Author: Jon

Rolling Word Play – 31

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Snow Plaster Redouble Surface Shopping, Factored Landowner and Satisfy Feeling.

Snow Plaster Redouble Surface Shopping
The snow shelves of Arenos are perfect platforms for the bird people to set up stalls to sell their wares.  At the height of winter, these stalls can stack on top of each other to over 50 high.  The largest are used to sell transport or are social spaces, while others sell meats, pelts and tools.  If your adventurers visit here, how will they get around?  What items, wise minds or criminals might lurk within the snow shelves?

Factored Landowner
The island of Ivinex has a very shrewd ruler known by many as the Purse Keeper.  He has a small school of Conjuration Wizards who have enchanted the land and its subjects in such a way that for any exchange of wares and money that takes place, the Purse Keeper gets his cut.  Within his grand palace there is a large warehouse and a treasury that is constantly being filled with his share of the transactions.  Many are tired of this but know that the Conjuration Wizards have them in a bind and will route out any illegal attempts to trade. There are adventures to be had here in the wild parts of the island as well as jobs for hire-swords in the towns, and with rewards (minus the Purse Keeper’s share).  There is also a chance to topple the ruler, if they dare.  Will the adventurers risk taking on the Conjuration Wizards?  Is there a way into the palace that avoids a full-scale battle?  What percentage of the transactions does the ruler get to keep?

Satisfy Feeling
The Swirling Pools oasis is an exotic, luxurious city state, where any business or land owner is rich thanks to the attraction of the naturally bubbling hot springs.  They have been lovingly carved into pools and every home that has been carved into the rocky cliffs is at a premium.  But be it the hot air or the rich power on display, something about Swirling Pools has an effect on those that visit there.  Any craving or desire they have is very hard not to act on.  While many are happy to relax, they can do for hours on end.  But for others, the seeds of jealousy, love, lust or addiction can germinate very quickly.  This is probably why the murder rate among inhabitants and tourists is so high and why the parties are so colourful!  If the adventurers go here, they will need to have their wits about them.  Otherwise it may be a case of what happens in Swirling Pools, stays in Swirling Pools!

Rolling Word Play – 30

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Voice Bulge, Senator Fetches Turtles and Fireworks Outsted Global Jogging.

Voice Bulge
A numbers of thefts have been reported in one city, with the watch very keen to catch the criminals. But as things develop, a gang war is brewing between two of the criminal factions and seemingly unrelated, a popular singing sensation is letting down his adoring fans.  If the adventurers investigate further, they will discover that Dano Dew’s brilliant singing can manipulate and unlock doors.  Clues are a plenty, including a pleasant humming sound being heard by witnesses before a robbery took place and the gang wars are to do with who gets access to ‘DD’s incredible talents.  It seems that he is over his head, but can the adventurers assist him, or has Dano Dew sealed his own fate?

Senator Fetches Turtles
One ambitious politician takes his orders from another being outside of his political party.  Sean Vlarn seeks to gain favour through worshipping an Old One; an ancient god.  But in return this deity wishes Sean to make sacrifices.  Instead or murdering his fellow citizens, he raids an animal sanctuary, bringing back many baby turtles in the hope that their sacrifice will suffice. To do this, he hired two humans to help move and sacrifice the turtles, promising them riches if they keep their mouths shut.  But as the sacrifices begin, they start to lose their minds.  As the players come into this adventure, a dangerous tension in the air of something evil and powerful stirring.  But what will be the result of Sean’s efforts?  Did his turtle sacrifices work, or was he forced to kill something bigger?  Will a door open between worlds, or will the Old One’s powers be given to Sean and his followers?

Fireworks Ousted Global Jogging
The gentlemen’s shoes.   This is a brand of magical black leather shoes that contain bright runes on its soles.  Created by a renowned magician-inventor as a marketing gimmick, it contains basic instructions to help teach the wearer how to behave in public.  When sitting, if the wearer places one leg over the other, it will suddenly become twice as heavy and force the wearer to keep both feet on the ground.  If the user’s walk is with feet pointing to the sides, it will give out a blast of air to affect the user’s balance until they adjust to keeping the feet pointing straight ahead.  If the user moves fast enough to have both feet off the ground at once (for example a run or a skip) then the shoes will create small fireworks that bang and pop all around the user until they slow down.

Rolling Word Play – 29

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Slumped Hotels, Decades Trek and Duchess Cycling.

Slumped Hotels
The Culis is a hotel and tavern that sits over a wide chasm on the edge of the Maddening Wastes.  There is no bottom in sight; just the chilling blackness below.  And yet, the hotel attracts many visitors, particularly the brave and foolhardy adventuring types who are travelling into the unknown, and those who are looking to strike a bargain for strange artefacts.  Quirks of the Culis include weird dreams, odd tales and even stranger travellers.  The bar can only be reached by walking over single planks of wood and the rooms are often at odd angles and yet the building seems to hold together somehow.

Decades Trek
Moremir Dunes is a very long, thin bar of sand that stretches for tens if not hundreds of miles.  It is buffeted on either side by howling winds and unforgiving waves, so much so, that travelling by air and sea is futile.  Nobody knows the distance the dunes go on for, or if they are intact.  That is because very few make it all the way across and by the time they do, their news is already old.  Despite this, many do try to cross them and start a new life for themselves.  There is civilization on both sides, but no regular communication or trade because the distance is too great.  There are many tales as to the condition of the dunes, the safest places to bed down for the night and also what monsters to be weary of. What reason would adventurers have for crossing the Moremir Dunes?  Are they perhaps trying to escape something, or is there someone that needs rescuing, or capturing?

Duchess Cycling
The Rainbow Duchess wanted to stand out and be difference from her royal siblings.  The King and Queen of Osonbrok are well known, as is Cyralda’s argument with her father, the king.  She was banished from the royal palaces of the capital and sent to the provincial town of Brioson until such a time as she had redeemed herself.  Rather than meekly behave and be a respectable ruler of Brioson, she decided to rebel in her own way.  She discovered an arcane blacksmith in Brioson and persuaded him to create a one-of-its-kind bicycle.  At great expense and great ingenuity on the blacksmith’s part, the bicycle could create a rainbow trail on the ground as it ran.  It could even fly temporarily.  Delighted with this, Cyralda had a basket installed and started giving out sweets to the bewildered but delighted residents of Brioson.  She soon got her nickname The Rainbow Duchess and is yet to return to the capital.

Rolling Word Play – 28

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Rehearsed Speared Flow, Potentially Reforms and Bond Dainty

Rehearsed Speared Flow
There is a weapon technique used by some humanoid tribes (including humans, frog-people and lizardfolk) where in battle they will mark their spears in such a way that when thrown, it makes a shrill, whistling sound.  In large combat scenarios it can stop an advancing army in their tracks and if effectively used with fire effects can even force their enemies to make a hasty retreat.

Potentially Reforms
In this adventuring scenario, a Jousting tournament is taking place with the winner destined to become a new knight at the king’s table.  Not just anyone can enter however; there is a hefty entrance fee and the contestant must be a subject of the kingdom.  There are some opposing political views shared among the paladins and fighters there that day and it is said that the king has a favoured knight who would be a comfortable fit at his table.  Expect action and some foul play.  What will the players do?  Will they fib their way into the competition by replacing another contestant or forging their documents?  Will they back another fighter to win the jousting?  Is the king a good ruler or would change be better for the kingdom?

Bond Dainty
The Bond Dainty is a thing of legend but someone always knows someone who either used it or a shopkeeper who dealt with it.  Possibly a fey contraption, it is a bond to spend money in one go, and is usually worth a lot of gold.  It can turn up in the middle of the street or in a pile of documents but one thing is for certain – it will disappear before long!  Whoever finds it often has the wide-eyed look of someone about to have a panic attack as they decide how best to use the bond before it disappears. Many have failed to act, but for those that do, they have made shopkeepers and merchants rich as gold appears once the bond is passed over in exchange for their entire stock or even their ship.

Rolling Word Play – 27

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Danced Bookmark, Unreadable Trolley Glaring and Pack Leans Departures

Danced Bookmark
A mage’s slave is a fey creature trapped in a book mark.  It appears on the book mark to be just a silhouette of a female figure, but when he calls by humming a certain tune, she will dance into the room, quickly growing to normal size and forming her complete body.  She is chained to the book by a single piece of magical thread. Although slim, to break it would require some firebalm ointment, which isn’t easy to come by.  She cannot cast magic whilst in chains but is powerfully magic if released.  Will the adventurers discover the mage’s secret slave?  Will they help her and risk angering the mage?  What sort of free spirit will she be after being enslaved for so long?

Unreadable Trolley Glaring
A wooden, three wheeled trolley or wheelbarrow that has a mysterious origin. There are runes carved into it that are somehow unreadable, even by scholars. It hurts to look at them and they appear to change over time.  The most alarming thing is that the knots in the front of the wheelbarrow’s wood looks very eye-like and gives the air a tense atmosphere.  The wheelbarrow has the magical ability to ‘scare’ anything out of its way that isn’t entirely solid, such as walls.  Anything else will swerve 10 feet or more to the side of the wheelbarrow as it passes.

Pack Leans Departures
There are said to exist very lean of donkeys and camels that are cursed.  The story goes that they used to be humanoids who did something wrong. The wrong-doing and the curser change with each telling, but the most common myth is that two celebrated heroes, Saransey the Brilliant and Driget the Bard both met this fate.  If your adventurers ever see a lean pack animal looking sorry for itself, it might be they!

Rolling Word Play – 26

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Duties Blunders, Tubes Elevations and Resounding Babysitter

Duties Blunders
Cantra the Mellow is a god of few, but those who do follow him are devout believers in taking life at a slow pace. The adventure happens because Alfan, a worshipper of Cantra, is subscribed into the army and starts making clumsy mistakes and potentially disastrous blunders.  The ‘vibe’ spreads and soon everyone in his unit has caught this strange illness of calamities.  The army doesn’t understand the cause for their disastrous performances but have demoted its captain and kept the unit isolated away from the rest of the troops. The adventurers will be brought in thanks to their past accomplishments to guide this group of misfiring soldiers.  Can they lead the troops through their missions without losing more soldiers?  What will the missions be?  Will the adventurers catch this ‘illness’?  What will appease the god Cantra?

Tubes Elevations
Gigantic tubes have been lying on the edge of a city for as long as anyone can remember.  This area known as the ‘Tubes’ is believed to be a deathbed of giant worms, which over time has become a curving mound covered in light-green vegetation and with good views over the city.  In recent times, poorer communities have built a slum on top of this ‘land’.  There have been pleas by these communities for the watch to make their presence felt, but being a rough, poor area, the watch aren’t ‘able’ to assist, saying its beyond their jurisdiction. The adventurers are called in by a member of the poor community.  The problems lie with creatures of decay, which come out at night to feed on the city life.  What are these creatures of decay?  Will the Tubes slums be able to prosper or is more a steak than a city neighbourhood?

Resounding Babysitter
The Rakaldra is a kind, very large, many armed and lactating being.  She has the affection of a mother and the giving liquids of a cow.  She baby sits for different creatures and in return receives their blessings.  She is slowly rising to a god-like status and is now able to bless others from afar. Will the adventurers help her become a deity?  If she continues her rise, will she become a good god or is she plotting something else?

Rolling Word Play – 25

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Count Cabbages, Primaries Dynasties and Downswing Foreman

Count Cabbages
Explosives are being smuggled into the city inside of cabbages.  A cabbage salesman has been charged with bringing them in and selling them to the gang members.  Will the adventurers be involved in this explosive attempt?  Are they involved in the criminal gang?  If they are tracking down the criminals, then they learn that the watch are concerned that a known gang has gone very quiet of late, and are willing to hire the adventurers to do some detecting as the watch resource is being stretched with other official duties.  What is the target for this dangerous activity and what are the criminals’ intentions?

Primaries Dynasties
A great Elven King is the first-born of the original ruler of the kingdom.  He has four generations of elves in his royal family but he continues ever-onwards in his three-thousand year rule.  Many are tired of his reign.  He dislikes change and the kingdom is becoming a laughing stock for its backward, traditional values.  For others, they cannot imagine another ruler in a land steeped in stability and values. Three of his kin will approach the adventurers once their presence is known to them.  One will want their company and give them lots of food, wine and money to amuse him.  Another will want them to be body guards for the king as she suspects foul play.  The other will want the king assassinated for the good of the kingdom.  What will the adventurers do?  They cannot side with everyone so will have to choose their allies carefully.

Downswing Foreman
This military class is especially adept with bludgeoning weapons.  They value fair play above all else and prefer bludgeoning weapons such as the truncheon, flail or club to stun or disarm their opponents.

Class-specific features: – Extra damage with bludgeoning weapons – Stunning Strike – Wisdom is their main mental skill – Strength is their core physical skill – They are trained to deal with the public, and can speak loudly and clearly when needed

Rolling Word Play – 24

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Transmit Justifies Contrasted Riots, Envisaged Economics Footpath and Managerial Spare.

Transmit Justifies Contrasted Riots
The usually peace-giving monks of Canelo were known and liked for protecting citizens, pleading with the rulers on behalf of them and carrying out duties as an independent, religious group. But something changed after a royal declaration was read out, which resulted in the monks resorting to violence. Now the ruling faction is at war with the monks of Canelo.  What was said that so upset them?  What can be done to resolve the matter?  Whose side are the adventurers on?

Envisaged Economics Footpath
The great money heist.  It all starts with a document.  In this particular kingdom, money is created and controlled in confidential locations.  The adventurers will be asked by a town merchant to obtain the contents of the finance minister’s document holder whilst he is making an address to bankers (after meeting with the prime minister).  The plan is for the adventurers to switch documents without them knowing. To pull this off, the adventurers will need to find a brilliant scribe.  If successful, it will contain exact economic details and reveal the location of several money making activities happening over the next few crucial weeks. Time for the heist to commence!

Managerial Spare
The managerial 8-ball.  This limited magical item can learn 5 instructions and 3 responses to speak in the voice of the person teaching it.  For example, an instruction could be “make me breakfast”, whilst a response could be “good morning”.  This device has been used on numerous occasions by busy, multi-tasking employers as well as in certain domestic situations.

Rolling Word Play – 23

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Mining Brilliant Jubilant Clubs, Circuit Propelling Misconduct and Pronounced Resembling Sizzled Tank.

Mining Brilliant Jubilant Clubs
A type of stone is said to be the source of a great army’s powers.  If a weapon contains a core made of this stone, then it provides the user with immunity from fear when in combat.  A weapon made completely of the stone provides immunity from fear and Charisma checks with advantage.  It also adds +1 to attacks and the user can re-roll natural 1s.

Circuit Propelling Misconduct
Think Fagin from Oliver Twist but with an extra twist.  All Urchins within his youthful gang of thieves have magical ankle bracelets with a single bead attached that cannot be removed by normal means.  He has a corresponding bead for each urchin.  With these, he can propel his beads along a miniature circuit increasing the speed of the child attached to the corresponding bead.  The result is hastened thieves causing havoc.  How do the urchins feel about this?  What happens to the urchins when they reach adulthood?  Have any managed to escape the gang?

Pronounced Resembling Sizzled Tank
The MeAwzs, or “MeAwwzsss” is the roughest and most aggressive orc gang in the city.  There is a social desire by some to express their primal barbaric nature. The MeAwzs gang is based on expressing wild, primal rage (think half rogue, half barbican multiclass).  They are often involved in aggressive, petty acts of violence, but lately they’ve become more militant.  How will the MeAwzs feature in your city?  Who is behind their more organised activities?

Rolling Word Play – 22

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Paraded Crabby, Storm Undisputed and Hears Common Analogy.

Paraded Crabby
This mission could be played as protagonist, passer-by or protector.  The carnival of Noitos is spectacular and runs through the centre of the town, passed the cathedral, parks, the mayor’s headquarters and many cheering citizens. This undercover operation is an attempt to infiltrate the mayor’s headquarters and hold the mayor as hostage. To do this, one of the carnival floats contains many giant crab-like creatures that have been trained to open doors, attack and guard spaces.  How will the adventurer’s be involved in this crime?  What demands will the criminals have should they succeed in holding the mayor hostage?

Storm Undisputed
The borders between the wilds and the nearby populated towns are always stormy.  But in fact, there is an illusion in place to always keep it looking this way.  It is based on truth and anyone venturing into the wilds should roll a 1d10 die. If they roll a 1, it is an actual storm, which can do untold damage to those caught in it.  What is the storm illusion hiding?  Who or what is causing this illusion and keeping it in place?

Hears Common Analogy
Strange common sayings that people tend to use are starting to literally occur in one particular town.  The source of these disturbances can be traced to a powerful sorcerer who has the sub-conscious ability to manifest what he hears and believes he understands.  Such examples of these saying coming true could be: People flying by the seat of their pants Being becoming mad hat makers (‘Mad as a hatter’) It raining cats and dogs (‘It’s raining cats and dogs’)

What type of creature is the sorcerer?  What will the adventurers decide to do when they encounter such an innocent but powerful being?