Drawing dungeons is fun

Just an old-school dungeon level... I wanted to draw something labyrinthine, with densely packed and weirdly shaped rooms. Inspired by the megadungeon topics on Dragonsfoot. Of course, at ~80 rooms, this is a relatively small offering :)

This image is licensed under Creative Commons 4.0. You are free to share and adapt (transform, remix, build upon) this image, even commercially, as long as you credit me (Tamás Kisbali / http://eldritchfields.blogspot.com). Also, if you do end up using this, I'd appreciate a message to see what you made of it!

Random aviary generator! BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS

I wrote a set of random tables for generating aviaries and populating them with birds. It runs the gamut from more or less "realistic" to the weird and surreal. 

The Ignatian Aviary was partially inspired by Ignacio who runs an actual play channel on youtube and an old-school blog. If you've seen any of his videos, you know that he has birds. It was also inspired by stuff like The Gardens of Ynn.

I won't copy the generator here, because it's a lot of tables... ~7 pages. But you can see them all in the PDF, and read an example aviary below!

Download PDF

Example aviary:

The aviary stands in the far reaches of the city’s public park. The aviary is an impressive structure, but the funds allocated by the city council are clearly insufficient. A single caretaker and the occasional scholar struggle to maintain order. The pavilions are small and crowded with flapping, cawing birds. The structures are in good condition, but the foul smell scares away most visitors… At least the place is guarded by night by a watchman with dogs.

The aviary consists of a central pavilion, surrounded by three smaller ones.

The Central pavilion, a large, rectangular, domed structure, built in trelliswork. The pavilion is overgrown with grass and plants. A fruit-bearing tree occupies the middle, with a small pond nearby.
Inhabitants:

• A single elderly vulture (an ex-hunting bird, now on “pension”), with grey and yellow feathers. Its wings are damaged, and it cannot fly any more. It munches on the fallen fruits.
• Nine tiny flightless magpies feast on the fruits. Their bodies are red with black and white highlights, and during mating season, the males walk around huffing and puffing their chests. One of the magpies has a chameleonic disguise. The locals think the magpies bring luck and are very-very tasty.

Pavilion “A”, a hexagonal building, domed, with plate glass walls. A barren, artificial glass box…
Inhabitants:

• Fifteen chicken-like birds from a far-away land. They flutter around in the pavilion, eating everything they are given. Their plumage shimmers in all the colors of the rainbow. When aroused or angry, they open their fan-like tails and wiggle their long necks. When the stars are right, eggs laid by these birds hold a great magical power…

Pavilion “B”, a rectangular, flat-roofed building; glass windows in a trelliswork frame. It’s disappointingly empty.

Pavilion “C”, a round building, like a small glass circus tent, divided into four equal segments. A small fountain provides refreshment to two pairs of birds, inhabiting opposite segments:
Inhabitants:

• A pair of larger than average exotic, weirdly elongated hummingbirds, with eye-pleasing patterns: white, with blue highlights and green spots, but no other qualities to talk about. They like to eat fruits.
• A pair of enormous exotic ducks, about 4’ high. They lost their wings during transportation, and now have mechanical replacements. Despite their size, they survive on a diet of insects. The male is of a plain grey color, but performs elaborate mating dances to attract the glowing white-grey female. The female, surprisingly for a duck, sings, and its voice lulls people to sleep.

Have fun, keep on flapping & cawing!

Miscast tables: now in a single PDF!

I compiled my miscast effects into a PDF! It's an 8-page booklet, and I think I did an okay job with the layout, too, so if you print it out, each table occupies a single page or a single spread.

Download PDF

or

Get it from my itch.io page (free/PWYW)

6x6 miscast effects for
- Metamagic
- Teleportation/dislocation/polymorph type spells
- Illusion and invisibility spells
- Mind altering spells, charms, telepathy
- Elemental-, energy- and nature-based spells
- Necromancy and life-force altering spells

I turned mine into a little saddle-stitched thing. Feels good.

[Spell] Strings of Marionettic Attachment

Strings of Marionettic Attachment

Magic-User Level 3

Duration: 1 Round/level

Range: 30’

The tiny dust particles always present in the air coagulate into strings, connecting the caster’s fingers to their targets’ limbs.

The maximum number of strings created is equal to the caster’s level. They can be attached to one or more creatures in range. Each string can target one of the following body parts individually: arms, legs, eyes, mouth. The target is allowed a save against Paralyze for each string.

The moment the spell comes into effect, the targets lose control of all their body parts that have strings attached. The caster becomes a puppeteer, able to force the movements of all such limbs. Arms and legs move as those of a puppet. Eyes can be closed or opened. Controlling the mouth allows for an uncanny ventriloquist effect.

The spell doesn’t allow for much nuance in movement: e.g., the caster can force the victim’s arm to execute an attack, to pick up or drop an object, maybe to turn a key in a lock, but not to pick a lock or draw a picture. Writing executed by a controlled hand, however, will be almost identical to the target’s own handwriting and signature.

Severing or breaking a string takes a successful attack roll against AC 12 (as unarmored). A natural 1 on the attack roll damages the target, a natural 20 severs all strings attached to the target.

Miscast effects:

1. The spell is reversed – the initial target gains control of the caster. The number of strings and their “attachment points” are unchanged.
2. The caster is entangled in malformed, twisting strings. The strings can be severed (per the rules above), but while they are present, the caster takes 1 damage for each string per round.
3. Unbreakable wires shoot down from the sky, unhindered by ceilings of layers of earth, and attach themselves to the caster’s body. For 1d6 turns, the caster is but a puppet to an unknown force.
4. Puppetization! A randomly chosen body part of the caster (1-3 arm, 4-5 leg, 6 head) changes into a puppet version of itself. It retains all function, albeit in a mechanic and choppy form.
5. The spell Web is cast, centered upon the caster (who is automatically entangled).
6. The caster and all targets fall unconscious and cocoon up. See the moth mutation table for the effect of this event.

[Actual Play] The Master Sculptor's Workshop

I ran The Golem Master's Workshop as a 1-on-1 game for my wife. I adapted it to a weird historical Edo-period Japan, c. 1700. The setting worked quite well. Instead of the golems, we had a Buddhist master sculptor, who creates automatons, mobile statues. There was historical precedent for this in Chinese sculpture, and in Japan mechanized puppets were also popular.

"...the famous fourth-century sandalwood cart that supported a golden Buddha statue surrounded by mechanical Daoist figures that circumambulated the Buddha and performed other oblations." (Source)

Two characters were rolled up:
Ōi, daughter of a sculptor and herself an aspiring sculptor (Specialist 1), strong but reckless (Strength 18, Wisdom 3...)
Kitsune Oba-san, Ōi's former wet nurse and current chaperone, a wise old woman with some fox spirit blood in her veins (Elf 2)

Rumors circulated in the city of Edo, that Master Unkei (not to be confused with that other Unkei), famed but eccentric creator of mechanized statues, hasn't been seen for a week.
Ōi (not to be confused with that other Ōi) was tasked by her father to go and find out what was going on. He (as a sculptor and a rival of Unkei) feared that Unkei might be working on something so grandiose, that it would leave all other sculptors without commissions.
Together with her chaperone, the wise Kitsune Oba-San, they headed to the artisan's quarter, and, indeed, found Unkei's house and workshop closed and deserted.

Ōi and Kitsune Oba-san visited some nearby shops (a printmaker, a ceramist, a blacksmith) and asked around about Unkei. They learned that the sculptor is an eccentric man (talks to himself, walks around under the rain without an umbrella, "the raindrops glistening on his bald head!"), and hasn't opened his shop or came out of his house for about a week. He sent his apprentice, young Tama, back to his home village to visit his parents. They also learned that by night the quarter is patrolled hourly by a small group of guards.

The "detectives" also visited the local Shinto shrine, where a small rock that fell from the sky was the main relic (both characters made offerings at the shrine, and received a small blessing. I had d20 rolls made for both characters and recorded the result for their "lucky number" - the next time this number comes up on a d20 roll (e.g. attack or saving throw), that roll is considered successful). The local Buddhist temple they visited did not have any statues by Unkei (although he did repaired one of the old images).

Armed with this information, the pair decided to wait for nightfall and then enter the house of Unkei.

In darkness, they approached the main door carefully. There was no sound, so they quickly went in, sliding the door closed behind themselves.

Inside, they found a rectangular room with two doors on the left and a double door painted with golden dragons opposite the main entrance. There was also a wooden stand with documents on it. Ōi lit a small lamp, and started studying the documents (Kitsune Oba-san couldn't help with this, as she was barely literate). There were records of recent financial operations: the last one from about two weeks ago, 3000 yen payment for a commission from a daimyō; and in the expenses column, a hefty sum paid for a shipment of aged hardwood for "a personal project".

They headed for the dragon doors next, slid them open, and entered a big elongated hall. In the far corner, there were several human figures in the dim light - statues set up in a row on a long dais! The hall also had pillows and a low table for accepting guests, but everything was in disorder, misplaced, and there were even broken cups on the floor. There was a door leading to the right, and a trapdoor to the cellar in the far-right corner.

Ōi examined the statues. They were beautifully carved and masterfully assembled from many pieces (the seems invisible to untrained eyes). There were two unfinished statues of Buddha, four small statues of demons cowering on the ground (the types that are usually depicted under the feet of the "Heavenly Generals"), and last but not least, a magnificent statue of a Niō - one of the guardians who are usually set up in pairs at the gates of temples.

Ōi has heard about Unkei's mobile sculptures, so she examined one of the demons in detail. She soon found a little hidden switch, which, indeed, set the automaton into motion, and the demon crawled around on the floor. However, as it was making too much noise, Ōi switched it off. As the noise faded away, some other sounds were heard from the side of the entrance area.

Before going back, they quickly investigated the room that opened to the right from the hall. It was a sleeping room, all in disorder. Among the things, Kitsune Oba-san found a scroll, which she identified as a magic scroll for paralyzing any creature (Hold Monster).

Then they went back to the entrance area, and checked the two other doors. One was sealed. Ōi broke the seal, and the investigators entered what seemed to be an office. However, before they could search the room, out of the dark corners came crawling and leaping --- severed human hands!

The hands caught the investigators by surprise and attacked them. One each latched onto Ōi and Kitsune Oba-san, but more were approaching. The two ladies acted wisely, and fled, sliding the door shut. After some struggle, they successfully broke free from the painful grasps of the hands and crushed them.

Next, they checked out the last remaining door in this area. It was stuck and had to be forced open. It led to a long corridor with two doors - one sealed (leading to the office with the animated hands), and one regular. There were also scratch marks on the floor, showing that something heavy was recently dragged into the second room.

The second room turned out to be a storage, with half-finished statues, barrels, unworked wood. Ōi's attention was drawn to a big statue, that depicted a Niō guard, identical to the one in the dining hall, but with its legs violently broken off. As she leaned in closer, the statue suddenly came alive!!! "No, no, please, don't hurt me!" it begged. And then it regaled the tragic story of master Unkei's experiments...

Not satisfied with just mechanical movement, Unkei turned to magic to bring his statues to life. His latest creation were two twin guardians: one was peaceful, but the other - evil incarnate! The evil twin attacked the good one and tore off its legs, then attacked master Unkei. The sculptor is either dead or dying, perhaps somewhere in this house... And the evil twin is still here, too...

Ōi promised to return and repair the guardian's legs. But first, they set out to explore the rest of the house and the cellar.

Fearing an attack from the evil guardian, they ran to the trapdoor and climbed down the ladder. Down there, it was moist and smelled like wet clay. The floorboards of the cellar were creaky and unstable. Ōi lifted one of the boards and found that there was a storage of wet clay beneath. So they proceeded carefully, so that they don't fall into it.

A nasty surprise came, however. The trapdoor above them slammed shut! Then there was the sound of something heavy being dragged over it. The investigators were now trapped in the dank cellar!

They opened the door to the next compartment of the cellar. By the lamp light, they saw a figure slumped against the wall - master Unkei! The sculptor screamed in fear and shouted some strange commands - and to this, four lumps of clay animated and attacked Ōi and Kitsune Oba-san. Kitsune Oba-san obliterated one clay-mation monster with a precise hit of her umbrella. Ōi managed to convey to master Unkei, that they came to rescue him. The sculptor called off his little clay monsters.

Unkei was badly injured, dying. Still, his first reaction was suspicion, especially when he found out that Ōi was a sculptor's daughter and a sculptor herself. Unkei was sure that she came to steal trade secrets. He was also quite fatalistic, sure that they would all die down here or die by the hands of the evil guardian. He asked the investigators to just go ahead and kill him.

Kitsune Oba-san noticed two more doors in the cellar, one regular and one reinforced with iron. She asked Unkei where those led, but Unkei snapped and told them that they were not allowed to go through either of them. Kitsune Oba-san got fed up with the sculptor's secretiveness and cast Sleep on him...

Ōi eagerly jumped over to the reinforced door. The door had several warnings written on it, like "Stay out!", "Don't much my stuff!", "Deadly!". The door also had an unusual metallic handle. Despite all the warning signs, Ōi grabbed the handle and slid the door open - and at the same time a small needle sprung out from the handle. Ōi could feel the burning sensation of poison through her body and fell unconscious, foaming from the mouth!

Kitsune Oba-san checked the second cellar room, and found several molds for small bronze statues and a clay vessel full of money. She took only 5 yens, but also pocketed a nice mold.

She tried to do first aid on Ōi, but failed. She tried again, but failed, and this time the lamp, her only light source, went out.

So, in the complete darkness, she slowly made her way back to the ladder and climbed up to the trapdoor. With an extreme feat of strength, she managed to push it open and slightly push back the furniture (a chest) that was blocking it. She climbed out - and a spear flew out of the darkness, barely missing her head. Then the evil guardian statue came charging and tried to crush Kitsune Oba-san by pushing the chest against her. The old lady, miraculously, withstood the pressure, and jumped on top of it.

Kitsune Oba-san wanted to use the scroll of Hold Monster, but realized that it was too dark to read it...

She avoided another hit from the statue, and then, like in an action movie, she jumped through one of the nearby walls - a simple paper screen. She made it through unscathed, and, luckily for her, ended up in the courtyard of the house, illuminated by moonlight. For some reason, the statue didn't, or couldn't follow her, but retrieved the spear and threw it at her, missing again!

Kitsune Oba-san unrolled the scroll and uttered the incantations...

But, against all odds, the statue made its save!

Kitsune Oba-san ran out from the yard and circled around the house. On the street, she ran right into the patrol, three city guards with lanterns and clubs. She told them that master Unkei's house was beset by bandits, or rather, one very strong bandit. The master sculptor and his guests were in grave danger.

The guards followed Kitsune Oba-san back to the yard and the house.

The statue wasn't in the room... So Kitsune Oba-san asked two guards to stand ready, while she and the third guard went down to the cellar to retrieve the wounded captives. The guard picked up Ōi's body and went back up - only to find his comrades locked in combat with the evil statue! The statue killed on of the guards with a single blow. The guard with Ōi's body ran out to the courtyard as quickly as possible.

The one remaining guard heroically stood his ground and even managed to chip off a piece of the evil statue.

Kitsune Oba-san made it up the ladder and attacked the statue as well. The guard put down Ōi's unconscious body and re-joined the fight... They fought, and Kitsune Oba-san was taken out by the statue's hit. The two remaining guards valiantly managed to bring down the statue...

Ōi and Kitsune Oba-san woke up at home, tended by a doctor. They were lucky enough to survive. Master Unkei lived as well...

Just a random moth mutation thingie

Whenever you rest, you fall unconscious and cocoon yourself up. You are unable to wake up and others have to cut the cocoon open. Natural healing is enhanced by 1 point while in the cocoon. If you spend 48 hours in the cocoon, you automatically regain consciousness and emerge. Roll 1d6 to see in what form:

1 – yourself… but with absolute certainty that the Insect God is coming

2 – a flightless moth-person (6-in-6 Stealth chance in darkness)

3 – physically unchanged, but able to vomit up and control a moth swarm once per night, see through their eyes, taste through their proboscises

4 – a giant moth monster, ravenous, controlled by Referee (HD = your level + 2, Armor as leather, crawl as heavily encumbered, fly as twice unencumbered, 1 attack: bite, damage dependent on HD (1-3: d4, 4-6: d6, 7+: d8), Morale 8)

5 – a moth-person with functional wings (can fly only if unencumbered, at movement rate of unencumbered human)

6 – fused with whatever clothes, blankets, equipment you had on when you fell asleep

(I don't really have time to work on stuff nowadays, but here's a little chart to keep the blog updated at least a couple of times per month!)

You are on time... IN SPACE! [LotFP/Spelljammer]

Recently the LotFP campaign I play in moved into space and morphed into this weird Spelljammer thing. So I was tasked with coming up with new tables for on-time players, late players, carousing, etc... So far I have a little table of six bonuses reliable players can get:

1. Your latent psionic powers awaken! For this session only, you gain Carcosan psionic powers. You gain access to 1d4 random powers (roll 1d8: 1 – Clairaudience, 2 – Clairvoyance, 3 – ESP, 4 – Mental Blast, 5 – Mind Control, 6 – Precognition, 7 – Telekinesis, 8 – Telepathy; see Carcosa p. 19-21). The total number of uses is determined by your character level. Once used up, the powers are gone.
2. You sprout a new organ! Roll 1d6: 1 – hard prismatic skin growth on your forehead, 2 – fleshy tentacle from your chest (connected to your heart), 3 – third eye, 4 – extended nervous system in the shape of dark braided hair, 5 – third (or extra) arm that cannot really grab anything, 6 – the organs on your face merge into a single sensory organ. Regardless of shape, the organ grants a 6-in-6 Languages skill. At the end of the session, the organ dries off or the body returns to its original shape. All languages acquired this way are lost with the organ.
3. Your body absorbs and stores phlogiston. The transformed phlogiston grants 1d3 uses of a random spell, only usable in this session. Roll 1d6 for the spell: 1 – Shield, 2 – Ray of Enfeeblement, 3 – Mirror Image, 4 – Levitate, 5 – Faerie Fire, 6 – Light.
4. Exotica Erotica! Okay, okay, nothing naughty here… But for some reason, NPCs that are not the same species as your character are better disposed towards you (treat as Charisma 18 for Reaction rolls, etc.).
5. Time distorts around you. You foresee what others are about to do. The first time you roll initiative, roll it with 4d6, then 3d6, then 2d6, then with the regular 1d6 as the effect slowly diminishes. This doesn’t carry over to the next session.
6. You gain the ability to reflect missile attacks! Any missile attack that is directed at you but doesn’t score a hit against your AC is reflected back at the attacker. Roll a flat d20 against the AC of the attacker. Attacks that hit your AC do damage as usual.
   Hazards or effects that require a save against Wands or Rays or Devices are reversed if you successfully save (and in this case the source of the effect must save. If this is inapplicable (e.g. the source is a machine), the chance of hitting the source instead is 3-in-6).

Magnum, P.I. + Pulp Cthulhu [Random game idea]

Mustaches vs tentacles on Hawaii! So, yes, just take the basic idea of Magnum, P.I.: it's the 1980s, the group of protagonists are security experts, bodyguards, private investigators (some of them Vietnam vets) etc., who work for a mysterious rich patron (who only communicates through recordings or the trusted estate manager). Initially, their job includes perimeter checks at the mansion, low-key investigative work... but eventually the weirdness ramps up as the mysterious patron's missions become more mysterious and plunge the team into the depths of cosmic madness.

Yeah... just a random game idea for this lazy Saturday afternoon.

I kinda dig the [something + Cthulhu] formula. You know, like Scooby Doo + Call of Cthulhu.

You are on time! 3 x 1d6 bonuses for reliable players [Mazes & Minotaurs]

Sometimes players are late... But sometimes they show up on time and the DM wants to reward them with a small bonus! Maybe the group just likes to roll on random tables...

6 random results for each character type:

d6	Warriors	Magicians	Specialists
1	Inspired by heroic tales of yore, you gain 1d8 temporary hit points for this session.	You gain a single use of Medusa’s gaze (Petrification, 40’ range). Don’t even ask how you got it! If not used up, it goes away at the end of the sessions.	“This spoor can only belong to…” – the Maze Master must reveal the name of one of the creatures you are likely to encounter this session.
2	The weapon of your fabled ancestor appears mysteriously in your hand. It is of your favored type, but does +2 damage. It evaporates at the end of the session.	An omen! Roll 1d20 and write down the result. Once during this session, you can substitute any d20 roll anybody (player or Maze Master) makes with this number.	By hard training or sheer luck, you gain a +3 bonus to your Special Talent score for this session.
3	Your patron sends a small winged genius to look over you this session. The first attack that would bring you to 0 Hits kills this guardian spirit instead…	Black Friday! You get a one-time discount of 1 point on casting any spell. Thus, it is possible to cast a Magnitude 1 Power for free, or a Magnitude 4 Power for 3 points.	Light of foot! Your Encumbrance rating counts as 5 less for the purposes of Special Talent rolls and saves. Only for this session.
4	Suffer no witch! You roll Mystic Fortitude saves with +2 this session.	The stars are right! You gain 1d4 temporary power points for this session.	“Khaire, darkness, my old philos!” You gain the ability to see in darkness for this session.
5	Where it hurts: this session, you score Critical Hits if your attack roll exceeds the target’s EDC by 7 or more.	Chaos reigns! Once during this session, you may “risky cast” a spell of any Magnitude, without expanding Power points, per LotFP rules (make a Mystic Fortitude save, with a penalty equal to the amount of Power points you’d have to spend; failure means you have to roll for miscast effect).	Oiled up! This session, you can automatically break free from grapples on your round (you can still be grappled, but you don’t have to roll to slip out).
6	Battle cry! This session, whenever you Charge into Battle (see Special Melee Tactics, MM1 p. 24), you let out a blood-curling battle cry. All enemies who have less Hits than you must make a Danger Evasion save or flee.	Mystic crosspollination! Once during this session, you can cast the Magnitude 1 power from another class’ Magical Talent (the Power Point cost has to be spent). Roll 1d5: 1 – Divine Prodigies, 2 – Elemental Magic, 3 – Nature’s Gifts, 4 – Poetic Magic, 5 – Sorcery. If you roll your own Talent, gain 1 extra Power Point instead.	The power of critical thinking! This session, you score Critical Hits if your attack roll exceeds the target’s EDC by 7 or more.

[Secret Jackalope!!] Perils of the Bleak Forest, being a Survivor’s Guide for the Recently Exiled

After the Secret Santicorn, the OSR discord server is doing Secret Jackalope! I requested a random generator of pulpy lost races, and Stefan "The Moth" delivered a set of amazing sci-fi tables. My prompt was from Phlox (author of the blog Whose Measure God Could Not Take), who requested "an in-character description of a monster, from an in-universe monster manual"! This prompt proved to be tricky, because it's more about creative writing than game design... But I did my best, and came up with this Veins in the Earth-like "world building through bestiary", an in-universe survival guide for people who are exiled to a cursed forest covered in volcanic ashes.

Happy Secret Jackalope to everyone!

“Perils of the Bleak Forest, being a Survivor’s Guide for the Recently Exiled”

Grey-barked Crooked Willows

When the thirst becomes unbearable, look for crooked willows with the dark grey bark, for the roots of these abominations reach down into the moist strata of the soil deep under the ashes. Dig deep, and have a vessel ready to capture the drops of life-giving liquid.

Beware, though, that among these trees, some are sentient and thirst not for water, but for the very blood of exiles like you and me. You can tell them apart by the swaying motions of their branches that do not adhere to the blows of the howling winds.

The crooked willow cannot uproot, but the reach of its branches is longer than you expect. They strike with deadly precision, like a whip; then entangle and draw their victim close to their trunk; and then their bark cracks open and the black tendrils desiccate thy body.

Nighthowls

As far as I could establish, the lupine howls that we hear during the darkest nights are not anchored to any body or beast; they are but resonances of the air and murderous intent. When you first hear them, there still might be a chance to flee, but choose the direction wisely. The Nighthowls travel in spirals. If you cannot hear them, they cannot hurt you. But even if just the faintest sound gets through, the mind is flooded with nightmarish visions and never recovers.

Some say the Nighthowls’ victim becomes the eye of the sonic storm from then on, but I do not believe this.

Opaque Beast

Twice the size and thrice the strength of a bear, this fearful monstrosity is in fact one of the lesser perils of the land. It never attacks, unless its eggs are threatened. The Beast’s yellow eyes absorb light – that’s why its appearance is foreshadowed by a fog of dusk. Somewhere in the center of this darkness is the nest of the Beast, where it lays eggs. The obsidian shells hide nutritious yolk, enough to feed three men for three days.