plot ideas – Rollplay Sidekick

100 Pre-Generated NPCs

After creating the NPC Creator, I set myself a challenge. I enjoyed creating the product, but I wanted to see what NPCs might be created from it. I was intrigued to see what juicy combinations might arise.

The challenge was really useful in terms of tweaking the original NPC Creator, because I could see if there were any errors, but just as significantly, I could see if the stats boosts and options it created made sense.

The first things to change were the stat boosts. The mental stats (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) were far more likely to come up compared to the physical stats (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution). Secondly some of the options in a table produced the same results (for example, boosting Intelligence by 3 and Wisdom by 2), making the description for the chosen word in the table meaningless. I was able to manage this as I created the NPCs.

The remaining changes were all minor, such as changing an ability’s range or strength, but because there were 100 NPCs to create, it took a long time. As part of the process, I made sure to balance the frequency that each creature came up, and to make sure that no creature type ever had two of the same character class.

I am extremely pleased with the outcome. The final flourish was using midjourney for the character art and including the eight animal companions. Now that the product is complete and released, I really hope the NPCs get to play out in the wild. The idea that Nevi could be a kick-ass companion, or a dangerous villain excites me. What will Grenla find in the woods when she goes looking for the flower in her dreams? Can Kourtan be trusted, or will he use the adventuring party?

There are so many NPCs to interact with, and so many plot hooks to explore. It has been a labor of love, and hopefully a lot of fun for groups out there!

The NPC Centesimo and the NPC Creator are both available on the DMs Guild website, in PDF format.

A Time for Collections

Since my last blog entry, a lot has happened in the world. Limitations are very hard in terms of separation from loved ones and social activities that people depend on. Every plan we had this year is out the window and we are indebted to those workers who enable us to continue to live our lives in isolation. One positive is how limitations focus the mind on activities that can be done. With that in mind, I’ve been busy updating and compiling my fantasy RPG publications into comprehensive collections.

Compendium of Fantastical Ideas

It was very satisfying combining all five books into one collection. This was always the plan, as each contains sixty unique ideas, so five books creates a total of three hundred ideas, which seemed a good place to stop the series.

Compendium of Fantastical Ideas is available from DrivethruRPG for $15

Solo Adventures – The Collection

I created these stories in late 2018 and the Covid-19 quarantine gave me a chance to revisit these and update them, which was a lot of fun! Now they are in a collection of their own ready to provide entertaining to someone else looking for a bit of escapism and interactive story-telling.

Solo Adventures is available from DrivethrurRPG for $10

I’ll start working on new projects soon. But in the meantime, I hope you stay safe in these uncertain times. Lots of love, Jon (rollplaysidekick.com).

Rolling Word Play – 47

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about Rattle Swaps Fully, Lengthy Articulate Occurs, and Stone Paradise Smoked.

Rattle Swaps Fully
The Kimaran is one of the most feared shape changers known. They start life as snakes with a large vibrating tale that rattles wherever it moves. The legend goes that they are a god’s way of punishing idiocy. Certainly, those who are foolish or unlucky enough to run into these loud serpents and are swallowed whole suffer a terrible fate. The creature that emerges from the digesting snake looks the same as the prey, but this is in fact the Kimaran. The mind of the digested creature now inhabits a smaller version of the Kimaran’s body and must start its new life, looking for similarly slow or gullible victims.

Lengthy Articulate Occurs
The case of the Drip is one that holds the city in its grasp. It started with one individual who seemed to hear the dripping sound clearly above all others. But soon, more and more beings heard it, and slowly it drew them mad as at ever more frequent intervals they would absent-mindedly stop and call out the sound they heard: “drip, drip, drip”.

Can the players intervene and find the source of this cursed sound? What does it portend, or is the device causing it already having the effect its designer wished? If investigating, the players will need to make sure they themselves do not lose their minds.

Stone Paradise Smoked
The inside of a volcano isn’t the idea of many creatures’ paradise, but for the Lizard folk or Arlatla, it provides them with perfect slopes to soak in the sun’s rays and also the heat to keep warm in all seasons. Situated between the dry plains and the moist jungle, the sacred volcano or Arn provides all this and more besides. The lizard folk have installed several sheltered rooms under the active hill. Each room also has warm air circulating through vents from the magma pools below, providing plenty of good heat. They have created a large green house, which uses the moisture of the jungle and heat from Arn to grow their own foods. The Red Hall is an area where only the elite are allowed. This includes a doughnut-shaped enclosure with a warm pool in the middle, allowing the lizards to enjoy heat, light and water all day long.

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 – 19

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about Shrill Experts, Replaces Confining and Onions Relatives.

Shrill Experts
There are creatures called Rills that are so advanced in terms of sound manipulation that they can harm and stun their opponents with the mere use of their voices. Unlike most humanoids they have 4 lungs and many air vents. They also have keen ears. Their incredible aural powers have been developed mainly as a result of internal wars, meaning their own audible defences are also very strong. In terms of physique they are top-heavy with good strength and wasp-like eyes on either side of their head. Their legs are thin with bird-like feet, giving them good agility and balance. There is a rarer mutation that gives them four legs, and these are revered in Rill culture and obtain a high status in their society.

Replaces Confining
Welcome to Hamrash prison. This salty plane of existence is a giant, infertile field. Plants do grow here – a variant of water cress – but they have little nutritional value and the prisoners need to eat a lot of them in order to survive, essentially turning them into cattle. There is one pool of water and the city state has created a number of artificial shelters. The prison is very effective in humbling and wearing down the most temperamental of prisoners, but the city state has the moral issue of deciding whether to ‘police’ the prisoners’ behaviour in the prison or to leave them to it.

Onion Relatives
These rotund humanoids known as Inshi, appear to have a shiny, glossy skin. It enables them to regenerate damaged cells and recover hit points. The skin can also be shed, peeling back to reveal an inner skin without the ailments of the outer. When they choose to do this, their maximum hit points and strength are reduced, but they are fit and healthy once more. Only a severe wound would affect the inner layers. They have approximately five working layers (depending on the individual) before the inner organs become exposed. Here is an example of their stats in 5e (Int, Wis and Cha stay the same):

Outer Layer: Str:16, Dex:10, Con: 18, Hit points = 40, Regeneration rate = 0

Layer 2: Str:14, Dex:12, Con: 16, Hit points = 34, Reg. rate = 1 hp/round

Layer 3: Str:12, Dex:14, Con: 14, Hit points = 28, Reg. rate = 2 hp/round

Layer 4: Str:10, Dex:16, Con: 12, Hit points = 22, Reg. rate = 3 hp/round

Layer 5: Str:8, Dex:18, Con: 10, Hit points = 16, Reg. rate = 4 hp/round

The Inshi can recover their outer skin(s), but it is a painful process that takes a considerable amount of time to do.