Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #339

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Contents: 

• This Week's Tips Summarized
• A Brief Word From Johnn
• GM Table: 222 Rumours
• Readers' Tips Of The Week

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This Week's Tips Summarized 

GM Table: 222 Rumours

• GM Table: 222 Rumours

Readers' Tips Summarized 

1. MinorCurses Ideas
   From: Dwight Durmon
2. More Minor Curses Ideas
   From: Carey Martin
3. Rival Ideas
   From: Kit Reshawn
4. Dungeon Prep
   From: John Eikenberry

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A Brief Word From Johnn 

Last Issue Until 2007

The holiday season has arrived. I hope you keep safe, have a stress-free couple of weeks, and do lots of roleplaying. If you have no RPG plans, maybe you'd have time to call one or two friends and play for even just a couple of hours - a few quick and easy encounters to bask in the glory of fun and games. Play old school, new school, after school, or during school (kidding).

If you have no gaming buddies, e-mail me and I'll send you my list of gaming hook-up links (if you have links to game registries, feel free to send them on in, and I'll add them to my list, to help gamers without groups).

Many gamers have fun with online, message board, PBeM, chat- based, or virtual tabletop gaming. Feel free to give any of those a try! (By the way, I'm questing for a Fantasy Grounds GM to run me through a one-shot so I can familiarize myself with the software. If you have the program, experience with it, patience :), and are interested, please ping me.)

Next e-zine issue will be January 7, 2007.

Holiday Contest Over

The contest ends at 11:59 MDT Sunday, December 17. I'll be selecting the winning entries via random draw and contacting folks late this week. Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to the prize sponsors:

• Ronin Arts
• Expeditious Retreat Press

Web Site Features Requests

2007 should see a re-design to the roleplayingtips.com website. Visitor feedback and suggestions so far have put a search engine and forums tentatively into the plans. If you have any requests, ideas, or feedback for the site, I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Happy holidays and best wishes to you for 2007!

Johnn Four,
johnn@roleplayingtips.com

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GM Table: 222 Rumours  

GM Table: 222 Rumours

A guest table by Lord Skudley

Below is a sampling of the rumours produced by a Rumour Generator I created and posted on Community 3E: http://community3e.com/resource.html

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Have you ever felt the need to fill those Gather Information checks with a little more colour? Do your PCs jump at the first hint of adventure? I have, and mine do {most of the time it's on some darn fool crusade that I haven't even planned for}. Now you can fill that tavern with useless and inane gossip. Drive your PCs crazy as they try to divine what's blather and what's an adventure. The following table generates rumours to hopefully inspire new adventures and some fun roleplaying.

1. Didja hear, the sheriff's office burnt down? They think the captain did it.
2. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the upper residences.
3. The theatre proprietor is fighting with the stablehand's uncle.
4. The carpenter has inherited 9,092 in gold.
5. The rancher is marrying the town crier.
6. The groundskeeper is in debt to his landlord and owes him 7,318 gp!
7. The theatre proprietor died of a strange disease that caused blood red blotches all over him.
8. A nun was found dead near the Merchant's Guild hall.
9. A stranger has been spotted lurking around King's Road.
10. The pawnbroker has disappeared and his son is spending a lot of money on clothes and women.
11. The weapon trainer lost a limb in a practice fight with a stranger.
12. The baker found a treasure chest in his basement full of gold and a painting of the wizard.
13. The prince's family was cursed by the barrister.
14. The grave digger's brother's wife's sister's boyfriend has a gambling problem. He has run up a debt of 1,458 gp.
15. The apple seller is suffering from a dreadful curse.
16. The baker's daughter is pregnant with the money lender's child.
17. The animal doctor has a bizarre new pet that turns metal to rust.
18. The sorcerer's cousin is fighting with the mob boss's brother.
19. The grave digger has a gambling problem and he's stealing from bodies now.
20. The toy maker found a stack of important documents near the town square.
21. Didja hear, the military barracks burnt down? They think the high priest did it.
22. The pawnbroker has a magic sword for sale.
23. The alchemist was arrested for murder for poisoning his wife.
24. The entertainer stole a rare and priceless first editio
25. Didja hear, the Guild House burnt down? They think it was magic that did it.
26. The witchdoctor died of a strange disease that caused green blotches all over him.
27. The king's third cousin on his father's side murdered the town crier.
28. The harbourmaster is in debt and is charging all ships double.
29. The town crier's daughter is pregnant with the mayor's child.
30. The shoemaker's father-in-law is fighting with the Lady Chatterley's son.
31. The town crier stole a stack of important documents from the tax office.
32. Didja hear, the domicile of the Duke burnt down? They think that the librarian's mother did it.
33. The mason was killed by his servant.
34. The pet store owner found a strange bird that talks.
35. The horse trainer died of a strange disease.
36. The stablehand is conspiring with the local philanthropist to kill the barber's father.
37. The admiral was seen at the docks talking to fish.
38. A stranger has been spotted spying at the tavern.
39. The local philanthropist found a shelf in his basement full of strange jars and containers.
40. The queen's step-father has been seen with the town crazy.
41. The baker is marrying the sorcerer's brother.
42. The master at arms is conspiring with the countess to kill the count's mistress.
43. The dirt farmer found a magic ring.
44. The dirt farmer is having an affair with the town councilor's aunt.
45. The draper is conspiring with the guild leader to stage a strike.
46. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the guild house.
47. The animal doctor was seen running around the town square with a horse's head!
48. The wizard has stolen bodies from the morgue.
49. The baker is pregnant with the bard's child.
50. The teacher is possessed by the ghost of a wizard.
51. The innkeeper has a gambling problem and has gambled away the inn.
52. The weapon trainer's daughter is pregnant with the librarian's child.
53. The stablemaster is suffering from a dreadful curse.
54. The weapon smith's father ran off with the innkeeper's wife.
55. Iffin you stand on the corner of Mullberry Street and King's Road at midnight under a full moon you'll be visited by a dragon spirit.
56. Iffin you stand on the corner of High Way and King's Road at midnight under a full moon you'll be visited by the ghost of a nun.
57. The count was seen running around the town square stark naked!
58. The innkeeper died in a mysterious kitchen fire.
59. The pet store owner is possessed by the ghost of a grave digger.
60. The mortician stole several bodies from the necromancer.
61. The toy maker's godmother jumped into the sea and drowned.
62. The pawnbroker is fighting with the wizard's niece.
63. The mayor is conspiring with the toy maker to take over the world!
64. The groundskeeper's family was cursed by the mob boss.
65. The furrier died of poisoning.
66. The priest is dying of a fiendish plague.
67. The bard lost his lute in a game.
68. The chancellor was arrested for necromancy.
69. A spy was found dead near the stables.
70. The librarian's step daughter has been seen with the general.
71. The money lender was arrested for insulting a judge.
72. The clothier's daughter is pregnant with the entertainer's child.
73. Iffin you stand on the corner of Low Road and Hangman's Lane at noon you'll spot something very interesting....
74. The shipwright found a treasure chest in his basement full of gold and a painting of the newspaper editor.
75. The duchess was killed by her servant.
76. The armor smith was arrested. But nobody knows why!
77. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the carpenter's shop.
78. The painter's step-brother is in debt to the admiral and owes him 8,829 gp.
79. The landlord's family was cursed by the barrister.
80. The mortician's family was cursed by the landlord.
81. The sorcerer has inherited three young children.
82. The dentist has been spotted lurking around the slums.
83. The king is about to declare war.
84. The newspaper editor was arrested for 20 murders!
85. The carpenter is in debt to the stablehand and owes him 7,133 gp!
86. The governor is pregnant with the apothecary's child.
87. The dirt farmer's niece is fighting with the weapon smith.
88. The gatekeeper was found dead in a jail cell.
89. The shopkeeper stole some books worth 1,629 gold from the book store proprietor.
90. The blacksmith has been seen plotting something with the furrier.
91. Lady Chatterley's granddaughter had a serious accident.
92. The mason lost a contract in a gambling bet to his rival.
93. The crazy inventor died of a strange poisoning.
94. The crazy inventor has unleashed a great danger.
95. The smithy was arrested for murder. But nobody knows who was murdered.
96. The butcher was arrested for murdering his mother-in-law.
97. The mason was found dead near the sheriff's office.
98. The pet store owner kidnapped the rancher's step mother.
99. The baker is marrying the Lord Byron.
100. The princess was seen running around the town square wielding a sword!
101. The duchess found a chest full of demons in the treasury.
102. The general is possessed by the ghost of a librarian.
103. The general was arrested. But nobody knows why!
104. The bard's family was cursed by the barrister.
105. The duchess was killed by her servant.
106. The tavern owner's wife ran off with the local philanthropist.
107. The countess is pregnant with the town crier's child.
108. The leathersmith's lover ran off with the town crier's mother.
109. The butcher has gone insane.
110. The prince is haunted by the ghost of his third cousin on his father's side.
111. The rancher was found dead near the stables.
112. The tailor is in debt to the clothier and owes him 4,160 gp!
113. The duchess ran off with the weapon trainer.
114. The shoemaker's mother is in debt to the prince and owes him 2,700 gp.
115. A famous actor died after a fall down the stairs.
116. The wizard is conspiring with the clothier to take over the city.
117. The duke is dying of a magic curse.
118. The sheriff's uncle is marrying the librarian.
119. The bard is conspiring with the clothier to take over the world.
120. The mason was seen running around Low Road screaming at the darkness.
121. The captain found a magic wand near The Mended Drum.
122. The crazy inventor is in debt to the town crier and owes him 4,114 gp.
123. The duchess stole a rare and priceless first addition tome of unknown antiquity from the scribe.
124. The actor's step-brother has a gambling problem. He has run up a debt of 1,622 gp.
125. The groundskeeper's daughter is pregnant with the town councilor's child.
126. A dock worker is dying of the green plague.
127. The wizard is in debt to the stablemaster and owes him one year of service.
128. Didja hear, a castle wall fell down. They think that the prince did it.
129. The game keeper is dying from a monster attack.
130. Didja hear, the governor's mansion burnt down? They think the barkeep did it.
131. The butcher's stepmother murdered the barber's boyfriend.
132. The coroner is having an affair with the actor's ex-wife.
133. The pawnbroker was found dead near the city gates.
134. The witchdoctor is dying of the plague.
135. The furrier was seen running around Low Road in full armor.
136. The tax collector has been spotted lurking around the kitchen of the tavern.
137. The chancellor is suffering from a dreadful curse.
138. The apple seller talks to himself about murder.
139. Iffin you stand on the corner of Low Road and Queen's Lane at midnight under a full moon you'll spot faeries.
140. Iffin you stand on the corner of Mullberry Street and Hangman's Lane at midnight under a full moon you'll be visited by the ghost of the preacher.
141. The mortician is engaged to the actor.
142. The weapon smith bought a bad batch of metal. All the weapons he's sold break in combat.
143. The blacksmith's daughter has borrowed money she can't pay back. She has run up a debt of 1396 gp.
144. The leathersmith's mother has a gambling problem. She is going to sell her children into slavery!
145. Didja hear, the opera house burnt down? They think a mage duel caused it.
146. The furrier has a gambling problem. They say he's going to sell his soul.
147. The Lady Chatterley is suffering from a dreadful curse.
148. The clothier's wife has a gambling problem. She has run up a debt of 1,237 gp.
149. The king was arrested. But nobody knows why!
150. The admiral found a stack of very important documents near the library.
151. The weapon trainer's step sister is marrying the shopkeeper.
152. The innkeeper was arrested for murder. But nobody knows who was murdered!
153. Didja hear, the potter's hut burnt down? They think the midwife's mother-in-law did it.
154. The doctor found a secret room in his basement full of strange books.
155. The carpenter is fighting with the town crier.
156. The apothecary died after being struck by a runaway wagon.
157. The dirt farmer's cousin is in debt to the mob boss and owes him 7,394 gp.
158. The mason's nephew ran off with the bard.
159. The carpenter died in an accident where he hit the back of his head with his own hammer.
160. The gatekeeper was seen running around King's Road stark naked!
161. Didja hear, the church burnt down? They say it was divine punishment.
162. The shopkeeper's cook has a gambling problem. He has run up a debt of 1,119 gp.
163. Didja hear, the Hallow burnt down? They think the sage did it.
164. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the domicile of the duke.
165. The smithy's daughter is pregnant with the midwife's child.
166. The apothecary found a magic ring near The Mended Drum.
167. The wizard is haunted by the ghost of his recently disappeared apprentice.
168. Didja hear, the Thieves' Guild burnt down? They think the butcher did it.
169. The sheriff's family was cursed by the barrister.
170. Iffin you stand on the corner of Mullberry Street and King's Road at midnight under a full moon you'll be visited by the ghost of the priestess.
171. The alchemist has a gambling problem. He has run up a debt of 787 gp.
172. The pawnbroker found a stack of important documents near the library.
173. The bard is haunted by strange visions and nightmares.
174. The horse trainer has gone crazy.
175. The commodore's daughter is pregnant with the barber's child.
176. The weapon trainer was seen running around the town square stark naked.
177. A nun kidnapped the rancher's step-mother.
178. The theatre proprietor is conspiring with the toy maker to take over the world!
179. The theatre proprietor has inherited an inn.
180. The apple seller is conspiring with the scribe to kill the leader of the Scribes' Guild.
181. The mortician has inherited a strange, glowing sword.
182. The shoemaker is pregnant with the king's child.
183. The duchess has been spotted lurking around the library.
184. The barrister has been spotted lurking around the castle walls.
185. The groundskeeper is possessed by the ghost of a librarian.
186. The commodore is conspiring with the scribe to kill the animal doctor's father's uncle's best friend.
187. The toy maker's daughter is in debt to the priestess and owes her 8,449 gp.
188. The game keeper found a stack of very important documents near the library.
189. The groundskeeper's maid is having an affair with the sheriff's clerk.
190. The midwife stole some tapestries worth 1,629 gold from the book store proprietor.
191. The mortician has been spotted lurking around in back alleys.
192. The wizard is suffering from a dreadful curse.
193. The admiral lost everything in a gambling game to a strange gnome.
194. The weapon smith is possessed.
195. The wizard is conspiring with the local philanthropist to kill the barber.
196. The witch is suffering from a dreadful curse.
197. The wizard is possessed by the ghost of a librarian.
198. The witch is pregnant with the mortician's child.
199. The governor was found dead near the stables.
200. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the outskirts of town.
201. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the palace.
202. Didja hear, the bridge burnt down? They think that the high priest did it.
203. The scribe is marrying the Lady Chatterley's nephew.
204. The governor is daemon possessed!
205. A stranger has been spotted lurking around the Hallow.
206. The grave digger was arrested. But nobody knows why!
207. Didja hear, the Silver Key tavern burnt down? They think the artist's granddaughter did it.
208. Iffin you stand on the corner of High Way and Hangman's Lane at midnight under a full moon you'll be visited by the ghost of the first king!
209. The priestess has been spotted lurking around the military barracks.
210. The innkeeper is suffering from a dreadful curse.
211. The mason's scullery maid is in debt to the apothecary and owes him 4,953 gp.
212. The governor found a magic ring near The Mended Drum.

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Readers' Tips Of The Week: 

1. Minor Curses Ideas 

From: Dwight Durmon

re: Roleplaying Tips Issue #338: Lesser Curses (D&D)

Johnn,

After reading the tip about Lesser Curses (D&D) I decided to put together a simple sheet to allow for ease of rolling. I also added a few more minor curses. I think most of these, if role-played, will add flavor to any campaign.

Here is a small PDF file with a list of curses. All the DM has to do is roll a D100 or pick a curse:

Minor Curses [PDF]

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2. More Minor Curses Ideas 

From: Carey Martin

It has always seemed to me that a Minor Curse should be just that - minor - with embarrassing or humiliating effects more funny than harmful. Here are a few ideas, some with a more "adult" theme:

• The "American Pie" curse: Character has no luck with the opposite (or otherwise desired) sex; any charisma-based roll except a critical success (natural 20) fails.
• The Curse of Dr. Furter: Character is compelled to wear clothing of the opposite sex. -1 (or greater) reaction from everyone else.
• The Horse of a Different Color curse: Character's hair (all of it) and eyes are a different, random color every morning when they wake up. Dye will not take, and shaving will only last until the character falls asleep again, at which time a new crop will grow in. Roll 1d6:
  1. Maraschino cherry red
  2. Sky blue
  3. Lime green
  4. Eggplant purple
  5. Lemon yellow
  6. Orange orange
• The "Never Trust a Man Who Can't Hold His Liquor" Curse: Character loses the ability to drink alcohol without becoming intoxicated. This is not alcoholism - character is under no compulsion to drink - but anytime he does, he will wind up wearing lampshades.
  
  One standard tavern tankard of ale, or the equivalent, will make the character seriously tipsy (-1 to Dex, Int & Wis) while two will render her or him gloriously drunk.
  
  The last effect of the curse is the character will never believe he could have become drunk from "just two beers."
• The Air Bard Curse: Character is compelled to display his ability as a bard, "playing" an invisible instrument and "singing" songs that he or she has heard real bards perform. If the character has never heard a bard, she or he will make up their own tunes. At any social gathering, roll a saving throw with -1 for each person present over the character's Charisma. With a failed throw, it's showtime!
• Deja vu: Every time the character enters a place he's never been before, he will be convinced there's something familiar about the new situation. The character will be at - 1 to all rolls requiring concentration (because of the nagging feeling of familiarity) for 1d6 days.
• The "Doctor Doolittle" curse: Character becomes convinced that he can talk to animals and that the animals are talking back. -1 reaction from all sane people, plus the DM gets to invent creative dialogue for any animal the character comes in contact with.
• The "Manana" curse: In any situation that is not a matter of life or death, the character will always be 5d6 time units late to begin. The unit in question is the one most relevant to the situation; if the character is performing on stage, he will be 5-30 seconds late with their cue to enter; if he is expected to arrive at the end of a long journey, he will be 5-30 days late.
• The "Liar Liar" curse: In any situation that is not a matter of life or death, the character tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. (If the evil emperor's guards are searching for an escaped prisoner, for example, the character would be able to lie about the escapee's whereabouts, but if the character had an audience with the grand duchess whose dress was incredibly tacky....)
• The Voice-Over Curse: Character feels compelled to tell all of his or her actions as if they were narrating a play- by-play of a sporting event. In any situation where silence is essential, they may whisper, but they can't stop the narration. -1 reaction from normal people, plus any amusing complications the DM dreams up.
• Obsessive gamer: Character now spends every spare moment and at least 50% of his income playing Papers & Paychecks, a game in which players pretend to be students and workers in a high-tech society. If the character cannot play for some reason, he or she will spend their spare time trying to convince non-gamers to play, talking incessantly about the fine points of the game ("My 10th level grad student just got a laptop +5!") and otherwise similarly making a nuisance of him or herself. -1 reaction from non-P&P gamers (but +1 from P&P addicts).

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3. Rival Ideas 

From: Kit Reshawn

At some point every party will start getting rivals. It is bound to happen if the players are prancing around and doing things. Either someone will take an irrational dislike to them, or they will step on someone's toes, or maybe something else. In any case, every GM should, at the start of the campaign, start taking notes on what the PCs have been doing and who may not like this. Eventually, one of these people will be unhappy enough to take action, but who and what type of action is up to you.

Example: a low level party eradicates a local goblin tribe that had been causing the nearby town some problems. Most of the town is happy, but the local town hero feels like he has been upstaged and that the rest of the town does not want/need him any more. As a result, he comes to view the PCs as rivals, regardless of what they think of him.

Rivals should usually be treated like minor villains. They should not be more powerful than the PCs, and generally will just be out to make things difficult for the PCs or cause them to lose face. It is possible this could escalate to the rival becoming someone who tries to kill the PCs, but that should take awhile.

How a rival accomplishes his goal depends on the type of person he is. Perhaps he will waste the PCs' time by sending them on a wild goose chase. If he has enough sway it is possible he will cause minor legal problems. There is always the possibility of him challenging party members to things he is sure he can win, both to inflate his own ego and to humiliate the loser. Maybe he starts a rival party that follows behind the party and lets them face danger first, then once the PCs are exhausted his group sweeps in and steals the gold and glory.

This is a type of villain the party will need to fight in a different way. Perhaps it is possible to make amends, but if not, they need to find a way to defeat their rival without damaging their own reputation (it doesn't look good if you murder someone pulling pranks on you).

Things to keep in mind:

• This type of thinking can lead to a wealth of adventure hooks or plot points. Example: the party has had problems with their rival sweeping in at the last second to steal their glory and treasure. As a result, their rival is getting rich with little work, but isn't earning much experience. Eventually the rival follows the party into a spot where he cannot handle even the most trivial threat, and must be rescued. Alternately, the rival is a loudmouth about his successes, and the villain of a campaign assumes that he and not the PCs are the primary threat.
• Don't underestimate what even a simple commoner can do as a rival. They know the townspeople much better than the PCs and could cause significant problems by spreading rumors and pulling minor pranks. If the PCs handle things badly, it is likely they might be run out of town or suffer a blow to their reputation.
• Allow for rivalry to start due to misunderstandings as well. Perhaps the NPC misunderstood what he heard or saw. Maybe there is some action or phrase that locally is insulting. This will start amusing encounters with the NPC hating the PCs, and force the PCs to figure out what they have done or said wrong.

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4. Dungeon Prep 

From: John Eikenberry Dungeon Preparation

"What happened in all those years since this place was built?"

Here is a checklist for underground complexes or any type of structure the party can explore.

The Original Complex

Design the original complex. What was it like brand new? For example, the layout of an underground fortress would be very different from the layout of a tomb.

• Decide on original purpose of the complex
  • Tomb? (needs to be hidden)
  • Storage? (probably needs to be hidden though accessible)
  • Operational facility [i.e., hideaway, fortress] (accessible, defense)
• When was it built? Using what kind of technology?
• Determine surrounding geography
  • Mountains, rivers, plains, volcanoes
  • Type of soil and rock (how easy is it to dig?)
  • Are there natural places that the builders would utilize? e.g. natural caverns, natural rivers, lava tubes?
  • Are there natural obstacles the builders might have run into? e.g. a magma pool, water (lake, river, or otherwise), chasm
• Design the complex
  • Decide which rooms would have been built. Why would they have been built, what was the original purpose?
  • Contents
  • Connections to other places (visible, hidden, secret)
  • Size of area
  • Are there hidden or protected areas?
  • Ask Why? How? If this is a dungeon, realize that digging is expensive. Somebody must have a reason to excavate so much dirt and rock.
  • Was the complex completed? Why not?
• Sketch scale map of the area in which the complex lays
  • Include terrain restrictions
  • Include geography of area at time of building
• Determine locations of entrances
  • What size were they?
  • Were they protected? How?
  • Any fake entrances?
• Sketch in the original rooms and interconnections

The History Of The Complex

You should now have rough sketches of what the complex looked like at the time of its construction and use. Now, fast forward the clock through the use of the complex, and its possible abandonment, all the way up to the group finding it.

• Develop a history of the complex o Was the complex abandoned?
  • Was it re-used for some other purpose(s)?
  • Has it been ransacked? Robbed?
  • Who knew about the complex? This might become legends and lore for the party to hear about.

The Current Complex

Now the idea is to find out what the current complex actually looks like.

• How has the local geography evolved since the complex was built?
  • Rivers might erode areas, destroy sections, flood areas
  • Dust storms might cover parts
  • Earthquakes might create chasms, separate sections
  • Volcanoes could destroy, block sections
  • Remember, over the years, soil and plants tend to cover up anything
• Overlay the geography changes onto the map
  • Entrances covered?
  • Cave-ins
  • Flooded sections
  • Chasms formed
  • Rooms shifted by earthquake
• Is the complex still used? How has it been modified, repaired, or changed over the years?
• Draw current complex with these changes in mind based on the sketches from the first section. This will be the map you will use in the game.
• Determine contents of current rooms
  • Is the room accessible to the outside:
    • Has anything moved in?
    • How many times?
    • What of the original contents would have been used, removed?
    • Only things hidden well in the original complex would remain hidden to the current day.
  • Area that are inaccessible
    • Did anything visit briefly? (What was used, removed?)
    • How did time treat the contents? Has the wood rotted?
    • Will the party really be able to get there?

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