Fossil City Encounter Table+ firey heavey ship rules

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technically Zzarchov got in first but this one is easier 
M. Diaz 
has requested an encounter table for a fossil city.
1. Chronolily
2. Shoggoth
3.Gizzery
4. Kun
5.Jummrlng
6.gilgamash
7.pyroclastic-ghoul
8.quaggoth
9.vaccum elemental
10. Dust elemental
11.egarus
12.vacuous
13.Nulus
14.Umbral
15.Nemesis
16.Brain mole
17.rogue illusions that trap you in them
18.Sand taken
19. Stray parts of clay golems still performing their duties
20.ghost sharks


OKAY I'll do the rules for a fighting on a burning ship in heaving water.
The On Fire part
The first round of the combat the d.m rolls a d20. Anyone who rolls that number in that round (attack rolls , saving throws, damage etc) is now on fire.
The second round , same procedure but the d.m rolls two d20s. Anyone who rolls either number catches fire etc.
3rd round 3d20s etc, until doubles are rolled. At the point the ship proceeds to break apart and sink.
(the mast falls through the hull or something)

The Heaving water part.
Fumble chance is now 1-2 and you must make a dex save , in addition to the normal fumbling or fall into the ocean. The condition "being in the ocean" does not stack and negates the conditions "being on fire" unless there is a sub condition "white phosphorus"

NPC faction interactions

Print PDF rorschachhamster
 
Has requested a quick and easy npc faction interaction matrix.

Here it is
roll 2d6

(1) Abandonment, rout
2 Evasive
3 consolidating
4-5 fortifying
 6-8 information warfare
9 probing
10 skirmishing
11 raiding
12 seizing
(13) Purging

After each roll mark each factions action with a counter on the above table. If a faction is successful with 2 aggressive actions ( 10 +) in a row add +1 to their next rolls until they receive a significant setback of some sort.
If a faction has been the subject of  significant losses -1 to subsequent rolls.

Explanation of the results:
Abandonment , rout: Faction is making no attempt to salvage or co-ordinate fleeing actions, severe demoralisation, members seeking to save their own skins above all.

Evasive: faction avoids engaging with aggressors or committing itself in anyway. Will still hold on to important resourses but contested or non-essential ones will not be fought for


Consolidating : the faction is reviewing its forces, bringing up old alliances and assessing where best to uses its strength

Fortifying: the faction is strengthen its defences and/or forming new alliances

Information Warfare: This is everything from espionage, to scouting, propaganda campaigns, misinformation, feints, bluffs, attempts to woo neutral party's+slander other factions

Probing: Subtle attacks to test another factions strengths.  Maybe disguised or through a 3rd party.

Skirmishing: Encroaching on another factions territory until it engages their forces there. No attempts to seize assets, merely to harass and draw up factions forces. Numerous attacks , retreating from strength but exploiting weakness.

Raiding: forces are send out with a specific goal in mind and will risk severe losses to achieve it. Goals include
1. looting/obtaining portable resources
2.destruction of resources providing assets
3. Terrorism, destruction of emotionally significant assets, ie civilians
4. Symbolic, such as the capture of ritual objects, or destruction of historic object
5. Tactical: a keep or watchtower or specific force
6. Assassination /kidnapping

Seizing: As raiding but a faction attempts to take and hold onto another territory or asset

Purging: The faction is systematically and thoroughly attempting to destroying every aspect of another in all out war


OPTIONAL COMPLICATION:
Give every faction a number of counters. Take away counters for attrition and losses. (say 1 for a successful attack , 3 for losing) . When a faction has  half as much as the strongest faction, -1 to rolls on this table . When a faction has half as much or less than every other faction, start rolling twice and taking the worst.

You might want to have X amount of counters come in each turn , and have this reduced or increased via the control of assets and alliances.
The consolidation action should give some counters, the fortify action reduces the loss from a conflict, etc.

I am being vague here because this starts getting into too much specifics to keep being broadly applicable, but hopefully it is obvious how to make a little sub-system for yourself

Fighterism+requests

Print PDF Sporadic posting might follow , depending on how long it takes to get my computer fixed.
It is getting fixed because it is broken.

Anyway here is a quick mechanic thing for fighters if you feel they need improved damage abilities or the like at higher levels. And/or you don't want them to need magical items to "keep up"

 Pretty much DCCs stunt die but diet version for less mechanical impact on your d&d fighter.
At level 4 you get 1d4 to add to damage , OR your armour class vs one attack, OR someone elses armour class if you can feasibly get in the way. At level 6 it becomes a d6 and at level 8 a d8 , etc.


Variations / complications:
Allow the die roll points to be split amongst the things it can be spend on.

Allow additional effects to be added on to damage at cost of a certain amount of points from the die.
SO blinding a foe for a round might worth 2 points, or knocking them back 10 feet 3 points or disarming them 4 points.

Possible (slight) risk of "oh only fighters can do stunts because of this"  like the "only thieves can sneak" rumoured rule emergent property. Why would you do that? Let everyone do dumb stuff as usual, and fighters can get to do dumb stuff as well putting the hurt on.

Add/spend the die roll on saving throw(s) as well.

Damage resistance? Nah I think this is too mechanically significant compared to damage and a.c bonuses.



ALSO:
Patrick has been doing blog post requests 
I NOW TOO AM DOING THEM FOR THIS BLOG RIGHT HERE BECAUSE HEY I DON'T ONLY HAVE THE GOOD IDEAS
SO post your requests on the comments

Down World

Print PDF trying "world of dungeons" out .

"DownWorld"
It's basically the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon.
Well except you are all dead and live in this empty house and can't interact with the modern world outside but beneath you is everything and there is too-big-crows on the roof that will sell you things but you don't have any money. More like the goonies where there is pirate tunnels beneath everything the fountain . More like neverwhere but you pass right through everyone outside but that giant red knight with a flaming sword.

You can go down, you can go out , you can go somewhere else.

DOWNWORLD
CHArACTEr CrEATIOn:
You can be from whatever age. You have a handful of memories.
You might have a name. But you are in this house with these other guys.

ATTrIBuTES: str, con , wis, int , cha, dex
Roll a d4 . Roll another d4. Subtract that one from the first roll. That is your attribute. (so -3 to +3) Add +1 to one of your choosing.

You have 1 Hit Die (d6) + extra hit dice equal
to your COn.

 roll all your hit dice and keep a
number equal to your level to determine your
hp. when you rest and consume a ration/
waterskin/wineskin, you may re-roll your
hp. if you are attended by a healer, roll an
extra hit die.

Skills: Pick 2
athletics
awareness
deception
decipher
heal
leadership
lore
stealth
survival


SkILLS: if you have an applicable skill, you
can’t miss. a roll of 6 or less counts as a
partial success, but with a bigger compromise
or complication than a 7-9 result.

Choose Abilities: (2)
 Skirmish(+1 damage and worn
armor counts as one type lighter)

Tough(+1armor)

 Slay(+2 melee damage)

Hardy(+6 hp).

Backstab(attack from concealment
to do +3 damage)

 Lucky(once per day, turn
a miss into a partial success)

Reflexes(you
always go first and can react when suddenly
surprised)

Tinker(you can attempt to quickly
pick a lock, pick a pocket, or disarm a trap)


 Cure(you can attempt to neutralize
poisons, remove curses, or heal wounds with
a touch)

Vision(take drugs to commune
with your deity for divine guidance bad ideas).

Cantrips(you know three
simple magical powers: Candle, Shadow,
Throw Voice)

 Command(you can attempt
to command any spirit, demon, etc.)

Ritual
(you may perform occult rituals—detailed in
ancient tomes and scrolls)

 Pet(you have a loyal and effective
animal companion)

Scout(when you scout
ahead you always spot the target before
it spots you)

 Volley(+2 ranged damage)

Wild(you can converse with and attempt to
command animals).

Choose a Vocation:
This will have effects.


Vicious

Bruiser

Scavenger

Stray

Outsider

Blight

Savant

Glitch

Doom

rOLLInG THE DICE
When you attempt something risky, sum 2d6
and add one of your attribute scores, based on
the action you’re taking. (the gm will tell you
some of the possible consequences before
you roll, so you can decide if it’s worth the risk
or if you want to revise your action.)
A total of 6 or less is a miss; things don’t go
well and the risk turns out badly. A total of
7-9 is a partial success; you do it, but there’s
some cost, compromise, retribution, harm, etc.
A total of 10 or more is a full success; you do
it without complications. and a total of 12 or
more is a critical success; you do it perfectly
to some extra benefit or advantage.

MEanwhile surrounded by half formed things stillborn yet mewling

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Things hatching from the earth

1. A new sun. It will attempt to consume the old sun. If it succeeds everything will be different now.
2. The inverse of your form in discarded skin. It has been lonely for a very long time time
3.Luminous bug eating children
4. Bottled men
5. Shadows from the previous sun
6.Drill bombs from the other side of the world
7.Fruiting bodies of the vast mycelium web that is the actual form and purpose of every tunnel and every burrow
8. Everything that flies
9.Soldiers of Glass
10.Breath stealing cats
11. Nightgaunt Whispersmiths
12.Wise Vermin
13. Spider Keys
14. Traitors tongues
15.Crawling Spears
16. Everyone buried under the wrong name
17.Whistling
18.Vast Plumes of Mold
19.Air Drinking Roots
20.Very Stubborn Fish

Things Sewn Into the Air

1. Old Spider Troubling Hobbits
2.Virulent Misinformation
3.Door/Sinkhole
4. Mirror/Window.
5.Hungry mouths
6.Scabrous citadels
7.Cages/refugees
8.Words/parasites
9.Snakes/organs
10.Bard Flesh
11.Wicked/unlucky Children
12 Cloaker Priests

Subtle or Unlikely Weapons

1.Mistrust
2. Caged song birds
3. Human Hair
4.Tattoos
5.Feathers
6.Leaves
7.Mutes
8.Avalanches
9.Sweat
10.Drumming

Things Buried Long Ago in Snow

1.Things somewhat like pets and somewhat like weapons
2.Things somewhat like armour and somewhat like furniture
3.Castles of Hair
4.Flea Kings
5.Shoutings
6.Tarry Brides
7. Contracts with the tides
8. Thief Eggs


Things falling slowly from the sky

1. dead ghosts
2.Invisible jellyfish
3.one winged angels
4.Obsidian knives
5.Mummy infested islands
6.Giants Hearts

Rogue Elements

1.Spite
2.Absence
3.Fat
4.Noise

?
1.Faster
2.Further

Where do we put all the ruins?
1.Duh everything is ruins

House Rule Mixtape: Featuring Climbing on The Biggerest, Organ Damage and more

Print PDF  (re)MUXTUPE: rules old and new, fixed, remixed or repeated
 1
.SCaling MOnsters With Violent Intents
I keep getting track backs about the climbing on big monsters rules. And I'm like "man those, what was I thinking? Why do I think additionally mechanics are a good idea? Also damage reduction , while stimulatitionistly appropriate , in actual game play I have been hating. Wait what did I just think? "Stimulationistly" buuu.."
Also Monster Johnston makes some of that sense with skeletons and getting bonuses is more fun than avoiding penalties. Also the Zak Smith version that was +1 to hit and damage for every round of climbing. But I think that giving up an attack is worth more than +1 so:
                     PRINCESS CLIMBING ON RULES REVISED:
ignore all that damage reduction noise. You get +1 to hit and +5 to damage for every round you spend climbing up on something. ( up to a maximum of 1 round per 2 hit dice. OR something )The climbed-on can take an attack or move action to make you make a dexterity check (it's trying to flick you off) or a strength check (it's trying to shake you off) if you fail you lose a round of climbing and have to make another check. If you fail that you fall off. Initiating climbing with an attack I guess if the creature is paying attention to you (ie actively targeting you for attacks) or a climb check if it's not.




                    The cool thing about this is it works for small creatures climbing on the players. If that pixie spend 3 rounds climbing up to the fighters face , it will get +15 to damage.


ARMOUR PIERCING: 2
An idea for making the interactions between armour and anti armour weapons more impactful in game. Rolling a critical means also a roll on a injury table..
 Unless
you are using "non-lethal attacks", ie punchs and kicks.

 you are heavily armoured (full chain and better). However Maces , lucern hammers, and horsemans picks ignore this and can inflict injury table results on critical hits.


 HUMAN3: WHAT ARE THEY NOT GOOD AT HUH?
So you want a drawback to being human  so you can make all the race modifers One good Thing , One Bad thing. Humans, They just haven't had time to adapt to all this magic floating around. Their bodies just aren't meant for it. If a human being is subject to 3 ongoing magic effects at once they must con save or develop a random mutation.

[4]
 CHASE MECHANIC  
this is still good.


BOWELCHMY:      (5)
 Buried in a long post with old school hack classes, emerge into the light, strange child;
Bowelchemy : You drink all kinds of bizarre stuff and bizarrer stuff happens, for your body is a laboratory, a temple, a brothel, a kitchen and a battle ground. Anything you drink, other than water, evokes strange reactions.
Water no longer counts as water if it has more than 5% of something added to it, unless that thing has a noticeable effect on biological stuff. So water with a drop of poison would need a roll on the table, but water with a drop of lemon juice would not. A glass of water with a tenth of juice in it would however.

You can open throat scull up to 3 litres in one go. Lets say that's about 20 cups.
 
The normal effects of the liquid do not apply , unless they are instantly dangerous to touch (like the strongest of poisons, molten metals, boiling water or strong acids). 

What happens is you flip a coin to choose if you or the d.m picks a verb. In either case the d.m has to determine what mechanical effect that verb has. Say you pick "fly" , the d.m will most likely let you fly briefly , (roll a d6 to determine how many rounds the duration is), "burn" might make you catch fire, "suddenly" might give you an initiative bonus, or make a random monster attack, suddenly.
IF you drink 2 liquids at once, you pick a verb and the d.m picks a noun. (so "Shining Dogs") If you drink 3 liquids at once , you pick a verb, the d.m picks a noun and a random other player picks an adjective. ("Hurt Ghostly Pudding")
 
        6666 ----->  SHIT, CAN THEY BUY THAT?<---------------
1. no, but they can buy this dangerous unstable version
2.yes, but its stolen and the owner has a fix on its location
3.yeah but that was last seen boarding themselves up in a haunted tower
4.no , but this guy will try and scam them
5.no, but this guy will try and scam them OH WAIT actually yes , it does work, surprise to everyone , the guy running the con will try and get it back
6. Sure , but it will become bonded to you. It breaks , so do you
7.yes , but the seller wants to borrow your body for a week
8. Yes, at the No-Moon market, under the ruined bridge, accessible only with dire patronage
9.No, but this guy reckons they can make one, if funded adequately
10. Yes, but sometimes it does the exact opposite.
11. Yes but it requires dark feedings
12.No , and asking about such a thing has set 1d4 cults/ inquisitions after you.

                         7EVEN
                      all purpose encounter table
1. A typical member of the nearest settlement
2. An atypical member of the nearest settlement
3. Medium sized herbivore(s), the base of a healthy food chain
4. Scavenger
5.Predator
6. Apex Predator
7. The thing that sucks about this area happens (sandstorm, blizzard, knife storm)
8. Something actually good about this area is found


             8              
QUICK CRITICALS:
Roll differently coloured d6. One of them the severity: 1. graze  2-3 gash 4-5 broken 6 gone
 Other one 1 head 2 torso 3 leg (right) 4 leg (left) 5 arm (right) 6 arm (left).

                                 NINEQuick Fumbles: 2 dice , d6 and a d4
1.You                                   1 Drop
2.them (friend)                   2 Flung (at)
3.them (foe)                       3 Target
4. Object (held)                  4  Entangle
5. Object (equipped)            
6. Surroundings                     

Resolving Wizard projects with the tarot

Print PDF SO

"My wizard spends the month installing lasers in undead. So that is a thing in your campaign now"

here is a little subsystem the makes use of unwieldy chart and tarot cards.
Well you can use any cards really, just assign them to the various rows in the chart.
Chart is here:
CHART!
It won't make any sense yet(..).
So a wizard wants to make up a new spell or slime or duck hybrid or wand of broiling hair.
You , the g.m and the player shoot the shit about how the mechanics work and that.
I'm not going to try and write a system that does that job. That would be GURPS or rolemaster companions. Also, madness.
Then the g.m picks a large number of moneys and the player blathers on about various monster parts that are cluttering up their character sheet that they are throwing in or exactly what they are sewing to what and how drunk and things are crossed off and this is so campaign variable I will not attempt to write a system for it (also I don't want to)

This is for the next bit , where you want something to happen that will surprise you both, involves an element of risk, chance and meaningful player choices. Also gimmicks!

The player draws 5 cards from the major arcana of the tarot (or pokemon cards if you re-skin the chart) .
 They then play 5 rounds.
The first round is for the cost or resource requirements of the project. A card is drawn from the deck and then the player chooses a card to play against it.
Cards have suits Soul, World, Sun, Night.

 Soul beats Sun, Sun beats Night, Night beats World, World beats Soul.

 In the case of Same vs Same or Sun vs World or Night vs soul, the highest value card wins (the major arcana cards have a value from the Fool with Zero , to the World with 21).

The chart result for that card explains what that means for the project. If you lose against a drawn card , the second "inauspicious"  result (after the / ) is applied.

You then continue to round 2 in which the Potency of the project is determined,
 round 3 the convenience or useability ,
round 4 the danger the project puts you in (if any)
and finally 5 , repeatability , ie if an item can you attempt to make another one? If a spell, is it "worked true"? (ie it may be copied into your spell book and be cast and memorized rather than just a one off ritual) and if the project is a creature will it breed or can you even glue another one together ever?

Alternate1 :all 5 opposing cards can be drawn at once and the player then decides which of their cards to play where ( I would think you want to make the chart results have more arbitrary and nasty results)
Alternate 2: The player has only 3 cards and must randomly draw a card for to play 2 of the rounds

CHART IS HERE

I tried to make the chart results general , yet interesting and somehow applicable to making monsters , new spells and items. Which might of been a mistake. Also 22 fucking cards took me so long I really stopped caring a couple of times.
 I hope if it sees use it your campaign you hack the shit out of it. The 5 rounds thing I feel coulda been simplified down but sometimes an idea is too big to manage to grasp correctly on the first go and you need to just let it go and hope someone sees a better way for it.