I haven't had the stomach yet to watch Delicious in the Dungeon (aka Dungeon Meshi) but I've heard enough about it to know that eating monsters is a major element of the anime (and manga). Knowing nothing about it works in that universe, I thought it might be fun to throw together some tables to […]
The origins of things, including folk of different sorts, can say a lot about your world. It can feel daunting to build out origins but they are rewarding, once they’re done. They can also be short. I like 1d6 tables. Six is a good number of options that isn’t enough to wrack the brain to […]
The term, “inspire,” comes to English from Latin via French, meaning to fill or breath into. The original context was religion, inspiration being the influence of the divine. How do the divine powers inspire in your campaign world? Here are some options for how a god might inspire a hero: 1d6 Method 1-2 Dreams 3-4 Omens […]
Let's look at exploration as a wilderness activity, apart from searching or traveling. When exploring a hex, there is no preset goal, as there is when searching. When the party elects to explore a hex, follow the procedure below to determine what they find. What did you discover? For each group exploring separately, roll 1d6. 1d6 Type of […]
A d66 table: roll 2d6, using the leftmost die as the tens digit and the right die as the ones digit, and consult the table below. d66 Motive 11 To a hoary barrow beside an offering basin stained with blood 12 To a small shrine wreathed with desiccated flowers 13 To a stone megalith carved […]
A d66 table: roll 2d6, using the leftmost die as the tens digit and the right die as the ones digit, and consult the table below. d66 Motive 11 To impress a romantic interest 12 To impress a peer 13 To impress a lord or master 14 To impress a holy figure 15 To impress […]
If archaeology has taught us anything it’s that the deeper you go underground, the older the things you find are. If D&D has taught us anything, it’s that the deeper you go underground, the more dangerous but more rewarding (literally) it gets. Why not combine the two concepts? Thinking downwards Why would we want to […]
How are messages sent over distance in your game world? Game of Thrones popularized ravens. Pigeons were used from ancient times all the way through WWI. The image of the rider on a horse with a bag full of letters slung over their shoulder is a classic image of the Old West and beyond. Magic […]
The tavern is a ubiquitous site in fantasy tabletop roleplaying games. It is where adventurers eat, drink, sleep, seek out adventures, advertise services, and host meet & greets. For most campaigns, the tavern is a vital institution. In my setting, I'm getting rid of many of them. Let me explain why and present a couple […]
When a wandering creature appears, it often doesn’t come with any sort of context. It falls to the Referee to decide what it’s doing and why. Here are a handful of tables to help flesh out ordinary encounters in which a creature appears and we want to know something about what they're doing and why […]
