d100 - Heavenly Hallmarks or Gifts for the God-Touched

Many months ago, I completed a table for Tiefling Traits and Infernal Features in which I promised a Post pertaining to their more Angelic/Aasimaric Counterparts. I plinked away at a smattering of entries and then promptly misplaced the Table, only to serendipitously sumble upon it the other day.

Should you not use those beings of Divine or Celestial Heritage in your games, I suppose some of these Blessed Boons could easily be more akin to some of my Fighter Features for Variegated Veterans for the Cleric Class or even proudly pinned on a Paladin. But I think there’s also some utility in using them as a bit of Foreground Growth/Alternative Advancement though: What sort of holy handouts might one receive for tidying a Timeworn Temple, sprucing up a Sacred Shrine, sipping from a Sanctified Spring, or even inadvertently engaging with a mercurial Godling? Some could even serve as a more auspicious bequest, granted after being Brought Back from the Dead.

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 - 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 - Benevolent Blessings & Gainful Growth

Serving as a bit of an “opposite” to my Magical Mishaps & Calamitous Curses table, the following entries are geared more toward those “good things” that can befall or be bestowed upon a Character. Some games even completely eschew conventional “Level Based” advancement for these types of boons acquired through Play. I hear it referred to sometimes as “Diegetic Advancement” or “Foreground Growth” and it has always been a pretty major part of my games.

I felt it might be useful to have some ideas at hand for when this might come up. Whether it’s due to Praying at/Restoring a mysterious Lost Shrine, a cavalier quaff from a Magical Pool, honoring a Bargain with the Fickle but Fair Folk, or even as the object and reward of a bespoken Quest to seek out a specific ability, it’s unconventional improvements like these that can really make a Character more memorable over time.

As always, feel free to season the Durations or Potency of these to your taste or table. Some were written as more ephemeral in nature but could easily be made permanent instead if that is to your liking. Others might work better if they were limited somewhat or come with a Price or perhaps a Risk. For additional ideas, I do sometimes just peruse my Magic Item tables and think of ways to apply some of those abilities to a Character directly, instead of an item.