D&D Starter Set

Proximity, whim, and the frozen margarita I had with brunch led me to Target, where I purchased the latest - and currently exclusive to Target until October - Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set.  It was concealed behind a wall of Essential Kits, making it a bit like buried treasure, so my apologies to whomever had hidden it away - I scored your Starter Set!

As the cover hints, the starter adventure is on an island and features DRAGONS, so is automatically a win for me.  And for $20 USD, it isn't a bad deal: 6 dice, 5 pregen PCs on sturdy PC sheets, a rulebook, and the titular adventure, all in a nifty box that could easily hold more, yet doesn't.

The cover, as well as the interior art throughout, also hints at the inclusion of the kids from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon of yesteryear.  But hints are all we get - not even the 5 pregens represent the kids.

Instead we get a High Elf Wizard, a Dwarf Cleric, a Human Paladin, a Wood Elf Fighter, and a Halfling Thief.  Check them out here.

If I want more on the cartoon kids, I need to buy the Icons of the Realms: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.

From Wizkids, and admittedly cool.

Except that Sheila and Bobby (and Uni) are missing, and a Cleric (Aleena?) has been added.  All of which now exist in the Forgotten Realms.  

Imagine that.

The adventure itself is usable, with sidebar notes for upgrading the main encounter areas if the PCs are higher than recommended levels.  I'm incapable of running something as is, but the maps and encounter areas are certainly a solid start point for the adventure-strip-miners out there.  Even the main adventure arc of preventing the Blue on the cover art from ascending is a usable idea, to include the background on WHY this island is where it needs to take place (spoiler: because 5 other dragons' remains are scattered around the island - ripe for enterprising PCs to harvest the bones from for profit).

It's a Starter Set in a box, so it sits well on my bookshelf next to the initial Starter Set and Essentials Kit boxes.  It could use a seventh die, notably a 10-sided with 10s on it, as well as better production values for the rules - they are useable, but feel like comic books.  Give me the three-hole punched booklets of the Moldvay box!

If you've $20 and a nearby Target, there are worse things you could buy.

Writing a Rumor Table

I am an advocate of Rumor Tables in the various DnD-related FB groups I am a member of, often linking back to this post I wrote last year.   While I think it does a good job of explaining Rumor Tables and how to make them work, it doesn't really explain how to generate the rumors on them.

Hence this post.

Markets are a fine place to hear rumors - Watermarket, by Simon Dominic, Wizards of the Coast

First I start with lists.  A list of individuals locals would know about, a list of locations locals would know about, a list of monsters in the area that locals would know about, and a list (or pile, if printed) of published adventures I think would be fun for my players.  

Second, I keep the area map (starting town, hex, hexes, whatever) available to help with placement, mostly for those published adventures.

Before I put pen to paper, I recall this definition on the purpose of rumors from the blog Alone in the Labyrinth (emphasis mine):

In an OSR/OS-adjacent sandbox rumours provide PCs with leads or hooks which are then investigated at their discretion. The purpose of this is two-fold:

To drive investigation and/or exploration of the sandbox

To present a simulacrum of a living world

(Note that this is distinct from the purpose of rumours in a "trad" campaign, where rumours are used to steer the party onto the railway tracks set down by the module or the GM's story "arc")

That in mind, I turn the map and lists into 20 or 30 actionable rumors.  If I get stumped before reaching 20, I just write out whatever crosses my mind, knowing I can use it as a false rumor or let it inspire me if the players pursue it.  That is key - accepting that the players won't go after every rumor, or perhaps any of them.  

Tools in hand, I write up my rumors.  Then I go back through and change bits of some (or all) of them to make them false or partially false.  Just like real world rumors - there is often a grain of truth behind them.  

Once I have my 20 or 30 rumors, all I need is players and the game is on. I strongly recommend that at the end of each session, the DM survey the players to determine their plans for the next session.  Don't be afraid to remind them of (some of) the rumors they have heard if the players don't know what to do. 

Good rumor tables are dynamic so need regular updating.  To do so, I remove things the PCs have investigated and add new bits using the same methods I started with, but adding two lists: PC activities and NPC activities.  

EDIT: a solid source of rumors comes from Courtney Campbell's book Bestial Ecosystems Created by Monster Inhabitation.  While the chapter headings are familiar (basilisk, djinn, ixitxachitl, and many others - 49 total if my math is correct), each entry provides a few known facts about the critter in question, followed by rumors about them.  Sometimes pages of rumors.  

Now that I own it, I can start making use of what's within for my rumor tables.  Give it a look.

With a cover like this, why haven't you gotten it in print already?

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That's my method of writing up rumors.

Or so I've heard. ;)

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EDIT 10/17/22: here are a few other methods to keep the rumor-mongers busy in your gameworlds:

Eldritch Fields

Alea Iacta Est

Delta's D&D Hotspot

A Sword Called Clarity

Clarity is a human-forged longsword, but close examination reveals it uses elven techniques to entwine two blades into one.  

This well-made long sword has the words FIAT LUX along one side of the entwined blade and the word VERITAS on the other.  These are the command words for two related, yet distinct powers.

Sword of Hearth and Home by Chris Rahn, Magic the Gathering

By uttering FIAT LUX, the sword becomes the center of a double-strength Daylight spell, extending out 120' in each direction, and moving with the swordbearer.

Speaking the word VERITAS causes the wielder's eyes to glow a solid blue.  These glowing eyes function as Truesight, True Seeing, Arcane Sight, detect alignments by the auras of varying colors around each being, and can see into the Ethereal and Astral planes; basically, the wielder gets Wizard Vision.  

Depending on what they see, however, can drive the viewer temporarily mad, stunning them into inaction as they see everything as it truly is.  Mechanically, this is a Wisdom save at DC 15 (or higher depending on what the DM knows is actually there).  Failure to save means the viewer is stunned for a round.  This save is made each round until it is made, then the glow in the eyes fades away, returning the eyes to normal, but the PC changed.

While stunned, the PC just stands there, defenseless.  Successful strikes against the stunned viewer allow an additional saving throw.  

This experience leaves the viewer far more knowledgeable, but with a level of exhaustion.  At the DM's discretion, there may be a small chance for a permanent increase (or loss) of Wisdom for the PC.

A Sword Called Spellbreaker

Spellbreaker is an ancient bronze short sword, forged for use by Magekillers during the Mage Wars.  Its crafters did their job too well, however, as once attuned to Spellbreaker, its wielder is immune to ALL spells that target them - for good or ill.  Attuning requires a permanent loss of 1 point of Charisma and lasts until someone else attunes to the blade.

Potions still work, but spells cast from beings, scrolls, wands, and some spell traps do not.  Area effect spells fail if wielder is the targeted point, but splash damage from such spells works normally, requiring saves as per the spell.  For example, a Fireball thrown at Spellbreaker's wielder fails to go off, but a Fireball targeting the ground next to the wielder goes off as normal.

Spellbreaker is a +2 short sword that can Dispel Magic on the target on a successful strike (useful for piercing magical defenses).  1/day (or 1/long rest), the wielder can create an Anti-Magic Field, centered on themself.  If the wielder holds their action, they can attempt to use Spell Cleaving - effectively cutting a spell off in midair; spells have an effective AC of 10+their level.  On a critical hit, the Spell Cleaving instead sends the spell back at its caster.

From the Magic card Bronze Sword, artist Kev Walker

A Trio of Wizards

Magic the Gathering really is a fine game.  Even if you don't play it, most folks can appreciate and be inspired by the artwork on many cards (that said, some cards are awful).  Today I am creating some of Skara Brae's wizards.

I am using artwork first (thanks, Scryfall!), and building from there, using AD&D because that is the simplest for me - no additional math from ASI or feats or subclasses. Just 4d6 drop the lowest and, because it is new to me, I'll be using the Axian Library (NNNN) tables to determine the adventuring history of each wizard.  Once each wizard's brief history is written up, you'll find things like (19a) or (19b) next to certain events, indicating which number from which table I used.  That said, it seems that the first table is missing 19 altogether.

And then, of course, base magic items from Appendix C in the DMG... or maybe Appendix P, if that provides more interesting results.  There might even be a few custom items when I am done, depending on art and where the NNNN backgrounds take me. 

Whether or not those custom items are 100% usable in your game or merely provide the germ of an idea is entirely uncertain.

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Arcane Savant, by Chris Rallis, Magic the Gathering

Angus found his way into Skara Brae perhaps a decade ago, joining the upper social classes within a year of his building a manor.   He is debonair and quietly arrogant, believing firmly in a ruling class, especially one made up of magic-users such as himself.  Dealings with him are always coldly polite but one-sided in his favor.  If he decides that you are his enemy, he will single-mindedly pursue your destruction.

While Angus has had several adventures, his greatest adventure involves the Green Dragon Khloros; he tricked the Dragon (16a) out of a Ring of Wishes (20b) by capitalizing on the Dragon's weakness (19b).  While he may brag about defeating the Dragon, he keeps quiet about the ring.  He has used two of its three wishes already, one to elevate him in wealth (and subsequently social status), and the second to help create his Walking Stick.  He wears the ring on a chain around his neck, and has several wishes already worded and written out, but will only use it in extremis.

A notable, but lesser adventure includes the summer spent clearing killer bee hives, leaving him with magical honey and several flasks of oil (5a).  This summer was where he met Astrid Dreamweaver, working with her against the bees - and the dragon.

Oddly enough, Angus's closest allies in town are the clergy of Lunare (18a) - the goddess of the Moon.  Angus assisted them in driving off a pack of lycanthropes (27b), winning their gratitude and several potions of healing and flasks of holy water in the process (13a).  Now, he and they have a tidy business arrangement and alliance.

The lycanthropes he helped put down were summoned by the adventurer Syzgzy Darkmoon (17a), who now considers Angus her enemy in all things.  What she doesn't realize is that Angus was infected with lycanthropy during the fighting (27b) but has so far staved off the worst of the effects, keeping the changes cosmetic.  Angus suspects that Syzgzy Darkmoon is involved but cannot prove it - he just watches and gathers information.

Lord Angus knows that there is a permanent cure for lycanthropy (among other great treasures) from a map fragment he owns (20a), but he does not have enough to determine location or potential guardians.  He will pay well (and kill) for the location.  

He is debating using his Contact Other Plane spell to learn the location of the treasure, or at least to learn who knows it, but so far, the risk of lies and insanity hold him back.  Angus will not be amused to learn that Astrid Dreamspeaker knows the location.

Lord Angus Flamehand

LE Human MU9 

S10 D12 C11 I17 W15 Ch15

Ring of Spell Storing (Minor Globe of Invisibility, Protection from Normal Missiles), Scroll Protection from Magic, Scroll 1x level 5 (Teleport), Scroll 2x level 3 (Haste, Slow), Walking Stick*

Spells Known (* is typically memorized)

1st - Burning Hands, Charm Person*, Detect Magic*, Hold Portal, Light, Magic Missile*, Protection from Evil, Read Magic, Shield*, Unseen Servant

2nd - ESP*, Knock, Mirror Image*, Stinking Cloud*, Wizard Lock

3rd - Dispel Magic, Hold Person*, Lightning Bolt*, Protection from Normal Missiles, Suggestion*

4th - Confusion*, Dimension Door, Fear*, Minor Globe of Invulnerability

5th - Contact Other Plane, Wall of Stone*

New Magic Items:

Walking Stick - Dimension Door, Dispel Magic, Hold Portal, Knock, Light, Unseen Servant; functions as a magic weapon when it comes to target resistance. 

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Keeper of the Mind, by Matthew Wilson, Magic the Gathering

Astrid Dreamspeaker loves gaudy jewelry almost as much as she loves to regale young magelings with stories of her youthful adventures. Her favorite stories involve her adventures in a haunted library (11a), exploring the catacombs near Skara Brae (10a) at the behest of Brother Maynard (26b), and the summer she and her companions spent clearing out killer bees (12b), although she will not mention her now-immunity to killer bee poison unless directly asked (she was stung often).  

She also leaves out that while in the catacombs, Astrid found the Skull of Setag Lib (10a) and also fell under a divine curse (5b), so now cannot lie and must always tell the truth - but doesn't have to tell all the truth.  For the right price, Astrid uses the Skull to supplement her income - people bring her fresh heads and a list of memories, and she accepts the coin and asks no questions.  Normally, though, she earns her keep through accurate divinations and other spells-for-hire.

One potent secret Astrid keeps is that the Cleric Brother Maynard entrusted her to protect and make good use of Occam's Talisman of Absolute Certainty (26b).  This is because the relic can only be used by those that do not speak falsehoods.  Because of this, she does not seek to have her curse removed.  That said, she is terrified to use the Talisman because of what it might do.  Astrid keeps the relic in its reliquary and has the reliquary secured behind magic and mundane defenses.

Over the course of her adventures and researches, Astrid has learned two important facts: the weakness of the Green Dragon Khloros (19b), and the location of a great treasure (21a).  What she doesn't know is that this is the same treasure that Angus is seeking.  Which is cosmically ironic, as she was with Angus when he bearded Khloros in its lair, which is how she knows its weakness.

If asked, she knows Lord Angus, because they shared the bees and dragon adventure.

Astrid Dreamspeaker

LN Human MU7

S9 D15 C12 I16 W12 Ch12

Brooch of Shielding, Ring of Protection +3, Scroll 2x level 4 (Charm Monster, Monster Summoning II), Scroll 1x level 6 (Reincarnation), Ring of Mammal Control, bonus scrolls (Guards and Wards, Monster Summoning IV, Reverse Gravity, Clone, Mass Charm, Gate, Imprisonment), Skull of Setag Lib*, Occam's Talisman of Absolute Certainty*

Spells Known (* is typically memorized):

1st - Burning Hands*, Dancing Lights*, Detect Magic, Friends*, Light, Magic Missile, Mending, Read Magic, Sleep*, Unseen Servant, 

2nd - Continual Light, Darkness 15' Radius*, Detect Evil, ESP*, Invisibility*, Locate Object, Magic Mouth

3rd - Clairvoyance*, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Phantasmal Force, Suggestion*, 

4th - Fear*, Remove Curse, Wizard Eye

New Magic Items:

Skull of Setag Lib

This is the skull of a large humanoid, with the top removed and the cavity lined with silver and the whole cavity lined with runes.  When a being's brains and eyes are mushed into a (foul-smelling) paste in the cavity, and the correct word is spoken (sedilsweiv), beams of light stream from the eye sockets of the skull, displaying a few memories in the air or on the nearest wall.  

A powerful enough wizard can control which memories are seen, while a weak wizard gets random memories (still useful, perhaps).  Making a mush from a potent wizard or otherworldly being is dangerous, as this can result in a ghost or wraith appearing (depending on alignment of organ donor) if the using wizard fails a save. 

Using the Skull of Setag Lib is exhausting, and when done, the user must rest for at least 8 hours.

Should someone be foolish enough to drink from the skull (and PCs are foolish enough), results vary depending on what is drunk: 

    Brain Mush - no save possession by whatever the brain mush is made from.  PLUS you need a save just to choke it down.  PCs are sick bastards, sometimes.

    Water - no matter the source, water from this skull turns brackish and tastes awful.  Spit it out.

    Wine or other alcohol - nightmare-filled sleep as traumatic memories play out in drinker's dreams; wakes exhausted (exhaustion levels for you 5e players) and is at disadvantage at everything the next day.  Cannot memorize daily spells, either.

    A potion - maximum effects and the drinker's eyes now glow brightly, save or the beams are forced onto a nearby wall, displaying only the most damaging, shameful, and/or embarrassing of memories.  But hey, max potion effect!

Pouring a mixture of holy water and vinegar into the skull cavity destroys the skull with a thunderous CRACK! as it blackens and crumbles.

(Holy Relic) Occam's Talisman of Absolute Certainty

The Talisman of Absolute Certainty is kept in its own reliquary, itself warded with a variety of protection spells.  Crafted for use in the never-ending battle between Law and Chaos, the Talisman is fine straight razor, with the word Occam etched along the blade. It can only be safely held and wielded by a Lawful human that does not speak falsehoods (although the reliquary allows the Talisman to be carried by those less-than-honest folks).

When boldly presenting the Talisman of Absolute Certainty, a Lawful wielder may command it to do the following:

    Rolls advantage on anything against Chaos

    Saves at +4 vs anything caused by Chaos

    Holy Word, but against Chaos

    Daylight, as per spell

    Dispel Illusion, as per spell

    Dispel Chaos, as per spell

    Protection from Chaos, as per spell

    Summon Deva (1-3 astral deva, 4-5 monadic deva, 6 movanic deva)

Of course, there are drawbacks to such a potent artifact of law.  Chief among them is that Chaos knows when and where it is used, as its use doubles as a beacon to both sides.  Using any of its powers brings chaos beasts and demons to its last location within 24 hours; demons charged with destroying or at least spiriting the Talisman away.  If they cannot find the Talisman, they lay waste to the surrounding people and area before departing.  Luckily, this draws forces of Law into the fray and then battle is joined, often to the detriment of all mortals in the area.

The other major drawback is that use of the Talisman ages humans 1d6 years per usage; this may not seem much to Elves and other long-lived beings, but as only humans can use the Talisman, it is an item of extreme sacrifice and need.

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Malevolent Hermit, by Daarken, Magic the Gathering

People that encounter Waldeinsamkeit in the wilderness believe him to be a druid of some sort, and Waldeinsamkeit does nothing to disabuse them of those ideas.  If anything, he encourages the belief through his own spells and allies.  When Waldeinsamkeit is mentioned to the actual druids in the area, they merely roll their eyes and change the subject.

Waldeinsamkeit comes across as a perpetually annoyed, cantankerous, grumpy old man - of the 'get off my lawn' sort.  Once past his grumpiness, however, people find a decent enough sort who can actually cook a mean stew and play a meaner game of chess.

If Waldeinsamkeit has any kind of luck, it is bad luck, or so he thinks.  As a youth, he adventured with a Cleric and others, venturing into a series of catacombs where he contracted mummy rot (but survived with reduced Charisma) (12a), gaining a Scarab of Protection for his troubles. In addition to stopping the rot, the grateful temple that sent them into the catacombs gave him several healing potions and vials of holy water as a reward (13a).

Later in his adventures, Waldeinsamkeit tampered with an enchanted hourglass in a wizard's tower and became unable to sleep. In addition to inability to sleep, natural healing is ten times slower and overall, his Wisdom decreased; a bonus is that Waldeinsamkeit is now immune to sleep spells and effects (16b). That reduced Wisdom is what led him to later eat a cockatrice egg (scrambled, with salt, pepper, garlic, and butter - he fondly recalls that meal), which grants him immunity to petrification by somewhat calcifying his bones, reducing his Dexterity (13b).

Most recently, Waldeinsamkeit has aggravated a powerful Medusa (16a), who is doubly aggravated at her inability to petrify him.  She actively plots to add him to her statuary - and claim his magic items for her own.

Despite the unfortunate experiences that pushed him into becoming a hermit, Waldeinsamkeit has more friends than he realizes.  During his years in the forest, he has helped and befriended both a Dryad (15a) and a band of Sprites (9b), and while the sprites regularly play tricks on Waldeinsamkeit, they will defend him ferociously because he is such a good sport about it all.  In addition, from his years alone in the forest, Waldensamkeit has learned enough to qualify as a local sage regarding his forest.

Waldensamkeit

CN Human MU7

S10 D8 C12 I16 W12 Ch10

Staff of Striking, Cloak of Elvenkind, Scroll 2 x level 3 (Dispel Magic, Protection from Evil 10'), Scroll 1 x level 6 (Disintegrate), Potion Human Control, Potion Levitation; Signet Ring of Sprite Friendship (+3 to reactions with Sprites and fey), Scarab of Protection

Spells Known (* is typically memorized):

1st - Affect Normal Fires*, Dancing Lights*, Detect Magic, Enlarge, Magic Missile*, Read Magic, Shield, Spider Climb*

2nd - Audible Glamour*, Detect Invisibility*, Levitate, Strength, Web*

3rd - Dispel Magic*, Lightning Bolt, Monster Summoning I*, Water Breathing

4th - Hallucinatory Terrain, Fear, Plant Growth, Polymorph Self*

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Wow! Those backgrounds from NNNN kind of steered themselves into workable relationships. I also like how the tables reference other tables in the rest of the Axian Library.  That said, there were a handful of number errors on the two tables, both out of order and in one case, missing entirely.

Truth be told, I look forward to more of these write ups (perhaps involving the background people these backgrounds suggest) in the future.  It was just fun.

Thank you, Guiseppe for writing them! 

Another Kickstarter Delivered: Axian Library

Another of my February Kickstarters has been delivered: Axian Library from Guiseppe Rotondo of Axian Spice, a fine collection of random tables organized by what aspects of DnD they cover.

From the introduction of the book: 

Axian Library is a collection of five zines: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird, Mysteriously Missing and Merrily Met, Notable Novices and Notorious Newcomers, Pious Prayers and Powerful Prodigies, and Deadly Dragons Dire and Daunting.

That list captures the essence of the table collections, and they are fun. 

I am particularly fond of the pair of 'What's Your Story?' Tables in the MMMM book - intended for when PCs with a past join the party, it provides a ready background.  The instructions being:

Roll 1d20 once for each character level and add the level. Example: for a 6th level character, roll six times: 1d20, +1, 1d20+2, 1d20+3, 1d20+4, 1d20+5, and 1d20+6.

From those tables a ready adventuring history springs, complete with a variety of rewards (and occasional curses), to include magical items.  To be honest, I intend to use this for the various NPCs that may be encountered, if only for variety's sake.

A few entries do seem cut-n-pasted from one table to another, either directly or with a slight change.  Not that it matters, because they are fun to read and promise to be useful in prep and play.   

Axian Library is available at DrivethruRPG and worth the $9.99 asking price.