Table of Tablecentric Tables

As a result of (undoubtedly ill-advised) time travel, this table has been transported from the year 2022 (April the 16th) to the year 2013 (April the 2nd) in celebration of the holiday (known only to Applied Phantasticality) as Random Generator Month, because April 2013 is indeed when the inspiration was born. A happy Random Generator Month to all, and to all a good roll of the dice!

Table of Tablecentric Tables

Roll 1d4

1. Roll on the Recliner Positions? Table!
2. Roll on the Tables Table!
3. Roll on the Random Table Generator: Roll All Dice Tables!
4. Roll on the Enchanted Table, or, The Enchanted Table Table Table!

Another April Fools' Day Opportunity Wasted

Level Equals Spell Capacity

I am thinking about adopting Brendan's Simplified Spell Progression. I'll use it unmodified for both magic-users and clerics (I have always allowed clerics to have one 1st level spell at 1st level) and combine it with Ritual Spellcasting Variant 1 and 2. Spell memorization is thus simplified without sacrificing access to other spells (which may be cast ritually with a considerable increase in casting time).

One aspect of the simplified spell progression I really appreciate is the fact that it can be used to refer to a spellcaster's level in-character and actually be relevant in the game world. Depending on the setting, it may be common knowledge to everyone or possibly just to those with magical training that a spellcaster's level refers to how many spells can be held in the spellcaster's mind at one time. "She's a sorceress of the fifth level? Why, she can do five magical things every day with the snap of her fingers!" In my campaign, it will also be known that spellcasters commonly carry scrolls that enable them to cast even more spells (thanks to Holmes Basic), and that even without memorized spells and scrolls they can still use ritual magic. Some of Telecanter's Vancian Spell Ideas (namely #16) about magic items with their own spell slots that can be used by a magic-user to increase spell capacity is particularly useful here and fits in well with many fantasy settings in literature where objects often hold much of a spellcaster's power.

Overall, I think the combination of simplified Vancian magic and ritual magic will make magic-users more competent at low levels, less ultra-powerful at higher levels, and generally more enjoyable to play.

Ritual Spellcasting Variant 2

The Ritual Spellcasting Variant really only applies to magic-users, so here is the variant for clerics. As before, the standard rules of normal spellcasting in Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord apply (verbal and somatic components only; casting time of 1 round; granting of spells with 1 hour of prayer after 8 hours of sleep), but clerics may also cast any currently unprayed for spells that they are qualified to cast with the follow restrictions:

1. Casting time is increased to 1 turn, after which the spellcaster makes a saving throw vs. magic. If failed, the casting time is increased by another turn, followed by another saving throw. Repeat until saving throw is successful or spellcasting attempt is abandoned.
   
2. The casting must be uninterrupted.
   
3. Material components must be used.
   
4. An appropriate holy book or sacred object must be present.
   

Clerics may use material components appropriate to their religion and culture such as censors, holy water sprinklers, bells, chimes, gongs, prayer wheels, candles, bonfires, etc. Rituals may also involve meditation, chanting, singing, bowing, dancing, acrobatics, theatre, or other activities appropriate to the cleric's religion. For the ritual to work, it must be something of a production and may or may not require participation by others.

This lends the cleric a little more versatility in fulfilling his or her duties, enables the creation of alternatives to the standard cleric (medicine men and women, witch doctors, shamans, and other practitioners of religion-based ritual magic), and allows for a style of spellcasting based on religious invocation familiar to many readers of fantasy literature.

[Edit: Casting time revised 5 June 2014.]

Swords and Wizardry and Appreciation

Tenkar's Tavern has announced a Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day to take place on April the 17th. Simply add the URL of your Web log to the comments on this page and post an article pertaining to Swords & Wizardry on your Web log on that day (April the 17th).

Applied Phantasticality will be participating.

Zombie Dice and Spell Interruption

[The following rule utilizes the Zombie dice from Zombie Dice, a game published by Steve Jackson Games. Zombie dice, which will hereafter be referred to as dZ, have the following faces: brain, footprints, and shotgun blast (abbreviated here as simply blast). The distribution of faces varies by color. A green dZ has 3 brains, 2 footprints, and 1 blast. A yellow dZ has 2 brains, 2 footprints, and 2 blasts. A red dZ has 1 brain, 2 footprints, and 3 blasts.*]

When a spellcaster announces an intention to cast a spell and the casting is interrupted, the spell is disrupted and lost. It neither takes effect, nor can it be cast again until it is re-memorized. If, however, the caster decides to attempt to maintain concentration in spite of the interruption, there is a chance that the spell may still be successfully cast, but there is a chance for a mishap. The caster must roll 1dZ depending on the nature of the interruption. If the distraction is minor (the caster is jostled, asked questions, or briefly loses sight of a target), the caster must roll a green dZ. If the distraction is major and physical (the caster is physically injured or threatened with injury), the caster must roll a yellow dZ. If the distraction is major and mental (the caster is magically or psionically attacked) or the caster fails a saving throw, the caster must roll a red dZ. The result of the roll is compared to the table below:

dZ	Effect
brain	The spell is cast successfully.
footprints	The spell is disrupted and lost.
blast	Roll on the Spell Mishap table.

Spell Mishap

Roll 1d6

1. Stunning Blow. The spell fails and the caster is stunned for 2d12 rounds.
2. Reversal. The reverse of the spell is cast. If there is no reverse version, it backfires instead.
3. Backfire. If offensive, it affects the caster. If beneficial, it affects the opponent. If neither apply, then the result is concussion.
4. Concussion. The spell fails and the caster is rendered unconscious for 2d12 hours.
5. Memory Drain. The spell succeeds, but all memorized spells are forgotten in the effort to maintain concentration.
6. Explosion. The spell fails and the uncontrolled magical energy explodes causing 1d6 hit points of damage per level of the spell to all within a 10' radius.

* Standard six-sided dice may be substituted as follows:
"Green" d6: 1-3 = brain, 4-5 = footprints, 6 = blast.
"Yellow" d6: 1-2 = brain, 3-4 = footprints, 5-6 = blast.
"Red" d6: 1 = brain, 2-3 = footprints, 4-6 = blast.

Random Background Generator Example 4

Rounding out the last example to test the Random Background Generator by creating a standard adventuring party, here is our fourth subject, straight 3d6 in order:

Strength: 14
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 7
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 10
Charisma: 10

Once again we have a character who is naturally inclined in one direction, in this case the magical arts, but we have a position to fill in the party, which is for a fighter, so he'll just have to be a fighter. A smart one. Named Norid. (*shrug*)

Rolling All Dice, my results were d4: 4; d6: 4; d8: 8; d10: 3; d12: 10; d20: 2.

The d4: Family Reputation

With a roll of 4, Norid's family is "Admired" — for what we shall see.

The d6: Personal Relationship

With a roll of 4, Norid is "Appreciated." He wasn't neglected, but neither was he saddled with the pressure of overly high expectations.

The d8: Number of Siblings

With a roll of 8, Norid has no siblings. Maybe I spoke too soon about expectations.

The d10: Extended Family in Household

With a roll of 3, his maternal grandmother lives in his parents' household. She has always doted on him, what with being an only child.

The d12: Family Occupation

With a roll of 10, Norid comes from a long line of soldiers, which explains why he is a fighter. Being the only child, did he have a choice (even though he knows he was born to be a scholar of magic)?

The d20: Motivation for Adventuring

With a roll of 2, Norid was "Chosen." In this case, he was chosen to be a warrior and a hero. His family is admired for the heroes it has produced, and Norid will doubtless maintain the tradition and fulfill the expectations of both his family and the community that has always looked to it for leadership (despite Norid's unexceptional charisma).

Summary

Growing up an only child in a family admired for its heroic martial lineage, Norid has been marked as chosen for a destiny of heroism, and as such he has spent his life preparing for that moment of truth on the battlefield, despite the fact that he has always felt that the study and practice of magic was his true calling. Perhaps life as an adventurer will allow him to satisfy both his sense of duty and his scholarly curiosity.

Ritual Spellcasting Variant

I thought I would write up my house rules regarding spell memorization. The standard rules of normal spellcasting in Basic/Expert D&D and Labyrinth Lord apply (verbal and somatic components only; casting time of 1 round; memorization of all spells in 1 hour after 8 hours of sleep), but spellcasters may also cast any currently unmemorized spell in their spellbooks that they are qualified to cast (i.e., are of a high enough level to cast) with the following restrictions:

1. Casting time is increased to 1 turn, after which the spellcaster makes a saving throw vs. magic. If failed, the casting time is increased by another turn, followed by another saving throw. Repeat until saving throw is successful or spellcasting attempt is abandoned.
2. The casting must be uninterrupted.
3. Material components must be used.
4. The spellbook containing the spell must be available to consult during the casting.

Instead of burdening the system with specific material components for every spell, spellcasters may use a standard set-up for all spells such as a magic circle complete with candles and/or incense or a specially prepared potion used as a magical catalyst (and which cannot be made without access to a laboratory). Each vial of potion is good for one casting. The potion is used by drinking it, pouring it, or smashing its vial. Spellcasters may use either set-up at their convenience. The advantage of adding this method to the existing method is that spellcasters can continue to be useful even after they have used up their memorized spells (albeit at a considerable cost in time), it enables the creation of another type of spellcaster who is restricted to casting only unmemorized spells (witches, shamans, and other practioners of ritual magic), and it allows for a style of spellcasting more common in literature than the Vancian magic of the Dying Earth stories. I would use both methods in my game, but I can see using only the ritual method for campaigns meant to evoke a certain mood or flavor such as the fiction of Robert E. Howard or H.P. Lovecraft.

[See also Ritual Spellcasting Variant 2.]

[Edit: Casting time revised 5 June 2014.]

Random Background Generator Example 3

I felt a need to round out my examples for the Random Background Generator, so here is another one:

Strength: 11
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 16
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 11
Charisma: 7

With a high dexterity and low charisma, this character would have been a natural thief, but the party needs a cleric, so with a wisdom of 16, he's a cleric. Meet Reffold the Scruffy.

Rolling All Dice, my results were d4: 3; d6: 6; d8: 6; d10: 2; d12: 12; d20: 15.

The d4: Family Reputation

With a roll of 3, Reffold's family is "Respected" (not surprising since they produced a priest).

The d6: Personal Relationship

With a roll of 6, Reffold is "Favored" in his family (not surprising since he agreed to become a priest).

The d8: Number of Siblings

With a roll of 6, Reffold has six siblings. I'll roll 1d8 to determine his birth order (rerolling if the result is 8). Randomly determining the sex of each in order (evens vs. odds), they are: sister, brother, sister, brother, sister, Reffold, sister.

The d10: Extended Family in Household

With a roll of 2, there is a maternal grandfather in the household. He's a quiet fellow, but he has reservoirs of wisdom he occasionally shares.

The d12: Family Occupation

With a roll of 12, it's another family of woodsmen. We'll make them loggers (and secondarily carpenters). Reffold will have some knowledge of both professions. And the family, being respected by the community and proud to have a son in the clergy, has probably contributed lumber and labor in the construction of churches and hospitals. Such a family of do-gooders needs a surname: Woodfell will do. Reffold Woodfell, sometimes styled "the Scruffy."

The d20: Motivation for Adventuring

With a roll of 15, Reffold's reason for adventuring is "Rejection." This is at odds with his favored status in a respected family, so we'll say he was rejected by his religious order and he is seeking to atone for something (probably an unfortunate social gaffe exacerbated by his below average charisma) so he can rejoin the order.

Summary

Growing up the favored sixth child amongst seven in a family of respected and devout loggers and carpenters, including wise old Grandpa, Reffold entered the clergy and made the Woodfell clan proud, but a blunder made worse by his deficiency in social skills caused him to fall out of favor with his religious order and now he must atone. He has been cast out until he can return with proof that he is worthy to rejoin his order.

Table: Ill-Conceived Reasons to Adventure

For those who find the Reasons to Adventure table too reasonable, I offer the following...


Ill-Conceived Reasons to Adventure

Roll 1d20

1. An amateur botanist and professional florist, you are interested in specimens native to great dark swamps such as the Great Dark Swamp (from Whence None Return).
   
2. An amateur entomologist and collector of insects, you have heard that there are several unclassified species of beetles reportedly found in catacombs and tombs.
   
3. A composer of songs, you seek inspiration for your next ballad in the ruins of Castle Doom or any equally forboding fortress that might be haunted.
   
4. A "people person," you are eager to meet as many people as you can no matter how isolated or xenophobic they may be.
   
5. An entrepreneur, you know there are lucrative opportunities awaiting you on the fringes of civilization and/or sanity.
   
6. A pioneer, you have trails to blaze through the most benighted, hellish, fiend-infested wilderness to get to that perfect plot of arable land you know awaits you on the other side.
   
7. An animal-lover, you are convinced that there are beasties craving affection and tender loving care even in the vilest recesses of the subterranean ecosystem.
   
8. You prefer to picnic in uncrowded locales faraway from the intrusiveness of towns and roads — faraway, in fact, from any sign of civilization or security whatsoever.
   
9. An au pair by profession, you are scouting out sites for potential field trips. Spelunking is educational!
   
10. A student, you were instructed to continue your research "in the field," which may or may not mean desolate, barrow-covered heaths.
    
11. Noticing a string leading into a dark labyrinth, you thought you would follow it and see where it takes you, winding it onto a spool as you go...
    
12. You are nostalgic for the golden age of a dead civilization and seek to bask in its genius by picking through the bones and rubble of its long deserted ruins.
    
13. According to your horoscope, you will meet a stranger who will make a proposal. This is a time of great change in your life. Do not be afraid to try new things. Embrace the surprises that Life gives you!
    
14. You have heard that subterranean environments are great for those who suffer from allergies. You have many allergies.
    
15. A chef who takes freshness of ingredients seriously, you have heard that a certain rare and exquisite mushroom you seek can be found in certain caves...
    
16. A promising student-doctor, you need cadavers with which to cram for your tests, but cadavers are expensive and difficult to obtain in towns where a high percentage of the population is superstitious and mob-inclined. Catacombs, however, are safe from prying eyes and the cadavers there are free for the taking!
    
17. The fortune-teller sees a hazy image. For two silver pieces it becomes clearer. Ah, yes! It is... a man. Or perhaps... a woman. In... a tavern. The person is holding... a map! A very old map. Another image... becoming clearer... hills of gold and precious jewels! (This fortune is provided for entertainment purposes only.)
    
18. Your chums have dared you to spend at least one night in the old abandoned cavern/dungeon/manor house/mine shaft (pick one).
    
19. A stage magician, you are convinced that you can perform the greatest illusion ever seen if you can find the perfect location. Someplace authentically spooky would do nicely.
    
20. Although Chaotic humanoids and their philosophy leave you nonplussed, you are willing to visit their homes and listen to their side of the argument.
    

[Edit: I just realized the sans serif typeface renders this a "Roman Numeral III-Conceived Reasons to Adventure." It ought to read "ILL-CONCEIVED Reasons to Adventure," but I don't like to shout unless someone is considering them in real life.]