>>12761258
Behold! The cards from the Deck of Many Boons!

* 2 – make any enemy reroll an attack or skill check
* 3 – reroll a skill check
* 4 – reroll an attack
* 5 – turn a successful attack into a critical, or make another attack
* 6 – perform one additional, single action
* 7 – make an enemy/npc look like a fool
* 8 – trump everyone in initiative (going first), as long as you don’t roll lowest
* 9 - use a skill as if you were trained in it
* 10 – use a feat/talent/special ability that you don’t have, as long as you qualify for it. Lasts for one round.
* J – improve your speed by 50% for the round
* Q – make a minion or enemy of up to your level/ability flee
* K – player fiat – railroad the GM with your lucky break (you find ammo, you find a friendly NPC/you know someone in town/you kick the broken engine and it starts, you find the trap door, etc.)
* A – General Bad Ass, sir! For one round or scene, you come off as the ultimate bad ass. The GM will treat your character with the respect that they’ve earned. Bonuses and extra abilites are almost not needed, as you are the General Bad Ass. You may not railroad the game, but you may surely act like you are running it.
* Joker – When your character fails at something, the GM may invoke the Joker. When this happens, not only will you fail at your task, but you will fail miserably, entertaining everyone else at the table. All other players may draw a card from the Deck of Many Boons!

>>12761258
>Should the GM refuse to let you put a card back into the Deck of Many Boons, all players at the table shall draw another card!, from the Deck of Many Boons!
>unused cards will shamefully be put back into the Deck of Many Boons

So the reward for the GM not letting you use a card, is another card the GM can refuse to let you use.

>>12761294
I don't know. I just copy and pasted. I'll be posting some links to /tg/ related websites as I come across them.

>>12761319
Writing and gaming generators-http://chaoticshiny.com/

I have no idea how good they are; haven't gotten a chance to look around yet.

If anyone else has anything they'd like to contribute go ahead.

http://lore.dramatis-personae.com/creation/groaners.php

More generators-http://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/name/#serenity_alliance_spaceship

That will be my last generator link. Unless you want more.

>>12761398

>Do not wear real armor

Does this include light materials, like leather, tanned leather and alike? Chainmail is very passable too.

>>12761398
>>grow a beard
>>do

A list of 30 unsettling moments:

#1 Although Benjy the grey cat likes everyone else in the tavern, it hisses whenever a certain PC passes by.
#2 The children start to sing a song about beheading whenever a certain PC enters the vicinity.
#3 The spider seems drawn to one PC’s leg and constantly crawls up it.
#4 A strange smell follows one PC throughout the month, a pervasive graveyard stink that is commented upon behind his or her back by others.
#5 All the birds fly away as the characters enter town, screeching and calling in terror.
#6 Downstairs in the inn, one particular character is unsettled by the way the man in the portrait’s eyes seem to follow him. Upstairs in his room is an identical portrait that has an identical effect.
#7 The insect legs the character finds in his stew wriggle about despite the absence of a body.
#8 Throughout their stay in the village, the cockerel keeps appearing by a character’s side and crowing, even at night and no matter where he or she hides.
#9 Troubled Jik warns one character that the “devil rides in the hump upon the characters back.” As the rumor spreads throughout the village, all the locals begin to notice the imaginary hump with its devil passenger on the PC.
#10 People keep approaching the character and offering their condolences about his or her cousin Maud and the terrible and bizarre gardening accident that caused Maud’s sudden death.

>>12761495
I think it says DO wear real armor.

>>12761504
#11 Throughout the week, the same scarecrow seems to turn up in fields the PCs walk past.
#12 How come the children’s nursery rhyme keeps referring to one of the PCs by name? And worse, why is the rhyme about eating slugs, bugs, and thugs?
#13 Every bad person the PCs meet during the next three adventures is rumored to have a henchman called Grust the Merciless. Grust regrettably never actually makes an appearance.
#14 The same face keeps appearing in crowds everywhere—a rotund, somewhat ruddy complexioned fellow with a huge, flat, red nose. Chug Hoppwell is actually the PC’s biggest fan, and takes great joy in following their exploits—he’s merely admiring them and has given up his job and home to see them in action as much as possible.
#15 Everyone in the village seems afraid of one of the PCs. As the PC crosses the street, people cross to the other side; as the PC enters a tavern, a drink is poured and no charge made; when the PC approaches a shop, it closes. The PC actually resembles an infamous murderer and pirate called Thrashnan who terrorized the village a summer ago. The locals cornered Thrashnan, who had kidnapped a trio of innocent villagers, in a barn. Terrified that he would escape the local barred the barn doors and set fire to the place. As he and his prisoners were burning, Thrashnan swore he would come back from the dead. The villagers, of course, will never willingly reveal what happened but begin to discuss what to do about the return from the dead of the infamous killer.
#16 Throughout the adventure, a wolf pack is heard howling.
#17 The same magpie follows the PCs throughout the week—a sure sign of ill-fortune: one for sorrow as the old rhyme goes.
#18 In the graveyard, the PCs each find a grave with their name upon it, most dating from the same year a century ago.
#19 As the PCs enter the tavern, the town clock strikes noon, and at that exact moment, Chape, the tavern owner’s dog, expires at their feet.

>>12761540
#20 The chicken fight abruptly stops as the PCs walk by, and inexplicably, all the chickens rush into the coop, fighting to get into its safety first.
#21 A seventh daughter of a seventh daughter claims she has seen one of the PCs in two distinct dreams she’s had. In the first dream, three things happen: he meets her, avoids her, and is then eaten by a huge six-headed crocodile at midnight. In the second dream, he meets her, marries her, and they live happily ever after. After telling her tale, she smiles toothlessly up at him.
#22 As they are playing cards, the PCs suddenly discover that there are twenty aces of spades in the pack.
#23 As the PCs enter the market, a bard is singing a song about a man who was a werewolf but didn’t know it—he came to a town on market day with a bard who sang a song about a man who was a werewolf and didn’t know it. In the chorus, it transpires that the werewolf’s name is the same as one of the PCs.
#24 Rumor has it round these parts that when a group of strangers enters town on the Festival of Saint Garuday, the dreaded Vampire Lamprey of the Great Lake shall rise and eat all the local unmarried women. As the PCs ask what day it is, the townsfolk fall silent…
#25 The wicker men, whose numbers match those of the heroes, are “merely ornamentation” the locals claim…

>>12761559
#26 As the PCs enter town, it begins to rain black rain.
#27 The man in the ancient portrait in the Lord’s House does indeed look exactly like the character. His name? Deathly Lord Rache the Slayer of Innocents, the devil who swore to return…
#28 “Sixteen men shall rise, rise up from their graves, this very night they’ll rise and take the strangers there.” Old sailor’s song sung when strangers or groups of heroes enter taverns
#29 Although they can never prove it, all the characters have the uncanny feeling that they are being watched whilst in town. As they finally leave town a huge-eyed dog appears from a barn and tries to follow them.
#30 “Adventurers are yeh?” says the guard on the town gate. “They never last long in these parts on account of the terrible night things—things that are both terrible and which appear nightly…” Swizz concocted by town guards to ensure that traveling heroes stay in town longer than they intended to. Tavern owners are, of course, grateful for such help and reward it generously.

5 Tips To Creating A Truly Evil Villain

1. Numerous, Non-Lethal Attacks
My new villain does not have the resources to completely wipe out the character party and still keep her other plots and plans going. So, like the mosquito, she is going to use many non-lethal attacks upon exposed areas to drive the characters as far away as possible.

Examples of her intended attacks?
* Use her minions to destroy weaker allies (i.e. those 0 level villagers the characters seem to love so much)
* Attack the henchmen so the party must carry its own stuff
* Prevent the PCs from getting rest (and therefore healing) at night (i.e. strange noises, ambushes, forest fires...)

Expected Surprise Attacks
Meaning, the players will know she's out there, but they won't know when or where her next attack will be until she's already drawn a pint of blood.

More examples:

* Bribe immoral villagers and friends to betray the PCs

* Spread nasty rumours about the characters so they cannot convalesce in nearby villages or towns (i.e. they carry the plague, murderous troublemakers, seeking young daughters for wives)

* Send sneaky minions to poison the PCs food

* Endear herself to the PCs' friends and family

Make the PCs Do Things They Don't Want To
How many of us enjoy slopping on Off! and other chemicals? Or what about sitting inside behind screen doors on hot summer nights?

My villain is going to earn the party's eternal enmity just by forcing them to change their plans, modify their behavior and do things they don't want to.

Examples:

* Block paths and roads with fallen trees
* Flood the PCs' village by damming a nearby river
* Cause the PCs to post extra guards at night
* Make the PCs check all food and provisions for tampering

Create An Annoying Itch Afterwards
Imagine how you would feel if your worst enemy performed some heroic deed and saved your friends and all you heard from them forever after is how "so and so is such a great person" and how "so and so is so brave and beautiful"?

What would you do if you found that your trusty steed has been permanently marked or branded with insults about you, in bright white paint on its rump?

It wouldn't take much for my villain to cast a single spell and shape the stone of a local mountain into a likeness of herself to remind everybody how great she is. That would itch!

Lethal Danger To The PCs Without Risk to the Villain
Mosquitoes potentially carry deadly diseases. That element of risk turns them into true villains. And, so what if you kill one? There's a thousand more with empty bellies buzzing closer...

It's the same with my new villain. She has a small horde of minions whose lives she is perfectly willing to throw away. She has also done her research and knows that it is against the morality of the PCs to kill her in cold blood. Her style is to work in the background and let her flunkies do her dirty work. This means she can live in the same village as the PCs, go to the same parties and flaunt her presence without risk of retaliation. That's evil!

I'll post some riddles.

I cover cities and destroy mountains,
I make men blind, yet help them see.

Deck of many things generator-http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dmt/dmt.htm

>>12761678

>>12761707

What is it-
That we love more than life,
Fear more than death,
The rich want it,
The poor have it,
The miser spends it,
And the spend-rift saves it?

If anyone wants a link to where I'm getting the riddles just let me know and I'll post it.

Of no use to one
Yet absolute bliss to two.
The small boy gets it for nothing.
The young man has to lie for it.
The old man has to buy it.

I saw someone talking about a PnP Morrowind RPG so if they're still out there here is a Daedric translator. http://www.seajays.org.uk/morrowind/daedric.htm

>>12761707
The sun?

>>12761720
Nothing.

>>12761734
Love?

Also please provide link to riddles.

What runs around a city
but never moves?

If anyone would like to try to answer some of the riddles go ahead.

>>12761753
Sand

Nothing

A Kiss

http://www.dndadventure.com/html/riddles.html

>>12761770
A wall maybe I dunno

>>12761770
A road

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Mr._Rogers_%28DnD_Deity%29

Mr. Roger's as a deity

>>12761781
How does sand help you see?

That's fucking RETARDED.

>>12761786
correct

Want me to still throw out some riddles even though I posted the link to the answers?

>>12761809
Yeah, I thought "Sun" was a much better answer.

http://www.d20source.com/2009/03/awesome-traps-drawn-and-quartered

Trap

>>12761812
Sure, go ahead. Would be awesome if you had links to more riddles though.

>>12761833
You never know, I may run across some more. I'm just using the sumbleupon toolbar.

Iron roof, glass walls
Burns and burns
And never falls.

>>12761809

Sand makes glasses is, I believe the justification.

Also, I find the third one balls; young/old men are perfectly capable of getting kisses for free without deception. Just not me, so ronery, ect.

http://inkwellideas.com/?p=927-101 ideas to help create backgrounds and personalities.

A little something for DMs- http://www.myrpgame.com/2010/10/22/running-the-world-the-players-built/

>>12761857
A streetlight, perhaps?

It holds most knowledge that has ever been said;
But is not the brain, is not the head.
To feathers and their masters, 'tis both bane and boon. . .
One empty, and one full.

>>12761911
Close enough. A lantern.

>>12761922
A book?

>>12761929
Dammit.

Encounter Generator- http://www.dmtools.org/encounters.php

>>12761944
Close but no.

I begin eternity,
And end space,
At the end of time,
And in every place,
Last in life,
Second to death,
Never alone,
Found in your breath,
Contained by earth,
Water or flame,
My grandeur so awesome,
Wind dare not tame,
Not in your mind,
Am in your dreams,
Vacant to Kings,
Present to Queens.

>>12761922
A library? Barring that, paper.

>>12761986
Paper is correct.

Does anyone have anything in particular they are looking for? Just let me know and if I run across something like it or could be linked to what you want I'll post it.

>>12761985
Imagination?

>>12761985
Hihi, I know this one.

>>12762012
No

6 ways to enhance magical items

1. Give them personal names

A simple but effective method. Even minor items get a personality boost when named.

Tip: A name could imply special powers if you are not in the habit of naming most magic items, so you might need to explain the first time that Felix the Cape is what the previous owner called it, and it truly is just a +1 Cloak of Resistance. However, that little bit of disappointment will soon fade as the player starts having fun calling his cape by name. You should not have future problems after this expectation-setting moment, but the benefits will last the whole campaign.

>>12762059
2. Give them a flaw

The best flaws spawn from an item’s powers. Before you tack on a flaw, look first to see if the item’s ability has a story-based downside or can be turned against the PC in a narrative way. This approach generates more choices and consequences for PCs and better integrates the item into your campaign.

Fables are a neat source of inspiration for this kind of puzzle. Read their moral tales, study the mishaps of the characters and look at reactions for ideas on how to turn magic items into trouble and conflict for the PCs.

Fame is a good one. The Slippers of Spider Climbing sure are useful, but when people see the PC walking on walls and ceilings everyone will want him to do that trick. It is hard to be stealthy when you get recognized and asked to perform tricks.

Another example is the lowly +1 dagger. What commoner would not want an ever-sharp, easy to clean, sleek knife? Perhaps the PC is constantly asked to wager away his dagger. Perhaps a killer uses a +1 dagger, so when the authorities see the especially clean and lethal cuts they will suspect the adventurer known to wield that special knife. Providing an alibi might be easy but also inconvenient if the character has something to hide, as they always seem to do.

>>12762076
3. Give them a quirk

Make the item fun to play. A quirk is not a flaw or boon, but an interesting trait. It encourages roleplaying, offers choices and affects character tactics, though not in combat encounters so much. It may have a positive or negative effect, but on a smaller scale than flaws and boons.

A quirk often introduces new gameplay when the item is used or present. Another word for quirk could be side effect. For example, a wand might turn your hands blue for half a minute after each use. No big deal, right? No effect on combat, and just a silly thing. However, in the city of Carnus in a previous campaign, arcane casting was illegal and captured wizards were prosecuted. Blue hands would tip off foes who could summon authorities.

That example might be a bit severe. I might consider it a flaw in that campaign, but a quirk in another. Perhaps using the wand makes flowers bloom instead. Alternatively, the wand might have a clue scratched into it by a former owner and if the PCs realize the clue exists and can decode it, you have a surprise adventure hook waiting.

>>12762082
4. Give them a background

Stories about magic items breathe depth, detail and optional hooks into your games.

Even if a background is so independent it is completely detached from any adventure or encounter hooks, the player will still instantly form a bigger bond with that item and feel your campaign is awesome. Such is the power of little touches like adding backstories to magic items.

If backgrounds are tough for you, try this short outline:

Three owners, two events, one conflict

* Have the item trade hands at least three times.
* Give at least two owners notable uses of the item in some kind of event.
* Give each transfer of ownership a reason, with at least one involving an unwilling transfer.
* Provide the reason or circumstances for how the PC managed to get the item. If the item was in a treasure pile, describe how it got there if that event was not one of the three transfers you have already described. Likewise, if an NPC had the item last, ensure you know how they got it.

>>12762099
5. Give them a dilemma

Create magic items that require give and take. They offer a benefit compelling enough that the curse or downside is worth it.

For example, infuse your campaign with enemies who take advantage of the flaw. They trigger encounters setup to take advantage of the flaw. They bring the kryptonite, or tuned energy resistance or protection. They hire a disarm specialist, lay a trap or plan a diversion.

If the PC has come to depend on the magic, that is a weakness right there. Enemies just need to nullify the item’s benefits, perhaps even for just a short time, and the PC is made vulnerable.

First though, enemies must learn about the item’s existence, then learn a PC has it, and then learn its properties and flaws. If you game this out, you add great depth and realism to campaigns. How exactly do NPCs gain this knowledge? Spies, divination and direct encounters offer possible answers. So now you need to arrange some encounters.

For example, in my current campaign the villain sends minions to fight the PCs on a regular basis. He then sets spies nearby to observe the combat and report back on the PCs’ capabilities, special equipment and tactics.

Should the PCs figure this out, it becomes a new concern for them each encounter. Is this just a setup by the villain to gather more intel? What should be done to prevent this? It is not enough to beat the guys in front of you anymore; you have to spot the spies or keep your special powers a secret lest you reveal them too soon. Great games within the game!

Another dilemma could be one stat goes up and another goes down while the item is in use. Another might be chances of a critical hit goes up but so do chances of fumbles, or everybody’s chances of a critical goes up in a 10′ radius – including foes. A funny one might be an item grants invisibility but makes the wearer incredibly noisy and smelly.

>>12762109
6. Give them attention

Keep good notes handy about how the characters appear to NPCs. Roleplay NPCs based on how they perceive the PCs. This perception should especially include magic items.

Unless magic is commonplace, others will take notice and talk about it. Take this a step further by producing a range of reactions on a regular basis. If every NPC reacts the same, the effect of attention wears off, so mix it up.

Example reactions:

* Amazement: characters love this kind of attention because it makes them feel important.
* Fear: NPCs run way, cower or freeze up. In each situation, ask what they fear and why. Explore this to add more depth to NPCs. For example, the NPC fears for the PC’s well-being. But why? Perhaps in this region only certain people may own and use magic items, such as nobles and military officers. If a character is caught with a magic item, he’ll be thrown in prison. Suddenly you have a great region and culture hook, plus good gameplay tension.Another option is to create phobias regarding magic items, types of magic and types of magic effects.

* Greed: the NPC wants this item for its potential use, to sell it or to curry favor by gifting it. Imagine the value in a magically sharp item that never loses it’s edge, doesn’t rust, and weighs little. If it glows it will further blow their mind!
* Anger: this is a great surprise reaction. Why is the NPC angry? And what will the anger make the non-player character do? Anger is such a string emotion, even an ally could do something unexpected, such as attack to subdue the PC for his own safety.
* Pleasure: similar to amazement, the NPC is delighted when the magic item is around, on display or in use. They want to see it, touch it, use it.

Ten Men's Strength,
Ten Men's Length,
Ten Men can't break it,
Yet a young boy walks off with it

>>12762142
Rope

>>12762167
right

Top 10 greatest D&D end bosses-http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/06/the_10_greatest_dungeons_dragons_end_bosses.php

I have many tongues but cannot taste
By me, most things are turned to waste
I crack and snap, yet I stay whole
I may take the largest toll
I assisted all of the first men
And I will pay them back again
Around me, people snuggle and sleep
Yet run when I am released from my keep
I jump around and leap and bound
The cold man wishes I he had found

A table of possible backgrounds, qualities, or features of a fantasy town or city- http://strolen.com/viewing/100_Unique_TownCity_Properties

Does /tg/ like the links, tables and pictures I've posted? I might be gone for a while in a little bit. If you'd like more of this stuff bump it every once and a while until I get back. I'll keep posting until then.

Stronger than steel,
And older than time;
They are more patient than death
and shall stand even when the stars have ceased to shine.
Their strength is embedded
in roots buried deep
Where the sands and frosts of ages
can never hope to touch or reach.

Not quite sure what the hell this is but it looks useful-http://www.codechemistry.com/

Making a fight Dynamic and memorable-http://trollitc.com/2010/10/making-a-fight-dynamic-and-memorable/

For DMs:

Be Clear About the Nature of the Campaign

The first and most important step in helping your players create fun characters is making sure everyone’s on the same page about what kind of campaign you’re all going be playing. (How you get on that page is up to you, and outside the scope of this article.)

That allows your players to avoid poor character choices up front, and prevents you from winding up with a hodgepodge party that doesn’t play nice together.

>>12762771
Create Characters as a Group

Group character creation is one of the single greatest weapons in your GMing arsenal. You can run a fun campaign without doing it, but your chances of doing so go down (at least in general — your group, of course, may vary).

Group chargen helps to ensure that every PC has a well-defined role in the party, works well with the other characters (nothing spoils a game like a group of parentless social outcasts who stick together solely because they’re the PCs), and — best of all — has connections to the other PCs as well.

Is anyone reading these?

>>12762781
Steer Your Players Away from Bunk Choices

Most RPGs have at least a handful of decidedly sub-par character options (abilities, skills, etc.), and sometimes those options don’t look sub-par at first glance. When a player makes a poor choice in this department, they often won’t realize it’s a poor choice until much later on — and when they do, they’ll be bummed. If you bring up why a particular choice might not be the best option, they’re still free to take it anyway, but they’ll know what they’re getting into.

>>12762791
Suggest Things that Look Like Fun

Unless a player is incredibly well-versed in a particular system, chances are they’ll overlook character options that might be a lot of fun. As the GM, you probably have at least as much (if not more) experience with the game you’re running as your players do — so use that experience to help them out.

Once your players are done with their characters, give them all a once-over and see what jumps out at you. They’re likely to appreciate your suggestions.

>>12762678

Nice virus dectections, bro.

>that minaco

>>12762799
Allow Changes After the Game Begins

As a rule of thumb, you should always allow your players to revamp, rework or even completely chuck out their characters between the first and second session of play. If you employ preludes (a highly driftable White Wolf game element), the prelude session makes a great test run for new PCs.

You can also allow character overhauls later on in the game, although this presents it’s own set of challenges (see Un-Fun PCs: When Retconning is Good for discussion on this topic).

What tricks and approaches do you employ to help make sure your players have fun with the PCs they create?

>>12762816
I'm terribly sorry. How do you delete a post?

bump

Mithril is a silvery-white metal with a number of unusual properties:

* It occurs naturally only in native form; mithril does not form ores or oxides with other minerals, though veins of native mithril are often found embedded with ores of silver, platinum and palladium. Likewise, mithril does not rust, tarnish, or corrode; it can be melted down or scattered into droplets by intense heat, but it cannot be destroyed by any mundane means.
* It is lighter than steel, yet it can be worked into weapons and armor that are stronger than their steel counterparts.
* Mithril can only be properly tempered with the use of both physical fire and elemental fire (i.e., fire magic).1
* Mithril is poisonous to daedra, undead, lycanthropes, and many other supernatural creatures.2
* Mithril accepts enchantments easily and can hold very elaborate spells almost indefinitely.

The reason for mithril's unusual properties is not well understood; the titan Nathales, who taught dragons and Elves how to work with mithril, said that it was imbued with "the essence of magic itself," though what Nathales meant by this is a subject of ongoing debate.

One thing, however, is understood by all: Mithril is extremely valuable. Most of the mithril that was ever mined is locked away in ancient forgotten vaults or the hoards of dragons; few of the weapons and pieces of armor crafted during the war against the Great Darkness can still be found in active service.

>>12762983
Forging Mithril

Working with mithril is tricky. The metal in its native form is malleable enough, but in order to make it usable for weapons or armor it needs to be tempered with elemental fire as well as mundane fire. If you're making an enchanted weapon, it also needs to be infused with the intended magic during the tempering process — and only the intended magic. Mithril absorbs ambient magic like a sponge absorbs water; that's why it's used for enchantments that have to last a long time. You have to carefully control the ambient magic throughout the forging process in order to create the sorts of light, strong armor and weapons that mithril is best known for.3 Because of this, mithril-smiths need to be skilled enchanters, or at least need to have a skilled enchanter present during the forging process. The best mithril weapons in ages past were made by Elven smiths who spent decades learning magical theory before they ever picked up the hammer and tongs.
Footnotes
1. Alternatively, dragonfire can be used, which contains both.
2. For d20 gaming purposes, treat mithril weapons as being both silver and cold iron for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
3. Uncontrolled ambient magic during the forging process will either result in the destruction of the weapon or, more interestingly, the creation of a magic weapon with some very weird and potentially dangerous quirks.

That's all I got. If anybody else has anything to add go ahead.

bump

bump

bump

>>12762678
>>12762816
>>12762837
wtf? Virus detections?

>>12763107
Damn, your DM tips were good stuff. Where'd you get them?

>>12764425
I was just using the stumpleupon toolbar. I can't remember the websites. Sorry.

Bumping for people to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this thread.

So, this is basically the Savage Worlds Adventure Deck?

>>12768681
If it looks similar to it then I guess so.