d100 What are those wild people up to now?

Chagrinspire pdf on Patreon now
Had my birthday and an interview to be on a live stream twitch game

When you live close to the frontier the neighbors can be a little wild and rambunctious. This could be applied to barbarians, humanoids and beast folk tribes also. It is also handy for frontier gossip and might in fact be exaggerated and wrong. It might be a pretext used to persecute them. Maybe they are in fact even worse than the gossip. These could be clues to find treasure if graverobbing is your bag.

Some could be customs not understood by commoners or they could be adventure hooks. Maybe the tribals are doing strange things to drive off some evil force. This assumes a frontier or borderland where cultures clash. Civilised people assume they are righteous and are clumsy when dealing with others.

d10 Quick Shennanigan Types
1 Season rituals

2 Martial rites

3 Revelry

4 Sacred ceremonies

5 Violence

6 Monsters

7 Allies

8 Trade

9 Grusome signs

10 Supernatural

d100 What are those wild people up to now?
01 Chanting by bonfires late at night and leaping over fires naked

02 Beheading bulls and swine on a hill then feasting

03 Having orgies in the forest

04 Erecting stone monolith 

05 Erecting a wicker man to burn in a ceremony

06 Procession chanting on a route around local barrows and standing stones 

07 Making sacrifices on a hill celebrating an ancient ruler buried there

08 Wallowing in water and covering themselves in mud while chanting

09 Procession with a wagon carrying an idol to various local shrines

10 Renacting mythic story of a deity killing a dragon and quartering a convicted criminal
11 Berserks by night screaming like animals by night in rituals with blood-drinking

12 Druids and warriors testing and blessing new blades with sacrifice

13 Practicing manoeuvres in a ritualised training exercise in barbaric finery

14 A contest for warriors in a grand melee where the winner gets chosen for a chest

15 Having a competition in spear throwing and wrestling, winner gets a potion from druids

16 Two tribes warriors fight over a pig stomach stuffed with peas all day while other tribesfolk watch. Druids treat injuries and award winners with wreaths

17 Two famous tribal champions have a fight over a point of honour according to customs

18 Women warriors have a man in a cage they will release and hunt for crimes against women

19 Tribal warriors gather for a ritual animal fight for divination d4 1=horse 2=dog 3=bul 4=bear

20 Village gathers for a trial by combat to prove someones innocence

21 Having a days long feast with magic mushrooms and strong drink

22 Women holding wild rites and drinking will tear apart men who see them, foolish people hear wild stories and are killed yearly spying on them

23 Tribe in a stupor high from mushrooms and herbs, most lay about having visions 

24 Cheif giving gifts and making youths swear allegiance before a feast

25 Several tribes gather for peace celebrations and a wild party
26 Elaborate dances with strange costumes like monsters 

27 Bonfires all over the plains with chanting and feasting

28 Dancing in the path of people dressed as a dragon or tarrasque

29 Marrying two frogs to ensure rain with spectacular wedding feast

30 Dancing competition with competing village bards
31 Druids gather by standing stones in robes sacrificing animals 

32 Druids with a spectacular cauldron making potions for tribe

33 Druidic sacred marriage between two senior priests

34 Druids perform sacred rites in secret, outsiders are forbidden

35 Bardic graduation ceremony held by druids

36 Coronation on a sacred stone of a tribal chieftain who makes various oaths

37 Druids meeting the tree folk, tree spirits and dryads in an exchange of gifts to renew ancient pacts

38 Druids meet the chieftains of the animals and discuss their complaints against humans

39 Druids call land divinities to renew ancient pacts of the spirits

40 Druids call spirit of the green to inhabit a figure made from vegetable matter 

41 Intertribal raiding for months often is sight of civilised commoners 

42 Exited warband has been raiding and stealing livestock and scaring people

43 Berserks waiting by crossings on roads and rivers challenging warriors to duels

44 Fueding with other tribe screaming abuse and throwing spears, when someone hurt both sides flee

45 Kidnapping victims for slaves from local villagers to marry

46 Raiding for metal items to take to tribal smith, snatching farm tools and anything

47 Raiders on arson spree burning farmhouses and barns

48 Raiders taken hostages and insist on payments of food for their safe care

49 Threaten to attack unless supplied with livestock

50 Stirring up violence with another tribe with murders and leaving evidence it was villagers
51 Breeding monsters and releasing them in wild

52 Making normal animals hostile to villagers

53 Stole monster eggs and parents on a rampage in area

54 Have been capturing monsters to train for war which scares people

55 Holy ones of tribe have been making undead as hazards for travellers

56 Tribe has been keeping a troll and cutting bits off to leave near landmarks like bridges 

57 Tribe has awoken an ancient woodland nature spirit and told it slanderous tales about the spread of civilisation

58 Tribal druids planted dangerous monstrous vegetation and thorn hedges to hinder civilisation

59 Tribe has been locating ancient monolith prisons holding demons and setting them on innocent farmers

60 Tribe has been using lycanthrope heroes to menace civilised folk and infect them as thralls
61 Chieftain inviting humanoids to settle to help hinder the colonisation of the frontier

62 Tribes have been meeting to plan an alliance for war on civilisation

63 Tribes have been getting superior weapons from demihuman allies

64 Tribes work with faeries to spread the forest and make it more hazardous, the tribe protect the magically grown trees and chases loggers and woodcutters

65 Tribes who used to fight each other have united against the civilised folk of the borderlands who threaten their traditions 

66 Slavers have made a deal with tribe to pay them for captives for gold

67 The tribe have made a pact with a feral sorcerer from beyond the wasteland and the locals have seen strange signs

68 A coven of witches has made a pact with the tribe and have been cursing livestock and villagers 

69 The wild folk have made contact with a even more frightening tribe of ancient kinfolk, who wear only leaves and are hairy all over. The worship the wild hunt and the supernatural procession has been seen and heard closer to villagers

70 The frontier tribe have made a pact with beastfolk and together they have been kidnapping victims, robbing travellers and ambushing millitary patrols 
71 The wild folk will trade skins and fur for cheese and wine, they can't get enough

72 Tribal folk demand payment for their land the village is on, claiming ancient rights

73 Tribal people demanding prospectors and miners hand over half their finds as a tithe to their chieftain

74 Local tribal chief demands merchants pay them for safe travel

75 Local tribe declare they own all the fish in waterways, lakes and streams

76 Wild folk seem to want to trade but don't speak the common tongue, but they are also intimidating and people are wary of offending them

77 Local wild folk have been wanting to trade some spouses or children to make peace and the villagers are uncomfortable with this offer

78 Tribal folk came one day and burned a pile of trade goods by the village, waited and left in anger and people have no idea what they want 

79 Tribal people keep trying to sell us trinkets and ugly idols but nobody wants them or can understand them. They seem to be very earnest

80 Tribal people healed a sick child and now demand payment that the village cant afford
81 Tribes leaving mutilated corpses on poles near roads to scare away settlers

82 Tribe warriors collecting human heads so priests can place them in stone niches in ancient monoliths for some reason 

83 Tribe have been seen flensing bodies and leaving horrible messes at crossroads and taking the skeletons

84 Tribe seemed to be assembling a meat colossus from corpses in the forest 

85 Tribe keep decorating local roadside trees with human skulls and villagers do not like it

86 Wild folk have been parading about their dead ancestors in processions and its a bit creepy lay commoners

87 Tribals have been robbing the village graves and taking bodies somewhere else and nobody knows why and want them back

88 Tribals have been burying decorated skulls around the village and people are afraid it is some dark magic

89 A local priest went to convert the savages and they nailed his flensed skin to the local church

90 A visiting merchant tried to trick the savages and sold them bad grog and some got sick. When the merchant returned they killed him in some ritual and now his corpse wanders the area moaning and scaring people
91 Tribals are having strange ceremonies and weird creatures are roaming the night

92 The savages have been turning people into trees and local settlers are frightened

93 Wicked priests of the wild folk have been torturing travellers by the roadway and leaving frightening angry spirits making travel by night dangerous

94 Haunted cries from the forest spirits have been getting closer and people say the wild folk have been calling them or know how to calm them

95 The tribal folk where seen making some kind of ceremonial marriage but with only one of the parties at the ceremony. Since then a powerful land spirit has been killing locals crops and made livestock run into the woods and food is short

96 Strange monoliths have been moving around the village and some drunks have disappeared going home by night. The tribal folk used to worship the stones and know what to do but past dealings went poorly and they demand gold just to talk

97 A stranger came to town and caused troubles and it turned out they were some trickster spirit sent by the wild folk. The stranger was killed but people have seen them near the village. The wild folk who sometimes trade wont speak of it and seem scared like they know something 

98 Locals report dreaming of tribal folk rituals and some ancient spirit they draw on for power. Everybody in village is struggling to sleep and wonder what the wild ones are doing to them

99 Spirits of ancient tribal folk have been seen more frequently and sometimes dozens are seen. Commoners fear tribals are amassing an army to repel settlers 

100 Local hostile tribe has started to all become berserkers. Scholars fear some ancient land spirit they have summoned has been turning tribal folk into dangerous berserks, even the elderly and children

Chagrinspire 76pg PDF on Patreon

This is up currently and grifting it here as was one of the most popular things I've done in the last few years. It will be getting some revisions over the next few days as I made a font error but I will sit on it a few days. 

Link in L-hand sidebar

I do need to work on some other projects but some 3fold dungeons on the way for ruins in the wastelands. The Exilon stuff I keep getting stumped by my own historic pedantry. 

There will be some more tables and other stuff coming including some revisions of my homebrew character classes. I'm hoping to play this the next few months. 

Im still playing marvel currently which now needs very little prep as players hunting aliens lots.

I have some job apps to make and applying to be on a live stream Star Wars so will see how that goes.

V2 out now and 84 pages

I may add in a bunch of stuff from my Weird War One book from a few years ago like the haunting tables for tunnels and no mans land.

Thinking a squadron of dragons vs gnome biplanes could happen

d100 Wasteland Weirdos

Possibly some Charginspire leaked onto our new album.

Sampler short
https://youtube.com/shorts/Yj7jn40iomM?si=dflfJ10EdYYJqMYr


My Gunderholfen solo play has gone well im doing Lv 4 sub levels and realised id not been including rival parties who might be a good source of magic items. Im ruling as our fame increased more rivals appearing and even trying to kidnap party members when alone in streets of city. The encounter pack is good for any city. Party have a wizard patron and know of the cults possibly in the city and dungeon.

I will put up all chargrinspire table on a PDF on Patreon shortlyas I have almost finished the table and hexcrawl part - rule expansion and mega dungeon will be later. Fair warning will have place holder art that wont be used in any possible sale version.

These are people you might meet in settlements or wastelands or prison cells. They could be alone or in charge of followers or a gang or a party. They might meet in a tavern and be available for your party for a share (we do a share per Lv and pay our personal followers from our share)

As usual, feel free to change gender or make NPCs alchemical hermaphrodites or whatever - its a easy to fix thing with a polymorph spell

d10 Quick Types
1 Adventurers
2 Merchants 
3 Criminals
4 Scholars
5 Hermits
6 Bandits
7 Scavengers
8 Cultists
9 Mutants
10 Non Humans

d100 Wasteland Weirdos
01 Farnby Klungus - former merchant turned thief and now a bonafide adventurer looking for wealth. Fancy landknight ripped velvet, a sword and several flintlock pistols
02 Perri Mortungle - adventures started as a prostitute who robbed customers, now a dashing heroine and duelist for hire. May be tempted to grab treasure and flee to civilisation or make someone rich marry her so she can rob them
03 Padpur Gofferil - here to rob and steal and willing to murder. Discovered killing sleeping adventurers who trust you is easier than monsters. Carries poison
04 Madlub Porkerson - mercenary warrior seeks glory and magic weapons. Selfish thug but will grow loyal to any who save him
05 Panten Florablub - bard looking for adventurers to inspire songs. Bit of a coward but also very curious
06 Mala Kezchwan - lady thief and spy for a distant guild that wants to know opportunities here and about local gangs. No interest in heroics or trusting weirdos in these parts
07 Panja Volorian - swordswoman out for fame and glory and looking for lady adventurers to crush on
08 Vanjar Mahabjeeb - Templar in secret here to see if Chagrinspire is a threat and gather rumours, follows a war god and hates undead with a passion
09 Sir Digory Panhablar -  brave knight seeks people to save, monsters to kill and glory. Knows he needs help to survive 
10 Mahger Velapian - mercenary out for money and dreams of starting own mercenary company when rich
11 Pilbert Klanghort - here to buy magic metal goods to take to civilisation for profit but the business is sewn up and wants to gather items from wastes in person to make more money 
12 Gamlet Pliskerman - money lender who was robbed and needs cash to get home and get revenge
13 Mober Gilklam - avoiding sea due to a strange urge to dive into the sea and never return. Has funny dreams about sea demons. Is a fish folk hybrid with no idea. Hopes to find some relics or distraction from dreams of the sea
14 Camrod Bellend - sells trinkets and adventurer supplies and has a cache of goods in the wilderness they want back but too weak to go alone
15 Margen Vasleek - wants to buy and sell magic and books to sell to wizards back home and sure local scavengers too thick to find the good stuff. Keeps a detailed journal and maps also to sell
16 Abert Morninglum - sells drugs and addictive healing potions and was a student alchemist. Seeks certain minerals in the waste to make incendiaries and gunpowder to sell but doesnt trust locals not to steal recipes so sources ingredients in person 
17 Valmart Mortgen - arms dealer out of good stock and willing to join adventurers for big share of goods they can sell
18 Ahmet Klorgenmight - sells maps and lenses he grinds from the glassy wastes of chargrinspire. Can't trust local scavengers to find the best stuff
19 Plorbian Muskdung - gnomish trader of gadgets and mechanical contraptions. Wears goggles, a fake beard and makeup as is a grey gnome spy for the cult of the Black Sphere spying on visitors to the region
20 Mulhwan Fadgrip - blacksmith who wants exotic metals found in region. With a good relic hopes to give to a noble to gain fame and status
21 Archie Felchlard - thief who is in trouble with guild and needs friends to keep away assassins
22 Porger Bulgehump - a thief who is a spy for guilds and bandits who watches for adventurers to infiltrate and inform criminals friends
23 Mayneen Vaspatan - bandit leader who lost her gang in a recent encounter and needs funds and contacts to rebuild. Knows a great dungeon her former gruberhole hideout is now overun with orcs and undead so she cannot recover alone
24 Georgie Plukett - child gang member keen to serve adventurers and nab any stray goods while relying on their protection
25 Milbert Gudofin - drunk with outstanding debt desperate for cash and to evade money lenders so wilderness crawls with profit are just what they want right now
26 Puta Mingle - young lass pretends to be a servant but really a veteran assassin looking for an adventurer hiding in the waste and her usual cohorts will not go
27 Vada Pelapian - a serial killer who needs to get away from civilisation and temptation. Figures becoming a murder hobo will solve urge to kill and keep away from law and assassin contracts
28 Malad Sardon - snarky bard specialising in gossip and slander needs money fast and will do anything. Desperate to by a fabulous organ but other magic instruments might satisfy their urges
29 Trelbert Daskinbrule - former bandit who wants to escape the crime lifestyle. Is a drug addict but sure a few weeks in the wilds will help them recover the shakes and sweats
30 Pascal Vager - a colourful thief who lost friends in an incident with trolls and a bridge. Keen to find new friends for glory and adventure. Addicted to risk but not keen on death either
31 Proctor Glubduel - astrologer keen to prove a secret astrological theory about Chagrinspire. Offers free daily horoscopes and card readings in return for booze or a chance to explore the dread Chagrinspire ruins 
32 Madlow Spastan - convinced everyone who dies in the region helps fuel the black sphere apocalypse engine. The best way to see this is to see lots of people die so adventurers might be good companions. Claims just here for authentic documents of ancients for library
33 Valdern Pune - scholar interested in ancient secrets and banished from university library so doing "field research". Lies and claims to be supported by academia
34 Padrak Erstinkline - Desperately wants to see the Black Sphere and has been studying magic to get close and accepted by adventurers. Has been dreaming of the sphere for years before the game here and read about it in a blasphemous tome in fathers library
35 Hroblast Pentacule - looking for spells and alchemical recipes of powerless gunpowder so they can sell secrets for warfare
36 Mingus Ravelthron - sacked by the master and wants revenge with some artefact or magic found in these cursed lands
37 Mugbun Burnit - fire mad arsonist has come to a place where magic and pyrotechnic alchemy will be appreciated. Hopes to find a portal to the plane of fire and to learn the language of fire elementals or meet an elemental noble
38 Malika Badenzorn - tired of the lack of respect at home she has come here to make important discoveries from the ancients to make a name nobody can belittle 
39 Vorma Draldor - Wants to meet grey gnomes who seem to be unchanged since the apocalypse war. Possibly too willing to get to speak to them and learn their ways
40 Porbert Blinklog - pretends to be after alchemy recipes and history, really wants to join the order of the Black SPhere if only they can find it
41 Gregor Mongarv - driven from society for black magic, cannibalism and writing blasphemous books, swears he knows where a good dungeon is
42 Exbert Mogen - seeking signs of non-cursed life and wanders wastes planting seeds and searching for signs of hope
43 Mikon Vabslor - lives with a giant vulture and a talking snake and spouts maxims and gossip  
44 Pride Kemlar - forsaken the world awaiting the apocalypse and sure it will be soon and wants a good view - can guide you to good viewing spots
45 Larister Barglow - philosopher seeking to match wits in a debate with a philosopher of the Null Sphere or a gre gnome
46 Kilbert Snarg - bitter old man disappointed world still exists and wants to help the universe end. Not even the cult of the Black Sphere wants him around so he is miserable
47 Morag Thunker - a witch who has lived here for centuries and seeks evil people to be her slaves. Good people she will test for corruption and if pure she rewards them with cursed items with delayed effects and many petty properties making identification tricky
48 Haber Tumwablet - has been chased from all civilisation even the underland for a scheme to save the world by bringing the outer gods to stop the Black Sphere cult so they can harvest human souls forever. COllects various books in a cave and happily tries to convince others of schemes. "Its the best hope we have"
49 Eamon Klorg - Busy measuring the distances between stars with a sextant and telescope and making calculations and sure the universe is contracting. Gave up warning people who don't want to know or care
50 Barjet Gongwumbler - sits alone laughing and won't say why. Keeps popping up in taverns, the wilderness and dungeons to laugh at people's misfortunes. Some swear they killed him
51 Veeber Tan - wanted killer and robber especially likes to spy on or infiltrate adventurers. The great dungeon he recommends is the gang's robber cave
52 Avra Popscorn - famous bandit in disguise as a wasteland guide who works with slavers to capture adventurers and she gets their belongings as part of the deal
53 Mika Plibkin - a bandit fugitive who used to rob the rich and give to the poor. Doesn't think anyone in the waste deserves or needs help and is bitter. Might be inspired if met some actually good people though dislike rules and government
54 Hestor Khemlo - bandit who kills aristocrats and helps peasant villagers who meet his ideal standards of egalitarianism. Hopes to spread his movement and form an army with salvaged technology and vehicles against civilisation
55 Penhag Zuula - slaver who sometimes pretends to be an adventurer to facilitate kidnaping gladiators and slaves. Even sells victims to the cult of the Black Sphere
56 Mother Cragna - old woman some say is a witch and her gang are humanoids and lycanthropes, some are her children and grandchildren. May pose as a wandering healer and secretly curses people and uses slow-acting poisons. This helps her gang get easy kills and dinner
57 Veber Knargent -  bandit trying to get a new gang and selling addictive healing potions to recruit. Claims to be an alchemist but only knows minor potions (d4 healing, +1 initiative) that are also addictive drugs. Adventurers could be the core muscle of his new gang
58 Kiber Lortan - wanted bandit on the run after killing noble hostages from impatience. Wants adventurer friends who can keep away assassins
59 Mrada Vantagran - has heard about murder hobos as just bandits who prey on murder hoboes so sure joining a party he can get them to rob some safer targets. Will lie and claim people are chaos cultists or doppelgangers to instigate fights
60 Varan Barda - agent of the Black Spere cult who raises bandits to rob and kill merchants and supplies aiding invaders of the waste. Sometimes he gest missions like to spy on adventurers so will join parties. Once he has learned of their secrets and made some interesting discoveries in the waste will summon his band of orc bandits to exterminate his new "friends"

61 Padra Morten - scavenger and refugee from the empire. Family is killed but learned peace with scavengers but they were killed by adventurers. Now he is looking for them and will join parties to judge them and if wanting gives them hit tips into dangerous dungeons
62 Habran Fandril - lost a cache of treasure when trolls moved into the case he hid them in and now wants to trick adventurers into fighting the trolls so they can grab the loot and flee
63 Papa Scrap - knows many good places to loot and fields to find loot but too old. Will offer advice and stories in return for booze. Maps he sells for gold
64 Old Nora - woman with hand cart picks through wreckage and looks so unwashed and wretched creatures leave her alone and she can blend into mud and garbage expertly
65 Colan Boreler - Old scavenger who has built several communities in the past in the waste for scavengers which have been destroyed. He would start a new colony but people say he is cursed to fail
66 Matan Boglor - former scrap merchant who thinks this place is paradise and hopes to get rich
67 Eber Kunflap - Has a family in a ruined shack in wasteland and picking ruins has become harder of late as life and conflict return to the wastes. Keen for money as a guide or with adventurers so can help family leave the wastes forever
68 Arder Hringus - Has several parts of a machine they are repairing in a secret ruined bunker. Looking for the last few parts to start the machine and some gems and a few sacrifices. Possibly a monster generator 
69 Abra Gorebon - has secret patrons seeking certain parts and magical fuel of the ancients. They don't care who the patron is but want help from adventurers to search some locations on an old map the master gave them
70 Fanglub Pogrun - bloated greedy pig hopes to get wealth and become a big shot merchant or crime lord. Has killed some adventurers and stolen their maps and uses them to join new adventurers
71 Arfang Zarger - daemon cultist seeks to create an eternal global wasteland of torment rather than the nullification of everything by the Null Sphere cult. Reports interesting discoveries to the cult and planar secret masters
72 Vogbert Krumplenak - poses as a merchant who buys magic scrap while keeping an eye on adventurers. He leads a secret cult with members over various settlements who gain demon powers in return for helping demons reach the world via summonings
73 Japer Noll - cannibal cultist who kidnaps strangers and loners to eat them. The rituals gain them monstrous powers but some have to hide from the public after years because of mutations
74 Horper Glopper - has an invisible imp instructing him on recruiting agent of the infernal crusade against the black sphere. Will join desperate adventurers and tries to tempt them into devil pacts for new spells or rescues from tight places
75 Kazeeran Bradlash - necromantic cultist who runs a funeral business. Bodies he buries he uses in experiments secretly in an underground crypt. Hopes to find lost necromancer spells in the wastes
76 Doctor Feelix Strabel - cult leader who poses as a scholar really serves an entity from the outer void who grants the cult strange powers. They hate the cult of the Black Sphere who seek to deprive the hungry beings of entropy from beyond 
77 Kala Zurex - barbarian serving a chaos cult and hopes to convince his tribe who exiled him that daemons can save them from eternal non-existence from the Back Sphere. If exposed as not just a willing hireling will gather the chaos warband under the care of his mutant brother
78 Hebara Gozwonker - saucy barmaid bard secretly serves the cult of the Black Sphere and is keen to learn about what adventurers are up to
79 Janger Krotwinkle - a craftsman with a small shop really is a public supplier for a cult hiding in the ruins
80 Zeela Tranwarg - daughter of a respectable merchant who has been in the service of hell and studied wizardry in the black library. She helps her father and draws customers to his business and he is loathe to marry her off which she approves of being single. She helps visiting cultists as a mail drop and has her own Imp in a secret ruin under the community
81 Hadger Scune - a pathetic shy scarified mutant with a knack for sneaking who steals food from regular folk but knows of several dangerous cult lairs if only people listened to him
82 Eeba Hoe - a bandaged musket-wielding freak who wears a respirator and heavy coat to hide his sores. Scouts for community and observes travellers. May even enter normal communities to trade but won't press luck too much 
83 Porgle Glamfert - tentacled and bulging-eyed hunchback who is kept in a fake cage by a travelling showman. He could escape but the regular food is good
84 Arber Kamlent - has strange mind powers and preaches warnings against deformed mutants he denounces as unclean heretics. Uses influence on to form angry mobs and is loved by bigots and angry intolerant folk who don't realise the unnatural charisma of the fiend
85 Pandran Vould - hides a second face and things moving under skin with a large tattered trenchcoat. At some point they will burst and smaller versions of Pandran will scuttle away 
86 Lundran Vor - hiding mutations just wants drinking money and possibly a cure so the voices end. At some point will scream and skin will split as they transform into a shoggoth 
87 Knorak Pasvar - has yellow gleaming eyes and unatural hypnotic powers used to rob and abuse people. Will try to befriend people to get them alone
88 Heemak Granskel - has a second face on chest they keep covered the whispers evil advice and bullies them  
89 Brunkmar Vod - constantly in pain and highly flammable. It hurts but causes pain. Has been used by cannibals to cook other people and by villagers who locked them in a kiln or used in a forge. Escaped these terrible fates and burned all over and suspicious of everyone. Knows where evil settlers have started on new villages
90 Mikos Butlag - a hidous huge obese idiot, has been adopted as a mascot by villages and adventures for good luck they say follows them 
91 Gool Blortag - grey gnome spy for the Black Sphere cult. Sells maps to adventurers which are deathtraps and sells cursed and poisoned gems  
92 Ebork Klanker - grey gnome from the Underland come to see what naughty stuff the heretics of their people have committed on the surface. Quite shocks but wants proof gnomes are still involved before reporting home
93 Pislar Longwood - elf scout looking for signs of life returning and planting seeds they hope will grow. Believes until plants return the Black Sphere is still consuming life force and will detonate obliterating all life and time
94 Palk Ublar - dwarf here to find metal goods and guns of the ancients for his dwarf city deep underground
95 Hemak Grudstik - orc mercenary just wants money. The wastes of Charginspire are all they know and it seems fine. Doesnt believe human stories of safer nice places
96 Urblat Stankleg - derro pretends to be human here really to position a tracer crystal where it can do the most harm. Once placed underground brethren will project their hate ray to start people squabbling and perish. Should return home after mission but wants to watch and perform some sadistic acts first. Pretends to be a regular dwarf but real dwarves and gnomes will know the lie
97 Shiart Mansplen - a cheeky halfling here to see if the ancients had the secret of alchemical food packed in tins. Wants to try local dishes and record in case the whole world ends up as bad 
98 Kumlo Spurge - a bull headed abhuman berserker who gets mercenary, guard and executioner jobs. Thinks the wasteland is hated for no good reasons 
99 Brodnad Milkspleen - a teenage giant reached 6 foot tall and thrown from town. Seems to be a strong hardy brave lad and has worked for a few parties. Still will rapidly gain height
100 Slune Triskal - half diabolik changeling mostly appears as a thief looking for work away from guilds but can assume devil form with horns, wings, red and jet skin. Actually just wants friends so wont talk about true form. Occasionaly visited by disguised or invisible imp which they hate and try to get rid off

Chagrinspire Map & Encounters by Terrain

Chagrinspire so far...

https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/chagrinspire.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/flatspur-and-shankheim-home-bases-for.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/04/subterranean-entrances-in-chagrinspire.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/04/dungeon-decor-for-chagrinspire.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/04/d100-documents-of-despair-for.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/02/d12-mysterious-vapours-miasmas.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/freaks-of-chargrinspire-cursed-lands.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/surface-structures-of-chagrinspire.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/d100-found-junk-of-mudlands-of.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/d100-terrible-encounters-for.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/03/d100-chagrinspire-rumours.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/04/chargrinspire-notes-and-d100-tactical.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2024/04/magic-crap-dug-up-near-chagrinspire.html

Also a reader compared to Phil Tippet's Mad God which a friend showed me after the first few posts and yes it is probably good imagery for this setting. Turnip 28 was an influence and probably my previous work on ww1 and post-apocalypse stuff.

To do
d100 Mutant Maniacs
d100 Wasteland Weirdos
d100 walls of the star fortress

I will probably have a break for other projects I'm recalcitrant of after these done and later will work on dungeons and character classes.

classes - alchemist, mutant, automaton, mystic/shaman

The Map
The grey box on the map graphic has a mistake I will fix but ready to print and make your own hexcrawl map - should say higher numbers are rarer. The mudlands are the no-mans land areas of battlefields and are surrounded by inward-facing trenches. Chagrinspire is surrounded by a star-shaped fortress full of ruined artillery. Like post-medieval cities.

These give you an alternative way of generating encounters by terrain and also provide an idea of suitable creatures for local flavour.

d12 Shattered Woodlands
Woodlands with limbless mostly dead trees and mud
1 Mutant deer

2 Mutant wild boar

3 Mutant wolves

4 Terror birds

5 Carnivorous apes

6 Mutant lion or panther

7 Mutant bear

8 Carnivorous plants

9 Mutants tribe

10 Abhuman plant folk

11 Abhuman beast folk

12 Elf scouts

d12 Grasslands
Stubbly grass on ashen grey soil
1 Mutant bison or auroch cattle

2 Wooly rhinoceros

3 Deer or kangaroos or goats

4 Mutant hunters

5 Scavengers

6 Orc warriors

7 Refugees fleeing tyranny

8 Slavers

9 Zombie troops

10 Bandits

11 Berserkers

12 Templar crusaders

d12 Marsh
Black marshes and bogs and a sea of reads
1 Ooze or slime or jelly

2 Swarm of carnivorous flies or leeches

3 Mudhogs

4 Mutant crocodiles

5 Giant salamanders, toads or frogs

6 Giant insects

7 Giant reptiles

8 Carnivorous plants

9 Shambling mound or algoid

10 Dinosaurs

11 Shoggoth

12 Cateoblas or basilisk

d12 Broken Lands
Blasted rocky rubble, craters, cliffs, mesas and buttes
1 Mutant goat

2 Cannibal clan

3 Scavengers

4 Bandits

5 Goblinoid warband

6 Giant vultures or bats

7 Berserkers

8 Harpies

9 Wyvern

10 Mutant warband

11  Manticores

12 Chimera

d12 Wetlands
Lakes, ponds and rivers

1 Mutant fisher folk in canoes or rafts

2 Giant carnivorous fish

3 Mutant crocodile

4 Swarm of carnivorous flying fish

5 Giant octopus

6 Giant salamanders, toads or frogs

7 Riverboat crewed by bandits

8 Marine ghouls

9 Plesiosaur

10 Fish or frog folk abhumans

11 Hydrodaeomon

12 Grey gnome submarine

d12 Mudfields
Blasted muddy wasteland of ancient cratered battlefields and no-mans land
1 Scavengers

2 Mutant soldiers

3 Orc warriors

4 Mud hogs

5 Swarm of flies or giant flies

6 Swarm or rats or giant rats

7 Zombie soldiers

8 Ghoul clan

9 Neo-otyg

10 Bog mummy

11 Automaton soldiers

12 Automaton war machine

d12 Salt Flats
Salty dried-up remnants in vast salt lakes
1 Mutant tribes

2 Zombies (salt encrusted)

3 Shadows

4 Skeleton sailors

5 Giant leeches

6 Giant vultures

7 Giant scorpion

8 Orc raiders

9 Wight soldiers 

10 Bog mummy

11 Crystal animals (made of salt)

12 Salt elemental

d12 Grim Woods
Living but foul forest of thorns mazes, giant fungus and thick brush

1 Dire wolves

2 Sabretooth tiger

3 Cannibal halflings

4 Dark elves

5 Abhuman plant folk

6 Abhuman beast folk

7 Carnivorous plants

8 Goblinoid warband

9 Goblin wolf or bat riders

10 Dinosaurs

11 Treeant

12 Banshee or Hag

d12 Toxic Zone

Toxic mineral and volcanic wastelands with boiling mud, sulphur and lava pools
1 Alchemists gathering gunpowder materials 

2 Kobold hunters

3 Ooze or slime or jelly

4 Scavengers

5 Zombies (scavengers)

6 Mineral Abhuman folk

7 Orcs

8 Elemental

9 Fire salamander (day) frost salamander (night)

10 Crystal Animals

11 Living statues

12 Stone Golem 

d12 Radiant crystal fields
Strange glowing sands with fields of glass and crystal fragments and monoliths
1 Kobolds

2 Spectral minion soldiers

3 Shadows

4 Zombies with crystal shards stuck in them

5 Mineral Abhuman folk

6 Bullette

7 Willow-the-whisp

8 Crystal statue

9 Crystal Animals

10 Psionic monolith

11 Xorn

12 Dragon

d12 Ruins
Remains of ancient buildings and urban areas
1 Zombie soldiers

2 Bandits

3 Cultists

4 Orc raiders

5 Scavengers

6 Crusading templars

7 Mutant dog pack

8 Ghoul pack

9 Giant lizards or insects

10 Grey gnome grenadiers in vehichle

11 Adventuring party

12 Lesser outer planar being (demon, devil, daemon)

d12 Mountains
Salty dried-up remnants in vast salt lakes
1 Dwarf warriors

2 Grey gnome grenadiers on foot

3 Orc soldiers

4 Berserkers

5 Mutant chaos goats

6 Trolls

7 Ettin or hill giant

8 Giant vultures

9 Automaton soldiers

10 Automaton war machines

11 Grey gnome airship 

12 Golem

Famous legend monster

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Subterranean Entrances in Chagrinspire

Played Gunderholfen solo up to 4th level sub levels. Had a few close near TPKs, lost a follower and blew 20% of all cash made on a raise dead for them. Blew every potion. Currently fighting undead which is a bit tedious now cleric turns used up. Cleric also has diseases but has a scroll - waiting until really need to use scroll as might face more undead that cause this. AC of cleric and fighter have helped them do ok. Helping to test new rule mods before next game and new character sheets. Currently running Marvel and it needs very little prep with tables i made this year and player-driven choices. Playing Ravenloft 5th ed and long time since i was a cleric. Feels like i can do cleric and fighter and wizard stuff well by my old-school wired brain. 

------------------------------------------ 

There are dirty holes all over the wastelands. This is to help generate on the fly. Some might be where monsters they meet as encounters call home. Some might be dungeons or underground transit tunnels. 

I will start on the Chagrinspire region map soon. The innermost defence ring around the dark spire has ruins of cities mostly drowned in mud or warped by Chaos hoping to subvert the Black Sphere mechanisms. They will be slow to find worthwhile undamaged goods and have to weigh it up with the risk of encountering mutants and creatures living in the ruins who hate outsiders. Once im satisfied with this outer region stuff I will work on the Dungeon Proper. All this started from a dungeon doodle and the urge to make a a exrta grimy filthy post-apocalypse fantasy world.

Will be working on post about the walls of the star fort around chagrinspire with vast walls with huge cannons and signs of past damage.

d10 Quick Subterranean Entrances in Chagrinspire
1 Burrows
2 Caves
3 Tunnels
4 Sapper holes
5 Homes
6 Lair
7 Ruins
8 Dungeons
9 Bunker
10 Colony

d100 Subterranean Entrances in Chagrinspire

01 Burrows of giant insects with various specialised chambers d6 1=ants 2=ankheg 3=beetles 4=insect abhumanoids (mantis or locust folk)
02 Burrows of giant worms d4 1=giant leeches 2=carrion worms 3=purple worms 4=worm abhumanoids (leech folk)

03 Land shark burrow with a huge chamber where it sleeps and a chamber or faeces and remains of victims, possibly metal items 

04 Giant toad burrow with flowing water and many large bugs and worms they feed off

05 Giant killer mole burrow often with many giant earthworms inside. The moles have paralysing bites and carry victims to their larder chamber which might have other victims trapped

06 Trapdoor spider burrow with a concealed entrance with a chamber of husks of victims

07 Giant scorpion burrow with some huge smaller babies inside

08 Giant Lizard burrows, various breeds possible

09 Moist slime hole full of slime and jelly creatures, possibly was a ruined structure buried

10 Burrow of a sleeping kaiju slumbering for centuries. giant ticks crawl on its body
11 Great cave system with huge gate and wall built inside entrance. Once traders from the Underland came here from the deep to trade and the gate was built to control the passage to prevent traders from working with allies against Chagrinspire

12 Sinkhole drops to the depths revealing ancient caves with prehistoric art depicting tribes and gods finishing the age of darkness and monster kings long before Chagrinspire

13 Cave leading to an underground river connecting various underground lakes and vast subterranean oceans

14 Cave where corpses were dumped for centuries and crawling in undead in ancient soldier's kit

15 Cave with bones and huge faeces piles by entry. Terrible odours waft from there and the smell of sulpher. An ancient dragon lives here and is guarded by servants and dragon cultists

16 Cave complex inhabited by troll or giant family

17 Cave with ancient marine fossils. Occasionally certain scholars seek these fine examples from this cave petrified long ago. Some have been revived and some species like trilobites returned from extinction from this very cave 

18 Cave grotto where an ancient immortal hermit lives. Reluctant to admit age and talk about things they saw and did in the apocalypse war. Cursed by the gods and cannot leave the region

19 Cave complex full of webs and mage-spiders ruled by a demon spider queen who remembers the Apocalypse war and loves to eat elves. Likes to chat to dinner guest captives

20 Cave with a portal to another plane guarded by denizens of that world

21 Concrete stairwell with metal hatch, goes down to subterranean train tunnels

22 Metal hatch with ladder into pipeline tunnels for water or power or gas

23 Train tracks into a tunnel system in a hill 

24 Crack in earth exposed ancient storm drain tunnels

25 Semi-flooded concrete tunnels open on the surface with barred entrances releasing flow on the surface

26 Rough rock-hewn tunnel where someone carved a hiding place to escape persecution with various levels, chambers and round stone doors that roll into place to block passage 

27 Ancient narrow rough-hewn mine shaft into a labyrinth complex with warped and sagging beams. Occasional miner remains and shrines. Possibly kobolds or undead

28 Wide mine tunnel with tracks and machinery scattered by evidence goes into the deep

29 Emergency tunnels for hiding from bombs and artillery with large shelters and tunnels to other locations

30 Millitary tunnels for secret vehicles transit, may have automated defences 
31 Tunnel in trench dugout winds under no-mans-land to enemy lines

32 Tunnels in the trench flooded with water with a non-functional pump

33 Tunnel from trench to under a distant hill where there is a chamber full of ancient unstable explosives ready to blow

34 Trench tunnels of sappers, meet enemy sapper tunnels and remains of combatants with respirators and spiked clubs and trench tools

35 Trench tunnel semi-collapsed but could be unblocked. Leads across no man's land and remains of sappers trapped under rubble

36 Sinkhole opens into partly collapsed sappers tunnels where undead trench fighters wander aimlessly

37 Tunnel system into an enemy bunker. The breach shows signs of battle and damage with corpses everywhere

38 Sappers tunnels from a trench filled with traps and past victim's remains

39 Sappers tunnels semi-flooded with areas overgrown with fungus and rafts of floating mould

40 Sappers tunnel under trench with store room including explosives, digging tools, lamps, 

41 Old trench dugout now a home for mutant scavengers

42 Sinkhole with a rope ladder leads to a ruined subway where a clan of inbred scavengers live who trade with other tribes. Has other secret entrances

43 Partially buried train now home to a gang of orphan children whose adults never returned

44 Hangers once concealed from air now mostly buried are now a colony of pilgrims who have made a marketplace for scavengers. They seem to be trying to trade for something specific

45 Ancient drain pipe leads to an underground junction occupied by a gang of bandits

46 Badly damaged surface ruins with service tunnels connecting plant rooms now occupied by a family of halflings who welcome strangers to dinner

47 Crashed airship semi-buried some to a scavenger family living as best they can having escaped tyranny in their homeland

48 Underground road tunnel entrance home to scrapper clan with goods to sell and several salvaged automatons to guard them. Various vehicles serve as homes and hotel rooms and the deeper tunnel has a barricade to stop undead living deeper

49 Apartment block ruin, upper levels broken and exposed, lower levels buried and occupied by a cult. Upper levels pretend to be scavengers and invite strangers in to trade and stay. Lower levels include a demonic temple

50 Former underground prison complex. One wing is occupied by mushroom farmers who grow food in B wing. Other wings are sealed off and crawling with giant bugs and undead
51 Creek has exposed a buried ruin where a family of ogre siblings have a lair 

52 Orcs have made a shelter by burying various vehicles connected by tunnels made of scrap metal. A cargo plane makes up the central communal area

53 Goblins have occupied service tunnels under a ruined army training camp

54 Roofless remains of old theatre and pipe organ on surface badly scavenged. Under the theatre trolls live often wearing remains of old theatre costumes like powdered wigs, capes and costume jewellery

55 Ancient cathedral badly blasted, catacombs occupied by undead kept in check by the gargoyles on the upper cathedral. Without them undead would spread over the region

56 Under the remains of a dead forest of limbless tree stumps and trunks is an elf scout base from the Faerie lands. Tunnels among dead roots are here to watch developments around Chagrinspire and search for a way to stop the anti-life curse over the land

57 Giant fungus-filled sinkhole where dark elves and goblin thralls live. The dark elves seek lost knowledge of the ancients but this has gone poorly so survival has taken over. Normally they would be for malicious pranks on outsiders but mostly they hide now in a castle of fungus in a central cave chamber

58 A broken-down mole machine in a tunnel from the surface is home of a melancholic grey gnome crew stranded on the surface. They are defended by automaton guards and muskets

59 Stone gatehouse in a hill with iron doors where dwarves live. The gather arcane steel from battlefields to ship to their home kingdom

60 Broken pipe breaks the surface and has been fitted with a locked iron gate with steam leaking out. It leads to a Derro lair where they recycle ancient trash to build their own steam machines. The smelt metal into ingots or new weapons 
61 Ruined underground train station entrance to multi level rail platform and small shopping arcade. Home to a variety of occupants

62 Ruined school buried in mud and occupied by various factions who made it into a base

63 Ruined hospital built underground to resist aerial attacks, some sections guarded by automatons others overun by wasteland creatures and survivors

64 Ruins of university mostly buried, once for training alchemists and machine makers for war effort, scavengers and factions fight over scraps of forbidden knowledge inside

65 Ruined meat packing plant buried in mud, used by factions for same purpose but smaller scale and cruder

66 Mausoleum complex with vast catacombs underneath. Necromancers took over as base to make undead armies. Priests and paladins killed most of them long ago

67 Factory ruin on surface with underground storage and freight rail tunnel hub

68 Underground base erected by allied factions to prepare an attack in secret. Once deployed the base was abandoned but attracted mutant vermin

69 Water purification plant, badly damaged but underground cisterns, plants and service tunnels are crawling with creatures. Some areas semi flooded and a source of purified water

70 Remains of airfield with ruined hangers and tower with service tunnels and bomb shelters 
71 Goblins dug this dungeon complex as a base and orcs took it over

72 A wizard came here to seek lost knowledge and built this dungeon but was betrayed by apprentices

73 Dungeon built by grey gnomes with automatons, muskets and magic

74 Dungeon was established by alchemists guild centuries ago to seek knowledge in secret about Chagrinspire. They were killed by invading monsters but secrets here would shame the modern guild who claim to be unrelated to the builders of Chagrinspire

75 Dungeon built by wizards to capture and vivisect creatures and abhumans of the wastes in hopes of recreating more. The creatures killed the wizard and took over

76 Dungeon built by dwarves as a base taken over by evil faction of dwarf heretics

77 Dungeon built by Chaos cult where the endowed cultists and animals with mutations

78 Dungeon of Law cult who placed themselves into perfect stasis. Other creatures moved in and live among the crystalline frozen-in-time original inhabitants 

79 Dungeon built by church as a base for crusading paladins all killed by gre gnome automatons and poison gas that attacked by mole machines breaching all defences

80 Dungeon complex used to summon demons to attack Chagrinspire in the apocalypse war
81 Concrete bunker with broken cannon on the surface. Monsters have taken over after all the ammunition out and the gun cult fled

82 Command bunker used by allied command for local battlefields. After failing officers committed suicide monsters moved in

83 Communications bunker with antenna and telegraph poles radiating. Base used for communications and intelligence. Inside are remains of spies and documents in safes

84 Concrete watch tower ruined with remains of a famous cannon. Past the sad spirit of the gun now without a cult od worshippers is an entry to the underground supply depot usually left with traps or occupied by some faction or humanoids. Surrounded by trenches and a dugout for troops

85 Concrete frontier fort destroyed by bombardment, under the rubble is a long sealed dungeon complex with undead prisoners and stores of weapons

86 Concrete temple bunker ruin dedicated to Zardan god of Guns, with remains of an airship mast. Underneath is a secret intact grey gnome complex with war machines and are ready for action 

87 Land leviathan wreckage, once a tracked land battleship was trapped due to loss of parts and turned into a bunker with scrap and rubble. Underneath from lower ship levels are tunnels used by defenders 

88 A series of concrete gun emplacement bunkers linked by tunnels in an underground complex. Usually pointing towards an ancient enemy and facing mostly one way. Was taken n fierce fighting

89 Vast valley area smothered in garbage from the industrial age of magic late in the Apocalypse war. Under the garbage mine tunnels and past the scavenger settlement level is a secret bunker of the Cult of the Black Sphere here to complete the project of Cagrinspire

90 A crude fort made from wrecked vehicles where settlers once lived. Underneath is a Morlock operated bunker where the surviving settlers are now lobotomized farm animals 
91 Tent village colony surrounded by 6m high thornbush wall, inside are herder who are also slavers. They run auctions and unsold slaves they trade with smarter undead, cults and monsters for ancient treasure. Underneath the village are catacombs for cultists and cannibals privacy 

92 Tent army camp guarding penal colonists, surrounded by trenches in an old ruined agricultural factory. Settlers in inner areas report an underground transit and service tunnels full of monsters

93 Tradingpost set up in a underground train station by criminal gang and bandits, also smuggle drugs across the continent and fugitives who come here end up in debt to the mob. Something in the tunnels below are murdering gang members and collecting heads. Bugbears and goblins live in mushroom caves below and trade magic potions. They also make shrunken heads into grenaides with fuses coming from the mouth 

94 Vast concrete vault with evidence of past failed attacks. Below is a hidden colony of ancients of the Cult of the Black Sphere frozen asleep in time by alchemical apratus. They are guarded by orcs on the first few sub levels who also do dirty jobs. A secret door sends out orc scavenging parties 

95 In a cave in a well-trod gulley is a huge fungus cavern of faerie folk who make magic from fungus grown in the alchemical tainted soil. Some have a fungus citadel occupied by some Underland species mixed with one type ruling all

96 A colony of prehistoric reptilian folk and their vat grown war dinosaurs have awoken and want the world back. From their underground colony vault they plan conquest with their alien technology  

97 In a vast alien underground cyst, an invasion force carry a part of Xor the world eater to save the multiverse by eating this universe. Hairless flesh people and monsters await to burst free to help their parent-god devour this world to save it. The complex is all flesh and bone structures

98 A strange crystal ruin. It is the remains of a celestial crystal chariot of the star people. Their changeling descendants live underground in a hidden colony. They kidnap wasteland travellers to disect them and replace their identities

99 A star fell here from the stars and was buried in mud, leaving just another huge crater, Inside star-spore fungi beings live in secret. They harvest organs and skins to adapt to the world and disguise themselves in their underground labs. They are on a mission to stop the Black Sphere of Chagrinspire so their outer god masters can feed on souls for infinity

100 Black Science Colony of ancient scientists working on new weapons for the next war. A military, science and abhuman worker class live in the underground complex working on transport machines to allow mutant brains in vats fight and live for centuries 

Character Gen Re-Write & Prep

As I rewrite my homebrew im asking more am i sticking to this for some weird tradition or not or is it better and so a few odd results, I can see this as a great era for retro clones. 

I will probably edit this right up till i use it in play.
Maybe all the occupations could be on one d100

I feel ofter several years as a player and reader of 5th ed I finally feel i could make interesting characters and DMs often steered me from choices for what suited their play style. But I want to be a weirdo and feel I have enough power. And If I get on the edition it is in its last days. The options and powers are great for players but poor for the DM who has to deal with those options and police them and run monsters and write cinematic padding. It put me off being a DM for 5th ed. I got back to old d&d because monster stat blocks were so minimal in a module and were fast to write while BRP every monster had a character sheet and maths for its weird hit locations and the best fights in that were ambushes where you slaughter foes fast. D&D is a bit more gung ho, especially after a few levels. 

So I want a start of my character generation by including a Level 0 character system as an option which is faster and simpler for players with fewer choices and things to record. Its also a good system to generate zero level humans or followers. Its a simpler quickstart for new players or a way of earning some extra benefits with some extra risks (extra HP and spells).

I am playing Gunderholfen solo currently.
My Assamir angel cleric who manages to burn 30 attackers to ash has been fun. I look forward to fireballing encounters we meet.

-------------------------

The zero level system is for introducing new players or making weirder characters to roleplay with some tangible lasting benefits. You don't need to start zero level if players don't all want to and you can skip this and go straight to making a 1st Level Character.

Making a Zero Level Player Character

1 Allocate these ability scores*
15 13 12 11 10 9
into the following attributes
Agility Might Vigour Charm Talent Will

*or Roll 3d6 in order minimum of 9
May swap the highest score for your class Prime Requisite

The highest Attribute is generally put into your Prime Requisite of your Character Class or something that suits your starting career. 

Attributes that are high help you enjoy certain character classes better from 1st Level and they make you more likely to succeed at certain tasks. They also improve your characters your character's performance in other ways.

Rolling under your Attribute with a 20 sided dice is a common action in-game
-Agility for making feats of accuracy, balance and manoeuvring from danger
-Might for making feats of breaking things and lifting heavy stuff
-Vigour for making feats of health and recovery from disease, poison or exhaustion
-Charm for making feats of diplomacy, attracting a follower or convincing others
-Talent for making feats of cunning, knowledge and logic or noticing clues
-Will for feats of resisting mind control magic, intimidation or tests of piety

Sometimes a roll is harder and you need to roll under half your attribute or under your bonus. Sometimes the skill roll is so easy it is automatic. A person without a skill can improvise with half their attribute and usually can only try once. Tools or certain conditions might add or subtract extra points.

High Attributes Gain a Bonus with various effects
Some of these are effective for certain character class prime attribute
Some of these benefits help any character
There is a box next to your attributes for the bonus if you have one
There is a small circle for later when you gain improved saving throws which zero level people rarely get.

Bonus Table
1-2 -4
3-4 -3
5-6 -2
7-8 -1
9-12 +0
13-14 +1
15-16 +2
17-18 +3
19-20 +4
------------
+2 +1 for every 2 points the plus goes up 1
Mortals permanent attributes peak at 20 and can go beyond this

-Agility bonus ads to all hit rolls and AC or armour class
-Might bonus for extra damage on any muscle-powered weapon
-Vigour bonus ads to your HP and you get this with every new HD you roll
-Charm bonus is how many bonus followers you can recruit in play
-Talent bonus in extra skills or languages at the start of play
-Will bonus adds to your starting luck point score of 1 that allows you to reroll dice each game
 
2 Choose if you are from an Arms or Arts or Magic Background 
This assumes you are human but if you want to be a young demihuman or non-human declare it now and your special cultural abilities are not distinctly developed yet. You are the equivalent of a 16-year-old at this stage. You can make your own careers like the ones in the tables or just use them. These are just suggestions and shorthand to give you some choices or options to roll. You can ignore them or roll if confounded by choices.

If you are  from an Arms Background you start with a d6 HP +your Vigour Bonus
You start with one arms skill and one arts skill from your training

d12 Example Practitioner of Arms d6HD
1 Militia - Spear & Search - leather armour, spear, thicker shield d6sp

2 Thug - Blades & Intimidate - leather armour, dagger, two knives d6cp

3 Brawler - Martial Strike & Streetwise - leather armour, two cestus, d6cp 

4 Archer - Bows & Hunter - leather armour, selfbow and 20 arrows, knife, d6cp

5 Labourer - Club & Endurance - apron, gloves, boots, wooden rod, d6cp 

6 Drunk - Martial Hold & Drinking - d4 bottles of beer, pewter stein, d6cp 

7 Smith - Hammer & Blacksmith, leather apron, tongs, iron bar, d6sp

8 Bandit - Bows & Hide, leather armour, selfbow and 20 arrows, knife, d6cp  

9 Guard - Crossbow & Alertness, leather armour, light crossbow and 12 bolts, d6cp

10 Driver - Whip & Drive, leather armour, whip, dagger, club, d6sp 

11 Woodcutter - Axes & Forestry, hatchet, sack of firewood, spool of wine, d6cp

12 Squire - Swords & Ride, leather armour, sword, knife, d6gp 

If you are from an Arts Background you start with a d4 HP +your Vigour Bonus
You start with two arts skills from your training

d12 Practitioner of Arts d4HD

1 Servant - Groom & Etiquette, fancy coat, knife, d6sp 

2 Cook - Cook & Feast, knife, cast iron pot or frypan, d4 days of food, bottle of wine, d6sp

3 Healer - First Aid & Herbalism, first aid kit, 2d6 herbal remedies, pipe, pot, d4cp

4 Churgeon - First Aid & Healer, first aid kit, surgeons kit, knife, bone saw, rope, d6gp 

5 Scribe - Scribe & Caligraphy, scribe kit, 2d6 sheets of paper, journal, ink bottle, knife, d6sp

6 Charletan - Fast Talk & Forgery, coloured water in bottles, fake mine claims, d6sp

7 Farmer - Animal Law & Plant Lore, a sack of d6 days of root vegetables, club, d6cp

8 Actor - Disguise & History, wig, face paint, face putty, popular monologue script, rod, d6sp

9 Apprentice - Repair & one craft (carpentry, mason, jeweller, etc), apron, tools, d6cp 

10 Herder - Animal Lore, Search, staff, sling and 10 stones, d4 days food, baby goat, d6cp

11 Musician - Song Lore & Music Lore, instrument, costume for performance, d6sp

12 Mariner - Sailor & Swim, Tatoo, Sack, Gaff Hook, 6m Rope, bottle of palm wine, d6sp

If you are  from a Magic Background you start with a d4 HP +your Vigour Bonus
You start with one arts skill and one cantrip zero level spell from your training

d4 Practitioner of Magic d4HD

1 Wizards Apprentice d4HD Arcane Lore & 1 arcane Lv0 cantrip spell

2 Acolyte Priest d4HD Holy Lore & 1 divine Lv0 cantrip spell

3 Initiate Druid d4HD Nature Lore & 1 nature Lv0 cantrip spell

4 Sorcery Student d4HD Carousing & 1 mentalist Lv0 cantrip spell

If you are  from a non human Background your starting HP Dice is dependant on your species +your Vigour Bonus. You start with one arms skill and one arts skill from your training

d12 Non Humans

1 Dwarf d6HD - Axes & Mining, Chainmail+5, Sheild+1, Hand Axe, Battle Axe, Spade, d6gp 

2 Elf d6HD - Bows & Natural Lore, Leather+3, Self Bow, 20 arrows, Knife, Hooded cloak, d6gp 

3  Gnome d4HD - Club & Repair, Leatherwork suit+3, Goggles, Rod, Hatchet, Knife, Set Square, Mallet, 10 Iron Spikes, Iron Bar, 30m of Twine, 6m Light Rope, Chalk, Charcoal, Paper, d6 Lead or Tin Coins   

4 Halfling d6HD - Quickdraw (Rock) & Survival, Leather+3, Small Sheild+1, 5 nice Rocks, Knife, Spoon, Fork, Cooking pot, a kilo of Cheese, a Loaf of Bread, Roast Game Hen, Piece of Bacon, Six Eggs, Smoked Rabbit, a Bottle of Wine, d6gp

5 Abhuman d6HD (Barbarian) Axes & Survival, Hand axe, Dagger, d6 Ancestors bones

6 Abhuman d6HD (Beast) Spear & Track, Spear, two Javelins, dagger, d6 Pretty stones

7 Abhuman d6HD (Orc) Spear & Endurance, Spear, Dagger, d6 Chunks of Dried meat

8 Changeling d4HD (planar spirits) Swords & Cosmic Lore, Fine Outfit, Sword, Knife, d6gp 

9 Changeling d4HD (plant spirits) Spears & Nature Lore Fine Outfit, Spear, Knife, d6gp

10 Changeling d4HD (animal spirit) Sword & Spirit Lore, Fine Outfit, Sword, Knife, d6gp 

11 Giant d6HD - Clubs & Giant Lore, Sack, d6sp

12 Tako d4HD - Tridents & Sea Lore, d6 Coral pieces worth 1sp each

Group Packages
You Might create a package for starting adventurers to be the same so characters can have known each other for some time and start with skills in common. If players agree to one of these instead of individual ones let them.

Musicians in the same band (arts) d4HP- Music Lore & Perform,
Gear: instrument, knife, flashy outfit for shows, d6cp
The party have been on tour working on street and taverns on the road

Tavern Drunks (arts) d4HP - Carousing & Drinking 
Gear: Pewter drinking Stein, Pipe, Knife, d4 bottles of beer, d6cp
Rich gangs who party and riot taking over whole blocks with wild parties

Criminal Gang (arms) d6 HP - Blades & Streetwise
Gear: 2xKnives, Gang Tatoo, Club, Sack, d6cp
Party met possibly in prison or as youths adopted by the gang

Wizard School Students (Magic) d4HP - Arcane Lore & Ignite Cantrip (or pick another) 
Gear: robes and hat, stick, erotic ceramic beer stein, pipe, spell book, d6gp
Met at a prestigious prep school of magic, swap for holy lore if a church school instead

Ship Crew (arts) d4HP - Sailing & Swimming
Gear: dagger, sack, 6m rope, tattoo, shark tooth medalion, d6sp
Pressganged together on the same ship as crew for years

Noble Attendants (arts) d4HP - Groom & Etiquette

Gear: Fancy heraldic coat and cap,  family ring (worth d6gp), knife and a d6gp coins
Sent to be servants in household of better family to work up the noble ladder

Gladiators (arms) d6HP - Sword & Intimidate
gladius, cestus, dagger, +1AC Arm brace +1AC Fancy Custom Helmet, belt, 1m long chain or small sheild+1, body oil, d6gp 
Sweaty shaven oiled warriors who fight for money in glamourous stadiums or filthy fight pits

Urchins met in an orphanage or were adopted together (arts) d4HP Bluff & Looting
Gear: crude shank knife, d3 good rocks, sling bag, days stolen food, d6cp 
Child gang who scavenged and lied to get food until adopted or employed or join a real gang

Army conscripts (arms) d6HP - Spears & Marching
Gear: leather armour uniform +3, whicker medium shield, spear, dagger, bedroll, 2 javelins, d6sp, regimental tattoo 
Fresh from BootCamp after being chosen from the militia, mostly guard stuff and march

Nightwatch (arms) d6HP - Clubs & Night Vision
Gear: leather armour, buckler, club, dagger, 6m rope, d6 torches, tinderbox, d6 wanted posters d6sp
Working at guard on waterways and warehouses and merchant caravans.May even investigate crimes to catch problem criminals

Bailifs (arms) d6HP - Club & Judgement
Gear: leather armour, club, dagger, 6m rope, set of manacles and keys, d6sp
Serve judges and sheriffs seizing people to appear for court or prison and aiding other legal officers dealing with gangs, smugglers and troublemakers

3 Calculate Other Starting Abilities

Your Starting HP are either a d4 or d6 + your Vigour bonus depending on your background. You get an extra HD based on your class each level you go up to a maximum of level 10, after that you get a set number of HP per level based on your class. 

Your starting-to-hit bonus equals your Agility Bonus and is a measure of your ability to hit enemies. You always hit on a natural 20 roll and a 1 is always a miss. A mortal may only use +20 Hit Bonus max

Your Talent Bonus grants you extra Skills
-an extra weapon like Swords, Bows, Handguns, Blades
-an extra arts skill like from one of the lists here or the skill section
-you could use these skill slots to buy cantrip spells of one list type as magic skills

Your starting AC armour class is your Agility Bonus and plusses from your shield or armour. This plus 10 is the target number required for enemies to hit you. 
Basic clothes offer no armour.
Light Armour is usually Leather +3
Medium Armour is usually Chain +5
Heavy Armour is usually Plate +7
A small shield or buckler Is +1 Armour
A medium shield like most knights or warriors use +2
A Large shield covers more and is more awkward +3
There are other types of armour and piece-based armour but that won't come up yet right away
A mortal may only use +20 AC max

Your damage dice are based on your weapon + your damage bonus from Might
A knife is d3
A dagger or stick or dart is d4
A club or small sword or javelin or hand axe or shortbow is d6
A sword or battle axe or short spear is a d8
A polarm or great sword or great axe or long spear or lance is a d10

Your Mov score is your speed and an average of your Agility And Vigour
Most people are between 9 and 12

There are other scores and abilities on the character sheet but most are not used at zero level. Most characters start with minimum equipment and money to buy food, accommodation or more weapons.

4 Have a Simple Adventure to advance to 1st Level
Now you are ready for a simple adventure
You don't need much and should have your character ready for play in the same first game session. Three small encounters and a few athletic risks avoiding hazards are typical first adventures. 

Your DM Might have prepared an adventure or have something they bought or found online for beginning characters. They might even be solo possibilities with a player using random tables like encounter tables in woods or city looking for trouble. Its ok to run away at Zero Level you are just normal people.

d12 Sample Beginner Adventures
1 Vermin control some small slightly perilous creatures like giant rats, snakes or stray dogs
2 Several humanoid pests are harassing travellers, Two goblins for example
3 A bandit and several gang members are hiding in the area and have rewards offered
4 Merchant wants it recovered from an abandoned house with some hazards and perils
5 Deliver a message between several locations and meet a wilderness encounter

6 Beat up a bully perhaps in a bar to shame them publicly 

7 Someone needs some escorts for a short trip that might turn violent

8 A dangerous wolf is bothering farmers and livestock

9 Find a missing person for their guardian or master

10 Help find a missing animal lost by a shepherd 

11 Rescue a person from a gang who has them captured

12 An old haunted murder house has been making odd noises

Advancing to First Level
When you are ready to advance to First Level go to the making a 1st Level Character section, pick a character class usually based on your best attribute and interests. Keep your zero level HP and Skills in addition to the ones you gain at the first level. If you don't play as a zero Level character you can't claim the benefits of having been zero level. Once you have played the game you might wish to skip zero level for future campaigns if players no longer find it interesting.

What is the Process of gaining a level?
For most people, it takes 1-4 years to learn a character class and then a month per level for each further level of school, study under a master, do research or work in a gymnasium. This is for those who only adventure once a year or so. Heroic types might avoid this.

If heroes are engaged in a thrilling busy saga on the move these time frames can be ignored but you could have some kind of montage scene advancing time if you want. Perhaps chosen heroes of the gods can advance without all the time most people do, especially if working on some world-shaking caper. You might bring in longer times for when you can't find a higher-level trainer who isn't a jerk or just for 10th+ levels. This can help nudge people into year-per-session campaign play for landed nobility.

Fast Campaign Mode
Gain a level per session or when a campaign achievement is made
A month for starting a new class
Day per level training from someone higher level or weeks of self-training
Top tier usually has supernatural training
Lets you experience the range of the game with rapid power-ups

Slow Campaign Mode
Gain a level with one session per level or when a campaign achievement is made
A year to start a new class
Week per level training from someone higher level or months if self-training
Top tier usually has supernatural training
Lets you experience power-ups ups slowly to enjoy them more, levels more significant  

Zero Level Followers
These are on the lame side but the sooner you start having followers the more powerful they will be in the long run. The humans are likely to be your relatives and dependants of you may be their legal guardian. You are responsible for pets. You can retire an old follower and recruit a new one in play. You can choose a follower if you have a charming bonus or roll one if indecisive. Roll a d12+8 if you definitely want a human or a d6 for an animal.

You can retire a follower but it is nice to give them a payment or pension or a job perhaps in one of your businesses.

d20 Typical Zero Level Followers
1 Terrier Dog d4HP AC+3 d3 Bite Mov15 expert ratter and yappy

2 Farm Hound d4HP AC+3 d4 Bite Move 12 can track, return small game and guard livestock

3 Small Goat d4HP AC+3 d3 Butt Move 15 Climb 3 can carry a small pack

4 Ferret d4HP AC+3 d3 Bite Move 12 Climb 3 catch rodents or rabbits

5 Cat d4HP AC+3 d3 Maul Move 15 Climb 3 catch rodents 

6 Iguana d4HP AC+3 d4 Bite Move 9 Climb 3 Swim 3 eats bugs and veggies

7 Bird d4HP AC+3 d3 Rend Move 3 Fly 24 alert and mobile

8 Wise Elder d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 9, has a History Lore skill. Has a stick and pipe

9 Village Idiot d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 12 with Begging skill. Has bowl and stick

10 Child Servant d4HP AC+0 d3 knife Move 9 Groom skill. Has bag of brushes, knife and rags

11 Elderly Nurse d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 9 First Aid skill. Has bag of bandages, blanket, soup pot and stick

12 Elderly Poacher d4HP AC+0 d6 shortbow Mov9 Hunting skill. Has bow ten arrows, knife, sack
13 Young Urchin d4 AC+0 d3 knife Mov12 Streetwise skill. Has knife, throwing rock, chalk
14 Old Porter d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 12 Endurance skill. Has stick, pipe, sack
15 Old Squire d4HP AC+0 d3 knife Move 9 Knows Etiquette skill. Has knife, pipe, faded fancy clothes, stick
16 Old Thug d6HP AC+3 leather d6 Club Move 12 Knows Intimidate Skill, club, knife and sack
17 Old Lamp bearer d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 9 Knows Night Vision. Has tick, lamp, oil jar, 2m pole for lantern
18 Old Hermit d4HP AC+0 d4 stick Move 9 Knows Holy Lore. Has stick, holy text, d6 candles, a begging bowl
19 Young Messenger d4HP AC+0 d3 knife Move 12 Knows Flee skill. Has a satchel and knife 
20 Young Apprentice d4HP AC+0 d3 knife Move 12 Knows Repair skill. Has a knife, ball of twine, jar of paste, spatula, a bundle of sticks 


Current side A character zine