Saturday, 5 March 2016

d100 Strange Hermits


As there was a talk about hermits of late I bumped this up my to do list.

The PDF's got about same interest as typical blogs - I did get nice letters of thanks and some offers of money and possibly a few new readers. One reader gave me tip to design stuff with room for ring binder holes. I put all mine in plastic sleeves but I think this is pretty realizable.

I assume most hermits are male here but feel free to adjust. I will do a hag table for the ladies later. When we are old we can all play Hags & Hermits. I had some entertaining research into sects which will bear fruit in later games. Ive also considered when I do my religion campaign notes I will present a ancient church with a pantheon of gods vs a modern version more like monotheism with pantheon head as supreme and other gods portrayed as angels or archons or Deva with saints instead of heroes. It will make interesting schisms and fights in game.

Hermits are mostly holy or pretend to be or thought of by locals as hermits at least. Some actually fraud and dangerous. Hermits often know things and are invaluable as sages or teachers. Some can be horrible villains. Good for source of adventure, training, aide, mentors and information.

also see this
http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/d20-random-lunatic-hermits.html

Some more stuff non fiction stuff here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit
Your churches need more schisms
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Heresy.pdf
Ah the good old days
http://listverse.com/2014/02/07/10-bizarre-early-christian-sects/

Format
Hermit Name, alignment, description including class if any
Teachings, each hermit has a specialty skill or wisdom

I use the first batch of tables to create my own hermits on the fly or ad extra info to the full d100 hermit table. Udually they are formed enough to not need all the tables.

d100 Where do I Find Hermits?
01 In a hole
02 On a pole
03 In a tree
04 In a bush
05 In a ditch by side of the road
06 In a tower 1in6 bricked up
07 In a well crafted cell
08 In a crude piled stone hut
09 In a humpy of woven sticks scrap
10 In a cave

11 In a grotto with running water
12 On a ledge on a cliff face

13 Under a tree
14 In a wild beasts lair
15 In a well
16 In a shrine
17 In a old tomb
18 In a ruin
19 In a forest
20 On a mountain top

D12 Hermit Livelihood (or roll D10 for common ones)

01 Donations from travellers and pilgrims
02 Fed by local church
03 Fed by local folk
04 Gathers food and goods in the wild
05 Gathers scraps from local farms for chores
06 Makes handcraft like baskets, shoes, wood goods to sell
07 Labours cutting wood or stone, carrying water or gardening
08
 Earns money as guide, watchman, porter or gatekeeper

09 Earns coin as a scribe, sage, artist or healer 
10 Animal friends bring food daily
11 Hermit uses magic to call divine food
12 Hermit no longer needs food or drink

D12 Hermit Dress
01 Stark naked
02 Filthy old loincloth
03 Clean loincloth
04 A scratchy hair shirt
05 A plain cloth shirt
06 A shirt and hooded cloak

07 Tattered moth eaten robes
08 Coloured robes 
09 Clean but coarse layered robes
10 Faded old worn Clerical vestments
11 Animal skins
12 Monk cossack

D12 Hermit dislikes
01 Local children or youths who tease him
02 Sinners who live unquestioning lives
03 Violence or those who live by death
05 Mainstream organised religion
06 Improper morals or alignment conduct
07 Anyone who disturbs hermits
08 Local gang, bandits or humanoids
09 Those who abuse gifts like beauty or magic
10 Supernatural spirits or phantoms or demons who taunt him at night

11 Unjust rulers or authorities
12 Displays of wealth and status

D12 Why a Hermit?
1 Atone for sin
2 Fled a tragedy
3 Questioned authority
4 Broke taboo
5 Sect decimated
6 Avoiding temptation
7 Lost a struggle for position
8 Questioned faith
9 Discovered blasphemous secret
10 Solace from other people
11 Orders from hierarchy
12  Had visions

d12 Hermit Secrets
01 Knows of a local dungeon
02 Knows secrets of local evil
03 Knows local comings and goings
04 Knows local version of legend
05 Knows of scandal evidence
06 Knows location of a lost thing
07 Knows a formula for potion or drug
08 Knows long lost truth of history
09 Knows of strange location
10 Knows why a location haunted
11 Knows a rare or unique spell
12 Know of other planar beings



D100 Strange Hermit Quirks (d3 each hermit)
01 Covered in caked on filth
02 Overgrown toe and finger nails
03 Long hair and beard on the ground
04 Painted all over with mud
05 Diseased skin
06 Face and hands painted with symbols
07 Tattoos all over
08 Missing teeth
09 A wizened staff
10 Holy symbol necklace

11 Collection of bead necklaces
12 Collection of skulls

13 Snakes, owls or some other small pet
14 Dog, goat, deer, mule or some medium size pet
15 Lion, Wolf, bear, horse or some large animal pet
16 Long Eyebrows
17 Shaved head
18 Vile smell of unwashed

19 A Idol or shrine
20 A holy book
21 Wine bottle
22 Calligraphy set
23 Old pot
24 Begging bowl
25 Pipe and stash tin
26 Fishing line
27 Lantern
28 Wide brimmed hat
29 Tattered old banner
30 Flail or lash for holy self abuse

31 Smell of frankincense, incense or scented oil
32 Holy water sprinkler for blessings
33 Fishing rod and bucket
35 Bag with bread,onion and cheese
36 Holy water flask
37 Gourd
38 Instrument, probably flute or bagpipes
39 Hand bell
40 Shepherds crook
41 Sickle
42 Scythe
43 Brazier
44 Fragment of old religious artwork
45 Item from pilgrimage to holy place
46 Basket
47 Ashes in funerary urn
48 Bundle of skeletal remains of predecessor
49 Stone Tablet

50 Religious Scroll
51 Scarified from war or torture
52 Scrawny with sagging skin
53 Apparently blind with white eyes
54 Blood shot red or brilliant blue eyes

55 Missing limb
56 Missing eye
57 Nose or ears cut off
58 Missing fingers
59 Exotic and foreign
60 Floral garlands
61 Ornamental piercings
62 Locked in manacles or yoke
63 A large vegetable
64 Surrounded by birds
65 Surrounded by vermin
66 Surrounded by flies
68 Smell of honey and flowers
69 Singing birds follow
70 Has no tongue or vow of silence, cant speak
71 Face covered by mask, hood or veil
72 Broken or old discarded templar weapons
73 Ring with noble crest seal
74 Humble tasty honey cakes or pies
75 Loaves of bread
76 Huge skewered roast honey locusts
77 Bowl of porridge or groats
78 Tea set with herbal tea
79 Talks to invisible friends (spirits or crazy?)
80 Pale or darker skin than typical 
81 Covered in freckles or spots or warts
82 Hunch backed
83 Club footed
84 Has palsy
85 Has terrible breath
86 Tempted by pretty young people
87 Tempted by vice
88 Foams at mouth
89 Sickly and seemingly near death
90 Stutters or lisps
91 Has great inspiring nobility
92 Knows a secret technique
93 Always jolly, laughing and knows good jokes
94 Protected by invisible entity 
95 Has a minor saint relic, hidden on person or in relic box
96 Weather seems to respond to hermits mood
97 Strange music sounds when hermit met
98 Does not sleep
99 Feels no heat or cold
100 Has a halo, different shape for each alignment

D10 Quick Hermit Types
01 Wild Men
02 Wanderers
03 Madman
04 Wicked cultists
05 Charltans
06 Holy recluses
07 Loner monks
08 Heretic
09 Prophets
10 Magicians


d100 Strange Hermits
Hermit Name, alignment, description including class if any but most priests
Teachings and beliefs

01 Balshebbar, Chaotic, Filthy Insane cannibal who hides grisly feasts in a old well
Teaches how to sustain self from cannibal diet, concealment and wilderness survival
02 Baraney Crungle, Chaotic, filthy crazy squirrel eater with squirrel cape
Teaches secret .language of squirrels, hundreds of recipes including a plague cure
03 Old Zeravny, Good,  balding bearded pauper who watches hills for bandits and worse
Knows the mountain trails and many of the humanoid dungeons and bandit hideouts

04 Kubal the wise, Neutral, A tattered robed old bearded man with mice and birds in hair
Knows many secrets of nature and animals,  bird friends tell him gossip from afar 

05 Lazlo the wild, Chaotic, a fierce wild man who flings feces at intruders in his glade
Knows secret entrances into secret dungeon and tunnel complexes

06 Zarb Bardabing, Chaotic, laughing madman who lives in a tree stump
His friends the trees know many secrets forgotten by younger beings historians 

07 Tulnab Dingle, Chaotic, robed forest philosopher with lichen covered beard
Knows location of secret magic herbs and the unicorn glades and secret elf outposts  

08 Fard Brinditch, Lawful, stern wild philosopher with his animal friends
Occasionally comes to fringes of civilization to preach against corruption of  humankind

09 Old Bear Grillson, Neutral, a wildman in a bearskin who prowls woods living as a beast
Knows many secrets of survival and hidden caves and lost things in the hills
10 Cardjad Frawlthistle, Nuetral, lives under a bridge and advises travellers about routes
Is fluent in ways of trolls as he was enslaved by them and some say he lives like one  

11 Krall Tinwhistle, Nuetral, wanders across land with but a staff, shirt and begging bow
Knows names and gossip of adventurers and murder hobos across the land
12 Pwrall Bugrump, Nuetral, travels across land examining mysteries of wells
Knows of subterranean water ways and strange wells across the land  

13 Zabab Graal, Lawful, wanders the land as a homeless old man looking for true heroes
Seeks heroes to train to recover a holy relic guarded by traps and moral tests

14 Nopka Thuze, Nuetral, ramble around country side gathering herbs and treating the sick
Happy to teach others herbalism and knows some secret recipes for strange ailments

15 Arden Truel, Lawful, wanders the land seeking gifted students to teach literacy to
Teaches reading, writing and the classics to poor, sometimes helps fund scholarships

16 Shamden Bogtrotter, Chaotic Good, a drunken jolly fatman who wanders tasting grog
Actually he is is looking to find wicked cultists and adventurers he can provoke to kill them
17 Zolran Trone, Lawful, a crazed old man looking for supposed long hidden evils
Looks for strange cracks in earth and long hidden places, also needs adventurers to search

18 Manderbrog Bafflegab, Lawful, is a gibbering wanderer who talks too much
Actually he seeks the truly wise by hidden phrases he can share his secrets with 

19 Jaleb Bharji, Chaotic Good, a strange foreign man who is tolerated as a tinkerer
While skilled in fixing things, secretly he searches for lost relic from his distant homeland
20 Banthra Karg, Chaotic Evil, wanders land giving dungeon maps to heroes
Actually he is paid by dungeon lords to send ill prepared unskilled adventurers to deaths  

20 Kybold Ming, Chaotic Good, lives in filth on fringe of village talking to self
Actually knows technique to see invisible things in spirit world and protects village 

21 Korben Lax, Chaotic Evil, was been on run for murder for years and keeps moving
Offers to teach students and lures to death traps, often uses bandits or humanoid allies

22 Mandiger Folx, Chaotic, former adventurer who tells rambling stories in return for beer
Some of his stories contain truth and he knows many dungeon locations in region

23 Olag Blag, Nuetral, likes to badly play crude instruments and busks for his daily keep
Actually is a bar and spy, often tries to manipulate adventurers to investigate humanoids

24 Borag Mog, Nuetral, collects cats and lives in filthy shack with dozens of them
Actually can teach how to speak cat and trained several youths in thievery

25 Plugly Gilthwapper, Chaotic, lives in shack in garbage heap making things from junk
Skilled at tinkering and many handicrafts, also kows movements of local humanoids

26 Plunkwhistle, Chaotic, drooling old fool who falls over and people pay to stay away
He knows common scriptures and many forgotten ones no longer popular 

27 Bobbit Crunktadger, Chaotic, has been locked up as public menace and keeps escaping
Actually he is a skilled escapologist and former agent of the high holy heirophant 

28 Zebran Draab, Evil, pretends to be harmless and helpful old fool
Spies on peoples comings and goings then performs horrible murders framing innocents

29 Brog Gelb, Nuetral, a hard working wandering labourer, shunned for his madness
Knows techniques for great endurance and long distance running

30 Polka Zin, a dancing old fool who talks to graves an carries a skull
Actually can speak to dead and tries to help dead resolve issues so they can rest in peace

31 Oolran Bor, Chaotic Evil, acts as a teacher and adviser to poor and down trodden
Actually recruits them into the embrace of the mad frog god cult

32 Master Zeringer, Lawful Evil, Wise holy man who helps who helps find hidden witches  
Encourages mobs to persecute women, pretends to be kind and reasonable, serves Hell
33 Barnaby Zellwien, Lawful Evil, Old man convinces locals to destroy "evil" pagan relics
In reality these relics and monuments have trapped evil beings he seeks to release 

34 Giles Cockleby, Chaotic Evil, helps farmers while introducing them to demon cults
Seems like a kind helper of common man, actually cult leader on mission from evil god

35 Master Kithreon, Lawful Evil, spends time indulging in luxury, vice and wickedness
Spreads corruption and vice with cash he gets from a local dungeon lord from Hell

36 Kalandor, Evil, a popular attractive healer who gives medicine to the poor
Expert in brewing addictive drugs, perverts commoners to join drug cults  

37 Modorian the Wonder Worker, Chaotic Evil, uses his blessed powers to help commoners
Actually a sorcerer who dupes pious into joining his inner circle a demon vice cult 
38 Fenwick Marsh, Chaotic Evil, a local marsh guide who sells fish and heals the poor
A fish cultist who charms women and offers to restore their virginity with his holiness

39 Karzan Brimble, Evil, Warns commoners of unhappy spirits and helps battle undead
Actually creates undead and cons people into making cash offerings to appease dead

40 Doctor Grimblebee, Lawful Evil, kindly old man helps many with personal problems
Actually he is desperate to buy souls for Hell in a deal to get his own soul back 

41 Gimble Thorn, Neutral, helps the poor with inexpensive healing potions he makes
Actually a fraud using narcotics to make dupes feel better, moves on if any suspicious

42 Paddra Thune, Neutral, This kindly healer sells charms to protect women
Actually he seduces them leaving a trail of illegitimate children, former baker from city 

43 Nunria San, Nuetral, Kindly advises local business men with his astrology skills
A fraud who manipulates commodity prices and cons suckers to buying them

44 Paldor Than, Nuetral, Collecting donations for a wondrous new church or monument
Actually a shameless con man who spends money on booze, gambling and prostitutes 

45 Tolun Nitron, Evil, Recruiting young men to join his merry rebel band in the hills
Instea of freeom fighting the victims are press ganged into being poorly paid bandits 

46 Zobra Tor, Evil, Travels about aiding farmers with his agricultural wisdom
Also encourages some to grow illegal drug crops and evil spell components

47 Old man Thorsby, Neutral, travels to help commoners with his livestock advice
Works with thieves who steal best animals in county after he moves on
48 karon Meldham, Neutral, sells lucky and charms an offers personal prophecies
A former trinket crafter from city who sells work to country rubes as magic

49 Illior Turan, Lawful Evil, Visits communities and has a knack for finding witches
Actually blackmails women for sex and tries to grab land of old women with little family

50 Loran Despule, Lawful Evil, Kindly old man selling city apprenticeships for children
Actually he sells kids to sweatshops and slave traders and cults

51 Sanpa Gnodstrom, Lawful Good, A once important cleric in hiding from church authority
Has knowledge of ecclesiastical scandals, regions ancient ruins, and fallen angels

52 Tozer Rundok, Chaotic Good, wild bearded scholar deep in mystic contemplation
Avoids distractions while trying to understand secrets of his holy clerical texts 

53 Kozak Braan, Good, prays in is cave for worlds salvation, avoids people but will heal sick Abstaining food and water and trying to prey self to death but angels keep restoring life 
54 Padrial Zemna, Good, wears faded patriarchal robes of banned sect but helps the needy
Teaches secret doctrines no longer part of modern church including new spells  

55 Porius Lecta, Good, former cleric adventurer now living in stone hut in hills
Will put on old armour to help needy or foolish young adventurers out of there depth 

56 Zamna Thorg, Good, guides road travellers and knows how to avoid bandits and trolls
Knows local bandit lairs, troll holes and other dungeons and caves best left alone 

57 Golrod Stang, Good, former judge from church court, locals still seek for judgement
Expert on church lore ans cunning extractor of truth from commoners, well respected

58 Salma Stern, Good, former priest of now rare sect destroyed by tyrant decades ago
Sect knew many secrets of cults and local demons an elder gods in the region 

59 Asran Varp, Good, Former teacher lives in isolation to prey and still offers advice
Retired due to temptation teaching holy virgin sisterhood, tries to avoid looking at women

60 Rolgan Thark, Good, former inquisitor who had innocents killed with weak evidence
Expert on atonement rituals and now dislikes judging others, will fight obvious evils

61 Brother Rolgar, Lawful, survived his orders destruction and now avoids humanity
His sect had known many secrets of cosmic law and the mysteries of overspace 

62 Brother Weltron, Lawful, failed his orders leadership challenge now dwells in a pit
Wise in the ways of medicine and natural philosophy which he scribes in his journals 

63 Brother Sannel, Lawful Evil, removed from his sect for wicked plots and theft
He secretly trains bandits in esoteric fighting arts while pretending to be a wise scholar

64 Brother Hroldar, Lawful, a jolly wine maker exiled from order for drunken revelry
He still makes wine in his cave but now it use ceremonial only, but he will teach others

65 Brother Dzelrak, Lawful evil, from a sect fallen to devil worship and burned by king
He now pretends to be a kindly teacher and tries to dupe heroes into finding evil relics

66 Brother Tralorn, Lawful Good, lives in ruins of his order, the last of his kind
Seeks new students but cant find truly disciplined ones but he keeps searching

67 Brother Latan, Lawful, hunts signs of chaos, corruption and  evil but is getting old
Tells tales of his old battles but villagers don't believe in the power of chaos now days 

68 Brother Phebus the lightbearer, Lawful, he guides nigh travellers and fights undead
Has knowledge in finding undead and the taint of their evil in graveyards

69 Brother Selinor, Lawful, living off nuts and berries living in a cave, tired of humans
Actually keeps a minor relic in cave and knows where there are several more in dungeons 

70 Brother Flaius, Lawful, seeks atonement for burning church building, helps travellers
Was a famous scribe and calligrapher, has been writing several books with his cat

71 Camus Faran, Lawful, exiled for unusual interpretation of holy texts, has pet snakes
Know the language of snakes and obsessed with their every mention in holy books 

72 Zoran Kerax, Chaotic Evil, wild man has written additional scriptures justifying murder
Lives in a cave full of skulls, writes on flayed human skin, kills visitors, deceived by demons 

73 Alleous Toran, Nuetral, lives in harmony with beasts, disapproves of church buildings
Speaks many animal languages and is superior animal doctor who helps farmers

74 Wallen Gorb, Good, was tortured by goblins now prefers solitary life in prayer
Knows goblin ways and underground tunnels through mountains, keeps set of goblin idols 

75 Talen Rael, Nuetral, sits on top of ruined column and fed by locals, fantastic long beard
Believes everyone should live like him and lived like this for decades, was a skilled healer 

76 Varran Klator, Nuetral, driven from church for seduction of youths and nudity
Preaches fornication and preaches in nude as god made him, locals throw rocks at him

77 Balrezar, Nuetral, spends time praying god unmakes the universe as it is a mistake
Expert on creation, dawn age and the elder races before man, seeks spell of annihilation

78 Tolrad Brathe, Good, exiled for arguing church give all money to poor, lives in ditch
Opposed to greed and property ownership, hunts bandits and thieves who rob poor

79 Erod Sunn, Chaotic Evil, spreads corrupted church beliefs and demon worship
Always smiling and works at corrupting local faith, killed several priests and keeps skulls

80 Marren Bor, Good, adopts orphans who live in stone huts preying and living simply
Local church leaders don't approve of his archaic doctrines about nature of divinity

81 Master Terran Vorr, Chaotic, dwells in stick hut having mystic visions, fed by locals
Having visions of apocalyptic changes to structure of the universe and cosmic threats

82 Zogorra Than, Lawful, in hiding to contemplate if the angel who gave him tablets is true
Composed a new potentially heretical book of prophecies and new insights into doctrine 

83 Horzel Mishma, Lawful, has been scribe of secrets told to him by possibly rebel angel
Has been keeping in hidden trunk all his writings with gold "angel" gave him for copying 

84 Paleb Drule, Nuetral, people pester him for future visions an he has had a gutful
Hides in mountain with animal guardians now, might share presight for great purpose 

85 Kural Pradshem, Good, currently hiding in wilds and tormented by demons nightly
Undergoing tests from the angels, forthright in all dealings, fears demons might hurt others 

86 Terewel Knorrad, Nuetral, hiding in woods having terrible visions about a local killer!
Actually he is a werewolf and is the killer, he is a fine poet but demons attack his spirit

87 Prawlogg Skren, Chaotic, spreads exiting new teachings inspired by angels!
Actually serves chaos frog demons of limbo preparing cult for a visitation of the frog gods

88 Horlog Blanb, has made a prophecy of the fate of the kingdom, some say he is just daft
he has had his doubts but now is sure angels inspired visions, everyone must get ready! 

89 Azrag Truell, Chaotic Evil, gossips about hidden enemies, betrayals and family secrets
actually a demon in disguise stirring up small communities and provoking murder

90 Curdmas Trey, Good, hiding in isolation in ruins in hope angel voices return
Has been given specific knowledge on demon and evil cults, they hunt him every night 

91 Simony Magaros, Teaching he is new incarnation of god from his cliff shrine
Actually a sorcerer into drugs and vice using spells and drugs to pretend he is a priest 92 Honoriad Trast, Lawful, former inquisition master now a quiet wandering healer
Aculay member of secret order battling planar intruders and finding heroes to fight chaos 

93 Calabus Corimm, Nuetral, well known and loved for aid to farmers and commoners
Actually a druid who avoids conflict with urban priesthoods to keep helping commoners

94 Marastad Galum, Lawful, actually a wizard but but strong in faith, lives in a treehouse
Working in his study and identifying evil beings in the area secretly up to no good

95 Zortell Madden, Lawful, a former templar who roams back hills hunting evil
Actually seeking to recover a relic entrusted to him and locating area dungeons and lairs

96 Korgax Ran, Chaotic, formerly a barbarian who converted and joined priesthood
Occasionally comes from hills to form a posse to exterminate local bandits and humanoids 

97 Sirriax, Nuetral, a helpful but shy hermit well liked by villagers for driving away monsters
Acyually they are an elf using a false bears to keep an eye on humans

98 Kozrax the Dwarf, a short angry hermit sick of people who lives in a hole
Actually he was a very short man, property of royal court and escaped, sick of big people

99 Morzigan Truel, Lawful Evil, a mighty hermit who has sealed many dungeons with spells
Actually helping dungeon lords on his faction and impeding those who refuse to join 

100 Korzarrim Skyrax, Lawful, a stern preaching philosopher who lives in bramble bush
Cynical of human good being able to save world, preparing own strange ritual to save world
Thanks John P on G+ for spotting something funny about 92 i fixed

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