RPG-a-Day #28: Devotion

  

1d20 Divine Rewards 

for Devoted Worshippers

Clerics in D&D get rewarded every day for their devotion to the god they worship and serve. But about rank-and-file worshippers who perform extra-ordinary and direct service to the god and its agenda? They might get an "great job, chum" from a priest... or, if the deity is particularly grateful, the reward might be something more direct and personal.

This article provides 20 random rewards that a deity might bestow upon particularly worthy non-cleric worshippers. Each reward is mechanically balanced for 3.5e, includes scaling benefits, and works for any class. They range from subtle boons to dramatic divine interventions—perfect for rewarding long-term devotion or critical moments of faith.

Combat Enhancement Rewards (1-5)

1 | Blessed Weapon | One weapon you own becomes permanently magical (+1 enhancement bonus). Once per day, you may invoke your deity's name as a swift action to grant it an additional +1 sacred/profane bonus to attack and damage for 1 minute. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 character levels you possess.

2 | Divine Aegis | You gain a +2 sacred/profane bonus to AC. Once per day when you would be struck by a critical hit, you may call upon your deity as an immediate action to negate the critical hit (making it a normal hit instead). This ability recharges at dawn.

3 | Smiting Fervor | Three times per day as a swift action, you may channel divine wrath into your next attack. If it hits, you deal an extra 2d6 points of damage (sacred or profane, matching your deity's alignment). Against creatures of opposed alignment to your deity, this increases to 3d6.

4 | Battle Blessing | You gain proficiency with your deity's favored weapon. Additionally, once per day you may enter a state of divine focus as a free action, gaining a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls and saving throws for 1 minute. You may end this early to reroll any single failed saving throw.

5 | Warding Prayer | You gain damage reduction 5/magic. This DR improves to 5/— against attacks from creatures whose alignment is directly opposed to your deity's. Once per day, you may invoke a protective prayer as an immediate action to gain DR 10/— against a single attack.

Utility & Survival Rewards (6-10)

6 | Divine Sustenance | You no longer need to eat or drink, sustained by your deity's power. You still require sleep. Additionally, once per week you may create a heroes' feast effect (as the spell, caster level equals your character level) by spending 1 hour in prayer and meditation.

7 | Pilgrim's Endurance | You gain a +4 sacred/profane bonus to Constitution for purposes of forced marches, resisting environmental effects, and holding your breath. You can survive comfortably in environments matching your deity's domain (fire gods grant heat resistance, sea gods grant water breathing for 1 hour/day, etc.).

8 | Divine Insight | Once per day, you may meditate for 10 minutes and ask your deity a single question, receiving information as per the augury spell. Additionally, you gain a permanent +2 sacred/profane bonus to one Knowledge skill associated with your deity's portfolio.

9 | Blessed Healing | You gain fast healing 1 for 1 minute once per day, activated as a swift action. Alternatively, you may touch a willing creature and transfer this blessing to them instead. If you worship a deity of healing or life, you may use this ability twice per day.

10 | Traveler's Grace | Your base land speed increases by 10 feet. You ignore difficult terrain in environments sacred to your deity (forests for nature gods, deserts for sun gods, etc.). Once per day, you may cast dimension door as a spell-like ability (caster level equals your character level), but only to reach a temple or shrine of your deity.

Social & Roleplay Rewards (11-15)

11 | Divine Presence | You gain a +4 sacred/profane bonus to Diplomacy checks with worshippers of your deity and a +2 bonus with those of similar alignment. Once per day, you may speak with divine authority, forcing listeners to make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier) or be affected as per command (caster level equals your character level).

12 | Tongue of the Faithful | You can speak, read, and write Celestial, Infernal, or Abyssal (depending on your deity's alignment). Once per day, you may cast tongues as a spell-like ability lasting 10 minutes per character level. Worshippers of your deity instinctively recognize you as a fellow faithful.

13 | Aura of Conviction | You project an aura of divine favor in a 10-foot radius. Allies within this aura gain a +1 morale bonus to saving throws against fear and mind-affecting effects. You gain a +4 sacred/profane bonus to Intimidate checks. Once per day, you may expand this aura to 30 feet for 1 minute.

14 | Prophet's Voice | You gain a +2 sacred/profane bonus to Perform (oratory) and Sense Motive checks. Once per day, you may deliver a sermon or speech that functions as prayer (caster level equals your character level), affecting all who listen for at least 1 minute. This takes 10 minutes to perform.

15 | Mark of the Chosen | A subtle divine mark appears on your body (glowing symbol, unusual eye color, etc.). You gain a +2 sacred/profane bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with worshippers of your deity. Three times per day, you may invoke your deity's name to cast sanctuary on yourself (caster level equals your character level, DC 11 + your Charisma modifier).

Special & Exotic Rewards (16-20)

16 | Divine Companion | Your deity sends you a loyal companion: a celestial/fiendish animal (matching your deity's alignment) with HD equal to 1/2 your character level (minimum 2 HD). It has the celestial or fiendish template and serves you faithfully. If slain, it returns to your deity's realm and can be called back after 1 week of atonement.

17 | Miracle Token | You receive a holy symbol blessed with a single-use miracle effect. You may activate it as a standard action to duplicate any spell of 8th level or lower, or request a specific effect from your deity (subject to DM approval). Once used, the symbol becomes a normal holy symbol worth 100 gp. Your deity may grant another token after you complete a significant quest in their name.

18 | Deathward Blessing | You gain immunity to death effects and negative energy effects. If you would be killed, once per week you are instead restored to 1 hit point and stabilized, as your deity refuses to let you die. You awaken 1d4 hours later. This does not protect against massive damage, disintegration, or similar effects that destroy the body.

19 | Domain Power | You gain access to one 1st-level domain spell from one of your deity's domains, usable once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equals your character level). Additionally, you gain the granted power of that domain as if you were a cleric of your character level. If the power scales with cleric level, use your character level instead.

20 | Avatar's Touch | Once per month during a moment of great need, you may call upon your deity directly. For 1 round per character level, you gain the following benefits: +4 sacred/profane bonus to all ability scores, DR 10/magic, resistance 10 to all energy types, and a fly speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). While in this state, your eyes glow with divine power and you speak with your deity's voice. After this effect ends, you are exhausted for 24 hours.

RGP-a-Day #27: Hunger

One woman's hunger for power leads to opportunities for enterprising player characters...

The Opportunity
Lady Cassandra Veyren waits in the shadowed alcove of the Gilded Swan tavern, her fine silks at odds with the establishment's rough clientele. She speaks plainly: her father's assassination has left the succession to rulership in chaos, and three cousins stand between her and the throne she believes is rightfully hers... despite her birth out of wedlock. She offers the party 500 gold per rival "removed from consideration"—whether through scandal, exile, or more permanent means is left to their discretion. Her desire burns cold and calculated; she's already hired informants, bribed servants, and planted evidence. She needs capable hands to execute the final moves.

The Complications
Each rival presents a different moral challenge. Cousin Dmitri is a gambling addict whose debts could easily be weaponized, but he genuinely cares for the common people and has proposed tax reforms. Cousin Elara is having an affair that could destroy her reputation, yet she's the only candidate who opposes the kingdom's expansionist war. Cousin Theron is corrupt and cruel, an easy target—but he's also Cassandra's only real competition, and removing him might reveal that Cassandra's methods are even darker than his. As the party investigates, they discover Cassandra has already poisoned one rival who "died of natural causes" and plans to frame another for treason. The party must choose: complete the contract and install a ruthless but effective ruler, sabotage Cassandra and support a flawed but perhaps more moral candidate, or expose the entire conspiracy and let the succession fall to chaos. Each choice reshapes the kingdom's future, and Cassandra is not someone who forgives betrayal.

RPG-a-Day #26: Regret (A Ghost of Hong Kong story)

Today's post is a bit of cheat. The idea came to me a couple weeks ago when I was considering various options for the keywords of the monthly challenge; this basic story idea worked for Familiarity and Regret both. The problem is that it's a story and not at all gameable. Does this mean I've failed this year's challenge? Even if I have, I lasted longer than I have in previous years AND fans of the Ghost of Hong Kong have another story to read! So -- no regrets!

THE ONE NAME

The Tokaido Shinkansen cut through the Japanese countryside at three hundred kilometers per hour, its sleek white body barely whispering against the rails. Inside the business-class carriage, the woman sat with her hands folded in her lap, watching the landscape blur past the window. She wore a charcoal Armani suit tailored to conceal the lean muscle beneath, her dark hair pulled back in a simple chignon. To the other passengers, she appeared to be just another corporate executive traveling between Tokyo and Osaka—unremarkable, forgettable, exactly as she intended.

 The man who sat down across from her was in his fifties, impeccably dressed in a navy suit that probably cost more than most people earned in a month. His face carried the weathered dignity of someone who had survived decades in a world that consumed the weak. He settled into his seat with the careful movements of a man whose body remembered old injuries, then looked directly at her.

"I know who you are," he said quietly in Japanese.

She didn't respond, didn't change her expression. Her eyes remained fixed on the window, though her peripheral vision now tracked every movement he made.

"You're the Ghost of Hong Kong," he continued. His voice carried neither fear nor challenge, just a weary certainty. "I hired you two years ago. The matter in Yokohama."

Now she turned to look at him fully. Recognition flickered—yes, she remembered. A mid-level yakuza lieutenant who needed a rival removed without the usual territorial complications. Clean work, professional payment, no complications.

"Kenji Tanaka," he said, as if introducing himself at a business meeting. "I know why you're here. I'm... relieved, actually."

She said nothing, waiting.

Tanaka leaned back in his seat, his hands resting on his thighs. Around them, other passengers dozed or worked on laptops, oblivious to the conversation unfolding in their midst. The train's gentle motion created an odd intimacy, a confessional booth traveling at impossible speed.

"Thirty-five years," he said. "That's how long it took me to climb from street enforcer to kumicho. Thirty-five years of doing things that..." He paused, searching for words. "Things that have made it impossible to sleep."

She remained silent, her face a mask of professional neutrality.

"The first girl was in 1989," Tanaka said, his voice dropping lower. "Fourteen years old, from a village in Tohoku. Her parents sold her to pay gambling debts—two million yen they'd lost at pachinko parlors over three years. I was twenty-three, still proving myself. My oyabun handed me the keys to a room in Kabukicho and told me to break her. Make her understand what she was now, what she would always be."

His hands tightened on his thighs, knuckles whitening.

"I told myself it was just business. That she was already sold, already lost, and if I didn't do it, someone else would. Someone crueler." He exhaled slowly. "I spent three days in that room with her. The first day she screamed and fought. The second day she only cried. By the third day, she just stared at the wall. Wouldn't eat. Wouldn't speak. Her eyes were open but empty, like someone had reached inside and turned off whatever made her human."

The woman's expression didn't change, but something shifted in the quality of her attention—a predator's focus narrowing.

"We sold her to a brothel in Kabukicho. She lasted six months before she hanged herself with a bedsheet. I found out later her name was Yuki. She'd wanted to be a teacher." Tanaka's voice remained steady, clinical, as if he were reading from a financial report. "I didn't think about her for years. Then one night I dreamed I was back in that room, and she was staring at me with those empty eyes, and I realized I couldn't remember what her face looked like before I broke her. I can only remember what I made her become."

A businessman two rows ahead laughed at something on his phone. Outside, rice paddies gave way to industrial zones, the countryside transforming as they approached Nagoya.

"That was just the beginning," Tanaka continued. "Over the years, there were dozens more. Hundreds, maybe. Girls from the Philippines, Thailand, China, Eastern Europe. We told them they'd be waitresses, factory workers, entertainers. We showed them contracts, promised them visas and good wages. Instead, we confiscated their passports the moment they arrived and put them in cages."

He paused, watching the countryside blur past the window.

"Some fought back. Those ones we made examples of. I remember one girl from Moldova—couldn't have been more than sixteen, though her documents said eighteen. She tried to escape during her second week, made it three blocks before we caught her. My oyabun wanted to send a message to the others, so I..." He swallowed hard. "I broke both her legs with a baseball bat. Made the other girls watch. Told them this is what happens when you forget what you are, when you forget who owns you."
She watched him with the detached interest of a surgeon observing symptoms.

"She screamed for hours before we finally let her pass out. We kept her working anyway—told the customers she was into rough play, that the casts were part of a fantasy. She brought in more money after that, actually. Men paid extra for the broken ones." His voice carried no emotion now, just the flat recitation of facts. "Her name was Irina. She had a younger sister back home she was trying to support. I found that out later, when we processed her paperwork. The sister was twelve."

The train's PA system announced their approach to Nagoya Station in ten minutes.

"The murders were easier, in a way," Tanaka said. "At least those ended quickly. I killed my first man when I was nineteen—a Korean loan shark who was operating in our territory. Stabbed him thirty-seven times in an alley behind a pachinko parlor. I can still remember the sound the knife made going between his ribs, like cutting into a watermelon. After that, it got easier. Rivals, informants, anyone who threatened the organization. I used knives, guns, my bare hands. Once I drowned a man in a public bath because he'd been skimming from our protection rackets. Held his head under the water for four minutes while he thrashed and clawed at my arms. The other patrons just looked away."

"But the worst..." Tanaka's voice cracked slightly. "The worst was what I did to my own people. My kyodai—my sworn brothers. In 1997, there was a power struggle. My oyabun was getting old, and three of us were positioned to succeed him. I was the youngest, the least likely. So I made a deal with the Inagawa-kai, gave them information about our operations in exchange for their help eliminating my rivals."

He looked directly at her now, his eyes carrying a weight that seemed to age him another decade.

"The first one, Nakamura, they killed in a car bomb. His two children were in the car with him. The boy was six, the girl was four. I'd been to their apartment for dinner a dozen times. The kids called me uncle. After the funeral, Nakamura's wife looked at me and said, 'At least Kenji-san will find who did this.' I told her I would. I promised her."

Through the window, Nagoya's towers rose against the afternoon sky.

"The second rival, Yoshida, I handled myself. Invited him to a meeting at a warehouse in Yokohama. He came alone because he trusted me—we'd sworn our oaths together, cut our fingers together, bled together. When he bowed in greeting, I put a bullet in the back of his head. I wrapped his body in plastic and dumped it in Tokyo Bay. His family never found him. For all I know, they're still waiting."

"I became kumicho in 1998," Tanaka said. "Held the position for fifteen years. During that time, I expanded our trafficking operations into Southeast Asia. We moved more than two thousand women and girls through our network. I knew what was happening to them—the beatings, the rapes, the drugs we used to keep them compliant. I knew, and I didn't care. It was just business. Profit margins and market share. We had spreadsheets tracking productivity, customer satisfaction scores, replacement rates."
He pressed a hand to his chest, as if trying to hold something inside.

"Three years ago, there was a girl. Japanese, from a good family in Setagaya. She'd gotten involved with drugs, owed us money—three million yen she'd borrowed to support her habit. We took her as payment. She was nineteen, studying literature at Waseda University. Had her whole life ahead of her. I personally oversaw her... training. Made sure she understood there was no escape, no hope. She tried to kill herself twice. We stopped her both times, kept her working. Last I heard, she's in a brothel in Macau, completely broken. Doesn't even remember her own name anymore."

His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"I retired a year ago," Tanaka said. "Handed over control to my successor, took my money, bought a nice house in Kamakura. Thought I could just... disappear into private life, that the past would finally leave me alone. But six months ago, her mother found me anyway. Somehow she'd tracked me down, figured out I was connected to her daughter's disappearance. She came to my house on a Tuesday afternoon, a small woman maybe fifty. She bowed and begged me for information. Said she just wanted to know if her daughter was alive. I told her I didn't know what she was talking about. Had my men escort her out. She left a photograph on my study desk—the girl at her high school graduation, smiling, holding a bouquet of flowers. I burned it that night, but I can still see it when I close my eyes."

The train began its deceleration sequence, the whisper-quiet motion becoming even softer as they approached the station. Passengers around them gathered their belongings, preparing to disembark.

"Retirement is not what I'd hoped," Tanaka said. "Thought I could just... live out my remaining years in peace. But I can't sleep. Can't eat. Every time I close my eyes, I see their faces. The girls, the men I killed, my brothers I betrayed. The weight of it..." He pressed a hand to his chest. "It's crushing me. Every day, I wake up and think about ending it myself, but I'm too much of a coward. I deserve to die, but I can't even do that right."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice urgent now.

"So when I saw you board this train, when I recognized you, I knew. Someone finally hired you to finish what I should have done myself. And I'm grateful. I'm ready for the end."

The woman studied him for a long moment, her dark eyes unreadable. The train glided into Nagoya Station with barely a whisper, coming to rest with perfect precision. Around them, passengers stood and moved toward the exits. Then she rose to her feet with fluid grace, adjusting her suit jacket with precise movements.

"You are not who I'm here for," she said in Japanese, her voice carrying the faint accent of Hong Kong Cantonese.

Tanaka blinked, confusion replacing the resigned acceptance on his face. "What?"

"I have one contract," she said. "One name. You are not my target."

"But—"

"You want absolution," she continued, her tone clinical. "You want violent death to be the final chapter of your story, the dramatic ending. You want me to be the instrument of your redemption."

She picked up her small leather briefcase from the seat beside her.

"I'm not interested in giving you what you want, Tanaka-san. As far as I'm concerned, you should live a very long time with your guilt."

She walked past him toward the rear of the carriage, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Tanaka sat frozen, his mouth slightly open, watching her disappear through the connecting door between cars.

The train's doors opened. Passengers flowed out onto the platform. The PA system announced a two-minute stop before departure to Kyoto.

Tanaka remained in his seat, alone with the weight he had tried to transfer to someone else, the burden settling back onto his shoulders with crushing finality.

The doors closed. The train began moving again, pulling away from Nagoya Station with the same whisper-quiet efficiency. And Kenji Tanaka sat in the business-class carriage, sentenced to the one punishment he had never imagined: Survival.

--

If you liked this story, you can read more in The Ghost of Hong Kong and The Ghost of Hong Kong: Targets.

RPG-a-Day #25: Familiarity

 

The following feats represent the growing coordination of a group of characters who have trained and fought together, gaining familiarity with each other's movements and capitalizing on shared experience. (Everything in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

COORDINATED STRIKE [General]
Your team has learned to attack in concert, finding openings that a lone combatant cannot create.
   Prerequisites: Two or more other allies who also possess this feat, base attack bonus +2.
   Benefit: When you and at least one ally who possesses this feat both make melee or ranged attacks against the same target in the same round, you and each such ally gain a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls against that target. This bonus increases by +1 for each additional ally who possesses this feat and also attacks that target in the same round, to a maximum of +4.

COMBINED ARMS [General]
Your team moves and fights as a single disciplined unit, turning positioning into advantage.
   Prerequisites: Coordinated Strike, character level 6th.
   Benefit: Whenever an ally who possesses this feat is adjacent to a target you are making a melee attack against, you may treat that target as flanked regardless of your own position. In addition, once per round, when a qualifying ally hits a target and you are within 30 feet of that ally, you may take a free 5-foot step as an immediate action, provided the movement would not provoke an attack of opportunity.

UNITED FRONT [General]
Your team's coordination has become instinctive—each member's success reinforces the others.
   Prerequisites: Combined Arms, character level 9th.
   Benefit: Whenever an ally who possesses this feat scores a critical hit or reduces an opponent to 0 hit points or fewer, all other allies within 30 feet who also possess this feat gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks until the end of the triggering ally's next turn. If another triggering event occurs before this bonus expires, it does not stack; instead, the duration resets for all affected allies, running until the end of the new triggering ally's next turn.

RPG-a-Day #24: Distance

 Distance loses all meaning when the characters have Atlantean Transit Bubbles! (Although this was written with OGL Modern in mind, it is easily adaptable to any roleplaying game setting where there is technology so advanced it seems like magic.)

 

ATLANTEAN TRANSIT BUBBLES

Advanced Technology Transportation System for d20 Games

 
Overview
Atlantean Transit Bubbles represent the pinnacle of pre-Collapse technological achievement—a fusion of quantum mechanics and arcane engineering that allows near-instantaneous travel across vast distances, dimensions, and even between alternate realities. These shimmering spheres of translucent energy were created by the Atlantean Dimensional Transit Authority in the final golden age of their civilization, intended to connect their far-flung facilities across the galaxy.
   Each bubble appears as an iridescent sphere approximately 8 feet in diameter, with swirling patterns of light dancing across its surface. The interior is surprisingly spacious due to minor spatial warping, comfortably accommodating a single Medium-sized creature. Some equipment can also be carried in the bubble, but it increases the chance for error when it comes to reaching the correct destination. The bubble's shell is neither solid nor liquid, but exists in a quantum state that responds to consciousness and intent.

 
History and Current Status
When Atlantis fell, thousands of these Transit Bubbles were scattered across the world, lost in the chaos of the Collapse. Many lay dormant in forgotten facilities, buried underground vaults, or hidden in remote locations. Some have been discovered by explorers, researchers, and treasure hunters—often with catastrophic results when activated by those who don't understand their operation.
   The Witchkind, a magical race of humans that came to be as a result of Atlantean experiments, have made it their mission to recover these dangerous devices. They exist secretly among normal men and women on Earth, but have homes in several different dimensions. They maintain a massive secure facility known as the Vault specifically designed to contain and study Atlantean technology. The Witchkind believe that untrained users pose a severe threat to the stability of the multiverse—a single miscalibrated jump could tear holes in spacetime, strand travelers in other dimensions, or worse.
Game Mechanics

Activation (Standard Action)
To activate an Atlantean Transit Bubble, a character must be in physical contact with the device and succeed on a DC 15 Willpower check, or possess the ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells. On a successful activation, the bubble expands from its dormant state (a crystalline sphere the size of a fist) to its full 8-foot diameter and envelops the activator.

Navigation
Once inside an active bubble, the occupant has two options for determining their destination:
   Directed Travel: The occupant must succeed on a Concentration check while clearly visualizing their intended destination.
   The more exposed the user's skin is the energy of the sphere, the easier it is to control. A naked or nearly naked character only has to make a DC10 Concentration check to control the sphere; a character in a shorts and a tank-top, or a one-piece bathing suit hat to make a DC15; and a fully-clothed character must roll a DC 20 check.
   The DC increases by +5 if the destination is on another plane of existence, and by an additional +5 if it's in an alternate research site. On a success, the bubble travels to the intended location (or as close as possible). On a failure, roll on the Random Destination Table (d100).
   Random Travel: If the occupant doesn't attempt to direct the bubble, or if they fail their Concentration check, the bubble automatically transports them to a random location. Roll on the Random Destination Table (d100), below.

Travel Time
Transit is instantaneous from the occupant's perspective, though observers see the bubble vanish in a flash of prismatic light. The bubble reappears at its destination in 1d4 rounds.
Master Bubbles
   Master Bubbles are rare variants that possess enhanced capabilities and distinctive golden threading through their iridescent surfaces. Only approximately one in fifty Transit Bubbles is a Master Bubble.

Linking Capability
 A Master Bubble can establish quantum links with up to six standard Transit Bubbles within 100 feet. This requires a standard action and a DC 15 Computers check from the Master Bubble's occupant. Linked bubbles glow with golden light and move in perfect synchronization.
   When linked bubbles travel, they all arrive at the same destination simultaneously. The Master Bubble's occupant determines the destination, using their Concentration check. If the Master Bubble occupant fails their check or chooses random travel, all linked bubbles go to the same random destination (roll once on the table for all bubbles).

Breaking Links
Links between bubbles break automatically if the bubbles move more than 100 feet apart before transit, if either bubble is destroyed, or if the Master Bubble's occupant uses a standard action to sever the connection. A linked standard bubble's occupant can attempt to break free with a DC 25 Will save as a full-round action.
Bubble Properties

Durability
Transit Bubbles have hardness 15 and 100 hit points. They are immune to most forms of damage while in transit between locations. When stationary, they can be attacked, but any damage that doesn't destroy them completely is regenerated at a rate of 10 hit points per round.

Life Support
Active bubbles provide breathable air, comfortable temperature, and protection from environmental hazards for up to 24 hours. After 24 hours, the bubble's life support begins to fail, and the occupant must succeed on DC 15 Fortitude saves every hour or suffer 1d6 points of nonlethal damage from suffocation and environmental stress.

Visibility
From outside, Transit Bubbles are highly visible—shimmering spheres of light that are difficult to miss. They impose a -10 penalty on Hide checks. However, while in transit through the quantum void, bubbles are effectively invisible and undetectable.

Hazards and Complications

Two random tables (Malfunction and Random Destination) can liven up the adventure surrounding tthe Transit Bubbles.  

Malfunction (10% chance per use)
Atlantean technology is ancient and not always reliable. When a bubble is activated, there's a 10% chance of malfunction. Roll 1d6 to see what the specific malfunction is.:

 
1. Temporal Displacement 

The bubble arrives at the correct location but 1d100 years in the past or future (50% chance each).

 
2. Partial Transit

The bubble arrives at a location halfway between the starting point and destination, requiring a second jump to reach the intended target.

3. System Corruption

The bubble arrives at the destination, but the occupant is affected by exposure to the quantum void. They must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or gain a random minor psychosis (DM's discretion) for 1d4 days.

4. Quantum Echo

The bubble creates a duplicate of the occupant at the destination while leaving the original at the starting point. The duplicate has all the same memories and believes itself to be the original. Both versions are real. This situation typically resolves catastrophically within 1d4 days as reality attempts to reconcile the paradox.

 
5. Spatial Rift

The bubble's transit tears a small rift in spacetime, attracting the attention of extradimensional entities. Within 1d4 hours of arrival, the occupant is hunted by 1d3 dimensional predators (use stats for phase creatures, quantum anomalies, or similar threats).

 

6. Power Surge

The bubble overcharges and immediately makes a second random jump after arriving at the first destination, giving the occupant no time to exit. Roll twice on the Random Destination Table.

If bubbles are linked via a Master Bubble, only the Master needs a malfunction check. That malfunction then applies to all bubbles.

Random Destination Table 
When a Transit Bubble travels to a random destination, roll 1d100 and consult the following table:

1-5: International Space Station
The bubble arrives in orbit, materializing inside or near the ISS. Astronauts react with shock and alarm. The bubble's life support holds, but the occupant can see Earth below and the vast emptiness of space beyond.

6-8: Active Volcano Interior
The bubble materializes inside an active volcano. The bubble's environmental protection holds, but the occupant can see nothing but lava in all directions. The bubble will make another random jump in 1d4 hours if not directed elsewhere.

9-11: Mariana Trench
The bubble appears at the deepest point of the ocean, nearly seven miles below the surface. Strange deep-sea creatures investigate the glowing sphere. The pressure is immense, but the bubble's protection holds.

12-14: Underground Bunker
The bubble arrives embedded in solid concrete deep underground in a Cold War-era bunker. The occupant is surrounded by walls on all sides. The bubble's protection prevents crushing, but the occupant must direct the bubble elsewhere or wait for another random jump in 1d4 hours.

15-17: CERN Large Hadron Collider
The bubble materializes inside the particle accelerator tunnel. Scientists detect the anomaly immediately. Alarms sound as the facility goes into emergency shutdown.

18-20: NSA Data Center
The bubble arrives in a massive server farm housing classified government data. Everything is cold, sterile, and monitored by countless security systems. The occupant feels an overwhelming sense of being watched (DC 15 Will save or suffer -2 penalty to all rolls for 1 hour after leaving).

21-23: Virtual Reality Research Lab
The bubble appears inside a cutting-edge VR facility. The occupant sees researchers wearing headsets, their bodies motionless while their minds explore digital worlds. Advanced AI systems immediately detect the intrusion.

24-26: Automated Manufacturing Plant
The bubble materializes in a fully automated factory. Massive machines and robotic arms move in perfect synchronization as far as the eye can see. Security drones approach to investigate the anomaly.

27-29: Quantum Computing Facility
The bubble arrives in the heart of a quantum supercomputer complex. Reality itself seems unstable here—the occupant witnesses impossible calculations and maddening data streams (DC 16 Will save or be confused for 1d4 rounds after leaving).

30-32: Area 51 (Random Section)
The bubble appears in the infamous military base. Security personnel immediately detect the intrusion. Armed guards and advanced defense systems respond within seconds.

33-35: Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
The bubble materializes in the abandoned city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl reactor. The bubble's protection shields from radiation, but the occupant sees the haunting remains of a city frozen in time. Strange phenomena occur in this area—reality seems thin here.

36-38: United Nations Headquarters
The bubble arrives in the UN building in New York. Security personnel and diplomats approach cautiously, offering assistance while also demanding explanations. They warn about the dangers of uncontrolled dimensional travel.

39-41: Maldives Resort
The bubble appears on a pristine tropical beach. The occupant feels overwhelming peace and contentment (DC 14 Will save or be unwilling to leave for 1d4 hours).

42-44: Ancient Atlantis (Past)
The bubble travels through time to Atlantis at its height, 10,000 years in the past. The occupant witnesses the magnificent crystal spires and advanced technology. Atlantean scientists detect the bubble and approach with curiosity.

45-47: The Collapse (Past)
The bubble arrives during Atlantis's final moments. The occupant witnesses the civilization's destruction—reality tearing apart, dimensional rifts opening, and the great city collapsing into chaos. The bubble automatically makes another random jump in 1d4 rounds due to temporal instability.

48-50: Underwater Atlantean Ruins
The bubble appears in the sunken ruins of Atlantis itself. Strange mutated creatures have made the ruins their home. Advanced technology and artifacts are visible among the rubble.

51-53: Sahara Desert
The bubble materializes in the endless Sahara under a merciless sun. No civilization is visible in any direction. The occupant must choose a direction to travel or make another random jump.

54-56: Antarctic Research Station
The bubble arrives at a remote scientific outpost in Antarctica. Howling winds and driving snow reduce visibility to near zero. In the distance, the occupant might glimpse the lights of the station or the movement of penguins.

57-59: Amazon Rainforest
The bubble appears in the heart of the Amazon jungle. Ancient ruins are barely visible through the thick vegetation. The sounds of unknown creatures echo through the trees.

60-62: Mount Everest Summit
The bubble materializes on the windswept peak of the world's tallest mountain. The view is spectacular but dangerous. Climbers might be attempting the summit nearby.

63-65: Mammoth Cave System
The bubble arrives in one of the world's longest cave systems. Bioluminescent organisms provide eerie illumination. The sound of running water echoes from somewhere in the darkness.

66-68: Yellowstone Supervolcano
The bubble appears above the massive magma chamber beneath Yellowstone. The bubble's protection holds, but the heat is intense. The occupant can see a network of geothermal features throughout the area.

69-71: Oil Rig in North Sea
The bubble materializes on an offshore oil platform in the middle of the ocean. Workers react with shock and confusion. Helicopters and supply boats service the platform regularly.

72-74: Mariana Trench Research Station
The bubble arrives at an experimental deep-sea research facility. Scientists in pressure suits investigate the anomaly. Strange bioluminescent creatures drift past the windows.

75-77: Silicon Valley Tech Campus
The bubble appears in the private laboratory of a major tech corporation. Engineers and researchers are startled but intrigued by the unexpected visitor. Their reaction depends on corporate policy and current projects.

78-80: Fort Knox Gold Vault
The bubble materializes in the legendary gold depository. Mountains of gold bars surround the bubble. Security systems have detected the intrusion, and armed response teams are en route.

81-83: Active War Zone
The bubble arrives in the middle of an active conflict. Two military forces clash around the bubble, which is ignored in the chaos of combat. The occupant must decide whether to flee, hide, or intervene.

84-86: Times Square, New York
The bubble appears in the heart of Manhattan. Crowds of people react with shock and wonder. Police arrive within 1d4 rounds to investigate.

87-90: Pripyat, Ukraine
The bubble materializes in the abandoned city near Chernobyl. Buildings stand empty, streets are silent, and an eerie atmosphere pervades everything. Signs of a hasty evacuation are evident, but no bodies are present.

91-94: Alternate Research Site (Mirror Facility)
The bubble travels to an alternate research site where everything is reversed or opposite. Allies are enemies, enemies are allies, and familiar places are subtly wrong. The occupant might encounter alternate versions of people they know.

95-96: Alternate Research Site (Post-Collapse)
The bubble arrives in an alternate timeline where civilization has collapsed. Ruins of familiar cities are overgrown with vegetation, and survivors struggle to exist in a harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape.

97: The Quantum Void
The bubble becomes stuck in the quantum void between locations. The occupant sees swirling colors and impossible geometries. Strange entities drift past, taking no notice of the bubble. The bubble will make another random jump in 1d6 hours.

98: Temporal Loop
The bubble arrives at its starting location, but 1d100 years in the past. The occupant might encounter younger versions of people they know or witness historical events.

99: Convergence Point
The bubble arrives at a location where multiple realities intersect. The occupant can see ghostly images of alternate versions of the same location overlapping. Reality is unstable here—strange things happen, and the laws of physics are unreliable.

100: GM's Choice
The bubble arrives at a location of the DM's choosing—perhaps a location relevant to the campaign, a place the occupant has been seeking, or somewhere that advances the story in an interesting way.

RPG-a-Day #23: Fortune

"This set of dice are among my favorite treasures. Sometimes, I use them to help guide me. Sometimes, I bring them to D&D Night to mess with the players. More rarely, I leave them somewhere for humans to find, just to see what they do with them."

--Brigid the Red, a dragon living secretly among humans

THE ORACLE'S DICE

Description

This set contains six polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) carved from a single meteorite that fell during a lunar eclipse. Each die radiates moderate divination magic, is translucent crystalline stone with a faint purple hue, and arcane symbols are etched into every face—not numbers, but glyphs representing concepts like "danger," "opportunity," "deception," "ally," "journey," and "transformation."

They come in a velvet-lined case made from darkwood, with compartments for each die.

Mechanics

Activation: Using the Oracle's Dice requires a ritual that takes 1 minute. The user must clearly state their question or the subject of divination, then select which dice to roll (minimum 2, maximum all 6).

Rolling and Interpretation: Roll the selected dice. Each die contributes information based on:

1. Which die was rolled (the die type determines the category of information)

2. The result shown (which specific symbol appears)

3. The total of all dice (determines overall clarity and accuracy)

Die Type Categories:

• d4 (Immediate): Events within the next 24 hours

• d6 (Personal): Information about individuals or relationships

• d8 (Material): Wealth, objects, physical dangers

• d10 (Mystical): Magic, curses, supernatural forces

• d12 (Journey): Travel, quests, long-term endeavors

• d20 (Fate): Major turning points, destiny, life-or-death matters

Symbol Interpretation Tables:

d4 - Immediate Events (Next 24 Hours)

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Dawn	New beginning, fresh start, opportunity
2	Storm Cloud	Sudden conflict, unexpected trouble
3	Hourglass	Time pressure, urgency, deadline approaching
4	Closed Fist	Confrontation, decisive action needed

d6 - Personal & Relationships

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Clasped Hands	Alliance, friendship, cooperation
2	Broken Heart	Betrayal, loss, emotional pain
3	Mask	Deception, hidden identity, false appearance
4	Mirror	Self-reflection, truth about oneself
5	Two Faces	Duality, choice between loyalties, duplicity
6	Embracing Arms	Love, protection, deep connection

d8 - Material & Physical Dangers

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Coin	Wealth, trade, material gain
2	Broken Coin	Financial loss, poverty, squandered resources
3	Crossed Swords	Physical combat, violence, armed conflict
4	Shield	Protection, defense, safety from harm
5	Dagger	Hidden danger, assassination, treachery
6	Treasure Chest	Discovery of valuables, hidden cache
7	Shackles	Imprisonment, restriction, being trapped
8	Flame	Destruction, purification, consuming danger

d10 - Mystical & Supernatural

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Spiral	Magic in flux, wild magic, unpredictable power
2	Rune	Ancient magic, forgotten lore, arcane knowledge
3	Crescent Moon	Illusion, shadow magic, things not as they seem
4	Pentagram	Summoning, binding, pacts with otherworldly
5	Broken Wand	Magic failure, dispelling, anti-magic
6	Third Eye	Psychic power, mental magic, divination
7	Serpent	Curse, poison, corrupting influence
8	Phoenix	Resurrection, renewal, magical transformation
9	Void	Necromancy, undeath, life-draining forces
10	Lightning Bolt	Raw magical power, sudden arcane intervention

d12 - Journey & Long-term Endeavors

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Road	Clear path forward, straightforward journey
2	Crossroads	Major decision, diverging paths, choice ahead
3	Mountain	Obstacle, challenge requiring perseverance
4	Ship	Voyage, exploration, venturing into unknown
5	Compass	Guidance, finding direction, mentor appearing
6	Footprints	Following another's path, learning from the past
7	Bridge	Transition, connection between two states
8	Chasm	Impassable barrier, journey interrupted
9	Torch	Illumination of the way, revelation during travel
10	Anchor	Being held back, delay, inability to progress
11	Wings	Swift progress, flight, overcoming obstacles
12	Destination Mark	Journey's end approaching, goal within reach

d20 - Fate & Destiny

Roll	Symbol	Meaning
1	Broken Chain	Freedom, escape, severed ties, liberation
2	Crown	Authority, leadership, rise to power
3	Fallen Crown	Loss of status, dethronement, fall from grace
4	Skull	Death, ending, mortality, transformation
5	Scales	Justice, judgment, karmic balance
6	Tipped Scales	Injustice, imbalance, corruption of order
7	Eye	Revelation, truth unveiled, being watched
8	Closed Eye	Blindness, ignorance, truth hidden
9	Star	Hope, guidance, divine favor, destiny fulfilled
10	Falling Star	Lost hope, divine disfavor, destiny thwarted
11	Sun	Glory, success, triumph, enlightenment
12	Eclipse	Darkness, doom, overshadowing threat
13	Tree	Growth, legacy, roots and consequences
14	Withered Tree	Decay, dying legacy, ancestral curse
15	Wheel	Cycle of fate, inevitable change, fortune's turn
16	Sword in Stone	Destiny awaiting, potential unfulfilled
17	Raised Sword	Destiny claimed, heroic moment, defining choice
18	Chalice	Blessing, gift of fate, sacred purpose
19	Shattered Stone	Foundation destroyed, world-changing event
20	Infinity Symbol	Eternal consequence, unbreakable fate, prophecy

Accuracy Rating: Add the numerical results of all dice rolled together:

• 6-15: Clouded vision (50% accurate, vague imagery)

• 16-30: Clear vision (75% accurate, specific details)

• 31-45: Perfect vision (90% accurate, includes timeline)

• 46+: Prophetic vision (95% accurate, reveals hidden factors)

Interpretation Check: After rolling, the user must make a DC 15 Spellcraft check or DC 18 Wisdom check to properly interpret the symbols. Success reveals the divination's meaning; failure by 5 or more results in misinterpretation.

Limitations and Risks

Corruption Mechanic: Each time the dice are used, there is a cumulative 2% chance they become "tainted" by chaotic energies. When tainted (DM rolls secretly), the dice provide false information that seems accurate. The taint persists until the dice are cleansed with remove curse or dispel magic (DC 20).

Addiction: Users who consult the dice more than once per week must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or become psychologically dependent, suffering a -2 penalty on all checks when making decisions without consulting the dice first. This penalty increases by -1 for each additional week of overuse.

Conflicting Symbols: If two dice show directly contradictory symbols (e.g., "Life" and "Death"), the divination reveals a paradox or choice-point. The user must succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence check to understand that multiple futures are equally possible.

Cooldown: The dice can be used once per day. Additional uses in the same 24-hour period automatically result in clouded visions with 25% accuracy.

Question Limitation: The dice cannot answer yes/no questions effectively. They provide symbolic information that requires interpretation, not direct answers.

Adventure Hooks

D&D 3e:

• The Paradox Prophecy — A scholar uses the Oracle's Dice to research an ancient mystery, but the symbols keep showing contradictory information: the same question yields different answers each time, even accounting for interpretation. The scholar believes they've discovered a temporal paradox—an event that both will and won't happen. They hire the party to investigate the prophecy's subject, but the party discovers the dice are slowly becoming corrupted, and the contradictions are a sign of their degradation. The party must race to cleanse the dice before the scholar makes irreversible decisions based on paradoxical information.

d20 Modern:

• The Stock Market Prophet — A financial analyst uses the Oracle's Dice to predict market trends with uncanny accuracy, building a fortune and attracting the attention of the SEC, rival traders, and organized crime. When the dice become tainted, the analyst's predictions flip, causing massive losses. A federal agent hires the party to investigate whether the analyst is running a scam or if something genuinely supernatural is happening. The party must navigate corporate espionage, regulatory agencies, and dangerous criminals while uncovering the truth about the dice—and deciding whether to help the analyst, expose them, or use the dice for their own gain.

RPG-a-Day #22: Grit

 Here are three OGL Modern feats for characters with grit. (They are easily adaptable to other d20 System games, and they are released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

Ornery
You refuse to go down easy.
   Prerequisite: Constitution 13+
   Benefit: Whenever you would be reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, you may make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the amount of damage in excess of your current hit points). If successful, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point and become fatigued. You can use this feat once per encounter.

Nerve Under Fire
Your calm demeanor steadies those around you. 
   Prerequisite: Charisma 12+, base Will save +2
   Benefit: As a free action, before you or an ally within 30 feet makes a saving throw against an effect that would impose the shaken or frightened condition, you may make a Charisma check (DC = the effect's save DC). If successful, that creature gains a +2 morale bonus on its saving throw against the effect. Additionally, you gain a +1 morale bonus to Will saves against fear effects. You can use the active portion of this feat once per encounter.

Push Through
You've learned to compartmentalize pain and keep moving.
   Prerequisite: Iron Will feat
   Benefit: Once per day, you may ignore the penalties from a single condition that imposes penalties (such as wounded, fatigued, or shaken) for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). During this time, you function as though you don't have that condition. When the duration ends, the condition returns and you become fatigued; if the condition ends before the duration does, you do not become fatigued.