Wizard Dad: Locations, Encounters, and Objects that can found in an abandoned space station.

I am working on a somewhat complicated blog article about steering randomly created locations back to active threads (beyond what the heck is in this bloody dangerous place). Because I am trying out some new techniques and house rules it is going to take a while to complete it.

In the mean time I am feeling that draw I get every summer in Florida to get as far away as possible from Florida, at least in my brain, so I am going to be doing a lot of my adventuring in space (if you are interested in how that works out check out my Voyage of the Yggdrasil articles).

So, as a touch of filler so this blog isn't dead air, I present you with 3 lists (locations, encounters, and objects) that can be found in a seemingly abandoned space station. 

Though, I would use this with Location Crafter, it should have some small use to any game in which a salvage team in space suits rolls up on what looks like an untapped gold mine of spare parts, environmental hazards, and bad ideas.

Hook: Your ship arrives in a more vacant avenue of a mostly empty solar system only to pick up an automated distress call, that leads to seemingly abandoned space station. Suit up, because it seems the life support is off line.

Locations

1. Escape pod entry bay. (Has the pod been launched? Is there anything in the supply locker?)
2. A medical suit, with an Virtual Intelligence Nurse. (Has it been ransacked?, is the VI Nurse still sane or has it went a bit off?)
3. A hologram entertainment room. (what was the last simulation it was dial to?)
4. A shuttle bay. (Is the shuttle still there? If it is, are there clues as to why?)
5. Scientific R&D room with a sealed door. (Can it be jury rigged to open or forced open? What is concealed behind it, pay data, or a deadly specimen)
6. A guard station and armory. (Does it need an access code? Is it booby trapped?)
7. Control Center. (Is it damaged? What where the last entries in the log?)
8. Engineering room. (Is the Maker Box still functional? Are three empty spots in the tool locker? If so what do you expect to see there that is missing?
9. Captain's quarters? (Have they been ransacked? Does the captain keep a personal diary? If so what are the last entries?)
10. Life Support control room. (Is the life support damaged or was it taken off line?)

Encounter

1. Its a trap! (what is the trap effect? Is it meant to incapacitate a human or is it made for some other sort of target.
2. Service Android? (is it online, is it sane, does it attack?)
3. Babbling crew member (Why are they here when the station seems abandoned.? Why are they alive with no life support?)
4. Ship AI (Is it cooperative? Does it want to help but can't because you  aren't members of the crew? What were its last orders?)
5. Non human entity. (Is it hostile? Is it a pet? Is it carrying some horrible space disease?)
6. Service Bot? (Is it still trying to do its job? Does it think that the PCs are trash that need to be removed? If its memory is accessed what is recorded on it?)
7. Security Bot? (Does it shoot first? Does it question the party? Does it use lethal force?)
8. VI Hologram? (What is its function, what  how smart is it? Doe it think the party is part of the station's crew?)
9. Vacuum suit. (Why is it here?  Is it damaged? Is it better than the one you own?)
10. Meta tool with a cracked output screen. (how recently was it last used? What tool is it set to emulate? does it have blood on it?

Objects

1. Cryogenics Chamber? (are they occupied? Is it a crew member? Is it something much more exotic?)
2. Graffiti sprayed on wall (Does it make sense? Is it artistic? is it cryptic?)
3. One more dead bodies. (Is how they died apparent. Were they crew members? Are they still dangerous?)
4. A data pad. (is it broken. Is it password locked. Is its battery dead? What was the last thing that it was used to access/look up?)
5. A jury-rigged weapon. (What was it built from? what is its function?)
6. An open equipment locker (Is it ransacked? What is left in it? What would you expect to see that is missing?)
7. Emergency Rations (have they been opened? What flavor are they? Why are they in this location?)
8. A cache of universal batteries? (Are they a trap? Do they have charge left? is there an object near them that needs a battery?)
9. A deactivated drone. (What is its model and function? Is it turned off or damaged? Does it have an onboard memory device?)
10. A collection of hyper tech medicines? (Damage repair nanites? Hyper antibiotics designed to cure you of anything short if cancer? Stim patches that allow the ignoring of wounds or pain?)

W.D.

Mythic Locations 2: A Walk in the Forest

Continuing the series of drop in and play locations, today we are visiting an Ancient Forest. This will be a setting template, so you, and the context of your game, will be the final word on what is found. The rules set that is used to design this adventure can be found in Mythic Magazine Vol. 5, pg. 12 ($4.95).

There are three types of Woods described in this article: Dark Woods, Ancient Woods, and Horror Woods. Today we are exploring an Ancient Wood. 

If your context doesn't already inform it, roll twice on the Woods Story Descriptors Table. Or conversely you can just pick a couple of elements that fit with the context of your game. You can even split the difference and add one from your context and roll one to add a touch of surprise. 

Next, roll twice on the Woods Region Descriptors Table. If you want to add more depth of description, you can reroll on this table when you enter a new region within the wood to keep churning out variations on the original theme. I leave that up to you. 

Now, you should prepare your lists if you have pre-existing context for any Locations, Encounters, or Objects. (A sample list is given below). This would be heavily dependent on the context of your adventure going in, and any inspirations you may have been given by the Woods Story Descriptions you rolled. 

Examples of locations could be fairy rings, animal dens, caves found in gnarled roots, etc.
Examples of Encounters could be talking beast, fairy creatures, mythic creatures, hermits in the woods, and the like.
Examples of objects could be rare herbs, magic pools, the long dead remains of a former explorer, or an out of place object, like a sword thrust into a tree trunk.

As I said let the context of your world and your imagination flow while filling out the lists. 
A useful tool to grab at this point would be a copy of  The randomized Location Crafter Known Elements Region Sheet Form Fillable PDF.

So with no further ado, lets take a walk into an Ancient Forest. 

1. Area: Connection to Area 2 Loose collection of trees
1. Location: Expected
2. Encounter: None
3. Objects: None
2. Area: Connection to Area 3 Loose collection of trees
1. Location: Expected
2. Encounter: Random (Angry, Peaceful)
3. Objects: Random (Moving, Garbage)
3. Area: Connection to Area 4 Loose collection of trees
1. Location: Expected
2. Encounter: None
3. Object: Random (Important, Desired)
4. Area: Area 4 leads directly to Area 5
1. Location: Expected
2. Encounter: None
3. Object: Random (Warm, Weapon)
5. Area: Area 5 leads directly to Area 6
1. Location: Special (Known and Random- Ornate, Resourceful)
2. Encounter: None
3. Object: Expected
6. Area: Connection to Area 7 Loose collection of trees
1. Location: Known or Random (Threatening, Primitive)
2. Encounter: Expected
3. Object: Known or Random (Watery, Useless)
7. Area: Connection to Area 8 Loose Collection of Trees
1. Location: Random (Simple, Harmful)
2. Encounter: Expected
3. Object: Expected
8. Area: Connection to land beyond Forrest Natural path through the trees
1. Location: Complete
2. Encounter: Expected
3. Object: Random (Active, Fuel)

Now what is above doesn't give us a lot to work with. Lets spice things up a bit. Below are three lists to prime your imagination:  locations, encounters, and objects. If you already have your own ideas pluck a few of these out and add your own. This game should always represent your character's adventure.

Locations that may be found in an Ancient Forest

1. A shrine to a nature deity or spirit.
2. A large tree in a clearing with poppets, in various stages of decay on its  branches.
3. A bridge over a small black stream.
4. A clearing with an ancient fountain.
5. A very large dark hole at the base of a massive tree.
6. A single cottage
7. An abandoned hamlet
8. a glade of brightly colored flowers.
9. A large clearing full of empty market stalls build on a 2/3 scale.
10. A huge nest.

Encounters that may be found in an Ancient Forest

1. A large rock that rolls after the character at a distance of about 9 feet, but stops when looked at.
2. Paths that lead time and again back to the same glade.
3. A troupe of elves or fairies, majestically or noisily proceeding.
4. A gnome or goblin merchant or tinker.
5. A group of animals having a discussion, either in common speech or in animal noises.
6. Herb or wood gatherers of any species.
7. Hunters of any species.
8. Genius Loci.
9. A lost person or lost soul.
10. A living oracle (animal, humanoid, or something very strange).

Objects that may be found in an Ancient Forest

1. A sword thrust into a stump, stone or sticking out of a pond.
2. Magical waters from a small pool (enough for several flasks) that have potion or poison like qualities.
3. Clearly enchanted mushrooms of unknown prospect.
4. A tree with leaves of gold, copper, or silver (real or illusory).
5. A large rock covered in runes that if thrown will fly back to the thrower afterwards (possibly hitting them).
6. A strange or spooky doll in a path way or intersection.
7. A picnic basket with unknown properties or contents.
8. Badly ripped and bloodied garments.
9. An egg in a low hanging next that shimmers like an opal.
10. The body of a trapper that has been strangled with a foxes tail fashioned into a cord.

W.D.

Timing is everything. I wish i had it

 Work and home responsibilities have kept me off the blog for a bit, but today or tomorrow I should have a brand new ancient forest for you to explore. 

Thank you all for your readership and interest. 

Mythic Locations 1a: Ruined Tower of Alcheon the Great

I finally have some time on my hands to demonstrate the usefulness of a premade, but unstocked dungeon (which I introduced in Mythic Musings 1: 3 Mad Libs Locations For Location Crafter RPG supplement, part 1 the Dungeon.). I would like to note that this is hardly a new idea. If you go back to the early history of D&D you will find the first published module B1: In search of Adventure was a very well described but empty dungeon. It had lovely scene dressing but no monsters or treasures. Though if I recall correctly, there was a suggested random encounter list suitable for a low level party.

As this is a Mythic game we will be doing it in the Mythic style. Instead of premade scene dressing all of the descriptions will come from the context of the game. The object and encounters will spring into being on the spot based on your context, prompts, and Fate Questions. To make the very most of the Mythic elements I strongly advice you pick up a copy of Mythic Game Master Emulator 1e ($5.95), or its robust sequel Mythic Game Master Emulator 2e (14.95). The 2e version is packed with a ton of useful content, but that extra content isn't essential to our game today.

Below is the generic dungeon template we will be using for this game. As it lacks any hard and fast descriptions or encounters it can be reused over and over. (It is an eventual goal of this blog to have a collection of such templates for all the elements of gaming, across many genre, but that is neither here or now).  I have copied it from its original article for reference and convenience. 

Small Ancient Dungeon Template

1. Room, Exits: 1 Leads directly to another Area (2)
1. Random Location ( Tranquil/Positive)
   
2. Encounters Expected
3. Objects Random ( Travel/Modern)
2. Room, Exits: 1 Leads directly to another Area (3)
1. Expected Location
2. Encounter Known, or Random (Positive/Dangerous)
3. Objects Random ( Unusual/Prized)
3. Room, Exits: 2 Leads directly to another Area (4) and Well or hole in the floor (6)
1. Location Expected
2. Encounter Expected
3. Object Expected
4. Room, Exits: 1 Leads Directly to another area (5), but has a small attached room (7)
1. Location Expected
2. Encounter Known, or Random (Generous Ambush)
3. Object Known, or Special (Lethal Fuel)
5. Room, Exits: 0 (just opening to 4)
1. Location Complete
2. Encounter Expected (Boss?)
3. Object None or Expected (McGuffin/Treasure)
6. Room, Exits: 0 (just the shaft that leads to 3)
1. Location Random (Unsteady/Protection)
2. Encounter Expected
3. Object Expected
7. Room, Exits: 0 (just an opening to area 4)
1. Location Expected
2. Encounters None
3. Objects Random (Hard/Average)

As I am playing this as a one shot, I have no particular context going in so I will roll for it from the Dungeon Story Descriptors Table in Mythic Magazine 3 (purchase details in the first article). The first roll gives me Associated with Magic. The second roll gives me Known to be full of Traps. This strikes me as an old fashioned Fun House dungeon.

The table of interest is Dungeon Region Descriptors Table. This will give us the general look and feel of the dungeon. First we get Crumbling and in Ruins. This suggest that this particular dungeon was constructed in the days of old. Some of the Traps could just be the danger of ancient masonry that has finally given up. The second roll gives us Specific Purpose. 

So we have an ancient fun house dungeon that is falling to pieces. It is asssoicated with magic and is full of traps, but it also it built to house something (Specific purpose). So our adventure is to find the special something that is to be housed here. Lets say this is an old wizards tower to give it a bit more context. The top levels have long since crumbled down on themselves, but three is an opening to the dungeons beneath at the foot of the rubble.

Off camera I design a mid level wizard character using tips from Black Streams: Solo Hero (Cost Free), which gives tips for a basic OSR style character to survive in solo play. What I end up with is a mid level Wizard who focus on exploration magics. The tips in Solo Hero, and a little common sense will probably see the character through to the end of the dungeon.

Now we know a few things about the dungeon lets fill out some lists.

Locations

1. Storage room
   
2. Summoning chamber
3. Alchemy Lab
4. Reading room
5. Zen Garden
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Encounters

1. Unseen servants 
2. Magical Traps
3. Damaged masonry
4. Tower guardian
5. Mimics
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Objects

1. Potions
2. Scrolls
3. Wands
4. Magical Brick a brack
5. x
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

To give a bit of context lets say the Wizard, whom we will call Milford the Daring, found a treasure map to this crumbling old edifice. He hired a skilled guide to get him to the entry point, and now conjures a magical light and proceeds into the dungeon. 

Ruined tower of Alcheon the Great

1.Following his floating whisp down into the basement he comes upon a sandy floor that is positioned with a number of artfully placed rocks. Some magical force keeps shaping new mandala into the sand. A feeling of relaxation courses through the room which invites the user to relax. The room is made into the facsimile of a cave and as he lingers he hears the sound of surf crashing in the distance, which of course is an audible glamour. At the far end of the room is a partially collapsed arch. It seems some prior adventure met a poor end here as there is a skeletal body. The poor adventurer's corpse is the only mar on this tranquil scene. Milford takes the stone walkway around the zen garden and bends down piously near the corpse. He says a benediction for their soul, but he also takes their backpack. Such is the life of adventurers. Knowing now the danger of  falling rocks Milford conjures a magical shield and goes through what is left of the arch into the next room.

2. It must have been the magic of the garden that held off the musty smell of this ancient room. The crumbled or crumbling remains of a pair chair are near a chimney. There are also moldered books and papers laying on tables, which seem largely held together by inertia, considering how brittle they look. Milford thinks is is probably the damp coming down the chimney that has caused the decay. There are two things of interest in the room and another arch leading out in the opposite wall. One is an old clay tablet on the mantel of the fireplace and the other is an undecayed book, next to a throne like wooden chair. Milford approaches the mantel piece first and cast a simple spell to search for enchantments. The clay tablet is clearly magical. But surely this isn't the protected treasure. Yet still it is an ancient artifact. He carefully lifts it and wraps his spare cloak from his own pack around it, and stores it for later examination. Next, Milford moves to the untarnished book. Using the same cantrip he examines the book for enchantments but finds none. Withdrawing a wooden probe from his belt sheath he gives it a poke. At which time it springs to life with a dozen pseudopods and snatches the rod from his hand. Milford rushes out of the room while the mimic devores his probe.

3. Milford rushes into the next room still looking over his shoulder when and steps on the very ornate rug without a seconds thought. The pattern on the rug begins to shift and the room is lanced in prismatic colors. Before he can even take stock of the room, Milford is blinded. He falls to his hands and knees and gropes about the room. This is how his fingers find the edge of a great circular well in the middle of the room. An old chemical smell rises from it. Over the next few minutes the dazzling lights fade from his eyes. He can see he is in an ancient and disused alchemical laboratory.  The glassware is fairly intact but the various reagents have long since turned to powder. besides the well there is yet another arch leading into yet another room. Milford conjures a second willow whisp light and lets it gently drift down the well. He can see that a stream runs through the bottom, and there is a very shallow winding stairs going down. Could the bottom of a well could be a good hiding spot for an ancient treasure. On the first step down Milford steps on a slim rod that rolls under his foot  dropping into the well. Only a very lucky lunge for the wall prevents the same fate for the Adventurer. 

6. After carefully descending the virtually non existent stairs, Milford finds himself in a waste deep, ice cold stream. Alchemical residue has coated and dried the stones around the edge of the stream. His footing on the bottom is somewhat unsteady. He does have a touch of good luck when he sees that the wand that had fallen from the top of the well has been washed into a niche in the wall. In the same niche are a collection of gleaming objects. Chalices, bottles that seem to be made of cut crystal, and a heavy golden ring. Fine inspection under the willow light shows that the ring is engraved with the symbol of a shield with a glyph upon it. Just as Milford slips it onto his finger he hears a rumbling, and the old stairs start to pull into the wall, abandoning the other treasures he rushes up the stair, lunging for the lip as the last of them vanish into the wall.   

4. The next room Milford entered carried an air of menace. The center of the floor had concentric circles set in rusted iron and blackened silver. Within the circle was a shimmer in the air. The Wizard decided this was well out of his pay grade and edged along, but as he did the room started to wobble in his vision, and his footing became unsteady. At the same time at the edge of his hearing whispers began (at this point the character attempts a mental savings throw and passes, if barely. As his back is pressed to the wall as he edges around he hears a faint click, and falls into a secret room beyond.

7. This room is little more than an alcove filled with books. A quick glance indicates that he has found what he came to seek. This is the library of the great mage, with books ranging from simple magical primers to the finished grimoire of the great mage himself. He chooses a selection of them, because taking all of them is beyond his gear capacity, he then edges out of the room once more.

5. Milford knows pressing on is pushing his luck, so he sends his whisp light into the next chamber, carful that it doesn't touch the circle holding the entity. In the room is a dais and on the dais a sarcophagus, that is made of shining silver with gold ornamentation. Possibly this is the last resting place of Alcheon the Great. So continuing to edge along (after passing a slightly easier save) he walks into the room. The room has frescoes on every wall of the life of the great mage, and the heavy metal coffin is engraved to show a man laying in peace in stately robes with a staff across his body diagonally. The adventurer knows that robbing this great man of his grave goods would be a step to far, so reluctantly he contents himself with studying the murals, and marveling at the feats they depict. Every true wizard lives a life of adventure and Alcheon was no exception. Gathering his new treasures close to his body, Milford pulls out a scroll carried just for this reason, and intoning its empowered words vanishes from the memorial and appears outside of the ruined tower.

And there you have it folks. You will see that each room has an outline, sometimes it is followed strictly and other times inspirationally, but going room to room the adventure unfolds.

I hope you take the outline above, and those to come and have your own adventures.

W.D.

P.S.
Because of the small interruptions of life it took me longer than expect to turn this out. I apologize for that. The next couple will just be the outlines, though I intend to save them and play them through myself. Because it took so long to get this to publish I know it is probably rife with typos and run on sentences. I will be working back over it and cleaning it up, but I didn't want to delay it an hour longer after promising it so long ago.

W.D.

Wizard Dad: Things to come

There are two things on this blog's horizon. The first is finishing the demo on how to use a prefab Adventure Crafter setting in your solo game, and creating more of such content. The second, which excites me as much as much at the first is the remodeling of my old setting Voyage of the Yggdrasal to a solo game experience. 

If you scroll way down into my older works you will see a ton of game notes for a rather ambitious campaign I ran PbP. It is a wide ranging Stars Without Numbers game set in an ancient but massive space craft, which in itself is part mega dungeon and part living city. The Yggdrasil is full of adventure, mutants, break away survivalist, mysterious authority figures and 10 massive levels of ScFi goodness. 

A dear friend of mine has encouraged me just to write it and not worry about who reads it and what they take from it. For once I am going to take his good advice and do just that, but I will also attempt in the process to make chunks of it available to the solo community. I will be the author and test player, but the adventures that are made along the way will be rewritten and presented to you readers as gameable material.

If I haven't said it before, thanks for reading, or even skimming the articles I write. Just seeing someone has visited a page makes me happy as a lark. 

If anyone has suggestions for an article please drop them in the comments. 

Good Gaming to all

W.D.

Mythic Musings 1: Campaign Elements Lists

If you are using the Mythic GME, you are familiar with lists. Character and Thread lists are really all you need for any game, but I propose a third kind of list to use when you are playing in a prefabricated setting. This is also useful if your own homebrew game has grown many tentacles in many directions. The Campaign Elements List.

I have played some version of Dungeons and Dragons from 1988 until now, and though all of them have plenty in common, each and every printed setting has unique elements that define it. Forgotten Realms is very different than Darksun, though both have elves, dwarves, and goblins. Each setting has elements that make it unique unto itself.

Naturally. some of these would fit snuggly into the Character and Thread lists (and they should certainly be placed there), but some elements that are more about the feel or theme of a campaign setting rather than any specific character or plot hook. A list of these elements can periodically inject the unique qualities of the campaign to the forefront. It is also very useful for the industrious and dedicated homebrewer who has run several characters through their private realm of the imagination, to bring back past elements that linger on and provide an over all continuity to the game.

The construction of such a list couldn't be simpler. You play in a specific campaign setting because you enjoy it. There are unique elements which appealed to you. In a Campaign Element list you simply use the same list format you would for Characters or Threads. The difference falls in when you use them, but first lets discuss creating the list.

For the sake of this discussion I am going to grab my old Forgotten Realms 1e grey box set ($9.99), because it has a wonderful section called "The Cyclopedia of the Realm", that is packed full of juicy details that set this setting apart from those that come before it (namely Greyhawk). Skimming through it I pick a place I haven't played before, Amn (pg. 22), and I start mining it for anything distinctive. Every line has something I can use but I don't want to over crowd the list so I just hit the highlights.

Campaign Elements List Amn
1-2

1. Northern Most of the Southern Kingdoms
2. Merchant Realm
3. Council of Six
4. Rivalry with Waterdeep
5. Meisarch, most powerful councilor and a Magic User
6. Church of Waukeen (goddess of trade)
7. Widely traveled caravans
8. Corruption amid the powerful
9. Cosmopolitan
10. Strong divide between rich and poor

This list ended up being about one nation, but I could have kept building it adding world level details, prominent factions,  active religions, adventuring and mercantile companies, etc.

Now that I have a list, how am I going to use it. At the beginning of a new adventure I would roll 1-3 elements off of the Campaign Elements List, and keep them in mind when laying out the adventure. This could range from the element just coming up in conversation or rumor, to it being central to primary thread. I prefer to leave it a bit up to chance so I simply add the element to both Character and Thread lists, and if I am using Keyed Scenes (“Control Your Adventure With Keyed Scenes” MM Vol. 10, pg. 12 $4.95) I usually set up a "Roll on Campaign Elements Table" trigger every 5 scenes or so. Doing the latter keeps the setting as an active component in the play. 

The same technique can be used with homebrew games. Any realization that you have while playing that doesn't fit in with the current story, but you want to keep it part of the game, just add it to the Campaign Elements List, and attach a few sentence description.

If you are like me and enjoy repeated trips into the same genre (such as heroic fantasy or modern horror), but don't want all your campaigns to feel like you are constantly treading over the same ground, I think a Campaign Elements list will keep your each separate campaign feeling unique unto itself. 

W.D.

Wizard Dad: Resurrecting Old Solo Campaigns

I think we have all been there. You are playing a campaign and it is going really well, then a new idea hits, or life sideswipes you, and next time you play you pick up another game instead. If you are like me, maybe you even say, I will get back to this next week, or I will alternate between games.

Before long though, that bright little gem of a campaign is at the bottom of a stack of notes that have been piled on top of it and you aren't sure how to reconnect.

I go through this all the time, but lately I have been pouring through old notes with a bit more determination to get back to games left behind. Not out of any feeling of obligation, but because the were blooming fun games!

Below, I am going to outline the techniques that have worked for me to find that old spark; no better, make a new spark that will have that old campaign up and going better than a an MGM Frankenstein.

Whether it is from pouring through notes or just having a fond remembrance of a past campaign and it tickles your fancy, take a moment and think whether it gives you something you aren't getting from your current campaign. If the answer is yes, be it a beloved setting, character, or loose end that is bothering you, then I strongly suggest you take a bit of time and bring the old game back to life, or at least resurrect the part that is calling out to you. Above I mentioned three reasons you may want to do this: love of a character, niggling loose ends, and love of a campaign. Each of these have a different way to jump back in.

1. Beloved Character. 
1. This is probably the easiest fix. Just take out the old character sheet and scan your notes of the last couple of game sessions. If you are like me, the old character sheet is probably pretty cluttered. Transfer all the essential elements that make the character from the old sheet to a new one. Any minor ability that you never use, or item you can't remember the origin or importance of simply don't transfer it. Or if you feel you really need to, just jot it down with an asterisk and put the cluttery bit on an index card or a note attached to the character sheet. The point of this is to focus down on what it is that you love about the character. Cut out any dead weight. Get down to the core of that character. 
2. After you have cleaned up the character, so that a glance at the new character sheet tells you all you need to know, look down at your notes from the very last adventure. Ask yourself "Do I want to continue this or start fresh?" I strongly suggest starting fresh, but not leaving a flapping lose end. If you have such a lose end to wrap up, make a list of questions for your Oracle that can bring the situation to a close. I suggest 3 to 5 oracle questions just to let you know where things stood at the adventures end. 
3. We are almost to the finish line. Go through any list of NPCs, locations, and plot hooks you have accumulated for the character. Scratch out anything that doesn't have a strong fun memory for you. Just take the best forward. Make new lists from what remains.
4. Lastly jump the character forward 1 large unit of time (in some games that would be a season, in others a decade), and start a fresh new game with your older experienced character. If you want use one of the many down time generators such as BOLD ($3.00), to fill in the blank space, more power to you.
2. Dangling plot lines. Maybe it was a mystery or a dungeon crawl or some other dramatic moment, but alas cut short by circumstances. Perhaps you actually liked the plots but weren't really into the game aspects. There are dozens of reasons why a plot line could be left dangling, but if you are like me, this can be a source of stress. If you tried to pick up the old game where it left off, just to wrap up and found you just couldn't quite manage, give this a try.
1. Close your notes and jot down all you can recall about the plot. 
2. Then glance through your notes for anything important that was missed. There probably won't be much, because the driving theme that you want to complete is center stage in your mind, you can leave the subplots and niggling details on the wayside. If you do find a glaring necessity, add that to your synopsis as well. 
3. Next, make lists and notes as you use in your game out of the elements in the synopsis. There are a couple routes you can go from here. You could resume playing with a fresh scene (and maybe refreshed character outlined above). Just do a 1 roll oracle check to close what ever scene you were involved in (Do I come out ahead?, Did I win the fight?, Do I find the thing?), but give yourself some favorable odds.
4. Finally, start a new scene with your synopsis, lists and characters as if it is the first scene of a new session. Just leave all the unimportant bits on the cutting room floor and get on with the game.
3. Retrieving Whole Campaigns. Sometimes it isn't the character or the plot of a particular game you love, but it is the whole world of imagination. The good news is jumpstarting an old campaign isn't as hard as you may think.
1. Start by jotting down what you liked the most about the campaign. Keep it short and punchy. Just the high points. These are the most important bits to resurrect.
2. Next, write down all the details that stand out from memory. These are the people, places, and scenes that deserve the most attention.
3. Then read through your notes for key elements you may have overlooked. Also check if the PC (if you desire to keep using the PC you had) was left in a bind or a cliffhanger. If so, note it so that you can go back and use the techniques above to wrap that up.
4. Taking all of the information above write yourself yourself a new elevator pitch for the setting (and quest if you were in the middle of one). Using these new notes populate lists, cards, or whatever tools are appropriate for your GM Emulator.
5. Finally have a look at your primary character. Are you still into it? If so go back up to the character refresh section and follow those steps. If you want a new perspective on the campaign, maybe make up a new character that is more or less on par with the one you are retiring, and tie them into some pre-existent portion of the setting. This will firmly root them. 
6. Lastly use your usual method of generating a first scene or adventure and jump back in. 

I can say with total confidence that these methods work for me, but if you have tips or even whole systems to get an older campaign out of the closet and onto your game table fill me in on them in the comments section. I am always up to learn something new, and it may help you your fellow players too.

W.D.

Mythic Locations 1: Mad Libs Locations For Location Crafter RPG supplement, part 1 the Dungeon.

World Mill Press, makers of the Mythic Game Master Emulator, has another fun product called Location Crafter ( Location Crafter $4.95 ), but in the Mythic Magazine game supplements you find variations on the Location Crafter to fit more specific genres. 

Three of these, Dungeons, Forests, and Starships, are the subject of  the next few blog posts. To use the material below you may want both the core book, Location Crafter, and the appropriate magazine, though the base book isn't strictly necessary. It does have good game theory and a broader explanation of how to use the product, which I found both interesting and entertaining. None of these products in PDF form will break the bank, but there is a bit of an upfront investment.  

You will find the first article we are using here, Random Dungeon Crawl Generation” MM Vol. 3, pg. 12 ($4.95). 

This first article, and two to follow, will have both the random location, and an in play example of its use. This isn't a tutorial. The magazine and core book do better than I every could in explaining the process. This is going to be a collection of outputs, for you to just snatch up and drop into your game. Lets get this ball rolling!

The first thing the article suggests is coming up with the dungeon type. For this generic dungeon we are  going to use Ancient Dungeons. For the sake of completeness the  other options are: Cavern Dungeons and Palatial Dungeons. When you use these generic dungeon templates one of the few details I will fill in is the type of Dungeon or Forest. 

The next decision is Dungeon Story. If you know this going in because of the context of your game you can skip this part. If not pick from the lists or randomly determine it. You could even do it at the game table when you are ready to jump in.

I believe that the Dungeon Descriptors chart is good to roll on as you proceed into the dungeon, just to give you that first layer of surprise. If the results are too wild or gonzo for what your context suggests, just pick a couple descriptors from the list. These will give you a general idea of what the feel of the dungeon will be like, so you don't have to roll for every room about generic scenery. It ties the whole into a more unified theme. I would still advise you to use your pre-existing context if it already answers the question of the feel of the dungeon, or split the difference using your context for one descriptor and rolling 1 random one for surprise. The point is to take this little dungeon and make it part of your story.

On the note of this being your story you will want to make a few quick lists of things you know or suspect to be in the dungeon. This isn't mandatory. Perhaps you just stumbled onto a cave during a hex crawl or have a vague treasure map that leads to an old castle and have no idea what is in it, but if you know any Locations, Objects, or Encounters that are going to be there use the free form below (or a notebook) to jot down your known elements before you kick in the front door ( Randomized Location Crafter Worksheet ). 

Small Ancient Dungeon Template

1. Room, Exits: 1 Leads directly to another Area (2)
1. Random Location ( Tranquil/Positive)
   
2. Encounters Expected
3. Objects Random ( Travel/Modern)
2. Room, Exits: 1 Leads directly to another Area (3)
1. Expected Location
2. Encounter Known, or Random (Positive/Dangerous)
3. Objects Random ( Unusual/Prized)
3. Room, Exits: 2 Leads directly to another Area (4) and Well or hole in the floor (6)
1. Location Expected
2. Encounter Expected
3. Object Expected
4. Room, Exits: 1 Leads Directly to another area (5), but has a small attached room (7)
1. Location Expected
2. Encounter Known, or Random (Generous Ambush)
3. Object Known, or Special (Lethal Fuel)
5. Room, Exits: 0 (just opening to 4)
1. Location Complete
2. Encounter Expected (Boss?)
3. Object None or Expected (McGuffin/Treasure)
6. Room, Exits: 0 (just the shaft that leads to 3)
1. Location Random (Unsteady/Protection)
2. Encounter Expected
3. Object Expected
7. Room, Exits: 0 (just an opening to area 4)
1. Location Expected 
2. Encounters None
3. Objects Random (Hard/Average)

In the next post I will play this dungeon out and show you how to take abstraction and make it into a realized adventure. If you don't feel patient, just copy and paste this template into your favorite word processor and jump into playing, but if you feel an example would help I will have one out in a few days.

W.D.

P.S.
The actual playing out of this adventure has been shelved for a little bit so I can come in with fresh eyes. Expect to see the actual play next week. I will add links to both articles so that they may be viewed side by side.

Wizard Dad: On the Horizon

So, life has been a bit hectic lately and that has impacted my blogging schedule, but that doesn't mean I don't have a few irons in the fire.

For Word Mill and Location Crafter fans I am working on some plug and play adventure settings. Just enough information to make them easy to play, and set up to slide into any genre appropriate campaign.

For the more general solo RPG, I am brainstorming some solutions to a common problem for solo players, fondly remembered and sadly abandoned campaigns. This specific topic is near and dear to me. I have a bit of a short attention span when a new idea comes down the line, but I have files full of fun that are begging me to come back. So, I will be working on some techniques to shock some life back into those games. 

Goal is to have one of these articles out for you to enjoy or maybe use as inspiration of your own by the end of the weekend. 

Thanks for your patients

W.D.