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Cairn Warden's Guide - Second Edition
192 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 6, 2025
Calling all Dungeon Masters, Game Masters, Wardens, Keepers of Arcane Lore, Judges, etc, do yourself a massive favor by getting this book.
You could never run a game of Cairn 2E and still profit immensely from this rulebook with its many ways to generate everything you need for a successful one shot or campaign.
Need a dungeon but you're no good at layout? This has a method. Need a reason for said dungeon to even exist or why it's in its current state? This has a method. I could keep going with the examples from settlement generation to generating the factions your players will encounter. But, the magic isn't even really in what the many methods tell you it's all in what is left obscure. Just enough is given to start filling your head with ideas to fill in the blanks. I stopped at least four separate times just reading the different tables of possible single word descriptors for what kind of faction/settlement/dungeon/etc immediately finding myself fleshing out whole areas all with a few single words and I'm not even working on my own one shot yet.
All of this to say, if you're wanting to create your own worlds for your players to be a part of why don't you have this book yet?
You could never run a game of Cairn 2E and still profit immensely from this rulebook with its many ways to generate everything you need for a successful one shot or campaign.
Need a dungeon but you're no good at layout? This has a method. Need a reason for said dungeon to even exist or why it's in its current state? This has a method. I could keep going with the examples from settlement generation to generating the factions your players will encounter. But, the magic isn't even really in what the many methods tell you it's all in what is left obscure. Just enough is given to start filling your head with ideas to fill in the blanks. I stopped at least four separate times just reading the different tables of possible single word descriptors for what kind of faction/settlement/dungeon/etc immediately finding myself fleshing out whole areas all with a few single words and I'm not even working on my own one shot yet.
All of this to say, if you're wanting to create your own worlds for your players to be a part of why don't you have this book yet?
December 31, 2025
- GM or 'Warden' rules for Cairn offers a world-building tool kit that can be used for any system, dungeon building, a bestiary for Carin rules, naming strategies, spellbook spells, and gaming advice centered on Cairn but mostly applicable to any RPG.
- Overall, this is a general RPG resource for any system. It is extremely affordable in print (around $10 for both Players and Warden books), and it is free as a PDF. In this sense, it is perhaps the most accessible RPG available for both beginners and veterans.
- I have not run it, but I think it is a great system for a one-shot or quick run. It is somewhat like Knave 2, which is also a great compliment for other RPG play.
- Overall, this is a general RPG resource for any system. It is extremely affordable in print (around $10 for both Players and Warden books), and it is free as a PDF. In this sense, it is perhaps the most accessible RPG available for both beginners and veterans.
- I have not run it, but I think it is a great system for a one-shot or quick run. It is somewhat like Knave 2, which is also a great compliment for other RPG play.
June 26, 2025
This little book is chock full of information, how-tos, and detailed examples of how it all works. It's easy to see the author/creator has a lot of passion for gaming AND educating. I feel like a thief for paying such a small price for almost 200 pages on how to be a good warden.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews