Generating some ghost towns

This post on Elfmaids & Octopi was perfect for an upcoming Gothic game. I was able to quickly generate a couple of abandoned villages to add to the hex map. There was one bit of method that I added which might be useful, though.

After rolling up the number of buildings and any extra features, I grabbed that many d6s plus some other shapes for the features. Dropping them all onto a piece of paper, I then traced them, but didn't hold them down. As the pencil moved them a bit some nice organic/ruined shapes appeared, plus a door naturally suggested itself wherever the lines didn't match back up properly.

Recording the number on the die also notes the building's condition based on the second table.

I took some photos of the process the second time around. It made a perfectly serviceable creepy little hamlet with a single, well-telegraphed encounter (a screaming wight).

Five buildings and a graveyard (d12).

Traced and numbered.

Noting the other effects of the tables, and generated a name. 

The two houses flanking the graveyard were "Hidden crumbling ruins are overgrown with trees and creepers", so added some trees.

The cursed item is going to be a weirdly heavy and still-warm dead owl that drags down encounter table results.

Here's one more larger village that was generated the same way, but I didn't take photos. The generated name, Kilocthwaite, lined up really well with the existing features. Added the water, docks, and well afterwards just based on the position of the buildings.

This has a cannibal, Lucy Gaur, living in the distant southern house, probably aware of the dangers in the village proper. Some wild dogs have moved into the open smithy but are only there to sleep during the day, and hunt the woods around at night.

At night the toad-creature in the well emerges and creeps about town - this is the vengeance sent by the gods of the murdered woodwoses displaced by the village. What appears as draped spider webs everywhere is really its dried slime. (I'll probably just use a red slaad for stats.)

Anyway each of these took less than 10 minutes!

Settlement name and landmarks generator

This is a trimmed down and gamified version of the Wikipedia List of generic forms in place names in Ireland and the United Kingdom. It can generate names of towns and settlements while also suggesting their major landmarks. I'm using this to generate the names of the hamlets for a hexcrawl.

Roll d66 for prefix, root, and suffix. Many real names just use two of these, some even dropping the root and becoming just the prefix and suffix together. Munge as needed.

A couple examples!
41 + 13 + 31 = (king) + (axe, exe, usk, esk) + (field). Eskfield. A river flows through a forest clearing.
35 + 46 + 52 = (kil, Cil) + (knock, cnwc) + (stead). Kilnockstead. An old church perched on a rocky hill with an enclosed pasture nearby.

d66	Prefix	Meaning	Root	Meaning	Suffix	Meaning
11	aber	a meeting of waters	afon, avon	river	-hay, -hays, -hayes	enclosed by a hedge
12	auch(en)/(in)-, ach	field	ar, ard	high, height	ay, y, ey	island
13	auchter-	height, top of something	axe, exe, usk, esk	river	bost	farm
14	bal, balla, bally, ball	mouth, approach	beck, bach	stream	bury, borough, brough, burgh	fortified enclosure
15	brad	broad	berg, berry	hill (cf. 'iceberg')	by, bie	village
16	bre	hill	cheap, chipping	market	carden	thicket
21	caer, car	camp, fortification	coed	wood, forest	caster, chester, cester, ceter	camp, fortification
22	cul	narrow	combe, coombe	valley	cot, cott	cottage
23	cwm, cum	valley	Craig, crag, creag	a jutting rock	dale, dean, den, dene, don	valley
24	dal	low-lying area by river	ey, ea, eg, eig	island	thorp, thorpe	secondary settlement
25	din, dinas	fort	firth	fjord, inlet	don, den	hill, down
26	dol	meadow	ford, forth	ford, crossing, road	dubh, dow, dhu, duff	black
31	drum	ridge	foss, force	waterfall	field	open land, a forest clearing
32	dun, dum, don, doune	fort	gar(t)	enclosed field	firth, frith, fridd	refuge
33	fin	holy	gill, ghyll	ravine, narrow gully	ham	farm, homestead
34	inver, inner	a meeting of waters	glen, glyn	narrow valley, dale	gowt	Water outfall, sluice, drain
35	kil, Cil	old church	hithe, hythe	wharf	ing	small stream
36	kin	head	holm	holly, island	keth, cheth	wood
41	king	leader	hope	valley, enclosed area	lea, ley, leigh	woodland clearing
42	kyle, kyles	narrows	howe	mound, hill, knoll	mouth	bay
43	lan, lhan, llan	church	hurst, hirst	wooded hill	ness	promontory, headland
44	lang	long	inch	Island, dry area in marsh.	pool	harbour
45	lin, llyn, Lynn	lake	kirk	church	port	port, harbour
46	ling, lyng	heather	knock, cnwc	hill, rocky hillock	rigg, rig	ridge
51	mynydd	mountain	loch, lough	lake, a sea inlet	shaw	a thicket
52	nan, nans	valley	lyn, lynn, lin	lake, pond	stead	enclosed pasture
53	nant	ravine	magna	great	ster	farm
54	pen	far end of, end of	mere	lake, pool	thwaite, twatt	a forest clearing
55	pit	portion, share, farm	minster	large church, monastery	toft	homestead
56	pol, pwll	pool or lake	moss	swamp, bog	wick	bay
61	pont	bridge	stow	(holy) place (of assembly)	wick, wich, wych, wyke	settlement
62	porth	harbour	swin	pigs, swine	worth, worthy, wardine	enclosure
63	shep, ship	sheep	tarn	lake	law, low	rounded hill
64	stan	stone, stony	treath, traeth	beach	keld	spring
65	strath	wide valley, vale	weald, wold	high woodland	tun, ton	estate
66	tilly, tullie, tulloch	hillock	ynys	Island	gate	road

d66 Magic Item Features

11 - Command Jewel. The item has a corresponding piece of jewelry of similar make which must be worn for it to function.

12 - Crawling. At a command word, the item will sprout dozens of tiny legs and begin moving at speed 5 towards the speaker. It can climb walls easily

13 - Dormant. This item isn't sentient, but roll on the sentient magic items "special purpose" table. Its powers won't awaken until some action towards that purpose is taken.

14 - Dousing. Use an action to know the direction to the nearest source of drinkable water within 1,000 feet.

15 - Eye. A single milky eye glares prominently out of the item. It flicks about, focusing on subjects seemingly at random.

16 - Fading. The magic of this item was not sealed properly, and it will only last for another 2d12 months.

21 - Fire Starter. Use an action to produce a tiny flame suitable for lighting a torch or candle.

22 - Folding. Use an action to fold this item to a tenth of its normal size and weight, or to unfold it.

23 - Holy Symbol. The item is, or heavily incorporates imagery of, a holy symbol, and can be used as such an implement.

24 - Hovering. When released in midair, the item will hover in place, gently wobbling, for a minute before sinking slowly to the floor.

25 - Illustration. Appears to have been drawn rather than crafted.

26 - Insect-Repelling. Nonmagical, normal-sized insects will not approach the bearer.

31 - Instrument. Despite its appearance, this item can be played like a specific instrument. Strumming, blowing, or beating in the general shape is sufficient.

32 - Journal. The item can hold a page's worth a day of writing, and can flip back and forth between previous entries. Use your finger or a twig to write.

33 - Lascivious. The item enhances feelings of desire or lust in its bearer.

34 - Lens. Some portion of or gap in the item magnifies small details when peered through, granting advantage on any ability check made to appraise or inspect an item that is small or highly detailed.

35 - Liquid. Use an action to turn the item into a liquid of the same volume or back. The liquid is mercury-like and will not separate easily.

36 - Melancholy. Enhances the bearer's urges to brood, stare out the window, pose dramatically in the rain, and write bad poetry.

41 - Mirror. All or some part of this item is reflective enough to be used as a mirror.

42 - Mouldering. Always cold and slightly damp. Smells of niter and dirt. Any cloth or leather components are tattered; metal is varnished.

43 - Nip. One type of beast finds the object irresistible, and will seek to nuzzle, gnaw, or roll on it while not threatened.

44 - Photonic. The item requires light to work and will not function in darkness.

45 - Projector. Use an action to have the item create a specific, pre-established illusion effect in a 5-foot cube.

46 - Psychic Anchor. Cannot be moved via mage hand, telekinesis, or similar magic, and appears solid and fully colored in the ethereal plane.

51 - Purring. Empathically communicates its want to be cradled and stroked. Emits a comforting sound when it is.

52 - Shedding. Constantly dropping bits of fur, rust, scales, dust, or bark. Leaves a messy campsite.

53 - Smuggler's. A hidden interdimensional space the size of a belt pouch is accessible via a command word.

54 - Starry. Glints and glimmers. Its shadows and contours seem too deep, with hints of twinkling light within.

55 - Suspendable. Use an action to speak a command word which turns off all the item's abilities. This lasts for a minute, during which time the item does not radiate magic.

56 - Tattoo. Use an action to transform the item into a life-sized tattoo representing it, or back into a real item.

61 - Thieves' Tools. Various odd protrusions are quickly realized to be functional thieves' tools.

62 - Toothed. Rimmed with teeth of various species. Grates and grinds. If left alone with rations they always seem somewhat gnawed later.

63 - Trophy. Was crafted as a reward for a great competition. Bears the winner's name and the event's dates.

64 - Tuning. Use an action to strike the item and produce a single, specific note that can be heard clearly for 100 feet. The note continues for a minute or until another action is used to silence it.

65 - Twinned. Has a duplicate. Its bearer can use an action to learn the direction (but not the distance) to the twin.

66 - Verdant. Small living leaves sprout from the item, patches are woven of moss, or any wood is damp and sap-filled.

Ration Replacements I

Final Infinity

Despite the intimidating name, this is a muted gray scarf whose ends have been connected. Worn by generations of wizards studying for finals, it always has enough small, stale, miscellaneous crumbs caught in its weave to count as a half ration.

Ruminant Choker

This (somewhat distastefully) leather choker lets the wearer eat tough grasses. It takes about 8 hours to make a full meal. The small, dangling bell can be muffled without impacting the choker's effects.

Visceral Pigments

These small jars of reeking oils run the gamut of gore: red, brown, unsettling green, TOO red.

If used while casting a summoning spell, a steaming heap of entrails appears instead of any creature. The organs persist where the spell would expire, and rot or nourish as natural.

Each use of the pigments calls enough carrion to feed 2d6 humans. If both dice come up 1, the pigments are exhausted.

Weghul's Pouch

A small belt-pouch of warty leather. Every hour or so it produces a fluffy wad of sweet and salty nougat. It's enough to sustain a person indefinitely provided they don't care about vitamins and don't mind having vaguely fuzzy teeth.

Anyone who eats nothing but Weghul's nougat for a day is prone to becoming addicted to it. If they don't eat some kind of regenerating food each day, it's like they ate nothing.

Abrakebabra

It might be easy to overlook this wand of magic missiles as a simple barbeque skewer of fine work. Anyone struck by one of its darts is also filled with a meal's worth of anything on the wand.

It's been a weird last meal for a lot of vampires.

Holding a full barbecue can recharge the wand.

Quftz

A tiny pack of pale seeds
Grows d6 "melons" each day
 The vines shun the light
  The soil smells of poison
But the men are fed and strong.

Zabeth's Tea Setting

Tiny, perfect porcelain and silver place settings for 12. Given d3 hours and a child in the leading seat, will feed everyone present, though only on tea, biscuits, and jam.

The GM might allow someone of sufficiently childlike ways to lead the tea ritual.

Soup Stone

Not much more than a pebble, this bowl-shaped rock extends a cauldron of rations to feed four times what it's been boiled in. Its magic only words if feeding a group of twelve or more.

Santhem's Funnel

A wrapping of fine glass tubes, a sad little bag, and a mouthpiece made of what looks to be a strange crab. Whenever the wearer would fall asleep, roll a d4. They add that roll to any roll next turn, then fall asleep for 1 round. On a 4 the funnel shatters.

More Goblin Names

Continuing from here, another quick d50 table for generating goblin names. Roll twice, and consider adding "-y" or "-er" to the result. Some tests:

• moon-noggin
• powdermulch
• muffin-licker
• bitterhobble
• wartpie
• ruckyfist

Also attaching a combined d100 table for all your goblin-naming needs.

1-2: muffin
3-4: puppy
5-6: cuddle
7-8: midden
9-10: mulch
11-12: wart
13-14: bloat
15-16: pie
17-18: spit
19-20: jug
21-22: comb
23-24: hobble
25-26: shiv
27-28: bitter
29-30: brown
31-32: goat
33-34: moon
35-36: ruck
37-38: pile
39-40: crud
41-42: oil
43-44: fist
45-46: groom
47-48: scape
49-50: jam
51-52: bodkin
53-54: lick
55-56: red
57-58: liver
59-60: bottom
61-62: husk
63-64: wife
65-66: moss
67-68: quag
69-70: powder
71-72: giggle
73-74: brother
75-76: tooth
77-78: cowl
79-80: pip
81-82: squeak
83-84: snot
85-86: little
87-88: boot
89-90: toad
91-92: sister
93-94: noggin
95-96: beetle
97-98: tongue
99-100: speck

Fungal Mutations

Roll d20:

1. A slimy mass replaces the: Tongue; Eyes; Genitals; Sinuses. It works pretty much the same but everything is a bit more beige. If you get dehydrated it turns into fruiting bodies and blows away in the next stiff breeze.
2. Anything that bites you or drinks of your blood must save or be subject to hallucinations (as confusion)
3. As long as you remain well-fed, sweat a honeydew that attracts a colony of ants to crawl about you, almost imperceptibly. They'll swarm anything that grapples you for more than a round, and after a rest you can taste one of them to get a sense of any egregious environmental effects.
4. Sprout a brilliantly colored toadstool cap around your head. Counts as a shield. Could be mistaken for a very wide hat from a distance or with some paint maybe.
5. Enter into a symbiotic relationship with a magic item carried. Once per session, you can count holding it as eating. Once per session, you can use it for free.
6. Grow big fungal mounds on the back and forearms. They are: geometric; wrinkled; gilled; ropy. Together they count as a large item carried, but grants a level's worth of HP.
7. Hold a type of creature: plant; vermin; humanoid; construct. It gets a save each round. After three failures it is charmed until it's not handled for an hour.
8. If you would die of thirst, you instead retreat into a husk that can last up to one-hundred times your natural lifespan. When doused, you will emerge into a fugue state until drenched in water (or blood).
9. If you've eaten a good share of bread or fruit, you pee beer! However, you also burp a lot until it's passed. This could make stealth or negotiations difficult.
10. If your body lies in the same place for a day, a fairy ring forms around it: Well that's weird; Anyone who sleeps in the ring enters Fairyland; Some minor mischievous fairies enter the world; The Shaggy Man enters the world.
11. In complete darkness, skin glows pale green, as bright as a candle.
12. Naked, can eat wood. Something about the size of a door counts as a meal. It takes a rest and is not particularly pleasant to watch.
13. Once per session, breath a cloud of spores that deal damage based on current HP. Until then they're in the lungs, and the strain counts as carrying a large item.
14. Purged of one curse and cough up a delicious orange. Everyone who sees it wants to eat the orange. Anyone who does inherits the curse. If nobody does after a day, the orange hatches into a familiar.
15. Release a cloud of irritating spores when hurt. Those nearby must save or suffer from: sneezing & coughing (stunned); runny eyes (blind); itching (drop held items); an unsightly rash (takes a day to clear up).
16. Resist the touch of slimes, oozes, and such. Sunlight, however, burns like fire.
17. The brain turns into a beautiful puffball. You die. A wizard who cracks your head and inhales the spores learns a new spell and rolls on this table.
18. The flesh becomes spongy and pliable. Half damage from all attacks. Cannot wear armor, and clothes are barely tolerable. Halve speed each day until collapse into sludge and die.
19. Tiny grey roots grow into anything worn or carried. Clothes and leather armor become painful to remove after a few hours, ruined in a day. Wooden weapons, leather bags, or rations carried quickly rot. Each item ruined counts a ration consumed, though.
20. When hungry, emit a nauseating, rotting stench. it attracts flies and other flesh-hungry vermin.

dice decay probabilities

Messing around with supply dice in a game. Here are the average number of times you can expect a die of a size to last if it decays to the next smaller sizer on a 1 or a 2, then be expended after 1.

d	minimum uses	avg uses
12	6	13.03
10	5	9.23
8	4	6.12
6	3	3.71
4	2	2.00