Sometimes you need a tool to help you get started, to shake your brain out of a rut, or just to get you thinking about adventures differently. Here's a tool I made for myself when I need a fresh idea for an adventure or scenario in Gathox.
The Adventure Brainstormer table randomly generates seeds and hooks for new adventure ideas. If you're looking for inspiration to build new adventures or scenarios for your home Gathox game (or any other game, for that matter), this generator can help you get moving.
How to use the Brainstormer: Roll a die chuck (1 die of each standard gaming die type), look up each die result on the table and jot it down on paper. These components, interpreted through the lens of your experiences, needs, and thought processes as a Slumlord, will form the essential components for designing your next adventure. Feel free to reroll any components or substitute table entries as you like - the whole point is to hasten the brainstorming for your next session.
1d4 - Campaign Frame
1 - Dungeon Crawl
2 - Wilderness Exploration
3 - Gangland
4 - Pyschosphere
1d6 - Mission Style
1 - Get the Mcguffin
2 - Escort/ Guard
3 - Mark/Assassination
4 - Mystery
5 - Conspiracy
6 - Heist
1d8 - Cause
1 - Treachery
2 - Guilt
3 - Covetousness
4 - Cold Practicality
5 - Obligation
6 - Hope
7 - Good Intentions
8 - Misunderstanding
1d10 - Omens
1 - Cells split into cells split into cells
2 - A worm crawls along the edge of a scalpel
3 - Skulls upon skulls upon skulls
4 - A forked tongue flickers in moon shadow
5 - A warm void between two candles
6 - Grains of sand melt to glass
7 - Fingers slip on a cliff's edge
8 - Silhouette of a sleeping beast awakening
9 - Open hands clasping
10 - A cold sunrise on firm ground
1d12 - Complications
1 - A lying ally
2 - A new faction intervenes
3 - An old friend falters
4 - A spy in the midst
5 - Past misdeeds brought to light
6 - Innocents at risk
7 - Opposing team pursues same goal
8 - Extradimensional forces take an interest
9 - Material resources dwindle
10 - A hunt for the PCs begins
11 - Personal tragedy at a crucial time
12 - Time suddenly begins to run out
1d20 - One True Thing
1 - Everything is as it appears.
2 - Enemies operate with deep prejudices.
3 - Allies have found reason for distrust.
4 - Ancient entities have laid the groundwork for this scenario.
5 - Mortal enemies have agreed to cooperate.
6 - Hidden rewards dwarf the risks.
7 - Social conditions ease the way.
8 - History repreats itself.
9 - No perfect outcome is possible.
10 - A new threat imposes its will.
11 - An old enemy returns with a vengeance.
12 - Many outcomes are satisfying.
13 - A historic cycle is broken.
14 - Social upheaval creates brief opportunity.
15 - Extreme danger lingers like a cloud.
16 - Alliances have fractured or grown more strained.
17 - Religious delusions have defined this scenario.
18 - Friends want to intervene on behalf of PCs.
19 - Enemies are doing the right thing.
20 - Truth has inverted itself.
1d4 - Campaign Frame - This is the modality of the adventure. Dungeon crawling - tactical decisions in interior spaces. Wilderness Exploration - planned travel to a destination with complications, can be across landscapes or cityscapes. Gangland - territorial decisions and subterfuge in opposition to other factions. Psychosphere - navigating weird spaces that break the laws of reality; highly hallucinatory.
1d6 - Mission Style - This is the means by which the adventure operates. Adventures often cross the lines of mission styles, so feel free to add to this roll as you like.
1d8 - Cause - This is the impetus for the adventure, the underlying reason events swing into motion.
1d10 - Omens - These are symbolic visual impressions, like inkblots in literary form. Use them to aesthetically or metaphorically interpret aspects of the adventure as you see fit.
1d12 - Complications - These entries add additional conflicts to your adventure, warp them as needed.
1d20 - One True Thing - This is a fact about your adventure that holds true despite any other details you may add. Modify to your heart's desire.
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