Maritime laws

Maritime law is the section of the law code that applies at sea. By decree within a country's claimed waters, and by agreement with other nations past that limit. 

The interesting thing about maritime law is that it can remain unaltered for centuries. The situation changes and it no longer gets applied to the real world, but it's still on the books. Waiting for some enterprising lawyer to wake it up again — as evidenced in 2003 when the Bush administration broke up a Greenpeace protest using a hundred-year old law against sailor-mongering!

Six ancient maritime laws the adventurers didn't expect to be applied in the current day:

1. Pressganging
The port they're approaching has reactivated an old law that lets them take 10% of a ship's crew to serve a tour in its navy. The adventurers look fit enough to serve. 

2. Seizure
The nation that owns the nearby coast is confiscating a particular cargo as a form of economic war against a neighbour. They intend to confiscate the adventurers' cargo, or pilfer it while taking legitimate plunder.

3. Privateers
Legal pirates are working out of a nearby port. The adventurers' ship is flying the wrong flag to pass without being stopped. Maybe they'll be lucky and the privateers will only charge a steep toll.

4. Your kind
Centuries ago, one adventurer's entire race were declared to be pirates and subject to the consequences thereof. That law is being enforced again, for some reason.

5. Farewell
The country is rounding up undesirables and commandeering ships to dump them in exile on an island. The adventurers find their ship conscripted and laden with two dozen bewildered men, women and children who aren't sure what they've done wrong. Their provisions might just be enough, if the weather is fair the whole trip.

6. Eyes of the law
Port agents are boarding every ship before allowing disembarkation, claiming the right to check cards, dice and other gambling equipment for honest operation. They're clearly searching for something else as well, though. The adventurers have caught their interest.

The Infamous Blackie Powells

Blackie Powells is a pirate who committed a series of daring but inexplicable crimes. He kidnapped a theatre troupe. He burned a logging camp. He smashed a dam. He was the puzzle and the laughing stock of the kingdom until his master plan came together and he made off with a good portion of the royal treasury.

"He kidnapped the actors so he could dress his men in their town guard costumes... he burned out the loggers so the river would be choked with logs and the ferry couldn't operate.. he smashed the dam to lower the water level and expose the old ford. It's genius!"

That was a generation ago. Blackie's reputation has grown and grown because since that time, people have been blaming their failures on him. No, I didn't fall asleep and let the flock wander off -- Blackie took them! Of course I made all the pots you ordered -- but I watched Blackie himself throw them all down the well! Blackie held me at knifepoint just to let the loaves overcook!

What crime did Blackie commit here (2d12)?

1. Stole
2. Burned
3. Seduced
4. Painted
5. Undermined
6. Disguised
7. Forged
8. Pickpocketed
9. Delayed
10. Framed
11. Drugged
12. Rebuilt

1. A noble's daughter
2. A herd of cows
3. A farmer's cart
4. A blacksmith
5. A barn
6. A boat
7. A fisherman's wife
8. A stone keep
9. A town guard
10. A flock of crows
11. A cabinet
12. A stables

In order to (2d12):

1. Hide
2. Impersonate
3. Replace
4. Steal
5. Destroy
6. Surprise
7. Rob
8. Trick
9. Abduct
10. Antagonise
11. Redirect
12. Corrupt

1. A magistrate
2. A guard troop
3. A wealthy merchant
4. A baker's wife
5. A trade guild
6. A church
7. The baron's children
8. A widow
9. A bardic trio
10. A hunting party
11. A tax collector
12. A royal herald

The truth, if the characters manage to discover it, is a bit different. Blackie Powells retired and lived a quiet life after his big heist. Now he's an old man in a house too big for him, being gently bullied by his three adult daughters. They won't let him have strong drink, or red meat or salty cheese! They want him to drink spring water and eat leafy greens and walk outside in the sunshine for an hour every day! In fact, if the characters can help with his scheme to get away from them, he'll give them a share of the remaining gold. He just needs them to commit a small list of inexplicable minor crimes...

The Why of You

You're a(n)...

1. Strong-limbed champion
2. Agile sneak
3. Delver into mysteries
4. Compassionate believer
5. Keen-eyed nature lover
6. Skilled crafter

Raised by...

1. Loving parents
2. Disinterested relatives
3. A cruel master
4. A troupe of travellers
5. Despised outsiders
6. Yourself, mostly

Who suffered...

1. Poverty
2. Illness
3. Oppression
4. A natural disaster
5. A personal betrayal
6. Singing out of key

Which caused...

1. The loss of loved one(s)
2. Shame and banishment
3. A sudden reduction in circumstances
4. Back-breaking labour
5. Madness
6. A loss of personal confidence

And led you to...

1. Take revenge
2. Turn your back on your people
3. Commit crimes
4. Throw yourself into your studies
5. Search for a personal truth to live by
6. Rely on yourself alone

Which caused...

1. The community to change its ways
2. Your loved ones to change how they feel about you
3. Sudden attention on you from an unexpected source
4. Condemnation
5. Praise
6. An unexpected self-discovery

And now you...

1. Protect the weak
2. Work only for your own benefit
3. Live as a rootless wanderer
4. Fight evil
5. Minister to others
6. Follow a cause

Because...

1. You're reminded of yourself.
2. You believe in something more.
3. It satisfies a need you don't understand.
4. You want to achieve something great.
5. You need to repay a debt.
6. It's the best way to live!

The Why of Ships

It's sometimes important to know about passing ships. In a coastal village, sails on the horizon could mean raiders, or vital supplies arriving. Sometimes your characters need passage, no questions asked. Sometimes they need an unreasonable amount of flammable oil in a hurry, for perfectly legal activities. Sometimes, heh, it's a funny story, but they're stuck without a ship of their own because they set the vessel and its crew on fire completely by accident and there's no-one left to say otherwise.

That ship on the horizon is:

1. A fishing boat 
2. A freighter carrying goods to market 
3. A smuggler 
4. A military patrol vessel 
5. A pirate 
6. A fast courier 

Its distinctive feature is:

1. An elaborate figurehead
2. Coloured sails
3. An unusual flag
4. A motto emblazoned on the hull
5. An unusual crew makeup
6. A strange passenger
   

The captain is:

1. A drunk 
2. A scoundrel 
3. A strict disciplinarian 
4. Deeply religious 
5. Deeply morose 
6. A lunatic 

Their misfortune is:

1. Damaged 
2. Low supplies 
3. Disease on board 
4. Blown off course 
5. Short-handed after a failed mutiny 
6. Short-handed after a successful mutiny 

The closest ports are:

1. Allies 
2. Enemies 
3. Neutral 
4. Closed to them 
5. Open but may confiscate their goods 
6. Under the influence of a rival

They know:

1. The location of a nearby island with timber, game and fresh water
2. Passwords to make military ships ignore them
3. The location of a cache of supplies, guns and money
4. A colonial governor's humiliating secret
5. A safe route through an archipelago dotted with dangerous reefs
6. Market prices across all ports within a week's travel

Starting situation generator

Tables for instantly generating the bones of a simple adventure. 

Sometimes you want to start with the action and figure out the why of things later. Especially if it's a pick-up game with little or no prep time, you want to play now, plan later. 

With the tables below, you can throw down a set of polyhedral dice and instantly have enough background info to start in media res.

The party is (D4):

1. fighting with
2. negotiating with
3. hiding from
4. chasing

a group of (D6):

1. guards
2. mercenaries
3. zealots
   
4. intelligent monsters
5. unintelligent monsters
   
6. beasts

in a (D8):

1. city street
   
2. dungeon 
3. wilderness
4. crypt
5. temple
6. mansion
7. ship
8. tower
   

because (D10):

1. something has been stolen
2. someone has been taken
3. an offence must be punished
4. a plague must be cured
5. a curse must be broken
6. a bounty is on offer
7. a sentence must be commuted
8. a prophecy has been spoken
9. an oath has been sworn
10. a debt is owed
    

 and if they fail (D12):

1. a debt will default.
2. they will be cursed.
3. they will be outlawed.
4. a bounty will be placed on them.
   
5. an ally/family member will be harmed.
   
6. an allied faction will be weakened.
7. a crime will go unpunished.
8. a regime will fall.
9. a war will begin.
10. their home will be destroyed.
11. an opportunity will be lost.
12. an enemy will be empowered.

The theme for this adventure is (D20):

1. betrayal.
2. the generosity of honourable enemies.
3. competition with another party of adventurers.
4. a generation-spanning grudge.
5. insidious, creeping evil.
6. a race against time.
7. conspirators in every shadow.
8. revenge.
9. defending the weak.
10. reclaiming a heritage.
11. exploration.
12. impending disaster.
13. righteous vs despotic monarchs.
14. revealing treachery.
15. the gods are angry.
16. babysitting.
17. keeping up an act.
18. acting with stealth.
19. allies in unlikely places.
20. forbidden knowledge.

 

(Thanks to Spwack of the Slight Adjustments blog for the generator code.)

The Tooth Merchant

A wandering merchant who sells, buys, fits and polishes teeth of unusual provenance. This is an idea I originally proposed for a zine. It wasn't used, so now I can flesh it out for myself.

The merchant is an always-smiling man of indeterminate race.  He could be human, but his mouth is much too wide and contains far too many teeth. One of them plays music. 

He's most likely to be found at fae bazaars and goblin markets, but occasionally makes his way to regular markets that aren't policed too zealously. Not that he's dishonest, oh no. He just doesn't like getting too much... official attention. He will attempt to charmingly deflect questions about his background and where these teeth come from.

AC 9 [10], HD 6 (21hp), Att 2 × staff (1d4) or teeth (see specials), THAC0 17, MV 60’ (20’), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (F6), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 1400, NA 1 (1), TT T

Specials:
The tooth merchant always has smiling teeth, lying teeth, eloquent teeth, snake teeth and shark teeth fitted in his own mouth.

The table below is the catalogue of teeth he generally carries on him. (Special orders by arrangement.) If purchased, they can be painlessly and efficiently fitted in the back of the tent and there's only a 2-in-6 chance that you buy one thing and he fits another (roll 1d20 to see what).

1. Smiling teeth
How can you have a bad day when you're smiling all the time? Gives the wearer an extra save vs mood-altering effects, including fear but not Charm spells.

2. Snarling teeth
These teeth utter convincing threats. +1 CHA to attempts at intimidating.

3. Lying teeth
+1 CHA while telling a lie. However, if anyone asks a question you weren't prepared for, save vs devices to tell the truth. On failure, you're compelled to lie.

4. Honest teeth
You eat lies. If you know someone is lying, make a chewing motion and roll CHA vs CHA. On a win the lie is no longer convincing and you gain the benefit of a ration.

5. Eloquent teeth
+1 CHA when speaking about a learned subject such as art, history, religion, politics, etc.

6. Whistling teeth
You can whistle as musically as playing an instrument, or loud enough to be heard miles away.

7. Lucky teeth
Each time you eat, roll 1d20. On 1 - 14 it's a normal meal. On 15 - 17 it contains a low-denomination coin. On 18 - 19, a high-denomination coin. On 20 a gem.

8. Rat teeth
You can gnaw through cloth, leather, rope and (given time) wood.

9. Snake teeth
Level times per day, on a successful attack you can choose to bite instead of using a weapon. Biting does 1d4 damage and inflicts the poisoned condition. Save vs death to resist.

10. Wolf teeth
On a successful attack, you can choose to bite instead of using a weapon. Biting automatically does 1d6 damage per round until the target makes a successful STR vs STR roll to break free or until you release them. During that time, neither of you can take other actions.

11. Shark teeth
On a successful attack, you can choose to bite instead of using a weapon, doing 1d6 damage. A shark-bitten opponent can no longer use their main weapon and gains the bleeding condition until bandaged.

12. Sabre-teeth
Make you look like a total bad-ass. Once per combat you can roar. Anyone on the battlefield who didn't know you can do that is surprised and drops to the bottom of the initiative order until the fight is over.

13. Goat teeth
Eat a fist-sized amount of anything organic to gain the benefit of a ration. Horrify your teammates.

14. Warthog tusks
Gain a 1d8 gore attack that can be used against opponents in an adjacent square. And a speech impediment.

15. Troll teeth
Regenerate any (non-fire) damage to your teeth or mouth overnight. Curses you with swamp breath.

16. Giant teeth
More like a full set of teeth carved from one giant tooth. Gives you the ability to bellow like a giant. Be heard, anywhere.

17. Vampire teeth
Who needs rations when you have enemies? Bite a restrained or helpless victim on the neck. If you can stay latched on for 1d4 rounds, do 1d4 hp damage and gain the benefit of a ration. Works on anything that has human-digestible blood.

18. Werewolf teeth
As per wolf teeth. Werewolf teeth look like normal human teeth until your bloodlust is aroused, or under the light of a full moon. While your teeth are active, you gain no benefit from eating normal rations. The only rations that work for you are the flesh of an intelligent creature.

19. Salamander teeth
Gain the benefit of a ration by eating the campfire flames. Eating the fire puts it out and the remaining fuel cannot be re-lit. Larger fires will give you indigestion from over-eating, but won't go out.

20. Dragon teeth
Taste the air to see if there are uncovered riches nearby. Lick treasure to see if it's genuine. The downside is that all food tastes like ashes and dirt unless served up on a plate of precious metal.

The why of villages

According to British crime dramas, you're 900% more likely to be murdered in a sleepy little countryside village than anywhere else in England. But when you've been on the road for weeks and supplies are running low, they can be a godsend.

So what makes this village tick? What do they do all day, what's their background, what are they secretly ashamed or proud of? Will they sell you supplies and wish you a safe journey, or will someone knife you in your sleep as a potential threat to her victory in this year's rhubarb pie baking contest?

The main source of income is:

1. Farming
2. Fishing
3. Mining
4. Hospitality for travellers on a nearby trade road
5. Craft - smithing, cooping, wagon-building, etc.
6. Forestry

An important nearby resource is:

1. A forest where game can be hunted
2. A bridge or ford
3. A marsh where bog-iron can be collected
4. A clay pit
5. A bat cave where guano can be harvested
6. A medicinal/culinary herb that grows wild

They offer adventurers (roll 3 times):

1. A blacksmith
2. Horses for sale
3. Dried food, lamp oil, rope, arrows
4. Healing
5. Cleric services
6. Guides

They are led by:

1. A minor noble family
2. A council of business leaders
3. An elected mayor
4. A clan chief
5. A governor assigned by the kingdom
6. An informal group of village elders

Who is/are 'advised' by:

1. A wealthy family stripped of a noble title generations ago
2. A secret council of 'concerned' citizens
3. A bandit clan with a nearby secret camp
4. A coven of witches
5. A whispering presence
6. A spy for the ruler

The citizens are:

1. A single race
2. Two or more races living together
3. Several races and immigrants
4. Mixed and include a small population of highly unusual creatures 
5. Mixed and include many exotic creatures
6. Mostly exotic creatures

An unusual feature is:

1. A ghost in the ruler's chambers
2. A fairy market every full moon
3. A law against killing cats
4. An inn built into an old ruin
5. A barred and shuttered building no-one is permitted to enter
6. An unusual town official - witch finder, sword examiner, nose-measurer, plague doctor, etc.

A nearby threat is:

1. The beast in the woods
2. The goblin camp
3. A border war
4. An ancient curse
5. A growing cult
6. A feud between two influential families

They don't talk about:

1. The leper colony their grandparents' generation burned down
2. The smuggling tunnels under the oldest houses and what they're used for today
3. The deal they made with an evil sorcerer during a hard winter
4. The massacre that happened decades ago
5. The unusual religion they practise
6. The reason for the sunset curfew

(Thanks to Spwack of the Slight Adjustments blog for the generator code.)

Fantasy X-Men

In a previous post I mentioned an idea about ordinary characters having minor superpowers because they're polymorphed monsters and don't know it. Each character would have an ability stemming from their monster nature and a taboo that would undo the spell if they transgressed it.

The original idea was for each party member to be the only one who knew about another member's taboo, and have the responsibility for making sure they didn't break it. The monsters would effectively be each other's guards. However, I'm not that fond of games that give you knowledge your character doesn't have. Where's the fun for the player in uncovering the mystery?

So instead I think it should be handled by the GM. Players don't even need to know what sort of polymorphed creature they are. They can just be told that they always have advantage on certain skill tests, or that they have a supernatural power that works once per level per day. And supernaturally punished when they break their taboo, which they also don't know about.

I looked through the B/X Essentials monster manual for creatures that were A) living and B) intelligent and found a bigger list than I expected. Some are close enough to be cousin species, but that's an advantage if it gives a player the chance to form a completely wrong theory about what they are.

As of right now, I'm going simple and saying that breaking a taboo causes a psychic shock that does 1d6 HP damage, but it could easily be expanded into another subsystem. Maybe it damages the illusion and once you realise what you really are Wizard X unleashes the hounds of Tindalos to destroy you.

1)Bugbear
Bonus: Advantage on stealth rolls for character and anyone accompanying.
Taboo: Labour for wages.

2) Centaur
Bonus: Movement rate tripled.
Taboo: Carrying a person.

3) Djinn
Bonus: Breath weapon. Any creature of lower hit dice in a 5-space cone ahead of you is knocked prone. Equal hit dice are driven back 1 space.
Taboo: Go underground.

4) Doppelganger
Bonus: Imitate a person's voice and mannerisms perfectly. +2 bonus to disguising yourself as someone specific.
Taboo: Speak your own name.

5) Dragon
Bonus: +1 spell slot which can be cast hit dice x times per day.
Taboo: Give up a prized possession.

6) Dryad
Bonus: Advantage on woodcraft skill tests.
Taboo: Light a fire.

7) Efreet
Bonus: Instinctive understanding of fire - how to start it, how it spreads, how to contain it.
Taboo:Immerse yourself in water.

8) Gargoyle
Bonus: Wakefulness. You're immune to charm person and sleep spells and can stay awake for hit dice x days with no harmful effect.
Taboo: Sleep in a bed.

9) Giant
Bonus: Advantage on strength rolls.
Taboo: Act humble.

10) Gnoll
Bonus: Advantage on tracking rolls
Taboo: Eat before the party leader does.

11) Goblin
Bonus: Advantage on caving skill tests.
Taboo: Pay for something honestly.

12) Harpy
Bonus: Cast Charm Person hit dice x daily.
Taboo: Let a personal offence go unpunished.

13) Hobgoblin
Bonus: Advantage on stealth rolls for character and anyone accompanying.
Taboo: Enter combat without backup.

14) Invisible stalker
Bonus: Automatically surprise on your first attack in any combat.
Taboo: Alert someone to your presence.

15) Kobold
Bonus: +2 AC without armour, advantage on rolls to dodge.
Taboo: Attack an opponent from the front.

16) Lizardman
Bonus: You can slow your metabolism at will, entering a meditation-like state you can dismiss instantly. You need no food or water in this state.
Taboo: Kill a snake.
 
17) Lycanthrope
Bonus: Improved senses, especially smell. You can only be surprised on 1-in-6.
Taboo: Handle silver.

18) Manticore
Bonus: Poison bite. Hit dice x times per day. Victims must save or die.
Taboo: Speak words of comfort.

19) Medusa
Bonus: Cast Sleep on one target hit dice x times per day, by making eye contact.
Taboo: Look into your own reflected eyes.

20) Merman
Bonus: Advantage on swimming tests, hold breath for 2 + hit dice x minutes.
Taboo: Taste brine.

21) Minotaur
Bonus: You can handle weapons as if you were a larger creature - eg. weild a two-handed sword one-handed.
Taboo: Handle ceramics.

22) Nixie
Bonus: Cast Charm on up to hit dice x animals, once per day.
Taboo: Kill an animal.

23) Ogre
Bonus: Advantage on strength rolls.
Taboo: Share food.

24) Orc
Bonus: Advantage on caving skill tests.
Taboo: Enter combat without backup.

25) Pixie
Bonus: A successful save vs petrification nullifies all fall damage, otherwise fall damage is reduced by half.
Taboo: Harm a winged creature.

26) Salamander
Bonus: A successful save vs breath nullifies all heat or cold damage (choose which at character creation), otherwise damage is reduced by half.
Taboo: Use your opposing force as a tool or weapon.

27) Sprite
Bonus: Cast a minor curse up to hit dice x times per day. The curse target will suffer a clumsy accident, have a tool break, or some other distracting inconvenience.
Taboo: Speak a compliment.

28) Treant
Bonus: Up to hit dice x times per day a tree will find a way to help you - drop a branch in the right place, bear fruit out of season, etc.
Taboo: Cut wood.

29) Troglodyte
Bonus: Advantage on climbing tests.
Taboo: Sleep under open sky.

30) Troll
Bonus: When you roll for healing, use the rolled value or your number of hit dice, whichever is better.
Taboo: Handle open flame.

The why of roads

If you come across a road that's not marked on your map, all you really know about it is that leads to, or from, some place that people wanted to be.

This road leads to:

1. A city
2. The coast
3. A market town
4. A keep
5. A ruin
6. A demihuman community

It's a:

1. Paved military road
2. Graveled trade road
3. Muddy parallel wheel ruts left by farm carts
4. Trampled grassy track cleared of trees
5. Forgotten and badly-maintained highway
6. Raised wooden boards above marshland

It passes:

1. Through the foothills of a mountain range, winding between the peaks
2. Along the bank of a fast and wide river
3. Across bare ground at the border of a desert
4. Along the edge of coastal cliffs where heavy waves break on rocks at the base down below
5. Through dense woodland where sunlight never penetrates to the forest floor
6. Through a deep valley that reduces the range of vision and hampers lookouts

A standout feature is:

1. Toll houses a day's ride apart
2. Guard posts garrisoned to hunt bandits and highwaymen
3. Robber gangs preying on traveling merchants
4. Coach inns of varying quality
5. A section cut through a dangerous forest
6. Tales of ghostly riders

 The most frequent travelers are:

1. Mail coaches crewed by tough and well-armed drivers
2. Merchants driving covered wagons full of wares for trade
3. Farmers delivering produce to nearby communities
4. Pilgrims visiting holy sites
5. Companies of soldiers relocating to new duties
6. Traveling entertainers

Travelers should watch out for:

1. Shopkeepers inflating prices for out-of-towners
2. Wild animals
3. Squads of fighters from two different factions who each claim jurisdiction over the road
4. Monsters
5. Weather that makes the road impassable
6. Slavers and military press gangs

The why of temples

Temples feature in a lot of adventures, but it's often the temple of mumble which was built by the priests of mumblecough to serve the function of hey look over there.

Here's a set of tables that can randomly generate a temple, including its background, physical features, reasons a party of adventurers might be interested in it and reasons why no-one has looted it before them.

This temple is set:

1. On a hill
2. In a valley
3. Overlooking a bay
4. In a mountain pass
5. In a cave
6. On an island

It's a:

1. Single-room chapel
2. Small church with priest quarters
3. Small chapel complex with priest and guest quarters
4. Multi-building grounds with workshops and a staff
5. Temple complex with cloisters, schools and dedicated farms
6. Holy city with a permanent population of citizens and businesses

It was built to:

1. House the bones of a saint
2. Provide accommodation for pilgrims
3. Seal an evil portal/hostile entity
4. Prepare for the return of a living god
5. Act as a base for a religious crusade
6. Train clerics and war priests

Its distinctive feature was:

1. A sacrificial altar
2. A library and scriptorium
3. A treasure vault
4. An armoury
5. Extensive catacombs
6. A reliquary housing an ancient artefact

Its distinctive architecture is:

1. A bell tower 
2. A cloister
3. A necropolis
4. Statues
5. Stained glass windows
6. A labyrinth mosaic

Its state is:

1. Abandoned and empty
2. Used as a headquarters by bandits
3. Used as a den by wild animals
4. Inhabited by monsters
5. Operational but barred to outsiders
6. Re-occupied by a cult or opposing religion

Its walls are:

1. Overgrown and half-buried
2. In ruins
3. Pristine
4. Soot-stained
5. Rebuilt
6. Carved with ominous bas-reliefs

An unexpected threat here is:

1. Angry spirits
2. Wandering undead
3. Animated statues
4. Cursed objects
5. Weakened floor/roof supports
6. Disease

The why of gangs

Criminal gangs are a hazard players are most likely to run across in city areas. They can be ambiguous - enemies or allies depending on how the first encounter shakes out.

Most gangs are money-making enterprises that see violence as a tool of the trade. Often, recruits join up to have protection from other gangs. It's common for gangs to claim a territory and keep order there by muscling out or co-opting other criminals.

This is a table to make gangs less generic by generating a background, operating methods and members. Roll as many times on any given table as you need to reach the preferred complexity.

Their members

1. Neighbourhood thugs
2. Disgruntled ex-soldiers
3. Guild dropouts - drunks, bullies and workshy
4. Long term jobless forced to choose between crime and begging
5. Branded criminals
6. Vigilantes

Their size

1. Less than ten
2. Ten to twenty
3. A few dozen
4. A hundred or so 
5. Many hundreds

Their methods

1. Smuggling
2. Gambling
3. Armed robbery
4. Protection
5. Bootlegging
6. Murder/arson for hire

Their 'reason'

1. Protect immigrant districts
2. Resist political oppression of the lower classes
3. Prevent exploitation of the poor by landowners
4. Stop locals being displaced by newcomers
5. Redistribute unfair taxation
6. Defend neighbourhoods against other gangs

Their real reason

1. Money
2. Power
3. Revenge
4. Fear and respect
5. Fun and excitement
6. Loyalty to each other and their leader

Their main advantage

1. Secret routes under the city or over the rooftops
2. A rich or connected sponsor
3. Reputation
4. Alliance with other gang(s)
5. Clandestine support from neighbourhood residents
6. They've bribed or intimidated the city guards

Their biggest headache

1. Money-making rackets under threat
2. Powerful enemies
3. Territorial dispute with other gang(s)
4. Loss of safe houses and secret routes
5. Law enforcement crackdown
6. Informant infiltrators

The why of cults

Image by
OpenClipart-Vectors
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A table to generate cult characteristics. A lot of the adventures I've been looking at lately have been premised on ideas like a cult infiltrating a community, or setting up a secret headquarters under a building and performing unspeakable rites. There's little or no description beyond 'a cult', though. I don't have an ongoing campaign involving a cult, so I thought it would be nice to have a chart to generate one on the fly if I was to run an adventure like this as a one-shot.

This cult formed when someone charismatic:

1. discovered a long-hidden holy book handed down by their ancestors.
2. had a vision while meditating/feverish/starving/poisoned by bad mushrooms.
3. made a cynical deal with an extraplanar/infernal being.
4. experienced a mental snap.
5. was helped out of a bad situation by a supernatural entity and wanted to show their gratitude.
6. thought deeply about mainstream religious practices and came to a different conclusion.

They are trying to:

1. recruit influential worshippers
2. obtain magical texts
3. practice unspeakable rites
4. infiltrate positions of power
5. extort a specific group
6. blackmail powerful individuals

In order to:

1. gain political influence
2. build wealth
3. suppress dissent
4. drive out other religions
5. maintain secrecy
6. develop in mystical power

Which will result in:

1. the apocalypse.
2. a breakaway state.
3. wealth and privilege for members.
4. the return of a forgotten god.
5. revenge for an ancient grudge.
6. fulfilment of a prophecy.

They recruit by:

1. drugging prospective members and showing them visions
2. taking in the destitute
3. offering protection and clandestine support
4. encouraging prospects to commit vile crimes
5. threats and violence
6. exposing people to mind-warping magic

And maintain secrecy by:

1. targeting a betrayer's family
2. magically cursing betrayers
3. sending agents armed with a drug that causes madness
4. rewarding loyalty with money and authority
5. geasing recruits not to talk about cult business with outsiders
6. hypnotising acolytes to forget their activities during daily life

Which has caused:

1. a culture of suspicion and paranoia among acolytes.
2. a string of unexplained deaths in the community.
3. a rash of weird events and sightings.
4. rumours and whispering.
5. an unexpected shift in the social pecking order.
6. a wall of silence against outsiders to the community.

Cult members:

1. learn to speak an unusual language.
2. submit to ritual scarring or tattoos.
3. learn a few simple cantrips.
4. carry the same superstitious charms.
5. perform a simple routine task in an unusual way.
6. refuse to say the names of common gods.

The cult is:

1. reluctantly tolerated.
2. feared.
3. despised and ridiculed.
4. dismissed as a rumour.
5. respected.
6. ignored.

Suddenly, ninjas!

This ninja is disguised as:

1. Farmer
2. Travelling musician
3. Priest
4. Juggler
5. Herb seller
6. Itinerant scholar

And armed with:

1. Tanto (knife)
2. Ninjato (short sword)
3. Tonfa (sword catcher)
4. Bo (staff)
5. Naginata (Pole-arm)
6. Shuko-te (claws)
7. Kusari-gama (chain-scythe)
8. Fukiya (blowpipe)
9. Nunchaku
10. Johyo (Rope-dart)
11. Meteor hammer (chain-mace)
12. Bow

But also conceals (x2):

1. Shuriken (throwing stars)
2. Metsubishi (smoke bombs/pepper spray)
3. Kakute (poisoned ring-blade)
4. Tetsubishi (caltrops)
5. Kanzashi (sharpened hairpin)
6. Kunai (darts)

And has the power to:

1. Be invisible at night.
2. Distract with ventriloquism.
3. Travel unseen in a cat's shadow.
4. Walk over water.
5. Heal wounds with secret herbs.
6. Pass without leaving a trace.

As well as:

1. A supernatural ally.
2. A prized ancestral weapon.
3. The patrol schedule for the closest stronghold's guards.
4. A lover who will take revenge for their death.
5. A flute stolen from a demon.
6. A letter of introduction to a wealthy merchant.

This ninja is attacking because:

1. The clan swore an oath of eternal revenge against a character's ancestor.
2. The clan's demon patron has decreed the character's death without explanation.
3. The ninja intends to take the character's place to infiltrate a location or organisation.
4. The clan elders have divined an evil fate for the character.
5. The clan is allied with the character's political rivals.
6. The character has trespassed in an area sacred to the clan.

The ninja has also:

1. Poisoned the character's/party's food.
2. Rigged a trap in a place the character is sure to set foot.
3. Sent a message to local authorities denouncing the character as a criminal/traitor.
4. Concealed a poisonous serpent/spider in the character's belongings.
5. Hired a gang of thugs/killers.
6. Sabotaged the party's transport.

In dying the ninja:

1. Strikes an effective final blow.
2. Sets off an explosive.
3. Curses an opponent.
4. Dissolves into mist.
5. Summons ghosts.
6. Escapes, having fooled the character into killing a bystander.

The law of conservation of Ninjitsu: a ninja takes -1 to attack rolls and AC for each allied ninja present.

Combat engine

I'm learning to love little tools for running games - tables, charts, simple minigames for specific situations. The most fun I've had as a GM is when the game takes a turn I didn't expect, but I have the resources at hand to roll with it and keep going without hesitation.

I have two favourite adventures from my long-running Genius: the Transgression game. The first was when the party's mad psychologist decided to ignore all the advice he was getting from trusted NPCs and overrule the other party members by walking right up to the spooky shut-down asylum and knocking on the door to ask about renting the place. The other was when I asked the players if they wanted to travel to darkest Africa to hunt for forgotten treasure in the jungle and they decided that no: they wanted to open up Mad Science Craigslist and look for gigs in their home town to make some quick money. (Millennials. They'll surprise you.)

In both cases I flailed a bit before continuing, so I have an ongoing quest for little minigames I can run with half my brain while I furiously sketch out the basics of a scenario with the other half. I created this system to see if it was possible to use a chart for NPC tactics in a fight and reliably get a result that looks like deliberate planning and tactics, or a slow slide away from deliberate planning and tactics. It might also work well for a solo game, but I haven't tried it that way. I was in a swashbuckling sort of mood when I wrote it.

Combat tactics

NPC opponents have an Aggression rating of 1 to 6, with most starting on 4.

To find an opponent's tactic for the round, roll 2D6 of the same colour and one of a different colour. If the single die comes up a 1, 2 or 3, continue the same tactic from the previous round. On a 4 or 5, total the two same-coloured dice and add Aggression, then pick from the Tactic table. If it shows a 6, roll it again and pick an action from the Twist table.

As they take or inflict wounds, gain or lose the advantage in a fight, NPC opponents' Aggression will rise or fall. Experienced fighters will change only a small amount, while green, frightened or vengeful opponents will change more. Each time someone in the fight (either PC or NPC) suffers a setback, there should be a chance for Aggression to change. If the NPCs are nervous or demoralised, Aggression will drop when they suffer a setback and rise when a PC does. If they are angry or undisciplined, Aggression will rise when they suffer a setback and drop when a PC does.

If you want a more straightforward fight, without unexpected moves, drop the Twist die. If you don't want to bother with Aggression, roll 3D6 for a tactic.

Tactic table

3	Panic	Flee without caution, open self up to opportunistic attack
4	Surrender	Throw down weapons and submit to opponent
5	Disengage	Attempt to divert opponent's attention away from self
6	Retreat	Move towards cover or out of range
7	Guard	Defend only, no attack
8	Probe	Attack cautiously, testing opponent's defense
9	Wear down	Draw the fight out and try to tire the opponent
10	Stand-off	Wait for opponent to make the next move
11	Balance	Attack and defend evenly, no particular strategy
12	Feint	Try to trick opponent into defending against the wrong move
13	Reverse	Rapidly switch between defensive and aggressive fighting to off-balance opponent
14	Taunt	Try to anger or dismay opponent into making a mistake4
15	Press	Stay on the offensive and hope opponent's skill is inferior
16	Strike	Try to penetrate opponent's defence with a fast attack
17	Charge	Attack with ferocity, risking injury to wound opponent
18	Frenzy	Attack wildly, risking death to wound opponent

Twist table 

1	Reinforce	Call for help from allies/bystanders
2	Change	Weapon/objective/ground
3	Disadvantage opponent	Throw a burning candelabra, maneuver into uneven terrain, cut a curtain so that it falls over their head
4	Advantage self	Take the higher ground, move so that they are not facing the sun, draw/pick up a second weapon
5	Bargain	Try to persuade opponent to surrender/back out of combat/change sides
6	Trick	Try to convince opponent they are about to suffer a setback or gain a false advantage