d100 - What Do Those Rations Consist of Anyway?

Adventurers often find themselves with loudly growling bellies. The clever ones make sure that they’ve brought along some Rations for this occasion, but we rarely really delve into what those portable foodstuffs might actually be. Other than vague acknowledgements nodding in the directions of Pemmican and Hard Tack, it seldom gets the detail it’s due.

Foodways can convey a lot about a Culture or Place, and it struck me that a bundle of provisions might sometimes come with a little something extra. Something that could serve as a potential problem-solving Tool or give those Rations a little extra utility behind munching or Monster bribing.

So here are a Hundred ideas to make those Meals more Meaningful. Most are representative of the “Standard” Ration variety, as Iron Rations might deserve separate ministrations. Until then, I’m sure some of these could be re-skinned with a focus on how they’re stored and the preservation methods used.

d100 - Magical Waterskins, Canteens, or Flasks

Another table in my series on adding a bit of Magic to some of the more mundane items that Adventurers might cross paths with (more under the [magic items] label). For whatever reason, I always tend to envision Water/Wineskins as more akin to a Bota rather than their larger counterparts, but I suppose most of the entries might be adaptable for various other means of transporting Liquids.

d100 - Magical Bags, Backpacks, Pouches, or Purses

Continuing my series on less traditional Magical Items, this table deals primarily with personal Containers. Backpacks, Sacks, and those ubiquitous Belt Pouches are pretty common accoutrements, though I’m sure these special features could be applied to other things with a little creative ingenuity.

d100 - Magical Ropes & Restraints

Here are a Hundred ideas for tying some Magical Effects to your Ropes, Restraints, Cables, and Cordage of all kinds. Sometimes the even most mundane piece of Equipment deserves a little dressing up 😊

d100 - Magical Hats & Helms

Another Random Table in my Series of Magic Items, this one focuses on Magical Helms, Hats, and other Assorted Headgear. It was a little tricky to try and insure that they could apply to all sorts of Head Coverings!

d100 - Atypical Scrolls of Protection & Assorted Aegides

Those Scrolls of Protection are a type of Magic Item that fills me with fond memories. Being usable by anyone (provided they can read them aloud), they really scratch a particular itch for me: They provide the ability to put Magic and Wonder in the hands of Classes that don’t normally have the capability to tangibly access this aspect of play. An athaumic Fighter, unfurling that fluttering page of parchment to have that chance to harness some Magic occasionally is a very fun thing. I also enjoy how they generally serve as timely “bacon-savers” of the highest degree: They are an excellent example of a specific Tool, that when used in the proper circumstances, can really make a world of difference.

Sadly, the standard safeguards provided, while eminently useful, are still somewhat limited in scope in terms of what they protect against: enigmatic Elementals, leering Lycanthropes, the ubiquitous Undead, and of course the extremely handy Protection from Magic. I’ve always enjoyed sprinkling in a few more interesting and somewhat more situationally convenient ones in Hoards here and there.

Along with a Hundred new and novel circumstances, substances, or adversaries to ward against, I’ve included some Scroll Descriptions that could easily be used with other, more conventional Spell Scrolls. Given the accessible nature of Scrolls of Protection, I suppose that quite a few of my Scroll Substitutions could also be just as applicable for these as well since they are generally “single-use” items and might invoke a more “Protective Talisman” feel.

The general Rules for employment, area, and effect for them still apply (though some of these might require a bit of creative interpretation from time to time...that’s part of the fun!). These Magic Items are an excellent example of one of the few occasions I find things like “Usage Die” to be more suitable than the standard method. Rather than the Referee rolling to establish a “set” Duration in Secret, the tension of rolling every Turn to witness that defensive “Forcefield” flicker and fade is much more unpredictable and fun. The d8 or d6 is probably as high as I’d go most of the time, but for some of the things these protect against I’d potentially consider a Check taking place every Hour, or even every Day to occasionally make them truly marvelous and memorable.

d100 - Flaws & Foibles for More Fickle Magic

Drawbacks and Complications for Magic are something I’m fairly fond of using in my games. A useful item, with an inconvenient defect is more memorable, just as a Cursed item with just enough usefulness to hang onto can also be more fun than metagame conceits that keep it in player hands.

It is always appealing to me when one of these snags ends up being a boon with the proper creative application. Just like how my Unconventional Potions and some of my other Magic Item posts end up embellishing these creations with features that might just be a perfect key for a lock yet unknown, some of these entries might end up working in a similar fashion.

Here is a list of a hundred of these sorts of impediments and imperfections. You could even use them to garb Spells themselves, Familiars, Magic Item Creation, or other wonderous things with a little bit of creative adjustment.

d100 – Magical Cloaks & Capes

Nearly necessary for the necks of dashing Heroes or concealing nefarious Ne’er-do-wells, the ubiquitous Cloak receives some specific attention in the Magic Item tables of most versions of these games. Some of these garments quite interesting and intriguing (those fashioned from what I assume to be Displacing Beast Hide, the one “Of The Bat”, etc.) but the most common seem to just simply possess only protective properties or were woven by delicate Elfin hands to predictable effect.

Since my Magic Item posts appear to be pretty popular, I decided to give these accessories a little more attention.

See also: Magic Blades, Magic Shields, Magic Bows, Magic Footwear for more Random Tables along these lines.

d100 - Scroll Substitutions or Strange Spell Stores

Dramatically unfurling that rolled up piece of parchment or paper to intone the Magic Words ensnared in sigils on the surface is a very lovely and iconic mental image for me. But sometimes I like to house these “single-serving Spells” in other, less traditional actions and items. These might be especially useful for Magical Traditions that encode their dweomers in ways that are not dependent on literacy or pulped wood, or just atypical treasures placed for a slight change of pace.

Standard Scroll rules would apply for these. I would personally still stick with my favorite Creation Rules from Holmes (100 gp and 1 week per Spell Level, halve time or cost with the appropriate Reagents/Ingredients).

Here’s a Hundred alternatives to consider in the place of that voluted vellum. Perhaps every caster learns a different method from their Mentor, as a sort of signature? These might also mesh nicely with my One Hundred Spellbook Surrogates & Ritual Research table.

d100 - Modern Pocket Finds

Just a quick table that I was reminded of today going through my folders. I believe I whipped this up for another Referee in need quite some time ago, but after giving it another gander and thought it might be of use to others.

Kind of a contemporary counterpart to my Random Impedimenta. Might also be useful for post-apocalyptic games or ones set in slightly older historical periods, as there is a whiff of anachronism in some of these. These days most of my tables are geared toward Fantasy, but even in that context I’ll admit to sometimes sprinkling in the occasional item from this as an intriguing/puzzling out-of-place artifact or a teaspoon dosage of gonzo. I always endeavor to render the trinket via a description rather than name it though in these situations 😊

d100 - Why is Garlic so Stinking Expensive?

Here is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek diversion from what might be considered slightly more useful Random Tables. It has always been extremely interesting to me how the standard Equipment lists in these games do so much heavy lifting to telegraph Setting, and I often tend to see players new to the game gravitate to a few of the same things.

Allium sativum on the list alongside other, perhaps more practical, purchases for Dungeon Delving is one of these. Its mere presence seems to scream to some that the possibility of Vampires is not only very real, but something they ought to prepare for. The same way those lovely Saving Throw Categories, so starkly listed on their sheet, stoically advertise other dangers.

But what may have gone unnoticed is just how pricey that lovely little Bulb can be. A little casual research reveals that it tends to stay remarkably stable pricewise in these older games. Naturally, this led me to wonder Why?

So, here is a table of a Hundred ways to address this burning question (admittedly over-contemplated on my part) and these weird implications. It just goes to show that there are all sorts of lovely little nuances living in those lists that are hiding and waiting to be revealed by Referee’s with perhaps too much time on their hands.😂

d100 - Starting Equipment: Backstories & Seeds

Musing the other day about Randomizing the Players’ Starting Equipment (why would this Magic User have a suit of Chainmail Armor?) got me thinking: What if some of a Character’s Initial Gear could serve as a bit of double duty somehow? It would be fun if one of the items they began play with had a little History, or even maybe an Adventure Hook/Rumor/bit of Mystery to pursue right out of the gate. As a big proponent of a more Sandbox-style of play, one can never have enough seeds to broadcast into those initially fallow fields in hopes that something sprouts, so naturally I felt another table was in order 😊.

At first, I had contemplated dividing this up into categories like Weapons/Armor/Tools and such, but gradually started leaning toward attempting to make the entries at least somewhat applicable to all (as you never know what the players will decide to spend that 3d6 x 100 on or select from my Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet). Some Referees perform this Shopping portion of Character Generation in play, and not all of these may be appropriate with that method, but there could be some inspiration found below for roleplaying cues I suppose.

Gut-feeling tells me that these would likely work best with the more durable pieces of gear on the Adventure Equipment list of your choice but it might lead to interesting situations to attach something like this to a consumable like a single Torch or Arrow. Could lead to a tough choice down the road eventually.

I do have an additional d100 for Equipment here, but this list doesn’t include the “bread and butter” of Arms and Armor. Updated: with Perchance generator below.

d100 - Magical Footwear

Let me see, I’ve done Swords, Shields, Bows, Potions, Grimoires, Lockpicks... I wonder what other wonderous items one might need? Below is a d100 Table that can be used for generating all manner of Magical Footwear. Rise Up Comus pointed out that this leaves our lovely Halflings in the lurch a little bit, but I suppose some could be re-skinned as toe-rings or fancy forefoot combs. Maybe I’ll make it up to them with a list of d100 “Halfling Only” items 😊.

Updated Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet

Here’s a bit of a blast from the past. I decided to give a little refresh to my old Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet because it’s still turning out to be useful for various games I’m running.

As before, the chief purpose is to cut down on the time-consuming “Shopping Trip” portion of Character Generation, but still preserve some player choice in how they outfit their characters that goes a bit beyond the more comprehensive “kits.” There are some tricky choices baked in, but I if you wanted to speed things up even more, you can always just have the players roll 6d12 (but I’ve found this tends to lead to a lot of table time spent “swapping” sometimes). With a few quick checkmarks/highlighters the adventurers are ready to go, with all of their Equipment on a single handy sheet.

d100 Equipment with Coin, Weight, Slot Encumbrance

Below is a d100 table to speed up generating Equipment and calculating Encumbrance. There seem to be three primary measurements favored these days Coins, Pounds, and “Slots.” Encumbrance Tracking is a highly subjective process, that varies from table to table of course. I’ve always been partial to coins (making it an even more “universal” unit that dovetails with spending and advancement) but do sometimes need to adjudicate raw weight (in pounds) and enjoy the occasional abstract “slot” based system as well.

So, I’ve endeavored to provide a tool that attempts to conveniently relate these different methods. As a bonus, if you find yourself in need of a random piece of equipment, it might be useful for generating that with a quick d100.

Should you notice anything glaringly out of line, please feel free to let me know!

One Hundred Holy Symbols

Here is a quick table for if you ever get put on the spot having to come up with a Holy Symbol or other assorted religious iconography. It can be fun sometimes to “work backwards” when establishing what a given ideology stands for based on its symbolism. Always arm Acolytes accordingly and give those Clerics something specific to clutch!

Random Impedimenta (d100) - Single Page Vertical Version

I've whipped up an updated version of the d100 Random Impedimenta Table. This one is a single page and arranged vertically for easy printing. It's a handy table to have behind the screen for character generation, dungeon dressing, “I search the body,” etc. See this prior post for more details.

Generate Four Random Mundane Items

Random Impedimenta (d100) PDF

I've converted the Random Impedimenta (d100) table to a two-page landscape PDF for easy printing. I find myself using this table all the time to generate all sorts of things, and my players seem to like rolling on it, and often try to assign far too much importance to or find ingenious uses for any "free stuff" they are given as part of character creation.

Here's a direct link to the file.

I usually provide 4 free rolls on the table as part of character generation, and include slots for these items on my Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet.

As I mentioned before, these items can be used in a variety of ways. Some of my favorites:

• Spell Component Pouch Contents
• Dungeon Dressings (Stuff on an "Empty" shelf, in a Chest, etc)
• Items Received on a Pickpocket Failure
• Things in Monster Gullets/Gizzards
• Alchemical Lab Jar contents (think B1 - In Search Of The Unknown)
• What's left in your pockets the morning after using Jeff's Carousing Rules

Let me know how it works out for you or if you can think of any other creative uses for this table.

Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet

NOTE: An updated version of this is available here.

Hello again OSR blog-sphere,

I've been running more Basic D&D pick-up games lately to acquaint my players with the beautiful simplicity of the 0e Systems. We're having quite a bit of fun.

I thought I would share something that has been very useful in our games. As I'm sure many of you know, the portion of Character Generation that can take the longest amount of time, irrespective of system, is the purchasing of equipment. Even with multiple copies of the equipment lists and calculators, the process still adds quite a bit of time onto the process of character creation. With player death being a relatively common occurrence, the need to generate new characters on the fly quickly is also important.

Inspired by the genius of the “Ye Fast Pack” at the end of B4 – The Lost City, Jeff's Merry Merwik’s Prepackaged Provisions and another pick-and-choose Equipment system I can't seem to find right now, I wanted something that provided a little more customization, while still keeping the process quick and on a single sheet.

Here's the Sheet (direct link)

Some Thoughts and Elaborations:

• My players typically just end up using this sheet to track most of their basic equipped items by highlighting or marking the items they choose. This eliminates the need to transfer items to their Character Sheet, which cuts down on even more character generation time.
• Although I'll always have a soft spot for using coins (cns) as the weight measurement for character encumbrance, we're currently using a slightly modified version of Raggi's LotFP system to track gear in "slots" rather than strictly by weight. The column containing a number or fraction next to each item represents it's encumbrance. The values are very general, and I've tried to take into account how bulky an item is or how carefully packed it must be to be stored safely.
• Players seem to start with a little bit less equipment and currency than if they would have rolled their 3d6 x 10 and went shopping at “Bloodbath & Beyonde.” I'm fine with this, as I tend to start my adventurers a little more pauper-ish. I suppose some extra Miscellaneous picks could make up the balance.
• The Random Impedimenta table is available in a previous post (it's my intention to convert it to PDF, as I always like to have a printed copy for pick-up games).
• Some combinations of equipment are impossible to acquire initially, while other entries are repeated throughout. This is by design and tends to lead to interesting player choice's for their equipment. Platemail armor is too expensive to show up on the Armor list.
• We currently do not limit weapon or armor use by Class as all weapons do damage based on Class HD. Only Fighters, Clerics, Elfs and Dwarfs are trained to use heavier armor. Thieves, Magic-Users and Goblins may have penalties to Thief Skills or have issues retaining spells. (We're using Untimely's Spell Retention house rule)
• The Scrolls present in the Weapon Columns are usually randomly determined (for spell and level). The Magic-User Scroll could also be for a spell already present in the caster's Spellbook that the caster had the foresight to scribe prior to adventuring. I allow Clerics to call miracles from Scrolls even if they do not possess any spell casting ability.

Suggestions or Constructive Criticisms? Questions? Let me know in the comments. I'd also like to know how it works out for you if you end up getting any mileage out of it.

Random Impedimenta (d100)

Update (05/2019): Formatting on the table below leaves a lot to be desired for direct usability. Here are some PDF versions:

Landscape| Single Page Vertical (includes an online generator)

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Slowly returning to blogging life, I’ve been making an effort to catch up on a few things. Over on Trollsmyth’s I mentioned a d100 table that I’ve been finding very useful during my recent games. Jeff requested that I share the chart. I believe he uses a similar method of distributing random items to characters (but with the added benefit of incorporating Index Cards). So without further ado, here’s the d100 chart of Random Impedimenta to foist upon foolhardy adventurers:

1. Apple Core	51. Mummified Finger or Toe
2. Small Ball of Wax	52. Nails or Tacks (d12)
3. Berries (Dried or Fresh) (Blackberry, Blueberry, Cranberry, or Mulberry) (d12)	53. Nuts (Acorns, Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts)
4. Bones (Bird, Mammal, Reptile, Humanoid)	54. Palm Fronds, Pine Needles, or Cedar Shavings
5. Bottle or Flask (Empty)	55. Patch (Fabric, Hide, Leather, or Skin)
6. Broken Buckle, Brooch, Clasp or Fibula	56. Pebbles or Small Rocks (2d12)
7. Broken Glass or Beads (Colored or Clear) (d12)	57. Petals or Dried Flowers
8. Butter Knife (Bone, Pewter, Silver or Wood)	58. Piece of Antler or Small Horn
9. Buttons (d12)	59. Piece Of Charcoal
10. Chess Piece (Bone or Wood)	60. Piece Of Fruit (Apple, Melon, Orange, or Pear)
11. Chipped Cup or Mug (Bone, Clay, Tin, or Wood)	61. Piece of Tree Bark (Birch, Oak, Pine, Yew)
12. Chunk of Algae, Fungus, Moss, or Lichen	62. Pieces of Candy or Sweets (d6)
13. Claws, Fingernails or Toenails (d10)	63. Pinch of Salt
14. Clump of Brimstone	64. Plum Pits, Pine Cones, Coconut Shell, or Cherry Stones (d6)
15. Clump of Sand	65. Metal Shavings or Powdered Rock
16. Corks (d4)	66. Reed Flute or Harmonica
17. Crude Bowl (Bone, Clay, Tin or Wood)	67. Roots or Bulbs (d4)
18. Crude Pipe (Bone, Clay, Corncob or Wood)	68. Scrap of Cloth (Linen or Wool)
19. Cubit of Wire (Copper or Tin)	69. Scrap of Lace or Silk
20. Dead Amphibian (Frog, Toad, Newt or Salamander)	70. Seven Dried Herbs or Spices
21. Dead Arthropod (Crab, Insect, Scorpion or Spider)	71. Sewing Needle or Pin (Bone, Copper, Silver, Wood)
22. Dead Mammal (Bat, Mouse, Shrew, or Vole)	72. Shards of a Broken Mirror
23. Dead Reptile (Lizard, Snake, Tortoise or Turtle)	73. Simple Hairbrush or Comb (Brass, Bone, Tin or Wood)
24. Ear (Elf, Human, Gnoll, Other)	74. Single Cloth or Leather Glove or Mitten
25. Ear (Ox, Rabbit, Pig or Wolf)	75. Single Stocking or Sock
26. Edible Shoots or Leaves (d12)	76. Skeleton Key
27. Eggshells or Egg (Bird or Reptile)	77. Skin (Mouse, Rabbit, Rat or Snake)
28. Feathers, Hair or Scraps of Fur	78. Small Ball of Tar or Resin
29. Few Feet of Thread (d4)	79. Small Chunk of Cheese
30. Fish or Reptile scales	80. Small Fossil or Shell
31. Fishing Hooks (d4)	81. Small Knife (Skinning or Whittling)
32. Greenstone, Flint, Shale or Chert Shard	82. Small Pumice Stone
33. Foot of String, Twine or Yarn	83. Small Shard of Petrified Wood
34. Fork (Bone, Pewter, Tin, or Wood)	84. Soiled Handkerchief, Bandanna, Rag or Scarf
35. Glass Vial (Empty)	85. Some Fruit Peels or Rinds
36. Handful of Barley, Couscous, Oats, or Rice	86. Spool (Bone, Clay or Wood)
37. Handful of Dried Peppers or Peppercorns	87. Spoon (Bone, Wood or Pewter)
38. Handful of Flour, Grain, Meal or Spelt	88. Stale Heel of Bread, Biscuts, or Crackers (d4)
39. Handful of Seeds (Flower, Fruit, Tree or Vegetable)	89. Stamp, Quill, Nib Pen or Chalk
40. Incense Cones, Herbs or Sticks (d4)	90. Stub of a Candle or Wicks (d4)
41. Iron Arrow or Spear Head	91. Teeth (d12)
42. Jermlaine, Pixie or Sprite Skull	92. Thimble (Bone, Clay, Silver, Tin, Wood)
43. Ladle (Bone, Tin or Wood)	93. Tiny Bell (Brass, Tin or Silver)
44. Leather or Hide Cord	94. Tiny Ingot Of Metal (Iron, Pewter, Steel, Tin)
45. Length of Ribbon	95. Tiny Lead Figurine
46. Little Box (Bone or Wood)	96. Torn Vellum, Papyrus, or Parchment with Notes or Drawings
47. Lock Pick (Elfnose, Faeriefork, Spiderlimb or Wyverntail)	97. Twigs, Kindling or Slivers of Wood
48. Lump of Tree Sap	98. Two Dice (Bone or Wood)
49. Morel Mushroom, Vanilla Bean or Cinnamon Stick	99. Un-worked Strap or Belt of Leather or ide
50. Morsel of Meat, Strip of Jerky	100. Whistle (Bone, Tin or Wood)

The Parenthetical Materials and Serving-Size Suggestions are by no means exhaustive, just brain food. I usually give each player a few rolls on the chart at the end of character creations (post equipment) and maybe a bonus roll or two for high Wisdom scores. I’d imagine the average value for items from this chart weighs in at around half a copper piece, and I’ve tried to keep encumbrance negligible.
Many of the items are only as useful as the adventurer chooses to make them and some even become mini-McGuffins in their own right. Maybe my players are just suspicious of “free stuff,” but I’ve found that frequently, they make a concentrated effort to incorporate these tiny, inconsequential things into the adventure, attempting to distract a spider with a dead insect, using a piece of string to monitor activity on a dungeon door, et cetera.
Naturally, I’m sure a list like this could have other uses (Spell Components, Dungeon Dressings, maybe even Gullet Contents), so let me know if and how you end up using it!