Roll Table - Madness

Have a new roll table this week, roll for Madness. I made this table for an upcoming adventure that goes a little more in-depth than blog posts have here in the past. The adventure takes place in Limbo, the plane of chaos. The players in that adventure will find themselves floating lost in the chaotic soup that is Limbo, some of them will have surely developed some form of delusional madness in that time.

This table can be adapted for whatever you need, but in my adventure Lawful characters are more susceptible to the madness caused by Limbo, while Chaotic characters are less susceptible. Depending on your table the madness can either be temporary (a day or two), or last until the character seeks some sort of treatment, be it magical healing like dealing with a curse, or coming to terms with their delusion through the help of their friends.

Random Vendors and Shops

Most towns of any decent size have their own marketplace. In addition to any bakers, potion dealers, and blacksmiths there may be some shops with a slightly more niche target market. Roll a d20 against the following table, or pick as you see fit.

*Signal Tomes are a Non-Combat Magical Item explained in a previous blog post here.

Flaws

Master of Dungeons Blog just released a deck of cards based of our ongoing series of Non-Combat Magical Items. The deck is available here at DriveThruRPG. It is currently on sale for $5.99, but only for a few more days before it goes up to $7.98. If you want to support Master Of Dungeons, or just want a unique but cheap Christmas present, then I encourage you to check it out. 

Flaws

Flaws are what make any role-playing character unique. Players and NPCs can and should both have flaws. No one is perfect (unless you're making a Mary-Sue), and that is why I think all characters should be created with a flaw. Flaws give your character depth, and prevent only min-maxing. If real people have flaws shouldn't your characters?

Some flaws are better than others, if you want a very severe flaw you could try something like playing a blind character, who has heightened sense of smell and hearing, but would be disadvantaged at many types of dexterity check. Perhaps an amputee who can move slowly and easily get knocked down. Flaws create great role-playing opportunities, and while they don't usually make your character stronger, they can make the game more interesting and your characters more real.

Here are ten flaws that you can either roll from, or use as inspiration:

1. Racist - Against any particular race (dwarves, elves, humans, half-breeds), or all other races. 
2. Alcoholic - Can't stop himself when it comes to drinking. Skill checks and saving throws may become disadvantaged, not to mention any embarrassing situations they are placed in.
3. Shy - Can't talk to strangers, may start to stammer or go silent entirely. Alternatively the character might be shy just towards a specific gender.
4. Cultist - A member of an obscure cult, with many practices and beliefs that may be abhorrent to the average person.
5. Easily Scared - New things easily scare this character. They like their normal routine, and anything out of the ordinary can send them running for the hills.
6. Bleeding Heart - A kind soul is usually a positive characteristic, but in some people it's over-the-top. This character has to stop and help anyone in need, making it incredibly difficult to accomplish anything. The most minor problems with even the least empathetic stranger can cause this character to drop everything to help them out.
7. Hypochondriac - Adventuring can be a dangerous life, but usually not for the reasons this character thinks. Hypochondriacs rush to the nearest doctor or cleric with every minor scratch and bruise. Even a slightly rude look from an old woman will leave them believing they been cursed.
8. Lazy - This character is completely content to stay in the castle or caravan. It is hard to convince them to get their armour on and start adventuring.
9. Doesn't Speak Common - Many adventurers have a knack for picking up languages, but not always. This character doesn't speak common, and most likely only speaks the language they were born speaking. Communication will be very difficult.
10. Greedy - This character can never have enough money. Everything that they can get their hands on has value to them, and it is difficult to get them to spend even the most modest amount of it.

Let us know what flaws you can think of as a comment on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.

Master of Dungeons has recently put out a deck of cards containing 32 Non-Combat Magical Items, inspired by the ten or so that have been posted on this blog. They are available here at DriveThruRPG. They are on sale for $5.99 for two or three days more only and it would go a long way to supporting an independent blog. I'll be able to create much more content if I can raise some funds from this, maybe even hire an artist. (And to be honest, there haven't really been many sales and it is a little discouraging.)

Wednesday Roll Table - New Found Ability

This week's Wednesday Roll Table: New Found Ability. Feel free to share this with your friends or print it out. Remember to follow us on our Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

Wednesday Roll Table - Artifact Flubs

Again I'm trying a new method of roll table. Let me know what you think. Remember to follow us on our Google Plus, Facebook, and Twitter accounts

If you need something to roll on this table with, I recommend the pound of dice. It's on sale at Amazon. I personally use these dice, they won't be your favourite dice like your matching set, but you can get some cool ones and it is always important to have extra dice. Plus, if you buy them through this link you are supporting MasterOfDungeons. 

 

Roll Table - Oddjobs

This week I've tried something different, formatting the roll table as an image for easy saving and sharing. Let me know what you think.

Wednesday Roll Table #3 - Pets

If there is one things players love almost as much as strong magic items, its pet companions. Pet companions often come in two varieties, vanity and combat. Vanity pets are for roleplay purposes and flavour only, where combat obviously includes pets that are of value in battle. I tend to prefer vanity pets for my players, it is easiest to balance, and muddles things up less. This roll table is definitely slanted towards pets that are in the vanity category, but I haven't labelled any of them. It is up to you as a DM, and up to how creative your players are, to see if they can be of use in battle. Certain classes, like rangers, will be able to take advantage of pets in battle better than others. The players in my campaign currently have a dragon wyrmling in their care, (dragons are arguable more of a companion or adopted child than a pet but I'll count them as a pet for our purposes today) I try to roleplay the dragon in a way that he isn't a reliable combat companion, for balance purposes.

Unlike our previous roll tables, this roll table is in an order. The higher the number, the more valuable or rare the pet is. This will allow you to use some sort of luck modifier, or aid in manual selection.

The goal of this table was to pick a pet that the adventurers, or a specific player stumble upon, and it has a chance to become attached to them. Perhaps the animal was orphaned or escaped from a travelling exotic animal trader. The players hear some rustling in nearby trees, they look in, and you roll a d20 on the following table to determine the animal.

Every animal is a newborn baby when found. If the players put in effort they can easily bond with the animal. I make no promises that the creatures found in this table will not unbalance your party, but keep in mind that most of them would require many years before they reached their full potential in some sort of combat situation. Most adventurers would also lack the skills to properly train the animals to attack on command.

d20	Pet Companion
1	Frog - Roll a d6 1-4: Frog 5: Giant Frog 6: Giant Toad.
2	Snake - Roll a d6 1-3: Snake 4-5: Flying Snake 6: Giant Constrictor Snake
3	Bird - Roll a d6 (On roll of 5 or 6, roll another d6. If 5-6 then pet is of giant variety) 1: Blue Jay, Sparrow or Robin 2: Chicken 3: Raven 4: Hawk 5: Owl 6: Eagle
4	Cat - A common housecat. Breed determined by DM
5	Dog - Roll a d6 1-4: Common dog breed determined by DM. 5: Mastiff 6: Blink Dog
6	Boar - Roll a d6. On 5-6 boar substitute Giant Boar
7	Wolf - Roll a d6. On 5-6 substitute Dire Wolf
8	Big Cat - Roll a d6. 1-2: Panther 3-4: Tiger 5-6: Lion
9	Bear - Roll a d6 1-2: Black Bear 3-4: Brown Bear 5: Polar Bear 6: Owlbear
10	Ape - Roll a d20 1-5: Baboon 6-10: Monkey (Classified as Baboon in 5e Monster Manual) 11-16: Gorilla (Classified as Ape in 5e Monster Manual) 17-19: Orangutan (Classified as Ape in 5e Monster Manual) 20: Giant Ape *
11	Cockatrice
12	Hippogriff
13	Griffon
14	Chimera*
15	Grick*
16	Pseudodragon
17	Wyvern
18	Dinosaur - Roll a d6 1-2: Allosaurus 3: Pteranodon 4: Ankylosaurus 5: Triceratops 6: Tyrannosaurus Rex*
19	Roc*
20	Dragon Wyrmling* - Roll a d10 1: Copper 2: Brass 3: Green 4: Bronze 5: Black 6: Silver 7: White 8: Blue 9: Gold 10: Red

*DM should be careful handing out these creatures as they may grow to be very powerful. Since the players receive them as babies it may take many years for them to fully mature.

Wednesday Roll Table #2 - Traveling Across the Countryside

This is the first post of our new Post Schedule, and its a Roll Table. This roll table is for when your party is traveling through the countryside and you need some sort of encounter or situation to throw at them.

This is a d10 roll, because I think d20 is a little big for a weekly roll table, since most of the rows won't even be used.

d10	Encounter in the Countryside
1	Douglas, a Troll hiding under a bridge, demands that anyone who wishes to cross must first answer a riddle. Those who cannot answer, will be eaten. The riddle is: "In the night, when no one sees, what comes out from this bridge and pees?" The answer is a troll, or himself. He is quite amazed if anyone says the correct answer, and begrudgingly lets them and any companions go freely.
2	A frog sits in the middle of the road. When anyone approaches, it says: "I've been cursed! I beseech you, I seek a kiss from any of you. One kiss and I shall transform into my true form, a beautiful [prince/princess]". If kissed the frog does indeed transform, but into the noble heir to a faraway lizardfolk kingdom.
3	One owlbear, five giant owls, and three brown bears stand in a triangle. After a few minutes of intense staring, each species tries to kill the others. Any creatures who notice any observers will turn and attack with a crazed blood-lust.
4	Copies of the Player Characters approach on the road from the opposite direction. They've accidentally stepped through a portal from the Meer Universe (View the previous post for more inspiration on creating a Meer Universe party). Each copy is the polar opposite in at least one characteristic (motivation, bond, alignment). They may choose to destroy the party, be frightened of them, investigate or many other things, but certainly will react differently than the players. Their stats are the same as the players'.
5	Smoke pillars off in the distance, indicating a large forest fire deep in a thick, dark woods. If any kind strangers choose to investigate they may stumble upon a village of wood elves struggling to save all of their children and belongs, an elderly forest gnome stuck under a burning, fallen tree, or countless animals trying to survive.
6	Three gnomes in a long jacket trying desperately to pass themselves off as one normal human man stand in the distance. A very easy perception check discovers their true nature. They are standing in the middle of a field, somewhat near a road, swaying back and forth trying to keep their balance.
7	Cheering and whistling is heard from the other side of a small hill that runs along the road. On the other side of the hill is a small pond. On the side of the pond are three young children, two boys and a girl. The children all have tattered clothes, tangled hair, missing teeth, and giant smiles. They're watching a fat older man, their father, wrestle two large alligators in the pond.
8	Three brothers lead ten men and ten women of various races, all chain-bound and gagged. If asked the brothers say this is a prisoner transfer between towns. In reality, they are slavers transporting their cargo.
9	The area under the exposed roots of a nearby tree seems to glow with a golden glow. If anyone touches or investigates it, they will discover that it is a doorway to the Feywild, or a similar plane. This door is permanent, stable in both directions, and known by very few.
10	Bartholomew's Traveling Circus passes in the opposite direction. Strange animals, scary freaks, jugglers, clowns and other performers stare from their positions on horses, the roof, or out of windows. None of them say a word.

Roll Table #1 - Tavern Patrons

At the Next Table in a Tavern

This is a week of firsts over here at the Master of Dungeons blog. Today we have our first roll table. How exciting! Every DM loves roll tables. Sometimes there are so many creative surprises that you can think of off the top of your head. When the players do something you didn't plan for, or you have a bad case of Dungeon Master's Block, that means it's time for a roll table.

This week we have Who's sitting at the next table over in the tavern? Feel free to print this sucker off and use it when you want to liven up the local establishment.

I like to check off lines that I've used before, so I can continue using the table in the future. If you hit an item you've used before, that doesn't fit, or you just aren't feelin', just re-roll.

d20	Description of Next Table
1	A particularly scrawny gnome is betting anyone who will listen that he can beat them in an arm wrestle. He is beating all of the patrons in the bar. When it gets later in the night, in the middle of an arm wrestle his image flickers, and is replaced by a tall, muscular human. His wizard friend had been using illusions to make him appear as a gnome, but has now passed out drunk.
2	A newly accepted dwarf acolyte is trying to explain to his priest that a vow of sobriety goes against his cultural heritage.
3	A man is quietly sitting at the table with a quill and parchment, angrily muttering about writer's block.
4	Two drunk humans are talking loudly about how humans are the only worthy race in the land, they shout that nothing is worse than a non-human, except half-humans.
5	An elf bard begins to play an energetic, upbeat drinking song on his lute. The bar quickly joins in and starts singing and dancing along. What they don't know is that the bard's halfling accomplice is using this distraction to steal anything that she can get her hands on.
6	A high-elf dignitary who is passing through town is becoming increasingly outraged at the server as she once again explains their lackluster wine menu.
7	A human family from a distant land is attempting to purchase a room and food, although they don't speak Common, they speak a dialect no one has heard of. They also don't have any valuables or currency.
8	Five elves are sitting at a table staring straight ahead, not saying a single word. They don't respond to any questions and sit there until the end of the night before leaving.
9	A hunched, withered old woman with a long crooked nose and a black robe sits at the table alone with a fresh, homemade apple pie. She offers anyone who glances her a slice of the pie. Many patrons of the bar assume she is a witch, but in reality she is an old woman who likes to bake, and is getting increasingly disappointed that no one will try her dessert.
10	Two dwarves solemnly sit at the table silently drinking ale. It is obvious that they've both recently had their beards shaved off. They are unwilling to talk about it if anyone asks, but the truth is that they were robbed by highway bandits in the night, and although they lost a near fortune in metals and gems that they were transporting, they are the most upset about the loss of their beards.
11	A fat man is hiding something in his meaty hands, and nervously tries to gaze at it when he thinks no one is looking. He has captured a fairy in a glass jar.
12	No one. The bar is completely empty of any other people, except for the barkeep, who is running around wiping tables and washing dishes, grumbling about how busy it is and he has to time to relax.
13	An beautiful man and woman sit at the table. Although sitting together they don't seem to be together romantically as both are trying to hit on anyone within earshot. They each seem very interested in a different member of the party. Unknown to the party they are succubi and are trying to lure victims into the woods to steal their souls. However these succubi are very new at the job, and aren't very good at it yet. They will flee if attacked.
14	The cook is attempting to explain to a drunk dwarf that not only do they not serve cat there, but even if they did, they wouldn't slaughter and prepare an animal that a customer brought inside in a knapsack.
15	A human and a dwarf are having a drinking contest. What the human doesn't know is that every time he steps out to relieve himself, the dwarf changes places with a different dwarf in the bar, and the human can't tell them apart.
16	A man in a long coat is standing at the table. Any close look reveals that the man is actually a halfling standing on another halfling's shoulders attempting to blend in as a human.
17	An incredibly attractive elvish woman/man strikes up a conversation with the party. It quickly becomes obvious that they are very interested in the member of the group who is responsive to their advances.
18	Six drunks of various races argue over which of their patron gods would win in a fight.
19	Two human men sit at a table across from two beautiful elvish sisters. Both of the men wear long robes. One of the men has his hood up and is wearing a false beard, and the other keeps glancing between him and the women, nervously. An easy perception check reveals that the hooded man is a skeleton dressed up as a normal man. The human necromancer sitting at the table had been told by one of the elf sisters that they could go on a date if he found a date for her sister. At the last hour he got desperate.
20	A group of three halflings wearing tattered rags sit with their hairy feet on the table, smoking and passing around a golden, gem-encrusted pipe. They've pick pocketed the pipe from a rich nobleman who is passed out at the bar and couldn't wait to give it a spin.