TABLES FOR FABLES
A collection of free tables for fantasy role-playing games.
Welcome to Tables for Fables. This is a collection of random tables, all of which:
- have a fantasy theme,
- are systemless - that is, don't use statistics or terms from a single game, and
- use only normal, six-sided dice (d6s).
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If you have a table that you want to contribute, please email me (news AT apolitical DOT info).
You can look at
all 329 tables, or look at tables in a specific category:
Please note that magic items are in the Treasure section, not the Magic and Religion section.
Many of the ideas in these tables are used in the automatic
Adventure Ideas Generator.
Why This Place Fell Into Ruin
source or inspiration: Central Casting: Dungeons
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Inhabitants killed by a plague. |
| 1 | 3-4 | The inhabitants were cursed, through no fault of their own. |
| 1 | 5-6 | The inhabitants were cursed, due to their own wickedness. |
| 2 | 1-2 | Monsters killed everyone, and still inhabit the place. |
| 2 | 3-4 | Monsters killed everyone, and left the place in ruins. |
| 2 | 5-6 | The (roll again: 1-3 water 4-6 air) was poisoned. Roll again: on a 1-3 the poison is still present. |
| 3 | 1-2 | The inhabitants were involved in a war. When their army never returned, the place was abandoned. |
| 3 | 3-4 | The economy that the place depended on collapsed. |
| 3 | 5-6 | The surrounding environment degraded, due to the inhabitants' actions (for example, all the trees were cut down), so that the place was no longer viable. |
| 4 | 1-2 | The surrounding environment degraded, through no fault of the inhabitants (for example, an ice age or prolonged drought), so that the place was no longer viable. |
| 4 | 3-4 | The inhabitants lost their technology, and large cities no longer made sense. |
| 4 | 5-6 | The place was built for defence. When the threat was no longer present, there was no reason to maintain the place. |
| 5 | 1-2 | The place was destroyed in a disaster: Roll again: 1 fire 2 flood 3 volcanic eruption 4 earthquake 5 meteor strike 6 tornado or hurricane. |
| 5 | 3-4 | As above, but the disaster was caused by a magical experiment gone wrong. |
| 5 | 5-6 | The inhabitants seem to have disappeared in an instant. |
| 6 | 1-2 | The advanced inhabitants went to another planet. |
| 6 | 3-4 | The advanced inhabitants became creatures of pure energy. Roll again: on a 1-3 they still inhabit the place. |
| 6 | 5-6 | The place was never inhabited: it is a life-size model. |
Paralysing Monsters
This table is used to decide the tactics of creatures who disable their opponents without killing them: for example by sending them to sleep, paralysis, throwing a net etc.
It can be used for unintelligent or intelligent creatures, including humans. The less intelligent a creature is, the more likely it will do the same thing each time. For intelligent creatures, the GM should subtract from the roll if the creatures are outnumbered or losing the battle, and add to it if they're more numerous or winning. Some results will be inappropriate for some types of creatures and should be re-rolled.
Roll 1 dice.
| roll, modified if appropriate | |
| Less than 1 | Flee for safety, hoping their opponents will tend to their disabled comrades instead of pursuing. |
| 1 | Flee in hopes of luring their opponents after them (possibly into a trap), then double back to seize their disabled opponents. |
| 2 | Kill the disabled opponents. |
| 3 or 4 | Whenever an opponent is paralyzed, pick them up and carry them off. |
| 5 or 6 | Ignore disabled opponents while there are other opponents left standing. |
| more than 6 | Unless directly engaged in combat, kill disabled opponents, and spend the rest of the combat eating them. |
Hazardous Dungeon Environments
For all results marked with an asterisk (*), it is impossible for the heroes to rest in the area.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | * Cursed: The area saps away a person's resolve, making it harder to push on. Encounters with undead creatures are more likely. |
| 1 | 3-4 | * Eerie: There are no apparent problems with the area, but somehow the characters get no rest here. |
| 1 | 5-6 | Filthy: Staying in the area could cause disease. |
| 2 | 1-2 | Wind: Torches could be blown out (lanterns won't be). |
| 2 | 3-4 | * Strong Wind: As above, and travelling against the wind will be more tiring. |
| 2 | 5-6 | * Very Strong Wind: As above, and the heroes might be blown over, and equipment might be ripped from their hands. |
| 3 | 1-2 | * Flooded: Movement through the area will be slow. In addition, if the heroes then move to a cold areas, the effects of cold will be worse. |
| 3 | 3-4 | Cramped: The heroes might have to crawl, or be unable to proceed at all. The heroes are unlikely to encounter large creatures here. |
| 3 | 5-6 | Fog: Ambushes will be more likely, and the heroes are more likely to get separated and/or mistake their direction. |
| 4 | 1-2 | * Smoke: As above, and the heroes will be damaged by staying in the area. |
| 4 | 3-4 | * Magical Smoke: As above, but the heroes will suffer an effect other than damage from staying in the area. Roll on the 'Gas Clouds' table below, re-rolling a result of 'Poison'. |
| 4 | 5-6 | Magical Darkness: Light sources will be less effective, or not work at all. Roll again: on a 1-3, magical light is immune. |
| 5 | 1-2 | Magical Silence: Ambushes are more likely, and spells might not work. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Magical Vortex: Spells cast here are likely to (roll again: 1-3 not work 4-6 have the wrong effect). |
| 5 | 5-6 | Twist in Space: The heroes are likely to mistake their direction. |
| 6 | 1-2 | Popular: Monsters are more common here than usual. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Roll on the 'Climate' table below. Re-roll results of 'Mild'. |
| 6 | 5-6 | Roll twice on this table, ignoring and re-rolling this result. |
Mount Reactions
This table is designed for when a mount is faced with combat, or a situation such as a snake, fire, monsters etc. The GM should apply modifiers based on the quality of the mount (for example mules and warhorses might get a minus, normal horses a plus). Results of less than 2 count as 2, and results of more than 12 count as 12.
Roll 2 dice, use the total.
| 2 | Throws Rider The mount tries to buck the rider off, rider could get stomped and then horse flees.. |
| 3 | Bolts The horse breaks away/flees. |
| 4 | as above. |
| 5 | Stop The beast refuses to go further. It will take 1-6 minutes to get it to cooperate. It will bolt (see above) if the danger comes close. |
| 6 | Whinnies The mount snorts, paws at the ground, whips its tail etc. This will give away the rider's position. Roll again, applying a -2 penalty, if the noise or apparent danger increases, or if the mount isn't out of danger in one minute of game time. |
| 7 | Stumbles The mount will attempt to avoid the danger but will continue on the path. Roll again, applying a -2 penalty, if the noise or apparent danger increases. |
| 8 | as above. |
| 9 | Carries On. |
| 10 | as above. |
| 11 | as above. |
| 12 | as above. |
Near-Death Experiences
When a character comes close to death, and recovers, the GM might declare a chance that they should roll on this table. The chance should be higher if they're cured by magic than if they recover naturally.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | The character has a disease. Optionally, roll 2-4 times on the 'Disease 2: Symptoms' table in the 'Wilderness and Worlds' section. |
| 1 | 3-4 | As above, but the character has no symptoms of the disease. Instead, they infect others with it. |
| 1 | 5-6 | An evil supernatural creature such as a demon or ghost is brought into the world. They are unable to directly harm the character, but will work for their death. Roll again for the creature's appearance: 1-2 the creature looks and speaks exactly like the character 3-4 the creature seems to be a normal member of the character's species 5-6 the creature is obviously supernatural. |
| 2 | 1-2 | A close relative or friend of the character dies. |
| 2 | 3-4 | The character's recovery drains the life-force of someone nearby. |
| 2 | 5-6 | The character is disfigured. |
| 3 | 1-2 | The character gains occult knowledge, which however drives them close to madness, and gives them a frighteningly unearthly appearance. |
| 3 | 3-4 | The character appears cured, but starts to waste away from an unknown cause. If left untreated, rather than die, they will become an undead creature such as a zombie or vampire. This affliction can only be cured magically. |
| 3 | 5-6 | The charcter is uncannilly lucky for the next month. |
| 4 | 1-2 | The character gains wisdom and an air of holiness. |
| 4 | 3-4 | The character becomes uncannily brave for the next year. |
| 4 | 5-6 | The character is given a glimpse of the future. |
| 5 | 1-2 | The character is severely weakened for the next month. |
| 5 | 3-4 | The character is actually dead, and their body is inhabited by an evil supernatural creature. |
| 5 | 5-6 | Roll on the 'Effects of Powerful Magic on the Caster' table in the 'Magic' section. |
| 6 | 1-2 | As above, but roll twice. |
| 6 | 3-4 | As above, but roll three times. |
| 6 | 5-6 | Roll twice on this table, ignoring and re-rolling this result. |
Undead Reaction Table
Count results of less than 2 as 2, and those of more than 12 as 12.
Roll 2 dice, use the total.
| 2 | The undead seem oddly distracted by something else and don't pay you any attention. Roll again in five minutes of game time, or if the players move closer, make noise etc. |
| 3 | The undead seem confused by the stimulus of fresh meat. In one minute of game time, roll again, but take 2 from the total. |
| 4 | as above. |
| 5 | The undead are surprised by the walking talking meat before them, they stand there salivating. Roll again in 1 minute of game time. |
| 6 | as above. |
| 7 | The undead are thrilled to see the PCs. They howl, scream, moan, groan or murmur 'brains' as appropriate to draw more of their ilk to the oncoming feast. In one minute of game time, roll again, adding 3 to the total. More undead are likely to turn up by this time. |
| 8 | The undead stumble onward ready to attack. |
| 9 | as above. |
| 10 | The hungry dead leap forth ready to bite, gnash and tear. |
| 11 | as above. |
| 12 | as above. |
Does It Burn?
This table can be used for strange or magical materials.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | Burning actually makes it bigger. |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | Doesn't burn. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | as above. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | Burns away in 1-3 minutes, and gives off a strange smoke. Roll on the 'Gas Clouds' table below. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | as above. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | Explodes. The object is instantly destroyed, but anyone close is hurt. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | Burns away in 1-3 hours. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | Burns away in a 1-3 minutes. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | Burns away in an instant. |
Time Spent In A Dungeon
This table gives the amount of time that's passed in the outside world while the player characters were in a dungeon.
It's designed for more 'magical' rather than 'realistic' dungeons.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | The players leave the dungeon a few hours before they enter. If they realise and decide to wait for themselves, roll again (in all cases their past selves will be run by the GM):
1-2 Their past selves can't see or touch them, and enter the dungeon.
3 Their past selves see them as dim shadows, like ghosts. If the past characters are frightened off, the player-characters are 'reset' to how they were before they entered the dungeon - they lose any treasure and benefits of experience for example. Dead characters have a 50% chance of coming back to life. The dungeon itself is still effected by the characters (any creature they killed is still dead for example) and the player-characters don't lose their memory of having been in the dungeon.
4 Their past selves see them as monsters. If the past characters are frightened off, refer to the result above. If a fight results and a past character dies, the corresponding present character also dies.
5 Their past selves see them, and might be convinced not to enter the dungeon, with results as discussed above.
6 As for 5, but if a character touches its past self an explosion will result, killing both. |
| 2 | Only a few seconds have passed. |
| 3 | Time has passed normally. However the players have exited in an alternative universe. Roll again:
1-2 Good people in the player-characters' universe are evil here and vice-versa
3-4 The universe is based on another genre, for example science-fiction or horror.
5-6 The universe is populated by a different species, or set of species, to the player-characters' universe. For example if the player-characters are humans, elves and dwarves, the alternative universe might be populated by intelligent insects.
In all cases, the new universe will have equivalent countries and invidividuals to the player-characters' universe, including equivalents to the player-characters themselves. If the player-characters go back in the dungeon and wait a while before coming back out, roll again on this table. They're back in their own universe unless this result is rolled again. |
| 4 | Roll three dice and take the total. That many weeks have passed. |
| 5 | Roll two dice and take the total. That many months have passed. |
| 6 | A year has passed for every level the characters got to. For example, if the characters reached three levels below the ground level, four years have passed. |
Rations in Dungeons
This table gives the fate of rations in the dank air of dungeons. A party should roll once day.
This table applies to normal rations. Some games might have 'iron rations' (dried and salted food designed specifically to keep for long periods) which are immune.
Likewise, some food might be holy or magical, requiring less frequent rolls or none at all.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | No effect. |
| 2 | No effect. |
| 3 | Half the party's rations (round up if necessary) are eaten by small animals, unless they're hung out of reach of the floor and walls (for example if there's a tree in the dungeon they can be hung there). |
| 4 | One meal's worth of rations spoils. |
| 5 | Half the party's rations (round down if necessary) spoil. |
| 6 | All rations spoil. |
Disease 1: Frequency
source or inspiration: HackMaster
Characters should gain a number of 'Exposure Points' per day, depending on where they are and other factors as listed. Note that a character's Exposure Points can fall, but can never go below zero. When a character's points equal or exceed 50, the GM should roll a dice. 1-3 indicates that they've contracted a disease. Whether they do or don't, they lose 50 Exposure Points after the roll is made. If your game system has an attribute like Constitution, Stamina, Toughness etc, the GM may make a roll based on that attribute instead (eg roll 3 dice, get a disease if the number is over the character's Constitution).
.
| Environment | Exposure Points Gained Per Day |
| marsh, swamp | 8 |
| mountain, arctic or desert environments | 0 |
| other wilderness | 2 |
| dungeons | 2 |
| village | 4 |
| town | 5 |
| city | 6-8, depending on how crowded |
| on a ship | 0-8, depending on how crowded |
| The GM should also apply the following modifiers: |
| sanitation | If the characters are in a settlement or on board ship, apply a modifier of -3 to +20, depending on how good the sanitation is, with 0 indicating average sanitation (average for a medieval-style society, rather than average for the modern First World). |
| tropical climate | +4 |
| sub-tropical climate | +2 |
| summer | +2 (except in deserts) |
| winter | -2 |
| If the GM knows that a disease is present | +1 to +20, depending on the contagiousness of the disease. Double if the character is in close proximity to those infected (eg a doctor tending them, or adventurers travelling all day with an infected fellow adventurer). |
Disease 2: Symptoms
source or inspiration: 'Dragon' magazine
This table gives the effects of a disease, other than loss of Stamina/Life/Hit Points.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | shortness of breath. |
| 1 | 3-4 | paralysis. |
| 1 | 5-6 | blindness. |
| 2 | 1-2 | deafness. |
| 2 | 3-4 | numbness. |
| 2 | 5-6 | fever/chills. |
| 3 | 1-2 | skin sores. |
| 3 | 3-4 | nausea. |
| 3 | 5-6 | rash. |
| 4 | 1-2 | drowsiness. |
| 4 | 3-4 | insanity. |
| 4 | 5-6 | bleeding. |
| 5 | 1-2 | hyperactivity/inability to sleep. |
| 5 | 3-4 | coughing and sneezing. |
| 5 | 5-6 | fatigue, loss of energy. |
| 6 | 1-2 | diarrhea. |
| 6 | 3-4 | hallucinations. |
| 6 | 5-6 | panic attacks. |
Pits (and Similar Traps)
The GM should assign a chance, for example 50%, for such a trap to just be an empty hole in the ground, and otherwise roll on this table.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-3 | The 'pit' is actually the mouth of a hungry creature. |
| 1 | 4-6 | The pit is empty. However the inhabitants of the dungeon check it regularly, and are likely to kill anyone they find. |
| 2 | 1-3 | A bottomless pit - the victim will fall until they die of hunger or thirst unless they find some way to escape. |
| 2 | 4-6 | The victim lands in Hell (or at least in an area whose occupants believe themselves to be in Hell). |
| 3 | 1-3 | Roll on the 'Teleportation' table below, but re-roll result 1-2, 5-6 (the bottom of a pit), and ignore instructions that the victim will find themselves in chains. If the fall is an impossible one (for example they land outside the dungeon) they will land on something which breaks their fall, and thus will take only a small amount of damage from the fall. |
| 3 | 4-6 | The victim lands in the next lowest level of the dungeon. Roll again if the pit is itself on the lowest level. |
| 4 | 1-3 | The pit is filled with water. |
| 4 | 4-6 | As above, and there is a dangerous creature living there (optionlly roll again: 1-2 shark 3-4 giant octopus 5-6 school of pirahnas). |
| 5 | 1-3 | The bottom of the pit is covered in spikes. |
| 5 | 4-6 | As above, but the spikes are also poisoned. |
| 6 | 1-3 | There is a prisoner kept at the bottom of the pit - roll on the 'Prisoners of Evil' table below. |
| 6 | 4-6 | The pit is filled with (roll again: 1-2 spiders 3-4 snakes 5-6 scorpions). |
Hirelings 1: Price
This table is meant to generate what share of the treasure hired non-player characters will want. In any given area, roll once for the going rate. If your game includes attributes such as Charisma, Haggling etc, these will effect the roll.
This table is meant for non-player characters in supporting roles, such as torch bearers, treasure-carriers, rowers, guides, interpreters etc. They'll always be last into a room, will only fight to defend themselves, and then only if they can't run and hide, won't test any potions etc. Characters who take the same risks as the players will want at least the same share as the player characters. If they have special skills, such as magic, they might want double.
The players can always pay less than the going rate - as little as half. In this case, the GM should roll at least once for each non-player character on 'Hirelings 2: Flaws' below. They can also pay more than the going rate. In this case they won't necessarily get better quality hirelings, but they will be more loyal: they'll be likely to fight if attacked rather than run, and less likely to abandon the players in danger.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | One fourth (25%) the treasure of a player-character. |
| 2 | Three tenths (30%). |
| 3 | Two fifths (40%). |
| 4 | One half (50%). |
| 5 | Three fifths (60%). |
| 6 | Seven tenths (70%). |
Hirelings 2: Flaws
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | Too noisy - will attract hostile attention. |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | Greedy - eats twice normal rations. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | Steals from the party. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | Gets into arguments with party members. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | Overly frightened, and will make other hirelings frightened. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | Cursed, and will bring bad luck on the whole party. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | Physically feeble. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | Mentally feeble. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | Roll twice more, ignoring and re-rolling this result. |
Diplomacy
This table generates the relations between two groups. It can be used for tribes, groups of creatures in a dungeon, factions in a city and so on.
The two 'Conflict' tables, in the 'Adventure Ideas' section, give more detailed results for a single conflict.
Those tables are more designed to come up with an adventure idea quickly, whereas this table is more designed for 'world-building'.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | At war If the two groups come into contact, they'll fight each other or run. If the player characters are perceived as being allied with one group by the other, they'll have a severe penalty on any attempts to make friends. If the delvers present evidence that they've attacked one of the groups to the other, they'll have a bonus on such attempts. |
| 2 | Hostile If the two groups come into contact, they'll often end up fighting each other. They certainly won't allow the other group to pass through their territory. If the delvers are perceived as being allied with one group by the other, they'll have a penalty on any attempts to make friends. This penalty will be less than if the groups were at war. If the player characters are being persecuted by one group, the other will usually shelter them, if only out of spite. |
| 3 | Allied The two groups are quite friendly. They'll at least listen to the other group's opinion and discuss with them if possible, when deciding what to do with the player characters. If the player characters are perceived as being hostile to one group, they'll have a severe penalty on any attempt to make friends with the other. |
| 4 | Strongly Allied The two groups will regard an attack on the other as an attack on them. They'll usually respect the decision of the other group in regard to how to treat the player characters. |
| 5 | Wary The two groups would like to destroy each other, but fear the results of open conflict. If the delvers are perceived as being allied with one groups by the other, they'll have a penalty on any attempt to make friends. This penalty will be about the same as if the groups were hostile. The two groups are likely to help the player characters with any plan which will weaken the other group, but only if they can do so in a way that allows them to deny involvement. |
| 6 | No Contact The two groups have no resource that they both want, and no way to beneficially work together. They're thus neither allied nor opposed. Re-roll this result if you want every group to be involved in a conflict. |
Humans Met In A Dungeon
source or inspiration: D&D Rules Cyclopedia
Optionally roll three dice and take the lowest single result, for the number of humans that the heroes meet.
These tables can also be used for human-like creatures such as dwarves and elves, if they exist in your campaign world.
Note that there's another table below, 'Prisoners of Evil', especially for prisoners met in a dungeon.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | They're trying to get out of the dungeon, having found it too dangerous. Optionally roll three dice and take the lowest result - if this is higher than the number met, it represents the original size of their group. For each missing member, roll one dice: 1-3 killed, 4-5 captured, 6 missing. Optionally roll again: on a 1 or 2, they're being chased by creatures of the dungeon. Optionally roll again to see what they were attempting: 1-2 entered the dungeon by mistake, 3-4 looking for an item believed to be in the dungeon, 5-6 looking for a friend who's believed to be in the dungeon. |
| 2 | They live in the dungeon. Optionally roll again: 1-2 they're bandits 3-4 they're refugees 5-6 they live among the dungeon creatures: roll on the two 'Outsiders in a Group' tables below. |
| 3 | Bait - they're working with creatures in the dungeon, to lure the heroes into a trap or ambush. Optionally roll again: 1-2 working willingly with the creatures 3-4 forced into it 5-6 their will has been altered, for example by magic. Optionally, roll again, ignoring this result, for what story they will tell the heroes. |
| 4 | Escaped prisoners of creatures in the dungeon. Optionally, roll on 'Prisoners of Evil' below. |
| 5 | They're looking for a friend who has been captured by creatures in the dungeon. Optionally roll on 'Prisoners of Evil' below for who their friend is (they may not be truthful with the heroes). |
| 6 | They're looking for an item which is believed to be in the dungeon (the heroes may be looking for the same one). |
What Are the Monsters Doing? 1: In Lair
This table is designed to decide what monsters are doing when the adventurers find them.
It's intended for intelligent monsters, rather than animal-like ones.
Use this table for monsters in their home/burrow/lair/nest/hive etc or the areas nearby that are their territory. Use the table below it for monsters that are encountered outside of their home territory.
Roll 3 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | 3rd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | sleeping. |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | 3-4 | having sex. |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | 5-6 | arguing (roll again: 1 over their relationship 2 over politics 3 over religion 4 over money 5 over their status in the group 6 over a posession other than money). |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | 1-2 | gambling with dice. |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | 3-4 | gambling on a (roll again: 1-3 race 4-6 fight) between small animals (eg snails, rats). |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | re-setting the area: winding up traps that've been sprung, removing adventurers' bodies, in less serious adventures putting in new treasure, and so on. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | 1-2 | two monsters are fighting (not to the death), a crowd is cheering them on (optionally roll again 1-3 they're also gambling on the results). |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | 3-4 | two monsters are fighting to the death, a crowd is cheering them on. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | 5-6 | two monsters are fighting to the death, a crowd is trying to seperate them. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | 1-2 | they're meant to be on guard (roll again: 1-3 they're alert and guarding, 4 they're asleep 5-6 they're doing something else: roll again on this table). Optionally, roll on the 'Major Dungeon Locations' table below to see what they're meant to be guarding. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | 3-4 | trading. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | 5-6 | they're lost, and have set up a temporary camp/burrow etc. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | 1-2 | running away from another monster. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | 3-4 | roll again: 1-2 exercising 3-4 training for combat 5-6 sharpening weapons, polishing armour etc. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | 5-6 | performing a religious ceremony (roll again: 1 silent meditation 2 an animal sacrifice 3 a sacrifice of one of their own species 4 a sacrifice of an intelligent member of another species 5 a solemn ritual 6 a boisterous and ecstatic ritual). |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | 1-2 | nothing - strangely, they appear to have simply been waiting for the adventurers to come along. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | 3-4 | the monsters are being punished eg peeling potatoes, scrubbing the floor with their bare hands. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | 5-6 | going to the toilet ('bathroom' for Americans). |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | 1-2 | washing. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | 3-4 | one monster is telling a story to a group. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | 5-6 | one monster is lecturing a group. The group is (roll again: 1-2 openly bored and resentful 3-4 silent for fear of the larger monsters watching them 5 respectfully silent, alert and attentive 6 loudly enthusiastic). |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | 1-2 | plotting against their rulers. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | 3-4 | playing sport. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | 5-6 | torturing (roll again: 1-2 a member of their own species 3-4 an intelligent member of another dungeon species 5 an intelligent member of a non-dungeon species 6 an animal). |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | 1-2 | they appear to be dead, but spring to life when the adventurers enter the room. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | 3-4 | roll again: 1-2 eating 3 eating and getting drunk 4 getting drunk 5-6 getting drunk and fighting. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | 5-6 | waiting in ambush for whoever might come along. |
What Are the Monsters Doing? 2: Wandering
Some results are marked with an asterisk - *. This means that the GM should generate another monster or group of monsters, of appropriate power.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Returning to their lair after a fight (many of them will be wounded). |
| 1 | 3-4 | Fighting with a creature or creatures of a different species *. |
| 1 | 5-6 | Fighting amongst themselves (some of them will be wounded). |
| 2 | 1-2 | Fighting another group of the same species *. |
| 2 | 3-4 | Returning to their lair with a prisoner *. |
| 2 | 5-6 | Returning to their lair with prey *. |
| 3 | 1-2 | Returning to their lair with treasure (some of them might be wounded). |
| 3 | 3-4 | Patrolling their territory. |
| 3 | 5-6 | Hunting or gathering food. |
| 4 | 1-2 | Chasing, or running away from, another creature or group of creatures (generate the other creature or group - the stronger side is chasing the weaker one) *. |
| 4 | 3-4 | Building a new lair - digging a hole, setting up camp etc as appropriate. |
| 4 | 5-6 | Sleeping - one or more of them are likely to be on guard, or sleeping lightly. |
| 5 | 1-2 | They're lost. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Looking for a place to sleep. |
| 5 | 5-6 | Negotiating with another group of the same species *. |
| 6 | 1-2 | Negotiating with a creature or creatures of a different species *. |
| 6 | 3-4 | (roll again: 1-3 Going to 4-6 Returning from) a meeting with (roll again: 1-3 another group of the same species 4-6 a creature or creatures of a different species). |
| 6 | 5-6 | Roll on the 'What Are the Monsters Doing? 1: In Lair' table above. |
Major Dungeon Locations
These major locations may be the object of an adventure.
A dungeon may have more than one such location.
All these locations are likely to be heavily guarded, whether by creatures, traps, natural hazards, or more than one.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | The (roll again: 1-2 throne room 3-4 underground palace 5-6 underground gardens) of (roll again: 1-3 a human sorcerer 4-6 the most powerful of the monsters). |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | Treasure room (roll again: 1 the treasury of an underground civilisation 2 the storehouse of a band of robbers 3-4 a temple; see below 5-6 a tomb). |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | A temple where (roll again: 1 a forgotten god still waits for their worshippers 2-3 an evil cult from the surface secretly comes to worship 4 an alien has convinced the inhabitants of the dungeon that it is a god 5 an imprisoned lunatic is worshipped as a god 6 a fierce beast is worshipped as a god). |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | An underground river, which leads (roll again: 1-2 out of the dungeon, 3 to an underground lake; see below 4 a secret cove; see below 5-6 to another major location - roll again on this table, ignoring another result of 'an underground river'). |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | An underground lake, with (roll again: 1 an ancient and powerful sea beast 2-3 a city of intelligent sea creatures beneath its surface 4 the ruins of a city beneath its surface - see 'the ruins of a lost city' below 5-6 an island in the middle, where adventurers may find...roll again on this table, ignoring the results of 'an underground lake', 'an underground river', or 'a secret cove'). |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | A (roll again: 1 demon 2 evil god/dess 3 evil sorcerer 4 as for three, but the sorcerer is also a former ruler 5 fierce ancient beast 6 mechanical creature created by a lost civilisation) is (roll again: 1-2 trapped in ice 3-4 held alive and captive by magic 5-6 sleeping, preserved by their own arts - roll again if the creature is an ancient beast). |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | The ruins of a lost city, whose former inhabitants (roll again: 1-2 are now angry and vicious spirits 3-4 are trapped in eternal living death and crave release 5-6 are gone, but whose mechanical creations still wait for their return). |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | A secret cove, leading to the open sea, where (roll again: 1-2 pirates have a hidden city 3-4 a cult from the surface comes to worship demons of the sea 5-6 refugees have built a place of safety). |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | The ruined craft of advanced aliens (roll again: 1 the aliens are alive 2 only one alien is still alive 3 the aliens are dead, but their robots are still operating 4 the aliens are dead, but creatures they were transporting are still alive 5-6 the aliens are dead, but the craft itself is alive). Whoever is still alive (roll again: 1-2 is at war with the inhabitants of the dungeon 3 have/has enslaved many inhabitants of the dungeon 4 have/has recruited many inhabitants of the dungeon as an army of conquest 5-6 have/has convinced some of the inhabitants of the dungeon to worship them). |
Dungeon Entrances
source or inspiration: AEG's 'Toolbox'.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Under a castle - entered via (Roll again: 1-2 a secret room 3-4 a trapdoor in a cellar 5-6 a hidden staircase) (Roll again: 1-3 unknown to the current occupants of the castle 4 the castle was deserted after its owner died 5 the castle was deserted after its owner disappeared 6 at least one of the current occupants of the castle is aware of the entrance). |
| 1 | 3-4 | Under a castle - entrance is exposed by accident (eg an earthquake, rotten floorboards, a child is exploring and goes missing). |
| 1 | 5-6 | Under a town or city - entrance is exposed by accident as above. |
| 2 | 1-2 | Under a town or city - entered via the sewer system. |
| 2 | 3-4 | Under a town or city - entered via (Roll again: 1-2 a secret room 3-4 a trapdoor in a cellar 5-6 a hidden staircase) in a private house. (Roll again: 1-3 unknown to the current occupants of the building 4 the building is empty after its owner died 5 the buiding is empty after its owner disappeared 6 at least one of the current occupants of the building are aware of the entrance). |
| 2 | 5-6 | Under a town or city - entered via a secret door in a public building. |
| 3 | 1-2 | The dungeon is inside the body of a giant animal. |
| 3 | 3-4 | Via an animal lair. |
| 3 | 5-6 | In an abandoned mine. |
| 4 | 1-2 | Via a staircase in a hollowed-out tree. |
| 4 | 3-4 | Extensions to a mine accidentally uncover the dungeon. |
| 4 | 5-6 | Extensions to an underground home eg of a reclusive sorcerer, or dwarves, accidentally uncover the dungeon. |
| 5 | 1-2 | In an extinct volcano. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Roll again: 1-3 A secret cave that can only be entered via the water 4-6 Behind a waterfall. |
| 5 | 5-6 | The dungeon is on another plane of existence, and can only be entered and exited by magical means. |
| 6 | 1-2 | The occupants or owner of the dungeon have created a highly visible entrance, in order to attract adventurers to their doom. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Roll again, ignoring this result - but the entrance is used by an evil cult as a means of sacrificing people. |
| 6 | 5-6 | Roll again, ignoring this result - but the locals will happily point adventurers to the dungeon entrance, as they gain quite a lot of their income from equipping adventurers, acting as guides etc. |
Dungeon Doors
You can roll for individual doors, or once for an entire area (eg once for the whole dungeon, or once for each level).
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1 | Oak. |
| 1 | 2 | Pine. |
| 1 | 3 | Teak. |
| 1 | 4 | Yew. |
| 1 | 5 | Ash. |
| 1 | 6 | Plywood. |
| 2 | 1 | Steel. |
| 2 | 2 | Iron (roll again: 1-2 gleaming 3-4 dull 5-6 dull and rusty). |
| 2 | 3 | Copper. |
| 2 | 4 | Tin. |
| 2 | 5 | Brass. |
| 2 | 6 | Pewter. |
| 3 | 1 | Lead. |
| 3 | 2 | Granite. |
| 3 | 3 | Limestone. |
| 3 | 4 | Basalt. |
| 3 | 5 | Marble. |
| 3 | 6 | Obsidian. |
| 4 | 1 | Glass. |
| 4 | 2 | Sandstone. |
| 4 | 3 | Leather. |
| 4 | 4 | Bone. |
| 4 | 5 | Cardboard. |
| 4 | 6 | Recycled Shields. |
| 5 | 1 | Book Covers. |
| 5 | 2 | Animal Skin. Optionally roll again: 1-2 fur 3 hairy 4 human skin 5-6 lizard skin. |
| 5 | 3 | Boulders. |
| 5 | 4 | Curtain. |
| 5 | 5 | Tapestry. |
| 5 | 6 | Loose Bricks. |
| 6 | 1 | Sheet of Flames. |
| 6 | 2 | Ice. |
| 6 | 3 | Waterfall. |
| 6 | 4 | Smoke. |
| 6 | 5 | Roll again, but the door is an illusion. |
| 6 | 6 | Roll on the 'Precious and Semi-Precious Stones' table in the 'Treasure' section. |
Dungeon Floors
You can roll for individual rooms or corridors, or once for an entire area (eg once for the whole dungeon, or once for each level).
If you get more than one 'knee-deep' result, the dungeon is knee-deep in a mixture of whatever you rolled.
Several results have symbols in brackets in front of them. These are for if you're going to use the 'Dungeon Smells' table below.
(*) roll again: 1-3 the dungeon smells of cinnamon and other spices 4-6 roll on the 'Dungeon Smells' table
(+) roll again: 1-2 smells of wood 3-4 roll on the 'Dungeon Smells' table 5-6 roll on the 'Dungeon Smells' table - the dungeon smells of the result and wood.
(%) roll again: 1-3 the coral is damp, and the dungeon smells of the sea 4-6 the coral is dry - roll on the 'Dungeon Smells' table
(&) roll again: 1-2 dirt 3-4 roll on 'Dungeon Smells' 5-6 a mixture of dirt, and a roll on 'Dungeon Smells'
(^) roll again:
1-2 an overpowering smell of death. Ignore the result from any other symbol, including (#)
3-4 the bones have no smell. Use the result for any other symbol you rolled, or if there wasn't one roll on 'Dungeon Smells'
5-6 a faint odour of decay. Combine with the result from any other symbols you rolled. If there aren't any, roll on 'Dungeon Smells' and combine with that.
(#) The dungeon will smell like the sea, a swamp, wine or blood depending on the extra roll. Ignore results from any other symbols, except any result from bones. |
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Brick. |
| 1 | 3-4 | (*) Marble. |
| 1 | 5-6 | (*) Gold. |
| 2 | 1-2 | (*) Silver. |
| 2 | 3-4 | (+) Wood. |
| 2 | 5-6 | Rock. |
| 3 | 1-2 | The floor, walls and roof of the dungeon are all mirrors. Hiding and sneaking will be far more difficult (assuming that the character is trying to avoid the attention of a creature who can't see because of the dungeon's light levels, or who relies on sight rather than another sense). |
| 3 | 3-4 | Rubber. |
| 3 | 5-6 | Clay. |
| 4 | 1-2 | Smooth stone. |
| 4 | 3-4 | Ice (for a more 'realistic' dungeon, re-roll unless the dungeon is freezing or colder. For a more traditional dungeon, the ice will magically not melt regardless of the temperature). The floor will be very slippery. |
| 4 | 5-6 | The floors are smooth, obviously constructed rather than natural, and made of a material which the heroes have never seen before. |
| 5 | 1-2 | (%) Coral. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Sand. |
| 5 | 5-6 | (&) Dirt. |
| 6 | 1-2 | Roll again, ignoring this result - but the area is knee-deep in dead insects. |
| 6 | 3-4 | (^) Roll again, ignoring this result - but the area is knee-deep in a mixture of human and non-human bones. |
| 6 | 5-6 | (#) Roll again, ignoring this result - but the area is knee deep in (roll again: 1-2 clear water 3-4 foul, cloudy water 5 wine 6 blood). |
Dungeon Smells
You can roll for individual rooms or corridors, or once for an entire area (eg once for the whole dungeon, or once for each level).
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-3 | rotting vegetation. |
| 1 | 4-6 | pine leaves. |
| 2 | 1-3 | freshly-baked bread. |
| 2 | 4-6 | ashes. |
| 3 | 1-3 | urine. |
| 3 | 4-6 | the sea. |
| 4 | 1-3 | manure. |
| 4 | 4-6 | mould. |
| 5 | 1-3 | a mixture of dirt and mushrooms. |
| 5 | 4-6 | an indescribable, but horrible smell. |
| 6 | 1-3 | damp earth. |
| 6 | 4-6 | cinnamon and other spices. |
Motivations for Entering a Dungeon
This table can be used for any type of character. For more realistic motivations, see the other 'Motivations' tables in the 'Personalising Characters' section.
Some results have X. In this case, roll again: 1 mother 2 father 3 son 4 daughter 5 spouse 6 unrequited love.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-3 | The character is obsessed with proving the existence of a hollow world, with people living on the inside surface (if the characters are from the hollow world, then the character is obsessed with proving the existence of people on the outside surface). |
| 1 | 4-6 | The character quests to retrieve the bones of their famous adventuring ancestor and re-inter them in the family tomb. |
| 2 | 1-3 | The character has terrible but enticing dreams of sitting on the throne of a vast underworld kingdom. |
| 2 | 4-6 | The character owes a large sum of money to someone so powerful that fleeing isn't an option (roll again: 1-3 a high-ranking criminal 4-6 a powerful government). |
| 3 | 1-3 | The character seeks vengeance against the Troll King. |
| 3 | 4-6 | The character's X is dying from a disease that can only be cured with the waters from a sacred subterranean spring. |
| 4 | 1-3 | The character is haunted by visions of a beautiful woman/handsome man living on an island at the center of a vast underground lake (roll again: 1-3 it's the character's true love 4 it's an incubus/succubus 5 it's a sorcerer/sorceress 6 it's someone who died centuries ago. |
| 4 | 4-6 | The character seeks one segment of a magic item. They must obtain all the parts of the item to save their homeland from its foretold doom. |
| 5 | 1-3 | The character's (roll again: 1-3 evil twin 4 robot double 5 clone 6 homonculus) has fled into the dungeon. One or the other must die before both go mad. |
| 5 | 4-6 | The character's X has been trapped in amber and is on display in the trophy room of an evil wizard who lives in the dungeon. |
| 6 | 1-3 | The character's X is imprisoned (optionally roll again: 1-3 innocent 4 guilty 5 guilty, but had a good reason 6 guilty, but manipulated or tricked into it by another). A corrupt official will release them in exchange for a magic item in the dungeon. |
| 6 | 4-6 | The character is obsessed with an item which relates to their profession: a legendary sword for warriors, a great wizard's spellbook for wizards, a holy relic for priests, and so on. |
Methods of Execution
source or inspiration: Advanced Fighting Fantasy
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-3 | Torn apart by four horses. |
| 1 | 4-6 | Smothered. |
| 2 | 1-3 | Impaled. |
| 2 | 4-6 | Hurled from a catapult. |
| 3 | 1-3 | Beheaded. |
| 3 | 4-6 | Shot with arrows. |
| 4 | 1-3 | Drowned. |
| 4 | 4-6 | Burnt at the stake. |
| 5 | 1-3 | Hanged. |
| 5 | 4-6 | Sent to the gladiatorial arena. |
| 6 | 1-3 | Drawn and quartered. |
| 6 | 4-6 | Some form of execution unique to the area, and usually magical or mechanical - for example death by clockwork ogre. |
Dungeon Construction
You can roll for individual rooms or corridors, or once for an entire area (eg once for the whole dungeon, or once for each level).
Low results mean that moving quickly and silently will be more difficult, but hiding will be easier. High results mean the opposite.
The result also effects how how many characters can walk side-by-side: Roll 1 dice, subtract 2 if the passage is Rough-Hewn or 1 if it's Normal (but results lower than 1 count as 1). The result is the number of human-sized characters who can walk side-by-side.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | Rough-Hewn. |
| 2 | Rough-Hewn. |
| 3 | Normal. |
| 4 | Normal. |
| 5 | Well-Made. |
| 6 | Finely-Made. |
Ghostly Whispering
source or inspiration: Tabletop Adventures' 'Bits of Darkness'.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Beware! |
| 1 | 3-4 | Cast off your flesh and join us. |
| 1 | 5-6 | Danger! |
| 2 | 1-2 | Death awaits! |
| 2 | 3-4 | Halt - go back. |
| 2 | 5-6 | It lives! It cannot be killed. |
| 3 | 1-2 | Many enter, but no one leaves. |
| 3 | 3-4 | We were once like yourselves, ere we wandered too deep into these halls (or ..into these hills, into these woods etc as appropriate). |
| 3 | 5-6 | What are you doing? |
| 4 | 1-2 | You cannot help me. |
| 4 | 3-4 | It is too late. |
| 4 | 5-6 | You shouldn't have come. |
| 5 | 1-2 | Why come to die? |
| 5 | 3-4 | Beware the deeps! |
| 5 | 5-6 | Beware the fangs in the darkness! |
| 6 | 1-2 | It is time to feed. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Bring us your life. |
| 6 | 5-6 | (the heroes hear nothing, but feel a sense that something here resents their presence). |
Dungeon Lighting
You can roll for individual rooms or corridors, or once for an entire area (eg once for the whole dungeon, or once for each level).
Any monsters in the dungeon will almost always be able to see best in the dungeon’s light level – which means that for example they may be blind in torch-light.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | Completely dark. Characters will need to provide their own light source, or have the ability to see in complete darkness. |
| 2 | Completely dark as above. |
| 3 | Dark. Characters can see large objects and obvious movement, but there isn’t enough light to read, unless the characters have the ability to see in low light, or provide their own light source. |
| 4 | Dark as above. |
| 5 | Dark as above. |
| 6 | Light. The dungeon has enough light to read by. |
Outsiders In a Group 1: Why Are They There?
This table is intended for such things as a human living in a tribe of orcs (or vice versa).
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | A scholar studying them. |
| 2 | A priest, trying to convert them (optionally, roll on the Missionary Attitude table below). |
| 3 | Exiled from their own society (optionally, roll again: 1-3 justly, 4-6 unjustly). |
| 4 | Was found or taken by the group as a baby (optionally roll again: 1-3 found, 4-6 taken). |
| 5 | A trader. |
| 6 | Fell in love with one of the group. |
Outsiders In a Group 2: Social Status
This table only refers to the subject's status in the group;
their status in the society they came from may be very different.
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | Lower status than most members of the group. |
| 2 | Lower status than most members of the group. |
| 3 | Accepted in the group. |
| 4 | Accepted in the group. |
| 5 | Accepted in the group. |
| 6 | Higher status than most members of the group. |
Missionary Attitude
This table gives a missionary's attitude to the people (or otherwise) they're trying to convert.
It assumes the missionary comes from a different culture.
It also gives the opportunity to make jokes about 'the missionary's position.'
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | The missionary believes their hosts' religion is outright evil. |
| 2 | The missionary has become unsure of what they believe. Roll again, ignoring this result, for the belief they most tend to. |
| 3 | The missionary believes their hosts are good, but their religion is mistaken. |
| 4 | The missionary believes their hosts' religion is an unclear, distorted, or primitive version of the priest's own. |
| 5 | The missionary has started to take on some of the ideas of their hosts. |
| 6 | The missionary has come to believe that the group's religion is a superior version of the priest's own. |
Prisoners of Evil
source or inspiration: AEG's 'Toolbox'.
This table is intended for prisoners discovered in an area dominated by a mostly evil society
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-3 | One who was taken for ransom. Roll again: 1-2 a merchant, 3-4 a noble, 5-6 a priest or shaman. |
| 1 | 4-6 | One who came here to study their craft but fell afoul of the inhabitants. Roll again: 1-3 an assassin, 4-6 a necromancer. |
| 2 | 1-3 | A sick and weakened warrior, the only survivor of an assault on the place. |
| 2 | 4-6 | A thief who sought to make their reputation by stealing from this well-known den of evil. |
| 3 | 1-3 | A berserker, of the same people as the owners of the prison. They are kept captive and only let out for battle, and begs the players to help them escape. |
| 3 | 4-6 | A farmer, captured in a raid and worked half to death as a slave. |
| 4 | 1-3 | One in their dotage, who has been kept captive so long they can't remember who they were or how they were captured. |
| 4 | 4-6 | An illusionist, who has stayed alive by using their art to entertain their captors (optionally roll again: 1-3 they use genuine magic 4-6 they use tricks, like 'magicians' in the real world). |
| 5 | 1-3 | A priest of a benign deity. Their captors have already ritually prepared them for sacrifice. |
| 5 | 4-6 | A good member of the evil community, who naturally rebelled against their rulers. |
| 6 | 1-3 | Roll again, ignoring this result or the one below, but the prisoner is dead. Then roll again: 1 they have written their story on some paper which is on their corpse, 2 As 1 but the paper is hidden in the cell, 3-6 no such paper can be found. |
| 6 | 4-6 | Roll again, ignoring this result or the one above. The prisoner pretends to be whatever result is rolled. Then roll again: 1-3 they're actually working for the rulers of the place 4-6 they really are a prisoner, but lie about how they got here. |
Combat Behaviour
This table is usable for intelligent and non-intelligent creatures.
If the creature is a solitary one, 'half its strength' means 'half its hit points', or the equivalent in your system.
For creatures that live in groups, 'half its strength' means 'at least half the creatures in the group who are able to fight are alive and unwounded'
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Will fight to the death. Will pursue anyone who attempts to retreat. |
| 1 | 3-4 | Will fight to the death. Will pursue anyone who tries to retreat unless it's down to a quarter of its strength or less. |
| 1 | 5-6 | Will fight to the death, but will not pursue enemies. |
| 2 | 1-2 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will surrender. Will pursue enemies if it has at least half its strength. |
| 2 | 3-4 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 2 | 5-6 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight to the death. Will pursue enemies if it has at least half its strength. |
| 3 | 1-2 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight to the death. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 3 | 3-4 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, then will surrender. Will pursue enemies if it has at least three-quarters of its strength. |
| 3 | 5-6 | Will fight until it's down to half strength or less, then will surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 4 | 1-2 | Will only fight until it's wounded, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight to the death. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 4 | 3-4 | Will only fight until it's wounded, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight to the death. Will only pursue enemies if unwounded. |
| 4 | 5-6 | as above. |
| 5 | 1-2 | Will only fight until it's wounded, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Will only fight until it's wounded, and will then try to run away. If there's no escape, will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then surrender. Will only pursue enemies if unwounded. |
| 5 | 5-6 | Will always attempt to run away. If there's no escape, will surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 6 | 1-2 | Will always attempt to run away. If there's no escape, will fight to the death. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Will always attempt to run away. If there's no escape, will fight until it's wounded, and will then surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
| 6 | 5-6 | Will always attempt to run away. If there's no escape, will fight until it's down to half strength or less, and will then surrender. Will not pursue enemies. |
Traps in Rooms and Corridors
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | One or two people fall 1 level, taking damage as appropriate, due to a (roll again: 1-2 floor which can't support one person's weight 3-4 hidden trapdoor 5-6 magically disappearing section of floor). |
| 1 | 3-4 | As above, but the trap is big enough for an entire party (provided they're travelling close together). |
| 1 | 5-6 | A cloud of gas is released - roll on the 'Gas Clouds' table below. |
| 2 | 1-2 | as above. |
| 2 | 3-4 | Projectiles are released from a hidden mechanism in the wall (roll again: 1-4 arrows 5-6 daggers). |
| 2 | 5-6 | Projectiles are released from a hidden mechanism in the wall (roll again: 1-4 poison darts 5-6 daggers). |
| 3 | 1-2 | Teleportation beam - anyone who fails to dodge is teleported. Roll on the Teleportation table below. |
| 3 | 3-4 | Anyone who fails to dodge is sprayed with a jet of liquid, which makes them more likely to be smelled by predators. |
| 3 | 5-6 | As above, but a cloud of mist instead of a jet of liquid. The trap can't be dodged, but has less of an effect. |
| 4 | 1-2 | An alarm brings many hostile creatures (roll 2 dice for the number of minutes they take to arrive). |
| 4 | 3-4 | As above, and in addition a net drops, trapping anyone who fails to get out of the way. |
| 4 | 5-6 | A door slides open, revealing a hidden alcove which contains an unliving guardian (if the GM uses the tables in the Creatures section, count this creature as an Animate). |
| 5 | 1-2 | as above. |
| 5 | 3-4 | Rocks fall behind the heroes. Roll 3 dice: it will take that many hours to clear the obstacle, divided by the number of people working. |
| 5 | 5-6 | As above, but the rocks drop ahead of the heroes. |
| 6 | 1-2 | An anti-magic field may cause magic items to temporarily or permanently lose their properties. Magic creatures, and living magic items, will suffer damage or be destroyed, but will also be likely to sense the field from far away. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Smoke rises from the floor, obscuring the heroes' vision. (Roll again: 1-3, also roll on the 'Gas Clouds' table below, 4-6 the smoke has no other bad effect). |
| 6 | 5-6 | The area magically becomes arctic: the walls and floor turn to slippery ice, and the temperature drops. Characters with poor balance are likely to fall, and may be unable to get up or move. They may also suffer damage from the severe cold. Many of the dungeon's inhabitants may return to their lairs until the effect passes. If you're using the 'Climate' table below, the area will be very cold. Roll 1 dice and multiply by 20 minutes to see how long the effect will last. |
Teleportation
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | Back to the dungeon entrance. |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | To a cell somewhere in the dungeon, where they will find themselves in chains. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | To the bottom of a high pit somewhere in the dungeon. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | To an inter-dimensional arena, where they will be confronted with a victim of a similar trap, and will have to fight to the death unless they can make peace with them. The arena will have 2-4 exits (ie roll again: 1-2 = 2, 3-4 = 3, 5-6 = 4). For where each leads, roll again on this table. The exit can lead to another inter-dimensional arena. If the result talks about a dungeon level, treat the arena as if it was on the level which led to it. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | To the rooms of the main villain of the dungeon, where they will find themselves in chains. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | To a safe place on the surface, but far away from the dungeon. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | The very lowest level of the dungeon. Roll again if the trap is itself on the lowest level. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | The next lowest level of the dungeon. Roll again if the trap is itself on the lowest level. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | A randomly selected lower level of the dungeon. Re-roll if the trap is itself on the lowest level. |
Gas Clouds
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1-2 | 1-2 | Poison - anyone who breathes the gas will be damaged or killed. |
| 1-2 | 3-4 | Rusts metal items, such as some armour and weapons. |
| 1-2 | 5-6 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will go blind. Roll 1 dice for the number of minutes this will last. |
| 3-4 | 1-2 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will fall unconscious. Roll 2 dice for the number of minutes this will last. |
| 3-4 | 3-4 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will go beserk. Roll as above for duration. |
| 3-4 | 5-6 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will become hysterical with fear, and will run screaming in a random direction. Roll as above for duration. |
| 5-6 | 1-2 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will have their intelligence severely reduced for 24 hours. |
| 5-6 | 3-4 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will have their coordination severely reduced for 24 hours. |
| 5-6 | 5-6 | Anyone who breathes the gas and fails to resist its effects will have both their intelligence and their coordination severely reduced for 24 hours. |
Mighty Blows
This table can be used for attacks from both hand-to-hand or ranged weapons.
It can be used in make combat either more dangerous or less dangerous.
To make it more dangerous, you might rule that every hit has a certain chance of generating a roll on this table as well as its normal damage.
To make it less dangerous, you might allow characters who would otherwise die from a wound to roll on this table instead.
If a result refers to a limb, roll one dice: 1-3 leg 4 favoured arm (usually the right) 5-6 other arm (usually the left).
Note that a damaged arm will have some effect on the character's balance, as well as the more obvious effects.
Roll 2 dice.
| 1st dice | 2nd dice | result |
| 1 | 1-2 | Stunned: as well as normal damage, the target is unable to attack next turn, and their defence is also less effective for that turn. |
| 1 | 3-4 | Knocked over: as well as normal damage, the target is knocked over. |
| 1 | 5-6 | Stunned and knocked over (see above). |
| 2 | 1-2 | The victim's weapon is (roll again: 1-3 shattered, 4-6 dropped). The target doesn't take any damage. Re-roll if the target is using 'natural weapons' such as claws, or no weapons. |
| 2 | 3-4 | As above, but for whatever's in the victim's other hand (shield, lamp etc) rather than their weapon. If the victim drops a lamp, optionally roll on the 'Dropped Lamp' table below. |
| 2 | 5-6 | Blood in the eyes: as well as normal damage, the target will be less able to attack and defend themselves for the rest of the fight. |
| 3 | 1-2 | as above. |
| 3 | 3-4 | As well as normal damage, the victim gains a permanent scar. Roll again: 1-3 on the face 4-5 limb 6 chest or stomach. |
| 3 | 5-6 | Armour pierced: as well as normal damage, the target's armour is less effective. Roll again if the attacker's weapon is blunt (for example a club), or if the target has no armour or 'natural armour' (tough skin etc). |
| 4 | 1-2 | Head injury: As well as normal damage, the target will have (roll again: 1-3 lowered intelligence 4-6 occasional fits). |
| 4 | 3-4 | Damaged eye: The target will be unable to see normally out of one of their eyes. This will mean that they're easier to sneak up on, and less effective in combat. They're also likely to be disfigured. |
| 4 | 5-6 | The wound will be unusually difficult to clean and dress, and so more likely to become infected than other wounds. The target will be likely to get sick. |
| 5 | 1-2 | The victim's limb is broken (for crushing weapons like clubs) or otherwise rendered unuseable. Roll 2 dice and add 7 for the number of weeks it'll take to heal. |
| 5 | 3-4 | As above, but the limb is permanently damaged. After it's healed it'll be useable again, but it'll never be as effective as it was. |
| 5 | 5-6 | Unconscious. Roll 2 dice for how many turns or rounds of combat. |
| 6 | 1-2 | Severed limb. Roll 3 dice. The victim will die in that many turns unless they're magically healed, a tourniquet is applied (which is likely to only delay death, if that), or the wound is cauterised with fire.. |
| 6 | 3-4 | Fatal wound. Roll 2 dice. The victim will die in that many turns, unless the wound can be magically removed. Natural healing will not be enough. |
| 6 | 5-6 | Killing blow: the victim is instantly killed (for example beheaded by a sword, hit in the heart by an arrow). |
Dropped Lamp
source or inspiration: RuneQuest
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | Lamp keeps burning. |
| 2 | as above. |
| 3 | Lamp goes out but is undamaged. |
| 4 | as above. |
| 5 | The lamp breaks. If the surface is dirt, sand, or a similar porous material the oil will just soak into the ground. Otherwise it will spread, making the surface slippery (and flammable). In either case roll again: on a 1-3, whoever was carrying the lamp will have a significant amount splashed on them, and so can be easily set on fire. |
| 6 | As above, but the oil will spread and burn over a non-porous surface. In either case roll again: on a 1-3, whoever was carrying the lamp also catches fire. |
Climate
In the wilderness, climate will effect how likely the characters are to meet other living things (the more food that grows, the more life an area can support).
Climates in order from most life to least life are as follows:
| hot and dampmildhot and dry or coldvery cold, or desert-like during the early morningdesert-like, at any other time. |
Dungeons: For more realistic dungeons, take the climate of the surrounding area, but adjust it to reflect the fact that underground areas will be sheltered from extremes of weather:
- very cold area = cold dungeon.
- cold, mild, hot and damp, or hot and dry area = mild dungeon.
- desert-like area = hot and dry dungeon.
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For more traditional dungeons, just roll randomly - either once for the whole dungeon, or seperately for different areas (for example once for each level).
Climate also effects the characters likelihood of catching diseases - for more detail, see the Disease table (Wilderness, Settlements and Dungeons sections).
Roll 1 dice.
| 1 | very cold - Freezing or below. As for cold (below), but worse. Also, some surfaces may be slippery with ice. |
| 2 | cold - Cold, but above freezing. Characters are at risk of suffering damage from the weather. Heavy clothing, shelter, and a fire will all make characters less likely to suffer damage. |
| 3 | mild - Characters will suffer no ill effects from the climate. |
| 4 | hot and damp - Characters will tire more quickly. Armour will be more of a burden. Wounds will be more likely to become infected. |
| 5 | hot and dry - Characters will tire more quickly, and need more water. Armour will be more of a burden - heavier armour is likely to be impossible to wear. |
| 6 | desert-like - During the early morning, treat as hot and dry. From mid-morning to sunset, treat as hot and dry only worse. At night, treat as very cold. |