Tag: plot

Rolling Word Play – 15

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Handbag View Downward, Laughed needlessly and Connectors Parked.

Handbag View Downward
A mage created this bag with two pancake-sized portals that both link to the inside of the bag.  It enables anything within this bag to be in constant motion between the portals.  It was created as a good way to store chemical objects that shouldn’t settle (certain fluids that would turn to solid or explosive ingredients) but it can also be a very effective ranged weapon as it will be at full speed when released from the bag.  When extracting useful contents from the bag, a spell such as Featherfall (D&D) or a Slow spell prevents the contents from splattering everywhere.

Laughed Needlessly
A certain name triggers this curse upon all those in the vicinity of hearing it when it is spoken by someone. Why this powerful prank should work, no-one is sure but it is not fixed to any area.  It follows those who know of its power around, like a virus, spreading onto others who witness the effect.  Urban myths say the person is real and living, but common sense must surely mean they have changed their name by now to avoid complete ridicule.

Connectors Parked
The gates to the Avass – an imposing pyramidal structured tomb – are all connected.  All it takes is for one door to be triggered by opening it and all gates are uniformly activated.  This turns on the life and traps within.

Rolling Word Play – 14

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Filed Cliff, Confessed Limp and Unlocked Accusation.

Filed Cliff
This adventure begins out of a town when a dying man whispers the word ‘cliff’ to the party of adventurers. Enquiries lead to more questions than answers… To the watch of the town, a Cliff refers to a dead end; an unresolved crime which they could chuck resources at forever at still not solve.  There is also Posthumous Cliff; a physical cliff-face notoriously known as the last stop those that want to forget.  There is also a famous bard known as Cliff Tabard who disappeared many years ago. Where will the trail lead?  What happened to the dying man, and why did he utter that word?

Confessed Limp
An ancient swampland contains miniature magical elements or creatures that dwell in the moist air.  They attack and feed off those with a guilty conscience, so that the traveller literally feels the weight of the world in their leg.  They limp on, their movement impaired by this additional weight.  Until they atone in some way or die, thus starving the elements/creatures feeding of this guilt, their limp will continue.

Unlocked Accusation
The treasured lock of hair belonging to a powerful sorceress has been stolen.  But for what purpose?  The full green moon is approaching its fullest point in 3 days’ time.  Is trouble of a magical kind brewing?

Rolling Word Play – 13

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about Petal Rafters, Organ Jive and Postponing Jeers.

Petal Rafters
A fey retreat for weary travellers to be revived in a number of different ways.  Although housed in an average-looking tavern, clients are escorted up a narrow staircase and into a forest scene.  the upstairs has been transformed to look like a forest glade and the floor consists of flower petals, which are soft on the feet but solid to walk on.  Any actions that the fey workers deem inappropriate however, and the floor gives way underneath the naughty traveller’s feet, either trapping them in a petal bind or letting them drop to the floor below.

What is beneath the petal floor?  Is the city aware of what goes on in this building?

Organ Jive
The mightiest known organ known in all the kingdoms has to be the Jive Organ, belonging to the Mountain Dwarves of Jive.  This colossal organ is formed from the very mountain in which it was built, using both natural and dwarf-engineered vents to move the air effectively. It is not only a way of heralding news and calling workers home from the mines; it is also an effective deterrent for those who would otherwise try to invade.  The lowest vibrations can topple armies and siege engines from the mountain path as well as cause landslides.

Postponing Jeers
The Correction Cap is useful, but something to be used with caution.  Using complex magic, it can tweak probabilities and possibilities to improve the wearer’s success in achieving a task.  However, it always has to re-right itself, which can provide an unfortunate kick-back for the wearer.

If a roll is unsuccessful, the Correction Cap will automatically cause the player to succeed. The wearer can then reset the correction cap, meaning that it will fail the next roll they would have otherwise succeeded on.   However, the player can keep the benefits of the cap going for up to 4 rolls (converting failure to success).  If this happens, they will then experience a big downturn in luck.  Either 4 fails or 2 critical failures (for the GM to decide). It is also possible that the cap explodes (e.g. a natural 1 on the dice roll).

Rolling Word Play – 5

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words.  Here’s today’s selection.  Discover more about the Scalding Regret, Flimsy Bite and Hissing Health.

Scalding Regret
A natural ingredient placed in a stew to deter or punish deal breakers.  A powerful shaman needs adventurers to complete a quest, is happy to pay and give them provisions, but asks them to drink a stew with him to honour this task.  The drink is partly made of swamp weed only found in that area.  It dries and grows hot outside of its own environment. When eaten, it remains in the body for 3 days.  If the party venture out of the swamp area within those 3 days they will suffer horrific burns internally.  They will need clerical or shamanic healing to prevent further damage.

Flimsy Bite
A potential quest. A giant eel has been sighted in the lake where the natives of the area like to fish.  There hasn’t been one seen for many generations and they are afraid to go back into the waters.  Any adventurers who take on this task will find the eel is harmless to the beings as it only eating small plankton-like creatures.  If they follow it down into the waters, they will discover a clutch of eel eggs.  If they attempt to harm or move it or its eggs, it will attempt to defend itself.  The party must make the moral decision how to bring peace in the lake.

Hissing Health
There are ways to survive the jungle of Barvu but they have consequences.  Plenty of animals want to attack others or protect themselves with toxic skin and venomous fangs.  There is a type of snake called the Vulena that if placed on the body will heal them and protect the user from venom.  But it is also a parasite.  Take it off and the host creature will bleed profusely.  The more wounds a player gets and turns to Vulena for help, the more the snakes will assimilate into the host’s body.  There is a tribe in the jungle called the Vulens that is made up of humanoid Vulena.  This is the impact of those who forget themselves and give in to the jungle.