d8 entries from my commonplace book

I keep a commonplace book, a notebook where I record any kind of random idea or inspiration tidbit that can be utilized in games. It's a cool low pressure way of keeping ideas. Some of them come from media. Some are random things that come to my mind. I record them. There is no pressure to develop them into anything --- but at least they are not forgotten, and might come in handy. Here's a selection:

1. Lost-world style tribe who worship a great idol. The idol is in fact a spaceship (rocketship) that landed here, and since then the pilot has been staging divine epiphanies (Wizard of Oz?) – see also “Flash Gordon and the God of the Beastmen”, Flash Gordon #5, 1967, King Comics.
2. Tribe of reptiloid creatures, who currently live in a surprisingly democratic society. However, there is a great danger looming. Their race can rejuvenate/live forever, as long as they hibernate from time to time for a 100 years. The greatest tyrant of their history is soon returning from hibernation and will surely overpower the newly-formed democracy (aided by his troops that also went with him to “sleep”). Their place of hibernation is well-hidden… Quest to find it and destroy them, before they can enact their hideous plans?... (see Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World TV show, S01E03 “More Than Human”, 1999, for Roman Reptile inspiration).
3. If the party is imprisoned, the local authority (prince, king…)’s representative approaches one of them, who is the most interesting (e.g. a Magic-User = man of knowledge, or a Fighter = mighty adventurer). The character taken to an audience with the authority and is asked to regale stories about their adventures.
4. An expedition to the North, to retrieve “antediluvian” bones and tusks. Superstitious local folks. Sub-arctic perils. Greedy merchants looking for ivory. And perhaps an ancient vampyric creature, that wishes to relive its youth by feeding on the beasts of yore…
5. Giant hermit crab in post-apocalyptic wasteland uses burnt-out vehicle as its shell. As seen in The Barren Earth, “The Long Trek”, incl. in The Warlord, #64, DC.
6. Swift-moving glacier. In a year’s time the lower terminus will reach a settlement, while up in the mountains a dungeon or cave will be revealed.
7. Amphibian city; a city of amphibian creatures, their buildings are half-submerged towers. Movement is possible by swimming, boats, and the occasional walkway.
8. Sea of Primordial Muck. Created by a botched terraforming attempt – the aliens liquefied a large territory as part of the process, but never got around to reshaping it. Perhaps only a small island is shaped in the middle of the sea.

Happy holidays, everybody!

[Secret Santicorn!!] Equipment List for Miyazaki-style Science Fantasy Games

It's Secret Santicorn Season again over at the OSR discord server. Vilecultofshapes requested a "basic equipment list for a Miyazaki style science fantasy game"... Great prompt! I love Miyazaki and science fantasy, so I put on the Nausicaä soundtrack and set to work.

Read it here or download as PDF over at my itch.io page!

BASIC AND ADVANCED INDUSTRIES

Basic variants of equipment are produced locally, from all kinds of available resources. Such items are cheaper, more common, easier to maintain and replace.

Advanced variants are either products of skilled craftsmen, or looted from the ruins of former, technologically superior civilizations. They are generally more durable. However, once broken, they are much harder to repair.

The listed trade value is for the basic variant. This value doesn’t fluctuate significantly. Advanced items are worth 5-10 times as much, or even more (make a ruling or roll 1d6+4).

Garments, basic

Basic garments are usually layered and loose, patchwork or handspun, with drab colors. This doesn’t mean that basic garments lack personality. There is usually a detail or item that makes the character recognizable.

Garments, advanced

Advanced outfits are often of synthetic materials, with vibrant or unusual, yet impeccably coordinated colors. Most of them provide additional protection against the elements or even against damage.

	Garments, basic (1d20)	Garments, advanced (1d20)
1	Wide-brimmed hat	Techno-paladin full-plate
2	Tie-dyed poncho	Military uniform with golden braids and epaulettes
3	Utility belt	Slick bodysuit
4	Brightly colored scarf	Moonlit glamour
5	Spiked leather armbands	Exoskeleton with servo-arms
6	Thigh-high boots with spurs	Special agent three-piece suit
7	Oversized bandolier	Mirrorshade visor, body armor
8	Horned headgear	Pulsating tubes and glowing lights
9	Dysfunctional tubes and wires	Decadent courtly dress
10	Pauldrons	Adaptive camouflage
11	Trinkets and beads	Haughty noble
12	Patterned leggings	Returning space explorer
13	Leather aviator cap	Deep-sea diving suit
14	Flowing robes	Segmented chitinous nightmare
15	Fancy belt buckle	Luxurious furs
16	Dangerously dangling scarf	Burnished muscle cuirass and greaves
17	Miner’s helmet	Magnificently starched collar, pristinely ironed outfit
18	Animal mask	Glowing and shimmering aura around naked body
19	Knit winter hat with tassel	Well-tailored suit, heavenly perfume scent
20	Fur-trimmed	Holographic disguise layer

COMMON EQUIPMENT

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Bedroll	2	Patchwork blanket or sleeping furs	Insulated sleeping bag
Container, small	0.5	Small woven basket or wooden box, ceramic or glass vials, pouches	Same sizes, but of synthetic materials, with adjustable straps, safety or locking mechanisms, alarms, traps
Container, medium	1	Medium woven basket or wooden box, flasks, bottles, jars, backpacks, medium-sized sacks
Container, large	3	Crates, barrels, large storage vessels
Filter-mask	2	Hand-made from textile, provides protection against smoke and some toxins	Includes microscopic and chemical filtering
Food, 1 day	0.5	Roots, tubers, berries, eggs, bugs, worms, honey, milk, small game (birds, lizards, burrowers) *double value if preserved (dried, salted)	Synthetic foods from the uncanny valley (“chicken”) or completely unlike anything you’ve ever tasted… *double value if preserved (canned, permafrozen…)
Garments	1-3	*see above	*see above
Goggles	3	Murky glass or plastic lenses, low protection against flashes or glare	Protective lenses, possibly with advanced features (nightvision, zoom)
Light source, 1 hour	0.5	Wax or tallow candle, pitch torch, oil lantern, fireflies in a jar	Torch
Medicine	10-50	Herbs, teas, poultices, simple bandaging	Pills, syringes, advanced bandaging materials, anesthetics, antidotes,
Musical instrument	5-10	Flute, horn, whistle, bell, percussion, non-fretted string instruments; made out of wood, bones, animal parts, sometimes bits of metal	Most “advanced musical instruments” are actually tech. devices of unknown purpose that give off nice beeps and boops when handled; but see also thermenvoxes, touchpad-controlled oscillators…
Rope, 100’	1	Natural fibers	Nylon, fleximetal
Tools, agricultural	10-30	Plough, hayfork, hedge cutters	Motorized equipment, but also artificial fertilizers, pesticides
Tools, crafting	20-50	Hammer, chisel, hand drill, etc., also the pottery wheel and the like	Fine cutting and drilling tools, soldering equipment
Tools, mining	30-50	…or digging… shovels, picks, pickaxes…	Tunneling shield, sounding equipment, seismic devices
Tools, surgical	100	Blades, forceps	Nano-blade, medical lasers

  

WEAPONRY

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Bargaining and diplomacy	N/A	Gift offerings, looking for common ground, asking questions, listening
Deescalating the conflict	N/A	Calm voice, true innocence, sincerity *see also Bargaining and diplomacy
Running away	N/A	Good timing, fleetness of foot, instinct of self-preservation
Weapon, stun	3-10	Blackjack, club, holding traps, poison needles, stunning arrows	Shock batons, nerve toxins, sleeping gas, sonic wave
Weapon, lethal	5-50	Pointy sticks, blades, bullets, fire	High-precision rifles, lasers, explosives
Weapon, mass destruction	1000-10000	Conscription, mercenaries, siege engines	Nuclear warheads, chemical weapons, war machines

 

MOUNTS & GROUND VEHICLES

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Beast, riding	100	Flightless bird, bipedal lizard, giant cockroach or stag beetle *double value if combat-trained	N/A, or possibly a genetically engineered or robotic equivalent
Beast, of burden	50	Large lizard, woolly beast-thing with two or more pairs of legs, giant centipede
Beast, flying	500	Flying lizard, giant dragonfly
Cart	75-200	Two- or four-wheeler, dune buggy, covered wagon; animal-drawn	Broken-down advanced vehicles are often repurposed as animal-drawn carts
Ground vehicle, small	1000	N/A	On wheels, tracks, antigrav pads… Fits up to 4 people.
Ground vehicle, medium	3000	N/A	Fits up to 10 people.
Ground vehicle, large	5000	N/A	Fits up to 30 people.

 

WATERBOURNE VEHICLES

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Boat	300	Wooden rowing or sailing boat, fits 4-12 people	Engine-propelled, with a metal or metalloplastic shell
Raft	50	Something simple, carries 4-8 people	N/A
Ship, small	1500	Wooden rowing or sailing ship, fits up to 20 people	Engine-propelled, with a metal or metalloplastic shell. Might include submersibles or hovercrafts. Capacity same as the Basic variants
Ship, medium	4000	Fits up to 50 people
Ship, large	8500	Fits up to 100 people

FLIERS

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Flier, one-person	1000	Only if created by a mad inventor, possibly hand-driven or drawn by flying beasts…	Motorized glider, antigrav skiff
Glider	150	Tarp or skin suspended on a light frame. Used by one person, maximum two	Same, but of advanced & durable materials
Hot air balloon	750	Woven basket suspended under a textile balloon, roping and nets everywhere, dangerous open fire to heat the air, ballast to control ascent…	Same, but of advanced & durable materials; with finer control of flight direction, ascent and descent
Aircraft, small	5000	N/A	Engine- or jet-propelled small aircraft (scouts, hunters) or blimps. Fits up to 6 people
Aircraft, medium	10000	N/A	Same, fits up to 20 people.
Aircraft, large	20000	N/A	Giants in the air… Zeppelins and “The Flying Fortress”… Fit up to 100 people.

 

SAMPLE SPECIAL ITEMS

Cleanwater Lichen

Beat-up tin box, once colorfully painted, now only the rigging of a sailing ship visible. Inside, there are six small balls of dry lichen. This special lichen absorbs all toxins and appeases miniscule water spirits. Each ball can purify a gallon of water.

Memory Disk

Palm-sized stone disk with labyrinthine engravings. Can eternally store and holographically project any kind of message, up to a minute in length.

Multiprism

A pristinely cut rock crystal prism, capable of transforming light rays in many ways: breaking down monochromatic light into its spectral colors, or changing the color of a ray into a different one. Useful when interacting with arcane technology.

True Compass

The thin, trembling needle always points towards the owner’s home.

Universal Translator

This silver helmet taps into the wearer’s brainwaves and translates all languages to pure thought. It is rumored that more advanced versions can help understand animals, plants, and even stones.