Showing posts with label generic RPG aid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label generic RPG aid. Show all posts

Friday, October 14, 2022

The Notebook of Spirit Writing (Part One)

The Notebook of Spirit Writing is a two-part magic item that consists of a notebook and a pen. They allow the creator to communicate with one, possibly two, specific spirits of a person who has passed on. The person must have been literate in the language in which the creator of the Notebook of Spirit Writing wishes to communicate. The person must further be someone that either had no relationship with the creator, or a friendly one. The closer the relationship between the creator and the target, the greater the likelihood of the enchantment succeeding.

CREATING A NOTEBOOK OF SPIRIT WRITING
Infusing the Notebook of Spirit Writing and the pen it will be used with requires the creator to follow a very particular series of ritualistic steps. Any deviation in the order, or any shorter time, and the character will either end up with an item that doesn't function, or an item that functions incorrectly and is possibly dangerous.
   If there is an error or disruption in the rituals along the way, the creator can either restart the enchantment process with other items, or he or she can take a chance that the process will still be successful. At the end of each entry describing the steps in the ritual, there is a section that states the chance of failure and the results of success or failure. The GM should roll against the listed percentage whenever there's a step that's not done properly. If the roll is below or equal to the stated number, the step fails.


1. Selecting the Notebook and the Pen
The value and quality of the items used to make a Notebook of Spirit Writing are immaterial; what matters is the creator's desire to communicate with the subject and the steps taken to charge them with magic. The notebook can be anything from a spiral-bound pad of lined paper, or a leatherbound diary, and the pen can be a plastic ballpoint with an autoshop's name on it, or a 100-year-old fountain pen made of gold and ivory. The only important thing is that the notebook must be bound with some sort of covers.
   Once the notebook and pen have been selected, the creator must sleep with them under a pillow (or similar headrest) for three nights in a row. Each night, while going to sleep, the creator must think of fond memories he or she has of the person that is the intended target of communication. 
   Chance of Failure: 100%. 
   Consequence of Failure: Further steps will produce no result.
   Consequences of Success: During the third night, the creator has a pleasant dream about talking with the target about corresponding. The target likes the idea but says there might be risks. He or she doesn't elaborate.

2. Enchanting the Pen
The creator must take the pen to a place where there is a pool or basin of blessed water within a sacred site. This can be the Catholic church, a Shinto shrine, or some ancient site in the wilderness with a natural spring where sacred rituals were conducted. Alternatively, the creator can bring the pen to the central well in an Amazon village, or place it in the Pool of All. (Those last two options are probably very difficult for most characters.)
   The pen must remain submerged and undisturbed in the water for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequence of Failure: 50% chance of attracting a Warden each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: The pen is now ready to be used with the notebook to communicate with the target.

3. Enchanting the Notebook I
Using the selected pen, the creator must write the target's name and birthdate on the inside cover of the notebook. The creator must then take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's birth. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target was born. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 10% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Step #4 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

4. Enchanting the Notebook II
The creator must take the notebook and pen to the place of the target's death. Here, the notebook and pen must be left within 10 meters (35 feet) of the exact location where the target died. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 8 hours.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: Further steps have a base 20% chance of failing. 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Step #5 can be attempted without risk, and the Notebook of Spirit Writing will function properly if the entire ritual is completed correctly.

5. Enchanting the Notebook III
The creator must take the notebook and pen to where the target lived the longest during his or her life.  Here, the notebook and pen must be left within the structure, or within 10 meters (35 feet) of it. 
   The notebook must remain where placed, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours. Once retrieved, the creator must write the target's death date on the inside cover with the pen.
   Chance of Failure: 20%
   Consequences of Failure: 50% chance of a random spirit responding, instead of the intended target, each time the Notebook of Spirit Writing is used. These penalties replace any ones from earlier steps. (See "Using the Notebook", below.)
   Consequence of Success: Immediately after writing the target's death date in the notebook, the creator briefly feels safe and secure and as if someone as though someone is standing close to him or her.
   The Notebook of Sprit Writing and the associated pen are now fully enchanted and ready to be used.


 

 

--"Using the Notebook" and more coming soon!

The material in this post was inspired by the short film "Pen Pals". Click here to watch it at the Terror Titans blog.

Sunday, October 31, 2021

Who's at the door this Halloween?

Bring Halloween to your adventures set in modern times with these random tables!


WHO'S AT THE DOOR THIS HALLOWEEN?
If the player characters are at home on Halloween, either chilling or having a party, roll on DO TRICK-OR-TREATERS SHOW UP? twice per game hour between 5pm and Midnight.

DO TRICK-OR-TREATERS SHOW UP? (roll 1d12)
1-2. Yes. Roll on the table below to see who.
3-4. Yes. Roll twice on the table below, as there are two groups, one behind the other.
5-6. Yes. Roll on the table below to see who. Roll again in 5 minutes.
7-8. Yes. Roll on the table below to see who.
9-12. No. But that means more candy for you tomorrow!

WHO ARE THOSE TRICK-OR-TREATERS AT THE DOOR? (roll 1d12)
1. 1d12+1 little kids in costumes wanting candy!
2. 1-12+1 kobolds in costumes wanting candy!
3. 1d12+1 zombies sent by an enemy of the PCs, with signs around their necks reading "Happy Halloween"!
4. A vampire wanting blood!
5. A werewolf wanting flesh!
6. A demon wanting souls!
7. Death, here to collect one of the PCs (but will be happy with a couple full-sized Snickers bars)!
8. 1d12+2 robot assassins sent from the future!
9. 1d12+2 risen corpses of enemies (or grunts of enemies) the party have killed who have come seeking revenge.
10. 1d12+2 teenagers (not in costume) wanting candy!
11. 1d12+1 teenagers (in costume) wanting candy!
12. 1d12+12 little kids on costumes wanting candy!





Thursday, October 21, 2021

The Boxes of Doom

"The Boxes of Doom" is a series of random tables intended to spark the imagination of GMs to create an adventure of mystery, magic, and horror. The GM should roll 1d6 against the tables below to generate key elements of an adventure, and then use their imaginations to flesh out the resulting storyline. The tables contain references to certain characters and concepts that have been featured in NUELOW Games products or on this blog, such as the Sorceress of Zoom, the Amazons, and the Witchkind.

The idea for this was suggested by a horror short film by Alex Magana, "Do Not Open", which you can watch here. I think you'll find it to be time very well-spent.

What RPG rules mentioned in the post are nominally d20 System, but the post is mostly rules-free and full of ideas.

THE SET-UP
People are vanishing all across the city, and the authorities are stumped. The only common denominator between the disappearances is that the vanished individuals shared certain superficial traits and that scraps of cardboard boxes were found where they were last seen. This is being written off as a coincidence by most in law enforcement, but conspiracy theorists and online armchair detectives are seizing on that.

The truth is that the cardboard scraps are indeed the clue--the boxes are means by which a sinister attacker is causing victims to disappear.

THE BOXES
These mysterious cardboard boxes are being left on doorsteps. If one of the boxes isn't opened within five minutes of its being found, the person who first discovered it or brought it into a home or office must roll a Will save (DC15) or feel a compulsion to open the box; anyone else who enters the room with the box must roll a Will save (DC12) or feel a similar compulsion. When the box is opened, everyone within the room (or 30 feet, if the box is still outside) are drawn into another existence. 

Samantha Cruz in "Do Not Open"

Can the victims be saved? Who is behind this evil scheme? Roll on the following tables to determine the details around which you can build an RPG adventure!

WHO IS BEING TARGETED? (Roll 1d6)
1. Young Women
2. Epidemiologists
3. Astrologers and Mystics
4. Politicians and Their Families
5. Journalists and Their Families
6. The Player Characters and Their Friends and Loved Ones

WHY ARE THEY BEING TARGETED? (Roll 1d6)
1. Revenge for past slights, real or imagined.
2. Their skills (or just their bodies) are demanded by the Sorceress of Zoom
3. Their bodies are needed to serve as vessels for demonic spirits.
4. They are prophesized to save the Enchanted Realm.
5. As #4, but only 1d6 of the victims are the actual prophesized ones. No one knows for sure. 
6. As #4, but they are prophesized to destroy the Enchanted Realm as servants of the Sorceress of Zoom.

WHERE ARE THE VICTIMS BEING TRANSPORTED TO? (Roll 1d6)
1. A barren hellscape where they die from exposure 1d2 days after they vanish.
2. Prison cells in the Flying City of Zoom.
3. Into cages in an abandoned factory.
4. Into cells in a dank torture dungeon.
5. Into a richly appointed series of chambers in a castle in the Enchanted Realm.
6. An extra-dimension city inhabited by the Witchkind and Amazons--and they are as surprised to see the victims as the victims are to be there.

WHO IS TARGETING THEM? (Roll 1d6)
1. A would-be lover of the Sorceress of Zoom who is trying to impress her.
2. Someone they wronged--or who believes they wronged him or her.
3. A cultist hoping to curry favor with the demonic entity he or she worships.
4. A delivery driver who is hoping to unlock secret demonic powers.
5. An extra-dimensional sexual pervert looking for new and unusual victims.
6. The Master of the Enchanted Realm.

WHAT POWERS THE MAGIC OF THE BOX? (Roll 1d6)
1. Secret enchantments known only to a reclusive demonlord.
2. The boxes include matter from a cursed tree. 13 of them exist.
3. Each box houses a demonic spirit that is released into the world when the victim is transported.
4. Tiny dimensional imps native to the City of Zoom that have been enslaved; they are released when the box is activated and the victims are teleported.
5. A spell that is cast on each box that the creator obtained either through theft or as a gift from the Sorceress of Zoom. Each time the creator enchants a box, he or she becomes closer to ending up wherre the victims are being transported to. The creator can use the spell a maximum of 2d6+6 times. He or she is not aware of this limit.
6. Innate magical abilities of the person creating the box, brought out by intense hatred toward the victims. Unknown to anyone but the Master of the Enchanted Realm, the creator of the boxes is part dragon.

HOW CAN THE VICTIMS BE SAVED? (Roll 1d6)
1. The Player Characters must be transported by the boxes. They will then have to free the victims and find their way to a gate back to their world (assuming the victims are even transported to another realm).
2. The Sorceress of Zoom knows how to recover the victims. She will do so, and restore them all to life and into the Player Characters' care, so long as they catch and deliver the creator of the boxes to her.
3. The Player Characters must journey to the Enchanted Realm and secure the help of its Sorcerer Supreme.
4. The Player Characters must find the creator of the boxes and force him or her to reverse the magic.
5. As #4, except the creator of the boxes doesn't know how to reverse the magic. The Player Characters must either reverse engineer the spells themselves, or seek the help of another expert in magic. Roll on WHO IS TARGETING THEM? to see who the characters need to seek out.
6. There is no way to save the victims; the Player Characters can only avenge them and prevent others from becoming victims.

 

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Doppelganger Eggs

This material was inspired by Dylan Clark's horror short film "Hatched" (2021). You can watch it at the Terror Titans blog by clicking here. (Ideally, you came here from that post, as even the title of this one may be a little bit of a spoiler.)
   The game mechanics attached are for the OGL Modern variation of the d20 System, but it should be easily adaptable to most other RPGs that are out there.

DOPPLEGANGER EGGS
Doppelganger Eggs
are one-shot magic items that were developed in ancient times by Atlantean Biomancers, and the art of creating them is now only known to the secretive Witchkind and a tribe of equally secretive doppelgangers (creatures capable of assuming the form of any humanoid creature they kill, as well as absorbing their most ingrained personality traits and skills) who work with them. By performing a complex ritual, a doppelganger is put into the egg. When the egg is cracked or hatches when the magic wears off, the doppelganger swiftly returns to his original size. It can then infiltrate the household into which the egg was smuggled (usually among other food items).
   The Atlanteans would use the eggs to unleash assassins and infiltrators on unsuspecting enemies, and that is how they are used in modern-times as well. 

Creating Doppelganger Eggs
Doppelganger Eggs are created using any eggs laid by a non-magical bird or reptile and a willing doppelganger. Two beings with knowledge of how to create Doppelganger Eggs and the ability to cast 5th-level spells and knowledge of the Transmutation and Necromantic magic schools must work together to create the Doppelganger Egg. Usually, the two spellcasters and the Doppelganger are long-time associates, if not actually friends, so all those involved trust each other to do the best possible job and to take care of each other if a client/customer tries to betray them or welch on a deal.
   The ritual must be performed in a specially constructed location with a permanent enchantment area used exclusively for the creation of Doppelganger Eggs and a small number of related magic items. Over the course of three hours of intensive spellcraft, a doppelganger and an egg are merge. By the end of the process, the egg is undetectable from similar eggs, except that it radiates a faint aura of necromantic magic if such is detected for. Up to four Doppelganger Eggs can be created at one time, and the ritual is prolonged by one hour for each Egg in addition to the first one. The makers of the Eggs can perform their ritual once per day, as it drains them to the point where they must have a full night rest before they can cast magic or perform rituals again.
   Doppelgangers that work with the Witchkind conform to the standard statistics in the rule book.

Acquiring Doppelganger Eggs
To acquire one or or more Doppelganger Egg, a character must first gain the trust of the Witchkind, and then they must be able to locate a very secretive group of artificers in their society since what they do is not exactly looked upon kindly by any authorities.
   Each Doppelganger is made to order. Upon making contact, those interested in gaining one or more Egg must provide a general description of what they want to achieve with the Egg, so the Doppelganger knows who to kill and/or replace and what to do once that has been done. A mission can be a straight-forward assassination or it can be a long-term infiltration. For a relatively simple mission, the cost to acquire an Egg requires a DC18 Wealth check (with the check increasing in difficulty by +4 for each additional Egg being ordered) with the base Wealth check being perhaps as high as DC28 for a complicated, long-term intelligence gathering mission). The price can be raised or lowered if the purchaser wants to impose specific restrictions or demands upon the Doppelgangers that aren't directly related to the mission at had (such as demanding that the location and/or assumed identity must be vacated as soon as the mission is complete). The price also increases if the purchaser wants the Witchkind and the Dopplegangers to handle the placement of the Eggs.

Using Doppelganger Eggs
Doppelganger Eggs are usually placed among innocent groceries that are brought into a household or other place where a target lives. As soon as the Egg is cracked or 48 hours pass (the duration of the magic), the Doppelganger bursts forth and swiftly returns to its full size. Any characters who witness this even must roll successful Wisdom checks (DC14) or be so startled that they will not be able to take action that round the Doppelganger appears, and the Doppelganger automatically gains initiative the following round. 
   The Doppelganger suffers a -2 penalty to all skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls for the first six rounds after emerging from the Egg, due to the physical and mental shock of recovery. As such, it will initially try to retreat if it isn't catching potential victims completely unaware.



Friday, October 1, 2021

What happens if you say 'Bloody Mary' three times?

The urban legend is that if you say Bloody Mary by candlelight in front of a mirror three times, she appears. But what happens when she does? Use the random tables below to find out, if the PCs in your game decide they want to tempt Fate during the Halloween Season. (The table can either be used every time it's done, or used to decide a constant result.)

We've tried to make this as general a game supplement as possible. GMs will have to interpret what's here in the context of whatever RPG system they will be using this content in.


Katy

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SAY "BLOODY MARY"? (Roll 1d6)
   1. A ghoul with 10 times the normal amount of hit points materializes and attacks the foolish person who summoned it, as well as anyone who tries to intervene. After the summoner is dead, the monster disappears, taking the summoner's tongue with it.
   2. An angry ghost manifests and attacks the foolish person who summon it, as well as anyone who tries to intervene. After the summoner is dead, the ghost will grant one person present (who is still alive) a wish.
   3. A powerful demon appears. It demands that anyone present answer three questions truthfully; they will be questions relating to some dark secret the person harbors, often something they wouldn't want others present to know. In return, it will reveal three secrets kept by a single other person the summoner asks about. If anyone lies to the demon, it attacks the summoner and anyone who tries to intervene. After three rounds of combat, it returns to the mirror and drags the summoner to Hell.
   4. The candles are suddenly and mysterious extinguished, but otherwise nothing seems to happen. In truth, the summoner has been magically replaced by an evil doppelganger that sets about destroying everything the summoner loves, even to the point of murdering his or her friends or family. The summoner is trapped in a mirror-space between dimensions, but can be freed if the ritual is performed again. This is only a temporary fix, though: The evil doppleganger must be captured and killed in front of a mirror before 13 hours have passed. Otherwise, the summoner shatters into a million tiny mirror shards and is dead forever.
   5. A Bloody Mary cocktail (complete with a celery stalk standing in it) appears in a skull-shaped glass. The glass dissolves into vapor once the drink has been consumed. Roll again on "HOW WAS THE BLOODY MARY?" below.
   6. Roll on "IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT..." below.


HOW WAS THE BLOODY MARY?
(This table can also be used if characters are just ordering the cocktail.)
   1-2. It's as if the Goddess of Cocktails made it herself. Perfection!
   3-4. It's okay. You've had better.
   5. It's what you imagine fermented menstrual blood from a leprous witch with a yeast infection would taste like.
   6. It tastes great, but those who drink it start feeling sick soon after. The illness lasts for 1d6+6 hours.


Art by Bryan Baugh

IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT... (Roll 1d6)
   1. A massive curse has been unleashed within a 1,000-mile radius of where the ritual has been performed: Zombies are animated and killing the living, making more zombies. To stop the world from being overrun by zombies, the PCs will need to find Bloody Mary's body and put her to rest once and for all.
   2. The summoner is stalked by a shadowy figure which he or she sees peeking through windows or lurking behind him or her in reflections...but the figure can never be caught or spotted by others. There always seems to be someone moving around in the next room from the summoner, or just around the corner, but no one is ever there when it is checked. The stress disrupts the summoner's sleep, ability to concentrate and function normally. Eventually, the summoner begins to lose his or her mind. The curse can be reversed by the character performing the ritual again, causing the shadowy figure to manifest and attack. The shadowy figure has the same stats as the summoner. No one other than the summoner can hurt or be hurt by the shadowy figure.
   3. The summoner becomes a magnet for maniacs that become obsessed with him or her, believing that they are destined to be soulmates. 1d6+2 of these "admirers" begin stalking the summoner threatening those he or she really loves, trying to drive wedges between the summoner and them, and otherwise trying to force the summoner to love them and only them. The "admirers" will eventually try to kill those the summoner really cares (and even casual encounters the summoner may have) about and even the summoner. This curse continues until either the summoner or the "admirers" are dead.
   4. The summoner (and any other characters within a 30-foot radius when the ritual is performed) are transported into the world that exists beyond the mirror and in-between moments. Everything initially seems normal, but the summoner and others brought into the weird realm soon realize they are in a place where time does not appear to pass and monsters lurk everywhere. They must find their way to Bloody Mary's lair and force her to let them go home.
   5-6. A long-time friend of the summoner is brutally murdered and witnesses claim they saw the summoner casually leave the site, covered in blood. There is no other evidence, but 1d6 days later, someone else in the summoner's life is murdered. Bloody Mary reveals herself to the summoner, appearing like a haggard version of him or her, and states that people around the summoner will continue to die until he or she kills him-or herself. The only other option is to catch Bloody Mary between two mirrors and causing her reflections to implode.


--
For a great bit of Bloody Mary inspiration, click here to check out the short film starring Katy Ford (seen in the image at the top of this post) over at Terror Titans.

Friday, September 24, 2021

RPG Campaign Scenario Idea: To Where the Sun Rests

The other day, I remembered the Scottish band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, a group that should have been much, MUCH bigger than they were (but I digress)... and when listening to the song that bears their name, an idea for a fantasy adventure scenario came to mind. (The main requirements for making it work is that the game world must have actual gods and other supernatural beings, and it must not be govern by real-world physics and such.


This material is far broader than what's usually posted here at the blog. It is, literally, just an idea that popped into my head, but it's for an entire campaign. If just one person out sees this as a seed for something they can create, I consider it time well spent. (The idea isn't quite suitable for my current D&D campaign, but perhaps in some future one...)



TO WHERE THE SUN RESTS
An Adventure/Campaign Idea for Fantasy RPG Settings


The Beginning
The Player Characters (PCs) are traveling through a remote part of the world when they come upon a town that is completely devoid of any life. It looks like everyone packed up their belongings, loaded them onto wagons that headed in the direction of a massive mountain range that the sun descends behind to recharge every night before it flows through the underworld to rise into the sky again for its daily journey. The gods have commanded those mountains to be off-limits to mortals, and all the religions of the world hold to that commandment.
   Searching the town may allow the PCs to find a few overlooked gold pieces and other minor valuables, but everywhere they look confirms that the citizens packed up and left, seemingly voluntarily. The answer to why all citizens in unison decided to abandon a perfectly safe and sound and seemingly prosperous town seems as if it can only be learned from the people themselves.




The Middle
The PCs can easily track the townsfolk and catch up with them; they are traveling in a massive caravan, moving slowly toward the Forbidden Mountains. Men, women, children; peasants, craftsmen, nobles; all are traveling together, working together, moving their entire community across the plains to Where the Sun Rests.
   All of the town's respected leaders began having dreams and visions a year ago, the priests foremost among them. They where instructed to lead the community to the Forbidden Mountains where their grand destiny would be revealed. A few weeks later, all the citizens were having the same dreams, and so they united in a common cause, packed up all their belongings and followed what everyone agreed had to be messages from the gods.
   The PCs can choose to join the caravan--they will be asked and invited to do so because the townsfolk will welcome the added protection as they head toward the unknown. The PCs can also form advanced scouting parties and clear out threats ahead of the group of hundreds of non-combatants that need protecting.
   The journey to the Forbidden Mountains will take many months, if not years. How frequently something exciting happens along the way is up to the GM. Time can also just pass. Soon after joining the trek, however, the PCs begin to have the same dreams that are driving the NPCs--strange, hazy images of figures beckoning them and moving toward the Forbidden Mountains. Sometimes, whispering voices say that a new world and a new destiny await beyond the mountains where the sun rests. The PCs are informed that they are among the chosen few and that a great honor has been bestowed upon them.
   Any priests, clerics, or other PCs who communicate with divine beings on a regular basis get mixed messages. Some dreams and visions guide them toward the mountains, but others direct them to turn back and to attempt to encourage the townsfolk to do the same. They similarly get mixed messages if they use their "direct channel" to whatever entity they normally communicate with.




The End
The caravan reaches the Forbidden Mountains where they witness any manner of wondrous things. Things get more dangerous and fantastic as they (or maybe just a scouting party with the PCs) head up a pass. Eventually, they reach the place where the Sun Rests but any mortals who get too close are killed instantly by the heat and supernatural energies. Eventually, gods/avatars appear, alternatively urging the group to turn back or to move forward.
   Eventually, PCs and NPCs who have close relationships with divine or other supernatural entities are brought into the presence of such beings. Here, they learn that the world has a very good likelhood of being destroyed as a side effect of a massive battle that's unfolding on other planes, between gods and demons and super-powerful beings. The citizens of the town were chosen by some of the gods to be evacuated to another world so at least some of this one will live on, but other entities either want everyone to die, or want some of the mortals from this world to have a chance to defend it and possible save it.
   The PCs have one of two choices: They can either join with the townsfolk and be evacuated and, quite literally, explore new horizons; or they and a select few of the people from the town, can stay behind and try to prevent the destruction of the current world and thus possibly save billions of lives.

--
I hope you at least found the preceding interesting enough a read to not feel like you wasted your time. Maybe I'll do a follow-up post with some NUELOW Games-style random story outline generators to flesh this out. I will have to see if anyone is interested in seeing more.

Meanwhile, here's the song that inspired the above. Enjoy!

Sunday, August 1, 2021

RPG-a-Day #1: Scenario

 We're going to try to do this year's RPG-a-Day Challenge here at NUELOW Games; each day has a different theme and will get a different post. Be sure to stop by to join us in victory or defeat as the month progresses!

DAY #1: Scenario
The following is more of an outline that a full-fledged adventure scenario. We hope you'll feel inspired enough to want to flesh it out and use it. (This is also completely raw, first draft text; it is flowing from the keyboard onto the blog and then posted for the world to see. No editing or revision is taking place, so we apologize for dropped words or incomprehensible sentences.)


THE DEADLINE FROM HELL 
A modern-day horror scenario for any game system

Setting Up the Adventure
A party member gets a frantic phone call from a journalist friend. He says that his current story has put him on the trail of a Satanic cult and that they discovered him snooping around their secret lair. He knows they are hunting for him, and he begs the character to come to his home to before they get there, so they can help protect him and get him to safety.

Options
The following situations occur depending on what the character does.
   If the character notifies other party members, asks them to meet him somewhere and then heads to the journalists home: Go to The Chase below.
  If the character notifies other party members as asks him to meet at the journalists home: Go to Converging, below.
   If the character rushes over there without notifying others: Go to The Trap below.
   If the character ignores the plea, he hears that his friend's dead body was found on an isolated stretch of road, burned to the point where only dental records were useful in identifying him. Whoops.

The Chase
As the characters arrive at the journalist's home, they see him being hustled into a cargo van by three burly men. 
   If the party tries to fight them: One cultist per party member that leaps from behind bushes or other cover to stop them. They fight the party to subdue rather than kill them.
   An extra cultist--a particularly large man in a hoodie--stands back and watches. As the party fights, the van takes off. Once all the cultists have been defeated, the man in the hoodie faces the party... and his hood falls back to reveal that he has devil horns. He is quite a challenge for the heroes. As they defeat him, he burns into flame and ash. As they finish the fight, the van leaves, but they can see what direction its heading in, and with some skillful (and fast) driving, they can catch up with it. During their pursuit, the following complications occur:
   --Nuns and orphans in a crosswalk. Driving check to not run them them down.
  --A police car gives chase, only to crash.
  --The van seems to get away, but a party member catches sight of it just as it's almost too late (with an appropriate attribute or skill check), and then a Driving check lets the pursuit continue.
   The van eventually goes to an isolated clearing in the woods, near a burned out cabin. See "The Climax: Defeat in Victory?" below.
   If the party is defeated, go the The Trap below.

Converging
If the characters are arriving separately at the journalist's home, roll 1d4 once on the table below to see what encounters they have en-route. 
   1. No Complications.
   2. A policeman stops the character near the journalist's home. The policeman is a cultist. He ambushes the character and attempts to render him or her unconscious. If the character is defeated, he is found by other characters in the panel van mentioned in "The Chase".
   3. A group of nuns and orphans flag the character down. Their bus has broken down, the head nun's cellphone is dead, and they need help calling the rectory or a tow truck.
   4. A traffic accident happens right in front of the character. Unless he or she makes a fancy Driving check, the character ends up becoming part of the accident, too, when it becomes a pile-up. The character is rendered unconscious in the crash, and he or she is found by the other characters in the panel van mentioned in "The Chase".
   Characters who have "No Complications" arrive at the home to find everything appearing fine. If they wait for other player characters to arrive, they will see the panel van described in "The Chase" pull up. Other characters (if not in the van) arrive in an order determined randomly (roll 1d4). Each time another character arrives, the GM should roll 1d4. On a result of 4, three men get out of the van and head into the journalist's home. The events of "The Chase" unfold. If any character approaches the van, the attack described under The Chase takes place.
  If characters with "No Complication" don't wait for others to arrive, or doesn't wait for anyone to leave the van but heads into the journalist's home, the events of "The Trap" take place.



The Trap
If the characters burst into the journalist's home, they find him kneeling at the center of a pentagram, surrounded by robed cultists. There is one cultist per player character. The journalist remains in the pentagram, watching the fight with an increasingly insanely gleeful look on his face.
   The cultists fight to subdue the player characters. If it looks like the cultists are going to lose, three more join in (having emerged from the van). They continue their attempt to subdue the characters. 
   If the player characters lose the battle, go to "The Climax: Victory in Defeat?".
   If the player characters look like they're going to win, the events of "The Climax: Victory in Defeat?" unfold in the house instead of at the remote ritual site. See "The Climax: Victory in Defeat?", below.

The Climax: Defeat in Victory?
If the characters chased the panel van, their pursuit ends in an isolated woodland clearing, near a burned-out building. They are confronted by cultists (one for each character) who fight them to the death while the journalist heads with three individuals from the van to a ritual site nearby that is by a burned out building. Here, there is a Satanic ritual site with a large pentagram on the ground. Once the journalist and others have reached the ritual site, the cultists battling the player characters will try to move the fight toward the pentagram. As the characters are led toward the pentagram, the journalist speaks, with a mad gleam in his eye: "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be--you will die and your "righteousness" will be consumed by Satan and your life energy will become mine! I promised him your lives, he promised me immortality! Surrender--don't let your last few moments on Earth be filled with pain!"
   The battle lasts for six rounds, or until it seems clear the characters are going to win. Then the journa list chants and a burly man with devil horns appears and joins the fight. The battle continues for three more rounds, or until it appears certain the player characters are going to win.
   Then, the pentagram flares with magical energy and smokey figure rises from it, "My charity extends only so far," a voice boomed. "You were given a deadline and you failed to meet it."
   "No! There is still time!" the journalist screams. He rushes to attack the player character who is the most injured. If the player character survives 2 rounds of combat against the journalist, he and all the cultists burst into flame and die screaming as they disintegrate into fine ash.

The Climax: Victory in Defeat?
If the characters were defeated by cultists previously, they wake up in the pentagram at a Satanic ritual site. The journalist is there with three cultists, plus one addition per player character. He speaks to them, with a mad gleam in his eye: "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be--you will die and your "righteousness" will be consumed by Satan and your life energy will become mine! I promised him your lives, he promised me immortality! Surrender--don't let your last few moments on Earth be filled with pain!"
   The battle lasts for six rounds, or until it seems clear the characters are going to win. Then the journa list chants and a burly man with devil horns appears and joins the fight. The battle continues for three more rounds, or until it appears certain the player characters are going to win.
   Then, the pentagram flares with magical energy and smokey figure rises from it, "My charity extends only so far," a voice boomed. "You were given a deadline and you failed to meet it."
   "No! There is still time!" the journalist screams. He rushes to attack the player character who is the most injured. If the player character survives 2 rounds of combat against the journalist, he and all the cultists burst into flame and die screaming as they disintegrate into fine ash.

The Wrap-Up
Further investigation will reveal to the player characters that the journalist joint the cult while investigating it.
  
--
If you liked this post, please encourage us to make more by getting some of our actual products. They are available here.

#RPGaDay2021

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Meet Myron the Living Voodoo Doll

In issues of the anthology title "Dork" and elsewhere, writer and artist, Evan Dorkin brought us tales of Myron the Living Voodoo Doll. Here's an example of one.

Myron the Living Voodoo Doll by Evan Dorkin

Each strip saw Myron have a mishap and that mishap was passed onto some unfortunate victim elsewhere in the world. For reasons that are probably too disturbing to dwell on, NUELOW Games's head honcho finds Myron hilarious. He also thinks he would be an interesting addition to your games.



Myron the Living Voodoo Doll by Evan Dorkin
AN RPG SUPPLEMENT

Design: Steve Miller * Eye Rolls: L.L. Hundal
Based on "Myron the Living Voodoo Doll" by Evan Dorkin
(Myron the Living Voodoo Doll is used without permission... 
and in the hopes that Mr. Dorkin doesn't sic lawyers or Myron on us.)


INTRODUCING MYRON
Myron is the most unusual of voodoo dolls. He is alive, and he wanders about of his own volition. He does not initially seem different from other voodoo doll, but he has the following unique traits:
   * Myron is self-aware and he can speak. If a person thinks to talk to him, he will respond. He will explain his unique nature, but only if asked. (Myron is too busy contemplating the meaningless nature of existence to volunteer information to those he encounters.)
   * Myron can't help but become bonded either to the last person who handles him, or a person that individual chooses to place a curse upon. Whatever harm (or other extreme physical situation, such as being flung across a room) that subsequently befalls Myron also happens to the person who is subject to his inherent voodoo magic. Once bonded to Myron through his voodoo enchantment, (Myron doesn't necessarily want bad things to happen to people, but he is a voodoo doll so he can't help it.)
   * Myron is a tireless wanderer who is forever seeking new horizons. He never remains in one place for more than a few days. He is also one of the greatest escape artists to ever exist. Once he decides it's time for him to move on, there is nothing that prevent him from doing so. (Myron is completely immune to magic that tries to bind him or keep him trapped. Any such attempts cause him to teleport to a random location far, far away... while the person who attempted to magically trap him is subjected to Myron's inherent voodoo curse.)
   * If Myron is destroyed, he reforms 1d6 days later at a random location (see "Where in the World is Myron?, below). If someone had intentionally tried to destroy him that person is now subject to Myron's inherent voodoo curse--until it is shifted onto someone else. (Myron cannot be destroyed by any conventional--or even unconventional--means. The only ways to put an end to his existence and the inherent voodoo curse he carries is to either convince him that he doesn't exist via philosophical debate, or to bring him into the presence of God [the Clockmaker, the Creator, the Big Guy Himself], which will make Myron realize that existence is not meaningless.)

HOW DO THE HEROES ENCOUNTER MYRON? (Roll 1d6)
This table is used to both determine how the party first meets Myron, as well as how they might randomly encounter him again later. 

1-2. They find him among the property of a foe they've just defeated.
3. One of them receives a package from an unknown sender. Myron is inside.
4. His is found laying outside one of their homes.
5. A friend (or even an enemy) contacts them and begs them to track Myron, because he or she has fallen victim to Myron's curse and is suffering from random injuries and other mishaps.
6. He drops into one of their laps. Literally.

The GM should roll 1d20 once per game month after the party's first experience with Myron is resolved. On a roll of 1, they cross paths with him again.



WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MYRON (Roll 2d20)
This table is used to determine where Myron can be found.

2. On a city street
3. In a daycare center
4. In a prison
5. In a city dump
6. At a train station
7. At a bus depot
8. By the sea shore
9. Along a busy highway
10. Along a country road
11. In the highlands
12. In a swamp
13. In a forest
14. In a jungle
15. In a desert
16. On a golf course
17. In a school
18. At a construction site
19. In the mountains
20. In a coal mine
21. In a cemetery
22. In a war zone
23. In a crack house
24. In a teenaged girl's bedroom
25. In a teenaged boy's bedroom
26. In a church
27. In a mosque
28. In a synagogue
29. In a serial killer's lair
30. In a politician's office
31. Floating on a lake
32. On a weather balloon
33. Floating on a river
34. In a high-rise office building
35. In a top secret government lab
36. On Paradise Island
37. On Gilligan's Island
38. At John Wick's house
39. At the home of a player character's loved ones
40. At a NASA or other space-exploration launch site.


HOW LONG DOES MYRON STAY? (Roll 1d6)
Myron stays in any given area for a limited amount of time, even if the party arranges for him to be trapped (as indicated in "Introducing Myron"). This table determines how long he can be found in the area determined by rolling on "Where in the World is Myron?"

1. 24 hours
2. 48 hours
3. 72 hours
4. 1d6 days
5. 1d6 weeks
6. 1d20+10 hours
   After the indicated period of time has passed, the GM rolls on on "Where in the World is Myron?" to determine where he can next be found.

DAMAGE SUFFERED FROM VOODOO CURSE (Roll 1d12)
Each day, it's relevant to determine if a character is injured due to being subject to Myron's inherent  voodoo curse, the GM must roll 1d12. On a "12" he or she rolls on the table below to determine what harm comes to the sufferer. If 1-2 hit points are taken, the character suffers minor discomfort or a sudden appearance of bruises or mild burns. Anything beyond that is painful and possibly lethal. Charactes may roll appropriate saving throws and benefit from any resistances to types of damage they may possess.
   Myron is destroyed if he takes more than 30 hit points of damage. He reappears at a random location 1d6 days later. While Myron is out of commission, there is no need to see if a cursed character suffers an injury.

Types and Amount of Damage
1. Cold Damage: 2d10
2. Crushing Damage: 2d10
3. Drowning Damage: 2d10
4. Electrical/Energy Damage: 2d10
5. Falling Damage:  2d10
6. Fire Damage: 2d10
7. Cold Damage: 4d10
8. Crushing Damage: 4d10
9. Drowning Damage: 4d10
10. Electrical/Energy Damage: 4d10
11. Falling Damage:  4d10
12. Fire Damage: 4d10

'Myron the Living Voodoo Doll' by Evan Dorkin




Tuesday, March 23, 2021

The Valley of the Immortals


Legends tell of a valley where people are forever young. This post provides tables to randomly generate an adventure outline for characters who set out to find the fabled location.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED? (Roll 1d6)
1. In the Austrian alps, near the border with Italy.
2. A mountainous island in the Atlantic ocean.
3. A mountainous island in the Pacific ocean.
4. In the northern Andes mountains
5. In the Ethiopian Highlands.
6. In the hills above Loch Nevis, Scotland.

HOW IS IT HIDDEN? (Roll 1d6)
1. Surrounded by steep hills/cliffs. (Mountaineering skills, knowledge of secret underground tunnel system, or flight needed to access.)
2. Thick forests/rugged terrain, no easy road access.
3. Only reachable by boat, but surrounded by navigation hazards.
4. Magical misdirection. (Requires a special compass to find, or counter-magic.)
5. A thick fog and cloud-cover surrounds the outer edges, causing those who enter to lose their way and bypass the valley, unless they are members of the community or aware of the one walkable path in and out.
6. Roll two more times on the table, rerolling any additional results of 6. The valley is hidden by a combination of both described methods.

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE IMMORTALITY? (Roll 1d6)
1. A magic fountain at the center of the valley. All who drink from it become immortal.
2. A strange property in the soil causes those who live here and eat food grown here to become immortal.
3. A shape-shifted dragon lives among the immortals. It has placed an enchantment on all who live in this valley, because it wants company.
4. An ancient artifact is buried deep in the ground, and its radiation makes humans and humanoids who dwell in the valley immortal.
5. The church, the school, and pub all conceal gateways to the realms of the gods; the magical energy seeping through gives all sentient beings in the valley eternal life.
6. No one in the valley is immortal. A strange energy field causes time to pass differently in the valley, with each hour spent within equal to a year beyond. (Skip "How Long Must a Person Be in the Valley to Become Immortal" if this result is rolled).

HOW LONG MUST A PERSON BE IN THE VALLEY TO BECOME IMMORTAL? (Roll 1d6)
1. 24 hours..
2. One week.
3. One month.
4. Through All-Hallows Eve.
5. During the Winter Solstice.
6. As soon as the person enters the valley.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO LEAVE THE VALLEY? (Roll 1d6)
1. Nothing. The immortality will stay with them until they die through violence or starvation.
2. Nothing, but the aging process resumes the aging normally.
3. They begin to feel achy and sick. It goes so bad within two days that they must stay in bed for 1d6+6 days. After that, the age normally. If they return to the valley before the sickness passes, they immediately feel better.
4. Nothing they eat or drink provides nourishment. They will die of starvation if they do not return to the valley.
5. They become insubstantial but glow faintly. If they don't return within 24 hours, they disperse like glitter on the wind.
6. The time they spent in the valley catches up with them, and they age one year for each minute spent outside the valley, possibly dying of old age and crumbling to dust.

HOW DO THE IMMORTALS KEEP THE VALLEY SECRET? (Roll 1d6)
1-2. They don't. They like visitors, as it helps them keep up on the outside world, and rely on the discretion of the outsiders, or the general populations unwillingness to believe that a valley of immortals could even exist.
3. They imprison and eventually execute those who do not want to stay in the valley willingly.
4. They tell those who want to go that they will suffer a painful death upon leaving the valley's life-extending zone. (This may or may not be true.)
5-6. They do nothing to stop them, but they contact a cult of assassins devoted to keep the valley's secret and these assassins then hunt those who have left.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Valentine's Day Adventure Seeds


Why did the PC's sweetheart miss the romantic dinner? (Roll 1d12)
   1. Abducted by aliens.
   2. Abucted by enemies of the player characters.
   3. Abducted by an insane ex lover
   4. Caught up in a hostage standoff at a Starbucks
   5. Deep cover agent status reactivated, now on a mission
   6. Fell through a dimensional portal that opened in the living room
   7. Was in an accident, now has amnesia
   8. Is possessed by an ancient spirit on a quest for revenge
   9. Taken hostage by terrorists at Nakatomi Plaza
  10. Still sleeping off last night's bender
  11. Got lost along the way, stumbled into a meeting between rival gangs
  12. Abducted by a mummy who thinks he or she is its long lost love, reincarnated

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Who Killed the Family?

Theo Botty, his wife Karen, and their beautiful little girl Siri, have been found brutally slain. It's up to the player characters to figure out who committed these heinous murders and bring them to justice. And it's up the GM to lay out the "Mystery of Who Killed the Family" by using random tables as a starting point.

Art by Frank Godwin

"Who Killed the Family?" is the latest in our Random Murder Mystery post series. Roll 1d8 against the tables below to generate an outline of a mystery adventure. (If you think results are contradictory, you can either re-roll or use the apparent contradiction as a way to deepen the mystery--or perhaps even both. For example, if the family was drowned but found in the backyard, they must either have been killed elsewhere and brought back home, or there is an even greater mystery in the method of their killing to be explored and revealed.)


WHO KILLED THE FAMILY?
Roll 1d8 on each of the following tables.

WHERE WERE THEY FOUND?
1. The Family Room
2. The Kitchen
3. The Backyard
4. The Garden Shed
5. The Campsite
6. The Park
7. The Beach
8. Roll twice on the table, rerolling additional results of 8. 
    The first result is where the bodies were found. The second 
     result is where they were actually killed.


HOW WERE THEY KILLED?
1. Poisoned
2. Shot (roll 1d6 for each family member to see how many times)
3. Throats Slit
4. Garroted
5. Bludgeoned
6. Stabbed (roll 1d6 for each family member to see how many times)
7. Roll three more times on the table, ignoring and re-rolling results of 7. 
    Each member of the family was killed in the way indicated.
8. Roll three more times. For each additional 8 that is rolled, the victim 
     was found barely alive and saved. Re-roll to determine how the victim
     was attacked. The killer will make another attempt at killing the survivor.


WHO KILLED THEM?
1. The Priest
2. The Schoolteacher
3. The Brother-in-Law
4. The Husband's Lover
5. The Wife's Lover
6. The Co-Worker
7. The Neighbor
8. Roll two more times, ignoring and re-rolling additional results of 8. 
    The first roll is the killer while the second roll is an innocent person that 
    he or she has framed for the murders. If the same killer is rolled twice, 
    he or she is a serial killer. An additional family will die every three nights 
    until the player characters put a stop to the carnage.


WHY WERE THEY KILLED?
1-2. Hatred
3. Revenge
4. As a sacrifice to an evil god. (1-4. The god is real. 5-8. The god exists 
    only in the diseased mind of the killer.)
5. As a demonstration to show others to not 1-2. leave the Cult of the Dark 
    One; 3-4. steal from the Melendez Cartel; 5-6. threaten to expose the 
    secret cabal of evil Immortals that are the true power; 7-8. try to expose 
    a ring of pedophiles that consist of very powerful and rich people.
6. To stop the parents from revealing the existence of the Alien Overlords 
     (which 1-4 are real, 5-8 exist only on the murderer's sick mind).
7-8. To end the blackmail the parents were engaging in.


--
If you liked this post, you'll love Murder Most Random, a collection of 12 different random murder mystery generators. Click here to get a copy. The more we sell, the more we're encouraged to make more!

Monday, June 29, 2020

Things Found in Walls

Whether intentionally or on purpose, part of a wall in the old house has been demolished, revealing a hidden space... and the secrets it contains. What are those secrets? Well, the following random tables can help GMs determine that, quickly providing ideas for what has been found and what adventure seeds may be planted with it.

Roll 2d6 and find the result on the table below, then roll 1d6 against the sub-table or sub-tables. (Of course, these tables can be used to determine items found anywhere.)


2d6       Things Found in Walls
2           A pair of black-lacquered chopsticks with silver inlay patterns on the
             handles that 1-2. when crossed on an empty plate, cause a tasty and
             filling meal to appear; 3-4. when put on a plate with food, causes the
             meal to become poisonous and cause those who consume it to die in
             severe agony within 1d3+1 hours; 5-6. open a puzzle box when one
             is inserted into its lid, and the other into its left side.

3          A hunting knife, wrapped in cheesecloth. It is 1-2. the key to solving a
            decades-old murder mystery; 3. haunted by the restless spirit of a
            woman murdered with it who wants to be avenged; 4. haunted by the
            spirit of a serial killer who will try to possess the person who retrieves
            the knife from its hiding place; 5-6. an enchanted weapon that does
            double damage against spellcasters and lycanthropes.

4          A battered high school geography book from the 1950s. When read 
            1. nothing happens; it's just an old book; 2-3. a hand-drawn map falls 
            out. A legend reads "The evidence of my sins is under Lincoln High"; 
            4-5. a map of Africa has been adjusted with handwritten notes, and 
            an additional hand-drawn detailed region is folded up within the 
            book, with a legend that reads "Amazons? Atlanteans?"; 6. the book 
            automatically flips to a map of  Argentina, and the reader and 
            everyone within a 30-foot radius in transported to a secret Nazi 
            hideaway there.

5          The skull of 1-2. a monkey, covered in occult symbols, engraved in 
            gold.; 3-4. a horned humanoid, engraved with the symbol of an Elder 
            God.; 5. a human baby, partially crushed.; 6. a human adult, partially 
            crushed.
               Additionally, the skull 1-2. is haunted by a vengeful spirit; 3-4. is a 
            key part of a ritual to commune with an Elder God; 5-6. is a key clue 
            in a series of cult-related murders.    
     
6          A leather suitcase with 1. $10,000 in currency; 2. $10,000 in currency,
            $100,000 in fake currency; 3. $15,000 in uncut diamonds, along with
            three phone numbers written on the back of a Denny's napkin; 
            4. A black ceramic sculpture of falcon, containing $10,000 in rubies 
            that are wrapped in red silk; 5. 13 15th century Spanish gold 
            doubloons that are cursed and give whoever claims them a streak of 
            catastrophic luck until he or she dies or has the curse lifted; 
            6. a famous painting by a Dutch Master that was stolen by Nazis
            and presumed destroyed during WW2.


7          A cache of documents that 1-2. reveals the existence of Immortals 
            and a secret war to control the fate of the universe; 3-4 describes 
            a world-wide demonic conspiracy; 5-6. provides solid evidence 
            that a now-powerful politician brutally murdered an entire family 
            when a young man. 
                The information in the documents is 1-3. true; 5-6. false.

8          A 19th century Ouija board and bejeweled planchette that 1-3 is 
            worth at least $2,400 to the right collector; 4-5. can unerringly 
            answer 1d6 "yes" and "no" questions up to three times per day, 
            which a written note on the back explains; 6. predicts that users will 
            die, and then subjects them to a deadly curse.

9          A mummified 1. human infant; 2. headless body of an adult male; 
            3. tangle of rats, their tales knotted together; 4. slender human 
            female with horns on her forehead and clawed hands; 5. pair of 
            adults--one male, one female--that were strangled with silk cords 
            that are still around their necks; 6. humanoid cat creature, wearing 
            bejeweled golden bracelets.

10        A small leather bag with 1. antique buttons, with $100 to the right 
            collector; 2. cut diamonds worth $5,000; 3. three modern house 
            keys; 4. three antique skeleton keys of different sizes; 5. A 
            mummified woman's hand, mounted on a stand with wicks 
            inserted into the fingers; 6. a round obsidian disk with razor-sharp 
            edges and the symbol of two different Elder Gods carved on it, a 
            different one on each side.

11        A hatchet that 1. has four symbols of the Elder Gods engraved on 
            its blade; 2. never misses demons when thrown at them; 3. does
            triple damage against the undead; 4. doubles the Strength bonus 
            of the person wielding or carrying it Strength bonus; 5. does double 
            damage against lycanthropes; 6. the wielder suffers the same
            damage that is inflicted on the target.
   
12        Roll two more times on the table. Both indicated results are found. 
            If 12 is rolled again, do not re-roll but treat as "no result." If 12 is
            rolled three times in a row, nothing is found in the wall but dusty
            cobwebs and rodent droppings..

Friday, June 19, 2020

The World of Starvania, Part One

Welcome to a new post series/project. How long it will be, or if it will ever be completed is anyone's guest. No one can be sure how often posts will show up, either. It's being started on the spur of the moment, and despite the fact that time could be spent on more serious projects.

This first post is just going to be a little background on the setting. The second post will be some player character generation rules with additional setting information. The third post will be more character generation rules, with more setting information. (If this gets that far...)

And now... we bring you The World of Starvania!





THE WORLD OF STARVANIA: A CAMPAIGN SETTING
Design and Editing: Steve Miller
Based on "Starvania" by Felix Adler & Clyde Bruckman



A BRIEF HISTORY OF STARVANIA
In the beginning, the land of Starvania was ruled by cruel, alien gods from the Stars, foremost among them being Yog-Sogoth. Then a band of heroes banished those dark entities and the Age of Man dawned.
   For countless millennia, the peoples of Starvania warred against each other, building up and tearing down civilizations and generally rampaging back and forth across the landscape to prove who was superior and who deserved to rule others. The wars were on racial, ethnic, or national lines--and often a mixture or all three at the same time. The biggest animosity existed between the Salvians and the Moronicans, the two most populous races in Starvania. The less numerous Woovians and Skets could try to keep their heads down, or join with one side or the other... whatever they needed to do to keep what little life and liberty they could hang onto.
   Then, 654 years ago, the mighty bard-king Froot deLoom of Moronica succeeded in his life-long quest to unite all the peoples of Starvania in a shared love of beer-battered fish-sticks and accordion music. By the time King Froot passed the reins of power onto his eldest daughter, Loup, these cultural touchstones had become the foundation of a golden age of peace and prosperity.  
   This union of once-warring nations eventually came to be loosely governed by an elected parliament led a mostly ceremonial prime minister who, by law and tradition, had to be the current reigning monarch of  Moronica. Under the banner of Starvania, the people lived and worshiped and worked and played, in peace and equality, side by side. Nonetheless, discontent bubbled below the surface in some parts of the union. 
   For centuries, the citizens of the Isle of Cork and Great Mittens had resented Moronicans in general, but specifically those from the states of Moronica and Cast Toria. The islands had been settled by Salvians fleeing Moronican oppression two thousand years ago, but the waters around them had always been controlled by the Moronicans; the islanders have, ironically, never been great ship-builders but they have always excelled at sinking them. 
   Mainland Salvians felt great solidarity with their island-dwelling cousins. They had long insisted that control of the Corkscrew Straights and the Hot Sea, as well as all ports and harbors on the coasts, be surrendered to their exclusive controls. With the exception of some merchants and industrialists, and a minority of islanders who felt Salvians were superior in all ways to other Starvanians, the islanders in general didn't care terribly that the ports were controlled by Moronicans. But, this majority usually just let the radicals rant and rave, because nothing would come of their antics because no sensible person would listen to them. 
But five years ago, the Salvian Unity Party weaponized the simmering resentment in the loud minority and their allies elsewhere in Starvania. Using the rationale that the Moronicans had for too long denied the Salvians their birthrights of controlling Starvanian seas and harbors, they orchestrated a coup and overthrew King Herman of Moronica. A charismatic, but dimwitted, army corporal-turned-interior decorator named Moe Heilstone was named Grand Leader of Starvania, and any members of parliament and local governments that didn't swear allegiance to him specifically were at best hounded from office but more often than not imprisoned.
   Unsurprisingly, the people of Starvania tried to fight back against the overthrow of their government and the 600-year peace came to an end; even the Salvian-majority state of Bulge-Area . Also unsurprisingly, since the Salvians, both islanders and mainlanders, have long made up the majority of Starvanian armed forces, the rebellious states were swiftly subdued (but often with a great cost of life and property). Surprisingly, especially to Heilstone and his loyal supporters, the citizens of Great Mittens and the Isle of Cork did not accept him as their Grand Leader, but instead sent a steady stream of insults his way, declared themselves the home of the true Starvania and set up a Parliament-in-Exile with King Herman's youngest daughter, Princess Maddie as its ceremonial prime minister. 

By Jamie Patterson

CURRENT DAY STARVANIA
Grand Leader Heilstone rules mainland Starvania with an iron fist, ensconced in his palace where the states of Moronica, Jug o' Salvia, and Staywayoff share borders. His troops and paramilitary forces are everywhere, and his secret police and informants lurk among the population, looking for anyone who might express even the slightest negative views of him and his government; when found, such people are swiftly arrested and anyone who failed to report their treasonous thoughts risks the same fate. King Herman and his family (aside from Princess Maddie) remain under house arrest in their ancenstral castle, high on the cliffs above the Lake of Loons in Moronica.
   All across Starvania, groups of rebels fight either against Heilstone's secret police, his army, or foreign troops who have been sent to the region from distant lands with whom the dictator has made alliances. Some even find themselves fighting threats from other worlds, because mystics and cultists on both sides of the the battle for Starvania's future have been setting about harnessing the power of the ancient gods that once held sway over the lands, hoping to use it to destroy their foes. So far, all anyone has managed to do is unleash demons upon the land, turn the population of villagers into zombies, and attract the attention of outside threats that hadn't been present in Starvania for 1,000 years. 
   Great Mittens and the Isle of Cork has so far been able to repel all attempts to force them to join Heilstone's Starvania. Although they have been joined in their by powerful allies--including a rumored ancient dragon--it is unclear how long they will be able to hold out. So far, they have resisted the temptation to seek power from the Elder Gods, but the calls to do so are getting louder...
   Things are growing evermore bleak in Starvania. The people's suffering grows greater with each passing day. Now is the time for heroes....

Next Up: Some Rules for Creating Starvanian Player Characters!
(Coming Soon)