A NUELOW Christmas: Day One

It's December 1. The goal is to do a Christmas-related post every day--some may even be game related--until December 25.  Will we pull it off? Check back every day to find out!

The text in today's post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A powerful person (rich, well-connected, a sorcerer, sorcerer-related, or just with access to magic), or perhaps even Santa himself, has gifted the player character party with a tin of magical Christmas cookies. Each type of cookie has a different effect (described on a piece of parchment in the tin), and it lasts for 8 hours or until another cookie from the tin is eaten. Each type of cookie is separated from the others by a thin sheet of paper.

    Danish Vanilla Wreaths (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks. Ability to understand all Scandinavian languages.

    Gingerbread Santas (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Move Silently and Hide skill checks. Ability to fall from up to 10 ft. and suffer no damage.

    Russian Tea Cakes (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Gather Information and Intimidate skill checks. Ability to understand Russian.

    Shortbread Cookie (8 in the tin): +1 to all saving throws.

    Sugar Cookie Jesus (8 in the tin): Heal 1d6+1 hit points with a touch, up to a number of times equal to Wisdom+Charisma bonuses.

    White Christmas Chocolate Chip (8 in the tin): -2 damage from all elemental sources.

Although the cookies are the main attraction, but tin itself is also mildly magical. It keeps any food items placed within it fresh and edible without a need for refrigeration. The food items will still spoil at their normal rate.

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What Ruins the PC's Thanksgiving? (A Thanksgiving Adventure Idea Generator)

The title of this post explains almost everything you need to know about it! Happy Thanksgiving to all our Americans readers and gamers!

THANKSGIVING ADVENTURE IDEA GENERATOR!
What Ruins The Party's Thanksgiving Day Celebration? (Roll 1d20)

1. The turkey is under-cooked.
2. The stuffing is so dry it's hard to chew.
3. The pie is burnt.
4. A guest insists on discussing politics, possibly even gun control.
5. Terrorists take hostages and demand the PCs surrender themselves to them.
6. An old enemy (or one of his/her surviving henchmen) trap the PCs and their guests in a deadly Thanksgiving-themed maze.
7. The party is framed for a crime they didn't commit and must aviod the authorities and prove their innocence.
8. Necromantic energy has animated all turkeys (cooked or otherwise) in a 50-mile radius. (Use zombie stats for the turkeys.)
9. A misbegotten attempt to deep-fry a turkey accidentally opens a portal to the elemental plane of fire.
10. Mindflayers invade.
11. President Donald Trump decides to drop in for turkey.
12. President Bill Clinton shows up seeking protection: He sexually harrassed the wrong woman! (Wonder Woman, the Sorceress of Zoom, the Love Witch... take your pick of someone powerful who might want to kick his ass.)
13. Militant vegan spellcasters transform the giant balloons in the local Thanksgiving parade into murderous creatures bent on avenging all the slaughtered turkeys. (Use Air Elemental stats).
14. Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin show up drunk for dinner. They weren't even invited.
15. The party and their guests are abducted by an extra-dimensional sorceress who is angry she wasn't invited to the party.
16. Someone brought Keystone Beer.
17. Milla Jovovich shows up pursued by freaky undead (use ghoul stats)
18. A previously unknown child of a PC shows up. Is it really his/her child, or just an elaborate ruse?
19. Roll twice on the table, ignoring additional results of 19. Thanksgiving is ruined because of all indicated reasons.
20. Roll twice on the table, ignoring additional results of 20. Thanksgiving is ruined because of all indicated reasons.

CK's Wand of Healing (for the d20 System)

A magic item for your d20 System games. (This text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller.)

CK'S WAND OF HEALING
This light brown wand is six inches long and varies in width from one end to another. Its surface is uneven at creation but becomes smooth with use, and it is slightly curved. It can heal injuries on the user or on a designated target, granting the ability to cast each of the following spells once per day: cure minor wounds, cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, cure serious wounds, and cure critical wounds at ½ his character level (round up). CK's Wand of Healing may be used by any character, regardless of class.

   Using CK's Wand of Healing is a full round action. When invoking the wand's magic, the user must hold it firmly in one hand and point it at the target with a quick motion while saying "Pardon me while I whip this out."
   The user must then rub the wand rapidly with his free hand. At the end of the round, he must declare what spell he cast, Then streams of white light shoot from the wand, striking and healing the target.
   If the user is targeting himself, he only needs to hold the wand firmly in one hand while rubbing it with the other. The magic will spray on him automatically.
   Using CK's Wand of Healing is taxing. The user must roll a successful Fortitude save (DC12) or suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls during the round immediately following the use of the item. Further, CK's Wand of Healing can only be used by the same character once every ten rounds. It can, however, be taken in hand by another character.

A CK's Wand of Healing, straight from Chama Karupi/

ACQUIRING CK'S WAND OF HEALING

The method of creating a CK's Wand of Healing is a carefully guarded secret, known only to high ranking priests of Chama Karupi. They are made in the highest towers of the god's isolated main temple and given to his clerics, who wander the world.

   Priests of Chama Karupi spread the message of their god--which is one of "life is short, so have fun!" and "if it feels good, do it!"--by behaving more like stereotypical bards than clerics. They lace musical and comedic performances with religious messages and, more often than not, those who attend a "sermon" don't even realize they're being preached to. (Although they readily reveal themselves to provide cures or healings or other religious services to those in need.)

   When a priest of Chama Karupi encounter a person they feel is worthy (either because of good deeds, they showed the priest they know how to party, or just because they are good looking and/or sexy [Charisma attribute of 16 or higher), they offer the person a CK's Wand of Healing by holding it out and saying, "Touch my wand, and it can be yours!"

  When encountered, a priest of Chama Karupi is carrying 1d6-1 CK's Wands of Healing. If they are stolen from him, the thief is cursed with mummy rot that can only be cured by a priest able to create a CK's Wand of Healing.

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RANDOM SEX SCANDAL GENERATOR (for any modern-day or near-future RPG setting)

Add a taste of current affairs to your RPG sessions with this game aid for our times with the RANDOM SEX SCANDAL GENERATOR!

Who Did It? (Roll 1d20)
1. Actor
2. Actress
3. Artist (Male)
4. Artist (Female)
5. Musician (Male)
6. Musician (Female)

7. Celebrity Who's Famous for Being Famous (Male)

8. Celebrity Who's Famous for Being Famous (Female)

9. Sports Star (Male)

10. Sports Star (Female)
11. Clergymember
12. Film Director
13. Film Producer
14. Game Designer
15. Politician

16. School Teacher

17. Social Worker

18. Doctor

19. Famous Corporate Executive
20. Royal

Who Did They Do It With/To? (Roll 1d20)
1. 1d20 Girls
2. 1d20 Boys
3. 1d20 Young Women
4. 1d20 Young Men
5. 1d20 Age-Appropriate Underlings (Female)

6. 1d20 Age-Appropriate Underlings (Male)
7. 1d20 Ballet Dancers (Female)

8. 1d20 Ballet Dancers (Male)
9. 1d20 Gymnasts (Female)

10. 1d20 Gymnasts (Male)

11. 1d20 Instagram Models
12. 1d20 Circus Clowns
13. 1d20 Police Officers

14. 1d20 Race Car Drivers

15. 1d20 Farm Animals

16. 1d20  Endangered Animals

17. An Entire Professional Sports Team (Female)

18. An Entire Professional Sports Team (Male)
19 - 20. Roll 1d20 Times on This Table; all results apply. Additional results of #20 are added together.

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The Baby Changing Station: A Magi-Tech Item for Your Game!

"The Baby Changing Station" was inspired by a graphic found on Facebook (included) and a comment made by a Facebook Friend. It is written with the d20 System in mind, but it is rules-light enough that it can easily be incorporated into any game setting that features highly advanced technology and/or magic---or even a combination of the two, as can be found in the World of 2044. All text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2017 by Steve Miller.

THE BABY CHANGING STATION
In the year 2244, the Baby Changing Station allows wealthy parents who are tired of taking care of an infant to turn it into a pet. In certain jurisdictions, parents convicted of child neglect or endangerment are compelled to turning their infant into an animal. If the neglect or abuse continues, they are executed.

The Baby Changing Station was developed from Atlantean magi-tech, based on devices that turned rocks into edible food. When used for commercial purposes—voluntarily turning a baby into a pet—there is a charge to the parents of 20,000 credits.

The pet created is random and generated by the magic at the heart of the device’s function. All possible animals were favored pets of spellcasters in ancient Atlantis.

Roll 1d20 against the table below to see what the baby is changed into.

1. Bat
2. Cat, Demonic*
3. Cat, Domestic

4. Dog, Chihuahua*
5. Dog, Poodle

6. Ferret

7. Fox
8. Gecko

9. Gibbon

10. Hedgehog

11. Hedgehog, Demonic*

12. Iguana
13. Meerkat
14. Mongoose
15. Parrot

16. Raven

17. Raven, Demonic*

18. Sloth

19. Snake, Garter
20. Sugar Glider

*See below

Occasionally, a glitch introduced when humans modified the magic to create the Baby Changing Station will cause a “demonic” version of an animal to appear. The creature appears normal, but has INT and WIS scores of 18, can cast spells as a 13th level sorcerer, and is fluent in all human languages (although many animals must use spells to speak). The demonic pet may or may not reveal its true nature to its owner, depending on how it perceives its situation.

If treated kindly by its owner, the supernatural beast will grant three wishes each month to him or her—even if the owner doesn’t know the wishes are being granted. (For example, if the owner says within earshot of the demonic animal that he wishes he noisy neighbor would die, and no other wishes have been requested or granted, the neighbor will indeed die a horrible and messy death. These beasts were familiars to the most powerful Atlantean mages in ancient times, and if an owner actively takes advantage of the creature's ability to grant wishes or asks it to cast spells in support of his or her activities, the owner suffers all penalties described in the rules that occur when a familiar dies.

If the owner of the pet is not kind to one of the demonic variety, it turns its magic subtly upon him or her, inflicting a -2 penalty to all rolls until amends are made. If the owner outright kills a demonic pet, he or she must is subject to the affects of a curse spell (as if cast by a 13th level caster, and permanent until a remove curse is cast by a 15th-level or higher caster), and the pet haunts his or her home as a poltergeist.

For an additional 20,000 (40,000 total) the parents can choose what sort of pet the baby is turned into. In such a case, the GM must still roll a 1d6 to see if the pet is a "demonic" variety. On a roll of 5-6, the pet is "demonic." Note that Chihuahua Dogs are always demonic.

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Three Nights of the Werewolf

Here's another random table to help spur adventure ideas (or subplots for adventures). With this one, you determine which among a group of citizens in a village is a werewolf, which are the monster's victims, and what is motivating it (aside from bloodlust).

Art by Pablo Marco

THREE NIGHTS OF THE WEREWOLF

By Steve Miller

This plot generator is here to help you build an exciting horror scenario for your roleplaying campaign.

First, 20 character tags are listed, the list of suspects/possible werewolf. Then there are a series of questions seven questions. Roll 1d20 against the list of characters for each question to generate the plot surrounding the werewolf.

THE CHARACTERS
1. The Consulting Detective
2. The Debutante
3. The Baroness
4. The Baron
5. The Butcher
6. The Night Watchman
7. The Attractive Gypsy Woman
8. The Handsome Gypsy Man
9. The Inn Keeper
10. The Preacher
11. The Gameskeeper
12. The Retired Army Officer
13. The Farmer
14. The Farmer's Daughter
15. The Hermit
16. The Town Drunk
17. The Historian
18. The Libertine
19. The Mysterious Foreigner
20. The Widow


A. WHO IS THE WEREWOLF?
B. WHO IS THE FIRST VICTIM?
C. WHO IS THE SECOND VICTIM?
D. WHO DOES THE WEREWOLF LOVE AND WISHes TO MAKE INTO A FELLOW CREATURE OF MOON?
E. WHO DOES THE WEREWOLF HATE (and try to frame as being the werewolf)?
F. WHO IS THE FINAL VICTIM (whose death scene will contain a clue to the werewolf's true identity)?

Note: If you roll A, B, or F, more than once, the victim rises from the dead as a ghoul and attacks the player characters--either on its own or during a confrontation with the werewolf. Roll the question again, until you get a different result.

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Why does the mummy walk?

A random adventure idea generator for your horror RPGs! (For a more complex tale, roll twice on the "Why Does the Mummy Walk?" table. There can be one mummy with multiple motivations or two different mummies (or one fake mummy and one real mummy) shuffling along in the shadows.)

WHO IS THE MUMMY THAT WALKS? (Roll 1d12 and consult the list below).
1-3. A priest (or priestess) cursed by the gods for betraying vows.
4-6. A prince (or princess) cursed for betraying a spouse or lover.
7-12. A wizard (or sorceress) cursed for protecting a spouse or lover.


WHY DOES THE MUMMY WALK... AND KILL?! (Roll 1d12 and consult the list below)
1. It has sensed the reincarnated spirit of a loved one, and wishes to be reunited.
2. It wants to protect a person (whose mummy is also present, or is nearby, alive and reincarnated) it cared about in life.
3. It wants to recover an object it valued in life.
4. It wants to avenge the defilement of the tomb.
5. It has been awakened by a spell and is being commanded by the caster.
6. It has been awakened by a spell and is seeking the caster in order to gain its total freedom (and immortality).
7. An accidentially triggered enchantment awakened it, and now its gathering the components for a ritual that will grant it immortal life.
8. It is a guardian who is protecting an item that is in a different museum.
9. The Stars Were Right, and it is has awakened to bring together cultists and unleash the Black Pharaoh upon the world.
10. It seeks to trigger the Zombie Apocalypse.
11. An ancient curse has caused mummies world wide to reanimate and go on murderous rampages.
12. It doesn't. It's a hoax, carried out by the (1-3 museum curator; 4-6 disgruntled Egyptologist; 7-9 tabloid reporter; 10-12 creepy ex-cop turned insurance fraud investigator) in order to (1-3 drum up publicity; 4-6 cover up murders; 7-9 cover up a theft of an ancient artifact; 10-12 distract from a ritual that will awaken another mummy for real).