Spookyfication

I spookyfied the OSE (Old School Essentials) Level 1 random table using some Halloween keywords. 

I rolled an Halloween flavor for each entries and I mixed the results to create Halloween themed variants of these level 1 encounters.  

Halloween flavors table (d12) 

1. bat|vampire
2. crow|scarecrow
3. witch|cat
4. ghost
5. skeleton|zombie
6. pumpkin|turnip|lantern
7. owl|alien
8. demon
9. monstrosity
10. candy|masked
11. twisted tree|dead leafs 
12. patchwork bodyparts 

LEVEL 1

1. Acolytes of the Black Cat (cultists who use a living black cat as a holy symbol)  
2. Scracrow Bandits (remain still until the ambush) 
3. Balefire Beetles (greenish flames) 
4. Bat Dwarfs (molerat like dwarfs who eat metal and use echolocation) 
5. Vampire's Gnomes (thralls of a subterrean vampire)
6. Skeleton headed Goblins (cackle a lot) 
7. Shambling pile of rotting leaves (Green Slime but as a mass of decomposing leaves)
8. Halfling's monstrosity (an hairy giant foot with eyes, who smell tobacco) 
9. Murdered hornets (Ghosts of giant hornets ) 
10. Twisted Roots Gecko (unded gecko with roots that grow inside them) 
11. Dead leaves orcs (orcs who use dead leaves as camouflage cloaks)  
12. Pumpkin Shrews (glowing shreews who live in giant pumpkins) 
13. Kobolds disguised as (roll a d12 on this table) 
14. Bone caged demon (tiny demon caged in a skeleton's ribcage)  
15. Witch Snake (human headed snake, witch's familiar)  
16. Cotton Candy Spider (colorful "tim burtonesque" spider who weave suggary webs) 
17. Crows Sprites (sprites riding crows) 
18. Alien Stirges (stirge faced grey humanoids who drink blood)    
19. Bodyparts Traders (buy, sell and stiches used body parts) 
20. Masked Wolves (wolves being controlled by weird masks) 

 

Wandering Merchants

Itinerant merchants seem like a obvious interesting random encounter but we rarely see them in random tables.

Ordinary merchants are ok but fantasy or surreal ones are more intriguing.

I tried to design some with Carys. We each drew four merchants (and later Carys drew a extra one), then with help of Brian we wrote 6 items for each merchant.

You can find the resulting PDF here.
https://theunburnedwitch.itch.io/wandering-merchants

Bonus content: a itinerant merchant generator

The merchant... (d10)

1. is a headless artificial construct or a golem
2. is a monster wearing pretty clothes
3. have been cursed with a animal head and can't speak humanoids languages. 
4. wear a veil and speak softly 
5. wear a old suit of armor and a sealed helm
6. is a insect using mimicry to vaguely look human 
7. is wearing baroque clothes from a other plane
8. wear a beautiful and elaborate magical prosthesis 
9. is a unknown humanoid specie wearing common clothes
10. is chained to a strange familiar

and is selling... (d10)

1. Dentures and wood noses
2. Keys and doorknobs 
3. Traps and whistles 
4. Gloves and ribbons 
5. Belts and girdles
6. Tiny chests and boxes
7. Optical devices
8. Achronistic items
9. Clockwork pets
10. Miniature idols 

Each time the group encounter the merchant they have a unique special item to trade or sell. If you need to improvise a item, ask one player to describe something that attract their attention, then ask a other player what kind of special property the item could have. If you need more details ask a third player, etc. Take notes and tweak their answer a bit using "yes but" or "yes and". 

If you are using the merchants from the PDF roll on their items table to determine the item. This way the players can wonder what the merchant will have the next time they will encounter them.

Slumber City

This is a contribution for a city generator project that Anxiety Wizard is working on.
Anxiety Wizard generated this map using his system with my city set: 

Slumber City

A long time ago, to repel a large invading force, the mages of the city casted a powerful mass sleep spell, they lost control of the spell and now it essence is bound into the city itself. The city now stand at the edge of the waking and slumber worlds.

Truths

• Slumbering: because of the sleep essence infused in the city, people are often dozy and regularly fall asleep, sleeping is greatly respected, waking up someone is badly view.
• Slumberland: the city coexist in the Slumberland, people who fall asleep in the city continue their daily routine in the Slumberland. Work in the Slumberland is considered on the same level as working in the waking world. The farther you venture beyond the city walls the more strange and alien the Slumberland become.
• Sleepwalkers are people who are stuck between both world, they exist in both and do everything in a sleepwalking mode, it is hard to communicate with them in either worlds.
• Architecture: baroque and highly influenced by the strange architecture of the Slumberland. There is a lot of import and export between the two worlds. Sandmen do most of the import and export as they can physically travel between both worlds. Dreams gates can also be summoned but are unstable.

Landmarks d10

1. Gigantic rock carved in the shape of a sleepy moon.
2. City hall build with meteorites stones imported from the slumber world
3. Clockwork dome containing mechanical spheres following the movement of the planets and the stars.
4. Giant clock tower that stopped after midnight, strange events sometimes cause the big needle to advance.
5. Multi story baroque hostel made of beds
6. Slumber sanitarium for the sleepwalkers, immense marble hallways and high coloms.  
7. Quiet lake always reflecting the night sky. Dream creatures can be spotted at night.
8. Royal statues of the sleeping royalty, sleeping beauty style, gigantic sculpted bed.  
9. Giant hourglass building with stairways and offices.
10. Gigantic sleeping monster, felt asleep while invading the city. It dreamself is tiny.  

Neighborhoods d30

1. Sleeperhood, everyone felt asleep during their daily routine. People are paid to take care of them but it is forbidden to move them.
2. Sweet dreams hood, sleeping here give better dreams, higher priced.
3. Nightmares hood, sleeping here give bad dreams, low rent.
4. Boring dreams, sleeping here bring super boring dreams. People develop odd habits.
5. Houses for insomniacs, shunned or pitied by everyone. Paid by city council.
6. Bed crafters guild and prestigious families.
7. Hypnotists convention, lots of little shops.
8. Secret coffee shops, operate like speakeasy.  
9. Sandmen neighborhood. Mysterious but friendly, locals avoid them.
10. Cats neighbors, own houses. Waking a cat is a crime.
11. Dreams selling market, dream gates summoners, sandmen unwelcomed.
12. Runaway dreams and Slumberland refugees. Spontaneous dream gates.
13. Dreams theater, lot of artists, opium cafe, bordello.
14. Dream powder makers. Lots of bakeries.
15. Clockwork craftsmen, lots of clocks and mechanical hourglass.  
16. Academic neighborhood, occult psychology, Slumberland history, astronomy.  
17. Astronomers, every houses have a telescope. Night lights are forbidden
18. Swarm of fireflies, some large ones are sacred, fireflies temples.   
19. Silent neighborhood, noise is forbidden, lots of pianists (who work elsewhere).  
20. Sleepwalker’s families are honored and their house are decorated.
21. Painted shadows on walls. Old woman’s shadows shop. Orphans shadows catchers.  
22. Nocturnal birds market, elaborate cages. Best pillows and mattresses.  
23. Moon masked people own shops, sell selenites goods and services.
24. Windowless houses, people avoid each others. No one speak of their dreams.
25. Best Paprika spices, exported in the Slumberland.
26. Best lanterns crafters and candle makers, frown upon torches.   
27. Force sleepwalkers to wear tiny bells and coloured ritual outfits based on a slumberland monster that haunt the neighborhood.
28. Pyjama market, import silk from the Slumberland.
29. Statues of famous sleepwalkers and Slumberland creatures. Sculptors are highly respected and feared.  
30. Street lamps lighted by a single person who is treated like a king.

Encounters d100

1. Sleepy people disturbing circulation or activities because of their sleepiness.
2. Chain sleep: 1d6 people fall asleep, on a 6 roll a other d6.
3. Someone try to exploit or steal from a sleeper.
4. 1d6 sleepwalkers interacting together.
5. Faded dream self of someone stuck in the waking world.
6. Someone thinking they are still in Slumberland (or the reverse).
7. Helpful or simply pleasant dream creature from a sweet dream.
8. Someone being tracked down by their nightmare (real or imaginary).
9. Someone having too many boring dreams and being full of strange ritualistic habits.
10. Insomniac begging for dream powder
11. Bedcrafters guild members delivering a masterwork bed
12. Bedthiefs heisting a bed, working for the thief guild.
13. Pillows fight, bystanders are horrified for the pillows.
14. Bed crafters apprentices offering their services to repair beds.
15. Depressive Hypnotist, their hypnosis always go wrong in some manner.  
16. Random people under the control of a criminal, delusional or rogue hypnotist.
17. Coffee beans dealers making a secret delivery or city guards looking for coffee beans accompanied by a coffee sniffer.
18. Sandmen speaking their sign language or smoking colorful pipes.
19. Sandmen tracing a dream gate using colored sand.
20. Sandman kid, mother or elder observing the characters.
21. 2d6 cats holding council.
22. Cat with human condemned to serve them for 1d6 moon cycles for waking them.
23. Old cat lady under the cat council’s protection.
24. Dreams sellers trying to catch a escaped dream or nightmare.
25. Someone asking a refund from a dream seller
26. Dream sellers bullying a lone sandman
27. Runaway dream creatures in need of help or hungry.
28. Dream mage and their entourage headed to summon or stabilize a official dream gate.   
29. Guards cleaning up a sandmen’s dream gate. (removing the sand).
30. Lonely dream or nightmare lost in the big city
31. Family of Slumberland immigrant searching for a place to settle.
32. Spontaneous dream gate, very unstable. May lead to bad dream weather.
33. A small dream theater performing in the streets, one of the performer is interested by one of the PCs
34. Misfit group of rogues delivering opium.
35. Sleepwalker teenager running away from a local bordello.
36. Dreamworker selling their erotic dreams for cheap.  
37. Street painter who can paint your dream self or even alter it if you are willing to visit their workshop.
38. Orphan having stolen a dream powder loaf of bread
39. Oh! Oh! A dream powder application or delivery accident, save vs sleep!
40. Someone consuming dream powder to fall asleep.
41. Dreampowder gang using custom powder to steal from people.
42. Jovial dreampowder apprentice bakers offering sample pastries decorated with dreampowder sugar.
43. Orphans working as clockwork oilers, some of them are still very clumsy.
44. Clockwork construx, may be sentient and sad for not being able to dream.
45. Clockwork construx, malfunctioning, damaged or rusted.
46. Clockwork merchant driving a wheeled stand, sell tiny clockwork pets and devices.
47. University students, stressed or distracted by their studies or assignments.   
48. Lonely student being bullied by… (roll again on this table)
49. Teacher of (d6) in need of assistance: 1) occult psychology, 2) Slumberland history, 3) celestial astronomy,  4) dream botany, 5) sleep chemistry, 6) clockwork mechanic.
50. Students distributing their newsletter or journal.  
51. Passionate astronomer trying to install a telescope in a unusual location.
52. Lunaphiles offering to tell your lunar horoscope
53. Mercenaries hired by a biter astronomer to dismantle street lights and other source of light pollution.
54. Out of control light devouring creature summoned by a cabal of occult astronomers to fight light pollution.   
55. Swarm of large fireflies, may follow adventurers for the night
56. Procession of fireflies worshipers with beautifully crafted lantern and fireflies jars.
57. Giant firefly hunting moths and smaller fireflies.
58. Firefly mimic using her light to attract a human mate.
59. Swarm of large moths or other nocturnal insects.
60. Large dream powder moth, grumpy and don’t want to be disturbed.
61. Mothman drinking from dreams.   
62. Pianist needing help moving their piano.
63. Members of the Silence Guild trying to keep people quiet so that people can peacefully sleep.
64. A lone sleepwalker try to join the group, it is hard to communicate with them but they are a good team player.
65. The family of a sleepwalker take good (or bad) cares of them, some people give them offerings (or tax these offerings).
66. People respecting, pitying or mocking a busy sleepwalker.  
67. A drained shadowless person desperately try to stand in the shadow of other people.
68. Escaped shadows playing, running, crying or hunting in the street.
69. Shadow catchers kids tracking down rogue shadows.
70. Shadow grabbers stealing shadows from tourists.
71. Large nocturnal bird spying, hunting, guarding or delivering something.
72. Bird catchers delivering a rare nocturnal bird or trying to catch one.    
73. Large sentient nocturnal bird, talkative during the night and dreaming during the day.
74. Moon masked people doing business in sign language. (1 chance on a d6 of this being about something occult, criminal or romantic).
75. Sélénites, tall alien inhabitants of the moon, speak only in sign and phases language. Probably tourists or scholars but there is a chance on a d6 that they have some occult, criminal or romantic goals.
76. Grotesques moon beasts buying merchandises, eat dream beings and despise Sélénites.
77. Veiled agoraphobe looking for shelter.
78. Paranoiac person scared of imaginary dream beings.  
79. Contagious dream or nightmare that spread like the flu.
80. Paprika imbued dream mage. Protect dreamers and dream beings, helpful but fear their own past trauma or self doubts. Friendly with sandmen.   
81. Merchant delivering paprika peppers to a spice maker. May be targeted by pepper thiefs or small dream beings who love the taste of pepper.   
82. Street dealer selling paprika spice cut with dream powder or dream sand.  
83. Fully geared professional lantern keeper offering their service. Full refund if their lantern ever extinguish.   
84. Magic lantern hanging in some strange location, it prismatic light have strange magical effects.
85. Garden of candles full of oddly shaped candles and moon cakes offerings, dream sprites like to hang out here but there is a chance on d6 that the garden hide a wax homunculi or a corrupted dream being (that devoured the sprites).
86. Sleepwalker brightly costumed as the bogeyman monster.  
87. Slumberland bogeyman in search of a lone prey, the bogeyman is sacred and no one want to hurt it.
88. Spontaneous monster festival because someone spotted the bogeyman, people wear grotesques masks and paint grotesques effigies on their doors.   
89. People having a open door pyjama party, everyone are welcomed if they wear a pyjama.
90. Someone wearing a impressive tailored pyjama or a custom self made one.  
91. Old person transporting a large collection of colorful cloth ballots on their back.
92. Silkworm people delivering their goods, may be targeted by silk thieves, silk eaters or worms hunters.  
93. Strange sculpture, oddly disturbing or calming.
94. Sculptor, feared and respected for their strange powers stolen from the Slumberland.
95. Animated sculpture doing a task for a sculptor, silent, strange movements.
96. Decorated streets lamps, local people are cheerful and more friendly.
97. Street lamp lighter, respected chosen one, geared to ward off light devourers and shadow beings that are maybe stalking them.  
98. Street lamp hosting a colony of life draining glow wisps.
99. Sleepy mage specialized in sleep spells. Work for the city mage guild, apprentices may be assigned to the city watch.
100. City watch investigating a recent serious crime. May use a sleep mage or a sanctioned sleepwalker detective.

Mutate your Mutation Table!

Roll on this table each time you roll on your mutation table. For a more stable mutation table, roll on this table only when rolling a 1 on a d6 when you roll on your mutation table.

These results permanently modify your mutation table, I suggest to print your table to be able to write on it to make modifications.

("Entry" refer to the entry that was rolled on the mutation table.)

Mutations table’s Mutations (d20)

1. The mutation become more common, the entry duplicate itself and replace a other random entry on your mutations table. 
2. The entry merge with the previous or following entry, become a single entry, cumulating the effect of both entries. 
3. Write a d3 variant effects subtable for the entry. Add a entry to the subtable if you reroll this result for the same entry. 
4. The entry grow and evolve, augment it effect by one step. If something give a +1 it now give +2, etc… Cosmetic effects become more extreme, apparent and harder to hide. 
5. The entry become more specialized. It effect become more detailed and precise, write down a extra detail into the entry. 
6. The entry become purely cosmetic, entries that are already cosmetic become fashionable and grant a minor bonus to reaction rolls. People start wearing clothings that evoke the mutation effect. 
7. The mutation mutation switch some details, traits or effects with a other random mutation.
8. The effect become deadly, after each day the mutant must pass a saving throw or die. If the saving throw is successful, the mutation stabilize and the mutant gain a saving throw bonus. Mutations that are already deadly prevent the mutant from dying from their mutation and turn them into a undead. 
9. The entry shrivel and disappear from the random table, attribute it’s table number to the previous or following entry. The mutant is the last to ever receive this mutation. If it was a PC grant them some XP and a reputation, if it was a creature grant them a additional HD. 
10. The entry become a magic-user spell and escape into the nearest spell book or scroll. It become a level d4 spell, duration effect depend of the spell level (Level +d6 rounds, turns, hours, days). Each time the spell is cast, it have a chance on a d20 of being a permanent effect and also affecting the spell caster. The GM can now add this spell to NPCs spell books. Remove the entry from the mutation table and attribute it table number to the previous or following entry. 
11. The entry become a unique monster afflicted with a extreme version of the mutation. This monster have d6+3 HD. It’s attacks are infectious and inflict the mutation on a failed save. Add the monster lair on your map and infect d6 neighboring creatures and NPCs. Remove the entry from the mutation table and attribute it table number to the previous or following entry. 
12. The entry become a specie of creatures. These creatures have 1HD and are afflicted with the mutation. They reproduce quickly. Add them to your random encounter table. Remove the entry from the mutation table and attribute it table number to the previous or following entry. 
13. The entry become a magical item that inflict the mutation’s effect. Roll a random magic item to determine it nature. The magical item afflict the mutation when it apply it magical effect. If a non consumable magic item was rolled, the item is unique. Remove the entry from the mutation table and attribute it table number to the previous or following entry. 
14. The entry become a minor divinity. Each time this entry is rolled it grant itself as a first level cleric spell to the nearest cleric (duration: LV+d6 turns, range: touch). Place a cult in the nearest village or monster lair and add clerics of this mutation to your random encounter table. If you reroll this result for the same entry, the mutation divinity grow in power and influence. 
15. The entry become sentient and link together all creatures afflicted with the same mutation into a hivemind. It have it own chaotic agenda and will discuss with it afflicted creatures like a intelligent weapon, sometime influencing them through mental suggestions (once after each rest, saving throw to resist). If you reroll this result for the same entry, the mutation grow in power and it’s suggestions are harder to resist. 
16. The entry become a contagious disease, afflicted creatures spread the mutation with their bodily fluids (save to avoid being infected). If the entry is already contagious, the virus become airborne. Infected creatures roll a saving throw every d6 days to see if they are cured. Each time the mutation is rolled, it trigger a new wave of contagion in the local area, random NPCs have a chance on a d10 of being afflicted. If the same result is rolled for this entry, it become harder to save against the disease. 
17. This entry now trigger a additional random mutation d20 hours later. If you reroll this effect for this entry, it trigger one more mutation. This may lead to a chain of mutations. 
18. This entry now also regenerate the mutant: regrowing lost limbs, removing diseases, rerolling it maximum and current HP. The mutant also feel good about their new mutation, as if they feel beautiful and healthy. If the same result is rerolled for this entry, the regeneration grant a die reroll when rerolling the maximum HP. Mutant afflicted by this mutation are now considered “holy” by other mutants. 
19. The entry apply it mutation and trigger a burst of mutation d20 hours later, inflicting a random mutation to anyone in a close area around the mutant. If the same result is rerolled for this entry, step up the area of effect. 
20. This entry become less potent, granting a saving throw. People who pass the saving throw are cured of it effect after d6 days. A mutation vaccine can be created with their blood. Receiving the vaccine inflict the mutation, after d6 days make a saving throw to remove this mutation and a other mutation every d6 days. People who received the vaccine gain advantage or a bonus to resist new mutations. If you reroll this result for this entry, grant a bonus or advantage to the vaccine saving throw. Mutants must make a saving throw to avoid the temptation of eating people who received the vaccine, eating them grant the vaccine to the mutant. 

PDF version



I used my last blog post to mutate Arnold’s mutation table.
I rolled 10 mutations, the effect on the setting is interesting.
Weird Legs become a latent mutation. People learn to fear this mutation.

• Hawk head gain a subtable (d3: 1 can only squeak, 2 fire eyes, 3 twin hawk heads) 
• Useless Arm become a minor divinity, granting itself as a spell. The cult of the Useless Arm spread around.
• Fungal become Spider diet and Spider Legs become Fungal Centaur. 
• Scaly become deadly, potentially killing it victim after a day.
• Amphibious shrivel away from the mutation table. Hurag become Hurag the Amphibious, the last mutant of his kind.
• Stretchable Limbs become a minor divinity, granting itself as a spell. It's followers oppose the cult of the Useless Arm.
• No Face become a contagious disease! The disease spread from villages to villages! 
• Serpentine Amputation gain a subtable (d3: 1 lose legs, 2 lose arms, 3 lose all members) 
• The Sun become Biting Aura and Hammer Head become Sun Head.

I mutated Scrap Princess’ table too.

• A snake lives in your brain gain a subtable (it can exit by your d3: 1 left eye, 2 left ear, 3 left hand) Delicate translucent wings grow sublimely underneath your back and forearm skin become purely cosmetic and fashionable. People start wearing robes with translucent wing-sleeves. 
• Thorns grow from your body trigger a additional mutation. 
• You have no colour in your skin, eyes, hair or blood shrivel away from the mutation table. Aza the Colorless is the last mutant with this mutation. 
• Very long tongue, like a metre long become a unique infectious 7HD monster.
• Hemophiliac become deadly but instead of killing the mutant it turn them into a bleeding undead.
• You can vomit up a collection of organs become a specie of 1HD creatures that quickly breed and infest the local land.
• +2 will save and have horrible big pulsing veins on your head become a minor divinity. Granting itself as a spell. It cult spread around.
• At least half your body is covered in tattoos become deadly and can potentially kill the mutant in one day.
• Another face is on the back of your head. It shows the opposite expression to you gain a extra detail: the face is also of the opposite sex.

Rolling on my random tables...

You arrive at the City of a Thousand Baths 

Travelers on the road told you (rolling on the people talking about towns tables):

• The city folks are relaxed, sensuous and open minded. 
• The city is a combination of new and very ancient architecture, the oldest building are linked together by underground tunnels. 
• The Folded Lotus is one of these very ancient bath house, it inner bath decorated in lapis lazuli is a marvelous sight. 

You settle first at the Folded Lotus (rolled on the city of a thousand bath houses post) 

• The building is a very ancient bath house.
• The bath house is run by a private administration (a old lady from a forgotten noble bloodline) 
• The staff wear special gloves and veils decorated with blue lotus flowers. 
• The lapis lazuli bath boost saving throws by 4 points...
• ... if you mix blood in the bath (at least a total of d6 dmg) ... 
• ... but you Gain a obvious non human trait (bio-luminescent spots)  
• the bath house is linked by labyrinthine passages to ancient city vestiges full of poisonous traps 
• While venturing in the tunnels you encounter outcasts, human hybrids of a ancient aquatic race. They seem scared and flee. 
• While resting at the bath house you discover that one of the baths is forbidden to some type of people. 

The ancient city vestiges contains (rolling on Random cultural influences for dungeon building tables)

• Artworks influenced by... a sworn enemy or competitor: water fountains and statue inspired by the Shadow Water School (forbidden stuff). 
• Philosophy tablets influenced by... a allied race or nation: tablets from the ancient coastal city of Xephir.  
• Luxury goods influenced by... a sworn enemy or competitor: perfumes from the kuo-toa (forbidden stuff). 

While resting at the Folded Lotus you learn about the issues of it personnel. 

(Rolling on the troubleshooters sandbox tables)

You learn that the old lady who own the Folded Lotus...

• actively seek help.
• her problem is stable.
• the problem is about a group or creatures.
• if resolved she will gain access to a useful location.

You learn also that a girl from the staff...

• don't seek help, but her problem is obvious. 
• her problem is very unstable
• her problem is about a special event, project.
• if not resolved, she will gain a negative reputation.

While helping people in the city you also visit other bath houses.

The Quiet Flame

• is a ancient building newly converted into a bath house 
• it foundations belonged to a ancient temple 
• the bath house is run by a guild
• the staff is well trained to protect the bath house
• one of the bath boost one wisdom by one bonus step...
• ... if you bath during the rising or setting of the sun...
• ... but you get a penalty of 3 in your saving throws when you are in the dark. 
• the bath house is linked to a place of knowledge (a old library full of stone tablets) 
• while travelling in the tunnels you meet shady people, smuggler of knowledges. 
• while resting at the bath house you notice that someone seem strangely out of place.

This out of place person...

• actively seek help
• her problem is stable
• her problem is about a NPC neutral toward her
• resolving this situation would grant her a positive psychological trait 

The Jade House

• is a new construction build by a avant-garde architect.
• the bath house is run by a mysterious oracle blessed by the gods  
• the staff are all betrothed to him  
• one of the bath boost hit points by one hit die...
• ... if you bath with a magical fish... 
• ... but you get a penalty of 1 AC point. 
• the bath house is linked to a private house
• while travelling in the tunnels you meet members of the bath house staff.
• while resting at the bath house you notice that one of the people bathing know one of the PC 

The oracle

• actively seek help
• his problem is stable
• the problem is about a creature neutral toward him (a magical fish)
• if the problem is resolved he will gain a new blessing

The person bathing who know one of the PC

• is secretive, he hide his problem and want it to remain secret. 
• his problem is unstable
• the problem is about a a special project 
• if the problem is not resolved he will enter in conflict with a faction

The Aquatic Tribes

While exploring the ancient levels of the city, you begin  to know the ancient aquatic folks who live in the underground lakes. (Rolling on the why these orcs are "evil"? table) 

• 6000 years ago, sad with the lost of a loved one, their leader made a dark pact with a dark deity. But a wise sorcerer was able to break the pact and sealed the dark goddess in one of the underground lakes. 
• 300 years ago a booming and ruthless economy followed by a crash destroyed their alliance with the upper city. 
• 100 years ago their territory was colonized by the forbidden Shadow Water School. Many hybrids were born during this time. 
• 6 years ago new rumors about the tribe started circulating, people fear that they want to awaken their dark goddess. 
• 1 month ago the Water Engineer Guild claimed ownership over one of their ancient cisterns to exploit it magical waters.  
• 4 days ago. human refugees from the city started to build a shanty town near one of their underground lake.
• The aquatic folk do everything as a family unit, children or elders are always present.  
• They have a good relationship with many of the declining human noble bloodline 
• They dislike the Oracle of the Jade House.
• They have a different historical version of a the city foundation. 

One day you discover a baby aquatic hybrid (rolling on the orc baby generator table):

• You see a giggling little thing with chubby arms, breaking things with a blood soaked doll, she look at you and wince,

People talking about towns

Rumors about towns:
2d6  + a extra d6 of a different color, if you roll a 1 on this die, the rumor is false.

2: something truly supernatural and disturbing

3: warning of dangers or conspiracy

4: superstition and folk tale

5: problem, people or place to avoid

6: bad stereotype and reputation

7: settlement or architectural characteristics

8: good stereotype and reputation

9: opportunity, people or place to seek

10: historical or recent event

11: trusted contact and reference.

12: something truly supernatural and wonderful

Island and random encounters tables speciation.

This is inspired from this youtube video about how species fill vacant ecological niches on isolated islands. For exemple how kiwi birds took on the role and characteristics of rats in the absence of these mammals.

Let try to apply this on random encounter tables. Now random encounter tables are not really ecologies or biomes but since we are familiar with their content it can be fun to generate interesting variants.

Let use the the Forest/Wooded encounters from the Labyrinth Lord's Wilderness Monster Encounter Table.

Forest/Wooded encounters (1d20)

1. Bee, giant killer
2. Boar
3. Bugbear
4. Cat, Panther
5. Cockatrice
6. Dryad
7. Dragon, Green
8. Elf
9. Ghoul 
10. Hobgoblin
11. Werewolf
12. Brigands
13. Orc
14. Roc, small
15. Spider, giant crab
16. Troll
17. Unicorn
18. Wight 
19. Wolf
20. Wolf, dire

Let remove half the encounters so that the "surviving" monsters can fill their "niches".

We roll 10d20: 20 - 11 - 2 - 17 - 20 - 5 - 12 - 12 - 6 - 4 (re rolling doubles: 7, 10)

1. Bee, giant killer
2. Boar
3. Bugbear
4. Cat, Panther
5. Cockatrice
6. Dryad
7. Dragon, Green
8. Elf
9. Ghoul 
10. Hobgoblin
11. Werewolf
12. Brigands
13. Orc
14. Roc, small
15. Spider, giant crab
16. Troll
17. Unicorn
18. Wight 
19. Wolf
20. Wolf, dire

Now let see who fill these empty niches

For each absent monster we assign a random survivor who will speciate to fill it empty niche, we will combine the two monsters to create a new one. This new monster use the survivor stats bloc and switch 2d3 characteristics with the monster it is replacing.

Characteristics table (d12)

1. No.Enc
2. Alignment
3. Movement
4. Armor Class
5. HD (size) 
6. Attack type
7. Damage
8. Saves
9. Morale
10. Hoard class
11. Special ability or vulnerability 
12. Appearance  

If we make the rolls we end up with:

1. Boar wight 
2. Panther trolls  
3. Cockatrice elves 
4. Dryad bugbears 
5. Green dragon ghouls 
6. Hobgoblin wolfs 
7. Werewolf bugbears 
8. Brigands giant killer bees 
9. Unicorn giant killer bees 
10. Dire wolf wolf (??) 

What happen to the original survivor monsters?
Let roll on the adaptation table to find out:

Adaptation table (d8)

• 1-2 Dwarf variant (-1 HD, step up No Enc.) 
• 3-4 Giant variant (+1 HD, step down No Enc.) 
• 5-6 Random characteristic variant (roll on the characteristic table and modify this characteristic to create a variant)
• 7 Stunted variant (roll on the characteristic table and nerf or dilute this characteristic)  
• 8 Hyper variant (roll on the characteristic table and boost or intensify this characteristic) 

If we make the rolls we end up with:

1. Giant giant killer bee
2. Hyper Bugbear (Hyper variant: boost number encountered!)
3. Dwarf Elf
4. Giant Ghoul 
5. Dwarf Orc
6. Dwarf small Roc  
7. Giant giant spider crab  
8. High Damage Trolls (Hyper variant: boost damages!) 
9. Giant Wight 
10. Climbing Wolf (Random characteristic variant: movement type) 

Our final forest island random table: 

d20

1. Giant Wight 
2. Boar Wights (tusked wights who search the ground with their big groin) 
3. High Damage Trolls (ouch!)
4. Panther Trolls (stealthy four legged trolls)  
5. Dwarf Elves
6. Cockatrice Elves (use petrification to craft stuff out of petrified victims) 
7. Hyper Bugbear (larger No. Enc.) 
8. Dryad Bugbears (tree linked female bugbears) 
9. Werewolf Bugbears (bugbears who turn into dire wolves) 
10. Giant Ghoul  
11. Green Dragon Ghouls (greedy scaly toxic breath ghouls) 
12. Dwarf Orc
13. Hobgoblin Wolfs (weapon using bipedal wolfs) 
14. Dwarf Small Roc (mounts for the dwarf elves or orcs)   
15. Giant Giant Spider Crab 
16. Giant Giant killer bee (they are getting quite big!)
17. Brigands giant killer bees (killer bees who ambush people to hoard their stuff) 
18. Unicorn giant killer bees (white bees who produce magical honey for maidens) 
19. Dire Island Wolves (cosmetic variant Dire wolf) 
20. Climbing Wolves

A strange machine!

Roll a machine and I will assemble it for you.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/14774698

Random cultural influences for dungeon building

While I visited the Pompeii exhibition in Montréal I noted that many of the Pompeii artefacts bear the mark of other culture influences (especially by Egypt). I thought that this was rarely depicted in dungeons, like for a exemple the ruins of a dwarf fortress often only feature pure dwarven stuff. But it could be interesting to inject some cultural influences from other fantasy cultures and races. Like including a dwarven room containing furniture influenced by elven or kuo-toa art.

So when you build a dungeon linked to a race or a culture, you can roll a d6 for each rooms to see if the room contain some elements influenced from other cultures (could be a 1 chance on a d6)

The room contain (d6):

1. Architectural elements or furniture (can define the room function) 
2. Common everyday items or tools (include food, weapons and armors)
3. Artwork, music instruments, luxury goods, erotic art (treasures)   
4. Science or craft work, item or books (can include a trap or trick)
5. Religious, philosophy or magical work, item or books (can include a trap or trick)
6. Individuals (npc) or a npc self representations (portraits, sculptures, etc...)  

Influenced by (d6):

1. A lost civilization (near ruins) 
2. A allied race or nation
3. A distant trading race or nation 
4. A sworn enemy, traitor or competitor race or nation (forbidden stuff)
5. Former (or current) lord or vassal race or nation (also forbidden if slaves) 
6. Foreign & exotic race or nation of a opposed or very different nature