d100 – Swansong Abilities

During the earliest days of this Hobby a Referee named Mark Swanson devised a few Random Tables that would become known as “Swanson Abilities” or “Swanson Powers.” Rolling on these granted a Character an interesting minor feature or flaw that would set them apart from otherwise remarkably similar starting Characters of a given Class.

Some time ago, I set about devising my own Random Tables for this (and you can see some of the results in tables like my Fighter Features for Variegated Veterans) but I couldn’t shake my amusement with a silly bit of wordplay that came to mind. I began musing about a table of “Swansong Abilities” using that metaphorical phrase invoked to represent that terminal gesture or surprising effort just before Death or Retirement. These would be benefits or boons that take place exactly once, upon a Character’s often Untimely Demise, perhaps better if they were not known in advance, but instead diced right at that final, fatal moment.

The results of this somewhat somber wool gathering are contained in the Table below. We tend to see many tables devoted to grisly Deaths and gruesome Dismemberment, so I felt it necessary to provide a bit of balance to those. What if that Character's passing could turn the tide or grant gifts to the rest of the Party to make mortality more memorable in other ways?

d66 - Why Are They Friendly? Reaction Roll Elaborations

It has happened to all of us who enjoy the Procedures of these earlier presentations: You throw those two dice for that Oracular Reaction Roll and are greeted with Box Cars. While the triangular distribution is designed to make this rather rare, a plucky Player Character with a higher Charisma Score can also often increase the frequency.

Suddenly you have a “Friendly” Reaction Roll and sometimes this might leave you at a loss. Up until that toss, these were potentially Dangerous Denizens! So how do we interpret that sudden shift in the situation? Here is a table with some ideas for why that Monster might be Friendly. I decided to keep this at 36 entries with a d66, since that 2d6 thrown for the Reaction Roll is more likely to be closer to hand and faster to re-roll. This might see a re-visit at some point to pad it out to a complete d100.

As always, some might require a little tinkering to work with certain Foes, but occasionally those results that seem incongruous on the surface can be a springboard to more interesting places. Even just keeping a few of these in the Referee’s back pocket “just in case” might help inform this kind of emergency improvisation.

d100 - Faction Features

Usually as I’m stocking a Dungeon or a Hex with a particular group of Humanoids, I want to attempt to associate them with a specific Faction or Group. Giving them this distinction makes for more useful Rumors, Hooks, and far more interesting interactions down the road when an encounter occurs in Play. Giving these groups Names makes it easier to refer to them, and I often like to try and add something Distinctive that might set them apart from other societies or similar Encounters.

The first two columns of this Table are to assist with generating a Name or even Iconography for the Faction, while the third contains ideas for that “special feature” that might make them a bit more unique.

I have included a quick Perchance generator below for easy output:

d100 – Vaunted Votives & Religious Relics

Another Magic Item table, but this one is focused a bit more on those objects of a more Sacred Significance. Some of these are said to grant powerful boons when venerated or carried by the faithful and each one is likely to be associated with extraordinary. Many of these consist of portions of the physical remains of Saints or other personages important to a given faith. It’s possible that a few of these might have made the pilgrimage to a position on this table from Characters that were present in campaigns and games ages ago.

Since I’m always a bit pressed for real estate in these tables (because I like to keep them on a single page when I can), these entries are a little terse. Some elaborations might need to remain up to the Referee or tied more closely to a given Setting’s Cosmological implications. I have at least endeavored to provide some potentially useful Names for Saints and such to save a bit of time, and where I could manage I did sneak in a skosh of descriptive text.

d100 – What Weird Weapon & What Atypical Armor

Managed to squeeze a pair of d100 Tables into this one. Occasionally, I find myself at a loss for a way to distinguish a specific Foe or NPC from another, and I find that embellishing their Armaments or Armor is sometimes enough to help this resonate with the Players. Particularly in Theatre of the Mind Combat Situations, having a distinctive feature for each participant can really help keep everyone on the same page and close some of those gaps that can develop.

These Two Tables are divided into sections of Ten as well, so this provides a little bit of granularity should more specificity be needed, or even a way to “Overload” a single d100: Roll one for the Weapon, then use the 1s/10s place or “reverse” it for the Armor Table.

I could not resist including some less onventional Weapons here, and some of the Armor is a bit more on the fanciful side rather than cleaving to Historical Accuracy, but hopefully it at least provides a bit of inspiration!

d100 - Fairy Tale Tells for the Subtly Supernatural

Just in time for Fairy Tale Friday again! Here’s a table containing more than a few Clues or Suspicious Signs that one might be dealing with someone who isn’t quite as they seem. Some are certainly more subtle than others, and a few might require creative engineering of the situation to provide the revelation. I feel that no Fairy’s Glamours should be flawless or perfect, however.

With a little bit of cherry-picking, some of these might be inspiring or useful for subtle hints concerning other shapeshifters or deceivers that cloak their True Forms, such as those more Folkloric Hags and Witches. I have previusly trod similar ground for Lycanthropes in my Encounter Activities, but I strongly feel that a breadcrumb trail of Clues for these deceptions makes for a much more satisfying reveal than simply springing it suddenly upon unsuspecting Players.

Should you wish, you could also apply these to Elf Characters for a more Fairy Tale Feel, in a similar fashion to my Infernal Features & Tiefling Traits.

d100 - While You Were Out — “Dungeon Meanwhiles”

Once the Characters retreat back to the safety of a Settlement from the depths of those Dismal Dungeons (hopefully laden with Treasure for their troubles) they will often find themselves wanting to engage in a bit of Downtime. Those “Rs” are common: Rest & Recuperation, Research, Re-supplying, Retainers, Rumormongering, or perhaps even some Revelry to Celebrate a successful Forray. But an additional “R” awaits the Referee: for with this passage of Time, it becomes necessary to Restock.

Here's a Hundred Entries that might help a little bit with this process. Whenever possible, I do like to try and tailor some of the more major changes in a Dungeon to reflect the actions of the Player Characters: It’s always more compelling when they can witness the consequences of their actions and the marks they leave on a Place or the Setting, but sometimes I like having a few additional ideas and options to sprinkle within. I find that these can help convey the Dungeon as a more Dynamic “Living” place, rather than having it just “Pause” in Time as it patiently waits for another set of hapless Intruders.

d100 – What’s The Story Behind This Blade?

More Fodder for Fighters, here’s a table I tapped away to provide some Details and Deeds that might speak to the History of any Swords they might come across in their Adventures. Sometimes embellishing a Blade with a few particulars in this way makes it much more Memorable and can even create a bit of intrigue or speak to the larger Setting. A Referee might decide to only add these to Swords of the Enchanted variety, but sometimes a little decoration like this goes a long way to differentiate even more standard treasures and takings.

d100- Somewhat Sinister Settlement Secrets

Quick Table today with some “Rumors” or “Hooks” to provide a little more unsettling depth to some of those Settlements. I’ve endeavored to use the portion prior to the sainted em dash as a bit of a cue or clue, with the second half hopefully providing hints to the mysterious intrigue behind it. Spicing up some of those isolated Villages or Hamlets with a little strangeness or mystery can sometimes have the side effect of centering Adventure or the Player Focus within them, but that can be a nice change of pace sometimes.

d100 – Magic Tattoos

Acquiring enchanted Body Art seems like a fantastic opportunity for Foreground Growth or Improvements to a Character obtained in Play. I imagine quite a bit of Adventuring might be required to locate the highly specialized Arcane Artists who can preform this delicate work. Charging steep Prices or only deigning to design one as a reward for Services Rendered. The Process could potentially also involve some sourcing of unusual or difficult or dangerous to acquire Reagents/Ingredients for use in the Pigments or as Needles. The resulting piece is likely brilliant to behold in terms of craftsmanship but these can also impart Magical Gifts to those whose skin they stain. I’ve always been a fan of granting Classes a little bit of limited Spell-Casting or Unconventional Abilities this way, and this kind of non-item-based Magical Augmentation can’t be as easily Removed via Ravenous Rust Monster.

How would these Magic Tattoos work in Play? My current line of thinking is to use them in conjunction with a Usage Die Mechanic (since the energy contained within them is less quantifiable), perhaps set it starting at d8, d6 (or even d4 for some of the more powerful ones, or more generous for the less), on each “Use” or “Activation” there’s a chance (on a roll of 1 or 2) the Incantations embedded alongside the Ink might begin to fade or become lose potency. Once the Magic depletes completely, the Tattoo vanishes! I’d recommend the Restriction that one set of Skin can never receive the same Tattoo Twice, in order to keep these a little more unique and special.

Here are a Hundred Ideas for these, along with some suggestions for “Flash” or descriptive designs.

d100 - Extraordinary Ointments & Unconventional Unguents

Another quick Single-Use Magic Item Table! This time we tackle some Special Substances that aren’t administered by drinking like Potions but applied externally. I would imagine that this process might take some Time, and therefore not necessarily be something one would want to do in the heat of Battle, but perhaps more suited to before or after, or during a Rest. Like my prior table on Incense, having these kinds of highly specific, but limited in use Wonders available to Players can really sometimes result in some pretty creative Problem Solving or Reward prior decisions in fun ways.

d100 – Sacred Ceremonies & Religious Rituals

Part of my ongoing attempts to dive deeper into the Deity Disfavor Class feature of the Cleric, here are a hundred relatively minor rites and observances that might help decorate those daily liturgies of that Class in interesting ways. I wouldn’t necessarily approach these from an angle that purposefully penalizes the Player, but more as just a way to add a little more optional detail to their religious activities. These are much less dire than my recent Priesthood Penances & Cleric Contrition table, and not nearly as pervasive or restrictive as the Holy Taboos I’ve shared before. Perhaps these are just part of the steps they take to Prepare those daily Prayers. This might make it a good addition to my Deity Generator

I could see these also working in conjunction with my post on Strange Shrines as well, potentially providing some inspiration for the specific ways to activate or consecrate them. This Table might also be useful as a sampling of provincial Superstitions or even unconventional Personal Habits.

d100 – What Does This Healing Magic Look Like?

It is often quite interesting to think about how some of the more frequently encountered Magics in these games might actually appear or manifest in one’s mind’s eye. Although it’s often swifter to simply throw the necessary dice and update various records, I find it far more flavorful to give some of them a bit more compelling seasoning from time to time.

As I have done in the past with the venerable Magic Missile and the stalwart Shield Spell, this Table endeavors to explore some additional ideas for rendering those commonly seen “Curative” Magics a bit above and beyond what may be a more generic “bathed in Holy/Un-Holy light” depiction. Yes, the Hit Point damage from the Wounds of a Light or Serious nature is addressed, but what is it like to witness that magical act as an outside observer, the Healer, or the unfortunate Subject of such Spells? Since most of these seem to rely on Touch to deliver, that’s been encoded in the majority of these to a degree, and several might even serve to hint at or allude to specific Domains or Deities that could be behind the granting of such Miracles. As with all my Tables, these can be tailored to taste, but I hope at least it makes some of those medicinal ministrations a bit more interesting!

d100 - Mischievous Magic: Pixie Pranks or Elfin Ensorcellments

Previously touched on briefly in my Encounter Activities of Sprites, I thought it might be fun to produce a full d100 Table of various Minor Magics of an Inconvenient but mostly Inconsequential nature. Many of these are more Petty “Curse-style” Cantrips that could be at the disposal of various Faerie Folk or mined for inspiration for the various japes and escapades that they find so droll.

Should your approach to the Elf Class hail from a more Fairy Tale direction, these might serve as a convivial compliment for them as well, a bit like my Dwarf Dweomercraft and Convenient Cantrips for the Dwarf and Magic User Classes respectfully. Most of these shouldn’t (or at least weren’t intended to) be truly capable of producing lasting harm, but they could most certainly annoy or hinder in amusing and flustering ways. Some may be permitted Saving Throw or such for foiling at the Referee’s Discretion.

I suppose with a little squinting, this Table could also serve a bit of double duty as more ideas to graft on Magical Items to make them a little more frustrating but flavorful, potentially a bit less detrimental than my prior table on those kinds of Drawbacks.

d100 - Fighter Features for Variegated Veterans

It is often said in circles that discuss these older presentations, that two Characters that choose the Fighter Class often lack distinction from each other outside of their Scores, Equipment/Gear, and perhaps how generous that Hit Point roll was during Character Generation. In order to set them apart somewhat, I’ve created this table of One Hundred Traits that augment those Warriors ever-so-slightly, creating a little more distinction between them. Some of these might inform a Character’s Background a bit: Speaking of past exploits or professions (q.v. Prior Vocations for more of this nature) whilst others might just be intrinsic knacks or specialized training they’ve picked up prior to Play.

Some of these Abilities could even serve as inspiration for new knowledges or capabilities that could be earned in Play. While I’m not a fervent fan of “Feats” gained through just XP Advancement, I suppose they could serve that purpose as well with a new one being dribbled out every few levels. They seem a bit more interesting to me if they’re acquired as the result of intentional choices, or as Rewards for tasks, trials, or training undertaken at the Table, perhaps like a bit more mundane version of my Benevolent Blessings & Gainful Growth. One could even repurpose those Magical Research Rules or something similar to have this occupy some Downtime.

Fighters do already possess a Super Secret Special Ability in B/X that’s often overlooked: The ability to create Strongholds that influence the Surrounding Lands at any level. While sadly, this seldom shows up in Contemporary Play, it’s a very important Feature when you contrast this with how this is handled by the other Classes. I often find myself bringing this up when I hear other Referees lamenting the lack of Domain Play these days (you don’t have to wait until Name after all!), or when there’s a bit of grousing about how Fighters don’t feel very powerful or interesting. Hopefully a few of these ideas might prove useful or fun for the Fighters at your Tables!

d100 – Gullet Gleanings & Crop Contents

When I was much younger, we dissected a smallish Shark as part of a very educational Science Class. Imagine our Surprise when our careful cuttings revealed another, even smaller Shark inside of it! We dutifully dissected that one too, and found a Fish, which was then also carefully quartered, but sadly the marine Matryoshka Marveling ended there.

Although it doesn’t seem as common these days, I do recall a big part of Play in the Past involved finding some of the Treasure inside of certain Monsters after slaying them. This grisly task would be perfunctorily performed, just in case, to make sure absolutely nothing was missed or overlooked. It usually came with a Cost (taking a few extra Turns was a common one, and this Risks Wandering Monsters), but I also recall often calling for various Saving Throws or other Tests since I envisioned the process as quite smelly and stomach churning.

When this would come up more recently, I would sometimes quickly roll on my Random Impedimenta table for a starting point, sprucing the results up a bit as necessary and sprinkling in a smattering of coins or such. I decided a dedicated Table might be a little more useful though.

Many Monsters may not carry Treasure on their Person, or have a Happy Hoard to hole up with, so this table might inspire some ideas for what to reveal in those bulging bellies after diligent dissection. Since there are a few weird and wonderous things in these (especially in the bigger beasts, but those likely would have had a lot more Hit Dice to whittle down!), I’d likely ascribe a small chance, prior to rolling, or potentially tweak any extant Treasure Awards accordingly.

q.v. One Hundred Uses for a (Dead) Dragon

d100 – Arcane Avocations: Magic User Hobbies & Sorcerous Sidelines

As a vocal proponent of making Wizards a little Weirder whenever possible, here’s a Table that contains some ideas for what they might be “up to” in their Towers with their Spare Time. While most of these pursuits might be more applicable to the High-Level Magic User, I’m sure that some might lay the groundwork for these goals at much Lower Levels.

These preoccupations and obsessions might find their way into a Player Character’s Mentor or even serve as ways to decorate the Towers/Spellbooks of the Mighty Magi they come into conflict with from time to time. I can definitely see using these in conjunction with my Mercurial Mentors and Magic Marginalia Tables to further flesh out these situations. A good number of these entries might also be pilferable for PC Patronage in the form of Adventure Hooks/Rumors to help a Wily Wonder-Worker realize or even potentially prevent them from achieving certain long-term goals.

Listening to “What's He Building?” by Tom Waits whilst perusing this Table is purely optional.

d100 - Why Can’t You Pick This Lock?

One minor Rule has always flustered me and my Players a little bit in these older presentations: How a Thief who failed to Open a Lock was unable to “Try Again” until they had Advanced a Level. While it is very easy to understand the intention behind the conceit (we don’t want to bog down our Play with repeated tries, and the eventual/inevitable elimination of an obstacle) it did always strike me as a little bit disassociated.

So, I put together a d100 Table with some Answers to the Question of “Why” they are unable to Pick a given Lock. Some are akin to Puzzles, and maybe harmless Traps in a way, so I can see a bit of double duty in a few of these for fleshing out those Locks a little more (I also have a Table/Generator on them here: Locks & Lockpicks.) One of the primary “Excuses” we used to lean on for this was not having the appropriate Tools (to be retrieved during Downtime, potentially after putting some word out with Contacts...that might take about as long as it takes for a Level up, etc.)

Most of these entries endeavor to steer away from placing the blame on the luckless Thief themselves, which is always a little refreshing (the Thief Player and their Dice at least tried!) so you might find them useful as “Other Excuses” to strategically retrieve for those abysmally low Percentages they start out with! It’s wise to remember that defeating the Lock in this fashion is only a single method of overcoming this kind of obstacle. It usually does come with less Cost or Risk (doesn’t use up a Knock Spell, preserves the functionality of a Door/Container, doesn’t make Noise and Trigger Wandering Monster Checks like the Fighter’s Shoulder, etc.) But there is often more than one way to skin a Catoblepa in these games!

q.v. Where is the Key To This Locked Door?

d100 – From Whence Did This Monster Spawn?

Often when Referees seek out explanations for the many Foes and Fiends that can be found in the various manuals of Monsters at our disposal (or when minting our own!) we’re sometimes only given a few relatively similar and somewhat terse explanations concerning the circumstances that led them to be part of a Setting or World. Usually these tend to err on the side of the shrug-inducing “A Wizard Did It,” though sometimes we might see the occasional digression into an armchair ecological or evolutionary explanation.

I’m a firm believer that it’s sometimes fun and fruitful fodder to imagine where those Monsters might come from as this can inform a Setting in intriguing ways. This Table might be said to lean a little more into the Superstitious/Hearsay angle for these Origins, but I am fond of a more Folkloric approach in my games. Some of these might very well be the methods by which a Monster is Made, while others might be more akin to Admonishments, Fables, or those Cautionary and sometimes Frightening Tales spun for Children. Hopefully they inspire a few more unconventional angles one could consider for whatever the process might be through which a Monster comes into being.

d100 - Magic Arrows & Ammunition

Today we have another Magical Item Table, this time tackling Arrows and Ammunition (and I suppose Sling Bullets with some light re-skinning, though I haven’t given up on a separate table dedicated to those just yet.) Generally, we treat these as Single Use Items that are spent when shot, but in some games a Damage Roll of 1 or 2 means that it can be Recovered after the battle (easier to track, simply don’t mark off the expenditure of Ammunition until after Damage is rolled!) It’s possible there might be a bit of overlap with my prior Table on Magic Bows, which I purposefully neglected to review prior to populating this one.

How many Arrows or Quarrels are discovered in a Treasure Hoard? Well, the B/X Treasure tables provide a range, some sheafs are 2d6, some 3d10, and other stingier ones might only be a single d6. Particularly puissant Projectiles (such as those of Slaying) sometimes show up all by their lonesome, so I suppose this might be a bit dependent on Referee discretion. I’d be inclined to be a little more generous with the ones that are perhaps a little less reliable in terms of this Table.

d100 - Sacred Shrines & Alien Altars

Strange Shrines or other quasi-Religious Fixtures are sometimes useful for dressing up Dungeons or Wildernesses. This table has a hundred ideas for them, broadly decorative in nature on the surface. However, should you prefer to make these a bit more interactive, I often find that assigning them a Spell, usually from the Cleric List, and preferably one of the Reversible ones, can be quite fun. If attempts are made to disturb or desecrate, it might cast the Reversed Version of the Spell, targeting the intrepid interferer. If proper supplication or careful consecration takes place, perhaps the Shrine will deign to grant a boon (in the form of the Positive version of the Spell in question.)

Some common Candidates come to mind for this:

1. Cure/Cause Light Wounds
2. Light/Darkness
3. Purify/Putrefy Food & Water
4. Remove/Cause Fear
5. Bless/Blight
6. Cure/Bestow Blindness
7. Cure/Bestow Disease
8. Remove/Bestow Curse

As a lark, I recently took a stab at providing Reversed versions of all the Cleric Spells in B/X (with some BECMI Padding for symmetry) so there might also be some amusing ideas here:

In my ancient Shrines Series I mention that repurposing the Turn Undead Check can also be useful for this function: The Cleric (perhaps more familiar with such things than other Classes) may be able to make a Turn Undead roll (target = level of the Spell) to successfully activate or deduce the function of a given Shrine/Altar. Failure could trigger consequences of course.

d100 – Carousing Events for Sophisticated Soirées & Refined Revelry

Here’s a quick companion to my more rustic and less “up-market” prior Carousing Consequences & Complications Table, with this one focusing a little more on the slightly more stuffy and formal occasions the Player Characters may find themselves invited to or even reuqired to attend. Potentially useful in the later Domain Tiers as well, alongside some of my recent tables for Stronghold Benefits and Castle Hassles.

d100 - Monster Smells & Olfactory Tells

When Telegraphing or Foreshadowing Encounters, sometimes other senses can be employed. Thinking about this led to another fun Table that had my imagination working overtime! I tried not to consult my prior Three Hundred Smells Table for this one, but I’m quite certain there might be a bit of overlap here and potentially with my Spoor & Sign or Tracks & Traces by Type Table as well.

Naturally, since our musty Monster Manuals don’t come in spectacular “Scratch & Sniff” these are all fanciful speculation and conjecture. I suppose that’s a good thing too, as I’m not sure I’d really like to experience a Troglodyte’s signature Stench ability!

d100 – Priesthood Penances & Cleric Contrition

Deity Disfavor is a Class Feature that doesn’t receive a ton of attention. One can infer a few potential concrete triggers for this from the Class Description (ignoring the Prohibition Sharp/Stabbing Weapons, failing to carry a Holy Symbol...those Poor Clerics that begin Play with only 30 gold pieces!) but much of it falls to Referee interpretation on adherence to the tenants of Alignment and the Religion. Some of my Prior Tables attempt to make this a little more transparent (such as my Hundred Holy Taboos) and less of a “Gotcha!” to be sprung on the Player out of the blue, but what should happen if a Cleric falls from those good graces?

Inspired by a conversation with another Referee, I decided to put together a d100 Table of potential Penances or Acts of Contrition that might serve as some ideas for these situations. Later presentations tend to handle this with the casting of a specific Divine Spell (such as Atonement) but that does strike me as a little perfunctory. I suppose if you aren’t capable of casting it on yourself, that could lead to a little leg work.

The table is a bit of a mixture: I wanted to try and avoid things that were too Restrictive or could potentially impact Play in a severely negative way (such as a “Vow of Silence” impairing communication, etc.) but some of those surely snuck in. I also wanted to try and avoid things that were just easily elided through a Downtime Activity if at all possible. I think I was a little less successful in that goal, but that would still be up to the individual Referee. I believe that some of these entries might be more useful for fleshing out a particular Faith when portraying other members: These could be used by a Referee in Play by attaching them to another Penitent in a Player Character’s Faith, in order to telegraph those Consequences of straying out of that Favor. I should definitely try to remember add this to my Deity Generator when I get the chance!

Content Warning for a soupçon of Self-Harm/Mortification of the Flesh. Feel free to season this to Table Tastes and Player Preferences.