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 - Why is Garlic so Stinking Expensive?

Here is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek diversion from what might be considered slightly more useful Random Tables. It has always been extremely interesting to me how the standard Equipment lists in these games do so much heavy lifting to telegraph Setting, and I often tend to see players new to the game gravitate to a few of the same things.

Allium sativum on the list alongside other, perhaps more practical, purchases for Dungeon Delving is one of these. Its mere presence seems to scream to some that the possibility of Vampires is not only very real, but something they ought to prepare for. The same way those lovely Saving Throw Categories, so starkly listed on their sheet, stoically advertise other dangers.

But what may have gone unnoticed is just how pricey that lovely little Bulb can be. A little casual research reveals that it tends to stay remarkably stable pricewise in these older games. Naturally, this led me to wonder Why?

So, here is a table of a Hundred ways to address this burning question (admittedly over-contemplated on my part) and these weird implications. It just goes to show that there are all sorts of lovely little nuances living in those lists that are hiding and waiting to be revealed by Referee’s with perhaps too much time on their hands.😂

d100 - Buildings & Businesses

You’ve respectfully installed your mandatory Tavern and Temple, as well as the ubiquitous Blacksmith/Bloodbath & Beyonde, but what are all those other buildings that make up the rest of the Village? Here’s a handy d100 table for this kind of pastoral planning. I couldn’t resist the urge to sneak in a few Village Vignettes while I was at it 😊.

These Village-Folk Are... (d100 Table)

The party has been slogging along through the unwelcoming wilderness for weeks now, and both rations and morale are at an all-time-low.

A dry bed, balmy bath, and a home-made meal featuring fresh ingredients that haven’t done a stretch in the Dwarf’s sweaty pack certainly wouldn’t go amiss. Distant curls of smoke slinking lazily above the horizon lead them to a well-worn and wagon-rutted road, which in turn winds its way toward a small settlement (or thorp, hamlet, village, etc.).

Need to give its population some distinctive peculiarities or breathe a little life into this mote on the map? Here's a table: