NPC Adventurer Party Generator

Other adventuring parties are a staple of random encounter tables. They have a large scope for interesting interaction with PCs. I hadn't found an NPC adventuring party generator that could be used on the fly whilst pumping a little bit of personality and purpose into the NPC party so I decided to make my own;

(I've tried to present chunks of the table in GM usefulness order - you don't really need to know the HD of an adventurer unless they actually become involved in armed conflict).

Number of Adventurers: d8.

Overall Alignment of Adventuring Party: d3; 

1) Lawful. 

2) Neutral. 

3) Chaotic.

(Lawful, Minus 2 to d12 Reaction roll, Neutral, No change to d12 Reaction roll, Chaotic,Plus 2 to d12 Reaction Roll.) 

Purpose: d6 (if Lawful minus 1 to result, if Chaotic plus 1 to result); 

1) On a morally righteous quest.

2) On a quest to help local law keepers/establishment.

3) En route to local town,city,village.

4) On a quest with material reward for dubious group or figure. 

5) En route to pillage local dungeon (or actively pillaging if already there).

6) Openly engaged in brigandry.

Attitude (irrespective of Alignment): d6;

1) Kind/Pious/Caring.

2) Friendly/Jolly/Joking.

3) Diplomatic/Professional/Neutral.

4) Reserved/Short/Grumpy.

5) Mean/Taunting/Belittling.

6) Vicious/Gibbering/Savage.

Wealth and Equipment Level (W&EL) (See Abilities, Equipment and Spells below to see what each equipment level entails for each Class, W&EL will determine if the party appears ragged and shabby or wealthy and regal): d6 (Reduce the result rolled by 1 for each each adventurer less than 4);

W&EL1) 100 GP between the party held in sacks.

W&EL2) 300 GP between the party held in sturdy backpacks.

W&EL3) 600 GP between the party, each adventurer is mounted on an appropriate steed.

W&EL4) 1000 GP between the party, each adventurer is mounted on an appropriate steed.

W&EL5) 1500 GP between the party, each adventurer is mounted on an appropriate steed, they posses a cart drawn by a donkey laden with 200 GP of supplies.

W&EL6) 1500 GP between the party, each adventurer is mounted on an appropriate steed, they posses a cart drawn by a donkey laden with 200 GP of supplies.

Magic Items: If W&EL  4,5 or 6 is rolled there is a chance each adventurer holds a magic item. The chances are as follows W&EL 4 = 10%, W&EL5 = 25%, W&EL6 = 50%. 

The magic item an adventurer owns depends on their class. 

Roll on the random Treasure tables in the Labyrinth Lord rulebook (or your magic treasure table of choice:) 

Fighter: d2: 1 = Sword Table (LL pg. 109) 2 = Armor Table (LL pg. 110).

Magic User: Rod, Staves, Wands Table (LL pg. 108).

Cleric: Armor Table (LL pg. 110).

Thief: Potion Table (LL pg. 107).

Please note adventurers will USE these magic items as appropriate.  

HD of Each Adventurer: d6 (Each Adventurer gets a d8 HP per HD regardless of Class).

Class of Each Adventurer: d4;

1) Fighter. 

2) Magic User.

3) Cleric. 

4) Thief.

Class Abilities, Equipment and Spells:

Fighter: Get 5 HP per HD. 

HD 4 - 6: Plus 2 to hit and damage.

HD 6: Gain 1 additional attack per round. 

W&EL1-3: Chainmail and Shield (AC 17[3]), Longsword and Longbow (d8).

W&EL4-6: Platemail and Shield (AC 22 [-2]), Longsword and Longbow (d8).

Magic User: 

HD1-3: Can cast HD value of both Magic Missile and Charm Person. 

HD4-5: Can also cast HD value of Fireball 

HD6: Can also cast Polymorph Others once per day.

Magic Users will only ever be equipped with a Dagger (d4) and throwing daggers (d4) and be wearing an ornately decorated robe (AC 12 [8])

Cleric: 

HD1-3: Can cast HD value of both Cure Light Wounds and Hold Person. 

HD4-5: Can also cast HD value of Cure Serious Wounds and Striking.

HD6: Can also cast Flamestrike once per day

W&EL1-3: Chainmail and Shield (AC 17[3]), Mace(d6)

W&EL4-6: Platemail and Shield (AC 22 [-2]) Blessed Mace(d6+2)

Thief:

HD1-3: 3 in 6 chance of Hiding in Shadows and Moving Silently.

HD4-5: 4 in 6 chance of Hiding in Shadows and Moving Silently. 

HD6: 5 in 6 chance of Hiding in Shadows and Moving Silently. 

Backstab at all HD levels: +4 to hit and Double Damage.

W&EL1-3: Leather (AC 14[6]), Longsword and Longbow (d8).

W&EL4-6: Studded Leather (AC 15[5]), Longsword and Longbow (d8).

Notes:

The highest HD adventurer will be the party leader. He/She will most embody the alignment, purpose and attitude of the party, the other adventurers may act interdependently if a situation occurs in which that would be beneficial. 

Assume every adventurer is carrying rudimentary adventuring gear and supplies. 

Assume every adventurer is carrying special items relevant to their class and rolled Weapon and Equipment level.

Coming Soon: My First PDF, An OSR Mini-dungon.

Here's the cover for a PDF I'm putting together. It will be a three level'd dungeon; 1) the tower tops, tree huts and walkways, 2) the ground floor and 3) the sunken, flooded basement level. It will be a spruced up version of the way I map and draw dungeons in my games. My goal is for people to be able to instantly pick up the PDF and run the dungeon, without requiring any time pre-reading.

Monsters Encountered in The Ruinlands

When "Monster" comes up as a result in Ruin Filled Swamp Generator, roll a d4:   

1) Swamp Crawler: Flat, black cephalopod roughly 4 to 6 foot across. They dredge the wetland lakes, pools, ponds and muck for carcasses. They are happy to feast on fresher meat and will use their strong tentacles to beat prey into submission and drag them underwater in reach of their beaks. Due to their dark coloration and contorting forms they prove to be difficult melee foes for land dwelling beings.

Number Encountered: d6.  
Alignment: Chaotic.  
Movement: 160' in water, 60' on land.
HD: 2. 
Armor Class: 18 (2) when underwater and fighting a non aquatic foe, 12 (8) on land or fighting an aquatic foe.  
Attacks and Damage: 2 x Tentacle Whip (d6), if a foe is dragged beneath the water in reach of their beak they can bite for d8.
Special: If a Swamp Crawler attacks with a single tentacle it may attempt to drag a foe beneath the water, said foe must Save Vs, Paralyze to avoid this. Once dragged beneath the water the Swamp Crawler may bite its victim with a +4 To Hit bonus. A non aquatic being will be drowned in GM discretion rounds, said being may attempt to escape the Swamp Crawler's clutches by passing a Strength test by a greater margin than an opposed Swamp Crawler Strength test (The Swamp Crawler has a Strength of 14). Alternatively the victim may attack the Swamp Crawler at a -4 to hit while in it's clutches.  
Save: F2.
Morale: 8.  
XP: 200.

2) Spell Snake: Amphibious, chitinous worm 12 to 14 foot long approximately the girth of a man's torso. Their dark, segmented body swirls with prismatic colors, like oil catching sunlight. Their head are topped with a great beak and several sets of compound eyes. They feed on magical half-life expulsed in ages long gone and held in the peat and bog of the Ruinlands.

Number Encountered: d3.  
Alignment: Chaotic.  
Movement: 160' in water, 140' on land.
HD: 4.  
Armor Class: 20 (0) when underwater and fighting a non aquatic foe, 16 (4) on land.  
Attacks and Damage: Bite (d10) and body slam (d6).  
Special: The Spell Snake sets its mesmerizing eyes on a target and inhales air with a deafening screech. Target must Save Vs. Spells or lose d4 memorized spells/prayers (determined randomly).  
Save: F4.
Morale: 7, after "feeding" on a spell 10.
XP: 300.  

 3) Bear Toad: A misleadingly named toad that's actually closer in size to a large breed of dog. Their croak is particular deep and sonorous, sending unsettling vibrations throughout The Ruinlands. They enjoy leaping high in to the air and flattening other creatures with their bulk. Once a creature is killed Bear Toads will bounce victim's body into a fleshy goop to encourage the growth of their preferred dish, corpse mushrooms.
Number Encountered: d8.  
Alignment: Chaotic.  
Movement: 120' in water, 140' on land.
 HD: 2. Armor Class: 14 (6).  
Attacks and Damage: Jump Attack, does d8+2 damage but Bear Toads will always be the last to attack.
Special: Bear Toads may supercharge their croak to emanate an unsettling, dizzying force. Victims must Save Vs. Breath Weapons or suffer -2 AC and -2 To Hit for d6 rounds.
Save: F2.
Morale: 6.  
XP: 200.

4) Were-Toad / Warty Man: After the movements of the Lake's dawn tide these beings will appear as naked, wart covered men with bulging eyes and lolling tongues. They carry crude wooden spears and bows. They are vaguely intelligent and encountering them may prompt a reaction roll (at a penalty of 6). After the movements of the lake's dusk tide these beings will appear as gangly, up right walking toads. Their semblance of human intelligence fades away in this form. 

Number Encountered: d12+4.
Alignment: Chaotic.
Movement: 120' regardless of terrain.  
HD: 1. Armor Class: 13 (7).  
Attacks and Damage: As a man: d6 from either spear or bow. As a were-toad: d6 from spear or a bow, with the ability to jump attack for d6+2 with a bonus of +2 To Hit.  
Special: As a man: Ability to hide or scale sheer surfaces/climb, 4 in 6 chance. As a were-toad: Ability to hide, 4 in 6 chance. Ability to scale sheer surfaces/climb with impunity.  
Save: F1.
Morale: 6.
XP: 150.

Ruin filled Swamp Generator, The Ruinlands.

The Ruinlands is the name for the swamp that rings the land's largest lake. Aeons ago a glittering, white stoned city spread across the lake and filled the lands around it. A living God was said to walk the city's streets and be its king. Now only filthy swamp monks heed rumors of the God, while strong armed, wild hill-men mine the rotting ruins for stone. 

Hexes in the Ruinlands normally take 6 hours to cross. There is a 30% chance of losing the road. If no one in the party has the ability to re-find the road there will be additional travel time as outlined below.



Roll on table 1,2 and 3 to create an area that fills a hex. Tables X,Y,Z are for additional treasure breakdowns and inspiration.

(The Ruinlands Swamp Generator is now on Abulafia, thanks +Patrick Henry Downs.)

Table 1, Basic Area:

0-8) Small ponds, covered by heavy vegetation and tree canopy.
9-17) Large pond, covered by heavy vegetation and tree canopy.
18-26) Small ponds, sparse vegetation, no canopy.
27-33) Large pond, sparse vegetation, no canopy.
34-41) Soggy, muddy ground with bushes and shrubs (+1 hours travel time without road).
42-47) Soggy, muddy ground with large trees and canopy (+1 hours travel time without road).
48-56) Moss covered/hidden large pond (shallow - waist high) (+3 hours travel time without road.
57-64) Moss covered/hidden large pond (deep - shoulder high) (+6 hours travel time without road).
65-72) Reeds, waist high, growing over shallow - ankle high water (+3 hours travel time without road).
73-80) Reeds, head high, growing over shallow - ankle high water (+3 hours travel time without road).
81-92) Hard, ancient and slimy cobble stone (-3 hours travel time).
93-99) Dry land, grass and shrubs.

Table 2, Descriptor: 

Roll a d6, the result will determine if the contents of the area are;

1) Bad/troublesome/dangerous for the party.
2-5) Neutral for the party.
6) Good/helpful/rejuvenating for the party.

0-6) Heavy fog.
7-12) Masses of insects.
13-19) Out of place Gorgzu's Jungle vegetation (a virile and virulent Jungle to the South).
20-26) Unusual plant life.
27-32) Fruits/berries/herbs/flowers.
33-39) Ruins, widely spaced pillars, short - head high.
40-46) Ruins, widely spaced pillars, tall - several men high.
47-53) Ruins, enclosed compound, d4 large hall sized rooms.
54-60) Ruins, platforms raised on pillars, several men high.
61-67) Ruins, large dome.
68-74) Ruins, d4 scattered large hall sized rooms.
75-81) Lichen covered boulders.
82-88) Fungi.
89-92) Turbulent water/ground.
93-95) Toads/frogs/amphibian mating/gathering/activity ground.
96-99) Ruins mining operation (a settlement to the East mines the ruins to sell to a larger city to the North East).

Table 3, Contents: Include an additional random encounter check to see if there is any interaction/conflict between the contents of the area and a possible random encounter entity.

0-20) Nothing
21-26) Alarming murmurs from beneath the ground and to the direction of the Lake.
27-34) Hidden Treasure (Consult your hidden treasure container table of choice), see treasure table below.
35-41) Air or water borne sickness or disease, consult aspect table below for ideas.
42-48) Animals (frogs, birds, snakes, insects), roll for reaction.
49-56) Monk of The Sunken One, will be collecting plant samples or hunting for artifacts in the ruins, roll for reaction (will hide/run away rather than attack).
57-63) Ruin miner, roll for reaction (but will lean towards a positive reaction).
64-69) A party of adventurers, heading South to treasure filled Gorgzu's Jungle, roll for reaction.
70-75) Stone stairs, leading underground (possibly flooded depending on Basic Area roll).
76-80) Moss covered Jungle Dwarfs from the South, spreading jungle vegetation, roll for reaction.
81-85) Abandoned cart or camp,Roll a d6: 1) Bad/troublesome/dangerous for the party. 2-5) Neutral for the party. 6) Good/helpful/rejuvenating for the party. Roll on aspect table below for ideas.
86-90) Treasure, barely hidden if at all, see treasure table below.
91-95) Monster.
96-99) Monster guarding treasure, see treasure table below.




Table X, Overland Treasure: 

0-25) Gold (See Overland Treasure Value Table below).
26-51) Trade goods (See Overland Treasure Value Table below).
72-77) Gems/jewelry (See Overland Treasure Value Table below).
78-99) Magic item.

Table Y, Overland Treasure Value: 

01-35) 75 x 1d10 GP
36-65) 150 x 1d10 GP
66-85) 250 x 1d10 GP
86-00) 1000 x 1d010 GP

Table Z, Aspect Table: 

00-9) Good/holy/light
10-19) Air/ethereal/wind
20-29) Tiny/invisible/intangible
30/39) Value/thought/internal organs and reflection
40-49) Water/equalization/cleansing
50-59) Wild/bestial/nature
60-69) Fire/destruction/limbs and external action
70-79) Monstrous/gargantuan/enormous
80-89) Deep/earth/solid
90-99) Evil/profane/darkness

Below is the hexmap of the region as it exists in my campaign, there are hexes with pre-existing structures/settlements/dungeons.

Monsters from the Region. 

& Magazine Issue 9 Spells and Spell Casters is Out!

I drew the cover image.

 Issue 9 contains;

• Spontaneous Spell Casting
• Introduction to the AD&D Spell System
• The Perils of Psionic Blast
• Greater Faeries
• An Alternative Spell Memorization System

Plus some bonus articles:

• Interview with Ernie Gygax
• Stat the Harpoonapus!

And the usual columns, plus some new ones.

Go download it here.

Runner's Journals, Player Write-ups from my WA 2070 Shadowrun Campaign (Session 2).

Session 2 is done and dusted. The runners got into the slightly run down K-dome and got their first job as a group. It seems their/the Serpent's Cup assault on the SK research detail is the talk of the Domes. It also seems Laz's truck was recorded by a Drone that escaped destruction during the rumble in the ruins.

My player's have not disappointed, providing me more Journals and Write-ups in exchange for Karma.

Here is the GM Session Summary.

Click ahead to read the player journals/write-ups/stories:   

Runner's Journals, Player Write-ups from my WA 2070 Shadowrun Campaign (Session 1)

I ran the inaugural session of Shadowrun in Western Australia 2070's campaign (setting introduction is here) over the weekend. I offered a point of Karma for any one who wanted to do a write up of the session from their character's perspective. My Karma greedy players did not disappoint! After the jump is a bunch of stories written by the player's from the perspective of their outlaw, motley crew of Runners. I thought they were worth sharing. 

Here's a rundown of events and concepts from the session to put the stories into perspective;

• The events took place in the lawless Ruins outside of the Saeder Krupp domes.
• The Serpent's Cup is a biker gang that holds the most power in the ruins. 
• Merlin seems to be a head figure in The Serpent's Cup gang. 
• The Serpent's Cup seem to have a fetish for freedom and anarchy. 
• The player's converged at the biker bar "The Mount" to set up connections with The Serpent's Cup.
• Merlin was riding to check out a SK transport helicopter and the players agreed to accompany him.
• Merlin wasn't offering anything other than a healthy dose of joviality for the company. 
• The events that took place weren't so much a Shadowrun as a out of control skirmish. 
• The runners and the Biker's attacked a contingent of SK armed guards and scientists. 
• An over-use of grenade's resulted in the destruction of whatever SK was researching.

Here is the GM Session Summary. 

Click ahead to read the journals/write-ups/stories:   

Western Australia circa 2070, a Runner's Dusty Playground.

Hoi Chummer, Session summaries and Runner Logs of the campaign are at the bottom of the post! 

But first, a little history:

In 2010 a faint prismatic scar appeared in the sky above Perth. This was the same year the ocean began to recede.

In 2030 Western Australia was sold to Saeder-Krupp to help keep the financially struggling Australian Government afloat (load of good that did). From then on the land suffered severe environmental degradation as Saeder-Krupp ripped apart the state in search of resources. The scar in the sky continued to grow, a lurid, technicolor stain.

It got hotter and hotter.

Saeder-Krup started building the Domes mid 2030's, cities housed in magnificent white domes (they're all brown and rusty now). Workers were spending all day starting at the mystifying colors in the sky, staring until the sun burnt away their eyes. The domes blocked out the growing prismatic scar.

The oceans kept receding. The shore got sucked back all the way past Rottnest sometime in the 2040's. There is a limestone cliff where the old coast used to be, and a stench and bone filled wasteland where the water was.

Rottnest and Garden islands are now both mountains sticking out of the wastes. Rottnest Mountain houses the most debauched pleasure gardens NuYen can rent. It's only accessible via private air transport. Garden Mountain is a seething hub of mega-corp research labs.

The Spill happened about 2050. Toxic industrial heavy waste started pumping out into the salt plains of Kwinana. Saeder-Krupp didn’t see a financial benefit to stopping the spill, so they let it keep pumping out all year long.

That's when the Wagyl woke up.

Well, the Wagyl is what the non-dome dwellers call it anyways. The Saeder-Krupp wage slaves in the domes have been duped into thinking it was some sort of eco-terrorist attack. What really happened is something beneath the Swan River woke up...and it woke up pissed off.

When the Wagyl slithered out of whatever hole it had been sleeping in, it took the rivers and the lakes with it. It also did a good job of destroying that rotting husk of a city, Perth. It cracked that dome wide open.

Everywhere outside of the Domes is dry as a bone now.

No one got video footage of the event, because the Wagyl seemed to fry anything electronic pointed at it. People died, and Perth was abandoned. The other domes became the only place to live. Saeder-Krupp ships in huge quantities of salt water to be desalinated and keep its thirsty peons alive. Millions live in the domes, eeking out corp governed half-lifes. Saeder-Krupp lets the other corps come in and sell the stuff they don't wanna deal with.

There's some life outside of the dome. Wild anarchists and shamans who find a way to survive in harsh freedom. There's also rumors of mega corps slithering their tendrils past the domes and the ruins, out into the desert, trying to find and tame whatever force destroyed Perf back in 2050. All the while that freaky scar in the sky keeps growing... and it just keeps getting hotter.

Shadowrunner's Journals and GM session summaries from WA 2070 Campaign: 

Session 1: 
Runner's Journals. 
GM Session Summary. 

Session 2:
Runner's Journals. 
GM Session Summary.  

Session 3: 
GM Session Summary. 

Session 4:
Gm Session Summary.

Session 5:
Gm Session Summary.  

(Unfortunately the WA2070 Shadowrun Campaign is now on permanent hiatus.) 

Artifacts from the Vine-worm Mother's Crater

Not for glory was the Vine-Worm Mother exterminated, but for the glint of treasure winking from her be-vined crater-home. In the hidden gloom of a Dwarven thoroughfare she was poisoned, and now her twisting figure rots in a hole. Her murderers recovered the following artifacts from her offering pile.

Shield of Clasping Detritus:

A small cracked, stone buckler, the backside of which has a rubbery, pliant texture. The wearer of this shield will find it impossible to remove it once donned, though the rubbery, rocky strap maybe be moved from hand to fore-arm. Over the day of initially strapping on the shield the wearer's body will slowly take on the aspect of stone. They will become pale, bluish and craggy and their skin turns hard and cold to the touch. Unsightly, bulbous stone protrusions will also form over their body.

 This transformation, and wearing the shield itself, has the following effects:

• The wearer's base AC is increased by 2, plus an additional 1 point of AC bonus if the shield is wielded rather than moved up the forearm to free up the hand. 
• The 2 in 6 chance ability to hide against a backdrop of stone, rocks, cliffs, stone-ruins, etc when standing still. 
• Due to hardening of the epidermis the wearer of the shield is much less agile and their Dexterity drops by 1 point, their fingers in particular become constantly numb and less deft leading to a penalty of 2 to any ranged attacks or actions involving fine motor skills. 
• The wearer of the shield will also always go last in a scenario where individual initiative is used. 

Once the transformation is complete, the wearer of the shield has control of its shape like that of a particular cramped, numb limb suffering from extreme parathesia. The shield can change shape once a day, and can be melded into something completely un-shield like, such as a head, wing, statue, etc, but any armor class benefits of using the buckler as a shield are negated for the day. The transformed shield must remain on the arm which the shield was initially worn, and the shape it transforms into can not exceed the general mass of a small dog. To do this requires a successful Save vs Paralyze or the shield stays as its shape from the day before. This may only be attempted once per day.

Any non dwarfs will find the wearer's cracked, grey and segmented skin disturbing and uncouth resulting in a -4 penalty to any social Charisma based checks or actions. Dwarfs will generally find the effect agreeable though particularly proud and historically minded dwarfs with knowledge of the shield and its like may become offended if they see a non-dwarf transformed by the shield

To remove the shield, the Stone to Flesh spell must be cast on the wearer.

Blood Drawer's Oath Ring:

A black ring inset with a dull black stone. When the ring is worn the stone turns red.


These rings was used as a form of punishment by ancient dwarfs. The ring was placed on traitors, heretics and those guilty of treason. Once the ring is put on a finger, the wearer must spill the blood of non-dwarven foe once a day and dip the ring into that blood to avoid the onset of a mortal illness. Those condemned to wear the rings were shipped to an area known to house aggressors of the dwarfs and left to fend for themselves. Only those that sate the thirst of the ring and return to dwarven civilization are forgiven for their past transgressions.

Wearing the ring has the following effects:

• When placing the ring on a finger the wearer may not remove it for d6 weeks. Each day that the ring is worn a non-dwarven foe's blood must be drawn by the wearer. If this does not occur the stone of the ring will begin to darken and the finger will begin to fester and rot. The wearer will become nauseous and be filled with an oppressive sense of dread.  The amount of weeks that the wearer is required to wear the rings equals the amount of days without blood the ring will wait before attempting to kill its wearer. Each day the ring does not receive blood impacts the wearer with a stacking additional penalty of 2 to all actions. Once the amount of days without blood are up, the wearer must make a Save Vs Death each day to avoid death.
• The knowledge of impending doom imbues the wearer's psyche with a vicious and savage will to fight for their life, granting a bonus of 1 to both To Hit and damage.
• Any person who survives the Blood Drawer's Oath, sates the thirst of the ring is granted 1000 XP per level and a permanent increase of 1 to Wisdom when they remove the ring. The bonus to To Hit and damage no longer apply and the increase in Wisdom may only be bestowed once.        

Removing the ring normally will result in instant death but a wearer who takes off the ring as Remove Curse is cast upon them may Save Vs Death to avoid dieing.


Zafu of Welling Thought: 

A circular rug, two and a half feet across, decorated with a dark, swirling, psychedelic pattern. Though clearly worn and aged by countless centuries, it's lurid colored  patterns draw and mesmerize the eye

This Zafu was loomed in age when primal magic energy swirled constantly through the ether and drenched the world. Those that kneel upon it to meditate feel themselves sinking deep below the earth and are able to harness the ancient power that lurks there. Doing so causes a depression in the world's psychic fields and those of weak conviction and disorganized mind tumble towards it.

The Dwarven Magi had a twofold use for this Zafu. They enriched themselves with magical power and entrapped those dwarfs who were not of sound mind. Free-thinking, dwarfs who in their deepest thoughts did not respect the Sanctity of Law were powerless to resist the curvature of the Zafu's psychic hill.

A Magic User who meditates (meaning the 8 hour rest/meditation) with the assistance of the Zafu has the following effects:

• They may memorize an addition 1-3 spells above their normal allowance. With a singular additional spell the chance of a random encounter with a chaotic being is increased to 2 in 6. With 2 additional spells the chance of a random encounter a with a chaotic being is increased to 4 in 6. With 3 additional spells a random encounter with a chaotic being is guaranteed.
• In areas that are normally considered safe, such as town and cities, chaotic beings will be inexplicably drawn towards the magic user, normally to attempt to procure the Zafu for themselves. 
• Using the Zafu to memorize a singular additional spell will disrupt any Chaotic aligned party member's attempt rest and they must Save Vs. Spells or the 8 hours will pass without them receiving any of the benefits of resting. With 2 additional spells any Chaotic aligned party members will be simply unable to rest for the 8 hours and gain no benefits of the period. With 3 additional spells any Chaotic aligned party members will, on the fourth hour of rest, have to make a Save Vs. Spells to not spend 1 round attacking the meditating Magic User. The Chaotic party member will attack the meditating magic user for each round that they fail their Save Vs. Spells until the Magic User is dead or stops meditating. If this occurs, neither the Magic User or the Chaotic party member receive the benefits of rest.

The Zafu is rather bulky and thus transporting the Zafu on one's person results in a penalty of 1 to the carrier's Dexterity.

Magic Consumables: Salve of Vermin Poreification and Knotted Wring of Babble Weed

I would like to see more one-time-use magic consumables.When I get around to writing it all up I want my Guild Dogs campaign setting to be filled with them. I want to have a veritable feast of temporary game breaking items available for players to purchase before each "job".

Imagine these items come from seething black metropolis filled with all the weirdness of intersecting multiverses. Also note that these items aren't particular wild and belong on the mundane side of an adventurer's inventory.

These items do what they say they do once, and then they are gone. They are consumables after all. You could probably buy a few of them if you had the ability to carry them (and the gold).

Salve of Vermin Poreification: 500 GP, Black ointment contained in a metallic canister.

Large black pustules will begin to form once this tarry jelly is smeared over a person's (or fleshy being's) skin. A patch of flesh approximately the size of human's thigh is needed for the verminifaction to take place. 12 hours after the application a quivering mass of vermin filled sacks will be protruding from the salve's application area. With the correct flex of the muscles beneath the sacks, or the correct pressure applied either side of the sacks, a swarm of misshapen insects will burst forth from the popped abscess's. There is a 75 percent chance that the vermin swarm will move in the direction the host of the vermin sacks was intending (the art of aimed boil popping is unfortunately lost to the ages). If the chance fails roll a d8 to determine the direction the vermin travel in.

The airborne insects released from the pustules will move directly along their launched trajectory until they make contact with an immovable barrier. At this point they will continue to squirm against said movable barrier until they exhaust themselves and fall to the floor dead. Any flesh-based being caught in the cloud of insects path will take 1d4 damage as the insects bite and sting them. They must also make a Save Vs. Poison to avoid their bites swelling into unsightly, stinging boils which will drive them to distraction for the next 24 hours (-1 to any attempted actions).

Once the insect pustules are popped the host takes 1d6 damage and is left with a large open sore. This wound has a 1% chance to become infected with the cancerous magics that produce the insects themselves.


Knotted Wring of Babble Weed: 750GP, Knotty roots braided into a arm sized band, the underside of which is speckled with fleshy, pink suckers.

Slipping this wooden band over a persons arm will cause the suckers on the underside to leech onto their skin and release incredibly thin, sharp root tips. These will quickly spread to tap into the blood steam of the arm. At this point said person is require to make a Constitution Save at a penalty of 3 to avoid instantly passing out from pain.

Once the root tips have tapped the blood stream, the band will begin to sprout luscious red vines, leaves and flowers. The plant growing from the band will be fully formed, protruding approximately a foot in all directions from the band, in d6 rounds. Each round that the band grows results in 1 point of HP lost for the person wearing the band. The plant will not grow to its full size (and thus not flower) if the person wearing the band drops below 0 HP. It will continue to grow if that person is unconscious but above 0 HP.

The flowers of the Knotted Wring of Babble Weed bear a resemblance to that of a human's lips. Once formed the lips will begin to "sing" an alien, but alluring sounding song that will draw the attention of any vaguely intelligent being within 100 feet of the plant. The song lasts for 1d10 rounds. During this time any being hearing the song will do everything within its power to get closer to the noise. They will not risk bodily harm or death for this goal though. Those within a 10' radius of the plant's first round of song will be affected by the plant's soothing, healing vapors which heal for 1d6 and calm any mental anxiety for the next day.

Once the Babble Weed has sung its leaves will wither, die and fall to the ground. The ring will be unable to be removed without severe damage to the wearer's circularity system  for the next d10 days.