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(more…)Author: Leon
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The Library of Aman Renduul
After ten minutes of searching, the halfling thief returned from the library with a stack of eight books that teetered as she shuffled back to the party. The Elven wizard adjusted his spectacles and began taking one book at a time, examining them and reciting the titles.
“This volume bound in black pigskin describes magical herbs, as I note by reading the gilded title on the spine. Oh, but the pages are all soiled by ink stains. Tanzil Jae was a prolific author in his day, but is quite obscure now.”
“Now, this handsome volume in rare violet calfskin is a religious history of the inquisitors who cleansed the Piekaff Valley 300 hundred years ago. It’s part of a rather tedious series of 13 volumes each dealing with the exploits of various witch hunters. With so many pages torn out, I wouldn’t think it’s worth much, but these gems attached to the cover may be worth prying off, dear thief.”
“It does not appear that this unusual book with the copper cover has faired well. Not surprising given its subject: conjuring demons. I can barely make out the words on these scorched pages!”
“This old book with the paper cover is worthless. See how it crumbles as I turn the pages? Bah! It is only part of a larger collection on animal husbandry.”
“I believe I will keep this small book with the paper cover. The Charms of Crystal Gazing by Malibart Churd. It’s well-worn, so I conclude it was either quite useful or quite inscrutable to its previous owner.”
“Further Achievements of the Great Cathedral Builders by Stanisgurt Kloptikon This black cowhide is also quite worn. Art bores me.”
“Here is another worn-out art book covered in yellow deerskin. It seems to instruct on sketching.”
“Finally, we have another bejeweled cover, this time in red pigskin, all about realms inhabited by demons and devils. I’m not surprised this one is vandalized as well. See if you can dig those gems out of the cover, runt.”
Original prompt from the Book Generator:
This book’s cover is pigskin dyed black with gilded spine. The condition is poor, ink stains obscuring a fair amount of the pages. The subject is herbs with a focus on magical herbs, a single volume, written by a prolific but obscure author.
This book’s cover is calfskin dyed purple and ebedded with gems. The condition is vandalized, missing many pages. The subject is religious history history, a single volume of a larger work with 13 volumes.
This book’s cover is copper plates, green with verdigris. The condition is badly damaged, nearly illegible. The subject is conjurings within the field of demonology, a single volume, written by a prolific but obscure author.
This book’s cover is heavy paper. The condition is ancient. Pages crumble as they turn. The subject is animal husbandry, a single volume of a larger work with 9 volumes.
This book’s cover is heavy paper. The condition is worn and tattered. The subject is crystal gazing as a branch of divination, a collection of works all by the same author.
This book’s cover is cowhide dyed black, the title branded into the cover. The condition is worn and tattered. The subject is cathedrals and chapels in the realm of art, the sequel to a book by the same author.
This book’s cover is deerskin, stained yellow. The condition is worn and tattered. The subject is sketching in the realm of art, an edition of a regularly published book with multiple authors.
This book’s cover is pigskin dyed red and ebedded with gems. The condition is vandalized, missing many pages. The subject is fiendish realms within the field of demonology, a single volume, written by a well-known author.
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Alfred’s Shadowbane Stone
This simple stone glows as bright as a candle when gripped in the hand. It functions as a magical weapon, able to harm all enchanted monsters for 1d4+1 points of damage when thrown. It adds +1 to attack bonus.
The stone contains the soul of a celestial being who wagered with a devil over whether a mortal would choose wisely in the face of temptation. As payment for the loss, the devil condemned his opponent to a thousand years in the form of a stone discarded in a stream.
Nearly a hundred years ago, a humble halfling named Alfred plucked a shiny stone from the creek near his home and was surprised to find it glowed as bright as a candle when held. He stuffed it in his pocket and sometimes brought it out as a curiosity, a minor magical device that helped him avoid tripping over tree roots while heading out to fish in the pre-dawn darkness.
He never told anyone else that the stone whispered to him, encouraging him to keep his faith and to always treat others with honor. Surely the stone could not truly be alive with a real consciousness, he thought. In some particular moments of weakness, Alfred was sure the stone had forcibly turned away an intrusive thought to insult another or to take more than his share at the annual harvest celebration.
One morning, he stepped past the old oak into a particular dark patch of shade, and he felt the bone-deep chill that comes from the touch of a Shadow, those terrible monsters who sap their victims’ strength. Reacting instinctively, he leaped backwards, pulled the stone from his pocket and hurled it at the nasty Shadow. No ordinary stone could harm such an enchanted creature, but the fortune favored that diminutive fisherman that morning. The magic of the stone dissipated the magical darkness of his foe. From that time, Alfred called his stone Shadowbane.
Original prompt from the Enchanted Weapons generator:
Stone +1
Glows as a candle when held. Intelligent (11 INT 12 WIS 15 CHA).It was forged roughly a century ago and still appears new. A divine being made it to fulfill a divine wager. The item is utterly plain, its surface polished to a mirror sheen with no engraving or motif to betray the enchantement woven into its steel.
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Aureate Circlet of Progenitors
This gold band allows the wearer to summon 1d12 beings that fight beside him as zombies for up to an hour. To activate the ring, the wearer must recite the oath engraved along its surface: “Dust and ashes, protect my flesh!”
The figures are formed from nearby soil over 1d6 rounds, and the effect fails if there no suitable material within range. They behave as zombies created from an animate dead spell, including hit dice, attacks and movement. However, they are made from mud and resemble the ring wearer’s ancestors.
Original prompt from the Ancient Rings generator:
This gold ring, engraved with symbols, was created by spirits and given to mortals as reward for some great deed. The ring provides the following powers. Call 1d12 zombies once a week for 1 hour.
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Brown Greeper
Armor Class: 14 (or wears armor)
Hit Dice: 2
No. of Attacks: 1 touch
Damage: 3d10
Movement: 60′
No. Appearing: 6d4, Lair 8d12
Save As: Fighter: 2
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: D
XP: 100Brown Greepers, otherwise known as Grak’s Progeny, are a peculiar type of undead invented by legendary necromancer Grak by chance when an animate dead spell went awry. The bodies of men, dwarves and elves are imbued with a malevolent force that compels them to reach out and deliver a damaging touch which ignores armor. Their wits are dim, but they are fleet of foot. A dozen of them may suddenly rush forward to mob unsuspecting adventurers uttering “greep! greep!”
Any physical blow striking a Brown Greeper releases a blast of magical force in the form of an animate dead spell. Up to 4 HD of dead bodies rise as zombies and fight alongside their moronic masters. As such, they may be found with several zombies trailing along with them when encountered.
Brown Greepers can be found in cemeteries from which they range and return, bringing zombified victims back with them. When encountered in such a locus, a hoard of treasure type D will be found in a loose pile.
Here’s the random monster stats that come out of the generator.
Armor Class = 14 (or wears armor)
Hit Dice = 2 HD
8 feet, 180 pounds
Attacks = touch 3d10
Movement = 60
No. Appearing = 6d4, 8d12 in lair
Save As = Fighter
Morale = 12
Treasure Type = D
Animate dead if struck.
Looks like a ordinary humanoid.
Semi-intelligent (5 INT) -
The Sagacious Band of Enemy Revelation
Long ago, before Man rose up to rule the land, there were those among them that sought to make peace with the goblins. As a token of friendship, they made a brass ring engraved with the goblin symbol for “beware”. Into this ring they placed magic that allows the wearer to detect enemies once per day, such that for a duration of one hour, all those who mean the wearer harm appear outlined in a reddish glow.
This ring was meant for goblins only, and only for them does it operate. Yet, those primordial men were but crude tinkerers in their craft, and the ring was made imperfect. It applies the delusion upon the wearer of being resistant to fire or heat. In defiance of all logic, the wearer will always conclude that any harm done by fire was half of what it ought to have been.
This bronze ring, with engraved writing, was created by a primordial pre-human race as a pact to ensure peace. Its full powers only work for goblins. The ring produces the delusion that the wearer has fire resistance. The ring provides the following powers. Detect enemies once per day.
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The Lingering Draught of Mnemonic Dissolution
This potent poison must be poured into a victim’s beverage, making it more the subtle tool of the nefarious assassin rather than of an aggressive thief engaged in battle. Once consumed, the poor imbiber must save versus poison at a -2 penalty, else 1-4 hours later, he will find 1d6 of his memorized spells gone from his mind.
With a little planning, that indulgent cleric at the inn might find himself lacking in prepared spells later that evening just at the moment when he’s confronted in a dark alley. Best to cast purifying spell over your drinks if you frequent the taverns near the wharf.
Here’s the original output from the generator.
This poison is delivered by ingesting. Its strength is considered strong -2 to save. Its effects are felt in 1d4 hours. The poison causes memory loss, save vs poison or lose 1d6 memorized spells. The effects are permanent and may not be reversed except by a wish.
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Manticores in the Mud
While exploring the wetlands north of St. Orlan, the party comes upon a pair of manticores who have landed on an island of dry land among an expanse of deep muck. Just at this moment, the monsters have not noticed the party, giving them a chance to turn and slip away unnoticed. If they press forward, they will find the manticores wary, and ready for a fight. Yet, at only 30 yards away, the party might rush forward and get a few strikes in before the monsters can respond.
The morning air is crisp and thick with the dew of Spring. The path being traveled narrows and ends here, leaving only a morass of deep mud that would easily rise to to meet the waist of a full grown man. Anyone foolish enough to enter that muck would need to save vs. death each round, adding their strength bonus, just to make any progress.
2 Manticores AC 18, HD 6+1*, #At 2 claws/1 bite or 6 spikes (180′ range), Dam 1d4/1d4/2d4 or 1d6 per spike, Mv 40′ Fly 60′ (10′), Sv F6, Ml 9, XP 555
HP 30 ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐
☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐31 ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐
☐☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐☐ ☐Manticores appear as overgrown lions with thick leathery wings and an ugly humanoid face. Their tails end in 24 spikes, of which they can fire six at a time. Out on the hunt and away from their lair, they carry no treasure, but would certain enjoy a breakfast of human flesh.
I created this based on the following output from the St. Orlan swamp encounter generator.
While exploring, the party encounters figures wandering 80 yards (30 if surprised) to the west.
2 Manticores AC 18, HD 6+1*, #At 2 claws/1 bite or 6 spikes (180′ range), Dam 1d4/1d4/2d4 or 1d6 per spike, Mv 40′ Fly 60′ (10′), Sv F6, Ml 9, XP 555, Tr DOvergrown lion with thick leathery wings and an ugly humanoid face. Tail ends in 24 spikes.
Their attitude is that there is clear and present danger. They are cautious and aware of possible trouble. They will disengage without violence if possible, or provide a final warning.
Their surprise roll is 2, and the party rolls 5.
The immediate area is grassy wetland with clear line of sight and easy movement. The area is a waist-deep bog, requiring save vs death +STR or be stuck for one round, and footing is sucking mud. No other natural annoyances are present..
The general vibe is “crisp”.
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Estates of the Eliari
Today, I’ve released a generator for the Estates of the Eliari module.
Back in 2022, I was curious about whether I could build a random generator for entire dungeon that made more sense than the traditional, purely-random variety, such as those that come out of Appendix A. I was also thinking about Frontier Forts of Kelnore, the 1978 supplement published by Judges Guild. That supplement had a map that you might have to modify based on a few results, such as “a 5 foot ditch was dug around the walls”.
I built a generator based on Frontier Forts it to get an idea of what it could produce. You can see how the results are relatively sparse, though I remember reading that players had fun with it when it was first available. I knew I could do something much more complex. And when I got into it, I discovered it was a lot of fun to keep coming up with alternate results. It was something like a solitaire version of the short-form improv game “New Choice” aka “Change”, where a bell rings and you must come up with a different response.
This experience is similar to that of abductive reasoning that we use when making sense of random results in TTRPGs. In fact, preparing this generator was much like the whole process in reverse because I started from one result and asked my muse to tell me about how it could be different, all the while keeping in mind the context of the other parts of the adventure location. And added challenge is making sure that one result won’t introduce a contradiction that ruins verisimilitude.
I had so much fun grinding through the possibilities, I thought others would like to join in. I posted the unfinished manuscript to the BFRPG forum, hoping for some collaboration. I didn’t get much on the creative side, so eventually built out the entire set of tables. I did benefit from the excellent editing team over there, and the module was eventually published in 2025.
Check out the loot page for more information plus links to download the module.
How useful or interesting is this kind of generator? Should I build another one? I’m open to suggestions.
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Igruthar’s Ring of the World Tree
This ring was forged by an Elven wizard of advanced age who sought to further the cause of his religion, the worship of the World Tree. He started with a cross section of a goblin’s arm bone, carefully carving it with runes an a oak motif. Into the ring, he poured a powerful enchantment that only one of Elf could use.
At all times, the inset emerald glowed as bright as a candle, which was at times useful and other times inconvenient such that he took to wearing gloves. Whenever he wished, the glow would intensify to where it could burn skin or parchment, leaving a distinct symbol of the World Tree.
It’s most amazing feature was the ability to summon a tree imp to serve the ring holder for up to 10 minutes.
I worked up this ring based on the following output from the Ancient Rings generator.
Bone Ring, highly reflective or shiny or glows, created by ancient wizard made for self made to battle for a alignment. Full powers only work for certain race Not cursed. Once a week can call a Imp to serve for a turn, Can burn signet design onto paper or brand skin
Much of the logic behind this generator comes from a blog post on the Elfmaids and Octopi blog run by Chris Tamm. Chris is amazingly creative and inspiring, especially with the huge sets of tables for making up things like ancient rings.
The current implementation of this generator doesn’t make the smoothest text, and it could actually grow in complexity. For example, “highly reflective or shiny or glows” really should become definitive based on a random choice.