Tag: Story Inspiration

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 – 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 – 1

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:

Relevant Salmon
A group of salmon who are dependent on a single entity for their survival.  Like a hive mind, they collect their intelligence and ‘pool’ it together into one fish, who leads the others; hopefully to salvation and safe spawning grounds.

There have been instances where a salmon has been caught and all other salmon have attacked the unsuspecting fisherperson until they dropped their catch.  Unfortunately a myth has grown up that killing the one, relevant salmon will grant you wishes.  There is no record of this being confirmed, but there are records of a single salmon being speared and the entire group instantly dying.

Drafty Chocolate
Made from cocoa beans grown in the harsh tropical caves of Hinreln, the taste mentally transports the user to those harsh, windy conditions.  The shock can be good or bad depending on the creature, but it has been proven to lower the body temperature significantly and is highly sought after by those in hot, desert climates.

Suspicious Negotiation
A term that can be applied to many situations, but the particular story to earn this title is a play, very popular in rural towns in which royalty do not reside.  The story starts with a king who rules over a peaceful nation.  In the story he sees a fey creature (the sort of creature varies with each telling) imprisoned in his city.  Fascinated, he ignores his advisors and buys the creature for himself.  The king asks it questions and using its charms and illusory powers the fey creature convinces the king that it can see into the future.  For each question the fey creature conjures up a dystopian vision which in turn feeds the king’s growing concerns.  As the story goes on, the visions get worse and the king’s paranoia alienates him from everyone around him.  The story ends with the fey creature tricking the king into being released.  It then kills then king and assumes his form.