Talk Like a Pirate Day: d20 Seas Encounters & Events!

 So hey today it's Talk Like a Pirate Day, so here's 20 sea-themed encounters and events for your OSR campaign, straight from Lands of Legends Grim and Lands of Legends Mundane!

click on the flag for DTRPG pirate-themed bundle sale (today only!)

Roll a d20.

1. The Lost Merchant. A middle-aged man floats on the waves, clinging to a splintered mast. He screams for assistance as soon as he sees the heroes' ship. Hailing from some distant land, he may or may not speak any of the languages known by the group, but his fine jewels and his patronizing attitude speak for some wealthy origin, and a possible reward for bringing him back home.
2. Message in a Bottle. Heroes spot a corked bottle floating on the waves. It contains (roll a d6): 1: a pirate’s last will and treasure map; 2: a nautical chart; 3: a love letter; 4: a madman’s ravings, 5: a shipwrecked or slave’s plea for rescue; 6: a spell or cursed scroll. Roll another Sea Encounter or Area for further details, if needed.
3. Floating Coffer. This damaged wooden coffer floating on the waters contains (roll a d6): 1: d6 bottles of excellent wine; 2: some minor treasure; 3: common tools; 4: a partially deteriorated spellbook; 4: a collection of bizarre trinkets; 5: a set of medial tools; 6: whatever comes to your mind, as long as it’s lighter than the box.
4. Dolphins. A school of dolphins or narwhals approaches the ship and follows it for d6 days.
5. Sea Giants. Large fins and flat tails can be seen emerging from the waves: 2d6 huge cetaceans (whales, narwhals or blackfish) seem to have gathered here, or are migrating together (roll for a random direction). Sailing away from these behemoths might be a smart move, but trying to fish some might be more rewarding.
6. Ships! Two ships appear on the horizon. They are very close to each other and smoke rises from one: it’s a pirate attack. Will the heroes rush to help the assailed sailors or mind their own business?
7. Broken Ship. A partially destroyed merchant ship is carried by the waves. Its passengers (2d12 survivors) scream for help as soon as the heroes’ vessel comes into view. The ship might have been damaged by monsters, a fire or a storm.
8. The Mighty Remora. Suddenly the ship on which the heroes travel becomes much slower and difficult to maneuver. A huge fish called Remora has attached itself to the keel with its strong suction cup. Its presence can be hinted by the risen waterline on the ship sides, as if an extra weight were on the ship. If the Remora is not removed, navigation will proceed at half speed. If they decide to get rid of the monster, the heroes will have to face a sort of large whale-shark.
9. Wood Limpets. The hull of the ship is attacked by a swarm of wood-eating limpets. If the sailors do not remove and kill them one by one in 24 hours, the ship will be “holed” in a hundred different places and begin to sink.
10. The Lost Hideout. This uncharted minuscule islet features a small rocky hill rising over the lush vegetation. The hill has a small, partially hidden cave, where a long dead pirate’s 2d4 trapped treasure chests can still be found.
11. The Oldest Ship. A bizarre ship appears, crafted in a very exotic fashion. It seems to have been mended and repaired endless times and to be now a mosaic of different parts, from all the seas and all the times. The crew is dressed in rags, and also seems to come from every age and place. The crew is cursed by the Sea Gods for being the first people challenging the sea, in the dawn of navigation. They can never disembark and the ship is constantly repaired and the crew kept fed with offerings made by other seafarers. Denying something to the crew unleashes a curse: the captain (or those who refuse to help) is forced to embark on the ship forever (all sailors have a chance of having heard the legend of this ship and might recognize it).
12. Murders on Board. A ship appears on the horizon. Its crew has been killed and dismembered. Blood is everywhere and there are signs of claws on the wood. The murderer is still hiding on board: it is the figurehead! This is a species of marine gargoyle, wingless, with wooden-looking skin and capable of swimming and crawling from ship to ship. Variant: the gargoyle is on the heroes' ship and the murders take place one by one during the night. Its presence on a ship can be the result of a curse, or the gargoyle might have taken the place of the original figurehead without the crew noticing.
13. The Wrong Timber. This ship is cursed: strange accidents occur to the sailors, wood seems to moan and blood drips from the masts. A recent repair to the ship has been made with the remains of a Treant (or a tree inhabited by a Dryad) and now the restless spirit will not subside until those who have committed this sacrilege are punished.
14. The Rainbow Swarm. A bright-colored cloud is transported by the wind. Examination might reveal its true nature: it is a swarm of flying jellyfish about to attack. Probably the best way to avoid their attack is to find a shelter and wait for the swarm to pass, as it lands and takes off again with a popping sound. Those who can’t find a shelter and fail a Save are hit by d6 jellyfish, each inflicting 1d4 acid damage, before jumping off again and continuing their mindless journey.
15. Dragoning Ship. A sailing vessel covered with horn spikes, with scales along the bulkhead and the head of a bronze dragon as figurehead appears at the horizon. The ship is armed for the hunting of sea serpents, with harpoons, tools for skinning, and a crew of the roughest sailors of the seas. The Captain asks if anyone has seen a great white sea serpent, but the monster actually follows the trail of the ship and attacks all those who come in contact with it.
16. Those are Pearls that Were His Eyes. A derelict man emerges on the waters. He floats on a tortoise shell decorated with coins, his horribly skinny body is encrusted with corals, jewels and gems. As he approaches, he asks “please, an offer for the treasury of the sea”. If refused, he will just spit and sink back underwater. But those who don’t give him at least a coin, will suffer his same fate: their body will start to wither and turn into coral, starting from a random hand or feet. The metamorphosis will be complete in a lunar month and the character will have to leave the earth and join the cursed man in his wanderings, unless he can find him again and give him his due.
17. Boon from the Dead. A small wooden coffer floats on the waters. It contains a random magic (but alas cursed) item.
18. Marauders! A fleet of 2d6 warships appears on the horizon and approaches quickly. Each is manned with a crew of twenty warriors and twenty slaves at the oars. Unless the heroes manage to outmaneuver them, the marauders (vikings, savages or pirates) will be on them and their fierce captain will decide to confiscate their ship, rob them of everything, capture them as oars slaves or enlist them as fellow marauders under his orders depending on their numbers, reaction and type of vessel, as their plan is to ravage and pillow the closest villages and then return home.
19. Triton Patrol. A squad of 5d6 tritons riding giant seahorses approaches the group’s ship. Their leader, a proud knight in seashell armor, politely but firmly asks for a tribute to the Sea King: 100 gold pieces per voyager.
20. The Sargasso Ogre. The waves have accumulated hundreds of tons of fibrous seaweeds, on which explorers can walk. This place is inhabited by birds and other harmless animals. But also by a terrible Sea-Ogre (or a similar monster, like a troll or a scrag)! The Ogre attacks anyone who walks on “his island”. Or worse, it can try to sneak into the ship while the crew is distracted, and butcher all the sailors one by one.

Primeval Wasteland Areas for OSR Games

 New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

Winter has become really cold here, and I hate the cold, so I chose to go with some frozen (or otherwise horrid) wastelands!

Here's a d10 table with ten primeval-themed wasteland areas for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether it is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Primeval. Check it out for hundreds more!

So here's the table:

Wastelands - Primeval Areas

1. Death by Water. Dragged by the currents underneath, huge icebergs move through this ice pack, cracking and splitting it. The cracks can suck explorers into the icy waters (Save vs Death or d6 cold damage per round).
2. Smoke on the Water. This desolate plain is crossed by slow streams and pools of lava that spring from underground. The snow that constantly falls instantly becomes puddles of snow and ash and a mist of hot, toxic vapors. Traveling here is extremely difficult, as new lava pools and springs often appear without notice, and the only creatures explorers may meet are wild elemental creatures of fire, earth, and ice. 
3. Razor Rocks. This barren land is made only of sharp black rocks of all sizes, from tiny to colossal: movement is very difficult and it is impossible to lie down or sit comfortably. Advancing is like climbing (STR check every day), even if explorers cannot fall but just slow down. Sleep is always uncomfortable and does not allow to rest fully unless specific equipment is employed. There are no animals, plants or water around.
4. Freeze Wood. The trees of this land magically absorb the power of the cold. There are enough trees and fallen branches to light a fire, but its bluish flame emits cold instead of heat, freezes food instead of cooking it and causes cold damage in case of contact.
5. Purple Blur. This region is barely illuminated by an eternal twilight: a purple aurora shines in the sky, the trees lean in all directions and all devices and magnetic compasses do not work. Because of the bizarre anomalies of this place, normal vision and darkvision are blurred and greatly reduced, and all spells of divination, enchantment and illusion, as well as those related to light or electricity, don’t work and the others have a 50% chance of failure.
6. The Wurm. Buried in the depths of the world, between the sea and the earth, the Great Wurm lies under this iced land. It is the worm of the world, a primordial creature of frost, destruction and power who once caused an ice age. Its magnitude is unimaginable and only the gods can confront it. Little of what mortals can do can awaken it, but if someone casts a spell of level 5 or higher or uses powerful artifacts in this region, it might writhe in its sleep (50% chance), causing sudden ice storms and earthquakes that can create crevices and avalanches.
7. Heart of Ice. This land hosts a primordial crystal whose roots sink into the center of the world: it is a fulcrum of the magnetic, telluric and magic energies. The frozen wind that blows through the land carries its influence: explorers must Save vs Paralysis or their muscles and tendons will stiffen and ache (-2 to most action, movement halved). Those under this effect must Save again every day vs Spell or fall prey to bleak despair (further -1 to most actions and rolls, cumulative for each failed roll). After failing this save for a number of times equal to the character’s level , each new day requires a new Save vs Paralysis to avoid becoming a block of ice from within (and die). The iced figures of other explorers are the only warning of this danger! The only way to get rid of the first two effects is to leave the region. 
8. Bocochos. Huge, flightless birds roam this tundra. They are also known as Brontorniteri, or Fastclaws. They love beef jerky and tubers and can be easily tamed and employed as fast mounts, but their health will suffer from leaving their cold home region, and they’ll require special care to keep them fit and lively.
9. Ifirnia, the One Year City. Every year, at the end of summer, the nomadic people of this ice-kingdom choose the new place for their city and build it with ice-blocks. In the time of a moon the new town is finished, with a frozen circular wall to protect it and an ice tower standing over the other buildings (stores, temples, theaters and arenas). The ice princess dwells in the tower and the city comes to life with courtiers, shamans, skalds and traders until the next summer.
10. Wendigo Wastes. This desolate region is haunted by the Spirit of Cold and Loneliness. Every time the sun is covered by the clouds, there is a 10% chance of hearing the fearsome cry of the Wendigo: those who hear it must Save vs Spell or run screaming in terror in a random direction, dropping every burden they might be carrying, and they must keep running until they pass the Save (check again after 10 minutes). The cry of the Wendigo is always heralded by a cold, violent gust of north wind. The nomadic tribes that inhabit this land are immune to the howl, and worship the Wendigo as their god.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my upcoming Kickstarter: Axian Library!

Holy-Themed Desert Encounters for OSR Games

    New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

This week, I offer a d10 table with ten Holy Desert encounters for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Holy. Check it out for hundreds more!

But before the table, a little reminder! I've wrapped the five Lands of Legends PDFs into one big sweet BUNDLE available for the duration of the holidays. Hope this counts for making it on the nice list!

So here's the table:

Deserts - Holy Encounters

1. Reverse Sphinx. This sphinx commands the group to ask her a riddle. Players have a few minutes to formulate one. If they can’t come up with a riddle, the creature attacks them. If she (and the DM) cannot answer in 1 minute, then the heroes have passed the test and can go, with the help and blessing of the creature. If the sphinx answers the riddle, she’ll be amused and ask for one more, until she cannot answer, or the group has amused her with three different riddles.
2. Dust Angel. A whirlwind of dust appears and disappears at a distance and seems to follow the group. Later, in the presence of a danger, the whirlwind will appear again, rising around the whole party, wrapping or hiding them from enemies, erasing their tracks or carrying them to a safe place. Inside the whirlwind, the heroes can see a gentle, smiling face.
3. Black Scorpions. The heroes spot or are approached by a black scorpion, as big as an arm. Any guide or native will tell them that it is a sacred scorpion and it mustn’t be killed, even if it tries to sting them. Actually (this is the natives' secret) their venom quenches all thirst and hunger.
4. Mad Hermit. This crazy, babbling old man, dressed in rags, feeding on locusts and desert dew, is the most powerful cleric the world will ever see. If only one could make him listen to reason. Only very patient players should find out the truth.
5. Prophetic Vulture. This big bird, black from the point of its beak to the talons of its feet, is a spirit of doom: it can speak, with a baby’s voice that comes out of its closed beak, and will only say the name of a place known to the characters, and then the sentence “...is doomed”. And it is true.
6. The Ark. In the midst of this arid region lie the remains of a huge, ancient ship. The wreck, preserved by the dry climate, has no masts. Inside there are large and small ramps and stalls and ancient marks of horns and claws. Gigantic parasites may still roam in the lower decks.
7. Living Icons. A gigantic temple stands in an area of rocky formations. Its priests are skilled sculptors and their worship is to create colossal statues of the gods, which they infuse with a sort of divine life-spark. Inside this sanctuary are the images of most known gods, which may be contacted directly to obtain responses or blessings.
8. Nativity. In a secret cave, three magicians have gathered from distant lands to officiate a forbidden ritual: the birth of a god, which will happen in 2d6 days! They have brought special substances, astrological diagrams and dozens of servants. Attracted by a light in the sky, shepherds of the area are flocking to see. What will the new god be like? Randomly determine alignment, morality and power of the new god or make it the avatar of an existing deity.
9. The Herald. A dense flock of red birds comes from the west. They gather in front of the party, assuming the appearance of a god speaking through twittering and fluttering of wings, resulting in a deafening roar (Save vs Spell or be deafened for 1d6 hours). Any god can speak  this “Herald". Today, it warns the group of some danger (roll the next encounter and anticipate part of it, or hint at the features of an area the party is likely to visit).
10. The Octahedron. The party has just found one of the octahedra, which are said to be tears of the goddess of dawn made into geometric crystals by the god of forges. Those who shake an octahedron in their hands before attempting a task will receive the aid of the gods: they can add d8 to a roll they are about to perform. As soon as the octahedron is shaken, it dissolves in a cloud of dust.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my other random tables posts, and my OSR stuff on DrivethruRPG: the Land of Legends series and my pwyw e-zines for Old-School Essentials: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird and Mysteriously Missing & Merrily Met!

My next pwyw Old-School Essentials e-zine will be released this month! To find out what it'll be about, and grab it as soon as it's out, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Telegram!

Fairy Cities for OSR Games

   New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

A slow, frustrating Saturday with my kids going through yet another swab, and probably another week off from school because of several covid cases around. And even the school I work at has got half a dozen cases or more. So let's escape to some Fairy City!

This week, I offer a d10 table with ten Fairy Civilization areas for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Fairy. Check it out for hundreds more!

But before the table, it's time for an announcement! I've wrapped the five Lands of Legends PDFs into one big sweet BUNDLE available for the duration of the holidays Hope this counts for making it on the nice list!

So here's the table:

Civilizations - Fairy Areas

1. The Floating Castle. This castle floats 200’ above the ground. It is home to the Three Archmage Brothers, served by 12 animated crystal statues and protected by 90 gargoyles. They travel through kingdoms researching knowledge, rare alchemical components and, very rarely, apprentices.
2. Goblin City. An accumulation of hovels, shacks and huts stacked on one another on many levels, around a network of muddy streets and alleys. Structures are built with a jumble of parts randomly juxtaposed, totally unsafe, and about to fall down. Bridges, roads and stairs, completely unnecessary, go back and forth without reason, with blind alleys and twisted meanders. Construction sites, scaffoldings and excavations are found everywhere, with the most unlikely workers. The Goblin Committee rules the city, hosting emissaries from distant tribes. Navigating the city requires an INT check, and failure may result in a monster encounter or a nasty cave-in or collapsing building (3d6 damage).
3. Modern Times. In this metropolis all the hard work is done by golems and mechanical servants; sewer oozes digest the waste, bulettes are used for digging tunnels and mines, the breath of dragons is employed in forges and alchemical workshops, rust monsters serve the scrap dealers and so on. Each monster in the bestiary has been tamed for a particular use, including many humanoids, who live in the nearby slum, while humans are employed as geometers, architects and superintendents. But who is on top of the hierarchy?
4. Webtown. This town hangs from magically protected ropes attached to the huge rocks at the sides of a ravine, because the region is so infested with wild beasts that the only safe place to live in is the air. Hundreds of hammock-houses in rope, leather and fabric hang over the abyss below, with rope bridges and ladders connecting the two sides of the ravine to the houses.
5. Armilla, Town of Nymphs. This once beautiful city has been abandoned for centuries. Among the ruins, the beautiful baths, aqueducts, fountains and basins work perfectly and do not seem aged by a day. Beautiful girls are often seen swimming in pools and fountains, disappearing at will in the pipes and reappearing somewhere else, at another point reached by water. Consecrated to the goddess of water, Armilla is inhabited only by this group of water nymphs, protecting it against invaders and the passage of time.
6. Of Giants and Men. This town is inhabited by giants, but there is also an entire population of humans. To the giants, the humans in the city are what mice are to men, hiding in caves, behind walls or under the stairs, pilfering from their larders, barns and cellars. The giants fight off men as parasites, or capture and cage them like pets. They also use big panthers to dig out their unwanted guests.
7. The Well of Wonders. This village is famous for its enchanted well: those who dare drink its water undergo some kind of change. Roll a d10. Each individual can only be affected once! 1-3: reroll a random ability with 4d6; 4: rejuvenate 2d6+5 years; 5: gain a random first level spell as a natural ability; 6: loose a level; 7: become immune to poison; 8: gain a level; 9: change sex; 10: randomly change race.
8. Slumbertown. This cursed village is generally avoided: all its inhabitants sleep and nothing wakes them up. No one grows old, nothing decays. If a visitor attempts to harm someone or take something, all visitors are teleported to the last bed where they slept, remembering their visit as a dream. The only way to lift the curse is to find an empty bed in the village and sleep for a whole night. Poltergeists will try to wake up the newcomers, so five rolls (WIS checks) must be failed. The witch that cursed Slumbertown might be displeased, though!
9. The Clockwork City. This whole city is a complex construct. Roads, stairs, walls, palaces and towers are wired together and can move and change configuration under the control of the City Masters for special needs such as sieges, wars, urban planning, curfews, and so on. 
10. Maple Town. This place, also called The Farmyard, is inhabited by anthropomorphic animals who follow a complex code of honor (carnivores cannot eat humanoid or humanized animals), trying to create a utopian society. They gather from around the world to formulate a common statute and an early universal declaration of animal rights, so the city is like a great parliament. Humanoids are welcome, but often viewed with suspicion.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my other random tables posts, and my OSR stuff on DrivethruRPG: the Land of Legends series and my pwyw e-zines for Old-School Essentials: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird and Mysteriously Missing & Merrily Met!

My next pwyw Old-School Essentials e-zine will be released this month! To find out what it'll be about, and grab it as soon as it's out, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Telegram!

Grim Jungles for OSR Games

  New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

A bit of a boring Saturday morning here, dreaming of upcoming holidays but still having to deal with work & everyday chores. Time to plan my next Kickstarter! There will be time to write about that in the next weeks...

For today, I offer a d10 table with ten Grim Jungle areas for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Grim. Check it out for hundreds more!

So here's the table:

Jungles - Grim Areas

1. Geese Graveyard. Natives of the region say that in the heart of this jungle lies the fabled “golden geese” graveyard, where these birds go to die and become solid gold statues. Following the natives' directions is relatively easy and, indeed, golden geese can often be seen in the sky, heading to a precise location. It is a lost temple, surrounded by a village of cannibals and all the natives are their accomplices, trying to keep them at bay. Explorers who reach the village are brought to the "graveyard", surrounded and killed. Their remains are then given as food to cruel golden geese, who fly from across the region to feast on human flesh.
2. City of Tigers. Cruel man-eating tigers inhabit this impenetrable jungle and often make forays into the neighboring villages. Legends say that in the middle of the jungle lies the terrible City of Tigers, whose pavilions are built with human bones and skins. Cruel Rakshasas and weretigers rule it with an iron paw and their envoys are everywhere, hidden among men, in order to send more and more victims to the jungle. These emissaries (and all the tigers disguised as men) can be recognized because they have reversed hands and feet, with thumbs and toes on the outside.
3. The Invasion of Impossible Things. A mysterious skull-shaped green asteroid has fallen in this jungle, and now its deadly radiation contaminates the whole area. Those who spend more than a week and fail a Save vs Paralysis become a kind of reptilian creature within a few days (1d4). Leaving the area before the transformation is complete reverses and cancels the phenomenon, but leaving later causes the victims to explode in a burst of bloody pieces. If the transformation comes to completion, the victim's skin rips and a mindless lizard-man emerges trying to bite and devour everyone. The creature's bite is contagious like a werewolf’s and produces the same effects, but a Save can avoid the transformation.
4. The Real Living Death. A terrible curse affects those who die in this jungle. Bacteria keep the corpses together after death and allow smaller organisms to take part of it: the dead bodies are eaten as usual by bugs, worms, centipedes, fungi and molds, but they still maintain their structure and mass. As time goes by, all these beings "become" the corpse, which ultimately consists of a mass of plants, fungi and parasites and behaves as if it were still living and sentient. And it moves in search of food.
5. Cannibal Holocaust. This jungle is inhabited by tribes of cannibals who are accustomed to eat their dead, enemies defeated in war, the diseased or elderly ones and those who commit grave crimes. Despite these habits they act very politely with visitors, treating them with the utmost care and attention and inviting them to their special banquets as honored guests.
6. Death Valley. In this lush forest all predators, including reptiles, fish, mammals and birds, have poisonous attacks with teeth and/or claw!
7. Head Hunter Trolls. This jungle is the kingdom of a peculiar kind of trolls: they are about as tall as a man, and as nimble as monkeys. Primitive and savage, divided in several scattered tribes, they collect the heads of enemies and preys, both humanoids and animals, and then cut gashes on their shoulders and stick the severed head inside. Most heads just attach and become simple living tissue, slightly shrunk in size and slowly sliding down the chest; about 1 out of 6 is assimilated with better functions so that it can breath, eat and see, though it will become mindless; about 1 out of 6 of these breathing heads will be fully functional, retaining its knowledge and mental skills, though its will won’t be free unless the troll’s head is severed. The oldest and fiercest tribe leaders and warriors are covered with heads, many are shrunk, some are crazed and horrified faces, and a bunch are there, staring, thinking and serving the troll’s will.
8. Wooden Death. This jungle is dotted with the remains of long abandoned villages: rotting huts, broken wooden walls and canoes, stone totems. Amid the ruins, inside small holes, broken pottery and baskets, as well as in the shadows of the nearby vegetation, hundreds of murderous wooden dolls, with big horrible heads, topped with human scalps, stand vigil and are ready to assault anyone entering their territories. The dolls are possessed by the maddened souls of the dead natives, who were tricked into this undead slavery by evil spirits. Clerics may attempt to turn these 3 HD undead, while wizards and necromancers might be tempted to capture one and make an enslaved familiar of it.
9. Grim Scales. This jungle has no mammals nor birds. Equivalent creatures are all reptiles and all are ferocious predators: scaly monkeys, bat winged lizards, slinky, cold blooded scale tigers.
10. Termite Forest. This jungle is infested with carnivorous termites, whose territories are avoided by most animals. If explorers get close to their mounds (bizarre towers, up to 30 feet high) to examine them, it is already too late. The swarm comes out and attacks, dealing 1d6 damage with tiny bites and toxic saliva every round. In order to save their lives, heroes must stand very close to a flame, dive into water, or pour great amounts of oil all over them.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my other random tables posts, and my OSR stuff on DrivethruRPG: the Land of Legends series and my pwyw e-zines for Old-School Essentials: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird and Mysteriously Missing & Merrily Met!

My next pwyw Old-School Essentials e-zine will be released next month! To find out what it'll be about, and grab it as soon as it's out, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Telegram!

Primeval Mountains & Hills for OSR Games

 New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

Mighty bad weather today here, with nature reminding us whose world this is, so I offer a d10 table with ten primeval-themed mountain & hill areas for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Primeval. Check it out for hundreds more!

So here's the table:

Mountains and Hills - Primeval Areas

1. The First Peak. Dragons this place the Last Flight. This peak is nearly impossible to reach without flying, because of its extremely steep cliffs. Even if flying, explorers will have to face the seven Greater Storm Elementals (Air Elementals with lightning bolts), bound to guard the way to the peak. At the top lies the cemetery of the First Dragons, who came here to die when their time had come. Their bones have turned to gold, but are guarded by a Wight Dragon: one of the oldest, wisest and most dangerous creatures of the world (ancient undead Black Dragon with Wight abilities, plus almost all the knowledge one can have, and a very bad temper). If the Black Dragon is slain, the golden skeletal dragons will rise to fight!

2. The Chained Titan. Legends say that a titan is chained to the side of a mountain of this impressive range, punished by the gods for giving mortals the secret of fire and metal. Actually, the titan is a giant sculpture carved on the side of the mountain. In the caves of his eyes, the last immortal blacksmiths of the people who carved the sculpture have their ever-burning forge, creating weapons in black iron, adamant and other special metals.

3. Rock Giants. The huge boulders that lie scattered on the flanks of this mountain are actually giants made of rock, at their larval stage. While the group travels across this area and passes near the boulders, there is 1 in 6 chance that their proximity makes a rock “hatch” and let a giant arise, attacking immediately.

4. The Machine in the World. Throughout these mountains travelers hear a ticking noise coming from underground. Under the mountains there are ancient mechanisms and stone wheels and mills powered by lava falls. The machine moves continents, causes earthquakes and pushes tectonic plates according to the will of mysterious engineers. Gates to the machine are hidden and protected and inside there are stone golem guards. Tampering with the gears might cause enormous, violent changes in the world.

5. Veins of Gold. A vein of wild alchemical gold runs in the heart of the mountain, occasionally emerging here and there. Those who do not realize the danger and touch or step on these outcrops must pass a Save vs Petrification or their blood will be turned into solid gold. At worst, their friends will have about 10lbs of gold as a consolation (if they manage to retrieve it).

6. The Heavy Mountain. This mountain’s heart of molten metal increases the gravity of the surrounding environment. Anyone and anything in this area becomes gradually heavier, weighting up to twice.

7. The First Dwarves. The roots of this mountain are inhabited by the first dwarves, stocky and uncouth beings, deformed and primitive. They are not evil, but misshapen, idiotic and violent. They have no language, but worship a grotesque boulder-god. Their skin is leathery and their bones are as hard as stone.

8. Grey Bearhounds. A race of strong hounds lives in these mountains, used to hunting wolves and bears. These animals behave like common wild dogs, but are quite larger (the size of a dire wolf). Heroes might tame them as pets, animal companions or even mounts.

9. The Crystal Peak. This mountain is a colossal meteorite made of crystal, partially covered by debris and rocks. At night it emanates a sick purple luminescence and during the day a disturbing buzzing can be heard from the surrounding mountains. The peak and the valleys around it are inhabited by all sorts of chimeric beasts, lured here by the crystal or possibly generated from it. Fragments of the crystal might be used to propel or channel chaotic energies in magic rituals, but for each day spent around the peak there is a cumulative 1% chance of developing some chimeric mutation.

10. Shadowridge. The wild predators of this mountain range live a double life: during the night (whether they fall asleep or not), their bodies become ethereal and they hunt with the special abilities of shadow creatures while maintaining their shape, HD and attacks.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my other random tables posts, and my OSR stuff on DrivethruRPG: the Land of Legends series and my pwyw e-zines for Old-School Essentials: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird and Mysteriously Missing & Merrily Met!

My next pwyw Old-School Essentials e-zine will be released next month! To find out what it'll be about, and grab it as soon as it's out, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Telegram!

Holy Lakes and Rivers for OSR Games

New weekend, new table from Lands of Legends!

This week I offer a d10 table with ten holy-themed fresh water areas (rivers and lakes) for your OSR sandbox campaign with simple stat references for your classic game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your sandbox!

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Holy. Check it out for hundreds more!

If you're into sandbox/hexcrawl games, I recommend you check this blog post here too, for a straightforward step-by-step guide on how to set the thing up, in a simple way that I verily appreciate and approve! Mixing those steps with the Lands of Legends tables will set you up in a blink!

Also note, the full Lands of Legends series is now available in print!

So here's the table:

Fresh Waters - Holy Areas

1. The God in the Lake. This lake is very deep, with clean, limpid water. The bottom is full of thermal springs and as one swims down, the water fills with oxygen and heats up, becoming breathable, allowing swimming to the bottom without being crushed by the pressure. Here, in the midst of a special luminescence, is the temple of Karkinos the Crab-God, with its treasure of magic pearls guarded by colossal crabs.
2. The Master of Algae. In this lake lives the Master of Algae, a minor deity made of algae. The whole forest of kelp is its body and it can assume the face of a bearded giant to communicate underwater. The locals honor him, and offer a flake of sulfur whenever they cross the lake. Crossing the lake without an offering may anger the god, who will entangle the ship or boat with its algae.
3. The Blood of the Sky. Legends say that this lake was created when the sky god was injured and his blood fell on the ground, touching plants and animals. There are many awakened trees in the region and 5% of the animals have "celestial" powers.
4. Golden Rays. This river is home to the mythical golden rays (6 HD fish). If offered their favourite food (ratfish) they jump out of the water and fly around explorers, blessing them in some way chosen by the GM. If harmed, they attempt one attack with their poisonous sting that turns victims into solid gold (Save vs Petrify).
5. The Flooded Temple. In the midst of these waters an ancient temple lies, sacred to the Mother of Waters. The priestesses of the half sunk temple can give advice and help, but explorers have to dive and swim underwater, until get to an underground, underwater dry room which is the temple entrance.
6. The Lake of Visions. This great lake is sacred to the neutral gods of secrets and destiny. At every full moon adventurers come here to leave offerings in the shrines around its shores, and pray in hopes of receiving a vision shown on the waters, related to some future event, interesting secret, or important issue (1/8 chance, or 1/6 if neutral, or 1/4 if neutral cleric).
7. The Holy Tear. This lake is said to have originated from the tears of the Goddess of Mercy. Bathing in its waters heals all wounds and removes all afflictions of the body and the soul (including curses and level drain), but only once in a lifetime. If taken away, the water becomes normal.
8. Lake of Fire. This lake is literally filled with fire! Souls of sinners are punished here for having betrayed or challenged the God of Justice and Retribution. These ethereal undead cannot leave their torment, unless their mortal spoils are removed from the bottom of the lake, where some exceptional items of Chaos might be found, guarded by their former owners and all the other spectres.
9. Snake River. This long, winding river is sacred to all the divinities associated with snakes, with domains such as healing, strength, life and immortality, but also cunning, treachery, poison and death. Clerics and worshippers have a chance (1-2 in d6) in their lifetime of receiving a boon from their god by drinking the water of this river. Possible boons: +1d4 to an attribute, +d4 to one skill or saving throw, or a special talent, spell or unique ability.
10. Mystic Flow. The phantasmal ships to the afterlife sail on the waters of this long river. Those of good or lawful alignment voyage upstream towards the mystic source. Those of evil or chaotic alignment go downstream towards the sea of shadows. During new moon nights the ships can be seen, with apparitions silently getting on board. On such nights one can try to communicate with the dead for the last time, if they pass a Save vs Paralysis in front of the mystery of the afterlife.

If you enjoy this type of content, check my other random tables posts, and my OSR stuff on DrivethruRPG: the Land of Legends series and my first pwyw e-zine for Old-School Essentials: Wondrous Weavings Warped and Weird!

My next  pwyw Old-School Essentials e-zine, Mysteriously Missing & Merrily Met, featuring tables to figure out what's happened to your character when you missed a session, will be released next week! Grab it as soon as it's out: follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Telegram!

City Encounters for OSR Games

Staying at home this weekend, perhaps going out for an ice cream with the kids, so here's a d10 table with ten city encounters for your OSR game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

Use them to spice up your city sessions!

These are straight from the Encounters section of Lands of Legends Mundane. Check it out for hundreds more!

Civilization - Mundane Encounters

1.  False Money. Selling an especially valuable good, explorers are rewarded with ready money, but false (pyrite instead of gold, for example). They will probably find out when they try to pay for something to another merchant, who refuses their money and threatens to report them. The fake money in their possession may cause them trouble with the law and it's impossible to find anywhere the dishonest merchant (or he will deny everything and there will be no proof of purchase).
2. Masquerade. Following a centuries-old tradition, the city is dedicated to theater and performances for a full lunar month every year. Shows in traditional masks, disguises and costume parades invade the streets, while scammers, thieves and conspirators use masks and costumes to carry on their shady dealings. People and guards know, but no one can stop this tradition, nor wants to.
3. The Stairs to Atlantis. At a quay by the sea (or near a lake or under the ground) a large marble stair of great antiquity has recently been found. The steps continue into the water, far beyond the point any mortal can reach. Rumors say that they lead to a mythical sunken city, but nobody knows if it's true. Now they are patrolled by a newly formed brotherhood of men in black, ready to kill if someone begins to investigate.
4. A Weird Book. A sneaky fellow offers the group a bizarre book for a bargain price. It is an apparently useless collection of grotesque illustrations, but the price is really low. If the group investigates its provenance, or looks for a good buyer, they might meet a small and mostly harmless, even if a bit creepy, secret company: they call themselves the Gardening Society, and are a bunch of retired adventurers and bored aristocrats. They are collectors of curios and lovers of mysteries and stories of adventures, and might be a useful resource of information about the weird rumors, places and creatures of the world.
5. A Strange Thief. Mezzatacca, an old rascal, has trained monkeys to climb the outer walls of inns at night, enter through the windows or chimneys and steal purses and shiny objects. Hearing the monkey thief while sleeping is very difficult!
6. Dead or Alive. “Wanted” posters appear: ”Evil Enchanter and Murderous Arsonist, Adramalis Bargol, called ‘The Black’, has escaped from the Castle’s Prisons and is Wanted, Dead or Alive - Reward: 2000 Gold Pieces”. A portrait completes the poster, and the guy looks exactly like the party’s rogue (or other random PC).
7. Communication Masters. Elegantly written scrolls appear in the main plazas of the city: “Sir Horrast and His Most Intrepid Company, Defeaters of Dragons and Smiters of Evil, Are Here to Offer Their Services to All Those in Need of Brave Arms''. Sir Horrast, his party and their followers and attendants have just taken all the rooms of the most elegant inn in town. After a while, voices spread that the head of a dragon can be seen at the inn for 5 gold pieces; hired criers advertising the Intrepid Company can be heard during market days, and bards sing of their mighty deeds.
8. Archery Tournament. The local authority has announced that an Archery Tournament will be held in a fortnight. Competitors must pay a 10 gold entry fee, and will only be allowed to use bows and arrows lent by the local fletchers and bowyers guild. The competition includes shooting at targets, hares, breaking pottery, burning scarecrows with fire arrows, and shoot-and-climb-the-wooden-wall (with a roped arrow). The prizes are: A platinum medal (worth 1000 gold), a gold chain (100 gold pieces), and a superb pig (15 mo).
9. The Man Who Would Be King. After the death of the rightful king, in order to avoid the turmoils and revolutions of the past, a general armistice between the city’s factions has brought to an unprecedented decision: the man or woman (roll a die to determine the appropriate sex) who accomplishes a certain, heroic task for the city (GM choice) will become guardian and promised spouse of the infant scion of the old royal family, and obtain the throne.
10. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing. An old, disgraced and impoverished noble from a minor feud is seeking a bold and rich, young spouse: a successful adventurer would just be perfect! In exchange for conjugal duties (this is essential!) and a rich dowry (this is essential too!), the brave character that wins her “heart”, will get a feud and a small territory to rule.

Fairy Seas & Islands for OSR Games

Going for a short weekend trip to beautiful Genoa, so here's a d10 table with ten fairy seas & islands encounters for your OSR game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

These are straight from the Encounters section of Lands of Legends Fairy. Check it out for hundreds more!

Seas & Islands- Fairy Encounters

1. The Three Swordfish. Three swordfish approach the heroes’ vessel. Their bills are real steel weapons sprouting out of their muzzles: a rapier, a sabre and a broadsword, and they are fully capable fighters. They were bloodthirsty pirates, cursed by the sea fairies to protect a thousand ships from pirates attacks. When their task is fulfilled, they’ll return to their original shape and be free from the curse. They’ll escort the heroes’ ship, and will try to trick them towards some pirate ship, as they’ve already saved 999 vessels and can’t wait to be human again.
2. Geppetto! A terrible monster wanders these seas, a dogfish big enough to contain shipwrecked people and fish escaped from digestion. Meeting this monster probably means losing one’s ship and ending up shipwrecked and swallowed. Inside the monster a little group of people can survive and make long journeys. As described in the legends, in order to exit from the jaws of the monster, it has to regurgitate.
3. The Island under the Sea. This island looks like a towering obsidian pillar, visible from afar. Dozens of ships and boats dock between the rocks surrounding it. On its surface is the access to a system of caves going down below the water, where an entire population lives. There are hundreds of people and it is a thriving port. The caves are dry and waterproof, well ventilated and equipped with spring water, thermal water, animals and edible plants, and even underground sources of biological light.
4. Flying Rocks. These flying rocks were thrown by an angry titan against the wily sorcerer Brassalandro who had robbed him of the magical bag of zephyrs. The sorcerer summoned a djinn that stopped the rocks, leaving them suspended midair. Today the rocks wander slowly with the wind, and host several nests of harpies.
5. The Reef Village. Lost in the sea there is a crescent-shaped "island" made of pure coral. The reef has grown so much that some men have cut coral "bricks" and used them to build a village of several dozens of cabins. People living in this place go fishing, use seaweed for crafting and trade with sailors, selling pearls, shells and corals in exchange for wood, rope, leather and metal tools.
6. Pufferfish. The Gods of the Depths use the Pufferfish to lead people of the surface to their realm. These big fish can swallow a “passenger” whole, kept safe and dry inside a transparent bubble-stomach, which allows them to breathe and see the outside (air is provided by the gill system). Inside the fish, heroes can reach the luxurious mansions of the Tritons and the Sea Gods. But why are they trying to summon the heroes?
7. Old Crabman. This old fisherman lives in a hut by the shore. He admires crabs and considers them superior to human beings in every respect. He’s ready to deliver long speeches about how the different types of crabs move, hunt, rest, mate, fight. He knows because he has been taught the crab language by the mermaids, and is willing to teach it to anyone who proves to love crabs as much as he does, by managing to fish ten different types of crabs in one week and keeping them alive.
8. Primate Pirates! This corsair ship’s crew is made of nimble monkeys and mighty apes! Their captain is a human, a cruel old buccaneer who commands his horde thanks to a magical amulet that casts a never-ending “Charm Primates” spell and makes its bearer understood by all primates.
9. Singing Undines. Some water elementals follow the ship and constantly hum a simple tune. If someone on the ship sings back to them, or plays a musical instrument, they push the ship, making it travel faster. As soon as the music on the ship ceases, they lose interest and disappear.
10. Triton Hero. A triton knight in seashell armor, armed with a coral spear and riding a giant seahorse, is pursuing a sea dragon who has kidnapped the mermaid princess of this sea. He might need help and if victorious might share his triumph at the Sea King’s court.

Grim Forest Areas for OSR Games (+ ANNOUNCEMENT)

Halloween is almost here, and here's a d10 table with ten forest areas for your OSR game of choice, wether is Old-School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Sword & Wizardry, or any other clone of OE, B/X, or BECMI Dungeons and Dragons.

These are straight from the Areas section of Lands of Legends Grim, which is part of the Halloween Sale on DrivethruRPG. Check it out for hundreds more!

...and there's also a big ANNOUNCEMENT! Wondrous Weavings Warped & Weird is up and available as Pay What You Want at DrivethruRPG! Check it out for an alternate arcane magic system for Old-School Essentials!

Forests - Grim Areas

1. The Dead Wood. The trees are grey and leathery, with black, swollen leaves, because they are undead. There is no undergrowth, just mold and fungi (including such monster types as random encounters). Zombi Dryads feast under the black leaves, and rumors say enormous undead Treants lurk in the most remote areas of the wood.

2. The Evil Forest. All vegetation is evil to non-animal beings. Roll 1d6 every hour: a random character stumbles for 1d4 damage, or is stung by some poisonous vine: Save vs Poison or suffer -2 to all d20 rolls for 24 hours.

3. The Forest of Suicide. Centuries ago, during a period of famine and war, the poorest of the villagers came to this woods one at a time and hanged themselves, to remove a mouth to feed from their families. The pain and horror of these acts haunts the place, and those who travel in the forest can meet specters, voices and new suicides hanging from tree branches. Heroes failing a Save vs Spells begin to feel the desire to commit the same act and should they fail three consecutive days will have to be physically restrained from doing it.

4. “Help me... Please, help me...” This wood is infested with forest hyenas, treacherous and cruel animals digging burrows in the ground and among the roots of trees. They know how to imitate the human voice and utter a few words that they have learned from their victims (screaming, "help" "mercy" and so on...) and use this skill to lure explorers and assault them in a pack. A WIS roll allows one to understand there is something wrong.

5. The Dance of the Alders. Spending the night in these woods is very dangerous. Around midnight, distant sounds of flutes and dancing lights might attract explorers to a glade where dark creatures, looking like bewitched elves, are dancing in the moonlight. The creatures invite everyone to dance with them. If a person refuses three times or fails the dance (a DEX roll), then one of the creatures will strike him, causing a terrible disease (mummy’s rot, for example). Dancing with the creatures is just exhausting: non-stop dancing until dawn, but it will not bring any other result.

6. Fields of Asphodel. Small white flowers grow in this forest, capable of stealing the lives of explorers through their breath. Everyday travelers must pass a Save vs Death or temporarily lose 1 point of Constitution. As they lose their points, the asphodels around them become more vivid and florid.

7. Groans from the Trees. This forest resounds with groans that seem to come from everywhere. There are no green plants, and no straight branches: all vegetation is dark, gnarled and twisted, with no fruit but only poisoned thorns. The groans come from the trees themselves. Snapping a branch or hitting the bark with a blade releases cries, blood and words: the trees are miserable men turned into plants by the ancient Witch of the Woods who lives inside the forest.

8. Ironwood. This dark forest’s trees have deep red foliage all through the year. All the beasts living here have a 10% chance of being mutated with a partially metallified hide or carapace that grants +4 to their Armor Class and may be employed to create special armors.

9. Crawlwood. The trees of this forest live in symbiosis with long lived giant snails: most trees grow on top of the snails’ partially flattened shells. During the night each tree crawls for about d6 feet and all the forest is slowly moving towards the same direction. The undergrowth is scarce, as it is consumed by the snails and the soil is often slippery with the slime left by the snails.

10. Forest of Madness. Evil spirits haunt this forest: for each night spent here, one random character will hear a voice in his head ordering him to kill one of his comrades. If the character refuses to obey, he has to Save vs Spell or is forced to harm himself, continuing until restrained, dead or unconscious, or until a cleric successfully turns away the evil spirit, or until the break of dawn. Lone travelers are unaffected.