Showing posts with label sandbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sandbox. Show all posts

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Dark Lords Encounters & Wonders





































War Against The Dark Lord 2: Dark Lords Encounters & Wonders
So these are to be used as usual as the war is breaking out. Just used a d10 early on and higher dice for increasingly bad stuff. Encounters are the things you meet travelling or camping as war starts. Wonders are things you might witness and not get involved in. Some are just memorable sights to witness, some are opportunities to learn or fight evil. Lots of confused people don't know what is going on at first so characters could easily help out.

I would probably hit a party with a war from 4th level especially when just returning with lots of loot. During the war travel gets worse and fate nudges you into helping. The dark lord targets those who stand out in his great scrying halls where wizards spy on the world with magic. So as you stand out you get more supernatural surveillance and more encounters as enemy sent after the party.

Next will be loot and gossip. Lots of the gossip is dark lord propaganda. Lots of items are cursed or require evil people to use them.

Why does this random mook support the Dark Lord?
01 You get stability with the dark lord, he is just what we need right now  
02 Well one day one of these dark lords is gonna win and 
03 I have a lucky feeling this time, I can just feel this time he will win
04 All these pretty people will all be brought down low with fire and iron
05 Well its always been the same dark lord and he always comes back 
06 My ancestors made a pact to serve the dark lord and I got the call
07 The dark lord really looks out for the little guy, he understands us
08 All that dark lord stuff, its jus to scare the enemies into eternal subjugation
09 All those rich and pretty people stop the dark lords chosen getting what they deserve
10 The dark lord wants you to be free, to kill who you like when you like 
11 The Dark lord says remorse is for the weak while the strong take what they want
12 All this plotting and corruption is weak and slow, the dark lord simplifies everything

Why does this evil hero support the Dark Lord?
01 Was tainted by evil oaths for corrupt unholy weapons
02 Wanted to try and save family ended up killing them all
03 Was granted power in return for an immortal soul
04 Promised immortality among the dark lords chosen
05 Rivals killed by dark lord agents who occasionally show up
06 Once you get on board with the power you learn to stop caring
07 We must reduce the weak with trials of blood and fire every generation
08 Dark lords taint runs in your bloodline and they dream of the lords dark gaze
09 The dark lord represents how the universe works, the strong eat the weak
10 Nobody can defeat the darklord, sooner you join us the better
11 When did the forces of good do anything lately? Made universe then abandoned us 
12 The dark lord draws on unstoppable powers from the void before the universe

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Encounters
01 Goblin bat riders scouting area possibly skirmish but mostly seek food and info
02 Wolf riders scouting area possibly skirmish but mostly seek food and info
03 Area cloaked in webbing  and giant spiders wait in ambush
04 Pack of savage wild dogs menacing area for food
05 Goblin foot scouts with bows mostly want food and targets for other troops
06 Gang of bandits bear the dark lords mark having joined him
07 Gang of thieves in service of dark one ambushing and killing travellers
08 Swarm of rats - breeding and feeding from dead 5% chance carry plague
09 Swarm of bats 5% of them has rabies
10 Swarm of ravens - will mutter about dark lord and say his name "darklord!"
11 Shifty looking robed man watching area from afar, is really an orc scout
12 Squad of hobgoblins out to massacre commoners to spread terror
13 Evil priest raising some people they murdered as zombies to block the area
14 Robed cultists dedicated to the dark lord in robes, led by a wizard many apprentices
15 Dark robed weasly man convincing people to surrender and prepare for the master 
16 An evil bard is spreading gossip and propaganda supporting the evil one in war
17 Wandering mob of zombie peasants on a killing spree
18 A lycanthrope in human form seeks company on the road
19 Doppelganger spy of the evil master friendly to travellers seeks information
20 An ogre with clever sitting on path preparing a serf stuffed with rats for a meal
21 A shadow coalesces as an evil shadow hungry for the strength of the living
22 A group of ghouls bold enough to hide in shadows and overcast hungry for flesh
23 Wight warrior with an ancient black blade of the evil lords forge seeks something
24 A frightful wight knight on a bone golem horse harrases travellers and messengers
25 A dozen goblin archers with a d4 wolf riders an army scout group seeking intelligence
26 Six wolf riding goblins chasing common travellers with a wagon
27 Swarms of evil bats roam the land spawned by the dark lords blood
28 Hobgoblin squad crucifying some caravan guards who resisted led by cruel officer
29 Orc barbarian mob of dozen warriors and d4 berserkers have run ahead of plan to loot
30 Wild hairy naked gang of abhumans from the woods have been duped to unrest
31 Band of feral goatmen from the dark mountain want to harry the ruination of humankind
32 A lone ogre was ditched by his orc handlers and is lost and hungry 
33 Four orc warg riders scouting for local orc commander, will flee and get help
34 A ferocious insane troll from the deep has come to see the sun fall from the sky
35 A lone wounded orc sees trouble coming and with last gasp blows hor for aid roll again
36 Six giant bats each with a goblin archer harry travellers who can't fight back
37 A young 4th level necromancer and his dozen skeletonised serf with farm tools, seeks corpses can carry back to master to make undead, carry a d6 bodies
38 A dozed dark templars led by a 4th level priest of darkness stirring up terror
39 Four orcs commanding a dozen cowardly ill-equipped goblins
40 Hood wearing cultists with burning torches and swords killing anyone not in a hood
41 Hooded cultists mugging a country priest or friar while a d4 scared commoners watch
42 Galloping frightened horse with unconscious cavalry trooper hanging from the saddle
43 The child cries for help, tells of a dozen orc archers attacking homestead near
44 An invisible imp has a mission to molest travellers and keep eye out for heroes 
45 An invisible dark elf follows travellers intending to murder them by night when helpless
46 A robed hidden hobgoblin will fire a single poison arrow then flee to report to command
47 A goblin bat rider flies by if not stopped a turn later hear goblins coming. A d4 wolf riding goblins archers will track party first and retreat if hurt to join dozen goblin skirmishers who hunt the party
48 Hill giant sitting by road with a dead cow and a d4 probably dead farmers busy eating
49 A band of armoured dwarves 3d4 fled underland tunnels to avoid two squads of orcs chasing them each led by rival commander, dwarves seek travelling companions
50 A young elf is being chased by a squad of orcs, has spent spells already and unarmed. Carries a message warning of orcs siege on hidden elf stronghold to elf king
51 Dead man caries a d3 cursed items left here by a giant bat as a trap
52 Halfling in hiding warns of upcoming encounter up road (roll again)
53 Unburied bodies lay by the road and a d4+1 shadows arise to attack
54 A dozen rambling zombies travel in line to nearest settlement and attack everyone they meet on way
55 Wagon of refugees with belongings and wagon struggling to move cart, two squads of orcs are on the way here in ten minutes
56 Lone ranger on horse chased by dozen goblin wolf riders
57 Squad of orc pikemen burning a house while family trapped inside
58 Cult leader priest with a dozen hooded fanatics a chaos flagellant and six 1st level templar priests have captured a local leaders family and taking them to the dark lord 
59 A dozen chaos berserker mutant flagelant monks with war flails on killing frenzy
60 A dozen orc riding giant lizards gallop down road raiding the area
61 four wight warriors leading a dozen skeletons have awoken at the masters bidding
62 Six wight knights riding bone golem horses hunt adventurers the master wants
63 Pack of wolves d8+8 have chased a local person up a tree 
64 Orc barbarians on horseback, six with mounts here to kill minions of the dark lord who does nothing but fail them and lie, tribe dedicated to killing dark lord and his wizards and cults. Stop to ask directions where enemy orcs might be
65 Gang of youths with clubs eager to meet the invaders sure that being human alone will make them win, friendly to strangers and boast of future heroic deeds
66 Bard rider on horseback (dark lord cultist) telling all to flee coming evil armies
67 A dozen bandits of the area unconvinced the Dark Lord offer more justice or prosperity than current regime is helping refugees and wounded soldiers by holding off some goblin archers
68 A dozen barbarian riders here to kill minions of evil, normally they're kind unwelcome 
69 Elves helping some humans on the road with food and blankets (1in6 are dark elves in disguise and blankets carry plague and food is poison)
70 Distant horns and shaking earth as hundreds of orc heavy infantry and a dozen armoured war ogres. A dozen warg riders scout ahead and skirmish with enemies
71 An old knight leading 3 dozen militia hunting monsters, no idea how bad things are yet
72 Nuns with a wagon have heard needy folk need help. Not really helpless as they all carry maces, wear chain under robes and leader is 4th level priestess
73 Knight with his squire and several extra pack horses travelling and no idea of what's happening
74 A dozen knights led by a paladin and her priestess follower on a horse on a mission against a weapon of the enemy
75 A bandit gang of two dozen have been court off guard and escaping area with all their goods and a d6 harmless followers. Could be convinced to fight and earn a pardon but they plant to hide in a distant cave they have heard of
76 A merchant wagon train of fleeing rich with four dozen men at arms. A d3 merchant families and servants are fleeing to a ship to leave the continent
77 Local lord with seventy-five spearmen and six knights and forty archers on the hunt for evil
78 Amazons on horseback, dozen from beyond the frontier here to kill orcs or goblins, possibly meet some women to take home
79 Goblins mostly archers, two dozen killing a wounded d4 1=treeant 2=giant 3=hippogriff 4=cave bear
80 Wyvern is ridden by d4 1=orc hero 2=evil 5th level wizard 3=evil 4th level priest 5th=evil cultist knight
81 A dozen hill giants drunkenly lumbering about commanded by an orc hero and an orc squad of pikemen
82 A dozen orc heavy troops with composite bows, poison arrows, scimitars in chainmail, led by a hero with cursed evil blade and pet warg
83 A dozen lizardfolk warriors serving the dark lord against humans, these use obsidian war clubs and javelins and blowpipes with poison, led by a hero on riding giant lizard 
84 A dozen trolls marching to an orc drummer with a dozen orc pikemen and an orc hero behind them 
85 Goblin skirmishers are busy setting fire to forest or houses or something unwelcome
86 Dozen orcs riding giant boars from distant land led by a hero and druid companion here to kill those serving the dark lord, mostly avoid locals but enemy orcs fear them
87 Evil wizard with succubus or incubus lover trying to get back to dark lords side with espionage documents, if cant avoid others will pretend to be agents of the kind on a mission and if that work might try and lead the party to a command outpost to kill. Outpost will have at least four dozen words, a d4 wards and a 4th level evil orc priest
88 A wraith roaming the woods spies for the dark lord and reports adventurers location to the dark lord who sends six wyverns ridden by 4th level evil priests 
89 A wraith riding a zombie wyvern attacks non-allied adventurers
90 Chaos warband of thirty mongrel monster maniacs not affiliated with dark lord but up for raiding and looting and fighting. Goatman hero leader has harem of d6 chaos shoggoth lovers
91 Drums indicate hundreds of goblins running through area eating everything, most animals hide or flee
92 A dragon flies overhead and will ignore most travellers unless it is tempted by treasure, then it will breathe from the air than land to mell
93 A hundred orc heavy infantry marching and charting war chants led by an orc hero and evil priest adviser
94 A hundred skeletons marching with necromancer lord 9th Lv wizard, some of them play jaunty marching tunes on bone flutes and human skin drums 
95 A hundred corrupted human cultists 
96 A great demon of shadow and fire, flies overhead unseen for an age, a fallen demon angel serving the dark lord and thought all on earth killed by gods long ago
97 A great gaggle of over a hundred chaos tainted mutants shunned by the good and pretty relish the dark lord coming and have started murdering up to demonstrate their support
98 A spectral army of damned souls sworn to serve the dark lord long ago, now a hundred of these spirit warriors march as if they still lived
99 Army of 100 orc pikemen 100 orc heavy infantry 100 goblin archers 40 orc warg riders, 6 Hill giants, 4 megaceratops with cannon platforms on their backs and 80 goblin baggage handlers carry supplies in read and strip land of anything useful or of value. Each group is led by own hero and force is led by a demon who rides a shadow dragon
100 A colossal vessel of the dark lord has arisen, a terrible burning giant that lays waste to all in path with a hundred cultists following all chanting and sacrificing victims to him

War Against The Dark Lord 2: Wonders
01 The day grows shorter as twilight and sunset become several hours shorter
02 A great distant forest fire rains ash and sparks and smoke over a huge area for days. Chokes the air and reduces visibility and local spot fires startup
03 An eclipse long prophecized strikes panicking many peoples and paralysing both sides for a day
04 A great and terrible storm with gale-force winds sweeps over land destroying crops, damaging buildings and terrifying everyone. No forces move a d4 days
05 A volcano erupts surprising many, mostly darkens sky with smoke and makes sunsets more red and orange, but locals report damage and fire creatures spewing from the crater
06 A quake strikes the kingdom seemingly targeting many fortifications 
07 Heavy rain causes flash floods in lowlands and some people lose everything and even lives. Spreads chaos and hardship till giant beavers arrive to save the day
08 Bats swarm over the whole sky, millions upon millions like dark clouds
09 Coastal tsunami damages ports and fishing villages and many ships are lost
10 A plague breaks out in some cities as they prepare defences for war
11  A priest leading hundreds of singing peasants with flowers who are going to prey the evil one away with their love. The priest is mad as his secretly a doppelganger assistant has been poisoning him with madness drugs and mercury. The doppelganger really wants this scam to work and get promoted by the dark lord
12 An evil priest promises listeners life if they serve the dark lord and offers to take those willing to service and life behind enemy lines. Many desperate people are convinced by the promise of food and freedom. "Don't believe the lies, serving the dark lord is great!"
13 Baggage train of supplies in oxcarts heading to troops and needy is held up. An evil bard is trying to convince the quartermaster to take it all to the dark lord for gold and a title
14 A hundred orc spearmen and 40 goblin archers are leading the whole population of a village and several wagons of goods to the dark lord
15 A force of 100 barbarian horsemen from the frontier and a force of 100 knights have met on the road and the leaders are busy fighting about who should command and follow who and where the enemy is, this will continue for hours 
16 A sprawling force of a few dozen militia and several hundred irregular commoners with slings, bows and farm tools has united under the command of a naive young priest who marches to the enemy
17 Thousands of refugees swarm, abandoning heavy goods and broken wagons, some lost children and injured elderly crying for help
18 A wounded demoralised army retreating without any leadership fleeing and abandoning equipment, hundreds of men mostly wounded. Howls of wolves, drums and trumpets are behind them 
19 A priest driven mad by dark lord agents with drugs has assembled a children's crusade of three hundred city urchins with sticks and stones to fight the dark lord. All are hungry and cold
20 A recruitment station ahead has received two hundreds of recruits of all walks of life. Another hundred camp followers and refugees gather here also. Bard criers inform regularly new war and mobilisation news, people seem optimistic
21 A massive orc and goblin force is attacked by a third force of foreign orcs who set the orcs and goblins of the dark lord fighting while they flee. The force breaks up and scatters 
22 A marching army of undead is attacked by a fighting force of priests who route the undead scattering thousands of skeletons over the land all confused without orders
23 A halfling ventriloquist causes a dozen ettins to fight each other leaving several dead and most hurt. Then he starts taunting them again. 
24 Treants and tree spirit folk pour from the woods and route a goblin army 
25 A marching army of orcs halts. A wizard leader receives a message from the master and the whole force change direction to some distant cause
26 A marching army of orcs are repelled by halfling militia in trees throwing rocks
27 A great mighty wizard appears and routes an army of orcs and goblins
28 A hoarde of wildwood folk all hairy and naked and serving the dark lord are met by druids who convince them to change sides
29 An army of works is routed by mostly spells from elvish force who move in to finish off survivors 
30 A barbarian horde on horseback rout an army of orc infantry unprepared 
31 Forests are being infested with webs of giant spiders, some whole woodlands have been consumed
32 A migrating clan of ogres have set up a camp, more than  anyone in this land have ever seen
33 Thick black thorn bushes have sprung up in many places, blocking roads and forming huge hedge mazes meters wide sometimes, small races like goblins find it easier going than humans to cross
34 Millions of black rats swarm over the country spreading plague, eating stored grain and flowing into cities
35 A dark taint has overtaken local nature, evil squirrels and forest animals are hostile and tree spirits are evil unless someone can purify the heart of the forest in a secret druid cave
36 Hundreds of petrified fleeing human statues caught by a basilisk sent by the evil one. The beast still lurks awaiting orders
37 Squadrons of giant bats with goblin archers are attacked by giant eagles, clouds of ordinary bats and tiny birds fight around them darkening the sky, blood and feathers and bodies rain down
38 An abandoned army encampment with a few men hiding some wounded. The camp has been destroyed by werewolves spreading in the barracks now finally they have shed uniforms and destroyed most witnesses they have fled 
39 A wizard of the dark lord with hundred orc pikemen meets a cyclops leader to negotiate unity. Any interference now might ruin the meeting and possibility of the cyclops tribe joining. A dozen fighting cyclops are ready. It might be possible to get cyclops to help humans but this is harder
40 A colossal giant black undead wolf Carnix walks the land with a two dozen zombie wolves. The beast was released from the underworld by the dark lord and it longs to feast on humans
41 An army of orcs moving siege equipment, one of the weapons is worshipped as a minor god with a priesthood who care for it and it is pulled by a team of six megatheriums. The orc army includes 100 siege engineers 100 pikemen and 100 crossbowmen. The cult weapon is d4 1=Ullzauel the god cannon 2=Luran the violet ray apparatus 3=Gorizol a machine with lense to amplify a basilisk gaze 4=Hellspitter a machine that shoots a 20d6 fireball using gems as ammo 
42 Orc sappers have been digging and using black powder to divert a river that could flood all the lowlands. The massive earthworks are visible for miles. Once close see they are using human slave labour and have built a camp where the river diverging will destroy
43 Wizards have made vast black stone walls blocking roads and waterways causing chaos
44 A great string dust cloud is moving among it thousands of zombies moving in a herd to the dark lord's design. This control is based on a relic that might be damaged
45 A vast lake of mud has been created by wizards to block certain road routes and supply lines of the king's army. King's wizards hope to make a path through it by turning mud back to stone but mostly the land is ruined
46 A dark lord wizard unleashed a wind of death causing every 1HD or less humanoid to save or die as spectral death spirits slay those who fail with scythes and carry souls away. Survivors are horrifies 
47 Water is tainted with chaos in the area, strange plants, animals and mutant locals turn evil until taint is stopped
48 A great tribe of forest orcs unwilling to get involved in this age of strife using their druidic relics to all turn into trees for a few hundred years to the dark lord has gone or someone can find a way to revive them or convince them humans would cooperate against other orcs
49 A great barbarian prince with his burning spear Bloodbrand leads his army to attack an orc camp and personally slays a death knight hero of the dark lord
50 A great gathering of naked orcs standing about aimlessly. In the middle in a great muddy pit wizards make new orcs from the mud. Apprentices try to encourage orcs to try weapons and learn evil language commands. In a few days, they will be ready to fight 
51 A comet passes overnight, next day plague has broken out across the world
52 A shooting star crashes actually a greater demon entering the world released by the dark one 
53 A great burning light of the dark lord is seen blazing over the horizon shooting bolts of power into a great dark hole in the clouds above
54 A great spectral projection of the dark lord appears in the sky a supposed portent of his divinity according to the cult
55 A river turns red with blood, choked with corpses and body parts
56 Sixty orcs are digging up a graveyard and assembling skeletons on tables for a necromancer to make into skeletons. Have about 70 so far make a dozen a day, plan to be here a week
57 A giant cyclops orc hero leading a horde of a hundred irregular wild orcs with his great spear Grimsplinter a poison evil weapon used in the dawn age to kill an elf king. Has a personal guard of ogrillion orc-ogre hybrids
58 Great colossal drake Gloomfang unseen for an age plunges from the sky and destroys a town with fire and rages in the flames screaming
59 A vast dark shadow covers the land as armies of darkness advance allowing them more freedom in daylight for many cave born orcs and undead. As the armies advance dark priests plant monoliths that expand the effect, A temple in the dark lord's realm controls this effect with an artefact called the Cradle of Darkness
60 An ice lich riding an undead woolly rhino leads an army of a thousand frost covered zombies, spreading winter like conditions as they advance. The lich carries an artefact brings winter with it and has six living dark elf luitwnants riding winterwolves
61 Evil dwarves explode a cliff face revealing their great garage magical war juggernauts and a few iron golems to roll out over the land and crush humanity for the evil one
62 Dark elves call the great gnawing underworld dragon Nidhog to kill all the crops and fruit with blight overnight. Each night the dark elves affect a new district riding on wolves
63 Goblins call on their great worm god to spawn a plague of maggots that eat any food or crops on the plant then gnaw on wood or animals. Takes a few years to die off
64 Spiders have woven great cables over vast distances they can use like a telegraph system to send messages. The cables can be followed to spider operated stations and a hub connected to the dark lords command
65 A colossal spider monster bursts from the earth with her army of giant spiders
66 Tarrasque has been awoken by the dark lord and is being directed by a gold torc that hurts the beast. If freed it goes for the local dark lord HQ to destroy it
67 A great insect hive of evil tainted termite folk grows towering over area as trees stripped and earth scoured for construction. If the evil tainted queen is killed the colony die
68 Orcs are razing all the trees in a valley to build a gargantuan construct to house the essence of the dark lord if his current body fails
69 Goblinoids are digging a vast pit with slave human labour digging up a giant armoured corpse of a past form of the dark lord they hope to revive (you cant have 2 dark lords right?)
70 A local leader has camp with four hundred refugees, 100 spearmen, 100 archers and 100 horsemen. The king has been confused by his evil bard and is paralysed with indecision and has locked up their heir who dared disagree in a bout of paranoia. Orc scouts know of their plight and dark forces gather
71 Hundreds of forest animals and faerie folk and tree spirits pour from the woods and send a army of monsters fleeing
72 An orc force is under siege by a larger horde of beastfolk united against the dark lord and his wizard scum who tortured and enslaved beast folk in the past
73 A river or stream is polluted and banks fouled. Following upstream is a basilisk lair where the dark lord left an egg to hatch under a toad to poison the area. Stone statues of adventurers and goblins are scattered in the area
74 A sinkhole collapses getting bigger and bigger changing area with a rubble-filled flooded depression. Strange creatures of the deep scuttle out like giant bugs and worms later weird giant fungus sprouts everywhere around the area
75 The giant fungus is growing everywhere rapidly and spore spots develop on trees and plants. This fungus attracts giant bugs and worms and flies to the area and goblins love to forage here
76 An orc hero druid priestess riding a giant stag leads orc barbarians and hopes to liberate deluded orcs from evil and reconnect them with their spirit ancestors. The orc army will grow and the dark lord will send assassins and monsters to destroy her. Eventually leading orcs against the dark lords HQ
77 A black strange castle fades into reality like some phantom, undead winged apes in service of the dark lord swarm out to kidnap victims for the castle. The alien tentacle faced ultraterestrial  wizards from beyond inside drain victims souls to power the castle jumps and the bodies are encased in armour as undead troops. The dark lord only called them out of desperation as they will always betray him eventually
78 A great web structure over hundreds of yards part of a huge cable goes into the sky out of sight. Spiders guard the base and keep a look out for fire they will try to smother out with fresh webbing. The dpiders have tethered a star to the earth and agents of the darklord have invaded a celestial palace of a star spirit and her elf courtiers. The dark lord caught one of her spies and struck first fearing she might gather the stars themselves against him. An evil wizard advises the orc hero with a famous scimitar Moonrazor. The star eas sitting on the fence as stars do but now if freed will reward rescuers and send owls to the other stars and the celestial bureaucracy to get the gods acting. Her influence sheers decades off process. She offers advice on the dark lords artifact locations and weapons that could be used against him 
79 A great tree has been felled and partly burned. Aparently some faerie folk lived inside and in the roots blow. Various local talking animals, spirit folk and faries have gathered to bury friends. Nice cottage decor has been smashed and charred. A good opportunity to recruit a unusual follower. The critters might be motivated to fight or help
80 A winking star has appeared revealing the evil one has released a new great demon to the world and his cause. By day the demon appears in various battles where needed by the dark lord
81 The pole star shine bright larger than ever, a sign evil fears. Polestar sends spirits to the mortal world returning lost hero weapons from thousands of years ago that the dark lord fears. Across world heroes who have heard of the polestar myth look up and wonder if they will receive a gift
82 A great gateway opens in the mountain releasing shadows and zombies and skeletons. Distant chanting of cultists can be heard keeping the gate open. If slain the gate closes. The cult have a relic, special books and magical ingredients required to open this. The head priest of darkness is a famous evil hero and wanted criminal for killing royalty
83 Strange green and violet glows flicker and dance about in the northern sky. Some say this is god battling the darkness to weaken the dark one 
84 A strange luminous cloud passes over area inflicting many with mutations. Some locals are quick to shun or even kill mutants so many are forced to flee unless someone stops theses troublemakers. The condition might be cured with a rare lawful herb
85 An ancient wizard tower is under attack by a hundred orcs who have improvised siege weapons and await some black powder kegs or a cannon. The wizard guards a relic feared by the dark lord that could greatly aid the good forces. A spirit might inform the party of this but the wizard will be reluctant to use the weapon
86 A great crack in the earth opens releasing a d6 dragons and 3d6 wyverns who proceed to cause trouble. Twisting tunnels to the deep may release more monsters
87 A vast area covered in mold where people die from choking spores and the dead arise as fungal bloated undead. A fungus demon noble trapped in a apparatus at the centre held by the dark lords wizards. If freed the demon offers to send minions to aid when released it
88 An army of the darklord has human slaves digging up what seems to be a silver tower that fell and was buried long ago. Strange weapons of law are inside the wizard leader of the expedition hopes to claim
89 A great gathering of wild hairy naked wild folk with burning whicker man idols meeting at sacred stones. They are debating in their rare language which side to join. One who has served the dark lord as a dark hero offers death to the clothed folk and their stupid gods. An older king priest disagrees but is being burned tonight. Various candidates fight to be the next 7 year ruler including the dark lord agent who cheats with his priest and wizard followers. Humans mostly unwelcome but demihumans, beastfolk or halflings might get a say or chance to stop evil plots. Most humans don't know these wild folk exist or ever meet and would fear them
90 A serpant man wizard leading a lizard folk army with veloceraptor cavalry and a war trex. The wizard rides chariot pulled by a triceratops and has a dark elf chariot driver. He is doing a favor for the dark lord just this once an unpopular decision. If he dies the rest will likely return to their hibernation dungeon till the next apocalypse if given the chance
91 The moon changes colour to a strange eerie red and the whole night sky is filled with dim red light, a preview of what will happen if evil wins. Moon cultists determine a certain moon ziggarutt run by amazons in secret is under siege and is key to saving the moon. Inside is a gate to the moons celestial palace where evil has infiltrated
92 An evil star falls actually part of world left from creation demons have inhabited for aeons. The dark lord has brought them here to spread chaos but the demon prince of what is now a huge flaming crater seeks dominion over area. Demon cultists and chaos fanatics begin a pilgrimage here
93 Great burning evil eyes in the evening sky make everyone in world have lower saves by -2 each night until dark lord distracted or the aparatus used is broken. Experts know of the relic from previous use 
94 On the highest point in the land orcs are erecting an ancient design of a wizard defence tower that will be able to shoot burning rays to anything in its line of sight. A great crystal to power it is being moved to the gem in wagons with an escort
95 Ankheg giant burrowing bugs fill the area with hundreds of trenches, tunnels and pits intending it to be a future fortress. Once bugs hold strategic points as guards goblinoids from the deep pour out and man the bizarre fortification choking the area and expanding. Fungus thrives in tunnels with gobbo care and other giant bugs move in. Area will be prone to bugs and giant fungi for a long time
96 Magma pours from volcanic vent with lava forming a great basalt wall blocking a natural chokepoint blocking armies. If stopped quickly by killing salamanders chanting in the rift can be stopped 
97 One of the great dragons of evil is attacking a crumbling fortress with it's orc troops where an important future hero lives. Elves riding griffins appear and drive the beast away with lightning wands. Will anoint the chosen youth with gifts (and for family) and insist child goes to faerie land for training till right moment when needed (child returns as adult knight hero anytime)
98 Somewhere in the world a halfling messes up one of the dark lords infernal apparatus. Flickering lights in the sky alarm experst world wide and various evil relics and communications of the dark lord are crap for a d4 days till fixed. Perhaps the effect can be repeated at right time by good allies  
99 A gigantic dwarf golem the size of a small fort has a defensive force of 40 dwarf inside to shoot crossbows or guns from battlements in the titan. The giant lumbers to the nearest dark lord base to start smashing until eventually a greater demon or dragonfire destroys it. Once war over will march into a door in a mountain to be sealed till next time
100 A major force of the dark lord is camped ready to march. Someone somewhere lures away the wyverns patrollingthe sky away. Grey gnomish airships from a great door in a mountain come out and from extreme altitude drop poison gas, burning oil and black powder bombs on the army horribly burning and melting and blasting the army. Wyverns return confused and think they will get the blame. The next day survivor orcs come out in the plague and the area is diseased for a long time and taints the flesh of local animals for decades

note i am infamous in my crew as not liking flying ships or balloons in anything but my deep gnomes are near victorian tech level scientific murder hobos. Princess ark was probably the best thing in Dragon mag for years but at the time i wanted spells and rules and was getting grittier history gaming. When Known world was Mystara it became unusable to me. 

Saturday, 27 June 2020

War Against The Dark Lord 1: Dark Lords Forces












































Every few generations some new dark lord comes. Some new demon noble finds a handful of cultists and then helps them finds a relic of the past. Then next thing they are forming an army and everyone on the borderlands becomes edgy as disorganised enemies of humanity unite. Where did all these monsters get so irate all of a sudden? It is like they don't want to be annexed and they keep increasingly making more desperate pacts with demons who just want to be set free on earth. Anyway here are some tables for the warzone that I never wanted to do from my old series.....Links to old ones at the bottom.
 
Obviously, I'm all for Dark Ladies or Evil Obelisks or any form of evil intelligence. 
But I'm sure will do some more evil lady wars or an Amazon war.

War Against The Dark Lord 1: Dark Lords Forces
War Against The Dark Lord 2: Dark Lords Encounters & Wonders
War Against The Dark Lord 3: Dark Lords Rumours & Treasure

I could see my Southern continent of a shattered 3rd empire of knightly kingdoms in a decades-long civil war having recursive dark lords. Might even be why empire exists. Oops, exile Island and Shadelport to be fair probably would work for the dark lord strictly for cash. It is ruled by a devil-worshipping immortal masked Barron after all but might betray the dark lord for cash again. Every 3-6 generations you get a dark lord and some bit of the world gets whittled away.

d10 What Started war?
1 The events were set in motion thousands of years ago and predestined
2 Somebody awoke a great evil by accident allowing the lord to arise
3 A cult worked in secret spreading corruption and gathering evil relics
4 A great defender against evil stumbled in madness and has fallen
5 Famine among humanoids is uniting them in the thousands and the lord took power
6 Ancient oaths made to the commanders of a former great evil have been claimed
7 The evil one has escaped imprisonment due to some foolish mortals sin and vanity
8 A great ruler made a deal under duress long ago and this gives the dark lord power
9 Human adventurers raided numerous tabu holy sites outraging humanoids
10 The elves have instigated this to cull humans and other oafish uncouth races

d10 Objectives of invaders?
1 Destroy everything pretty or artful that is not functional or for war
2 Eat and enslave everything, send slaves home as cattle
3 Destroy a kingdom or civilisation and damage the world forever
4 Revenge against human mistreatment for ages and take the frontier back
5 Utter extermination of all humans not in thralldom forever to the dark lord 
6 Utter extermination of demihumans and magical beings and forests
7 Destroy walls, wells, burn forests, poison wells, ruin land supporting humans
8 Destroy civilisation especially literacy, records, libraries, monuments
9 Destroy the holy places of good religions with fire and blasphemous rites
10 Bring about the apocalypse and force a final war to bring all the gods to earth

d10 What ends war?
1 Dark lord overreaches in zealousness to beat a prophecy
Dark lord minions keep being overcome by local heroes resisting tenaciously
3 The threat of a worse invasions makes humanoids head for their dungeons for cover
4 Somebody destroys the dark lords legacy for a while and hopefully does not replace them
5 Dark lord triggers the apocalypse, gods battle of the earth for supremacy in an age of horror
6 Some band of adventurers obtained secret knowledge to destroy the lords great relic
7 Crusade! allies come from far off lands to destroy the evil one, hopefully they go home after
8 Humanity managed to gain other great hidden allies in an important battle 
9 Heroes uncovered an artefact to destroy the dark lord but it was so terrible destruction
10 The dark lord on the edge of victory starts their true plan turning everyone against them

d10 Factions of the Dark Lord (every good dark lord has a d3 sub-bosses)
1 Goblinoids, mad at humans for losing territory, exploitation and slavery
2 Orcs enraged by humanity who they see as rivals to rule this age at any cost
3 Necromancers have provided undead troops since humans first learned black magic
4 Black wizards schooled in the low tuition fee diabolic school serve for knowledge & power
5 Beast folk army, type created by the dark lord elder magic & secret breeding programs
6 Beast folk horde, wild tribal beastfolk tribe willingly serve for a chance to kill humans
7 Ogres unusually have united to eat and destroy humanity who they hate so much
8 Hill giants have come from the mountains to eat humans and the dark lords lies
9 Chaos horde, mutated warband of maniacs serving priesthood of chaos and demons 
10 Dark elves are sworn to a former darklord reluctantly are made to fight this useless war

d10 Factions Against The Dark Lord
1 A local flawed ruler who earnestly does not want people to all be eaten by orcs
2 Mad lord sure can make a deal with the dark lord or they can reason with them
3 Cowards hoping to pay off or negociate peace or even talk terms of surrender
4 Crusader order formed uniting various churches and kingdoms richest fanatics
5 Crafty old ruler believes just delaying the dark lord will cause him to crumble again
6 Knowing the history of the former dark lord in the region a local ruler ready to swear to evil
7 A peasant army run by bandits living like wild men and fighting the carrying the evil army
8 Local ruler believes can easily defeat the dark lord and is destined to be a legendary hero
9 King wants to unite all lands and is targeted by the dark lord with corruption
10 An idealistic young ruler wants allegiance with demihumans against the dark lord. Trouble is the dwarves think humans are technology thieving bastards who eye off dwarf treasure (true) and the elves think humans are vermin gnawing away at the wilderness. Possibly wilderness protection might help get elves and guilds acknowledging dwarf as owning certain patents

d10 Quests of the war
1 Find the dark lords secret weakness, what is the great relic he requires for power
2 Make allies from one of the hidden peoples of the world like demihumans
3 Make allies from dragons or some other enemy of the dark lord (though a few did)
4 Who was the dark lord? where did they come from? Do they have any family?
5 Disrupt a meeting of the dark lord's minions so they fight each other
6 Destroy something essential to a faction so it drops out of the war to recover
7 Expose the dark lord's real plans and convince some minions they are on wrong side 
8 Slay a great hero of the dark lord reducing stability and morale of the dark forces
10 Save a temple from attack that might hold secret to the dark lords power source

d10 What does the dark lord do to prisoners
1 Butcher for monster food
2 Sent into secret labour camps  
3 Sent back to the homeland to be slave thralls
4 Sent back to the homeland as cattle to be eaten
5 Sent to evil priests to sacrifice to please evil gods and demons
6 Offer them freedom if they sell souls to powers of hell
7 Have them killed and turned into undead
8 Have them killed and reborn as savage fanatic orcs
9 Have them made into eunuchs and sold as slaves
10 Bewitch them into mutants or some kind of abhuman

d10 Which former dark lord is this one in debt to
1 Served Tiamat in the dragon war versus the gods before the creation
2 Joined Jotun, giants, Titans and trolls versus gods in the dawn of time
3 Ally of the gods of darkness who struck down the sun thus spawning the age of night
4 A succession of squabbling dark lords fighting other dark lords in the age of monster kings
5 Early in the time of humans, necromancers revived a new dark lord from a servant of the old
6 Dark lord tried to work with evil elementals which proved a terrible way to make unity against the first empire and lost, now called the elemental heresy 
7 A dark lord found corrupted dragon eggs hidden from the dawning age and used them against the second empire even convincing other draconic and reptilians to join
8 The dark lord who waged war on the far western secret emperor and the orcs returned drug addicts and in debt bankrupting, the dark lord who was killed and eaten by own minions for drug money
9 The dark lord who evoked the elder powers of the outer void allowing things from beyond into the universe until a god sent a hero to slay them. Others copying this lord are likely satisfied with awakening powers from the void already lurking in this world but hidden imprisoned or sleeping
10 The dark lord who used a great relic engine of destruction that heroes turned on the dark lord to drain his life. The right use of the relic might revive some of the old master's life force

d10 Strange Schemes of the Dark Lord
1 Prisoners are taken into the gates of an ancient fallen mountain fortress and never seen again some say fed to some monstrous beast or soul-eating engine
2 Crack necromancers teams and dark elves are sneaking into settlements awakening the dead in local graveyards as part of a campaign of terror 
3 Several villages have broken out in the taint of the evil one making more mutants
4 A species of monster unseen for an age returns amazing many
5 Strange foreign troops arrived having reached from the ends of the earth with strange customs, equipment, language and dedication to the dark lord
6 The dark lord has made a deal with seven demon nobles for supernatural support
7 The dark lord has become tight with hell and is recruiting an army of hell on earth
8 A long-dormant god or primordial monster has a fragment of life remaining and the dark lord plans to revive this god who will, of course, reward them because sometimes elder evil gods do that....
9 Certain key relics and holy places keep the nightmare worlds, the negeverse and overspace separate from our world. The dark lord wants to free all from the veil of illusionary sanity so we can all see the maddening void by smashing these places
10 The dark lord has recruited a force from the Underland nobody saw coming and doesn't give a crap about and surface factions really. Because he has vast rivers of albino hunchbacked goblins able to pour from cracks in the earth like cockroaches

Dark Lord Forces
The dark lord is a unifying force preying on the monsters who mostly lose at history because of their desire to have a dark lord save them from responsibility.

Humans & Orcs
Humans and orcs bread to monstrous proportions into abhumans have stood solid in dark lord armies for thousands of years until they became the majority and revolted. Common orcs freshly made or angry enough or hungry will join yet another dark crusade for a dark lord but they might also feel betrayed by esoteric plans that risk their chance at orc dominance. Human armies of bandits and pirates might join the dark lord especially at sea where his reach is weakest. Kingdoms might join the dark lord in some pact but service does not guarantee a dark lords appreciation.

Goblinoids & Dark Elves & Dwarves & Changelings
Some goblins are still thralls of elves especially dark elves who happily send goblins to die for them or fight first.  Of course, some people can't tell bright from dark elves sometimes. But everyone knows goblins. Those that are not serving elves might still provide them with a buffer zone and be manipulated by elves. Other goblins are bitterly rebellious and over elves forever. Faerie stuff feel free to amp up cruelty - several tables of nasty pranks out there. Some dwarves joined the dark lord who promised them gold and revenge on humans who had stolen iron and gun powder and so many dwarven secrets. Some bad dwarves served evil monsters and wizards in the past but mostly they hide in secret places. Some changelings of evil planar bloodlines have serves the fark lord as agents and heroes.

Goblin 
1 Goblin Forces
Goblin 2 Encounters Wonders
Goblin 3 Rumours Treasure
Faerie 1 Faerie Forces
Faerie 2 Encounters Wonders
Faerie 3 Rumours Treasure
Faerie Maidens
Faerie Land Encounters

Evil Wizards & Necromancers
From ancient necromancer cults or those schooled by minions of hell with the lowest tuition and wildest parties. Other wizards outcast for ethics happily joins the dark lord who encourages experimentation and crazy race theories. Necromancers command vast undead armies recycling the dead which the dark lord proves of. Wizards, of course, make and command own orc armies but they did make those Abhuman orcs and abhuman barbarians that ended up killing a dark lord once which they have to make up for. The dark lord trusts undead wizards the most only they understand the long term picture.

Wizard Wars 1 Causes and forces
Wizard Wars 2 Encounters and links
Wizard Wars 3 Rumours and treasure
Necromancer 1 Causes and forces
Necromancer 2 Encounters and links
Necromancer 3 Rumours and treasure

Mutants 
These make up the bulk of mutants corrupted and tainted recently or perhaps crawled from foul places in the earth from pacts made long ago seeking to smash the perfect pretty face of the world and make it broken for mutants and chaos.
Mutant Wars 1 Causes and forces
Mutant Wars 2 Encounters and links
Mutant Wars 3 Rumours and treasure
Necromancer 1 Causes and forces
Necromancer 2 Encounters and links
Necromancer 3 Rumours and treasure

Giants
Many served the dark lords of the past to failure but some especially the most degenerate mutant formari or the moronic hill giants tempted by food and beer and blood.
Giant 1 Causes and forces
Giant 2 Encounters and links
Giant 3 Rumours and treasure

Monster King Mercenaries
Any strange troops from the age of monster kings could be an exotic troop type and making elves all gasp since they last saw such ugly things. Some of these were paid aeons ago by former dark lords with more money.

1 Goblinoids, mad at humans for losing territory, exploitation and slavery
2 Orcs enraged by humanity who they see as rivals to rule this age at any cost
3 Necromancers have provided undead troops since humans first learned black magic
4 Black wizards schooled in the low tuition fee diabolic school serve for knowledge & power
5 Beast folk army, type created by the dark lord elder magic & secret breeding programs
6 Beast folk horde, wild tribal beastfolk tribe willingly serve for a chance to kill humans
7 Ogres unusually have united to eat and destroy humanity who they hate so much
8 Hill giants have come from the mountains to eat humans and the dark lords lies
9 Chaos horde, mutated warband of maniacs serving priesthood of chaos and demons 
10 Dark elves are sworn to a former darklord reluctantly are made to fight this useless war

United Against The Dark Lord Forces
Many orc abhuman tribes will join humanity as they are sick of dark lord suckering everyone into stupid wars and betraying everyone with an evil wizard and god stuff. They expect land deals and possibly paid military work to stick around.

Human Forces 
The official military of the land are foremost in defence but in overrun areas peasants revolt and make bandit armies against the dark lord. People wonder if they will return to peasantdom after the war. Possibly inquisitors and other maniacs might be needed to hunt agents of the dark lord within civilisation est hiss influence spread. Secret police would be after the agents of evil too. 
Peasant Revolt 
1 Forces and Encounters
Peasant Revolt 2 Gossip

Good Wizards
Good wizards know the dark lord comes for them to be his thralls and don't like it

Crusaders 
Human knights form other lands unite under one banner of many faiths against evil

Dwarves
Dwarves grumble about humans and elves but they doo like fighting the dark lord and some dwarves might even have served him.

Elves
Some elves feel bad about potent old magic still trashing the world and they know the dark lord wants them dead or slaves or monsters or corrupted so they are pleased to fight him. Dark elves complicate matters and elves avoid direct fights preferring to fight through goblin proxies and pawns

Halflings & Gnomes
Normally these guys don't make history but they sure dislike dark lords and get dirty work done smuggling evil relics, shanking villains, resisting evil curses and murdering the odd wizard can help. Good and evil gnomes dislike the dark lord thinkin' he is a trainwreck of stupidity and waste. Good gnomes will help in secret evil ones will wait it out and maybe shank some dying soldiers for coins and wine
 
Abhumans & Changelings
Lots of beast folk hate the dark lord as do barbarians and the spirit peoples who mostly hide among humanity dislike the dark lord.

Possible Future Wars (Which Next?)
1 Lizard Wars! aztech dino folk, serpentfolk for wizards, etc 
2 Witch Wars! which hunt mania! it's like the more you repress people the more rebel
3 Amazon Wars! several great amazon powers wage war in the world against the world of men --and they have surprising allies such as barbarian tribes and elven and orc amazons
4 Barbarian invasion with temples getting trashed and wizards burned
5 Crusade! knights and templar orders and religious maniacs declare holy war on you
-ready to burn the shit out of stuff and kill thousands in name of holiness!
6 Foreign Power - not especially strange just a "civilised" business-like invasion or civil war
7 Modern era annexes your fantasy world with 10000 military advisors and mining partners
8 Elemental Wars - wizards and cults wrecking the place, squabbling, summoning monsters 
9 Dwarf War - it had to happen with artillery, clockwork mines, juggernauts, golems, bombs, guns, gas, all the stuff dwarves have kept hidden in alchemy and mechanics labs
10 Return of the Trolls - not those big dumb chaos cancer brutes, the weird mystical races of trolls castes that you don't hear much about since a big war long ago
11 Druid wars - enough of your shit, druids have had enough, time for a new covenant in blood with nature, cull the herd of humans and help nature fight back, lots of beast folk
12 Xor War - Xor has come to eat your world do not resist join us in eternity with the god flesh
13 Halfling Wars - they stole our children with sweets and cakes, made us
 fat with cheap greasy sausage and white bread, made us addicts to their pipeweed and ergonomic kitchen design, enough and no more! purge the under five foot tall!*

Secretly halflings dirty burrows are actually cosy and like lovely cottages much nicer than even shopkeepers houses full of food and nice things. Who would have thought they were holding out like that. Bastards.

*excluding elderly people or children. Any child can be detained and questioned in case they are in fact halfling terrorists

Sunday, 31 May 2020

Against the Snake Tribe



My cave DND game continued. The tribe reached the tundra and granny had made them swear to find a cave for what might be her last winter. At sixteen the tribe felt like a extended family. So heroes set out to explore the region.

Granny cried out about troll beast coming from the north with huge teeth and a hairy tentacle in their face. No not troll beasts or Nyarlathotep but wooly mammoths.  Trieb watched them and kept away and hypothesized trapping them but seeing beasts trumpet to each other made them wary. The chief hunter saw strangers and ran home to send heroes to negotiate being on this land. 

Dallas playing a stone axe and spear-wielding warrior
Matt playing a halfling baker with rogue gardener sidekick
Richard playing a pine elf trickster who had some fight back home when a pet was killed

So halfling made a basket filled with herbs and flowers and grain cakes and party went forth. Halfling and the elf had the best chance of making friends. The strangers in mammoth hide made some threatening gestures but party left gifts including a cowrie shell necklace. Strangers investigated and talked and accepted as a gift to stay for a moon plus they were to avoid upsetting holy mammoth herds. Heard of other tribes and agreed there would be a new meeting where tribe leaders would meet the party to negotiate a longer stay. Snake, Hyena and Orc tribes were enemies and unwelcome in the land and strangers killing these enemies would be more welcome.

So spent days scrabbling for food without a lot of success but did find a cave with some smelly hooved humanoids. They headed home to find goatmen tracking them so the elf hid and let them pass, then the halfling and his human hid and finally as the goat folk reached the warrior they were in a three direction ambush. One goat warrior was charmed by elf who kept it charmed a few days before making it a follower reluctantly because it proved a competent warrior and helper. If you treat a charmed being better than it's own kind then they might become a loyal follower. 

So everyone moved into the goat cave and party discussed what laws and customs they should develop as they were a mongrel tribe from different peoples and other peoples will frown at them for lacking culture, totems and even a name. So they were the South Tribe as they came from the lost flooded southland over the sea. First law they all agreed on was no cannibalism that all accepted. Then after the spell with shape-shifting gnomes who lived with their dogs a bit too closely so debated banning that. Then debated if it should just be private then someone suggested only certain sex positions should be allowed and eventually gave up before making law number 2.

Discovered a ruined village with stone circle foundations and some rubble-filled stone-lined pits. One had a dirty squarish hole so lowered down the halfling with a stone handlamp of animal fat. Saw was cramped and dirty with a few thin odd bones. Wiped out a warren of degenerate snakeling folk (halfling version of serpent folk, degenerate albino cave folk). Took a bunch of eggs and found a assault hexagonal pillar with reptilian writing which the elf knew. Spoke of fall of the snake kingdoms and a valley nearby that was a hidden holy place for reptiles. Found a green stone pyramid idol in rubble that tended to grow psychedelic alien mould and can cast command 6 times can be recharged with a priest praying for a week.

Went home to discuss with tribe and ate eggs. Next day found someone had tracked the heroes from the snake tunnels wearing leather mochasins. So they tracked them back to the stone village and then followed into the hills a followed a band of snake tribals clean-shaven wearing only lizard skin loincloths with spears and darts and caste makeup. They went into a narrow canyon and saw motion on top as snake tribe went into canyon. So waited till dark and warrior climbed cliff and was attacked by two snake tribe men he defeated. One tried to jump over narrow canyon while those on other side hurled spears, but the warrior slammed the coward. The warrior now in a frenzy lept over the gulf and killed all the guards on that side. Looted a 4 floor rope ladder!

Spent a day into the canyon and climbed up the cliff at night to camp in secret. A giant eagle tried to snatch the halfling and missed by one and got away unharmed. Next day found jungle valley with a huge river, unnaturally tropical in the mountains. Followed cliff and mountains of south to avoid jungle dinosaurs and megafauna. Did find a weird cave where animals came to be healed and the warrior thought killing these animals here would be wrong. Continued till they reached the river, a hundred yards across. Several dog paddled badly but reached shore about a hundred and fifty yards downstream more than they planned. Elf had to send his goat man to rescue thay halfling, they party running along the shore to keep up. A wily plesiosaur attacked and the goat man at great personal risk saved the halfling. Alf shot the beast in the back with arrows and the warrior hurled a critical spear in the monster's mouth. As they rested saw on hills above them on this shore were some great stones and something in trees up there watching. The elf saw apes of several sizes in the jungle. 

So they didn't want to go near the apes especially as a warrior had a fursuit onesie made from a flayed white ape they might not like. So went downstream to a huge waterfall that fell into a cavern. Snake symbols were in rocks everywhere including a picture of a hydra. Moved on following the north cliff face till they found a crystal cave where the halfling button mashed a crystal control altar like the ones in the city of the old ones they had seen and revived six reptilians in strange vestments with weird bows (crossbows). T
he elf was confused by having only seen shortbows which impressed humans.

The elf communicated with reptilian script in charcoal and they went outside to talk with stick writing in sand. Most of party puzzled about this squiggling in the sand for an hour. The reptilians explained they cared for the environment of the valley. They spoke of human snake tribe pilgrims who visited to give reptilians gifts. They bid humans leave and not steel any crystals. The party left tucking in their stolen crystal chunks towards the reptile monastery and where the snake tribe pilgrims camped. 

We stopped there as a good spot...

Party all speculating on skills to learn to enrich the tribe with food and technology. 
Discussions over tribal identity, laws and fitting in with local tribes amusing.
Seem to be ok helping reptiles purge valley of snake tribe humans, white apes and evil wizard spiders

Lots of my COC players not responding to post-plague gatherings still despite everything opening again bit by bit now so a 3 year campaign on hold still. My other dnd game probably dead. No new cases in weeks near me so all good.

Friday, 29 May 2020

d100 Horror Street Crime in Hell City



So after a recent binge of historic dramas and Napoleonic war stuff I went into my pulp and trash movie collection including modern attempts to recreate 70s exploitation cinema. Hobo with a shotgun is pretty awesome and I had forgotten how horrible the featured city is with poor Rutger witnessing awful crimes as he wanders the streets before his shotgun rampage. Judge Dredd and cyberpunk and often superheroes often feature horrible street crime. Your heroes are only as good as the villains they bust and the villains are only as good as the atrocities they perform.  I would use in my roadwar and cyberpunk settings. 

So anyway this table is for walking around god awful shit cities going to hell in modern era games but possibly useful elsewhere. Its to paint a picture of the god awful studs that happens around here. If your a reader who thinks my usual stuff is misery crawl and dehumanises my readers (as one reviewer said) well this post is like that dialled up a bit more. If your crime towns not always this bad you could use in a riot or just to grab news headlines.

It's as if civic authorities wanted the city to be this bad.

d10 Types
01 Homeless
02 Urchins
03 Prostitution
04 Drugs
05 Fight
06 Traffic
07 Police
08 Gangs
09 Public
10 Strange

 d100 Horror Street Crime in Hell City
01 Hungry hungry homeless using a shopping cart on fire to grill an unwanted slum landlord
02 Rich kids filming homeless fighting, stabbing and eating glass for dollars
03 Gang chasing homeless hired by real estate investors and crooked businesses
04 Police round up homeless looking for a scapegoat for some crime
05 Gang of evil punks torturing a homeless person
06 Driveby firebomb thrown at a homeless person
07 Gang hunting homeless with dogs, dirtbike and red pick up trucks for thrills
08 Rich kids in car chasing homeless and driving through settlements
09 Police arresting charity workers for feeding and helping local poor
10 Fed up hobo with a firearm murdering d4 1=cop 2=teen 3=gang 4=gangster0
11 Kids living in drain desperate for cash and drugs
12 Abandoned baby in a box
13 Scrawny children living in a car
14 Off duty cops shooting kids and collecting corpses before a city event
15 Battered old icecream truck with creepy clown snatches child
16 Man selling babies from car boot
17 Gang of children throwing bricks from overpass at cars for fun
18 Children with knives holding up old people
19 Youth chapter of big gang out to prove they can randomly execute people too
20 Armed gunmen capture a school bus for hostages when on run from law
21 High pimp punching prostitutes demanding money 
22 Police stopping and harassing everyone on streets as potential prostitutes
23 Gimp in PVC running is hit by car, passengers put body in car boot and drive away
24 Police raiding brothel with a news crew to film a politician or civic official
25 Crazed serial killer chasing prostitutes into alleyways
26 Mad priest with a flamethrower come to burn all the sinners
27 Police collecting protection from prostitutes as cash or favours
28 Police throw a prostitutes body off a bridge or in dumpster
29 Naked man holding bleeding groins running down the street screaming
30 Gangsters moving into area grabbing rivals gang sex workers
31 Fortified drug lab raided by cops, gunshots in streets 
32 Drug lab explodes and starts a dangerous fire
33 Drug dealer selling to kids
34 Nightclub bouncer trying to stuff dead drug abusers in dumpster
35 Car dealing drugs to people in rehab clinic line
36 Cop executing drug abusers
37 Dealer offering drugs for organs, great deals!
38 VIP in limo offering drugs to runaway teens to get in
39 Foaming at the mouth meth and pcp abuser going psycho at passers-by
40 Black 4WD makes hit and run firebomb attack on a drug clinic
41 Drunks fighting in street with broken bottles
42 Two men in suits beat up a third then put in car and drive away
43 Two men fight while two gangs watch for outcomes
44 Two youths attacking a businessman for money
45 Two gangs fighting with clubs, knives, hatchets and chains
46 Huge psychotic ex-military bikers brawling in street while high
47 Martial arts streetfight for money in an alleyway
48 Martial arts gangs with exotic alleyway
49 Thugs following smaller person, taunting and abusing them
50 Thugs chasing someone screaming for help
51 Hit and run driver backs up to finish job then flees
52 Head on highspeed collision blood and junk and bodies everywhere
53 High-speed vehicle collides with lamp post sending mangled corpse flying away
54 Motorcyclist hit by car, bike and driver fly through air 1in6 chance drivers gang turn up and lay waste to street and kill car driver
55 Truck runs over old limping person
56 Police chasing gangsters shooting, pedestrians scream and flee
57 Maniac in armoured crash proof car on spree ramming other cars off-road and running down pedestrians
58 Out of control truck as the driver had a heart attack or choked on a burger
59 Car spins out of control hitting several pedestrians and driver tries to flee on foot
60 Drug crazed rich kids in sports car racing dangerously, running over poor and harassing women
61 Cops betting over a prostitute knife fight
62 Cops eating donuts off duty while gang beat up someone outside donut shop
63 Cop runs down a suspect and then hits them opening door then gets out truncheon to finish them off
64 Cops talking to famous alleged mob leader and swapping packages
65 Police break up youth gang fight then let one gang go easy and haul away the other
66 Cop swallowing handful of pills then washing it down with whiskey 
67 Cops taking joints of kids then smoking them and sexually harassing the kids
68 Riot police storming a protest about recent police brutality
69 Police protecting racist thugs pride march from media and hippies
70 Cop pulls over drivers demanding sex and money
71 Gang watch while forcing kids to knife fight
72 Gang drag screaming victim in chains behind motorbikes in the street
73 Gang perform ritual torture and murder in street to warn squealers
74 Gangs having gun battle at meeting gone wrong, eventually, police join in
75 Gang harassing shopkeepers for money
76 Gang in a fancy car harassing pedestrians with violence for fun
77 Gang holding up a store and tormenting shoppers
78 Gang members on streets everywhere in colours all hunting someone
79 Gang brawl with lots of minor gang members in an unarmed brawl in street or empty lot
80 Gang attacking club of a rival gang and terrorising patrons
81 Angry mob pelting house or business with rocks then petrol bombs
82 An angry mob of locals have caught satisfactory scapegoat and debate what next
83 Strikers camping in front of workplace fighting violently with private security
84 Bomb goes off in mobsters car and crowd of pleased locals turn up to warm hands
85 Aggressive political faction forcing how to vote cards for the upcoming election, some of them getting aggressive and threatening especially to elderly
86 Street market of trinkets, second-hand goods and buskers blocking a street forms spontaneously
87 Rioters in streets battling riot squad and choking streets for hours
88 An angry mob with hatchets and machetes dismember some gang members leaving a horrific mess
89 Mob of angry sports fans overturn cars and start fires and fight riot police
90 Mob executing someone d6 1=bullet in head 2=decapitation 3=hanging 4=set fire to 5=drowning 6=torn apart by vehicles for the heinous crime of d4 1=wrong sport team 2=gang hoodlum killed local 3=pervert 4=being a pleasing sacrifice for the dark lord
91 War veteran vigilante brutally attacks relaxing mobsters d4 1=bar 2=barbershop 3=church 4=resteraunt
92 Biohazzard team seal off a building with armed soldiers in ABC suits
93 Bomb goes off d6 1=car 2=shop 3=office 4=school 5=church 6=supermarket
94 Armed men hijack a vehicle and flee but drop something by accident
95 Madman escapes maximum security at the hospital for incurable psychotic killers and now on a murder spree
96 The heavily armed old man opens fire from rooftop at the public for making noise and being sinners
97 Rich 3rd gen gangsters hunting manacled man for sport with own film crew
98 Local crime lord executes a prisoner surrounded by heavily armed goons as a warning
99 Cultists in robes with a prisoner for a sacrifice, moving from building to vehicles to a secret location 
100 Gangs racing, each car has innocent hostage or member of public tied to the front of their car for extra thrills

Possibly need to dial this up more
I mean Batman has dealt with worse I'm sure
I could probably do whole table of horrible vehicle crime for cops on road
Is weird crime a genre?