: The Psychology of Fraud section on the Association for Psychological Science website has accessible articles about why people trust, how deception works cognitively, and what makes someone a convincing liar. Essential reading if you want your con artist characters to feel psychologically real.

Dragon Age Nostalgia Month Day 1: Older blood, older oaths / Origins

Human Noble: Born to wealth and power second only to royalty, you find your training in both diplomacy and battle put to the test as your brother leads the bulk of your family's forces to war in the south.

Dwarf Noble: As the favored child of the dwarven king, you proudly take up your first military command … only to learn that the deadly intrigues of family and sycophants may pose a greater danger than even the battlefield.

Dwarf Commoner: Born casteless in a land where rank is everything, bound as the lackey and thug of a local crime lord, you have spent your life invisible… until chance thrusts you into the spotlight, where you can finally prove whether you will be defined by your actions or your birth.

Magi: Wielding a power as dangerous as it is potent, you know that magic is a curse for those lacking the will to control it. You anxiously await your Harrowing, the one chance to prove yourself against the demons lurking without and within. Succeed, or be slaughtered by the knights who ward against your kind.

City Elf: You have always lived under the heavy thumb of your human overlords, but when a local lord claiming his "privilege" with the bride shatters your wedding day, the simmering racial tensions explode in a rain of vengeance.

We are converting the entire Monster Manual II from D&D 3.5 to D&D 5e stats! Enjoy the moonbeast, a strange creature from beyond the stars that seeks to slay any who possess the magical moonstones it is bound to.

If you want to follow this journey, please follow me on Ko-Fi:

The way I make megadungeon maps such as this Underdark region is heavily inspired by Hollow Knight. I like the vertical-slice-of-an-anthill style, and to make it easier for me to run my adventures, I add details with life and colour to the maps. I know at a glance whether a cave is full of strange fungi or trapped by kobolds.

This map is only partially filled out, because my players didn't explore the whole thing. Some areas are sketched out, but not yet filled in, similar to unvisited areas in the Hollow Knight games.

A sorceress is tasked with creating super soldiers for a dark overlord. For this purpose she seems to train a group of her own sons. 

An amorphous black blob thingy that shape-shifts into any hazard related thing.

The village has been silent for years. The shrine is buried under snow. The hunter's cabin is warm — but the hunter hasn't been seen in days. Something in the ruins at the edge of the frozen lake is older than anyone remembers…

Welcome to The Frozen Ruins! This map pack features 10 total maps including a frozen forest path, abandoned village, hunter's cabin, frozen lake, ice cave, and ruined tower!

🎵 Quest soundtrack

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 3.02 "Queen's Landing"