Rolling Word Play – Page 5 – Rollplay Sidekick

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.

Rolling Word Play – 18

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about Rallies Swings, Events Tilting and Reserved Sawdust.

Rallies Swings
The thieves guild has an assault course that tests their agility and ability to work together. New initiates have to wait till at least four creatures are ready to join the guild before they’ll be considered. They must then take the assault course together by each completing a lap of the course with a bundle of goods (represented by a sack of stones) and passing it onto the next initiate. Failure can be very costly as there are not only dogs chasing the runners but also swinging weaponry to dodge and walls to climb. Those that get hit by the assault course obstacles can become crippled for life or even die.

Events Tilting
Ambal’s Trembling Disk is a very powerful magical item. Its size makes it very distinguishable as is it has the appearance of a black rock and so heavy that it uses a four-legged stand, making it a similar size to a desk. The central-top area of the disk is separate from the outside. In shape, this central area is flat and then curves into a ball at the bottom. A skilled magic user who has taken time to master the device can project a visible area of land up to 300 ft. onto the disk and start physically moving the central part of the disk up, down and around. This causes the chosen area of land to do the same, affecting any creatures or buildings in that area as if hit by an earthquake. It has been used in city defence and even carried into battle warfare before. But where is it now?

Reserved Sawdust
In the Gamalen Forest, the wood lives on beyond the death of the tree. This wood attempts to protect the soil beneath by crawling worm-like on the ground and find the best place for it to finally decompose. One clever entrepreneur realised that if the wood is taken from the forest, it can have other uses. Reserved Sawdust is a thieves’ favourite tool to cover their tracks as when dropped on the ground it looks for damp patches to cover and divots to fill. Before long, the ground looks as if no one walked there at all.

Rolling Word Play – 17

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about Extremely Parenthood, Pampering Caves and Translate Servants.

Extremely Parenthood
The Basin of Innocence if a profound place, which includes many items of curiosity as well as some wondrous magical items. The feeling when entering is hard to avoid, however and affects the whole body. It is a squeezing, popping sensation as if sucked through a worm hole whilst flying at high altitude. Those who are swept up in that feeling (the equivalent of failing a Wisdom saving throw in D&D 5e) become very young versions of themselves. Roll 1d6 +6 to determine their new age. Now, best try and retrieve the object they came there for (if they can still remember) and find a way out. The age effects last for 1d6 days after leaving the Basin.

Pampering Caves
The Doljer Hills have an extensive network of caves and hot springs, which attracts many travellers and rich aristocrats with ailments, who flock to the bath houses to be pampered and revived whilst enjoying extensive views of the plains below. But those that do make the journey must make sure they go to the right caves, for there are also many faux bath houses. Many travellers have found themselves in bath houses run by bandits, who store stolen goods further inside the cave complex, and also bath houses of ill repute for other activities. Which will your adventurers discover? How far into the cave complex do they wish to go?

Translate Servants
The Fellowship House is a bastion of civilized society, where ideas are shared, the ways of the world debated and much feasting is had. But it is built on the back of slavery, much of which has been imported for labour. However, there is a plot underway by the servants to overthrow their masters. Will their plot be translated in time, and if so, whose side will the adventurers take?

Rolling Word Play – 16

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about Prefers Notary, Actual Materials and Cheeks Rejoin.

Prefers Notary
In one kingdom the power not only sits with royalty, but the Queen’s notary who over time, became her lover and partner in plotting the kingdom’s future behind the King’s back. The King had been oblivious to this turn of events until recently. But now he’s starting to ask questions and suspect there may be something more between his wife and her notary. A plot is formed to knock him off and replace him with someone they can control (an actor, or an illusion from a trusted mage). Will they succeed and if so, how long can they keep up the façade?

Actual Materials
A gold mine has been producing very little in precious metals and the local community is concerned that the mining company will go under. Despite their lack of success, work has not ceased and does not look like slowing with those in control determined to continue. The occasional pieces of glittering gold have emerged, but it isn’t enough to run a mine. The minors are unmotivated whilst some haven’t been paid in weeks.

There are two illusionists working for the manager, who oversee the mining and carry out inspections. They have been hiding the gold in plain sight making it look like solid rock, and have been sifting out the hidden gold and storing it elsewhere for their own gains. What is their aim? Does the manager know?

Cheeks Rejoin
The sacred cheeks of Almara are 2 pristine velvet cushions, made of exquisite material. They have been kept apart in separate palaces belonging to the Sultan of Almara. There has long been a myth that the two together provide a coded message for finding the tomb of the first Sultan and untold wealth therein. However, this interest has piqued recently with the disappearance of one of the cushions, presumed stolen. Who has the cushion? What other parties are interested in obtaining the treasures? Where is the tomb located and what lies inside?

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 – 8

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about the Rescue Basis, Earth Dream and Slug View.

Rescue Basis
An emergency state where all the constructs (be it future sci-fi or golum-type creatures) will attempt to save all creatures from threats. This can be helpful if characters are in real peril, but it’s also difficult for them to do anything new if the constructs believe this presents a risk. The interesting part here is why was the Rescue Basis was triggered in the first place and how it can be stopped.

Earth Dream
In an ancient woodland, or where one once stood, the ancient trees and fungi created a complex organic highway of energy underneath the ground, becoming an unconscious super-structure. In this vast area, the soil itself imagines creatures or an altered landscape and this in turn creates changes in the land.

But why is the land dreaming so? Is there in fact a parasite that is causing it to slumber and manipulating its superhighway? To bring peace to this infected, toxic environment the adventurers will have travel into its heart and wake it up.

Slug View
The town of Chilwen wishes to send adventurers into the nearby woodland to investigate why a barron mound of earth the size of a hill has risen at its centre and decimated the trees. Anyone investigating will discover a massive migration of slugs rising to the top of the hill and into a dank, smelly hole. Within are many organisms that thrive on decay such as worms and other insects. These particular worms are blind and viscous and follow the slug trails to find what they can devour. In the centre of this mess is the source of this disturbance. A magical artefact discarded by their owners and left to rot in the ground. What is it and why was it abandoned?

Rolling Word Play – 7

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about the Nearly Liability, Adopt Honey and Ended Ledge.

Nearly Liability
A punishment, usually a fine, given to executioners who fail to kill their criminal subjects satisfactorily. A public hanging or beheading is thought of as the kingdom’s ultimate punishment and a simple but effective deterrent to other would-be criminals out there. A miscalculated blunder by the punisher is seen as diluting the deterrent at best, and an embarrassment to the kingdom at worst.

Adopt Honey
A forest guardian who takes on the form of a cute, smiley little girl. Its actions are polar-opposite to the Will ‘O Wisp, which tries to lure travellers to their doom. In direct contrast, Honey guides travellers through the forest as quickly as possible (as much for the sake of the forest as for the travellers).

Ended Ledge
This strange ledge sticks out on top of a high cliff and is said to be un-walkable by locals and experienced travellers alike. And yet, something glistens curiously on the end point of the cliff. Those that have tried to investigate have never succeed in discovering more about the mysterious object and have suffered injuries and even death as a consequence.

Roll 1d6 to see what happens to the player attempting to get to the cliff’s edge: 1-2: The player dimension jumps over the edge of the cliff. 3-4: The player dimension jumps 10ft past the edge of the cliff. 5-6: The player is on the underside of the cliff. So long as they can maintain concentration (DC 12 Constitution Save) they can remain in their strange upside down state and discover items there. Otherwise, they fall.

The way to get to the object is to react once the magic protection has been rolled, using athletics or Acrobatics check. What is the glistening object? Why is it on the cliff edge? The GM will decide.

Rolling Word Play – 6

Creating Roleplay ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about the Silver Rams, Mason Club and Clever Pinch.

Silver Rams
Mysterious silver coins have been appearing in the forest glade beside the village or Barol. The coin’s design is not one used by the kingdom, and simply contains the outline of a ram’s head. The villagers have been very cautious of the objects and have not dared touch them, but just two days ago a child went missing from this area, further fuelling the villagers’ panic.

What could be dropping the coins and were they responsible for kidnapping a child? A story begins here…

Mason Club
A magical club used to shape large rocks as if they were putty. Wooden in appearance, it acts as a normal bludgeoning weapon except when making contact with the properties in stone. Then, it can mould the stone. Very useful against stone constructs such as golems and especially useful if caught in a cave-in.

Clever Pinch
There is a term, to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. In the case of the gnomes who dwell in hovels about the Creln Hills, they have a different saying; A ‘clever pinch’ is a way of checking that a gnome is still in control of themselves and to prove to others that they are who they claim to be. There are creatures in the Creln Hills who like to imitate and even control the minds of simple folk who are just getting on with living. If a gnome says something particularly clever or out-of-character, they will be expected to pinch themselves to confirm their identity. Before now, when there has been no ‘clever pinch’, conversations have stopped abruptly and the gnome or gnome imposter attacked.

Rolling Word Play – 4

Creating RPG ideas based on randomly generated words. Here’s today’s selection. Discover more about the Lying Spoon, Slim Treasure and Motionless Snow.

Lying Spoon
Anything a person eats with this piece of cutlery will disguise the taste and deceive the taster. A delicious dessert will taste fowl whilst rotting meats will taste fresh and divine. The spoon doesn’t however protect the user from poisons or disease, so consuming dangerous products will taste healthy but will still cause harm.

Slim Treasure
The Harp of Aratras has strings made of pure gold. They are so finely made that they act as if they are hairs from the strongest horse or silk from the largest spider. The wooden shell of the harp is beautifully decorated but the real value in in each golden string. When plucked by a musician proficient in playing the harp, the sound is both earthy and warm, and is so unique that there is no sound quite like it.

Motionless Snow
In the Tarpa Seas is a mist that has been created by the Tarpa Waterfalls. Some say that the source of the spring that created these falls is magically because it cures weapons of rust when placed in its waterways. By the time the water gets to the falls it creates a mist that stays in the air and forms a dense, unmoving cloud. The cloud is so dense and so magical that when the weather turns cold, the ice and snow crystals appears in the air, motionless. In such weather, it becomes impregnable for sea vessels and in some instances, 10 foot diamond shapes have formed, standing impossibly on one edge. Only direct sunlight destroys the clouds, but they reform quickly as the mist ascends again.