Tag: rpg

The Creator Series

In developing new ideas, I naturally create lists or tables so that I can roll for potential outcomes. Once I had my island palette ready to design new destinations, I had a moment where I realized that this may be a more useful tool for other DMs in its current state than a series of completed island locations.

And so, the Island Creator had begun to take shape. Whilst planning this out I expanded the idea to cities and how the same set of tables could help inform the type of ruler it had, the population and the types of magical or intriguing locations that could be visited.

It was definitely a passion project, and many more weeks followed in which I refined the tables and added additional tables that could bring a little extra detail, if required. They are definitely fun, thought-provoking and descriptive tools for any DM, a way of bringing either random selection into the locations the party visit, or just as likely inspiring ideas that the DM can adapt to their grand design.

Here’s what’s included in the Island Creator:

  • Category. What kind of Island it is.
  • Reputation. Is it well known or a complete mystery?
  • Population. How many creatures live there.
  • Size. The shape and area of the island.
  • Creature Types. What type of creatures call this their island.
  • Magic. Just how wild and magical is it?
  • Secrets. Every island has something mysterious yet to be discovered.
  • Threat. What is the main threat to the party.
  • Quests. Combines two tables to form suggestive titles to kickstart the party’s next adventure.

Here’s what’s included in the City Creator:

  • Attitude – How the city is being run.
  • Boom & Bust – The ruler’s strength and weakness.
  • Population Size – The number of inhabitants.
  • Population Make Up – How expansive or monocultural the society is.
  • Creature Types – What kinds of creatures live and work in the city.
  • City Size & Shape – The amount of land the city occupies and why it grew in the way it did.
  • Population – What creatures reside here and how hospitable they are to outsiders.
  • City Origin and Heritage – Why a settlement was established and how it influences the city today.
  • Unique Traits – What makes the city worth visiting.
  • Main Trade Imports and Exports – The main goods and services that the city needs or generates itself.
  • Places of Interest – Some of the city’s most unique sights.
  • NPCs – A way to quickly build interactions with some of the city’s more intriguing characters, including their race, class, personality type, personal objective, strengths, and weaknesses.

Potions, Magic Items and Temples

It has been a busy few months as I hit a creative period. Following that was the inevitable administration; simpler tasks but no less time consuming! I am delighted to share this new set of ideas, that I believe will be a fun addition to any home campaign.

Glitzz’s Guide to Potions and Floral Amulets is a magical, easy-to-use collection that I adapted from a previous product (The Magic of Nature). For all 35 potions and floral amulets mentioned, it describes its effects and its rarity, which will affect its cost and availability. The ingredients used are also mentioned, and there is a table of ingredients with appearance, terrain where it is found and rarity, in case the DM wishes to allow players to literally ‘home brew’ their own potions and floral amulets!

The Hidden Sanctuary

Using the tables in the Dungeon Master’s Guide to create rooms and content was a fascinating process. It gave me the background with which to build up an adventure. The result was not what I expected and I was excited by the scenario.

The Hidden Sanctuary can be applied to any temple scenario and adds extra layers to a distinguished place of worship. What lies beyond the grand outer halls is sensational and could lead to many problems if discovered. The players will need to decide what to do with this information.

Treasures of the Desert

I was excited by the idea of creating a collection of 100 magical items. I created magical items for other modules and enjoyed the process. It soon became clear just how much work creating 100 items in a row was, but it was very rewarding seeing the collection completed.

Having the treasures come from the desert was a way to bring the items together under one theme. I based the desert on The Da; the prominent land mass in my home campaign. In that, it used to be a much different landscape and the Elven kingdom known as Chan’Danis. The idea that the desert dunes hid many lost artefacts from past kingdoms was an attractive one, and that sometimes a fortunate or persistent adventurer would uncover a tomb or ancient settlement containing these treasures. Only the Desert truly chooses when to reveal its secrets.

There are no future products in development at the moment as I will be spending the summer concentrating on other parts of my life, but I hope to create some quick documents if and when inspiration strikes during my home roleplay campaign, Agora Core. In the meantime, have a good summer!

Sea Adventures and Charity

The D&D group I DM are currently crossing the seas and decided to create a module based on their adventures.  It turned out to be a much larger volume than anticipated!  I am very pleased to release this to other groups and DMs who are looking for buccaneering, sea-swept adventures to add to their stories.

This was always going to be a product where the author’s royalties would go to a charity.  It’s a strange time for everyone, and I wanted to help in some way.  In buying this product, you will be helping ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty); their Arts Resilience Fund is designated to bring the arts to those most in need during this time.

Crossing the Great Archipelago is available from DM Guild for $4.99.

The islands of the archipelago are jealously guarded by greedy rulers and powerful, wild creatures. The waters are the hunting grounds for pirates and sharks while corals and storms sink the ships of many a reckless captain.

There are 30 different scenarios and many unique encounters as well as some classic watery foes!  There are also 60 different treasure items, all rated from low to high, depending on the encounter.

Happy adventuring, and stay safe and well out there!

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.

Rolling Word Play – 3

The Inspiration of Chance and Improvisation – Word Play

I’m starting a series where I generate Roleplay ideas based on random words. Let’s see what words I get to play with today:

Massive Analyst
This is a pill taken by a creature that is desperate for an answer that they cannot yet grasp. Many of those that have taken the pill take a long time to re-emerge from their semi-comatose state.  Some never return, lost in the midst of a mental or spiritual maze.  For most, they have returned profoundly shaken and many are never the same again. The epiphanies they bring with them are often not simple and take events in a completely different direction.

Here is a way of playing out the effects of a Massive Analyst on a d10 die roll:

1 – Utterly lost. Re-roll again the following day to see what happens next.   Add a mental quirk to your character sheet from this life-altering experience.

2-3 – Confused in the unconscious realm. You re-emerge 1d10 days later, but have lost some of your mental sharpness.  Add a condition to your character sheet to reflect this.

4-5 –   You return quickly but altered by the experience.  Add a mental quirk to your character.

6-7 – You were unaffected by the experience and were able to return quickly.  You will gain +1 to the die roll if you ever decide to retake this pill.

8-9 – You found an answer to the question.  Check with the GM to see what wisdom you gained.

10 – You had a profound epiphany.  It is greater than you could have possibly imagined!  Check with the GM for details.

 Activate Understanding
A scene of devastation. Zombie roam across an area known as the Death Zone.  They are surprisingly fast and aggressive, attacking living organisms, which either bleed out or become animated undead husks like themselves.

The source of the trouble is in a grave.  A powerful magical ring was left with the corpse of an elderly lady who died a few years ago.  She carved it and used her magics to prolong her life.  As her own energy drained away, the ring’s stored energy was still working.  As the flimsy wooden coffin in which she was buried deteriorated, the ring’s influence tainted the soil and cause an un-life in the corpses of those in the graveyard.

The town records and library will have information on an old woman who dodged death for so long (she was over 140 years old) and where she was buried.  There is also information about how to use witchcraft to change the energy flow in an item.  Using a ritual and a few key ingredients, the ring’s energy can be changed to generate a flow of peace and rest.  This is a way to finally end the reign of un-life.

Sorry Accept Patience
A society run by a zealous religious faction expects their citizens to report their own sins and the sins of others.  For those who are brought to receive their punishments, they must first ask for repentance (Sorry), accept they are wrong and sign a confession (Accept).  Having signed, they must then await punishment, which will be delivered when the religious faction deem it appropriate (Patience).  This can sometimes take several years and can even be provided in smaller installments.  The faction controls the populous in this way, with fear of punishment and of being reported for sins.

Level 4 – Episode 13

Lardolas and the Lamia

The exciting finale of Series 4.  As the party track down Vijo, they become the hunted ones…

Future podcasts
The plan is to work on future podcasts in slower time and publish the audio only.  For more info, see online: Agora-Core.com or @Agoracore.

Level 4, Episode 5

Brawl in the Boiler

So much for information gathering in a quiet tavern…

Upon arriving at the fortified desert town of Karmel, the party gain directions to the Boiler – a tavern frequently by Pat’s band, the Yardbards.  But they soon get more then just information as they encounter gamblers, desert explorers and mysterious monks.

Also, Pat’s new ring keeps tingling, and why do those monks want a Cleric of Pelor?