Monday, December 20, 2021

Shady Contracts from "The Company"

Sometimes you need contracts from shady groups. This can generate the general bits and you can fill in the specifics.  Roll 5d6. Put it all together!

 1d6  Type Window XP Intel Known Complication
1 Assassinate Immediate 0 Almost Nothing Open Contract
2 Acquire 1d6 Days 5%Weak / Inaccurate Leaked Contract
3 Diplomatic 1d4 Weeks 10% General  Extremely Dangerous Foe 
4 Gather Intel  1d6 Months 15%Some Details Demonic Involvement
5  Sew Discord  1 Year 20% Detailed Dossier Potential Suicide Mission
6 Set Up  Until Complete  25%  Secret Information  No Complications

Type: What kind of job is this?
Window: How long do you have to complete this task?
XP: originally this is the % of XP needed to go to the next level or, if the mission fails, the penalty to XP. Replace this with another kind of reward, like % of income to advance one social class.
Intel: How much information do you have?
Known Complication: Not the only complication, just one you know about.

Clearly I've got some idea of a setting that these bits work with - you can get a feel from the examples below. Replace Daemonic Involvement with something like "troll army" and you'll change the entire tone of things. 

EXAMPLE I: 4, 3, 4, 6, 5

  • Type: Gather Intel
  • Window: 2 weeks (I rolled 2 on the d4)
  • XP: 15%
  • Intel: Secret Information
  • Complication: Potential Suicide Mission
You have 2 weeks to identify when a shipment of lotushead will arrive and where in Holland they will be arriving.. The secret you know is that this is for the Vigilant Society, known diabolists. You also know that these folks don't take kindly and will kill you and everyone you know to keep their secret. 

EXAMPLE II: 6, 4, 3, 2, 6

  • Type: Set Up
  • Window: 1 month (1 on the d6)
  • XP: 10%
  • Intel: Weak or Inaccurate
  • Complication: no known complication
The company needs you to ensure that Troegr Mastiff and found guilty of the murder of his mistress. You have 1 month to complete this mission before he is elected to the Mercantile Guild. There is no information on his mistress but she exists (according to his wife). The murder charge and public shame of infidelity will ensure he is not voted in.

EXAMPLE III: 2, 5, 3, 1, 4

  • Type: Acquire
  • Window: 1 year
  • XP: 10%
  • Intel: Almost Nothing
  • Complication: Daemonic Involvement
The company needs you to acquire, through whatever methods you see fit, the reliquary of St. Brigit. It was stolen some 30 years ago but rumor indicates it is in Paris (or possibly London). This information was gathered from captured members of the Inverted Church when a daemonic summoning ritual was interrupted. 



Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Herbalism Ingredients

The big table of herbalism ingredients, based on terrain type. Roll 1d100. 

Roll 1d100 and see what you find based on the terrain type. What is this stuff and what does it do? I don't know - it is just a big table to play around with.

Ingredients FOREST  PLAINS  SWAMP  MOUNTAINS  JUNGLE 
Albro Spine1---1---1 - 8
Ambrosia---1---------
Armoranth---2 - 9---------
Asgard fennel------2 - 17------
Axehead Mushroom------18 - 19------
Bilemoss---10---1 - 16---
Black Truffle211---------
Blood Thistle3 - 10------------
Cane Orange------------9 - 16
Caprel Mushroom11 - 18------------
Cats' Tooth------20 - 27------
Celedon Stalk---12 - 1328 - 4317---
Chamomile19 - 34------------
Chickweed---14 - 29---------
Cinnamon35---------17 - 20
Coffee------------21 - 24
Croneweed------44 - 4518 - 19---
Crowthistle36 - 51------------
Culling Violet---------20 - 35---
Dog Thistle---30 - 3146------
Dragonheart---32------25
Dreni pod---33 - 3447 - 4836---
Dugberry---------37 - 44---
Fibrous Mushroom------------26 - 33
Fine Dren Mushroom---------45 - 48---
Flatland Carrot---35 - 38---------
Giant Ant Fewmets---39 - 54---------
Glass Orchid------49 - 52------
Goatspice---------4934
Ground Peach---55---------
Hard Lime------------35 - 36
Hel Leaf---------50---
Honey52 - 67------------
Horsetail Grass------53 - 68---37 - 38
Iron Bamboo------------39 - 54
Leadgill Mushroom------6951 - 52---
Lover's Lips---56---------
Mauveberry------70 - 73------
Milky wheat---57 - 58---------
Mud Pepper------74 - 75------
Mulletberry------76 - 83---55 - 56
Nightshade68 - 71------------
Noosevine---------53 - 54---
Orachia------84 - 87------
Orange Saffron---------55 - 70---
Pedra Nut------8871 - 78---
Radiant Fern------89 - 96------
 Razorfrill Mushroom 72 - 73---------57
Red Bird Fruit------------58
Rosemarry---------79 - 82---
Rotted Durian------------59 - 74
Rumble Moss---------83 - 84---
Shenroot------------75 - 76
Singing Sister---------85 - 88---
Speckled Honey74 - 77------------
Spider Radish78 - 85------89 - 9077
Spotted Pumpkin---59 - 62---------
Stormberry86------91---
Sunroot87 - 8863 - 78---------
Tallcap mushroom---79 - 86---------
Tarantula Radish89 - 90------------
Tegberry Cluster------------78 - 79
tell root------------80 - 95
Tiger root9187 - 8897 - 98------
Vanilla------------96 - 99
Violet Fern92------------
Wapatoro------99------
Water Pepper93 - 94---------100
Weeping Rose---89 - 92---------
Whedelcorn---93 - 100---------
White Acorn95 - 96------------
White Truffle97 - 100------------
Witch Apple------100------
Yawning Trumpet---------92 - 99---
Ymir's Teardrop---------100---


Hexy Goodness
Roll 1d12. On a 1-6, use the terrain type of an adjacent hex (1 north, 2 northeast, 3 southeast, 4 south, 5 southwest, 6 northwest), but on a 7-12 use the terrain of the hex you are on. If in a hex with multiple terrain types, like wooded mountains, 50/50 of either base type.


Rarity Table
Because the same data presented differently is fun. Maybe this is what is at the herbalist shop?  I dunno.

 1d20 CommonUncommonRareVery Rare
1HoneyBlood ThistleWhite Trufflelover's lips
2ChamomileCaprel MushroomSpeckled Honeywapatoro
3CrowthistleArmoranthFlatland carrotwitch apple
4ChickweedTallcap mushroomspotted pumpkinhel leaf
5 Giant ant fewmets WhedelcornWeeping roseymir's teardrop
6Asgard fennelradiant fernorachiared bird fruit
7orange saffroncats' toothglass orchidTarantula Radish
8culling violetyawning trumpetmauveberryWhite Acorn
9iron bamboodugberrycroneweedStormberry
10rotted duriancane orangerosemarryBlack Truffle
11tell rootfibrous mushroomsinging sisterMilky wheat
12bilemosspedra nut fine dren mushroom mud pepper
13Sunrootmulberryvanilla axehead mushroom 
14horsetail grassalbro spinecoffeerumble moss
15Celedon stalkSpider RadishTiger rootnoosevine
16--- Razorfrill Mushroom Dreni podgoatspice
17---dog thistlecinnamonhard lime
18---leadgill mushroomViolet Ferntegberry cluster
19---water pepperambrosiaShenroot
20---Nightshadeground peachdragonheart

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

#DICEMBER 2021, Part I

 Trying my hand at some #Dicetember 2021 tables. d6 tables - easy peasy.

1: Ammo - What is up with this magical ammo?

  1. Glowing: these arrows glow like a magnesium flare when shot off and for another d6 turns after they hit.
  2. Chaotic: 50% chance it hits a random target within 20' of the original target, but damage is always maximum.
  3. Splintering: The arrow splinters - each point of damage hits a different random target within 10' of the original target (including the original target).
  4. Multiplying: Each morning there are 1d6 more arrows than the night before, up the maximum quiver size of 20. In BXDH/Sorrow terms, the die type will increase.
  5. Piercing: After hitting the first target, a second target behind the first is also hit (roll for it) and the damage is half of the first damage rolled.
  6. Screaming: These make a god-awful racket when fired - targets struck must make a Fear Save (or spells if that is your thing) or run off, also screaming, for 1d6 rounds.

2: Ice - How thick is this ice I'm standing on?

  1. Paper-thin: Dex Check/Save vs. Wands to jump out of the way or fall through!
  2. Window Pane: Move slowly and spread your weight ... or else ...
  3. Beefy: Thick enough for some ice fishing (if you have an auger)
  4. Solid: It is freakishly clear and as thick as the story of a building
  5. Glacial: It is a glacier ... likely has a lot of ice caves, caves of monsters.
  6. Planar: You stand upon the precipice of the elemental plane of ice, it isn't infinite, right?
3: Child - What are they hiding behind their back?

  1. A bunny: 1 in 4 it is dead, otherwise 50/50 it is a happy pet or feral beastie
  2. A knife: dripping with fresh blood!  what did they do ... or do they plan to do?
  3. A grubby doll: looks disturbingly like one of the PCs (of course)
  4. A bag of marbles: normal, unless they throw them on the ground then run away when their older angry sibling wanders in with a club
  5. A deck of cards: want to play a game? No? How about a trick then?
  6. A severed head: an old one, eyes and mouth sewn up, borrowed from their grandmama

4: Rage - how does it manifest itself?
  1. Screaming, yelling, and a general carrying on
  2. Silent seething and withering glares
  3. Passive aggressive action and microagressions
  4. Uncontrollable, destructive violence
  5. Complete and total vengeance, even if it takes years
  6. Double down and don't give up, even if you are obviously screwed/wrong
5: Blade - what is the freaky shape is this sword?
  1. Oversized crescent moon
  2. Grasping withered claw
  3. A circle within a circle
  4. Dozens of overlapping scales 
  5. Silhouette of a sexy warrior
  6. A twisted spiral with some very sharp dangly bits
6: Shame - what is the dark secret they are hiding
  1. Murdered someone close and feels terrible guilty about not being caught
  2. Lied about their prowess and skill, this caused their family to fall apart
  3. They grew up poor/rich and have been lying about too long to come clean
  4. Ate the last piece of cake at the wedding, making the groom cry
  5. Blamed their sibling for a vile act which they committed
  6. Worked for a foul organization for far too long, did terrible things
7: Deamon - what does it want from you
  1. Just little memory - one you won't miss. See? You don't even remember what is lost.
  2. One small cup, brimming with the tears of children 
  3. A saucer of milk from a goat belonging to a farmer that does NOT like you
  4. Three hairs from the braid of Princess Alora (whoever that is)
  5. A pickle. and make it a good one. nice and crunchy. better be plenty dill, too.
  6. Just stay inside your room tonight. No matter what you hear. Shhhh ... take a little nap


Wednesday, December 1, 2021

More on Dungeon Jerks!

Are They Organized?

Roll 1d6, +1 if a leader is present.

  1. Not At All - they are likely slacking off and are surprised 3 in 6. They have no tactics and are uncoordinated in a fight.
  2. Sort Of - Each member acts by themselves without much coordination; individual morale checks (which can cause a cascade of fleeing).
  3. Barely - initial contact is coordinated (volley of arrows for example), but after that it is a free-for-all.
  4. The Usual - they are a group that works together, so it is mostly functional. Run like you usually run a group of bandits.
  5. Adept - Until the first morale check is required, they are going to be a dangerous, intelligent, coordinated foe.
  6. Definitely - they are going to ambush the party (surprised 3 in 6), use ranged and melee attacks in coordination (battle line), focus on threats (kill the mage!) and disengage/not fight if they think they can't win. They are dangerous. 

What is their Style?

Roll 1d6 for some style notes.
  1. Wretched Vagabonds wearing rags and covered in filth
  2. Swaggering Bullies that try to intimidate and belittle opponents 
  3. Reluctant Aggressors that really need you to give up that loot
  4. Classy Gents with decent clothes that politely request your loot
  5. Ugly Reavers wearing animal skins that don't talk much if at all 
  6. Polite Noobs that clearly haven't done this before but don't want to be rude

Who Are They?

Roll 1d6 to identify what type of group they are.
  1. Renata's Robbers (Barrowmaze) - up to their usual bullshit
  2. Local Tomb Raiders - you might have seen them around town
  3. Local Mooks - definitely seen them around town
  4. Renegade Hirelings - screwed by adventurers, now out on their own
  5. Roving Tomb Robbers - recently heard about this score 
  6. 'Foregin' Tomb Raiders - where did these guys come from? what language is that?

Why Do This?

Roll 1d6 to check on their motivation
  1. Criminals doing criminal things - the crew looks like easy marks
  2. Frightened  of the dungeon - but they want those sweet treasures
  3. Need Cash Now and JG Wentworth is not in business - they are desperate
  4. Misguided fools that think they are doing the right thing - somehow?
  5. Thrill Seekers that want to start some shit - just to see where it goes
  6. Deathwish Nihilists that don't expect to live - but live to cause trouble