d100 - Vignettes for Faerie & Other Unseen Lands

When the Characters find themselves haplessly traipsing about in very strange places, be it Dolmenwood’s Realms of Fairy, the Gardens of Ynn, or even the odd Elfin Woodland (just beyond the fields we know so well, etc.), I often find it useful to have some ideas for little “Vignettes” or “Scenes” that I can use to help communicate that lovely “Not in Kansas Anymore” sensation. There are times when a more Mythic Overworld can benefit from a little more Whimsy and Weirdness as well, because those can really help foster Wonder.

d100 - Fairy Tale Tells for the Subtly Supernatural

Just in time for Fairy Tale Friday again! Here’s a table containing more than a few Clues or Suspicious Signs that one might be dealing with someone who isn’t quite as they seem. Some are certainly more subtle than others, and a few might require creative engineering of the situation to provide the revelation. I feel that no Fairy’s Glamours should be flawless or perfect, however.

With a little bit of cherry-picking, some of these might be inspiring or useful for subtle hints concerning other shapeshifters or deceivers that cloak their True Forms, such as those more Folkloric Hags and Witches. I have previusly trod similar ground for Lycanthropes in my Encounter Activities, but I strongly feel that a breadcrumb trail of Clues for these deceptions makes for a much more satisfying reveal than simply springing it suddenly upon unsuspecting Players.

Should you wish, you could also apply these to Elf Characters for a more Fairy Tale Feel, in a similar fashion to my Infernal Features & Tiefling Traits.

d100 - Mischievous Magic: Pixie Pranks or Elfin Ensorcellments

Previously touched on briefly in my Encounter Activities of Sprites, I thought it might be fun to produce a full d100 Table of various Minor Magics of an Inconvenient but mostly Inconsequential nature. Many of these are more Petty “Curse-style” Cantrips that could be at the disposal of various Faerie Folk or mined for inspiration for the various japes and escapades that they find so droll.

Should your approach to the Elf Class hail from a more Fairy Tale direction, these might serve as a convivial compliment for them as well, a bit like my Dwarf Dweomercraft and Convenient Cantrips for the Dwarf and Magic User Classes respectfully. Most of these shouldn’t (or at least weren’t intended to) be truly capable of producing lasting harm, but they could most certainly annoy or hinder in amusing and flustering ways. Some may be permitted Saving Throw or such for foiling at the Referee’s Discretion.

I suppose with a little squinting, this Table could also serve a bit of double duty as more ideas to graft on Magical Items to make them a little more frustrating but flavorful, potentially a bit less detrimental than my prior table on those kinds of Drawbacks.

Dolmenwood Dozen

Recently I embarked on a little self-imposed Challenge. With some of the previews of the Dolmenwood Materials available to Backers, I noticed that the Monster descriptions had a Lair Chance. I always loved this but figured it might be a bit tricky for some Referees to come up with some of these “on the fly” as it were, should it be the result of a Random Encounter or such. So, over the last several days, I resolved to put together a quick Lair/Dungeon/Adventure Location for some of these Monsters on a Daily Basis.

I often find myself slapping together a quick Dungeon or Site-Based Adventure at the last minute (usually when I’ve been procrastinating on Prep and have a Game coming up in a few hours!) and sometimes a time constraint actually helps get the ideas flowing. It can be a little stressful (in a good way!), but I find that the process of “Discovering” a place through creating it helps me focus a little more on the lens I need for conveying this to Players. By leaving the stocking largely up to Random Rolls, I’m also letting myself “Experience Surprise” and forcing myself to brush away some of those accumulated cobwebs that might be clogging up the parts of my brain I use for Improvisation and Providing Descriptions. Sometimes it helps put me in a frame of mind that ends up being very similar to the act of Play itself, or I stumble across interesting and inspiring ideas I never would have considered or would have cast aside with a more leisurely approach.

So here are the fruits of this little experiment: A Dozen One Page Dungeons, Lairs, Points of Interest, or other Adventure Sites for Dolmenwood, all compiled together in a convenient document. If you’re a Player in a Dolmenwood game, you might want to avert your eyes in case your Referee decides to use one of these! For each, I tried to limit myself to around twenty minutes or so for each to replicate that “left it to the last minute” experience. Of course, there are some that necessitated breaks or other interruptions during their creation (I didn’t exactly click a stopwatch on each!), and as I was compiling them together I couldn’t help doing a little bit more editing or expanding once I found some free real-estate by consolidating the formatting. I’ve also included a bonus: A Peek into the Production Process for these that might help other Referees who want to give this a try. The end result of this little Project is available below:

d100 - Five Hundred Names for Dolmenwood Games

One can never have enough Names. A while back to assist a Referee in distress, I put together a few for Dolmenwood. Here are Five Hundred Names for Dolmenwood Games:

Dolmenwood Goat-Men Miniatures

One of our many local taprooms (a growler joint I believe) is selling custom-designed, D&D miniatures with a "Local" theme. 

My town has a resident cryptid affectionately referred to as the “Goat Man” and here’s the mini they put together for it:

Did I mention how awesome the place I live is? :)

I just might have to snag a few of these. They seem perfect for Dolmenwood.