Odds and Ends

Recently I have been reading a lot about the Threefold Model and all the different models that  branched from it. They are basically a series of discussions online between role playing game designers about what a game really does, and why people play certain types of games. For a little while, I actually felt like had an idea of what was going on. I wanted to create a simple diagram that represented my take on it so here it is, I call it The Threefold Model Cheat-sheet. I realize that it conflates a lot of topics and that the relationships between the elements change from model to model. I am not trying to show the model as put out by any single person, I am trying to represent the major components put out by all theories, and put them side by side for comparison. I think it is interesting and helpful to compare different theories, there are no value judgments here.

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A little while ago I posted a sector map generated using the Classic Traveller ruleset. I am working on a Debtrunner sector map now, and I realized that the random number generator I am using to help populate hexes could be useful to one somebody out there.

For the hex grid I drew (below), I generate a random matrix of zeros and ones using wolfram alpha: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Randominteger[1,{10,18}]. The 1's correspond to an inhabited world, the 0's correspond to an empty hex. I could have it generate a number between 1 and 6, since the book calls for a d6 roll, but since it is a 50/50 chance, the binary (0 or 1) random number generator works fine. The outskirts have a lower probability the command line has to be modified to populate them.

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations rollable table

I made a rollable table out of Georges Polti's The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. Should be good for generating random adventure plot hooks.
























1. Supplication
o a Persecutor; a Suppliant; a power in authority, whose decision is doubtful.
o the persecutor accuses the suppliant of wrongdoing, and the power makes a judgment against the
suppliant. Example: The Trial
2. Deliverance
o an unfortunate; a threatener; a rescuer
o the unfortunate has caused a conflict, and the threatener is to carry out justice, but the rescuer
saves the unfortunate. Example: Ifigenia in Tauride
3. Crime pursued by vengeance
o a criminal; an avenger
o the criminal commits a crime that will not see justice, so the avenger seeks justice by punishing
the criminal. Example: The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Vengeance taken for kin upon kin
o Guilty Kinsman; an Avenging Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim, a relative of both.
o Two entities, the Guilty and the Avenging Kinsmen, are put into conflict over wrongdoing to the
Victim, who is allied to both. Example: Hamlet
5. Pursuit
o punishment; a fugitive
o the fugitive flees punishment for a misunderstood conflict. Example: Les Misérables
6. Disaster
o a vanquished power; a victorious enemy or a messenger
o the power falls from their place after being defeated by the victorious enemy or being informed of
such a defeat by the messenger. Example: Agamemnon (play)
7. Falling prey to cruelty/misfortune
o an unfortunate; a master or a misfortune
o the unfortunate suffers from misfortune and/or at the hands of the master. Example: Job (biblical
figure)
8. Revolt
o a tyrant; a conspirator
o the tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the conspirator. Example: Julius Caesar (play)
9. Daring enterprise
o a bold leader; an object; an adversary
o the bold leader takes the object from the adversary by overpowering the adversary. Example:
Queste del Saint Graal
10. Abduction
o an abductor; the abducted; a guardian
o the abductor takes the abducted from the guardian. Example: Helen of Troy
11. The enigma
o a problem; an interrogator; a seeker
o the interrogator poses a problem to the seeker and gives a seeker better ability to reach the seeker's
goals. Example: Oedipus and the Sphinx
12. Obtaining
o (a Solicitor & an adversary who is refusing) or (an arbitrator & opposing parties)
o the solicitor is at odds with the adversary who refuses to give the solicitor what they object in the
possession of the adversary, or an arbitrator decides who gets the object desired by opposing
parties (the solicitor and the adversary). Example: Apple of Discord
13. Enmity of kin
o a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hated or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman
o The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire together.
14. Rivalry of kin
o the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry
o The Object of Rivalry chooses the Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected Kinsman. Example:
Wuthering Heights
15. Murderous adultery
o two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse
o Two Adulterers conspire to kill the Betrayed Spouse. Example: Clytemnestra and Aegisthus
16. Madness
o a Madman; a Victim
o The Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim.
17. Fatal imprudence
o the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object Lost
o The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance, loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim.
18. Involuntary crimes of love
o a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer
o The Revealer betrays the trust of either the Lover or the Beloved.
19. Slaying of kin unrecognized
o the Slayer; an Unrecognized Victim
o The Slayer kills the Unrecognized Victim. Example: Oedipus and Laius
20. Self-sacrifice for an ideal
o a Hero; an Ideal; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed
o The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor.
21. Self-sacrifice for kin
o a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed
o The Hero sacrifices a Person or Thing for their Kinsman, which is then taken by the Creditor.
22. All sacrificed for passion
o a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion; the Person/Thing sacrificed
o A Lover sacrifices a Person or Thing for the Object of their Passion, which is then lost forever.
23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
o a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the Necessity for the Sacrifice
o The Hero wrongs the Beloved Victim because of the Necessity for their Sacrifice.
24. Rivalry of superior vs. inferior
o a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the Object of Rivalry
o A Superior Rival bests an Inferior Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry.
25. Adultery
o two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse
o Two Adulterers conspire against the Deceived Spouse.
26. Crimes of love
o a Lover; the Beloved
o A Lover and the Beloved enter a conflict.
27. Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
o a Discoverer; the Guilty One
o The Discoverer discovers the wrongdoing committed by the Guilty One.
28. Obstacles to love
o two Lovers; an Obstacle
o Two Lovers face an Obstacle together.
29. An enemy loved
o a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater
o The allied Lover and Hater have diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Beloved Enemy.
30. Ambition
o an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary
o The Ambitious Person seeks the Thing Coveted and is opposed by the Adversary.
31. Conflict with a god
o a Mortal; an Immortal
o The Mortal and the Immortal enter a conflict.
32. Mistaken jealousy
o a Jealous One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or
an Author of the Mistake
o The Jealous One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and becomes jealous of the
Object and becomes conflicted with the Supposed Accomplice.
33. Erroneous judgment
o a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One
o The Mistaken One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and passes judgment
against the Victim of the Mistake when it should be passed against the Guilty One instead.
34. Remorse
o a Culprit; a Victim or the Sin; an Interrogator
o The Culprit wrongs the Victim or commits the Sin, and is at odds with the Interrogator who seeks
to understand the situation.
35. Recovery of a lost one
o a Seeker; the One Found
o The Seeker finds the One Found.
36. Loss of loved ones
o a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an Executioner
o The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman Spectator.

Grimspanner Level 2

I've reworked the dungeon I randomly generated in my previous post "Rogue-Like". It is now the second level of a morlock fortress in my Labyrinth Lord campaign. Here is the new drawing:

Dice Math

 

Manananggal

I ran through this adventure outline a while ago with my Labyrinth Lord group, which I'm calling my Yhthyrst campaign, after the city the party is based out of. The outline went over particularly well mostly because it is based on the Manananggal or Separator, a terrifying creature from Filipino folk-lore. This one session adventure is probably appropriate for a group of 4-6 1st level characters. The Manananggal is powerful, but the group will have plenty of time to plan out an ambush after unraveling the mystery.

Rumor: "There have been three miscarriages in Kuva - the villagers say that something nefarious is afoot."

The 3 mothers: Runtu, Carua, Acor all had children disappear under the same lunar phase.

Town is three days to the southwest of Yhthyrst, in a valley in the forest. Contains Villiage Leaders House, a Church of Apos God of Yhthyrst the Crossroads, a Physician, a Courthouse, farmers, vagrants, population is about 350 people.

Village Head Umberth human-m probably will offer a reward to anyone who solves the problem.
Asankh elf-m advisor to Village Head.

Chrysoprase-250 gp, Lapis Lazuli-10 gp, Malachite-50 gp, Malachite-50 gp, Total Value: 460 gp.

Physician Asuth human-f

Manananggal by day transforms into a nun of House Antinum.
Ionia f Human

Other nun: Nartiya Cleric Level 3 HP 16 Female Str 14 Dex 8 Con 7 Int 11 Wis 13 Cha 10

Manananggal - hideous, bat-like wings, can separate upper half from lower half and fly around. It preys on pregnant women, stealing their unborn children in the night.

Chtc 90(30) or 240(80) flying AC7 HD4(HP16) DMG claws 1d4/1d4 or bite 1d6+poison SvF4 Mor8 XP245

An older, more reliable source may know that it is similar to 75 year old events, when a manananggal - a separator, was terrorizing the town.

Also, there is one book in the library of the village leaders house with records on what happened 75 years ago and how they finally defeated the Manananggal. If separated in sunlight it will die. Putting salt or crushed garlic on top of separated legs will prevent it from reattaching.

Rogue-like

I have written a somewhat procedural random dungeon generator based on a lot of random numbers. I find that it is a bit easier to just use a random number generator than actually rolling dice most of the time.

I'm going to make a somewhat large dungeon, starting with 1d4x8 rooms. I got a 4, so I'll have 32 rooms. I need 32 random numbers between 1 and 100. I use this link a few times and write out what I have plus an entrance, marked "E".

Start to fill out
rooms according to the dungeon generator.....

 

You should sort of try to guide things into a general form you like, the little swirls are connected portals: 

 

next I sort of digitize, meld together and rearrange 

 

 And then add doors and numbers, also putting in some locked and secret doors of course.

This time I am populating the rooms using the Labyrinth Lord room stocking tables because I want to keep an old school feel, but I think this can be adapted for any genre. The LL table has a "unique" room, for these I made up story and puzzle points.

    1.    Cavern entryway, three blue flames in braziers create a magic force field. At least one torch must be extinguished to enter.
    2.    kobold
    3.    narrow trench, light is visible high above through falling droplets of water, only single file passage is possible.
    4.    goblin 400 sp
    5.    Three red flames
    6.    empty
    7.    empty
    8.    a large deactivated portal exists here next to two unlit braziers. If both red and blue flames are transferred to the braziers, the portal activates and connects to room 28.
    9.    Contains a study with some old maps of the region and the journal of the goblin king. The key to the door between 17 and 18 is in a small chest on the desk
    10.    empty
    11.    empty
    12.    Orc
    13.    empty
    14.    empty
    15.    Gnome
    16.    trap
    17.    Giant Bat
    18.    Unoccupied orc and goblin war room. rats scurry around. a well springs from a mossy elevated area with shafts of sunlight coming down.
    19.    Cliff
    20.    Zombie
    21.    empty
    22.    Goblin 500 sp Gold Crown (500gp value)
    23.    6 ancient goblin sized full plate armor statues line the walls could be worth some gp
    24.    Stirge
    25.    Unoccupied goblin kings throne room.
    26.    empty 200 sp 10gp
    27.    trap 300 sp
    28.    A large deactivated portal exists here next to two unlit braziers. If both red and blue flames are transferred to the braziers in room 8, the portal activates and connects to room 8.

Random Wizard Review

I found the Random Wizard flikr page the other day, which is the flickr page of Random Wizard's One Page Dungeon Contest full of single page RPG adventure modules. Among the stream are the poster sized Barb-el-Shay, an Arabian nights style city slum map with excellent artwork, The Great Lunar Staircase, a cross-sectional map of a space elevator connecting the earth and the moon, and probably my favorite so far despite its crayon scribble map which sort of doesn't even make sense - The Sunless Hollow - a nightmarish fey grove surrounding a corrupted dryad.... I am intentionally not posting any links because I think it is best to search through the seemingly endless list of adventures and find your own favorites. The image is the map from The River of Stars.