Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Grave Robbing 3: guardians and graveyards

Last batch of tables included some varied burial area types to find on the road but this is more for traditional European and possibly some other cultures graveyards. I am going to revise part two as I'm unhappy with headstone generator (fixed - broke into three tables).

Most grave sites are watched by locals, have caretakers and visitors to watch them. Some have walls, dedicated shrines with staff and more. But others have magical or supernatural ones. Will do a graveyard encounter table for unwelcome visitors later. 

Small Graveyard  
Typical village yard or often on a city block

 4d10 headstones
25% or 1d4 small crypts
25% chance of wall
25% chance of caretaker
10% of guardian
Medium Graveyard
Typical town yard or often over several city block
 
50+1d100 headstones
75% or 3d4 small crypts
50% chance of 1d4 large crypts
10% chance of mausoleum for 50+1d100
5% chance of a monument
75% chance of wall
75% chance of caretaker
25% chance of shrine with staff
75% of 1d4 guardians
 
Large Graveyard 
Serves a large town or small city

 250+1d1000 headstones
20+2d20 small crypts
10+1d10 large crypts
mausoleum for 50+1d100
25% chance of monument75% chance of wall
1d4 caretakers
75% chance of shrine with staff 
3d4 guardians

 Huge Graveyard or necropolis 
Typical for a larger city

 500+5d1000 headstones
40+1d100 small crypts
20+2d20 large crypts
1d4 mausoleums for 100+1d100
1d4 monuments75% chance of wall
3d4 caretakers
1d4 shrines with staff
50% chance of a temple with staff
10+1d20 guardians

d20 caretakers
1 Old man who dig graves and cleans up in shack 
2 Old man and 1d4 assistants who dig graves and cleans up in shack
3 Priest who spends most of his time here hires assistants if needed
4 Mad hermit who lives in tomb cares for graves
5 A lone guardsman who keeps out robbers
6 A mortician and 1d4 helpers live in shack watching grave yard
7 1d4+1 guards who patrol yard for grave robbers or worse
8 A priest hunting undead and evil that might menace the rest of the dead
9 Town drunk lives on edge of yard and alerts locals if trouble
10 Local Widows keep vigil here 1d4 at any time
11 A watchdog barks and runs for help if trouble unless he knows you
12 Ravens cry and circle intruders alerting local mob
13 Local possibly homeless 1d4 kids play here and run for help if trouble
14 A local idiot likes to sleep near his dead kinfolk runs for help if intruders
15 Local witch lurks here waiting for trouble she has seen signs of
16 A poet or artist comes here for inspiration and alerts locals if a problem
17 A priest wanders the yard looking for grave robbers since a recent indecent
18 Whippoorwill birds start singing strangely if intruders alerting locals
19 A local thief lives here, considers this his territory, calls law on possible rivals
20 A night vigil of 1d10 guards, 2d6 locals and a priest roam area

 d20 Monuments  
1 Triumphal arch carved with religious or battle scenes
2 A spectacular multilevel mausoleum for the chosen few 20+2d20
3 A small pyramid tomb dedicated to some eccentric noble
4 A bell tower to signal funerals or trouble
5 A huge ornamental tomb of finest marble
6 A huge statue of some figure with tomb in base
7 A collection of statues in a scene
8 A fountain with spectacular fountain
9 A huge obelisk carved with text and possibly with chambers inside
10 A stone building with flames of remembrance brazier and tomb
11 Prehistoric stone monolith like a tomb or crude carved obelisk 
12 A library documenting the dead and goings on here with staff
13 Huge holy symbol overlooking yard
14 Spectacular shrine with barred chamber with saints remains
15 Fine temple with important holy person and staff
16 A fine monastery who care for the graveyard
17 Spectacular gate house with gatekeeper and assistant guards
18 A holy well within stone building filled rumoured to have powers
19 A museum of strange things found in graveyard over centuries of use
20 A ruined ancient temple rumoured to be haunted

d50 grave guardians
Most grave sites are watched by locals, have caretakers and visitors to watch them. Some have walls, dedicated shrines with staff and more. But others have magical or supernatural ones. While some are undead made to defend graves others are free willed beings of evil seeking defilers of dead they can legitimately persecute without good beings objecting. Rumours of guardians abound. Will do a graveyard encounter table for unwelcome visitors later. Guardians generally will leave you alone if you flee from burial area.

1 Holy skeletons arise from graves 2d6
2 Zombies made from grave robbers cursed to defend it 2d6
3 Phantom rises from ground moaning causes fear
4 Spectral priest rises from ground to turn undead or curse living
5 Spirit possesses intruder and attacks friends or kills self
6 Spectre rises and tries to scare away or drain lives
7 Ghost rises and ages intruders
8 Poltergeists hurl objects and steal possessions
9 Spectral hounds howl causing fear
10 Flying screaming skulls chase evil doers
11 Lesser stone golem construct disguised as a statue
12 Greater stone golem construct disguised as a statue
13 Pumpkin headed effigies attack intruders 2d4
14 Gargoyle lies still here awaiting trouble makers
15 Great hell hound or devil dog prowls grounds
16 Hellcat here to find evil doers to send to hell
17 Swarm of vampire bats
18 Swarm of worms and bugs rises against intruders
19 A great serpent lurks hidden in holes in ground
20 A stone head flies after intruders ramming them
21 A sacrificed warrior guardian is now a revenant guardian 
22 A sacrificed warrior guardian is now a wight guardian
23 A group of wolves attack defilers 2d4
24 A great one eyed dire wolf attacks intruders
25 Minor demon or devil seeking wicked to persecute
26 Gremlins menace, rob and use trap to harass intruder
27 Swarm of rats
28 Graveyard undead knight punishes wicked and lawbreakers
29 A robed skeletal crypt guardian torments intruders with wizardry
30 A undead priest attacks intruders with spells and powers or just a weapon
31 A undead thief backstabs intruders then drags off to his burial plot
32 Ashen cloud with a charred skull from burial urn smothers wrong doers
33 Swarm of severed hands
34 Flaming skull chases intruders spitting fire at them
35 Screaming skull causes fear and bite fleeing victims till out of grounds
36 Lesser mummy arises to punish wrong doers
37 Shadows arise from grounds 1d3
38 Shadow hound
39 Animated weapons 1d4 attack
40 Headless horseman chases party
41 Unclean spirit sweeps over party as foul wind inflicting disease
42 Angry spirit posses corpse to attack intruder
43 Winged skull flies by and curses intruders
44 Skeletal reaper pursues wicked
45 Magical owl casts priest spells and makes lots of noise
46 Giant owl silently grabs someone and flies off
47 Giant bats attack and carry off equipment
48 Grave goblins defend territory of underworld gods
49 Phantom rises with chains, warns defilers will suffer beyond grave
50 A petty god punishes wicked for some personal reason here

 Sampler of Gothic stuff so far

haunting - reasons for restless dead
http://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/d100-hauntings-and-recap-of-last-year.html
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