GLOG: Spell Husbandry

Wizards have a boundless lust for new spells, yet rather bounded opportunities for satisfying it. Aside from looting spells from the remains of your bested foes and their conquered demesnes, you can try purchasing them (which is expensive and limited by supply) or researching them (which is even more expensive and quite time-consuming) or breeding them. All spells are spirit, and as such live, breed and die. Do not think of their breeding in the mammalian sense, however, as most astral creatures are queerly akin to bacteria and fungi in that regard.

 

The Spiritist by The Sketching Monkey

 

Spell Breeding
As a downtime action, choose up to your max MD to invest into a breeding ritual and one or more spells to breed. The MD are invested for the whole week as they power the spells' metamorphosis. All spell-wisps used in the attempt vanish, replaced per the breeding results of the invested MD - see the table below. Any multiples on the invested MD result in complications - reference the multiple on the table below, but the breeding still resolves as normal, if possible. If you are skilled in Spell Husbandry, you can modify a die by ±1 per skill check success, before complications are assessed.

Spell mutations are cumulative.

Breeding Result

1. Stillborn.
2. Mutant. A randomly mutated variant of one of the original spells.
3. Cloned. Two spells are born, exact clones of one of the original spells.
4. Purged. A clean copy of one of the original spells is born, removing all its mutations and modifications.
5. Hybrid. A hybrid spell drawing from all original spells is born, as determined by the GM or player ideas. If only one spell was used, tweak the wording of the new spell.
6. You may choose any of the previous results. You may also choose to swap or remove a mutation.

Breeding Complication

1. Incursion. The die-off of your spells has accidentally powered a portal to the spirit world. Hungry spirit-beasts with [sum of the ritual] total HD burst through.
2. Cross-mutation. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp instead becomes a completely random spell. On a triple or more, all newborn spell-wisps from the ritual are affected. Any mutations are carried over.
3. Enchantment. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp instead fuses with a nearby item, creating a new magical item (one-off or permanent). While useful items are certainly possible, this can also create traps, hazards, curios or cursed items. On a triple or more, a random newborn spell-wisp instead possesses and animates a nearby item.
4. Jailbreak. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp flees and manifests with [dice of the ritual] HD. On a triple or more, all newborn spell-wisps from the ritual and from all nearby receptacles become unbound, manifested and left to roam freely.
5. Orgy. Per each MD showing a 5, add +1 MD and another spell drawn into the ritual from a nearby receptacle, magic item or local enchantment.
6. Brainstorm. A runaway feedback loop between the ritual array and your brain has left you on the floor, twitching and babbling. Lose 1 Will per MD showing an even number and gain 1 CD per MD showing an odd number.

 

An incarnated spell-wisp, trapped and
ready to be returned to your brain.

 

d100 Spell Mutations

Based on the other spell mutation tables. You can also roll a d30 if you need a negative mutation.

1. Perfect. The spell cannot be bred or mutate any further.
2. Feeble. The spell is lesser, numerically or in potency; [sum] becomes [highest] or [dice], etc.
3. Brief. The spell's duration is reduced. If instantaneous but creating a permanent effect, the effect becomes temporary or illusory. For example, a magically unlocked door would relock itself.
4. Lazy. The spell's range is reduced. Touch spells become self only.
5. Diminutive. The spell affects a smaller area or fewer targets. If already single target, affects a single body part.
6. Niche. The spell is narrower in utility. For example, charm person becomes charm elf.
7. Infirm. The target has an advantage on their save, or gets a save if the spell would not normally allow one.
8. Vexing. The spell requires either a bothersome reagent that is consumed by the casting, or a cumbersome focusing item that takes up at least 2 Slots.
9. Cancerous. All MD invested in this spell are d4.
10. Sluggish. Once cast, the spell only takes effect after its original casting time passes again.
11. Runic. The spell may only be cast by drawing a complex runic diagram. Its casting time is a step slower (round becomes minute, minute becomes hour).
12. Draining. You cannot use any magic for [lowest] rounds after casting this spell.
13. Exhausting. Take 1 Fatigue when you cast this spell.
14. Withering. Age [dice] years when you cast this spell.
15. Greedy. All MD invested in this spell are always burnt.
16. Jagged. Take [dice] irresistible damage when you cast this spell.
17. Querulous. The spell can only be cast under certain conditions - at midnight, while standing on a threshold, in a city, etc.
18. Allergic. The spell is disrupted by a specific substance or condition. For example, a fireball that fizzles in the rain, or healing word that fails if the target is wearing a hat.
19. Unreliable. If any MD rolls a 1, the spell fizzles.
20. Erratic. If any MD rolls a 1, the spell goes off in a random direction or targets at random (including the caster).
21. Imbued. The spell likes to be imbued in an item. It does not have to be a wand (the spell is not picky), but it must be held during casting. Casting the spell without an imbued item will cause it to step down all MD.
22. Unfaithful. The spell, after its effects take place, will move to the mind of a nearby creature at random instead of returning to you. They can cast it once at 1 MD before the next dawn, during which it will return to you.
23. Twinned. The spell has an identical twin that always resides in the same receptacle. Whenever one is cast, the other must be cast alongside it at a different target. This takes just a single action for both, but you must invest at least 1 MD separately in each.
24. Forbidden. To understand this spell means to fill your head with dread knowledge. You may only cast it if you have at least one Vice. When you attempt to memorise the spell and have no Vice, you may opt to gain a random Vice. Add +[Vice] to the spell's [sum].
25. Corrupted. Casting this spell causes you to gain 1 CD, but it counts CD towards its [sum] and [dice].
26. Hexed. Mishaps make nearby plants wither, food spoil and unborn things mutate. Dooms affect a massive area.
27. Unstable. Mishaps and Dooms open short-lived rifts to Dreamlands or stranger planes.
28. Wounding. The target also starts bleeding.
29. Mutagenic. The target must also save vs mutation.
30. Illusory. The spell is merely an illusion, but the target will believe they were truly affected until someone slaps some sense back into them.
31. Empowered. The spell is greater, numerically or in potency; [dice] becomes [sum] or [highest], etc.
32. Lingering. The spell's duration is increased. Instant effects, for example, now last for several rounds.
33. Roaming. The spell's range is doubled, or becomes 30ft if it was touch or self.
34. Massive. The spell affects a larger area or more targets.
35. Unbounded. The spell is broader in utility. For example, charm person becomes charm creature.
36. Heightened. The target has a disadvantage on their save.
37. Quickened. The spell can be cast as a half action.
38. Maximized. The spell's [sum] is treated as maximum given invested MD (6 for 1 MD, 12 for 2 MD, etc.), but the MD are burnt. Still roll the MD to check for Mishaps and Dooms.
39. Corporeal. The spell physically manifests the spell-wisp itself - an alien, fey creature - that carries out its duty at your behest and dissipates once its effects have been performed. It is rather stupid, easily distracted, and follows your orders to the letter rather than the spirit, but does so with enthusiasm. The MD stay invested until it de-manifests.
40. Potionified. The spell leaks from your fingertips as a colourful liquid. The first applicable target to touch the potion gets affected by it and the liquid dissipates.
41. Glyphic. The spell forms a glowing rune on a touched surface or in mid-air, and only takes effect when a suitable target touches the glyph.
42. Bloodletting. You can use Constitution Vigour damage in place of investing MD.
43. Maddening. You can use Wisdom Will damage in place of investing MD.
44. Repurposed. The possible targets of the spell change to (d4) 1. creatures, 2. items, 3. material, 4. magic.
45. Reshaped. The spell's effect manifests in a different shape. For example (d6) line, cone, cube, sphere, wall, ring.
46. Sculpted. You can create gaps in the spell's effect. For example, cast a fireball that leaves a hole in the middle, or sleep that circumnavigates your allies.
47. Safe. You may choose the spell to fizzle instead of suffering a Miscast with it. You may lose the spell permanently instead of suffering a Doom with it.
48. Subtle. The spell can be cast without a gesture or incantation.
49. Silent. Neither casting the spell nor any of its effects produce any sound whatsoever. You still must say the incantation, silently.
50. Shrouded. The spell is completely imperceptible to magical senses and divination.
51. In/Visible. If the spell's effect was obvious, it is now invisible or hard to notice. If it was inconspicuous, it is now obvious and flashy.
52. Mundane. The spell tries to manifest in ways not unusual for the local environment, and will leave anyone without a magical expertise unsure whether the effect was even magical in nature.
53. Flavoured. The spell changes in element or specialization. For example, fireball becomes ball of lightning, charm person becomes charm bird, etc.
54. Reversed. The spell does the opposite of its original effect.
55. Haunting. An echo of the spell remains in the area for minutes/hours/days/weeks. Suitable targets in the area must save or have the echo affect them at 1 MD.
56. Lucky? All MD rolls above half their value are treated as maximum. All MD rolls below or equal to half their value are treated as minimum. Mishaps and Dooms are still resolved using the normal results.
57. Sympathetic. If you have in your possession a personal belonging or a piece of the target, you can burn it up to grant the spell unlimited range without line of sight. The magic will even slip through the cracks between worlds to reach its target. It is impossible to hide from the spell, but it may be stopped by powerful protections. The target will know where the spell was cast.
58. Predatory. Mishaps or Dooms instead indicate the destruction of another spell or magic item in your possession, while this spell goes off as normal.
59. Chrysalis. Mishaps or Dooms instead indicate that the spell metamorphoses into a new random spell, keeping mutations, then goes off as normal.
60. Merciful. The spell fails if used to harm the target. If damaging, it deals non-lethal damage.
61. Peripatetic. The spell will happily jump from receptacle to receptacle, taking just a standard action to do so.
62. Stylish. The spell is a show-off. It is noisy, flashy, attention-drawing and cool. Impractically so. Add some lights, smoke, distant thunder or other minor illusions.
63. Phasing. The caster phases out of spacetime for [dice] turns after they cast the spell, but before it resolves.
64. Potent. Step up one MD when casting this spell.
65. Bouncing. When the spell fails (e.g. target saves, but not when countered), it bounces to a random different target (friend or foe) until it finds one that can be affected or runs out of targets in range. The spell will not bounce to the same target twice.
66. Chained. When you cast this spell with 2+ MD, discard the highest die after it first takes effect and choose a new target, originating from the previous target. Repeat until you run out of dice. The same target cannot be chosen twice.
67. Gatling. Instead of recovering MD when you cast the spell, recast it again as a free action, repeating until all invested MD are spent.
68. Warping. Every time you cast this spell, also teleport exactly [dice] paces.
69. Obscuring. The spell creates a puff of thick smoke with every casting, enough to conceal the caster from view for a round.
70. Brilliant. The spell is unaffected by counterspelling, dispelling or antimagic in general.
71. Piercing. The spell is unaffected by magical defences or deflection.
72. Caustic. Deals [sum]/2 acid damage to the target at the end of their next turn.
73. Forceful. Slams the target with excess energy and - based on [dice] - throws them off balance/knocks them back/knocks them prone/sends them flying, save negates.
74. Dazzling. The target is also blinded for [dice] turns.
75. Vital. The caster also regains [dice] hp.
76. Risky. The spell's [sum] is doubled on Mishap, tripled on Doom.
77. Contagious. Anyone who touches the target while they are affected (for spells with duration) or touching the target while they are hit (for instantaneous spells) is also affected at half the effect.
78. Contingent. The spell becomes single target and has no immediate effect. It lays dormant in the target until a specific condition is met, then goes off. Each spell has its own perceivable condition, chosen when you first cast this spell. The spell only returns to its receptacle once it goes off.
79. Seeking. As long as you know where the target is and there is an unobstructed path to them within the spell's range, the spell can reach them, flying around corners and through crevices.
80. Sickened. The spell is a carrier for a random disease that will be contracted by the target, save negates.
81. Darkening. When cast, the spell also snuffs out all nearby light sources and attempts to dispel magical lights.
82. Death-cursed. When you die, you may cast this spell immediately, investing MD equal to your maximum.
83. Precise. You can choose any value for [dice] that is lower than or equal to the actual [dice], and any value for [sum] that is lower than or equal to the actual [sum].
84. Interrupt. As a reaction when a spell is cast within sight, you may cast this spell at that caster.
85. Reliable. Roll an additional MD, then discard one die result of your choice.
86. Named. If you shout your target's full real name as you cast the spell, +1 MD.
87. Mimic. The spell can assume the effects of any mutations of other spells in the same receptacle.
88. Solar. Any MD invested in the spell are stepped up when cast in direct sunlight.
89. Lunar. On the night of a full moon, the spell only expends MD on a 6. On the night of a new moon, the spell cannot trigger Mishaps or Dooms.
90. Chthonic. The spell is cast at +1 MD while underground.
91. Elvish. The spell looks beautiful. It cannot affect iron and can be dispelled by a good whack of iron.
92. Dwarvish. Add +1 to [sum] per Inventory Slot you have filled with only gold and valuables. The spell cannot be cast if you carry no treasure.
93. Orcish. The spell looks brutish and dangerous. The target must also save vs fear.
94. Goblinoid. The spell looks green and disgusting. The target also takes [dice] Filth.
95. Necromantic. If a living target dies as a result or under the effects of the spell, their corpse is immediately raised as a zombie with [dice] HD. The zombie is not under your control. If an undead target dies as a result or under the effects of the spell, it cannot be raised again.
96. Sacrificial. If you kill an intelligent creature with [dice] or more HD as you cast the spell, the invested MD will not be spent and Mishaps or Dooms cannot be triggered.
97. Spell fusion. Instead of mutating, the spell fuses with a random other spell in the same receptacle (or the nearest spell), destroying both mother spells and creating a new spell with hybrid effect.
98. Soul fusion. Instead of mutating, the spell degenerates and fuses with your soul, becoming a new cantrip. Its effects are much weaker, but it can be cast at will.
99. Spellborn homunculus. The spell attains full sapience and becomes a person. It still lives in your head until you find a way to materialize it, but it can talk to you and has its own goals. If displeased, it can refuse to be cast, or cast itself, etc. If well-pleased, it will try to assist you. Spell-wisps enjoy being in your brain and dislike being in the spellbook, which is akin to prison.
100. Proliferate. Reroll, plus all spells in the same receptacle also randomly mutate.

Rare metamagic rods also exist, which contain a spell mutation that they apply to any spell cast through them.

Mythic Weapons

I love the idea of specialist weapons and how this is used in Mythic Bastionland. Here are d100 such weapons.

 

by Wayne Reynolds

 

This weapon is...

1. a sword
2. an axe
3. a bludgeon
4. a polearm
5. flexible
6. unusual
7. ranged
8. tricked-out

...and deals +d10 damage...

1. in a duel
2. in a battle formation
3. in a cramped space
4. in a wide-open space
5. in the first round of combat
6. in defence of (d4) innocents/the ruling class/secrets and lies/your home
7. in pursuit of (d4) knowledge/forgiveness/renown/revenge
8. in untamed wilderness
9. in water
10. in pitch darkness
11. at night
12. while in (d4) candle/sun/moon/twilight (+2d10 in Twilight)
13. while at full hp
14. while at 0 hp
15. while bleeding or injured
16. while leaping or falling
17. while above your foe
18. while below your foe
19. while the foe is in their home
20. while the foe has attacked you first
21. while lavishly clad
22. while near-naked
23. while masked
24. while mounted
25. while music is playing
26. while singing
27. while praying, loudly
28. while leading a charge
29. while mocking your foe
30. while already dead
31. while possessed
32. while (d4) hungry/filthy/drunk/blinded
33. when outnumbered
34. when also using a shield
35. vs people with a shield
36. vs people with no shield
37. vs people with no helmet
38. vs people wielding a one-handed weapon
39. vs people wielding a two-handed weapon
40. vs people wielding no weapon
41. vs mounts
42. vs mounted
43. vs armoured
44. vs unarmoured
45. vs known liars
46. vs known debtors
47. vs oath-brakers
48. vs law-breakers
49. vs law-enforcers
50. vs warriors by trade
51. vs magic-users
52. vs sword-wielders
53. vs virgins
54. vs nobles (+2d10 vs royalty)
55. vs women and children
56. vs friends and family
57. vs wild animals
58. vs animal people and talking animals
59. vs humans (50% chance of only a specific ethnic)
60. vs demi-humans (50% chance of only a specific ethnic)
61. vs greenskins (50% chance of only a specific ethnic)
62. vs elves and plants
63. vs dwarves and fungi
64. vs creatures smaller than you are
65. vs creatures larger than you are
66. vs creatures of magic
67. vs creatures of darkness
68. vs the Dark Ones
69. vs celestial spirits
70. vs terrestrial spirits
71. vs chthonic spirits
72. vs infernal spirits
73. vs undead
74. vs dragons
75. vs constructs
76. vs man-made monstrosities
77. vs extradimensional horrors
78. vs unseen foes
79. vs prone foes
80. vs poisoned foes
81. vs disarmed foes
82. vs fleeing foes
83. vs superior foes
84. vs uninjured foes
85. vs bleeding or injured foes
86. vs the sick and the deformed
87. vs flying creatures
88. vs aquatic creatures
89. vs summoned creatures
90. vs scaled creatures
91. vs horned or antlered creatures
92. vs shelled or boney creatures
93. vs poisonous or venomous creatures
94. vs many-limbed creatures
95. vs a foe you have already battled before
96. vs a foe that has wronged you
97. vs one specific nemesis from your backstory
98. vs those whose full name you know
99. vs those you have broken bread with
100. vs your employer

d12 Stranger Backgrounds

1. Found in a circle of ancient stones. You can speak with animals/plants/elements/the Dead (choose one), but may never learn to read, write or do complex maths. Start with a fetish.
2. Wandered out of a cave rumoured to lead to the Nightmare Below. You don't need to and cannot sleep or dream. Start with a map that shows a long lost secret.
3. Arrived as the only passenger on a derelict, rotting ship. If the whole party dies, you somehow survive but lose everything you are wearing and carrying. Start with bad dreams.
4. Fled a sinking paradise island nobody has ever heard of. When you sing, reroll non-aggressive Reaction with a +2 bonus. Start with a harp and an insufferable optimism.
5. Escaped from a plague pit. Your rotting flesh can be sealed up with mud and squashed bugs. Mindless undead ignore you unless you attack first. Start with a hooded cloak.
6. Raised in a forgotten monastery. Your bare hands and feet count as sledgehammers. Start with a bald head, a mendicant bowl and an endless supply of koans.
7. Sealed in a sarcophagus. Immaculate. Beautiful. Uncanny. Immune to filth, mutation and ageing. Start knowing d4 rare languages.
8. Survived in the woods. Become an animal until dawn when touched by moonlight. Choose the animal the first time you change. Start with d4 extra rations of raw meat.
9. Grew up in a cult that recently died out. Before every session, the GM gives you a prophetic dream. Start with d4 followers that consider you a living god.
10. Born of a dead mother, saved by illegal alchemy. Turn monsters to potions with a night of work. Start with a bloody cough and a mutation.
11. Conceived immaculately; born under a fateful star. Once ever, you can perform a miracle. Start with a ring that glows near evil.
12. You were always here, just out of sight. You can always move faster than someone who is running away and fleeing for their life. Start with friends among thieves and children.

From Bing Image Creator

Hexploration Adventure Quickstart

If you prefer fantasy wilderness to post-apocalyptic wasteland, here are some starting tables for you.

• Start with d6-1 rations, a backpack, blanket and waterskin, plus normal clothes.
• Roll for a Weapon, Armour and Money.
• Roll for a Background and get its items.
• Roll for d3 other starting Useful Items.
• Choose or roll d6/2 languages. Do not round, languages can be half-known.
• If you'd like to have a class, you can roll here.

d12	Weapons	d8	Armour
1	Club	1	None
2	d2 Knives	2-4	Light
3	Staff	5-6	Medium
4	Axe	7	Heavy
5	Sword	8	Shield and roll again
6	Shortbow & d6 ammo	d6	Money
7	Spear	1	Ring worth d100 silver coins
8	Warhammer	2	d4 silver coins
9	Battle-axe	3	d6 x 10 silver
10	Flail	4	2d6 x 10 silver
11	Longbow & d6 ammo	5	2d8 x 10 silver
12	Zweihänder	6	d10 x 100 s in debt, roll again

d66	Backgrounds
11	Acolyte	random scroll	41	Jailer	manacles, club
12	Astrologer	star chart, spyglass	42	Juggler	d4 torches and knives
13	Barber-Surgeon	razor, soap	43	Linkboy	lantern, oil for 8 hours
14	Blacksmith	hammer, tongs	44	Locksmith	d4 lockpicks
15	Butcher	big knife, big ham	45	Lumberjack	axe, firewood
16	Carpenter	hatchet, saw, drill	46	Mason	hammer, 3 iron spikes
21	Coachman	warm cloak, hat	51	Miner	pick-axe, lantern
22	Con Artist	fake jewellery	52	Minstrel	lute, perfume
23	Cook	bag of salt, wineskin	53	Prostitute	disguise kit
24	Drunkard	d6 bottles of booze	54	Sailor	rope (15 yds), booze
25	Farmer	flail, donkey	55	Scribe	paper, ink and quill
26	Fisherman	large net, d4 fish	56	Seamstress	needle and thread
31	Fur Trapper	snare, d4 pelts	61	Servant	stolen horse
32	Guard	spear, helmet	62	Smuggler	waterproof sack
33	Herder	(d3) goat/sheep/swine	63	Thief	random useful item
34	Houndsman	puppy, whip	64	Trader	nice clothes
35	Hunter	shortbow, signal horn	65	Undertaker	shovel, gold teeth
36	Cheesemaker	wheel of cheese	66	Wet Nurse	loyal urchin

d66	Useful Items
11	Unmarked package*	41	Tent & bedroll (3 Slots)
12	Toolbelt with common tools	42	d2 Blankets
13	(d3) Pick-axe, shovel, crowbar	43	Warm travelling clothes
14	Metal file, d4 lockpicks	44	Musical instrument
15	Chain (3 yds) & padlock	45	Silver hand mirror
16	Grapnel & rope (15 yds)	46	Stolen signet ring
21	Pouch of caltrops	51	Small but vicious dog (HD 1)
22	Weighted net or Beartrap	52	(d4) Crow, falcon, owl, parrot
23	Waterproof bag	53	Mule & cart (carry 30 Slots)
24	Tinderbox, 2d4 torches	54	Random follower
25	Lantern, oil for d12 hours	55	Helmet or Shield
26	d4 Jars of black oil	56	d6 Javelins
31	Random potion	61	Favour owed by local VIP
32	d4 Healing salves or Bandages	62	Location of a secret hideout
33	Red salt or Bezoar (d4 doses)	63	Membership of secret society
34	Vials of glue, grease and acid	64	Extra background, no items
35	Bomb, (d2) smoke/shrapnel	65	Random trinket
36	Poisoner's ring with poison, (d4) lethal, sleep, paralysis, charm	66	Treasure map

*) Can contain any item you want that fits into 1 slot and is not too rare or expensive.

d66	How Do You Know Each Other?
11	From the same village	41	Idolise same famous figure
12	From the church	42	Looking for same item
13	From the tavern	43	Looking for same person
14	Childhood friends	44	Woke up in the same bed
15	Mutual friend	45	In a riot together
16	Respected rivals	46	Met on a boat
21	Saved people from a fire	51	Met on a funeral
22	Served in the army	52	Met on a wedding
23	Scammed by the same guy	53	Named in same inheritance
24	Servants to the same lord	54	Both have a rare disease
25	Stole a thing from the other	55	Both got mysterious letter
26	Same horrible fashion sense	56	Shared embarrassing secret
31	Defenders in a siege	61	Mentor/student
32	Plague lockdown survivors	62	Prison cell mates
33	Last members of a cult	63	Roommates
34	Had the same lover	64	Pen pals
35	(Ex-)Lovers	65	Related
36	Former coworkers	66	Will open a pub together

You wake up in the middle of an uncharted wilderness. Good luck.

Trash and Rubbish

What was left in an abandoned hut? What's lying on the ground in a random back alley? I search that pile of trash!

 
d100 Useless Things

1. pot lid
2. pottery shard
3. blunt knife
4. scratched commemorative medal
5. fake jewelry, obvious
6. counterfeit "gold" coin, obvious
7. half a copper coin, foreign
8. cat skull
9. live cat
10. chewed bone
11. bits of offal
12. snail shell
13. rusty needle
14. faded note reading "...later, but do not tell..."
15. torn envelope addressed to the chancellor
16. waterlogged letter
17. mouldy book
18. booklet of risque stories
19. writing quill
20. chewed pencil
21. half of a shield
22. dried flowers
23. fish skeleton
24. jawbone, human?
25. shrivelled apple
26. one arrow
27. one sock
28. used handkerchief
29. child drawing of a woman and forest
30. toy soldier
31. teddy dragon
32. candle stub
33. glass eye
34. peg leg
35. oil-soaked rag
36. ball of blue yarn
37. seashell
38. nice-looking pebble
39. rock with eyes and a mouth painted on
40. shoelace
41. long piece of string
42. ruined hairbrush
43. dry, crumbling mascara
44. letter opener
45. chess piece
46. empty bottle
47. mummified mouse
48. seventeen dead cockroaches
49. corkscrew and two corks
50. playing dice, scratched
51. tooth
52. sketch of a naked dwarf
53. bent spoon
54. bent hairpin
55. metal shavings
56. sawdust
57. painted beads
58. bird skulls stringed on a leather cord
59. reddish-brown mushroom
60. toe
61. shed snake skin
62. handful of live bugs
63. manure
64. broken broom
65. spectacles with cracked lenses
66. jar full of crow feathers
67. lump of flesh-colored wax
68. rotting vegetables
69. leather glove, left, no pinky
70. mouldy sheepskin
71. whistle that doesn't work
72. embroidered linen bed sheet with multiple holes cut into it
73. horseshoe
74. measuring stick
75. pouch full of salt
76. rough iron amulet engraved with an eye
77. flower pot
78. playing card
79. live frog or toad
80. red string tied in intricate knots
81. pouch with the bottom cut out
82. sprig of mistletoe
83. big slimy disgusting slug
84. pouch of rusty nails
85. fist-sized gneiss orb
86. garish clothes, worn through
87. colourful bead
88. perfume phial, nearly empty
89. stuffed mink
90. simple wooden cup
91. beautiful teacup, chipped
92. potato
93. burnt-out torch
94. broken shackles
95. flint and steel
96. undergarments
97. foppish hat
98. noose made of fraying rope
99. stinky stain
100. minor magical item

4AD: Traps

I have replaced the Room Contents result number 9 with "Roll for a random trap.", because traps are an interesting obstacle while empty rooms are boring.

First though, here is a generalized table of Saves, more or less derived from the non-specific rolls against danger present throughout the base rules of Four Against Darkness. A character's Saves depend on their class and Level, plus any bonuses from magic items. As with all risky rolls, a roll of ⚀ is always a failure.

d6	Save	Bonuses
1	Breath	All +L/2
2	Fear	Barbarian +L, Warrior +L/2
3	Gaze	Rogue +L/2; immune while blind
4	Hazard	Rogue +L, Halfling and Elf +1; armour light -1, heavy -2
5	Magic	Wizard +L, Elf +1, Barbarian -1
6	Poison	Halfling and Dwarf +L, Barbarian +L/2

A Cleric uses +L bonus for all Saves involving the undead; though frankly I may do away with Clerics, because I just don't like them.

From here.

 

Mark any traps on your map. They remain in the room and must be rolled against every time the party passes through there. A Rogue in the first row can attempt to disarm a trap before it hits anyone.

Obvious traps are, well, obvious and seen from afar. The party can choose to turn back rather than enter the room with an obvious trap, but if they want to cross the room, they have to bear the trap's effects.

If you encountered a treasure guarded by a trap (Room Contents #3), use the Obvious Traps table. Otherwise, roll d3 to see which table to use.

d6	Obvious Traps
1	Spiked pit: All characters trying to cross the pit have to make a level 4 hazard Save or fall in, taking 1 damage. Anyone who falls in must also make a level 4 poison Save or get Poisoned from the spikes.
2	Mimic. Does the chest... salivate? Level 4 aberration, 4 Life, 2 attacks, 2 treasure rolls. It's so bad at its job that the party can choose to ignore it. Reaction: Always fight to death.
3	Barricade: The path forward is blocked. If you want to go through, make a level 5 Brute check or use a Fireball to destroy it.
4	Magic field*: The whole party must make a level 3 magic Save or take 1 damage. The field is visible as an odd shimmering of the air.
5	Acid vent: A random character must make a level 3 hazard Save or have a random item from their inventory destroyed.
6	Dragon statue: The whole party must make a level 5 breath Save or take d3 damage.

d6	Hidden Traps I
1	Arrow trap: A random character must make a level 5 Defence roll or take 1 damage.
2	Poison dart: A random character must make a level 4 poison Save or get Poisoned.
3	Trapdoor: The character at position 1 must make a level 4 hazard Save or fall through the trapdoor, losing 2 LP. In addition, it will take another character to help the victim out of the trapdoor. If someone falls in a trapdoor and they are alone, they eventually die unless they can teleport out.
4	Agony rune*: A random character must make a level 2 magic Save or lose half their current Life (round remaining LP down).
5	Haunt*: A random character must make a level 4 fear Save or fall unconscious. An unconscious character comes round when they receive healing, or when taken out of the dungeon.
6	Giant serrated blade: A random character in the first row must make a level 5 Defence roll or take 2 damage.

d6	Hidden Traps II
1	Spear trap: Two random characters must make a level 3 hazard Save or take 1 damage.
2	Poison gas: The whole party must make a level 3 poison Save or get Poisoned.
3	Bear trap: A random character must make a level 4 hazard Save or take 1 damage. Until that damage is healed, they have an injured leg and take -1 to Attack, Defence and hazard Save.
4	Crossroads rune*: The whole party is randomly teleported. Roll a die over your map, the party reappears where it ends up. This might place them into a newly generated room.
5	Alarm: The light-bearer makes a level 3 hazard Save or sets off the alarm, forcing an encounter with wandering monsters. The monsters arrive aware of the party and roll their Reaction.
6	Giant falling stone block: A random character in the second row must make a level 5 hazard Save or take 2 damage.

*) Magic trap. Cannot be disarmed by a Rogue, but can be dispelled by a Wizard in the first row.

d100 Magical Statues

Temple halls and forbidden tombs. Deep dungeons and abandoned castles. Gardens. Forests. City squares. They all should have statues in them.

Forgotten by Fenro45

 

Admittedly, I like statues and I like to imagine them in many locations. What I don't like is coming up with their descriptions on the fly, because those can often fall flat. So what I need is a big table of pre-made statues.

Many of the statues below have been inspired by those found in ADOM. Each statue also has a special effect described, but feel free to ignore those. Magical statues are cool, but sometimes all you need is the flavour.

d100	Statue	Effect
1	An ugly little goblin hewn from gabbro and holding a shovel.	The shovel points towards where a chest had been walled in.
2	This statue is unfinished, as though the sculptor ran out of time. It seems to depict a child, maybe?	Anyone who touches the statue immediately grows d20 years younger and the statue gets a tiny bit more finished. Works once per person only.
3	A fey queen sculpted from white marble. Her eyes are brilliant-cut sapphires.	Touching the sapphires forces a Save vs permanent paralysis.
4	A hooded ranger in a readied combat stance wielding a pair of short swords.	The swords are actual masterwork weapons, but have to be pried free from the statue's stony grip.
5	A larger than life knight made from some strangely glistening black stone, wielding an axe in one hand and a severed head in the other. A plaque on the pedestal reads: "Vae Victis"	Saying "Vae Victis" out loud animates the severed head. It contains the spirit of a sorcerer once slain by the depicted knight.
6	A large cube of grey stone precariously standing on a corner, one large and intricate rune carved into each face.	Touching a rune teleports you to another runed cube. There are seven such statues, each connected the the others via its runes.
7	A nun raising her hand in a blessing, but covered in cracks and grime. The pedestal bears these words: "A moment of respite, a chance of relief."	Sleeping at the feet of the statue will grant a bonus Save vs one affliction affecting you, and the statue will get a bit more cracked and grimy once you wake up.
8	A bearded blacksmith stands hunched over an empty anvil, his brow furrowed in concentration. His right hand grips a hammer, raised as if ready to strike.	If anything is placed on the anvil, the statue will smash it with the hammer and shatter it (including magic items normally resistant to such).
9	A naked woman with an oversized, misshapen and mutilated head. She is wearing a necklace, but the head is too big to simply remove it.	The necklace is quite valuable, but if the statue is damaged, it will animate and attack.
10	An elf wearing a noble armour of ancient design. He is hunched over as if in agony, his eyes screwed shut.	Getting very close the statue, you will hear a faint whisper: "I suffer, great hero. Wilst thou help me?" If you consent, the statue's eyes will open, burning with purple radiance, and you gain d6 mutations. The statue will look momentarily relieved, before closing its eyes again. Works once per person.
11	A warlock in flowing robes, wielding a staff in one hand and a sword in the other.	The statue reflects any spell cast at it.
12	More of a twisted, abstract blob of glassy stone than an actual statue.	As long as a creature keeps making skin contact with this statue, their flesh may be re-shaped like clay. It's excruciatingly painful.
13	A thin, tall, black monolith.	Breaking the monolith will open a portal to Beyond.
14	A vaguely humanoid form completely overgrown with plant life and crawling with insects.	Some useful herbs that have no business growing in a dungeon can be harvested from the statue.
15	This statue is a pile of books, each crafted from a different type of rock.	Touching a book will make a voice in your head read it to you.
16	A warrior-nun in a fighting position, decorated with ivory.	If you kick the statue, it will catch your leg and break it. Once the fractured bone heals, you will be able to double jump.
17	A fat smiling man, made of solid gold. The pedestal bears a crude engraving, likely added later: "Beware Greed"	Touching the statue will make half your carried gold disappear. A disembodied laugh will ring in your ears and the statue will grow a bit more fat. The statue is unnaturally resistant to damage.
18	An young wizard with an open grimoire in one hand, the other bent in a spellcasting gesture.	The grimoire actually has a spell engraved in it, which can be copied into your spellbook.
19	An aged wizard brandishing an ornate wand. An inscription on the pedestal says: "In honour of the grand-" and the rest was destroyed by a spell impact.	Trying to hit the statue with a spell from a wand will instead recharge/empower the wand. If attempted again with the same wand, the wand will explode.
20	A serpentine dragon, a different rune emblazoned on each scale. A plaque reads: "He Shall Reap the Wind"	Speaking in the presence of the statue brings about wind, the stronger the louder one spoke. Even whispers cause pretty strong gusts.
21	Two enormous dogs standing guard over a fallen soldier. A plaque reads: "Never resting. Ever watching."	Any dog who sees this statue will gain d6 max hp and increase its Morale to 12. Works once per dog.
22	A maiden kneeling in prayer.	If you haven't done anything too questionable or sinful recently, praying for a while will heal d6 hp.
23	A sneering jester juggling human skulls.	Telling any joke near this statue will cause a deafening laughter to echo throughout the room. Roll for a random encounter due to the noise. Out of character jokes at the table count too.
24	Only the feet remain from this statue. The pedestal is engraved with the following words: "Aut viam inveniam aut faciam."	Any piece chipped off from the statue (not the pedestal) can be used to cast knock once.
25	A woman just rousing from sleep, her face absolutely terrified.	Anyone sleeping in the room will enter a shared nightmare of a dark forest. It contains magic loot, but also a lot of dream-monsters. If you get killed in the dreamscape, your real body dies of fright.
26	A boulder-sized perfect metallic sphere floating above its pedestal.	Anything touching the statue becomes weightless. Do not move it off the pedestal!
27	A huge heap of old, rusty armour and weapons, seemingly fused together.	For a moment, you thought you heard faint whispers coming from inside of the heap...
28	A sandstone dog growling at an unseen threat.	Any sand scraped off the statue can be used as a barrier against spectral enemies.
29	A mad wizard ripping pages out of a spellbook. An inscription reads: "Knowledge is a finite resource; the more you learn, the more you forget."	Any PC who touches the statue falls unconscious and wakes up only after d6 hours. They may opt to change the class of their last level (eg. fighter 6 might become fighter 5, thief 1). Only works once per person.
30	A man crowned with twigs and leaves, surrounded by a swarm of squirrels.	Leave an offering of nuts on the pedestal and the next time you need help, several squirrels will come to your aid.
31	A cloaked figure, its left arm hidden under the cloak but its right arm extended outwards, holding a set of scales. A plaque reads: "To the ancient judges in whose dominion Balance reigned supreme."	Place an object of contention on the scales and present your case. The object will be equitably split in half; treasure by its real value, a magic item might be duplicated with half its potency, a baby might be cloned. If the case is in bad faith, however, the figure will reveal its left hand wielding a sword; Save vs decapitation.
32	A naked male figure missing its head.	Placing a severed head on the statue's neck stump will fuse them together and animate the head with its new golem-body.
33	A featureless humanoid standing square and emotionless. It is missing one hand, an eye and a few chunks from its chest.	If you touch the statue and have a body part missing, you will be granted a prosthetic of animated stone and the statue will lose a corresponding piece.
34	A crude wooden figurine of a giant rat. A barely-readable scrawling on its pedestal says: "FOOD"	Leaving any food at the pedestal will quickly lure in a menagerie of rats, giant rats, wererats, zombie rats and any other rodents that live in the vicinity. They might be quite friendly if they can get their bellies full.
35	A great hero strikes a breathtaking pose. How gorgeous! How graceful! How inspiring! Oh, wait... Suddenly, it seems to resemble you.	The statue takes on the appearance of the first PC who investigates it, only more beautiful and godly. Any damage taken by the statue is also taken by the character.
36	A head of a gargantuan dragon, hewn from obsidian. Covered in frost and nearly too cold to touch.	The whole room is quite chilly. Anyone falling asleep here will slumber forever, requiring no food and never ageing. They can be safely awoken if slowly thawed next to a fire.
37	A weary soldier, heavily leaning on his spear. An inscription reads: "The wars will not remember you or your comrades."	Leaving some fresh flowers on the pedestal will lift your fatigue as if you had a good night's sleep.
38	A delicate young woman lies prostrate on an ornate settee, clothed in a thin, revealing attire, with one hand resting wearily against her forehead and the other reaching languidly outwards. Her posture suggests great despair.	Kissing the outstretched hand forces you to babble out your darkest secret.
39	Ten monkeys climbing over each other.	Climbing on top of the statue reveals a secret escape hatch in the ceiling.
40	A stone tree smeared with dried blood.	Sprinkling the statue with fresh blood makes a single blood-red apple grow on the tree. Very tasty.
41	A man with a twisted expression, holding a sword with which he just severed his other hand. The severed hand is lying on the pedestal and someone has written in dried blood by it: "No sacrifice too big."	Every piece of flesh that you cut off from your own body and place on the pedestal will transform into gold.
42	A gorgeous woman with piercing eyes.	The eyes are engraved with symbols of fascination. Looking directly into them will plunge you into a beautiful dream where you live a good, happy life with this woman. You cannot wake up on your own.
43	A golden fish leaping from a pond.	Any cracks on the statue will spill fresh water. The bigger the crack, the more water.
44	A dwarf raising a tankard in a toast.	Pouring any alcoholic beverage into the tankard will make it froth and overflow; drinking from this overflow acts as a very alcoholic healing potion.
45	The statue is cast in bronze and depicts a barbarian accompanied by a snarling dog.	The statue is hollow and filled with human bones. Any canine offered one of these bones will leave you be and happily chew on it.
46	A goblin crafted from green glass, dancing madly.	Breaking the statue will make you greenish and translucent, forever. Not invisible, just translucent.
47	A big ugly toad, its tongue outstretched.	If you leave dead insects on the tongue, the frog will gobble them up and spit out copper pieces.
48	A dwarf with a determined grin and a full backpack. Graffiti scratched into the pedestal reads: "Better a small fire that warms than a great fire that burns."	Start a campfire in front of the statue to talk to it. It knows a lot about this dungeon, though its knowledge may be outdated.
49	A statue of a giant stands sneering from above, blocking a doorway with its oversized sword.	Politely asking the statue to let you through will make it raise the sword. You have to say "please".
50	A wide bowl filled with scarab statuettes, accented with gold filigree and precious stones.	Attempting to remove a statuette will make them all animate and attack. They can be pacified by singing.
51	An elf is playing a lute, half of her face dissolving into a mass of tentacles.	When you start singing or playing an instrument, you will soon be accompanied by a disembodied lute. Keep it up and your flesh will shift, slowly developing more and more mutations.
52	A demon statue wrapped in rusty chains, standing in a partially walled up alcove.	Removing the chains will prompt the statue to ask for sacrifices. It can grant knowledge and magic. Should it receive enough offerings, it will break free of the petrification.
53	A gargoyle is kneeling with its cupped hands raised high above and filled with beautiful pearls.	Taking a pearl instantly fills your lungs with sea water.
54	A massive man is struggling under the weight of chains binding him to the ground.	Breaking any of the chains causes an earthquake to shake the dungeon.
55	A tall, robed woman holding a thick book in her hands. The flesh of her forearms is engraved with the symbols of the elements.	The symbols can be copied and used to ward off the elements.
56	A great hulk of black obsidian, depicting an ancient warrior. His armour is dented and battered, his sword broken and his shield split, yet he seems ready to jump back into the fray.	Any damaged item touched to the statue is mended.
57	A large amphora filled with murky water. It smells of decay.	There are several undead fish and a few pieces of jewellery hidden in the water.
58	A ceramic statue of a man with a goatee and a stern expression. Wherever you move his eyes seem to follow.	Once this statue has been sighted, every newly explored room has a 1-in-6 chance of containing this statue.
59	A proud and haughty woman in flowing robes. Once richly decorated, the statue is now defaced, with most of the silver and gold adornments stolen, and the gemstones it had for eyes gouged out and gone.	Anyone who touches the statue is permanently blinded, yet they can see precious gems and metals even through walls. This curse is lifted if they bring a new adornment to the statue.
60	A solitary siren sits atop a pile of bones.	Singing near the statue will cause it to animate and compliment your singing voice. It will ask you to trade it your voice. If you agree, you are stricken mute but get a sea-themed magic item in return.
61	A small, tubby, bald man carved from a dark stone. He is smiling widely and carries a small cask under his right arm. A placard on the pedestal reads: "I share freely."	The tap on the cask can be opened, spilling an endless supply of a murky liquid. The liquid works as a random potion - roll once per character, the liquid will always have the same effect for each character.
62	A human-sized jackal with sparkling rubies for eyes.	Undead creatures will never come close to this statue.
63	A knight, curiously holding a shield in each hand.	All attacks made in range of the statue will target the statue instead of the intended victim.
64	A mottled black and red eudialyte stone has been polished and sculpted into the shape of a giant, anatomically correct heart.	All healing magic is maximized around the statue. However, the patient will start hearing the thrum of a giant heart, the more loudly the more times they are healed near the statue, and it never goes away.
65	A winged figure clad in plate and gripping a soot-stained greatsword.	Flames cannot be put out in this room.
66	A thinly built man huddled as if to squeeze through a narrow gap. He leads with a crossbow, held at arm's length.	The stone crossbow is missing a quarrel, but if one is loaded in it, it will shoot the next creature that crosses the statue's sights.
67	A too tall and slender magician, clothed in a foreign garb. On the palm of his extended hand dances a ghostly flame.	The ghostly flame produces light but no heat.
68	A humanoid figure, but so old and eroded it has lost all distinguishable features.	Any person who dies in this room will have their soul trapped in the statue, replacing a previous soul if there was one. You can talk with a trapped soul when touching the statue. There's a 2-in-6 chance that there already is a soul inside when you find the statue.
69	A barefoot amazon clad in wolf pelts, drawing her longbow and about to shoot.	The arrowhead is made of metal, unlike the rest of the statue, and is exceedingly sharp. Anyone pricked by it will be affected as if by a sleeping poison.
70	A plague doctor taking off his mask, his face frozen in a rictus grin.	Every exploration turn spent in the room, save against a random disease.
71	A young elvish girl, perhaps seven or eight, carved from basalt. An engraving on the pedestal reads: "Never forget, never forgive."	Humans take double damage when in sight of the statue.
72	A naked, peeing boy.	The pee is actually molten gold, disappearing into a hole in the floor.
73	A very old and ugly man, nearly buckling under the weight of a big sack full of weapons on his back - swords, axes, hammers and flails, spears, bows, ...	Any weapon touched to the statue turns to stone.
74	A huge egg assembled from a thousand interlocking pieces carved from different types of stone. A placard at the pedestal reads: "Only a fool would break me."	If one can solve the puzzle and open the egg, there might be a reward hidden inside. Only a fool would break the egg!
75	A cloaked figure, tall and regal and carved from white marble, yet the shadows beneath its hood are deep and swirling.	If anything disturbs the swirling shadows, a torrent of black smoke starts spilling from under the hood.
76	An ice sculpture of a leopard in mid-leap. The ice glows from within, as if there was something trapped inside.	If shattered, reveals a magic ring that allows the casting of wall of ice, but is also haunted by the spirit of a snow leopard.
77	A warrior beaten down onto one knee, cowering under a shield and cradling his other arm. There is a mixture of horror, desperation and anger on the statue's face.	A wizard might realize that this is no statue. The warrior is stuck in stasis.
78	Half of a warrior remains mounted on a war horse, all carved from crumbling sandstone. Sand is slowly but constantly falling off the statue.	Nothing in this room ages.
79	A vampire prostrated and pleading, its fanged maw open wide. There are stains of old, dried blood inside its throat.	Anyone who cuts themselves and bleeds into the vampire's mouth will be purified of all physical and metaphysical maladies, but also drop to 0 hp. Pouring some blood from a dead creature into the statue's mouth will raise the corpse as a ravenous zombie.
80	A badly defaced statue of an orcish hero, poised with a great-axe in his hands. Unlike the statue, the axe is made of steel and decorated with orcish pictograms and pieces of jade.	The axe is enchanted with human slaying. It also bears a curse - if a non-orc steals it, they will transform into an orc the next time they sleep.
81	A statue made of aged and splintering wood, the details far too faded to make out. It appears to be holding a wand.	Magic becomes very unpredictable and prone to amusing side effects in the vicinity of this statue.
82	A barbarian warrior clad in thick furs, hiding behind a large, asymmetrical mirror.	One can walk through the mirror into a mirrored copy of this room, except it contains someone's hideout. A bed, a burnt-out campfire and some assorted pieces of equipment left strewn about.
83	A nobleman smiling a slightly mad smile, an arm held upward with a severed ear in his palm.	Touching the statue will strike you permanently deaf, but you will now be able to hear nearby magic as strange whispers.
84	A chest-high pillar carved with words in many, many languages and scripts.	You can read any piece of writing that you rest on top of the pillar.
85	A towering tyrant-king of yore resting upon his throne, many small figures cowering before him.	Anyone who comes close to the statue will be forced to kneel. Everyone affected will also have all pain they feel amplified hundredfold.
86	A very smooth and perfectly black prism, dark smoke rising from its surface. If you touch it, you might find an imprint of a hand.	Always surrounded by a expansive cloud of swirling darkness. As long as you have a hand lain in the imprint, you can precisely sense everything inside of this darkness.
87	A man with the legs of a beast, though covered in moss and some of the original definition lost to the ages. He holds something in his hands, a musical instrument or a tablet perhaps?	Any song or magical spell performed in the room will be absorbed by the statue, disappearing from the mind of the user. Should the statue be broken, however, all the spells and songs it has absorbed will flood the mind of whoever destroyed the statue. Over the next few days, their legs will turn into those of a beast...
88	A strange creature with fourteen outstretched arms, all hands cupped as if ready to receive alms.	If a small, precious item is put into the statue's hand, it will close and crush the item in its fist. Once all fourteen hands are filled, the statue will open its mouth and start vomiting an endless stream of crude oil.
89	A gaunt elf engorging herself from a plate full of food.	No one feels hungry around the statue. You still need food, you just cannot force yourself to chew and swallow until you leave the statue's presence. This works even on creatures that would normally hunt and bite and devour.
90	A fledgling bird, carved from obsidian with individual feathers formed from gold and silver. It is standing up from a cracked egg, made from a softly glowing geode.	The statue's pedestal is unnaturally warm. Any eggs left there will soon hatch into the respective creature, but unusually intelligent and with feathers or scales made of precious metal.
91	A hippopotamus-headed goddess, lounging in the middle of a small basin.	Drinking the water from the basin sends you into a dream of a great feast arranged by the goddess. This dream is shared among all who drink this water, and it works even if the water is removed from the basin.
92	A kobold holding a human baby.	No youngling can be harmed near this statue. Coincidences will conspire to keep them safe and sound. They also cannot be forcibly removed from there, they can leave only of their own free will.
93	A fleeing woman, her expression a strange mix of panic and elation.	The statue weeps in the presence of secrets.
94	A dark-haired woman wearing a toga and holding out a golden apple.	The apple can be freely taken. It is not actually made of gold, only gold-coloured. It can be eaten, tasting like a fresh, sweet apple. Eating it cures the one biggest problem a person has - it can be anything, from an injury or malady to a curse or longing. They are however also polymorphed into likeness of the dark-haired woman. The apple reappears in the statue's hand overnight, but doesn't work (again) for any dark-haired women.
95	A decrepit beggar dressed in tattered rags is prostrating themselves, a mendicant bowl filled with gold coins gripped in their hands.	The coins can be freely taken, but carry a curse. You will gain no benefit from any of your gold and treasures - no merchant will take your money, you get no XP for GP, etc. The only way to break the curse is to return all the coins back to the statue.
96	A farmer with a dog by his side appears to be looking up to something with hopeful determination. A plaque reads: "Hard work and a strong back can overcome any obstacle."	Morale and Fear checks cannot be failed in this room.
97	An ogre in a pose of belly-shaking mirth, carved of a foreign red stone.	Reaction rolls are at +4 in this room.
98	An infinitely complex crystalline helix which glows with a strange light.	Time passes more slowly near this statue. Every minute you spend there, a whole day will pass in the rest of the world.
99	A dragon lies slain, with a goblin standing triumphantly on the corpse.	This area is sacred to goblinkind, used for peace talks and moots. Anyone can ask for a parley here, and oaths sworn between two parties are said to be enforced by the will of the ancestral heroes.
100	A man and a woman standing back to back, both holding a dagger and grinning with murderous glee.	No form of immortality, invulnerability or damage resistance applies around this statue.

And here are bonus d20 statues with no special effects:
 

d20	Statue
1	Three horsemen. The first is holding up a falcon, the second a severed head and the third a cornucopia.
2	A dancer as if in the middle of a jump, back bent and arms spread wide.
3	An elven woman is cradling a tiny wyrmling in her arms.
4	A humongous foot. A plaque reads: "Artist unknown but wanted."
5	A caryatid column is holding the ceiling above.
6	The statue is crude and huge, barely resembling some animalistic figure. It's like it wasn't even carved with a chisel, but rather torn from raw stone by sharp claws.
7	A jumble of stone and metal loops intertwine into a wondrous miracle of art. While seemingly chaotic, the eye is quickly drawn to follow the curves, building a never-ending, fractal pattern of layers upon layers of meanings. A tear of raw emotion leaks from the corner of your eye as you finally understand that- that... Er... What?
8	A female form in alabaster, kneeling but with hands thrust skywards. There are jagged holes ripped through her open palms.
9	A weasel with two heads, each of its four eyes made from a different kind of gemstone.
10	Intricately crafted from granite is some variety of a terrifying qintupedal beast of hooked claws, razor-sharp teeth and needle-like quills.
11	A minotaur cradling in his arms a female orc wearing a full plate.
12	Two entangled snakes swallowing each other's tail, shaped like a lemniscate; one made of copper and the other of brass. Runes tracing along their back read: "Life devours life."
13	A raven sitting atop a pile of books.
14	A goat.
15	A simple column of jale stone, rising hundreds of feet high to a ceiling that cannot even be seen.
16	A silver wireframe of a cat, it's back arched and its eyes made of polished gabbro.
17	A spear-wielding nomad of the southern desert, carved from some white rock. Its hair have been recently painted blue.
18	A headless female figure sprouting uncountable, interwoven arms, each holding a different weapon.
19	A column of human skulls, mortared together.
20	This marble statue of a naiad has been vertically split in half. Inspecting the cut, you notice that the stone had been partially melted.

And if you've read all the way down here, you can also download the table as a 

> PDF <

QHW, Day 21: Underwater

Give your PCs a shark-skin of deep diving or a bubble breath bauble, then let them explore one of these locations:

d12 Locations under the Waves

1. Shipwreck full of treasures, revealed by an old drunk who claims to have survived the wrecking.
2. Underwater temple as the headquarters of an enemy faction.
3. Sahuagin stronghold in a shallow strait blocks all ships from passing after a diplomatic faux pas.
4. Sunken statues or strange monoliths can be seen beneath the ship.
5. Powerful deep sea current used by rare migratory animals and merfolk merchants.
6. Ruins at the edge of an undersea volcano. Some ancient mechanisms are still active, powered by geothermal energies.
7. A sea giant citadel besieged by several dolphin armies.
8. A dragon turtle lair where young warriors go to prove themselves by stealing one of its eggs. Maybe some warrior needs help, or rescuing?
9. Underwater cave system full of valuable ore. Someone needs to protect the squidfolk miners from local wildlife.
10. Giant bubble-city slowly drifting beneath the waves. Local lords are not amused that it keeps impinging upon their territories.
11. A rich bed of giant oysters has been found just off this island. A pearl fever starts.
12. A series of merfolk castles built along the edge of a foreboding trench, long abandoned. Whatever they were keeping sequestered down below will now face no opposition should it try to surface.

 

QHW, Day 20: Themed Encounters

2d6	Encounter
2	Paladin armour, animated
3	Rune-cube, floating
4	Ravenous hand, giant
5	Flying head swarm
6	Dwarf, venomous
7	Murderess gang
8	Dwarf, poisonous
9	Botfly swarm, talking
10	Vampire frog swarm
11	Headless swordmistress
12	Godsoul pyramid

QHW, Day 17: Roadside

Raiders of the Weird Wasteland

HD 1
Move normal

Lieutenant: Any raider with max hp is a lieutenant.

d10 What are they attacking with?

1. their own mutated arms (d6)
2. a severed rotting arm (d4, Save vs disease)
3. lots and lots and lots of knives (d4 attacks for d4 damage)
4. cutlery spear (d6, on maximum damage the fork remains stuck in your body and causes bleeding)
5. chainsaw-chucks (2d6, beheads self on any double)
6. scissor sword (d8 but extremely silly-looking)
7. mithril skillet (d6, +4 to cooking checks)
8. knuckledusters with vulgar inscriptions (d6, critical hit leaves a FUCK-shaped scar)
9. spiked chain (d6, reach)
10. GIANT DEATH BEAM LASER CANNON (d20 once, then it overheats)

d4 What armour do they have?

1. none, but they have sniffed some silver paint and now scream: "Witness me!" (unarmoured, but immune to pain, fear and morale)
2. bottlecap maille, handmade (leather)
3. tire tread armour, from the ever-burning rubber hills of the north (chain)
4. scrap plate (plate, but Move becomes half normal)

d4 What is the lieutenant's deal?

1. Super: Can fly and shoot lasers for d8 damage.
2. Zombie: Regains 1 hp / round and cannot be killed unless the players specifically say they destroy the head.
3. Terminator: Their human disguise is discarded when they first reach 0 hp. They transform into a HD 4 killer robot and all damage done so far is revealed to have been superficial.
4. Wizard: Roll for two random spells they know. They have a "spellbook" with incantations scribbled in the blank spaces of an old Playboy.

 

Poisons, Toxins, Venoms

Someone was bitten by a creepy crawly thing, or inhaled colourful fumes, or their meal tasted funny. The following tables can be used to roll up a new, exciting poison on the fly, or just use the flavour and make the mechanical effects whatever you like.

d4 The Toxin Must Be...

1. ingested,
2. inhaled,
3. injected,
4. absorbed through the skin.

d20 Relatively Normal Poisons

1. A pang of pain followed by nasty rash: One-off extra damage
2. Rapidly worsening breathing difficulties: Asphyxiation damage over time
3. Anticoagulant: Haemorrhaging damage over time
4. Vomiting or diarrhoea: Cramping damage over time
5. Weakness and fatigue: Strength damage
6. Convulsions: Dexterity damage
7. Tachycardia threatening a heart attack: Constitution damage
8. Confusion or hallucinations: Intelligence damage
9. Clouding of senses: Wisdom damage
10. Blisters: Charisma damage
11. Drowsiness and sleep
12. Fainting, unconsciousness and coma: Sleep resistance doesn't help
13. Inflammation and fever: Penalty to further poison and disease Saves
14. Blurred vision followed by blindness
15. Increased anxiety, increased salivation: Penalty to fear Saves
16. Irritability, irrationality and sudden bouts of rage
17. Splitting headache: Staggered or stunned, cannot act properly
18. Cyanosis: Progressive paralysis
19. Shivering and chills: No natural healing
20. Bleeding from orifices followed by massive organ failure: Instant death

 

So, what are we breathing today?
Poison Mist by Louise Goalby

 
As a bonus, here are some magical poisons with weirder effects.

d20 Exotic Poisons

1. Youth concentrate: Like an elixir of youth, but stronger. De-ages the victim 2d100 years, likely killing them.
2. Polyjuice: There will be no evidence left if your poisoned needle polymorphs the duke into an ant. Polyjuice only has temporary effects, but repeated exposure may result in mutations or the roiling polymorph syndrome. Strangely also occurs in nature; the recently-discovered fawlish serpent injects its victims with polyjuice venom, transforming them into a fattened, easily swallowed prey animal.
3. Lethe water: Strong amnestic. High doses leave the victim effectively brain-dead, all of their memories completely erased.
4. Water of Unn: While its classification as a poison is often times disputed (especially by the regular users), water of Unn is commonly employed as such due to its effects not dissimilar to the slow spell. In low dosages, it is however also used for its calming effects, numbing the mind as much as it slows the body. The aforementioned regular users seek out the water not only as a sedative and relaxant, but because its slowing effect is said to slow ageing as well. How is doubled lifespan worth it when you only have half the capacity to make use of it is anybody's guess.
5. Water of Nyanneechuan: A single cursed fountain is the only known source of this poison, which induces a painful sex change in the victim. Famously used by the Fajuna women who wish to escape their lot in life and become warriors. Infamously used by lord Godrick the Gracious to secure both his wife, prince(ss) Jean, and a male heir, before he succumbed to royal bane.
6. Royal bane: This slow-acting poison causes nightmares, paranoia and bouts of madness. Sadly, it accumulates in the body and does not metabolize nor react to healing magic, making an advanced stage of poisoning incurable. When caught early, it can be staved off or kept latent by regular consumption of pearls dissolved in vinegar.
7. Warp gas: Naturally occurring around unbound portals and rift, or created through alchemy, this gas causes unpredictable, uncontrolled spatial displacement. This teleportation leads in nearly all cases to telefragging or falls from great heights. Scarily, the gas is colourless and odourless, plus the teleportation is often delayed in cases of mild inhalation.
8. Octiron poisoning: Fine octiron powder is sometimes employed to assassinate magic-users. Poisoning disrupts the ability to channel magic, with prolonged exposure leading to permanent lowering or loss of spellcasting abilities.
9. Reifmilch: Causes shivering and paleness, then rapid body heat loss (cold damage over time). Can be slowed by proximity to fire, but unless treated it invariably leads to the victim being frozen solid. Used in trace amounts to treat fever and common fire.
10. Breath of catoblephas: Inhalation causes rapid petrification. Also works through skin contact, albeit at a slower, more painful rate.
11. Midas' venom: Extremely rare venom gathered from the scarce and deadly giant gold spiders, it has an effect similar to the breath of catoblephas, except the flesh is turned into gold. Midas' venom works only on living flesh, no matter the efforts of many an alchemist.
12. Xorian lymph: Causes massive swelling in both size and mass. With each failed Save, the victim grows a size category larger, until they max out the size table and die in an explosion of gore and meat. This poison is thankfully relatively rare outside of Xor.
13. Chronolisk venom: A misnomer, as this "venom" is spat by the chronolisk and effective via skin contact. The victim is frozen in time, with the duration of the effect dependant on dosage. Small doses are sometimes used medicinally. In contrast to its rarity, chronolisk venom is rather well-known due to the infamous failed mass poisoning in Tam Ruat, where an extremist group of void monks attempted to contaminate the water sources of the city with the venom.
14. Colourless ooze: A kidnapper's favourite, this poison induces full-body paralysis and invisibility in the victim.
15. Zombie dust: Causes feeble-mindedness, obedience and extreme suggestibility. While a dried up, powdered zombie brain is the main ingredient of this poison, it requires a complex alchemical process to catalyse and prepare.
16. Mum-mist: A single lungful of mum-mist is enough to steal the gift of speech from a person for a full day. Some druidic orders induct their novices by making them meditate for days or weeks in caverns with naturally occurring mum-mist.
17. Ectoplasmic residuum: More coarsely known in the graverobbers' business as grandfather's jizz and a prime reason why one should wear silver-lined gloves when looting an old tomb; ectoplasmic residuum semi-permanently shunts the victim to the ethereal plane. The unprepared victim will then likely be killed by the various hungry ghosts, lesser daemons, rabid psychopomps or other threats on the Other Side. Can be quite easily treated with a neutralize poison spell, but that unfortunately doesn't work cross-plane.
18. Runic honey: An insidious and expensive poison, it distorts and prevents all restorative magicks cast upon the victim. Not only does this reverse the effects of cure wounds, but spells like neutralize poison or restoration will have no effect at all.
19. Erototoxin: A whole class of toxins used by the cupid warriors to poison their arrows and blades. The cupids are widely feared for dismantling the whole societal structure of their enemies through clever usage of their poisons. Different kinds of erototoxin cause overwhelming euphoria and bliss, sudden orgasm, obsessive sexual desire (even against one's preferences, morals and taboos), or emotional imprinting (similarly to a love potion).
20. Colloidal silver, brine water and holy water: While mostly safe for humans, these three "poisons" are classic tools when fighting demons, werebeasts or the undead.