Looking at Hex-a-Day 2025.

Yup, guilty. I’m more than a couple of days behind. Life gets a little hectic around here even for us old guys. So what do we do about it?

This is not the first time it’s happened to me. Not even on this project. And now I’m getting back on the isopod mount. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Giddyup, squishy!

I have some recommendations for dealing with falling behind on Hex-a-Day, Dungeon 2025, or any other year round fantasy project that aren’t giving up and starting again in 2026. (Although the thought did occur…) The truth is, falling behind doesn’t mean failure. It just means you paused. Creative pauses are natural. But instead of letting guilt or perfectionism keep you stuck, let’s talk about how to reconnect, rebuild, and keep your world alive even if the days didn’t go the way you planned.

Lower the Stakes Without Losing the Magic

When you’re behind, the temptation is to try to “make up for it” all in one heroic burst. But that often leads to burnout instead of satisfaction. The trick is to make a small re-entry. One detail. One paragraph. One cool idea.

I tend to do two hexes in one day instead of just one. Sometimes I get the urge and do a whole week’s worth of hexes in one day. But one step at a time, especially if you’re building a detailed environment for your players to enjoy.

Sketch a weird tavern name. Draft a single encounter. Invent a local superstition. Give yourself a tiny creative win today, not a mountain to climb.

You can even timebox it. Set a 15-minute timer and build one thing, just for you. Then walk away knowing your world is still breathing. That’s a powerful act of defiance against discouragement.

Reconnect With Why You Started

Instead of obsessing over the days you missed, take a moment to revisit what excited you at the beginning. Open an old map. Reread a passage of flavor text you were proud of. Remember that spark you felt when you first dreamed up the floating ruins or the screaming tree or the storm-wracked tomb at the edge of the world.

The project isn’t lost. It’s just waiting for you to look at it with wonder again.


Create a “Catch-Up Capsule”

Instead of trying to rebuild every missed day, consider consolidating your catch-up into a themed bundle.

Take three or four missed hexes and turn them into a mini-region. Link a few unbuilt dungeon rooms into a small, flavorful sub-level. Give it a name, a flavor, and drop it into the world as a mysterious region, a cursed zone, or a strange new development.

You can even write the missed content in-universe, as recovered notes from a dead cartographer, or as the half-burned journal of a lost explorer. That way, the catch-up material feels intentional and alive instead of like filler.

But What If the Players Are Exploring?

It’s one thing to fall behind when no one’s looking. But what about when your Dragonbane players are actively exploring, and you’re not ready?

Here’s the trick: don’t show your stress. Show them mystery. Never let them see you bleed (proverbially speaking.)

If a hex or dungeon room isn’t built yet, describe it as hidden by unnatural fog, arcane illusions, or temporal interference. The players will be curious instead of confused. You can always flesh out the missing area later and reveal it with a dramatic twist.

If that makes them more curious and they walk straight into it like mine do? Well, then it’s time to pull out the random charts. Or make it up as you go and make sure to take notes.

You can also drop in glimpses through old maps, rumors, or visions from a haunted relic. These teases give you time to build while heightening anticipation. You’re not behind, you’re building suspense.

If you’re really pressed, fast-forward the action with in-world devices like teleport gates, underground shortcuts, or collapsing corridors that reroute the party. These events feel like dynamic, intentional world shifts, not duct tape over missed prep.

And if the group is sandboxing but you’re short on content, keep a quick-reference “Now and Next” list nearby. Random tables can be a regular lifesaver. All you need to worry about is what’s available this session, and what you’re prepping for the next one. Let the rest wait.

You Don’t Need to Catch Up. You Just Need to Show Up.

Daily worldbuilding projects are powerful not because they’re perfect, but because they’re alive. Missing a few days doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it means you’re human. And as long as you come back, you’re still in the story.

So write a weird hex today. Sketch a dungeon room shaped like a frog. Whisper a secret into your notebook and pretend an NPC told you. Your world is patient. It wants you back, not punished.

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.