Tag Archives: Tables

Dice Drop Table: Institute of Deathology

February 7, 2012 5:32 pm / 4 Comments /
Dice drop for basement of Necromancer's Lab

This table I call the Institute of Deathology. It can be used to quickly populate a necromancer’s tower or hidden lab. It works almost the same as yesterday’s Kaotic Cave, but has fewer possible encounters. You get one die for each room on the same level and drop it on the chart. The large hex the die falls mostly in suggests the theme and use of the room along with a possible occupant. If the die falls in the inner hex, or the occupant is not mobile, then the occupant is there. Otherwise, wait and see where else it might be. If the die is on the border of a few large hexes, see what it touches that goes well together. This tool is meant to suggest, not dictate, so go with whatever makes sense to you and looks fun.

I’m going to populate four floors of a tower that has two rooms each. There are only 12 possible ‘encounters’ on this table, but some rooms might be empty and I’m going to have the head necromancer be in her quarters on the fifth floor.

First two dice come up square on the shoggoth and the traitorous demon familiar.

Dice drop for basement of Necromancer's Lab

Dice drop for basement of Necromancer's Lab

Basement

  1. A shoggoth is hidden in the corner of a room that includes a captive NPC (unconscious or crazy or mute, let’s say), a hideous painting, broken glass, a golden leash, a scroll of banishment and a slime trail near the door. I think I’ll make the cellar one big room and add the familiar, the ‘phone’ to other planes and the broken iron chains. I could have added the rest of the trappings around the familiar but the  die fell only barely on the familiar and the room is already pretty rich with stuff. The familiar or the NPC might have useful information or want to help you deal with the necromancer. The demon is not to be trusted, of course, and might just forget to mention the shoggoth…

Ground Floor

  1. Room one is where the talking head is. Let’s say they use it as an entryway decoration or mojordomo. The d4 doesn’t touch the inner hex, so he could be away (perhaps getting repaired next door). I’ll wait and see what else comes up then decide. In the meantime, the entryway has at least the column the head stands on, a music box, a tray of hard candies and a library (probably for show). Hidden away is a case for the head (to sleep at night) and vials of blood (for maintenance).  The d4 also hit ‘cadaver’ but since I only want 2 rooms per level, I’ll just have a dead body in the entryway. Perhaps Igor needs to take it upstairs…
  2. Room two. The d10 landed mostly on oil lamp and barrel of eyeballs and only a but on shovel, tools and rope. Let’s put the caged zombie(s) room in back with those things and also the straight jacket, lightning prod, mummified cat and the parts on the tables. Seems Igor is making a mess today…

Floor 2

The d10 landed square on the doppelganger apprentice. It has foreign coins, a sword, mirror, torn clothes, a wig and a bottle of poison. (Why does a doppleganger need a wig? I dunno. Maybe they don’t do hair so well. Maybe they need a magic wig? Maybe I made this late at night?). There’s also a secret exit here.

Now the tower isn’t going to have a special room for uninvited doppelgangers, so let’s look  at the other die. It landed on the corner of library, sleeping quarters and is also touching privy, cadaver and parts in drawers (for the clockwork corpse). Let’s forget the parts, but use library and sleeping chambers. Let’s also use sleeping chambers but not for the head necromancer, who is on the top floor. Here’s what we get:

  1. Sleeping quarters. There is a dead body here with a wig, torn clothes and a dresser with a mirror. On the dresser are some coins, which on close inspection turn out to be from a foreign land. In the pricy is a doppelganger who has killed the assistant Igor (in the privy no less) and has just shoved the body down the latrine along with its wig and old clothes. It now looks like Igor and is deciding what to do next. There is a secret exit at the bottom of the privy pit, but the doppelganger doesn’t know. Might be interesting if Igor is just unconscious for a few hours…
  2. Library. There should probably be some scrolls and books here.

Floor 3

  1. The d4 is on Igor’s hex, but he’s indisposed. This is the kitchen, pantry and Igor has a small cot in back. Under his cot is some tasteful woodblock ‘art’, a holy book, and the petty cash for buying household goods. I would suggest swapping this room out with the zombie room below. It’s more likely a servant’s quarters and kitchen are located below, far away from the master’s room.
  2. Naga in tank. This captive naga lives in a large tank. There is a book on a stand near the tank, so it can read. There’s also a painting of a hell-like place, a kaleidoscope which with the book are probably carrots to get the naga to do as it’s asked. Then the sticks are here as well-a harpoon and feeding fish.

Top Floor

  1. This is the necromancer’s quarters. She has sleeping chambers, a privy, a wine ‘cellar’ (let’s say several bottles and some cups), an hour glass, a potion of youth and a cat. There’s also a secret exit here that is most certainly not the privy. Perhaps it is a teleportal to a safe spot a few miles away, designed to allow one person and one cat through before deactivating. Whether she is around is up to you. She could be in the library, zombie room or the basement.

One thing I forgot–where’s the talking head? In the sleeping quarters on the dresser (on a pillow) where Igor sometimes let it nap. It saw the doppelganger kill Igor but played dead.

I hope you find this useful. It was fun to make, as goofy as it is.

Rolang's Necromancer Lab Drop Table

Institute of Deathology v1 (1.8 MB)

 

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Dice Drop Table: Kaotic Cave

February 6, 2012 6:09 pm / 4 Comments /
Example d4 on Kaotic Caves

It’s not often I get to show off how artistically my development is arrested, but here we go…

A multi column dungeon dressings/rooms/accessories table, with columns like ‘natural cave’, ‘necromancy lab’, ‘mine’, ‘underground prisons’, ‘evil temple’ and whatever you feel like including. Oh why am I the 15th!??!

I’m afraid I can’t do this in the format that you requested. Well I could, but I’m not going to. I  understand the OSR fetish for endless tables, tables, tables, but in this case, I wanted to do something different that will hopefully still be useful for you.

Today’s post is the first in a series of drop tables, the Kaotic Cave (2.4 MB file). This is the ‘natural cave’ table. These tables are all hand-crafted with no real artistic skill whatsoever and are not intended to reflect high production values. To wit:

Level 1 of Kaotic Cave

These are the dice dropped on the chart for level 1 of Kaotic Cave

Just grab a handful of dice and drop them on the table to fill several rooms and with trappings and possibly encounters or encounter hooks. Look under each die at every space it touches and arrange the items indicated on your map however you like. Each large hex has a smaller hex in the middle with an encounter. If the inner hex is not touched, have the monsters be away from their lair when the PC’s arrive. Maybe they are wandering, or perhaps they are in a battle with a neighbor. If multiple large hexes are touched, you can optionally include all the encounters together in a large room or hallway, battling it out.

I have tried to arrange these tables so that encounters that have similar window dressing are close to one another. The Kaotic Cave has several humanoid races close to one another with accessories that fit any group.

Example d4 on Kaotic Caves

Smashed shriekers, mound of skulls, troglodyte corpse and garden

For example, the mound of skulls in the troglodyte hex could easily belong to the Kobalds. If I dropped a d4 on that space, as pictured, I would fill a cave chamber with smashed shriekers, a mound of skulls, a troglodyte corpse, a garden and some trogs fighting the kobalds in their home. Why in the Kobald’s home? If I didn’t have a preference, I’d just go where the larger part of the die is. If two dice cover the same large hex, I reroll the one furthest from the center.

I threw several dice with this, so for level one, I have:

  1. a pack of kobalds [sic] defending their home from troglodytes. They were warned by the dying alarm of their shriekers, which were placed to guard their garden (of mushrooms, I suppose) and the shrine built with the skulls of their ancestors.
  2. a room with troll bones,
  3. an ale cellar with a secret door to the outside,
  4. a corpse in the middle of a pentagram (no obvious explanation, perhaps a hook to later encounters),
  5. an owl bear’s nest with owlbear(s) and all the surrounding trappings (worms, bones, beetles, roaches, centipedes and a half-eaten dwarf),
  6. the mushroom mens’ home with its residents plus all the surrounding trappings (dung, glowing fungus, mulch pile, spore pods, guano and a mushroom garden)
  7. a room with rats eating a dead adventuring party.

Another throw for level two gives me:

  1. a room with a brazier and burnt bones,
  2. the lair of the giant spider, where she is hiding, plus all the surrounding trappings (eggs, more bones, small spiders, a giant web, mummified corpses and a secret exit),
  3. a room full of bats
  4. a hallway with a full backpack and shredded ropes and a trap
  5. a nest of flail snails with the snail family plus slime trails, trippy mushrooms, a dead party, a pile of bones, a pond and a bunch of baby flail snails.
  6. a dead, runt adult albino ape, lying on a dung pile, holding a cow femur
  7. a hidden room with weapons, armor and several jewels belonging to human bandits, who are away.
Level 3:
  1. the d4 went off the sheet, so I’ll add one wandering/pursuing monster to this level: It’s a minotaur who wants the dragon’s treasure but will let someone else kill it.
  2. The lair of the trogs, who have their own skull mound, human bones, a cave painting of demons, trippy berries, their own smashed shriekers and a half eaten kobald [still sic]. These would be the weak, young and elderly trogs, since the boys are out fighting. I wonder who started this?
  3. another chamber of bats and guano–the same large chamber as on level 2.
  4. A pool or stream with a secret underwater door, which leads to a lake outside.
  5. an abandoned campsite (formerly belonging to goblins).
  6. A gelatinous cube lurks in this chamber. A smart party will be wary once they find human bones, a map (of what? you decide!), a scroll of spells, a ring, gold coins and some bits of armor.
  7. The dragon’s chamber, complete with dragon, hoard, ceiling exit, eggs, melted armor slag, pieces of armor and a flock of birds that clean parasites from under its scales as it sleeps.

Now this won’t populate your megadungeon, but I think the above isn’t too shabby for a night of adventuring. The die rolls took twelve seconds total, while the typing took twelve minutes.

Here’s the Kaotic Cave as a hi-res jpeg at 2.4 MB. I’ll probably update the images to make them smaller and more readable later this week.

I hope it was worth the wait, Orsobuffo. Tomorrow: The necromancer’s academy.

Kaotic Cave v1 (2.4 MB)

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Twenty Five Distinctive Traits for Warrior Men at Arms

December 23, 2011 4:50 am / Leave a Comment /

Joe G Kushner says:

25 distinctive traits for warrior men at arms henchmen

 

Twenty Five Distinctive Traits for Warrior Men at Arms
roll d25? Trait
1 mustaches down to his knees.
2 no scars anywhere.
3 no hair anywhere.
4 extremely freckled.
5 says everything twice. everything twice
6 is a woman
7 mohawk hair includes facial hair, head hair, neck and back hair all the way to butt.
8 pierces face with nails.
9 scaly skin.
10 monocle. Even if not yet invented.
11 very knobby knees and elbows.
12 skinny beyond belief, but very strong.
13 pointed ears if human.round ears if demi-human.
14 constantly gassy.
15 perfect teeth.
16 tells bad jokes constantly.
17 one-eyed beast tattooed on forehead.
18 talks to an imaginary pet bee.
19 apears and acts craven, boldest and best warrior anyone has met (in battle).
20 best cook on this side of planet
21 one armed archer.
22 sunburned skin.
23 no appetite.
24 squeaky voice.
25 impossible to understand what he’s saying.

If you want to make a request, comment here.

 

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Alchemical Mishaps Table

December 22, 2011 6:24 pm / Leave a Comment /

I haven’t forgotten that I owe a table of NPC motivations. I’m still working on it, which is probably overthinking, but I have to go through that stage with everything first.

For now:

TheJollyLlama875 says:

Alchemical item mishaps! As many as you can think of.

OK, first of all: nice Animaniacs reference. Now:

I’ve interpreted this to mean this is what happens when you drink a potion is made by a new or feckless alchemist, mage or witch. I can only type in twenty, as the potion I just drank is rather strong.

Alchemical Item Mishaps
roll d20 Effect
1 potion is undrinkably bitter. no effect.
2 potion is sweet, attracts 10d100 angry killer bees.
3 tastes great, less filling. Has no effect.
4 piss fire for 1d6 weeks. (okay, I know what you’re thinking. 1d3 damage short range missile attack thrice per day for male characters. cone attack for females)
5 potion works, but rots all your teeth out instantly, no save. (had dreams of this one? me too.)
6 potion works, but you are drunk (-8 dex, -3 saves) for 1d6 hours.
7 fails. aphrodisiac combined with not-choosey-at-all effect.
8 works. crossed eyes for 1d6 days.
9 doesn’t work, but 1d6 pixies fall in love with you and will follow you around for a week.
10 potion is perfect acid. eats though container, floor, goes to center of the planet when brewed.
11 works. flowers grow from every orifice for 1-3 weeks.
12 no noticable effect. become addicted to next potion you drink.
13 break out with acne everywhere until cure disease. -2 penalty to charisma.
14 potion works, but you now think you are some historical or legendary figure (a silly one)
15 the potion was harboring an earworm! minus two to anything involving intelligence for the next 1d8 hours.
16 a small head grows on the back of our neck and speaks very personal prophecy to anyone who talks to it.
17 everything between 15 and 100 feet from you is hit by a level 8 fireball spell
18 no one will believe you swallowed a liquid demon, but you are indeed possessed.
19 grow four extra arms below your regular ones.
20 you have reverse esp for 4 hours. anyone who looks at you knows your every thought. save or reveal any secrets or hidden notivations to any pc or npc that looks at you.

Want to request something? Post a comment here.

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Fantasy Arabian Nights Names

December 20, 2011 2:41 pm / 1 Comment /
Jeremy writes:

A table (however many you feel up to) of 1,001 Nights-esque NPC names and their possible motivations.

First of all: this is not an attempt to create real world names. I don’t know much about that culture and what words mean or how they are put together. This is a hack. Real Arabic speakers, players or GM’s, please  make something better. Also, look through Al-Qadim, as I’m sure there’s some help there (never read it).

First, look here for how names work.

First Names

I can suggest two sources of random first names.

Popular male names are here. Popular female names are here.

If you want to keep it random roll 1d30*, ignoring anything over 26.  Count up from 1=A to get your first letter of the first name. Then roll the smallest die you have that covers all the available names for that letter and throw out the rolls that go too high.

Or you can use this table, taken from Biblical Arabic names from Wikipedia:

1d30 Arabic name Hebrew name English name
1 Alyasaʿ Elišaʿ Elisha
2 Andraos – Andrew
3 Ayyūb Iyyov, ʾIyyôḇ Job
4 Binyāmīn Benyamin Benjamin
5 Dāwūd/Dāvūd Davīd David
6 Efraim Efráyim Ephraim
7 Hārūn Aharon Aaron
8 Hawwā’ Havah Eve
9 Ibrāhīm Avraham Abraham
10 Ilyās Eliyahu Elijah
11 ʿĪsà/Yasūʿ Yehoshua* Jesus, Joshua
12 ‘Isḥāq/Ishak Yitzhak Isaac
13 ‘Ismāʿīl Yišmā`êl, Yišma`el Ishmael
14 Isrā’īl Yisraʾel, Yiśrāʾēl Israel
15 Jibrīl Gavriʼel Gabriel
16 Jād Gad Gad
17 Maryam Miriyam Mary
18 Mattà Matatyahu Matthew
19 Mikhā’īl Mikha’el Michael
20 Mūsà Moshé Moses
21 Nūḥ Nóaḥ Noah
22 Sārah Sara Sarah/Sara
23 Sulaymān Shlomo Solomon
24 ʿUbaydallāh Obhádhyah,Ovadiah Obadiah
25 Yaʿqūb, Jakub/Jakup Yaʿqov Jacob, (James)
26 Yaḥyà/Yūḥannā** Yôḥānnān John
27 Yūnus Yona Jonah
28 Yūsuf Yosef Joseph
29 Zakariyā Zekhariah Zachary or Zechariah
30 Sokurah (From The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad)

Again, roll 1d30*  and pick a name. I added one name to make it an even 30. If its the wrong gender, reroll. So you have a first name. If your random choice is tied to a real world religion and you’d rather avoid that, then roll again or go with Jafar or Fatima. Those are good ones.

Surnames

If you want to include one or more ‘son of X, son of Y’ names, roll as above for father’s name and grandfather’s name.

Then get a Surname by rolling 1d171 (or roll 2d100 and subtract 1). This table, also from Wikipedia, is taken from a list of stars:

1d171 (2d100 -1) Arabic name (transliteration) Meaning Common name
1 Akhir an-Nahr End of the river “Another River” Acamar
2 Akhir an-Nahr End of the river “Another River” Achernar
3 Al-‘Aqrab The scorpion Acrab
4 Az-Zubana The claw Acubens
5 Ad-Dafirah The curl “Plexus” Adhafera
6 Al-‘Adhara The maidens “Virgins” Adhara
7 Al-Dhayl The tail Adhil
8 Al-dhi’b The wolf Adib
9 ‘Ain the “eye” of the Bull “Eye” Ain
10 Al-Bali’ The swallower Albali
11 Al-Khiba’ The tent Alchibah
12 Al-Dabaran “The follower” of the Pleiades Aldebaran
13 Adh-Dhira’ al-Yamin The right arm Alderamin
14 Al-Firq The flock “Difference” Alfirk
15 Al-Jabbar The giant Algebar
16 Al-Jady The goat “Capricorn” Algedi
17 Al-Janb The flank “Side” Algenib
18 Al-Jabhah “The forehead” of the lion “Front” Algieba
19 Al-Ghul The ghoul Algol
20 Al-Ghurab The raven Algorab
21 Al-Han’ah The mark of the brand Alhena
22 Al-Jawn The black horse “John” Alioth
23 Al-Qa’id “The leader” of the mourning maidens “Commander” Alkaid
24 Al-Ka’s The cup Alkes
25 ‘Anaq al-Ard The caracal “Hug the Ground” Almak
26 Al-Maisan The shining one “Libration” Almeisan
27 An-Nayyir The bright one “Yoke” Alnair
28 Al-nasl The arrowhead “Blade” Alnasl
29 An-Nidham The string of pearls “Systems” Alnilam
30 An-Nitaq The belt “Scale” Alnitak
31 Al-Fard The solitary one “Individual” Alphard
32 Al-Fakkah “The broken” ring of stars “Humorous” Alphecca
33 Surrat al-Faras The navel of the stallion “Navel Persians” Alpheratz
34 Al-Risha’ The ropes Alrescha
35 Al-Athafi The tripods for cooking on Sigma “Andiron” Alsafi
36 Suhail Untranslatable Alsuhail
37 Al-Nasr At-Ta’ir “The flying” eagle Altair
38 At-Tais The great serpent “Goat” Altais
39 At-Tarf “The glance” of the lion “Party” Alterf
40 Al-‘Udhrah The maidenhead “Faces” Aludra
41 Al-Qafzah al-Ula “the first leap” Alula Australis
42 Al-Qafzah al-Ula “the first leap” Alula Borealis
43 Al-Alyah The fatty tail of a sheep “Mechanism” Alya
44 “small cloud”[4][5] “little cloud” was the Arabic name for the modern Andromeda Galaxy, which was first discovered by Al-Sufi, and mentioned in his Book of Fixed Stars Andromeda Galaxy
45 ‘Arjat an-Nahr Curve of the river “Winding River” Angetenar
46 Al-‘Anka’ Phoenix Ankaa
47 Al-‘Urqub The heel-tendon “Achilles” Arkab
48 Al-Arnab The hare Arneb
49 Ar-Raqis The dancer Arrakis
50 Al-‘Atiq “The shoulder” of the Pleiades “Responsibility Chandelier” Atik
51 Al-‘Awwa’ The barker “Howl” Auva
52 Al-Udhi The hatching-place Azha
53 Al-Biham The livestock Baham
54 Batn Qaytus Belly of Cetus Baten Kaitos
55 Al-Baid The eggs Beid
56 Banat Na’sh Daughters of the bier Benetnash
57 Yad al-Jauza’ Hand of Gemini Betelgeuse
58 Al-Butayn The little belly Botein
59 Al-Kaff “The palm” of the Pleiades Caph
60 Kalb ar-Ra’i The shepherd’s dog Celbalrai
61 Al-Kharat The rib Chort
62 Al-Kursi The chair Cursa
63 Sa’d adh-dhabih The lucky star of “the slaughterer” Dabih
64 Dhanab ad-Dajajah Tail of the fowl Deneb
65 Dhanab al-Jady Tail of the goat Deneb Algedi
66 Dhanab ad-Dulfin Tail of the Dolphin Deneb Dulfim
67 Dhanab Qaytus Tail of Cetus Deneb Kaitos
68 Dhanab al-Asad Tail of the lion Denebola
69 Ad-Difda’ Al-awwal The first frog Diphda
70 Al-Jabhah “The forehead” of the scorpion Dschubba
71 Kahil Ad-Dubb The back of the bear Dubhe
72 Adh-Dhi’ban The two wolves Dziban
73 Adh-Dhikh The hyena Edasich
74 An-Nath The butting El Nath
75 At-Tinnin The great serpent Eltanin
76 Al-Anf The nose Enif
77 Ar-Ra’i The shepherd Errai
78 Fam al-Hut Mouth of the whale Fomalhaut
79 Al-Furud “Individual” stars Furud
80 Al-Janah The wing Gienah
81 Al-Ghumaisa’ The bleary-eyed one Gomeisa
82 Hadar Civilization Hadar
83 Al-Hamal The ram Hamal
84 Al-Haq’ah The white spot Heka
85 Sa’d al-humam The lucky star of “the high-minded Homam
86 Al-Izar The girdle, or, The loin-cloth Izar
87 Al-Jabhah “The forehead” of the scorpion Jabbah
88 Qabd Al-E’nan The rein hold Kabdhilinan
89 Al-Kaff al-Jadhma’ The cut-short hand Kaffaljidhma
90 Al-Qaus The southern one of “the bow” Kaus Australis
91 Al-Qaus The northern one of “the bow” Kaus Borealis
92 Al-Qaus The middle one of “the bow” Kaus Media
93 Al-Qaid The broken egg-shells Keid
94 Qit’at al-Faras Part of the horse Kitalpha
95 Al-Kaukab Planet Kochab
96 Al-Qurhah “The blaze” on a horse’s brow Kurhah
97 Al-Las’ah The sting Lesath
98 dhanab al-asad the lion’s tail Luh-Denebola
99 Al-Mi’sam The wrist Maasym
100 Al-Ma’z The he-goat Maaz
101 Al-Mirfaq The elbow Marfik
102 Mankib al-Faras “The shoulder” of the horse Markab
103 Sa’d Matar The lucky star of “the rain” Matar
104 Al-Mabsutah “The outstretched” paw Mebsuta
105 Al-Maghriz “The insertion-point” of the Bear’s Megrez
106 Al-Maisan The shining one Meissa
107 Al-Maqbudah “The pulled-in” paw Mekbuda
108 Mankib Dhi-al-‘Inan Shoulder of the rein-holder Menkalinan
109 Al-Minkhar The nostril Menkar
110 Al-Mankib “The shoulder” of the Pleiades Menkib
111 Al-Maraqq The loins Merak
112 Kahkashan[3] is the Persian word for the Milky Way Milky Way
113 Al-Mintaqah The belt Mintaka
114 Al-Mi’zar The loin-cloth Mirak
115 Al-Mirfaq “The elbow” of the Pleiades Mirfak
116 miʾzar apron Mizar
117 Al-Muthallath The triangle Mothallah
118 Al-Mufrid The solitary one Muphrid
119 Al-Murzim The roarer Murzim
120 Sa’d Nashirah The lucky star of Nashirah Nashira
121 An-Nasl The arrowhead Nasl
122 Al-Baqqar The cattleman Nekkar
123 An-Nihal The camels quenching their thirst Nihal
124 An-Nasaqan The two series Nusakan
125 Al-‘Uqdah The knot Okda
126 Al-Fakhitah The dove Phact
127 Al-Fakhidh The thigh Phad
128 Al-Farqad The calf Pherkad
129 Ra’s al-Asad Head of the lion Rasalased
130 Ra’s al-Jathi Head of the kneeling one Rasalgethi
131 Ra’s al-Hawwa’ Head of the snake-man Rasalhague
132 Ra’s ath-Thu’ban Head of the snake Rastaban
133 Ar-Rijl The foot Rigel
134 Rijl Qanturus Foot of the centaur Rigilkent
135 Ar-Risha’ The rope Risha
136 Ar-Rukbah The knee Rukbah
137 Ar-Rukbah The knee Rukbat
138 As-Sabiq The preceding Sabik
139 Sa’d al-Akhbiyah Lucky star of the tents Sadachbia
140 Sa’d al-Bari’ Lucky star of the excellent one Sadalbari
141 Sa’d al-Malik Lucky star of the king Sadalmelik
142 Sa’d as-Su’ud Luck of lucks Sadalsuud
143 As-Sadr The breast Sadr
144 As-Saif The sword Saiph
145 As-Sa’id The shoulder Scheat
146 Ash-Shaulah The raised tail of the scorpion Shaula
147 As-Sadr The breast Shedir
148 Alshelaiyak – Sheliak
149 Ash-Sharatan The two signs Sheratan
150 Surrat al-Faras Belly-button of the female horse Sirrah
151 As-Saq The leg Skat
152 As-Sulhafat The tortoise Sulafat
153 Athalitha The southern one of the third leap Talitha Australis
154 Ath-Thalithah The northern one of the third leap Talitha Borealis
155 Ath-Thaniyah The southern one of “the second” leap Tania Australis
156 Ath-Thaniyah The northern one of “the second” leap Tania Borealis
157 At-Tarf “The glance” of the lion Tarf
158 Ath-Thu’ban The snake Thuban
159 The Pleiades Thuraya
160 ‘Unuq al-Hayyah Neck of the snake Unukalhai
161 Al-Waqi’ “The stooping” eagle Vega
162 Wasat as-Sama’ “Middle” of the sky Wasat
163 Al-Wazn The weight Wazn
164 Al-Wazn The weight Wezen
165 Al-Yad The succeeding one of the Snake Man’s hand Yed Posterior
166 Al-Yad The preceding one of the Snake Man’s hand Yed Prior
167 Az-Zawiyah The angle Zaniah
168 Az-Zawraq The boat Zaurac
169 Zawiyat al-‘Awwa’ The angle of al awa Zavijava
170 Az-Zuban al-Janubi “Southern Claw” Zubenelgenubi
171 Az-Zuban ash-Shamali “Northern Claw” Zubeneshamali

Then string them together as such:

Boys: First Name ibn (pronounced ‘bin’) Father’s Name ibn Grandfather’s Name + Al- Surname

Girls: First Name + bint + Father’s First Name + bint Grandfather’s First Name + Al- + surname  (or if your world is more egalitarian, use the mother’s names)

Examples:

Male: Yunus ibn Efraim Al-Jabhah

Female, matrilineal: Alyasa bint Hawwa Yad al-Jauza’

If the surname already has Al- or Ad- or other A prefix, don’t add Al-. You can also add royalty and positions in there either at the beginning or end.

That’s a quick and dirty way to create some names for your campaign. Because these were not curated for poetics, you need to say it aloud to make sure it works for you.

*(Or roll 1d3 (that’s 1d6 divided by 2, round down) and subtract one. Then multiply by ten and add 1d10.)

You also asked for motivations, but I must beg for mercy and ask that I may address that in a later post.

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d20 table: Why monsters wander

December 15, 2011 8:08 am / 2 Comments /
Pedantic says:
I’d like a generic table of explanations for out of place wandering monsters. Potentially sorted by general region.
Simon Forster says:

Hello! I would like to see a table that explains why the wandering monsters are wandering.

This is what we scientists call a ‘twofer’.

d20 Table: Why monsters wander
roll d20 Why
1 visiting relatives
2 on walkabout or quest
3 abandoned by a travelling circus (or perhaps it ate the circus)
4 migration
5 must return to ancestral breeding grounds
6 must return to ancestral dying grounds
7 hunting
8 a pet
9 a guard
10 fell through portal
11 drawn here by special item
12 adopted by one of the expected denizens
13 lost. totally lost
14 this species has been here all along. the world changed (see: Nessie)
15 this dungeon was a zoo once
16 this monster is worshipped by a local tribe, who goes to extraordinary efforts to keep them alive in this climate and breed them.
17 this form is a strange intermediate growth stage
18 it’s a mechanical copy
19 cloning. the wizard Freamon is up to his old tricks.
20 native fauna was polymorphed into this form (perhaps a mass polymorph bomb was set off, explaining many out of place wandering monsters)

 

 

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d20 Table of Necrotic Ailments

December 12, 2011 6:03 pm / 2 Comments /

 

Wrathofzombie writes:

I’d like to see a d20 list of random necrotic diseases/curses and effects.

OK, first of all: I knew what a necrotic disease was, but I had to Google it to get an idea of what to write. It ain’t pretty. Holy crap.

Next: These aren’t strictly all necrosis, but they all involve similarly unpleasant internal transformations. Roll d20 for whatever aspect you need, reroll if it makes no sense for your campaign (true of all tables, I suppose).

d20 Table of Necrotic Ailments

roll d20 cause body part effect cure
1 spider bite scalp black rot rare fruit
2 snake bite eyes green gelatin rare animal
3 unblessed baby bite ears red buboes blood of random race
4 worms nose blue melting inhale werewolf breath
5 flies tongue purple swelling hydra poison
6 monster bite lungs white ooze mushrooms common to distant place
7 sex skin where bitten/infected phosphorent glow under skin special hymn
8 mocking native gods stomach/bowels signs of evil gods appear salt bath
9 pissing off faeries joint(s) animal/monster tattoos appear on skin and move about, eating flesh guano diet
10 using the facilities outdoors genitals skin turns to nutritious custard that heals others 1d6 hp sex
11 poisoned spine muscles elf growing inside, has same features, memory. will emerge in 1d6 days. mocking native gods
12 bad fish feet madness, desire to climb trees, body turns to fungus and releases spores. demon tears
13 spores toes body begins to turn to mithril. cannot move. titan urine bath
14 breathing the exhalation of the undead fingers body turns inside out. eventually die of pain, madness. opposite of cause (praise native gods, spill certain waters, make pals with faeries)
15 cannibalism brain black x-file-style oil. opposite of cause
16 bathing in certain waters anus plants begin to grow from body same as cause but roles reversed (bite snake, breathe back into undead, get succubus to wink at you)
17 poisoned dart/weapon inner ear body vibrates, emits music, which plays over and over until bones are powdered. same as cause but roles reversed
18 licking amphibians hair victim becomes one of zak’s vommiters pray as it runs its course. awaken days later in a field.
19 winking at medusae or succubi blood insides become green slime, oozes out of skin. pass it to another.
20 fleas underarms larvae hatch and crawl out (or full-grown insects) make deal with whatever is growing inside (if applicable)


If you’d like to make a request, see this item.

[edit: changed effects 11 and 20 for clarity and/or make nastier]

[note: effect 12 is real. there are insectivore fungi in the rainforests of South America that make specific bugs go insane and then take over]

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Secret Santicore: Fifty Bizarre or Eclectic Urban Locations

December 11, 2011 12:31 pm / 5 Comments /

Ho Ho Ho!

Here’s my Secret Santicore present.

Dear Secret Santicore…

I would like a table of 50 Bizarre and Eclectic Urban Locations. One sentence for each is enough. Fantasy genre, please. Gonzo is fine, or simulationary or whatever my Santicore wants to do, really. They don’t have to fit together or relate in any way.

Thanks!

 

roll d100
01-02 This puppet show will lampoon the last adventure the players were on. If investigated, there are no puppeteers back there.
03-04 The winner of this alleyway boxing contest get the gold *and* the championship belt (a girdle of gender-change). Previous champs revert to their previous gender after twelve hours.
05-06 Ivy square is covered with sentient ivy, which can detect elves, which it likes to eat.
07-08 A gold coin lies in the middle of Farfield road. It weighs ten tons.
09-10 In the Chapel of the Exalted Philosopher, guest priests from various religions shout fire and brimstone sermons over the congregation’s peels of laughter. The congregation are reanimated dead (though you’d hardly notice unless close).
11-12 At the bottom of the Duke’s private well is the severed head of THE Hydra. In repayment for its being severed, it has poisoned the water of the Duke’s family for generations.
13-14 By ancient custom, if a debtor can lure can lure his creditor into the Public Garden; he is allowed to pay off his debt in blades of grass. (exchange rate 10 blades = 1 silver).
15-16 A family of troglodytes lives in this run-down shack in the middle of a main thoroughfare. They and the townsfolk have been literally ignoring one another’s existence for generations. To notice one another is a capital crime. (idea stolen from China Mieville)
17-18 The Laced Peacock Inn is run by people who always act like they are hiding something awful that just happened in the next room.
19-20 In the back alleys is the secretive Orphan’s Court, where trials are held and harsh sentences passed by magistrates no older than 12.
21-22 The Seelie Market is where the fabulously wealthy send their servants to shop. Local produce of average quality but impeccable ‘magical’ provenance cost in platinum what similar food cost in coppers at your average market.
23-24 Thieves like to lure the city watch to the Slippery Alley and drop rocks on them from above. The new ‘Slippery Alley’ is chosen nightly and the oil is poured at sunset.
25-26 Every Sunday at Painter’s Court, artists hold full-contact portraiture competitions.
27-28 The Wildflower Field is a small cemetery in the old part of town. When buried here, the spirit of the deceased will grow a plant body out of grass and flowers.
29-30 The Hellgate Bridge crosses the river that splits the city into east and west. Anyone walking under it will fall in love with the first living creature they see on the opposite shore.
31-32 A small but eternal fire burns in a back alley. Only four can sit around it, but they are completely warm. Time stands still here.
33-34 There is a section of the old city wall that still stands. All soldiers who have died defending the city go to hell. If you listen to a crack in this wall, you can hear them.
35-36 The Bank of the Smilish will accept deposits and hold them for exactly one year. Interest is paid up front, as one secret whispered into your ear.
37-38 Prudhella’s House is a ludicrously expensive brothel where sorceress/prostitutes use telepathic spells and illusions to enact their customer’s deepest fantasies. For most locals, this experience is too disturbing for repeat business. Prudhella relies on tourists for business.
39-40 Foreign traders run the Wen Shen warehouse. The poor and oppressed can turn to them for food or medical help, in exchange for which they must train in strange grappling games.
41-42 The weathervane over the fountain at Prembly Square points toward the nearest horde of gold (10,000 or more) no matter how far away.
43-44 The soapbox at Central Market has the ability to make d20 people believe anything you say for d10 minutes.
45-46 Once every seven years, the Beauty Tree buds a single flower. Eating it makes one very attractive and raises charisma d4+10 points (but only for those who are ugly and have a charisma under 7). The budding is so regular that it appears on many calendars. Where it is on the tree is not. By custom, no one may attempt to impede another’s efforts to get to the base of the tree on sunrise that day.
47-48 The Charnel Grubhouse will happily dispose of the dead by putting the body in a large box of grubs. Bones are returned a week later. The owner will give you his guarantee that the dead will stay dead and the remains will be unidentifiable. Next door is the Wen Shen silk market.
49-50 The Wen Shen silk market sells silk, but no one knows where or how they weave it in the city (the Wool and Linen Guilds desperately want to know how silk is made). Those who sleep in Wen Shen silk dream the fates of the recently dead.
51-52 Bradmoor the physician will immerse you in a vat of crabs for up to a week. Heal at four times the normal rate.
53-54 Anyone ignoring the ‘Do not sleep on the grass’ posting at Turnhill Downs will be surprised to awaken in a cavern hundreds of feet below the city (none have returned).
55-56 The Good Feeling Well is a public well for the poor. Within twenty feet of it, one cannot help but feel at peace and optimistic about one’s future. The Thorite Church wants it destroyed.
57-58 No one here has heard of a rhino, but you can pay a silver to ride Old Rebus “The unicorn”.
59-60 The Hagfruit Tree in the center of the poor quarter bears fruit year round, meaning those willing and able to stomach it will never starve.
61-62 The Eunuchry of Saint Brigid will modify any willing male regardless of race or age.
63-64 If you touch any statue in Countess Morbella’s statue garden, you must assume its place, while it gets to live again.
65-66 If you let the bees at Igor’s Apiary cover your naked body, they will buzz to you the location of the nearest megadungeon.
67-68 Abraham’s Curiosity Shoppe has absolutely nothing unusual on sale. Everything he has is common and for the usual price.
69-70 The Blessed Cheesemaker sells cheeses that put you in alignment with particular gods. You can completely pass as a believer of any religion for a day after consuming an ounce of the cheese.
71-72 There’s a large wild goose called Black Bertie whose call sounds exactly like a woman screaming in distress. It likes to take out-of-town heroes on a… well, a goose chase.
73-74 The local merchant elite hold a Plumage Festival every year where they run naked through a square while their servants hold ostrich feathers.
75-76 Smithy the Smith created the gates to Burgomaster Flatho’s manor. They draw many admirers not because they are exquisitely wrought, but because they taste like peppermint,
77-78 During a brief period of religious tolerance, the burning stake was uprooted and replaced with an ironwood tree. In the trunk and branches can be seen the clear and distinct likenesses of all who were burned on that spot. Efforts to burn or uproot the tree have proven fruitless.
79-80 If you visit the Snail Pits in the south quarter, you can bet on flail snail fights.
81-82 After drinking from the exclusive Fountain of Champions, you gain +1 to hit for the remainder of the day but will, for the next week, wet yourself at the beginning of every combat. (Only works once per person)
83-84 At the Stinking Mermaid, you can get a tattoo that will migrate about your body.
85-86 At the intersection of three alleys is ‘Blind Corner.’ Locals believe if you die here, Owrox the Soul Stealer cannot see you. The city’s poor-but faithful tend to pile up here. The Charnel Grubhouse sends a wagon here every morning to clean up.
87-88 The Duke’s Men operate a greenhouse where they grow and cross many foreign, exotic and dangerous plants.
89-90 The western quarter includes a steep hill, at the top of which is a small crypt. Three shrouded women walk up the hill every night and enter the crypt. No one ever sees them leave.
91-92 Northgate Pitch is gently sloped. Local aristocrats have created a ‘Flight Club’ where they test various contraptions in an attempt to fly from the top to the bottom. Their manservants operate some of the more dangerous ones.
93-94 Seelie (urban faeries) prefer to live among themselves. The local Seelie neighborhood is a giant wasp hive purchased from an eastern merchant. It hangs over the side of the upscale BearStraat Hotel.
95-96 The Duke’s Gaol is an underground prison. Cells on the top level are covered by iron grates, so the public may humiliate their occupants.
97-98 If guided through the sewers by a knowledgeable urchin, you may be able to find The Nostril. A giant sleeps beneath the Eastern Quarter.
99-00 No one is sure who owns the House of Riddles. Legends tell of clever men entering the eastern door and exiting the western door with great riches. In the last sixty years, more than a hundred men have entered, never to leave.

 

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Megadungeon Origins Table

December 10, 2011 12:10 pm / 5 Comments /

Staples writes:

I’d be interested in a Vornheim-style multi-column table of reasons why mega-dungeons were created or inhabited by new occupants. Thanks. ^__^

roll d100
 The Dungeon is That was/is now By/For
01-02 a bank a hatchery for advertising executives
03-04 a boudoir a holy place for angels
05-06 a brewery a home for animals
07-08 a burrow a library for assassins
09-10 a cathedral a museum for bards
11-12 a cellar a zoo containing cannibals
13-14 a corpse a zoo to amuse criminals
15-16 a court abandoned by dead gods
17-18 a fetus all in the imagination of degenerates
19-20 a forge belongs to devils
21-22 a habit trail bought by dinosaurs
23-24 a hell built by dragons
25-26 a hunting grounds built for dwarves
27-28 a laboratory can be found on a treasure map elder gods
29-30 a lower plane claimed falsely by elementals
31-32 a market collateral for elves
33-34 a mating ground created for ettins
35-36 a memorial desecrated by eunuchs
37-38 a mine forgotten by faerie
39-40 a mode of transportation has baffled all attempts of explanation is commonly blamed on ghosts
41-42 a monastery in the shape of giant insects
43-44 a mortuary is claimed by giants
45-46 a natural cave is the holy land of gnomes
47-48 a natural formation lost in a dice game to goblins/orcs/etc.
49-50 a palace meant to lure gods
51-52 a pantry merely a map leading to (roll again) halflings
53-54 a paradise neutral ground for (roll 2) humankind
55-56 a parking garage protection for illusionists
57-58 a pocket dimension protection from living statues
59-60 a posh hotel recently remembered by lycanthropes
61-62 a prison redesigned by mages
63-64 a sanatorium shelter for medusae
65-66 a sewer shelter from monks
67-68 a ship sold to mushroom men
69-70 a skeleton taken from ninjas
71-72 a slave pit the ancestral homeland of people with animal heads
73-74 a small annex to (roll again) the basis for the stories of the pirates
75-76 a small box the boudoir of sadness elementals
77-78 a spawning place the city of sandworms
79-80 a stable the command center of sentient objects
81-82 a theater the garden of serpents
83-84 a training ground the home of snake men
85-86 a trap the nest of space aliens
87-88 a university the nursery of spiders
89-90 an abattoir the resting place of spooky children with psionics
91-92 an arena used to entertain the religious
93-94 an execution grounds used to train young titans
95-96 an imaginary place vacated by troglodytes
97-98 ruins where can be found the common ancestor of (roll 2 in column 3) undead
99-00 the homeland won in a dice game by vampires

A PDF  version is available.

If you want to post a request, see this item.

 

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Creepy Witch Spells

December 6, 2011 11:36 pm / 4 Comments /

Zak S. from Los An-guh-leez writes:

At least 10 Unusual New Creepy Witch Spells on a random table

 

Hexenmaske, Berchtesgaden (Witch Mask) by Colin Smith

Creepy Witch Spells
1 Eternal Shame Victim must save or will perform humiliating acts on oneself or another in full view of the world. If he saves, he does these in private or with only a few witnesses.
2 Dreamwalk Caster may possess a sleeping victim, provided that victim has given her any object.
3 Indelible Mark An invisible mark that can be seen and sensed by other witches, fortune tellers, faerie and goblins.
4 Gluttony Caster may afflict victim with an addiction. Requires some amount of the substance if physical (eg. wine) or must be cast while the victim is doing the activity that is to be the addiction (eg. gambling).
5 Shower of Obstacles Victim will perceive imaginary obstacles preventing progress in one activity. While they may be overcome singly, something will always come up.
6 Chatterbox Victim will not be able to lie or disassemble in any way. He will tell secrets and say more than is necessary.
7 Just Resting The witch seizes on a short moment of denial that happens at death. The victim will seem not dead just often enough to convince all around that she isn’t dead. “I swear she twitched.” But she’s deal all right. Can be cast conversely as well (not dead but seems it).
8 Suspicious Voice Victim will begin to speak with a slight accent, casting doubt on his identity or origin.
9 Gold to Lead The victim’s best quality will utterly fail for one month. The brave will hide in bed. The honest will spin a web of deceit. The honest will steal.
10 Freakishly Endowed One random external body part will grow to at least ten times normal size without causing injury or pain. Saving throw allowed every 1d10 weeks.
11 Lycanthrope The witch can cast a curse of lycanthropic *behavior* (not form or abilities) during the full moon. Weretype is determined by the animal parts used in ritual.
12 Cassandra The victim is cursed with the gift of one major prophecy that will be correct and that she will passionately believe. No one will believe her under any circumstance.

I chose 12, since the d12 gets little love.

Without any context for witch, I chose it to mean a woman with malevolent intent. Of course I know about how this term can be pejorative and so forth. But to be fair, she did weigh the same as the duck.

These spells are ritual spells that take hours or days to prepare and cast. They are spells for the long game, not the combat round. In my mind, these are just the sort of psychotic but still human behaviors that someone (say a prince or princess) might immediately want to blame on someone else. Except in the case of our game, they are real curses from real witches.

I also realize that there are no casting times, durations or other common spell stats. We’re all playing by different rules, so going to that level of detail would be fruitless for my purposes (and Zak requested this and I think he uses 3.0, which I’ve not played much).

If you want to submit a request, just post a comment in the ‘Bring It’ post. Like everything in the blog, this is released under a creative commons license detailed in the footer.

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