Gnartian Wilderland Hex Exploration Enc Tbl

Simple Encounter Table for Wandering Parties in my Gnarth campaign, # Checks/day by Terrain...

WILDERLAND HEX EXPLORATION (2d4)

2  Dungeon, Lair, Ruin

3  Humanoids &/or Settlement

4  Common AD&D/Other Monster or Misc Wildlife

5  Featured Local Enc Table (1d6 or 2d4 entries)

6  Common Gnartian Monster, or ‘Game’ Animal

7  Weird Encounter, NPC, or Rare Gnartian Monster

8  Spawn of Shog-Gnargoroth, or Misc Major Random

Chose the Form of the Destructor! (d12)

What did you do, Ray?!!

"Subcreatures!  Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Volguus, Zildrohar, The Traveler, has come! Choose and perish!"

Well, now you've done it.  Save vs Mental Spells, or Roll a d12 to determine what form pops into your head (from some near-forgotten childhood tale, or elsewhere).  If everyone makes the Save, the Form will be chosen by the DM.

1. The classic Stay-Puft Golem.   Deceptively innocuous looking, massively huge, dangerously viscous, highly flammable (no Save/dbl damage vs. fire)
2. A large and moving Torb.  Much worse than the immobile variety, for obvious reasons
3. A giant Slor, its gullet like a roaring furnace, enough to make a Balrog jealous
4. The last creature which caused a successful Fear among the Party
5. The last creature which slew a Party member
6. The worst Thing on the local Random Encounter table
7. A Shoggoth
8. A Spawn of Shog-Gnargoroth, possessed of odd magic/mutant abilities http://tengoldpiecegems.blogspot.com/2011/01/super-simple-random-beasties.html
9. The goateed Evil Twin of the most powerful Party member
10. Roll on Dungeon Lvl X table
11. http://tengoldpiecegems.blogspot.com/2012/03/gonzo-random-villianidea-generator.html
12. Players get to vote on an entry from this table

This Week's Game, "The Cauldron", pt 4

The continued trek through the jungle, being lost, unsure where to go, what to do... has had it's desired effect, and The Players are getting restless... however, I am, too!  We both miss operating around a clearer objective!  Figured the Random Encounters would have resulted in The Party gaining more information by now, myself...  They have not yet encountered any Neanderthal, I think I'll have to insert one at the outset of the next session, so that they can gain some allies (hopefully!) and some info from my Rumors/Clues table.  Since they seem to have no plans to go back and check on the Lost Boys of Troop 51, I'm thinking that maybe the Neanderthal have found and rescued them... maybe they have been following The Party from a distance for a while now, and are ready to reveal themselves...

I did manage to roll on one of my favorite subtables:

From the Skies; a meteorite impact or spacecraft re-entry… (d4)

1. Releases Something Weird… maybe a Garthok with a Magic nose-ring (torc)
2. Showers area with debris, contains rare ore/gems, everyone takes 0-9HP dam, finds 100+ 1d% GP worth of ‘free’ treasure
3. Spaceball of unknown metal, one meter in diam, in bottom of small crater.  How it might be opened, and what it might contain, is unknown at this time… humming of machinery can be faintly detected (come up with something for next session!)
4. Explodes in a 90-yard Fireball, 1d% yards away, damage increases toward epicenter;
0-10 yards = “Ground Zero” 12d6,
w/in 30 yards = 9d6,
w/in 50 yards = 6d6,
w/in 90 yards = 3d6,
beyond 90 yards = “Whew!”
(I don’t mind ruining a Character’s day, but this is a dickish way to kill one; rule that anyone killed by the blast is alive with 1d4HP)

...I rolled #4, the Fireball, and gleefully described the entire entry (sometimes it builds suspense when they DO KNOW all the terrible consequences facing them)... and then... rolled a 90!  Everyone made Save and took 1/2 of 3d6.

Session ended over the carcass of a Hydra, near the base of the great volcano.  I must be doing a decent job of populating my Sword and Planet campaign with the weird and unknown; The Party is comprised of both native Gnartians and the remnants of the PCs from my fantasy world of Calantos who originally found the Gateway to Gnarth, when I said, "Hydra," the Calantosi responded eagerly, "A Hydra?  Here?  Oh, we got this..."  They did!

Gonzo (Found) Random Villian/Idea Generator

from short YouTube video, everything from Aliens to Undead, Masterminds to Mutants, NPC's, unassuming, unbelievable, and Orcs. Always with the Orcs.

Movie 'Monster' ABC's (d30)

1. A: Alien
2. B: Beetlejuice
3. C: Chucky
4. D: Dexter
5. E: E.T. ...really?
6. F: Freddy Krueger
7. G: Godzilla
8. H: Hulk
9. I: Incubus
10. J: Jason Voorhees
11. K: King Kong
12. L: Lecter, Hannibal
13. M: Mummy
14. N: Nosferatu
15. O: Octopus ...what?
16. P: Pinhead
17. Q: Queen Of The Dammed
18. R: Razorback
19. S: Satan
20. T: Terminator
21. U: Uruk-Hai (told ya so)
22. V: Vader, Darth
23. W: Werewolf
24. X: X-traterrestrial (I prefer to insert favorite from the X-Files)
25. Y: Yeti
26. Z: Zombie
27. - 29. DM's Pick

30. Roll Twice for bizarre Team-Up, or grotesque Antagonism

The Taverns of Gnarth

Odd Houserule: XP is awarded only when the Party enters a tavern and orders a drink. I have no idea who among our group first came up with this, or why, but we've been doing it for many years.

In order to identify their establishments to a largely illiterate populace, the taverns of Gnarth typically display a colorfully painted image or distinctive item above or near the entrance.

1. Barking Chicken there's a chain of these. no one knows what it means
2. Horny Toad when you aren't picky, you just wanna get laid
3. Iron Spike great place to advertise for/hire henchlings
4. Funky Monkey chimps entertain the clientele for tips
5. Grinning Golem those causing a ruckus will most definitely be bounced
6. Plunging Piercer natural cavern, 100' below street lvl
7. Goblin's Gizzard drinks are OK, but don't order food
8. Dragon's Flagon 1CP drafts during full moon
9. Roast Beast locals recommend the mystery meat, but it's all about the gravy
10. Random Encounter pick-up bar
11. Purring Puss "exotic" live act is a cat doing tricks onstage
12. Cloven Hoof there's something in the basement
13. Old Wheel built around a massive metal cog sunken in the earth
14. Clanking Tankard dbl freebie for the Party; someone buys drinks and supplies info
15. Silver Shortsword lycanthropes!
16. Albino Rhino it's head is mounted above the bar, speaks in riddles
17. Double Zero bartender is Psionic, reads minds, etc.
18. Golden Grail fops and dandies
19. Half Pint wee folk; Halfings, 1/4lings, fingerlings
20. Busted Nut drifters, ne'er-do-wells
21. Shitty Griffon panders to the very wealthy, who refer to it as "The Griffon"
22. Smoking Bowl damn hippies, all-porridge menu
23. Arguing Ettin Giant-class bartender dispenses two forms of conflicting advice
24. Lucky Charm dude, that bartender's a leprechaun
25. Salted Slug scary restrooms, smelly buggers
26. Bob's Dungeon he's retired, now, but has plenty of tales of his adventuring days
27. Eunuch's Balls chance reunion with old NPC friend
28. Bottomless Pit it's where the customers go, 'cause sometimes ya just gotta go
29. Leo's Tiny Hut bigger on the inside
30. Tater Shack best fried taters & cheese in the park
31. Troll Hole ya gotta pay the Troll toll
32. Great Helm lot's o Fighters
33. Randy Andy's 10' Pole strip joint/titty bar
34. Blinking Dog blind proprietor's dog makes change
35. Blue Moon on tap, and that one guy looks familiar
36. Alchemy Jug extensive variety, pricey
37. Glassy Gnoll no one's sure what they saw
38. Chainsmoking Dwarf hazy cigar bar, must be accompanied by Dwarf
39. Headsman's Axe gets raided by The Man the one night you decide to stop in
40. Seventh Heaven champagne suite available
41. Friend o' the Devil rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
42. Doppleganger Hangar meet someone you share many characteristics with
43. Rot Grub Pub cheap eats, good pie
44. Treant & Termite gourmet viands, weird potted plants
45. Horn o' Plenty family-style buffet, somehow significant tapestries
46. Slammin' Hammer finest Dwarven porter, my friends
47. Cleric's Codpiece hangout of students , sages, scholars
48. Flying Pig unbelievable daily happy hour specials
49. Skunked Monk loquacious sage talks forever
50. Three Dart Inn favored by the local Wizards dart league
51. Sundered Shield veterans of a thousand psychic wars
52. Fourth Wall performers, artists
53. Centaur's Stall straw everywhere, no barstools
54. Bard Rock Cafe worth the cover charge
55. Cloak & Dagger when you need some guy... to do this thing...
56. Roaring Borealis massive bar fight
57. Stumbling Satyr a case of mistaken identity leads to madcap hijinks
58. Caryatid Column entire establishment randomly teleports between two locations
59. Legion Hall ya gotta know a member
60. Vomiting Vrock notable absence of nobility and civility
61. Penitent Paladin the 'confessional' is really a glory hole booth
62. Temperance's Teat topless
63. Thirsty Thyrsus bartender has excellent connections, will hook ya up for a price
64. Bacchus Brewery tall tales and extensive tabs
65. Secret Door it's hard to leave when you can't find the door
66. Screamin' Demon 25% chance your date is a Succubus
67. Bent Bar armwrestling bartender likes to gamble
68. Ole Dirtye Bastarde bawdy playhouse
69. Kane's Roadhouse houseband plays from behind portcullis
70. Angry Ankheg they're really pushing the Ankheg theme, and it isn't working
71. Flayed Brain do not order a cocktail
72. Milking Maid massages in back, happy endings
73. Odd's Blood the wine makes you blind in one eye and adds +1 WIS for 24 hrs
    
74. Jack's Potion Flask if anyone asks, you don't know Jack
75. Crock o' Doom crazed drunkard spouts of ill omens and dire prophecy
76. Crummy Beard only the bearded may enter. false beards, breadsticks on request
77. Unseen Servant impeccable invisible waitstaff
78. Wanton Wench pickpocketing doxies
79. Three Toed Sloth bartender is unusually SLOW, and missing two fingers
80. Burning Bush flophouse of ill repute
81. Keoghtom's Keg proprietor sells a esoteric powder which cure hangovers
82. Ten GP Gem big with the locals
83. Dreaddy Yeti mellow and cool
84. Second Level lies below the local burial crypts
85. Gnarly Harley's biker bar favored by itinerant mercenaries
    
86. Rusty Mail off-duty City Guard
87. Beholder's Eye someone is watching you
88. Heady Horseman blow the head off a frothy one!
89. Otyugh's Mug located next to pile of refuse, smells funny
90. Crystal Pistol there is a possibility of Alien abduction from the restrooms
91. Pirate's Parrot obnoxious speaking bird spouts insults, nonsense, clues
92. Pan's Pipe flute band will stop if paid in cash or drinks
93. Flaming Moe's also a pick-up bar
94. Freaky Tiki firedancers
    
95. Last Gasp patronized largely by the mummification/internment industry
96. High Five bartender incessantly requests he be "fived" for this or that
97. Treasure Chest Oktoberfest meets Hooters
98. Wishing Well there is one in the center...
99. Blotto Grotto all-night rave bar
100. DM's Choice