Mirror, Mirror - d10 Random Table Logical Madness

1. Interlopers from an alternative dimension are attempting to murder and replace key inhabitants of the city. So as to better identify their fellow conspirators, they have taken to wearing a distinctive style of beard. 10% chance the new fashion catches on with the broader populace.

2. An person from an alternate timeline switches places with his NPC counterpart. He knows the true identity of the Purple Plane Hierophant and the hidden location of the Vault of Zumarios. His relationship with any PC's may or may not be similar.

3. A well known and loved hero has suddenly taken to acts of rapine and cruelty. Attempts to cast Remove Curse and similar magics have all failed to restore him to his former self. He has been seen entering the compound of an obscure cult, whose members play harps and espouse a coldly rational philosophy.

4. When utilizing a means of teleportation during inclement weather, there is a 1% chance that the Vancian Intelligence affecting space/time will come into contact with a version of itself in an alternate reality. There will then be a 10% chance of a psychological entanglement, causing any beings which are teleported under such conditions to swap places with their counterparts.

5. An attempt to summon a legendary hero goes awry. Any PC or NPC of 9th level or above must Save vs. Magic or be replaced with a doppelganger from another dimension.

6. As the self styled Dread Empress is in the midst of her conquests, she suddenly begins altering her usual way of carrying out her plans. Showing mercy, instead of cruelty. Choosing diplomacy over war. Her lieutenants are disturbed.

7. Upon emerging from the dungeon, the party finds the world has turned upside down. Former allies are now enemies, once great empires have been brought to ruin and once wise rulers display madness and cruelty. Banners, heraldry and social customs have all changed.

8. The Dagger of the Octagonal Mage has been carelessly left laying about in a dungeon. Anyone bearing the blade will shift places with a counterpart from another dimension, every 1d8 days. Class, alignment and any other attributes may change at such times, at the DM's fancy. There will be a total of Eight such counterparts involved, inclusive of the PC or NPC finding the dagger.

9. The Oculus of Barimor will expose anyone spied upon, if they are not native to the dimension of the owner.

10. A fantastically powerful ship from the Terran Empire enters orbit around the planet and demands complete obedience from all inhabitants. The captain, who appears half elven, demands access to several abandoned mines, where worthless crystals are all that remains of what was once a treasure trove of minerals.

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D&D Inspiration Cinema: The Warriors - With Bonus Random Table

For those who haven't seen it, here's the set-up for Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic The Warriors.

The leader of the most powerful gang in New York, Cyrus of the Gramercy Riffs, calls a summit and invites most of the gangs operating in the city to attend. Cyrus wants everyone to unite and take on The Man. Cyrus has a lot of Charisma, if not Wisdom and when he intones "Can you dig it?" the majority of the assembled gang-bangers respond enthusiastically.

The Warriors are skeptical. But, they're not the only ones who aren't "Digging it." Luther, leader of the Rogues, decides to shake things up. Why?

"No Reason. I just like doing things like that."

So, being Chaotic Evil, he whips out a handgun and decisively ends the Summit. One of the Warriors sees what went down. The cops show up and in the ensuing chaos, Luther points and shouts, "The Warriors did it!" He then rushes Cleon, the Warriors' leader. Cleon takes him down, but just as Luther intended, other gang dudes join in and Cleon is overwhelmed. Word spreads. The Warriors killed Cyrus!

Far from their own "turf," the Warriors spend the rest of the movie trying to get back to Coney Island. While hundreds of colorfully dressed gang dudes, intent on vengeance, try to kill them all!

Wikipedia tells me that the movie is based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name. Which, was based on Anabasis by Xenophon. The Warriors has since spawned two video games, toys and comic books.

So. Place Cyrus in a D&D type setting. Mid or high fantasy, with plenty of adventuring groups and mercenary companies. Maybe add some demonic backing and you've got a potentially campaign changing event.

Following the film more closely, we can set it in a major city and have some asshole like Luther kill the new messiah. Maybe a Disintegrate spell, or Sphere of Annihilation. Of course, the PC's get framed for it and now have hundreds of adventuring type dudes, henchmen and hirelings, chasing them through the city and out for blood!

Bringing us to:

Twelve Reasons the Rival Adventuring Party is Trying to Kill You All!

1. They want to kill you and take your stuff!
2. They do side work for the authorities, who think the PC's have gotten too big for their britches.
3. A PC bedded a Barmaid, who previously caught the eye of some other bad-ass adventurer.
4. "That Dungeon is Ours!"
5. Trying to make a name for themselves.
6. "No Reason. I just like doing things like that."
7. God/Devil/Space Alien told them to do it!
8. Hired by any one of no doubt numerous people, that the PC's have managed to piss off!
9. "Join us or Die!"
10. A PC looked at one of them "the wrong way."
11. Revenge. Possibly a Frame-Up.
12. "Let's you and him fight," orchestrated by a shadowy entity, seeking to remove potential threats.

Now, we'll see if I can manage to turn this into a series.

Random Table - Urban Mendicants

Submitted for your approval, 12 holy (or unholy) beggars, raising a ruckus in the streets.

1. Bomos the Mad - Chaotic-Neutral. An archetypal, crazy-eyed, wild-haired, filthy Prophet O' Doom, wearing a sandwich board declaring "The End is Nigh!" In the midst of his typically mad proclamations, he'll utter something only the PC's should know, or another secret, of relevance to their current doings.

2. Rafnk the Legless - F2. Chaotic-Good. A humble servant of his god, he's taken a vow of poverty. Rolls around on a crude cart, propelled by his mighty arms. A former adventurer, he has dated knowledge of the first three levels of the dungeon. Has a Dagger +1, that bestows 10% Magic Resistance.

3. Muad the Greasy - Chaotic-Evil. Claims to serve some god, that's completely unknown to everyone else. Wears soiled finery. Slick, oily and smarmy. Host to an alien symbiote, which grants him psionics. He murders and eats 1 beggar, or other homeless person, per week.

4. Whomis the Holy - C2. Neutral-Good. A benevolent, poor servant of a beneficent higher power. Cares for the sick and needy of the streets. If a PC donates 10 GP or more, they will receive a one-time blessing and the next Critical Miss they suffer, will become a Critical Hit.

5. Mahra of the Shadows - Illusionist L7. Chaotic-Neutral. Serves a vengeful, scary deity. Only seen at night. Stalks and murders the more parasitic denizens of the slums.

6. Mother Velvet - F3 Transvestite Half-Orc. Neutral-Evil. Bears the symbol of an ancient, near-forgotten deity of strife. Commands 20 or so orphan children, who collect information, which Mother sells to various clients.

7. Old Gideon - Lawful-Good. A polymorphed Silver Dragon, he's an amnesiac and has lost all knowledge of his former self. Wanders the streets, begging and telling stories about famous Paladins and other heroes.

8. Thak the Barbarian - FL4. Chaotic-Neutral. A barbarian prince, blinded in war. Stalks the alleys naked, demanding tribute for his patron demon. Which he spends on prostitutes and cheap wine. Will usually be carrying a makeshift weapon of some sort or another. Occasionally, will get his hands on a sword, eventually losing it after passing out in a drunken stupor.

9. Susannah of the Scarlet Sash - C4. Chaotic-Good. A Sacred Prostitute, Susannah became disenchanted with her religious organization, which showed more devotion to pecuniary concerns, than their mission of spreading... the word. Susannah has taken the good news to the streets! She wears a Scarlett Sash that's been blessed by her deity, confers a bonus of +2 on all her rolls and grants immunity to all diseases.

10. Ol' Bear - F3. Chaotic-Good. Reincarnated as a Bear. Something of a mascot to the people of the city, they'll be very sore if anything happens to this gregarious street preacher.

11. Toisim - A demon in human guise. Chaotic-Evil. HD: 6. AC: 4. # Att - 2. Dmg: 1-3. Aside from the usual characteristics of abyssal denizens (per the MM) he may cast Suggestion 1/day, Improved Phantasmal Force 2/day. He can implant false memories in others, a task which requires 1 full Turn of uninterrupted concentration, during which he must maintain line of sight with his victim. Save negates. He is building a small army, composed of the poor and dispossessed, who thanks to a whole lot of memory alteration, think him a reincarnated demi-god, capable of miraculous feats.

12. Baylam the Black - C2. Neutral-Evil. Hunted by the authorities, for fostering the cause of a blatantly forbidden deity, Baylam has no followers, no friends and sucks at begging, so he usually resorts to theft. Still has dreams of becoming an evil overlord.

Random Planetary Angel Generator

A major revision of the original post, to include divine servants of both Good and Evil deities.

Random Planetary Angel Generator by James A. Smith

A system for generating Random Angels, similar to the Angelic Choirs of Traditional Hermeticism, but based upon the Metaphysics implied within the rules of “Old School” Class & Level RPG’s. I’ve chosen here to utilize the Types of Magic. These were based upon traditional sources and I have, here, re-associated them with those sources, to correspond with Planetary Energies (or any other astrologica/planar scheme, desired.)

 Determination of Alignment and Deity Association is left to the ingenium of the GM.

Table 1A:  Roll to Determine the Choir of the Angel

 

d8	Name of the Angelic Choir	Associated Type of Magical Energy
1	Angels of Divine Power	Evocation/Invocation
2	Angels of the Mind of the Gods	Divination
3	Angels of Divine Manifestation	Conjuration/Summoning
4	Angels of the Living Gods	Necromancy
5	Angels of Desire	Enchantment/Charm
6	Phantasmagorical Angels	Illusion/Phantasm
7	Angels of Abrogation	Abjuration
8	Angels of Transmutation	Alteration

 

Table 1B: Correspondences, for the Above

 

	Type of Magic	Universal Principles	Suggestions for Apparel
1	Evocation/Invocation	War, Aggression, Dominance, Force. Violence.	Armor. Shield. Flames. Red. Electricity.
2	Divination	Knowledge, Teaching, Wisdom, Obfuscation, Lies. Insanity.	Robes. Darkness. Light. Pendant.
3	Conjuration/Summoning	Creation, Command, Movement, Invitation, Art. Enslavement.	Noble Finery. A Crown. Rich or dashing clothing. Purple. Blue.
4	Necromancy	Energy, Growth, Nature, Life, Death. Blasphemy.	Robes. Light. Darkness. Organic materials. Green.
5	Enchantment/Charm	Love, Lust, Submission, Dominance, Marriage.	Nude. Clothing designed to entice. Green. Purple. Flowers.
6	Illusion/Phantasm	Dream, Guile, Laughter, Lies, Perception, Secrets. Madness.	Gaudy Robes. Motley. Multi-colors. Dark colors.
7	Abjuration	Fortification, Protection, Negation, Abrogation. Imprisonment.	Armor. Shield. Clothing designed to deflect. Blue.
8	Alteration	Change, Transmutation, Metamorphosis. Permanence, Restoration. Corruption.	Radiant Clothing. Nude. Yellows.

 

 Table 1C: Symbolic Accompaniments for the Above

 

	Weapon Suggestions	Other Accouterments
1	Sword, Axe, Halbred, Weapons of Magical Energy.	A Warhorse. Gauntlet. Flames. Chariot. Warship. An Army. A Wand. A Staff.
2	Staff.	Books. A Crystal Ball. An Owl. A Library. An Abacus or Computer. Spectacles. A Taxonomic Chart.
3	Rod, Staff, Sword.	Crown. Orb. Throne. Scepter. Artist's Accouterments. Clay. A Magic Circle and/or Triangle.
4	Caduceus, Scythe.	Serpents. Skulls. Growing things. Undead.
5	Wand, Whip, Rod.	Roses. Mirrors. Rings. Slaves. Lovers. Collars. Chains. Fey Creatures.
6	Sickle, Club, Silver Weapons.	A Hooka. Smoke. Mirrors. Bells. Large Diamonds. A Straightjacket.
7	Staff, Sword.	Scepter. Shields. Walls. Globes of Force. A Cage.
8	Flaming weapons.	Gold. Alchemical Equipment. Potions. Ensorcelled Creatures.

Considerations, such as Alignment and Allegiance, will suggest additional symbols. An Angel of Desire, who is a servant of a Lawful and Good Deity, may appear as a chaste, but fervent priestess, or devoted bride. A Lawful and Evil example may appear as a leather clad dominatrix, bearing a chain of slaves. A servant of Chaos and Evil, may itself appear as a slave, even going so far as to let a mortal seem to dominate them.

Table 2: Roll to Determine the Monster Level of the Angel

 

Monster Level d8+4	Powers	Attacks Per Round*	Defense Value (Descending)*	Weapon Needed to Hit	Immunity to Magic %
5	May cast any 1st and 2nd level Divine spell, as well as any 1st & 2nd level Wizard spells, which are of the Magical Type corresponding to the angel, 1/day each.	1	4	+1 or better	40%
6	As above, but 2/day each.	1	3	+1 or better	45%
7	As above, but, 3rd level as well, all 2/day each.	2	2	+1 or better	50%
8	As above, but all 3/day each.	2	1	+1 or better	55%
9	As above, but 4th level spells as well, all 3/day each.	2	0	+1 or better	60%
10	As above, but all 4/day each.	2	-1	+2 or better	65%
11	As above, but, 5th level as well, all 4/day each.	3	-2	+2 or better	70%
12	As above, all 5/day each.	3	-3	+2 or better	75%

*Damage is by weapon, or 1d6.

 

Table 3: Roll to Determine the Status of the Angel

 

d100	Current Standing
01 – 05	Deity’s Favorite
05 – 15	Trusted Seneschal
16 – 60	In Good Standing
61 – 70	On Probation
71 – 95	Fallen*
96 - 00	Free Agent

 A Fallen Angel of an Evil Deity may be Neutral or Good. Possibly, there is no Alignment conflict.

 

Table 4: Roll to Determine the Base Appearance of the Angel

 

d10	Appearance – Movement Rate as the Base Appearance Creature
1 - 5	Human
6	Elf
7	Dwarf
8	Halfling
9	Gnome
10	Dragon

 

Table 5: Roll to Determine the Sex of the Angel

 

d8	Sex
1 - 3	Male
4 - 5	Female
6 - 7	Androgynous
8	Neuter

 

Table 6: Roll to Determine the Appearance of the Angel’s Head

 

d100	The Head Appears to be a:
1 – 70	Match for the Base Appearance
71 – 73	Bear
74 – 76	Serpent
77 – 79	Nimbus of Light
80 – 82	Lion
83 - 85	Bull
86 - 88	Hawk
89 - 90	Eagle
91 - 93	Wolf
94 – 96	Dragon
97 - 99	Ape
99 - 00	Covered

 

Table 7: Roll Twice to Determine Other Noteworthy Physical Characteristics*

 

d100	Roll Twice on this table.
1 - 25	Winged (1-4 Feathered and 5-6 membranous) Flight at Double the Movement Rate
26 - 27	Obese
28 - 30	Bald
31 - 39	Horned
40 - 42	Made of Shadows
43 - 45	Extremely Thin
46 - 48	Extra Pair of Arms**
49 - 51	Extra Pair of Eyes**
52 - 55	Extra Pair of Wings (add a first pair as well, if not already rolled)**
56 – 58	Odd Skin Color
59 - 60	Exaggerated Sexual Characteristics
61 - 63	Appearance Constantly Changes, within the already determined parameters (or without, as desired)
64 - 65	Flaming Eyes
66 - 68	Covered in Fur
69 - 70	Appears as a Pair of Identical Beings
71 - 72	Cloven Hoofs
73 – 74	Smaller than usual for Base Appearance
75	Ritually Scarred
76 - 77	Larger than usual for Base Appearance
78	Hairless
79	Mechanical
80 – 85	Incredible Beauty
86 – 88	Claws/Talons
89	Hideous
90	Made of Light
91 - 92	Metallic
93 – 94	Vegetable
95- 96	Fangs
97 - 98	Tattooed
99 - 00	Roll Two-More Times

*I have not here separated, characteristics commonly associated with so-called “good” angels and those of “fallen” ones. In the traditional sources, there is some overlap (horns, for example often appear on servants of the Most High.) The DM may, of course, re-roll any result as desired.

**May be chosen multiple times.