Sci-Fi RPG Subplot Idea Generator (for any game system)

Here are a couple tables to randomly generate subplot ideas for your sci-fi campaign. Roll first on Why is the Android Behaving Strangely?, then on Who's Behind It?

WHY IS THE ANDROID BEHAVING STRANGELY? (Roll 1d6)
1. A flaw in the programming. (Don't roll on "Who's Behind It").
2. A hacker is trying to control it via a remote uplink.
3. Adjustments to its programming intended to 1-2, make it more efficient; 3-4 make it more human-like in its reactions; 5-6 make it eventually turn on its owners.
4. A virus uploaded into its programming matrix is gradually causing it to 1-2 shut down; 2-3 become a spy-bot; 5-6 become a killing machine.
5. A disembodied alien entity has taken over its personality maxtrix and is now in control.
6. The android is unchanged. The player characters have been shifted to an alternate universe similar to their own.

WHO'S BEHIND IT? (Roll 1d6)
1. No organized force; it's just one of those things.
2. An old enemy.
3. An agent of a galactic mega-corp trying to get the PCs under his or her control.
4. An old friend trying to secretly reach out for help.
5. A mercenary group trying to establish their reputation by taking down the player characters.
6. An alien invasion force that wants to distract or neutralize the player characters so they won't get in their way.

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d20 Supers: The Reports of My Death Were Exaggerated!

A couple superpower feats, yet more parts of the d20 Supers game that we may or may not ever produce. This pair of feats exist to explain how certain characters can come back from the dead over and over and over. (As always, these are released under the Open Game License. Copyright Steve Miller 2017.)

LUCKY [Minor Power, Meta-Gaming]
You lead a charmed life.
   Prerequisite: One attribute above 12

   Benefit: Once per game session, you may declare a single attack roll, skill check, or saving throw that faled to be a success. The success is never a critical.
   Special: This feat can be replaced with The Reports of My Death... under the right circumstances. See The Reports of My Death... for more details.


THE REPORTS OF MY DEATH... [Minor Power, Supernatural]
You were dead... but you got better!
 Benefit: If the character dies (reduced below -10 hit points, disintegrated, blow to tiny bits, lost and drowned at sea, eaten by rabid weasles--any death, no matter hor mundane or terrible), this feat allows them to instantly return from the dead. The character reappears somewhere out of harm's way, with 1/4 of his or her hit points and a semi-plausible explanation of how he or she survived (the GM or player may invent something).

Art by Everett Raymond Kinstler

     The feat can only be used once. After the character has miraculously (perhaps literally) escaped death, the feat must be replaced by one of the following (with all prerequisites needing to be met): Attentive, Better Lucky Than Good, Cautious, Dodge, Lucky, Never Say Die
   Special: There is no benefit from this feat until the character dies. If the character possesses the Lucky feat, the character can replace it with this feat after he or she is killed, essentially getting a two-for-one on rising from the dead.
   If the character replaces this feat with Lucky, the cycle can repeat itself.

You can see the first parts of this game approach here, and everything on this topic that's been posted here. Much more (and refinements of these posts) have also been featured in many of our comics/rpg hybrid releases.

Another bit of d20 Supers: Spider Power!

Here's another entry in the ever-growing collection of d20 System feats and talent trees designed to incorporate superpowers into campaigns. Someday, we'll actually get around to doing a base class (all that will be needed is one--two at most), and collect all the d20 Supers material into a NUELOW Games release. 

Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this latest bit of material; and we're sure it's obvious where some of the inspiration came from. As always, your feedback is welcomed, and the text is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced according to its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2017.

You can see the foundations of this system here and here. The whole collection of posts so far can be read here.

Protection of the Spider [Minor Power]

You suffer no harm when injected with natural venoms, such as those delivered with spider or snake bites.
   Benefit: You are immune to all venom, as well as harmful compounds derived from them.

The Astonishing Spider Queen! (Art by Kinstler)

Kin of the Spider (Super Power Talent Tree)
Whether gained through magic, mutation, or the bite of a radiated arachnid, you have spider-powers! (Note that unlike most superpower talents, Gift of the Spider requires specifically the Protection of the Spider minor power feat).

   Gift of the Spider: You have a +3 bonus to all Balance, Jump, and Climb skill checks.
   Prerequisite: Protection of the Spider minor power feat
   Spider Sense: You have a +4 bonus to all Sense Motive and Spot skill checks.
   Prerequisite: Gift of the Spider

   Call of the Spider: Make a successful Concentration skill check as a full round action (DC12) while thinking of a target within your line of sight. The following round, dozens of spiders begin to emerge from cracks and crevices, swarming toward your chosen target. On the next round, they deal 1 point of damage to the target. Spiders keep arriving for the next three rounds, with the damage inflicted increasing by 1 each round. (The target may roll a Fort save for half damage.) On the 5th round, the spiders withdraw, although you may call them again if you choose.
   Prerequisite: Any one Minor Power feat
   Spider Growth: Focus your will upon a spider within your line of sight. Make a successful Concentration skill check (DC12) as a full round action. With the beginning of the next round, the spider transforms into a Giant Spider and attacks a target by your command on your initiative. Commanding the spider is a free action. It attacks for four rounds (after which it reverts to normal) or until slain.
   Prerequisite: Call of the Spider
   Salvation of the Spider: If you are reduced to -5 or fewer hit points (but not -10), a spider-web like substance excretes from every pore of your body, encasing you in a thick, impervious cocoon. This process takes one round, and any person or creature in physical contact with you is forced away and suffers 1d4 points of slashing damage.
   The cocoon remains for 48 hours, during which time you heal 4d20+8 hitpoints, recover any lost attribute points and regrow any severed limbs, up to your fully-healed state. The cocoon dissolves into a fine dust at the end of the time period, and, although you are unconscious while in the cocoon, you are immediately fully alert and ready for action.
   Prerequisite: Gift of the Spider

Body Wraps of Dimension Travel

Here's a magical item for use in your just about any roleplaying game.

Body Wraps of Dimension Travel
Found in sets of three, nine, and twelve, they are tightly wound spools of six-inch wide strips of a silken fabric. They can be of any color. If inspected with a detect magic spell or ability, the cloth radiates transmutation magic, and an Atlantean symbol becomes visible every six inches.

The Body Wraps of Dimension Travel were created by Atlantean Witches as a means of letting non-witches, non-spellcasters, or spellcasters unable to traverse dimensions to join them on jaunts to other universes and planes. Each set is pre-enchanted with a specific destination and users are transported to that location with unfailing accuracy, regardless of any wards or anti-magic fields that may be in place at either end of the journey.

Each spool contains enough fabric to wrap a large human completely from head-to-toe; it is virtually impossible for a person to wrap themselves, as they must be wrapped so tight that they are unable to move and no part of their body must be exposed. No clothes or items of jewelry or external body piercing can be worn under them if the wraps are to function.



Art by Murphy Anderson

When the command word is spoken (the symbol on the fabric), wrapped characters are shifted from their present plane and location to the destination enchanted into the wraps. The wrap is consumed during the transfer, so the characters arrive naked. (Typically, the point of arrival is a chamber within a base of operations established by Atlantean Witches. It contains robes, sandals, and other basic equipment.)

Since the destruction of the Atlantean outposts on Earth, the secret to creating Body Wraps of Dimension Travel on our world has been preserved by the magical heirs to the Atlantean legacy, the Witchkind. Using the wraps is a one-way trip, although if users arrive at a location still inhabited by Atlantean Witches, or which has been taken over by the Witchkind (or can otherwise locate them), a return trip may be facilitated.

You can read more about the Witchkind and Atlantean magic in Love Witch (by Marv Wolfman and Steve Miller, with art by Ernie Colon and Don Heck) and Secrets of the Witchkind (by Steve Miller, with art by Bradley K. McDevitt).

Magic Bongs

In observation of 4/20 Day, we present A Pot-Smoking Supplement for the d20 System by one of the minds that brought you the immortal classic OGL Drunkards!

All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller

THE MAGIC BONG
Scattered throughout the world are a small selection of magic bongs. How they came into being no one knowns for sure--some blame the elves, others blame the Atlanteans, and still others believe they have been charged spontenously through extensive use by magically endowed beings of any race--but they come in two varieties: The Evil Bong and the Good Bong. When pot is smoked in one of these bongs, they effects are powerful and unexpected.
   Magic Bongs typically appear like traditional hookas and have 1d3+3 pipes attached, allowing multiple characters to smoke from the device at the same time. A magic bong appears completely normal until it is in use. Once characters are smoking from it, it radiates powerful alteration magic.

USING MAGIC BONGS IN YOUR GAME
First, determine if the characters are smoking from a magic bong, and what type, by rolling 1d100 and consulting the following table.

1-90. Normal Bong
91-96. Good Bong
97-100. Evil Bong

If it's a Good Bong, roll 1d6 against the following table to determine what effect smoking from it has on the characters.

1. Gain +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks for 4 hours.
2. Gain +2 bonus to all Wisdom-based skill checks for 4 hours.
3. All enchantment spells function at +1 caster level for four hours.
4. A genie appears (1-4 male, 5-6 female), grants the party a single wish, and will hang out with them for 4 hours. It will fight if necessary, but will much rather just party.
5. +4 to all Fortitude and Dexterity saves for 4 hours.
6. Transported to a wild party on the Outer Planes to hobnob and get wasted with any manner for good- and neutral-aligned creatures.

If it's an Evil Bong, roll 1d6 against the following table to determine what effect smoking fro it has on the characters.

1. Filled with the desire to eat, resulting in a -2 penalty to all Intelligence- and Wisdom-based skill checks due to an in ability to focus. The effect lasts 4 hours.
2. Constantly giggling. Suffer a -2 penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks for four hours.
3. All enchantment spells function at -1 caster level for 4 hours.
4. Suffer a -4 penalty to Will saves to resist mind-affecting spells and spell-like abilities for four hours.
5-6. Transported to a wild party on the Outer Planes to hobnob and get wasted with all manner of fun and sexy creatures. Or so it seems. The characters are actually in a lair of deadly demons who want to humiliate them and eventually kill them.

(The Magic Bongs was inspired in part by the Charles Band films, Evil Bong.)

And to wrap things up, here are a couple of songs that are fit for the day!

A Preview of 'Deadly Liaisons"

We're preparing another entry in the NUELOW Stock Art Collection. It's got a pulp-action theme, and it's tentatively titled Deadly Liaisons.

Art by Nick Cardy

Art by Al Avison

Art by Joe Doolin

And since we make an effort to include a little actual content in our promotional posts, here's a random table to help you generate a femme fatale's secret agenda/motivation. (This table might also be a useful companion to the d20 material in NUELOW Games' Devils in Petticoats.)

WHY DID SHE HAVE TO WALK INTO YOUR GIN JOINT?
(Roll 1d6 on the tables below.)

Who is She?

1. An heiress in trouble.
2. A government agent in need of assistance.
3. An enemy spy wanting to defect.
4. A farm girl in the big city for the first time.
5. A gangster's moll on the run.
6. A thrill-seeking adventuress.


Who is She to You?
1. A total stranger.
2. A childhood friend.
3. A teenaged crush.
4. An ex-lover who broke your heart.
5. An ex-lover who had her heart broken by you.
6. A rival who once betrayed you.


What Does She Want?
1. Someone to protect her.
2. Someone to rid her of the men who are after her.
3. The key to a cypher, which will unlock the location of a: 1. vast treasure, 2. cache of blackmail material on members of Congress, 3. a mystical artifact of importance to a deadly cult, 4. dimensional gate to Atlantis, 5. formula for returning the dead to life created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein, 6. map to Shangri-La.
4. To uncover and bring to justice traitors hidden in government and industry.
5. To get revenge on the fascists that killed her family.
6. To find and destroy: 1. a master vampire and his cult, 2. the Cult of the Black Pharaoh before they trigger the end of the world, 4. a clan of werewolves, 5. a band of Ninjas bent on assassinating the nation's political leaders, 6. the mob boss who killed her father.


Who is After Her?
1. Roll two more times on this table, ignoring any additional times 1 is rolled.
2. Corrupt cops.
3. Government agents.
4. Foreign spies.
5. Death cultists.
6. A supernatural force: 1. A master vampire and its minions, 2. A mummy and cultists who worship it, 3. A pack of werewolves, 4. Druids, 5. A genie, 6. A demon.

Need a Valentine's Day palate cleanser?

Whether you want to get the sticky-sweet taste out of your mouth because you're bitter, or because you want to prepare for what's to come on this Day of Celebrating Romance and Love, we have just the collection of stories for you to read!

Art by Basil Wolverton

Weird Romance, the latest release from NUELOW Games is a collection of short horror, humor, and fantasy tales that are all tinged with the rosey color of romance. These stories were produced by great talents such as Steve Ditko, Dick Giordano, Basil Wolverton, Sam Schwartz, and others. They are well worth your time and money, whether you are just looking for some great reading material or have an interest in the lesser-known works of men who helped build the foundation upon which modern sequential storytelling rests. In addition to the great comics, the book also features a series of tables with which you can randomly generate a love interest for a player character in just about any RPG syste, (It wouldn't be a NUELOW Games release if we didn't toss RPG support in with the comics!)

You can get Weird Romance at RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, and DriveThruComics.

And for good measure, here's a trio of Valentine's Day-related adventure seeds...

* A cleric (or otherwise spiritual character) is awakened in the night by a small, winged humanoid--Cupid! He is being hunted by a group of cultists who want to eliminate love and romance from the world, clearing the way for the return of the Great Old Ones. Cupid is begging for the character's help and protection.

* A sworn and very deadly enemy of a player character suddenly wants not only a truce but also a romantic relationship with him or her. If rebuffed, the enemy will start to make life hell for everyone around the character until he or she accepts the offer of love. Investigations reveal that Cupid missed a shot his magic arrowand has caused this trouble. The party must find the demigod and get him to lift the spell. (In the end, the enemy, if the situation is handled correctly, could end up as an ally of the party, due to residual effects of the magic;)

* Cupid is distraught, because his female counterpart has been abducted by persons unknown. He demands that the party find and free her, or he will not inspire love and romance in anyone every again.

Piper Perabo (cos)playing Female Cupid