OSR: Tent Fairs & Inhabi-tents

My players have been voyaging beyond the confines of Shaxecan city in search of a mysterious temple adorned with the images of snakes and recently stumbled across a sprawling, semi-permanent encampment around a junction on the imperial highway. This tent fair has a constantly shifting population as merchants, pilgrims and travellers pass through and something changes every time they visit. I use the system below to determine the rough number of camps, what proportion have something interesting to find and what the rough layout of the fair is at any given time. I have a vague plan to expand this into a neighbourhood system for the city that exists at the centre of all realities.

Any numbers below are, as is usually the case, pulled out of my arse.

Credit, Philip V.

POPULATION
Roll 1d100+25 for the overall number of encampments.

Take the result and divide it by 10 - this is the number of oddities, specialist merchants, mercenaries and other parties that have things the players might reasonably be interested in, as opposed to regular travellers and merchants. It can be assumed that there are any numbers of tinkers and poorer merchants who can sell basic goods.

Once you've found the number of interesting parties, roll on the table below and note the results:

D50 Roll	Interesting Campsites
1	A scholar of the arcane covered in shifting, swirling tattoos sits before a campfire that burns with emerald flames. Glyphs shimmer in the air around them.
2	A pair of masked elves spit into an empty cauldron and read fortunes in the wisps of steam that rise from it.
3	A band of 1d20+5 wild-haired warriors drink and boast loudly of their conquests. Their armour is decorated with the bones of their enemies.
4	A lord dressed in finery lounges in an immaculate pavilion, surrounded by his retinue of 3d10+5 servants and men-at-arms. They jealously guard their lord's space.
5	A soot-stained apothecary mixes vials of smoking liquids as their tent emits billowing clouds of noxious fumes.
6	A troupe of circus performers have pitched their tents and are practising fire breathing, acrobatics and pickpocketing.
7	A train of heavy wagons carrying hissing, caged beasts have drawn up in a laager. The silvered cages hold the magical ones.
8	What appear to be three goblins sitting on each other's shoulders in a long robe have pitched a miserable attempt at a tent.
9	A small gathering of pilgrims crowd around a wagon-borne idol of a deity of travellers. Priests burn incense and offerings on mobile braziers.
10	A simple tent holds a furiously scribbling monastic scholar laden with books, paper, spare quills and other trappings of the scrivener's trade.
11	A white tent decorated with twisting serpents is home to a group of mendicant healers who are tending to the sick and wounded.
12	A tightly regimented group of 2d20+10 pikemen in gleaming armour have pitched their tents in orderly lines.
13	An armoured cleric offers benedictions and blessings from the entrance of their simple tent.
14	A richly decorated canopy covers a vintner bearing exotic liqueurs who looks to make some money on the side.
15	A soft-voiced merchant hawks intoxicants both somniferous and stimulating from the shadowy depths of their tent. Sweet vapours wisp from the entrance.
16	A band of 1d20+5 crossbowmen from afar, dressed in extravagantly bright clothing, are busy training with some rough targets.
17	A knight from foreign lands with a bizarre steed, polishing a strange weapon, has unfurled their bedroll beneath the open sky.
18	A musclebound smith hammers at the anvil of their mobile forge that unfolds from the side of their wagon. Weapons and armour of masterful quality gleam in the forge-light.
19	A robed mage speaks with the many songbirds that have landed on their tent and guyropes.
20	A handler in thick canvas coveralls carefully arranges sturdy glass jars beneath their wagon's awning. On closer inspection wriggling slimes can be seen inside the jars.
21	A veiled traveller sits beneath a dark awning, tending to a collection of curios and oddities.
22	A gang of 1d8+2 bravos have attracted a small crowd who watch in astonishment as they duel with each other in a flowing, graceful bout.
23	A large pavilion holds a number of leashed animals. They're well trained, and several are performing tricks for onlookers.
24	A group of skeletons dance in a ring around an old, tattered tent. No one knows where they came from and no one wants to get too close.
25	A beautiful, imperious elf oversees the erection of their tent by the help. They've been at it for hours and have had to disassemble and reassemble it several times because it's not quite right.
26	A trio of blindfolded figures chant in a sonorous tongue. The air around their campsite chills to the bone.
27	A thin, wiry gardener tends to a bountiful patch of various fungi. Their small tent is covered in lichen and moss.
28	A travelling brewer has pitched a large pavilion and opened it to travellers, forming a makeshift ale house. It's packed with people.
29	A group of 1d10 armed and armoured figures have secured a prisoner to a stake with a chained collar.
30	A caravan of slavers has stopped to resupply. There are 1d10+5 slaves being watched by a quarter as many guards, plus the caravan master.
31	A series of lifelike statues inhabit a quiet patch of tents. Some of them are discoloured and weathered with age.
32	A particularly zealous pilgrim has erected a rickety platform atop a wooden pillar some 10' in the air. They rant and rave about the evils that plague their land, beseeching all who pass for aid.
33	A band of 1d20+3 horsemen have erected a picket and are re-shoeing their horses. They have been entertaining travellers with their skill at horseback archery.
34	A travelling wizard has erected suitably flashy tent. It is much bigger on the inside and they claim to have magical wares for sale.
35	Several tents are floating roughly 20' in the air, their inhabitants nowhere to be found. No one remembers them arriving.
36	A traveller from afar has set up a small camp filled with peculiar brass devices that play a pleasant, resonant music.
37	It just so happens that [NPC the party was looking for] has set up a camp here!
38	A tattooist has erected a wide awning covered in intricate designs and pictures. Rumour says that their tattoos have magical powers...
39	A caravan of the king's tax collectors has stopped to make camp. They're laden with gold!
40	A small hut sits in a clearing, wicker wooden legs curled up beneath it. Sometimes an old witch comes out of the forest to trade...
41	A haunch of exotic meat spits and sizzles over a roaring fire next to a merchant's wagon. They say it'll fill you with power!
42	A fighting pit has been set up in the middle of a circle of wagons. It's attracted quite a crowd, and bets are flying as thick and fast as the fists.
43	A cloaked and hooded figure has set up a secluded tent away from the others. Rumour has it that they deal in poisons and venom.
44	A finely dressed scholar sits in a luxurious pavilion, carefully marking a sheet of parchment. Their pavilion has maps and keys stitched into the patterning of the fabric.
45	A group of 1d20+5 mercenary sappers have formed a tight-knit encampment, keeping their supplies of blasting powder under close watch.
46	A brightly painted wagon adorned with fluttering pennants. The vexillographer within enchants the images they embroider onto the fabric so that the shimmer and dance.
47	A barber surgeon sits in a red and white tent, sharpening their instruments.
48	A tottering wagon full to the brim with books and scrolls. An elderly collector is searching for more, and is quite knowledgeable about local lore.
49	A silver tent stands alone. The glittering of light reflected by many mirrors can be seen from the open flap.
50	A travelling artist is displaying their latest paintings. The landscapes are of vivid, alien places and the portraits move about.

Once you've noted the results down, you'll need a bit of scrap paper. Note the general terrain features down, i.e. rivers, roads, nearby forests etc., and take a d4 for each result you rolled above. Chuck the dice on sheet and note where they land and the result of the roll - this is how many 'connections' there are to the nearest interesting points or landmark features. I find it easiest to connect them from the closest tips of the d4s, branching off as many times as feels appropriate. See the example below:

Behold, my artistic talent.

I'm rolling up results for a tent fair at a branch in a highway. I rolled a result of 35 on a d100, adding 25 for a total of 60. Divide this by 10 and you end up with 6 interesting sites. Six rolls on the table later and I've got 12 (pikemen), 22 (bravos), 37 (an NPC the party was looking for), 45 (sappers), 48 (wagon of books), and 50 (a travelling artist with moving pictures). Rolling 6d4 on the map I've drawn leads to the above - each site is connected to the nearest other site at least once and I've connected one of them to the main road twice to represent a particularly busy area.

Then I decide where to place the results from the table into the available sites. I don't have a hard and fast rule for this, just whatever feels appropriate - the results from the table should give an idea of which results are more reclusive and which are more popular.

Finally I roll d6 for each of the gaps in between the sites to fill them out with other travellers, using the below:

1-2. Commoners - peasants, farmers, hunters and other travellers.
3-4. Merchants - tinkers and poorer traders.
5-6. Pilgrims - zealots, poor priests and the humble faithful.

And there you have the finished result:

Red = commoners, yellow = merchants, purple = pilgrims.

I've only had a chance to use this system a few times but it's already proven to be handy at creating a changing environment for the PCs to return to with some new hooks for them each time. I'll hopefully be adding some more results to the d50 table above - any suggestions are welcome!

Superstitions & Monsters

This post is something I've been working on to generate creatures that might haunt settlements in Egradus. Things of local legend that have been through so many permutations that their true forms have been lost and they now exist as persistent boogeymen ready to pounce from the periphery of civilisation.

Peasants are a superstitious lot. They hate and fear witches for hexing them, they hate and fear spirits for haunting them and they hate and fear their neighbours for their hateful and fearing ways. They wail as the frost kills their seedling crops and give offerings to their gods, even as they mutter that their gods are undeserving of such worship. Bad weather and hard times are the wrath of capricious beings made manifest; and there's some truth to all of the above. But belief empowers and fuels all things, not just the divine, and given enough time even imagined things can manifest in the material world.

Every town and village has their own legends - fables and parables to scare the children with, and sinister stories to frighten friends at the alehouse. Many of these stories have run for generations, with slight changes and alterations being woven into the fabric of the tale until, like Theseus' ship, the original subject of the story bears no resemblance to what is now told. In most cases this is harmless, but in some it can be a very, very bad thing indeed. For belief has the power to warp and change, and give life to things best left in storied pages or campfire whispers.

Credit, Bernardo Hasselmann

Below are several tables that you can use to roll up some creatures of folklore and legend when you need something that plagues a particular town or region. Not all will be evil or hostile - many legends feature wise and benevolent beings - but fearful people produce things to fear. With enough belief and outright worship you end up with a god, but lesser amounts built up over the years lead to these lingering presences on the periphery of reality.

Such is their hold in a town of village's memory that some of these beings are able to return centuries after being slain, though the ever changing nature of the tales that spawn them give rise to the question of whether they are truly the same being or some similar apparition conjured from the fevered imaginations of the fearful, warped and twisted by the changes forced upon them through wild stories and folk tales.

Start with the base states below and note down the relevant rolls that affect the creature's stats, powers, strengths and vulnerabilities.. The below assumes the use of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess ruleset.

Base Creature Stats

AC: 14; HD: 4; Attacks: 1 attack with +2 to hit, 1d6 damage; Move: 30', Save As: 4th level Fighter; Morale: 10.

It appeared...

1. During a terrible drought...
2. In the middle of a bitter and dark winter...
3. When plague and pestilence ravaged the land...
4. In the midst of a terrible war...
5. While we were in mourning for our lord...
6. When those fools returned from the ruins with that damned idol...
7. From the waters during the worst flood in memory...
8. As a terrible hurricane upturned the country...
9. With the lightning wrath of the heavens as they rained upon the land...
10. From a rent in the ground when the earthquake struck...
11. After the twin-tailed comet lit up the sky...
12. From the caves exposed after the mudslide had ended...
13. When the eclipse blotted out the sun...
14. As the moon loomed blood red in the night sky...
15. From the mists as they crept across the hills for days...
16. During the terrible wildfires years ago...
17. After the crops failed and the animals sickened...
18. After a bountiful autumn harvest...
19. In the wake of the king's wedding...
20. After [hated person] offended [powerful being]...

And at first it...

1. Stalked us through the woods, whispering with a hundred voices.
2. Sat in the square and watched us without blinking.
3. Branded every tenth house with its mark.
4. Screamed with the voices of the dead all through the night.
5. Hid out of sight while piping strange music.
6. Drove out the bandits who had so menaced us!
7. Capered madly around the village boundary with shrill giggles.
8. Stood over a different bed each night, absolutely silent.
9. Made flower garlands for the children.
10. Ate all of the cats and rats.
11. Erected standing stones in the fields and engraved them with weird runes.
12. Toppled trees and built a huge fire, upon which it cooked and ate a bear.
13. Seeded strange, humming crops around the village.
14. Conspired with the crows and wolves.
15. Dug deep into the ground.
16. Left grisly totems on the treeline.
17. Scattered silver coins from the temple roof.
18. Dove into the river and lurked under the bridge.
19. Spun itself a cocoon of glowing silk.
20. Left gifts on each doorstep.

But then it...

1. Fell upon us like a savage, starving beast!
2. Started a great conflagration in the town!
3. Turned the river to blood and drowned folk in it!
4. Stole the children away into the woods!
5. Demanded we serve it as lord of the land!
6. Stole the alderman's strongbox and fled with his daughter!
7. Unleashed a swarm of insects upon the fields!
8. Hunted down those who went into the woods, one by one!
9. Bewitched the town for days wand toyed with us like puppets!
10. Laid a thick mist on the town and brought our nightmares to life!
11. Devoured all of the food and drink that we had!
12. Forced us to debase ourselves before it and bring it sacrifices!
13. Pulled folk into the earth at random and entombed them!
14. Began tearing down houses!
15. Spread sickness through the village!
16. Ground the miller's family into bread and forced us to eat it!
17. Burned a host of people in a great fire!
18. Tied people up and hung them from trees!
19. Set kin against kin and friend against friend, revelling in the chaos it wrought!
20. Demanded every 10 of us draw lots, those who lost were eaten!

Credit, Eugene Korolev

It was...

1. Tiny... - HD-2; AC+4.
2. The size of a child...- HD-1; AC+2.
3. The size of a man... - N/A.
4. Huge... - HD+2.

And it had the shape of a(n)...

1. Man!
2. Farm beast! 1d4: 1. Ox, 2. Sheep, 3. Horse, 4. Pig.
3. Lion!
4. Bird of prey!
5. Deer!
6. Eel!
7. Octopus!
8. Insect! 1d4: 1. Ant, 2. Beetle, 3. Wasp, 4. Moth.
9. Crab!
10. Wolf!
11. Songbird!
12. Serpent!
13. Crocodile!
14. Spider!
15. Bear!
16. Goat!
17. Fish!
18. Fox!
19. Boar!
20. Rat!

It walked on...

1. 1d6 stalk legs ending in great talons... (Can attack from 10' away)
2. Countless rippling millipede legs...
3. A slimy snail's foot... (Can move up walls and on ceilings)
4. A slithering serpentine belly... (Move 40')
5. Two powerful, backwards jointed legs with wolf feet... (Can leap 40')
6. 1d8 skittering spider legs... (Can move up walls and on ceilings)
7. A veil of shadows that glided over the ground... (Fly 30')
8. Two stout legs, like a man...
9. 1d10 chitinous legs with many joints... (Move 40')
10. 1d6 whiplike legs that lashed out with hooked feet... (Gain 10' ranged attack with +2 to hit for 1d6 damage)
11. A mass of pseudopods... (Move 20')
12. 1d6 skeletal bird legs...
13. 1d4 rotting horse legs...
14. Nothing... it simply floated along... (Fly 30')
15. 1d8 scrabbling rodent legs... (Can tunnel 20' per round as a movement action)
16. 1d12 pillars of  scorching flame... (Adjacent enemies must Save vs Breath or take 1d6 damage with a 1 in 6 chance to set on fire)
17. 1d4 scaled, reptilian legs...
18. 1d6 legs of jointed, grinding stone... (Move 10')
19. A sphere of shimmering metal that rolled and bounced beneath it... (Move 30' in a random direction)
20. Four sculpted legs of living metal... (AC+2)

And for arms it had...

1. 1d20 pale arms that writhed from its back like serpents. (Target must Save vs Paralysis on a successful attack or be grabbed)
2. A huge crustacean claw for one arm, and a slender human arm for the other. (Rends metal armour, two hits will cause it to break)
3. A hooked bone claw on one side, and a host of writhing tentacles on the other. (1d8 damage)
4. 1d4 mantis-like bladed limbs. (2 attacks)
5. 1d6 hirsute trunks ending in three, thick fingers. (1d8 damage)
6. Three skeletal limbs ending in fingers with four joints.
7. 1d4 tentacles that erupted from its torso.
8. A pair of delicate human arms with finely manicured nails. (1d2 damage).
9. 1d10 barbed and hooked limbs that ended in grasping claws. (Target must Save vs Paralysis on a successful attack or be grabbed)
10. Three mighty arms covered in hard, glittering scales. (AC+2)
11. A misshapen arm, swollen with muscle, on one side and a withered, blackened arm on the other.
12. 1d6 serpents with tiny fingers instead of teeth.
13. 1d100 filthy, wet pseudopods that roiled into and out of each other like a sea of maggots. (Target must Save vs Poison on a successful hit or be infected with a random disease)
14. 1d8 deer legs ending in spasmodically grasping talons. (2 attacks)
15. 1d4 scaled, reptilian limbs streaked with bright colours.
16. Two great bat wings that ended in claws. (Fly 60')
17. Four iridescent feathered limbs that ended in scything blades. (4 attacks)
18. 1d6 furred limbs whose fingers had viciously sharp claws. (Successful attacks cause target to bleed, taking 1 damage per round until treated)
19. 1d10 many jointed limbs ending in wailing human and animal heads. (1d4 damage but target must Save vs Breath weapon on a hit or be stunned for 1 round by the yammering screams)
20. Five muscular arms each ending in two hands. Instead of fingers each hand has 5 hooves. (5 attacks, 1d4 damage)

Atop its shoulders sat...

1. A stone obelisk with a glistening red eye...
2. Two human heads, constantly arguing and biting at each other...
3. A four-eyed goat's head with erratically sprouting horns...
4. A Swan-like neck with a snapping reptilian maw...
5. A veiled face that was impossible to see...
6. A churning mass of flesh that sprouted eyes, mouths and ears at random. The nose remained constant...
7. A writing mass of slime in the shape of a head...
8. An armoured helm, pitted with rust...
9. The head of a spider with eight human eyes...
10. A human face with no features except two oversized, drooping ears...
11. A blazing white light, as bright as the sun...
12. The face of my mother...
13. A wolf's head with milky white eyes...
14. A hairy insectoid head with a long, needle proboscis and glittering compound eyes...
15. The head of a brutish humanoid daubed in chalky paint with jagged, sharp teeth...
16. A glistening cephalopod head with a pair of yellow eyes, wreathed in tentacles...
17. A single, beautiful glyph that shimmered and danced...
18. An ever changing, ever shifting face whose flesh danced and squirmed...
19. An enormous, fanged maw with two tiny eyes where the jaws met...
20. A burnished bronze mask with six eye- and two mouth-slits...

And its body...

1. Was rotten and spoiled, like a ripened fruit.
2. Was covered in bright colours and patterns.
3. Was covered in moss and lichen.
4. Was infested with maggots and carrion insects.
5. Dripped with slime and ooze.
6. Was covered in thick, matted fur.
7. Was covered in gleaming scales.
8. Glowed with an inner light.
9. Gleamed with a metallic sheen.
10. Was coated with sweet smelling unguents.
11. Was cracked and marbled, like polished stone.
12. Oozed blood and pus from its pores.
13. Was desiccated and shrivelled.
14. Was swollen and distended.
15. Was covered in bright feathers.
16. Was charred and ashen.
17. Was wreathed in vines and branches.
18. Sprouted mushrooms and fungi of lurid colours.
19. Spewed filth and corruption from every orifice.
20. Was frostbitten and covered in ice crystals.

We couldn't stop it because...

1. It had mighty sorcerous powers! (Creature has the powers of an equivalent level Magic-User)
2. It could shatter stone with its blows! (Attacks do +4 damage)
3. It was covered in plates of bone and chitin! (Armour as Plate, or +2 if already equivalent)
4. It shimmered into nothingness! (Special: Creature can go invisible for HD minutes per day as a free action)
5. It just. Wouldn't. Die! (+4 HD)
6. Its gaze turned you to stone! (Special: Creature can focus on a visible target as a full action. Target must Save vs Paralysis or be petrified)
7. It breathed noxious vapours that choked the life from us! (Special: Gain a breath weapon attack with a 50' cone range. All targets in the area of effect must Save vs Poison or die)
8. It wreathed itself in flames when we approached! (Special: Creature can surround itself with magical flames for HD minutes per day as a free action)
9. It commanded wild beasts to attack us! (Special: Creature can charm animals HD times per day as a free action)
10. Its gaze pinned you in place! (Special: Creature can cast Hold Person HD times per day as a free action)
11. It was just too fast for us! (Special: Creature is permanently under the effects of Haste)
12. It sang to our kin and turned them against us! (Special: Creature can cast Charm Person HD times per day as a free action)
13. It leapt from shadow to shadow before cutting us down! (Special: Creature treats all shadows it can see as adjacent for movement purposes)
14. Every blow we struck was healed within moments! (Special: Creature regenerates 1d6hp per round)
15. It blinded us with a burning light! (Special: Creature can strobe pulses of light HD times per day as a full action. All sighted creatures within 100' must Save vs Breath or be blinded for 1d6 rounds)
16. It wielded a terrible sword with a razor edge! (Gain 1 sword attack for 1d12+2 damage)
17. It sprouted vicious barbs and quills whenever we got close! (Anyone who deals damage to the creature in melee suffers 1d6 damage)
18. It spat burning acid at us! (Gain 1 ranged acid attack for 1d6+2 damage, acid will continue to burn for 3 rounds unless washed off dealing 3, then 2, then 1 damage per round)
19. It divided and multiplied with chaotic abandon! (Special: Creature can divide itself into 2 smaller copies at will, each with 50% of the creature's original HD rounded down. Each copy can also divide, provided that the remaining copies have at least 1 HD)
20. Our blows passed straight through it! (Creature is ethereal and can only be damaged by magic & magic weapons)

Credit, John Torres

But we were saved by...

1. A bold knight in shining plate on a mighty warhorse...
2. A cunning rogue who struck from the shadows...
3. A master of the arcane who wielded mighty magicks...
4. A servant of the divine who bore the wrath of a god...
5. A savage barbarian warrior of immense strength...
6. A heathen witch, cloaked in darkness...
7. A loyal and noble servant of the king himself...
8. One of our own, touched by prophecy...
9. A savage druid who drove a hard bargain with us...
10. A band of brave adventurers, many who fell in the process...
11. A hardened band of mercenaries who demanded payment in gold...
12. A white-haired warrior wearing a wolf's head amulet...
13. A sorceress from foreign lands...
14. A gang of tricksters and thieves...
15. A brave priest, armed with holy water and a symbol of the divine...
16. A single, staggeringly drunk man...
17. A troupe of masked elves who spoke in rhymes...
18. A pack of squabbling goblins...
19. A hooded ranger who roamed the woods...
20. A divine angel, who glowed with sacred light...

When they...

1. Lashed the beast with burning brands! (Creature is vulnerable to and takes double damage from fire)
2. Doused the creature with holy water! (Creature takes 1d12 damage when splashed with a vial of holy water)
3. Hurled a silver-tipped spear clean through it! (Creature's AC is reduced to 12 against silver weapons)
4. Beat it with a mighty cudgel! (Creature takes double damage from crushing weapons)
5. Choked it with rowan smoke! (Creature must Save vs Breath every round when exposed to the smoke of burning rowan or do nothing but cough and splutter)
6. Showed the beast its own terrible reflection! (Creature must Save vs Paralysis when exposed to its own image or it will flee in terror)
7. Bound it with sorcery and banished it from here! (Creature's Save vs Magic is rolled with disadvantage)
8. Chopped its head clean off! (PC's may declare they are attempting to behead the creature. A natural 20 is needed to succeed. If successful the creature is beheaded and killed instantly, otherwise the attack has no effect)
9. Impaled it on a lance from a charging horse! (Creature takes triple damage when hit by a charge from a mounted opponent)
10. Warded it off with patterns drawn in salt! (Creature will not willingly cross lines of salt and takes 1d8 damage if forced to)
11. Tied it up with a magic rope and threw it in the river! (Creature cannot break enchanted or blessed ropes and chains)
12. Blasted it with magic and sorcery! (Creature takes double damage from magic)
13. Played a soothing melody and lulled it to sleep! (Creature must Save vs Magic Device every round that a musical instrument is played in a soothing way or they fall asleep)
14. Shot it full of arrows! (Creature has AC-2 vs ranged attacks)
15. Scared it off with a terrifying war cry! (Creature's morale is halved)
16. Fed it meat laced with a virulent poison! (Creature's Save vs Poison is rolled with disadvantage)
17. Ducked and weaved around it as they struck, their movements a blur! (Creature takes a -2 penalty on melee attacks)
18. Got the creature steaming drunk and dragged it out of town! (Creature must Save vs Poison or will compulsive drink any available alcohol until it passes out)
19. Tackled the creature down and dragged it out of town! (Creature applies no modifiers to grappling/wrestling checks)
20. Sliced it with 1,000 cuts! (Creature takes double damage from slashing weapons)

Credit, EA Howell

Examples

The Vermin Spider of Tanat

Rolls - D20: 1,12,13,14,15,4,17,7,15,20,2; D4: 2

It appeared during a terrible drought and at first it toppled trees and built a huge fire, upon which it cooked and ate a bear. But then it pulled folk into the earth at random and entombed them! It was the size of a child and it had the shape of a spider! It walked on six scrabbling rodent legs and for arms it had two mantis-like blades. Atop its shoulder sat a single beautiful, glyph that shimmered and danced and its body was covered in gleaming scales. We couldn't stop it because it blinded us with a burning light! But we were saved by a divine angel, who glowed with sacred light, when they doused the creature with holy water!

Creature stats: 

AC: 16; HD: 3; Attacks: 2 attacks with +2 to hit, 1d6 damage; Move: 30', Save As: 4th level Fighter; Morale: 10.

Special:

Creature can tunnel 20' per round as a movement action.

Creature can strobe pulses of light HD times per day as a full action. All sighted creatures within 100' must Save vs Breath or be blinded for 1d6 rounds.

Creature takes 1d12 damage when splashed with a vial of holy water.

---

The Vile Wyrm of Karabas

Rolls - D20: 18,13,16,13,7,17,1,19,7,4,3; D4: 4

It appeared after a bountiful autumn harvest and at first it seeded strange, humming crops around the village. But then it ground the miller's family into bread and forced us to eat it! It was huge and it had the shape of a crocodile! It walked on a veil of shadows that glided over the ground and for arms it had four iridescent feathered limbs that ended in scything blades. Atop its shoulders sat a stone obelisk with a glistening red eye and its body spewed filth and corruption from every orifice. We couldn't stop it because it breathed noxious vapours that choked the life from us! But we were saved by a servant of the divine who bore the wrath of a god when they hurled a silver-tipped spear clean through it!

Creature stats: 

AC: 14; HD: 6; Attacks: 4 attacks with +2 to hit, 1d6 damage; Move: Fly 30', Save As: 4th level Fighter; Morale: 10.

Special:

Gain a breath weapon attack with a 50' cone range. All targets in the area of effect must Save vs Poison or die.

Creature's AC is reduced to 12 against silver weapons.

---

The Gorgon Goat of Almasy

Rolls - D20: 7,4,9,16,12,16,12,15,6,6,4; D4: 4

It appeared from the waters during the worst flood in memory and at first it screamed with the voices of the dead all throughout the night. But then it bewitched the town for days and toyed with us like puppets. It was huge and it had the shape of a goat. It walked on three skeletal bird legs and for arms it had two great bat wings that ended in claws. Atop its shoulders sat the face of my mother and its body was covered in bright feathers. We couldn't stop it because its gaze turned you to stone! But we were saved by a heathen witch, cloaked in darkness, when they beat it with a mighty cudgel!

Creature stats: 

AC: 14; HD: 6; Attacks: 1 attack with +2 to hit, 1d6 damage; Move: Fly 60', Save As: 4th level Fighter; Morale: 10.

Special:

Creature can focus on a visible target as a full action. Target must Save vs Paralysis or be petrified.

Creature takes double damage from crushing weapons.

OSR: 1d100 Curse Symptoms

This is a bonus post that came about due to my inability to format a decent looking table for my previous 1d100 Curses & Hexes post. While the previous post contains a host of nasty curses to inflict upon player characters, this is more of a flavour list for the various symptoms that the spiritually afflicted might display.

Credit, Marek Kwapuliński

1d100 Curse Symptoms

d100 Roll	Curse Symptom
1	All music played in the PC's presence becomes discordant and harsh.
2	Evil whispers follow the PC wherever they go.
3	The ambient temperature around the PC drops to near freezing.
4	The PC's skin becomes ivory pale.
5	The PC's blood vessels stand out black against their skin.
6	Tears of blood constantly leak from the PC's eyes.
7	Every morning the PC wakes up surrounded by vile, insulting notes.
8	Crows follow the PC, cawing sinisterly.
9	Stigmata painlessly open on the PC's hands.
10	Dogs howl in the PC's presence and cower in fear.
11	Water the PC touches turns blood red.
12	Open flames turn a sickly green when the PC is near.
13	The PC's voice is reduced to a sibilant whisper.
14	The PC leaves no footprints.
15	The PC's tongue becomes forked like a serpent's.
16	The flesh on the PC's hands painlessly rots away. Their hands function normally.
17	The PC smells faintly of brimstone and blood.
18	A single blood red rune is branded on the PC's forehead.
19	The PC's pupils pulse with a red glow.
20	The PC's finger- and toenails fall out.
21	Rats form a silent procession behind the PC as they pass through a town.
22	The PC's teeth become jagged and uneven.
23	All of the PC's teeth fall out at once.
24	A shadowy figure can occasionally be seen looming over the PC.
25	Objects that the PC puts down always point or face East.
26	The PC's voice is accompanied by the moans of damned and tormented souls.
27	The PC's hair is bleached bone white.
28	The PC's skin breaks out in eldritch patterns of angry hives.
29	Any fire that the PC approaches starts to whisper in the background.
30	The PC's eyes look milky and clouded.
31	The PC's eyes become glittering black orbs.
32	Black marks and runes travel across the PC's flesh.
33	The PC's skin turns an unhealthy, jaundiced yellow.
34	Thick hair sprouts from the PC's palms and soles.
35	The PC's nails elongate dramatically, reaching their previous length within an hour if trimmed.
36	The PC's shadow sometimes wanders off.
37	Songbirds that come within 50' of the PC drop dead.
38	The PC's presence is accompanied by the ghostly rattling of chains.
39	The PC's footprints are like those of a monstrous, clawed creature.
40	The PC's pupils become slitted, like a cat.
41	The PC sprouts a pair of small horns from their forehead.
42	The PC is constantly drenched in sweat.
43	The PC's skin takes on a pallid, blue tinge.
44	A comb of brightly coloured feathers sprouts from the PC's scalp.
45	Colours become dull and washed out in the PC's presence.
46	The ambient temperature around the PC is much warmer than their surroundings.
47	Animals near the PC pronounce predictions of doom in a croaking voice.
48	Sleeping people near the PC suffer terrible nightmares.
49	Any mirror the PC looks into immediately shatters.
50	The faces of corpses within 100' of the PC twist into grimacing smiles.
51	Smoke within 100' of the PC twists into the shape of grinning skulls.
52	People and animals in pictures and paintings that the PC looks at weep tears of blood.
53	Any weapons put down or dropped in the PC's presence will land pointing at them.
54	Coins handled by the PC bear a skull on one side and a sword on the other.
55	The PC's blood becomes thick, black and foul-smelling.
56	The PC tarnishes any metal they touch.
57	Thorns emerge from the PC's scalp.
58	The PC's hair falls out in clumps.
59	A screaming face can be seen at the back of the PC's throat.
60	The PC smells faintly of rotten meat.
61	Instead of sweat, the PC excretes sand from their pores.
62	The PC's tongue engorges and protrudes from their mouth.
63	Riding animals will refuse to let the PC mount them.
64	The PC erupts in boils and buboes.
65	The PC sprouts shaggy fur all over their body.
66	Insects are attracted to the PC and they will be covered in flies in moments.
67	Pictures of the PC will always depict their face as a screaming skull.
68	The PC's reflection is bestial and twisted.
69	When washing, the PC will continually shed filth and dirt long after they are clean.
70	The PC has no reflection.
71	The PC's bedding will always be infested with mites and fleas.
72	Food the PC touches becomes bland and unappetising.
73	Any coins the PC drops land on their edges and spin.
74	The PC's hands are swapped with each other.
75	The PC's sweat becomes slimy and sticky.
76	Chickens aggressively mob and peck at the PC.
77	The word 'KNAVE' is spelled out in pimples on the PC's face.
78	The PC's skin is covered in rough scales.
79	The backs of the PC's hands are branded with black runes.
80	Cats hiss and yowl if the PC comes within 100' of them.
81	Objects that the PC puts down always stick slightly to the surface below them.
82	The PC's presence turns wine into vinegar.
83	Cattle produce sour milk and horses pull up lame in the PC's passing.
84	The PC's feet twist into cloven hooves.
85	The PC will always appear soaked in blood when stood in moonlight.
86	The PC's face cannot be remembered.
87	The PC always looks slightly translucent.
88	The PC's joints continually click and crack when they move.
89	The PC's face has the form of a skull in torchlight.
90	The PC constantly drools.
91	The PC becomes gaunt and cadaverous.
92	The PC's touch chills to the bone.
93	Sources of flame always sway and pull towards the PC.
94	Children and animals flee in terror at the PC's presence.
95	The PC's voice is heard from behind whoever they are talking to.
96	The PC's flesh sags loose from their bones.
97	A second mouth opens and stretches across the PC's abdomen.
98	An extra finger appears on both of the PC's hands.
99	An extra joint appears on the PC's thumbs.
100	The PC's tongue splits entirely in two.

OSR: 1d100 Hexes & Curses

My group and I have been using Lamentations of the Flame Princess (with a... reasonable number of alterations and house rules) and it fits our needs perfectly - it's fast, simple and lethal. However, while thinking up my Sin Eater class I took a look at what the rulebook had to say about curses (that being the Sin Eater's thing). The relevant passage can be found under the entry for Remove Curse, a reversible spell that also allows the caster to inflict a curse upon a target:

Bestow Curse (the reverse of Remove Curse) can bring about any number of unfortunate effects upon a being, determined by the caster and Referee. Some limits of effect must be enforced. Typical possibilities are limited to no more than a –2 pen alty to saving throws or –4 to hit, an ability being reduced by 50%. These effects can have any number of creative symptoms. The victim can avoid being affected by Bestow Curse with a successful saving throw versus Magic.

While this is useful to have in a pinch, I wanted some curses and hexes with a bit more variety. Several drinks later, this is what I came up with.

Also, see my subsequent post with 1d100 flavourful curse symptoms.

Credit, Anna R

1d100 Curses & Hexes

d100 Roll	Curse Effect
1	The PC suffers from horrific nightmares and heals only every other day when resting. They are constantly fatigued (disadvantage on all rolls).
2	Food turns to ash in the PC's mouth. They must eat twice as much to sustain themselves.
3	Coins seem to escape when the PC isn't looking. Whenever the PC handles currency there is a 50% chance that 1d20% of the amount is lost.
4	Choose another party member - the PC's fate is bound to them. The PC takes damage whenever the bonded character does, but if the PC takes damage the other character is healed.
5	The PC's vision is obscured by grey mists past 60'.
6	The PC is blinded.
7	The PC's limbs become leaden and weighty. Increase enbumbrance level by 1.
8	The PC constantly breaks wind or belches, -4 CHA. Stealth is impossible.
9	The PC hears a different, jarring noise in their ears every few seconds which disorders their thoughts, -2 WIS and the PC is surprised on 4-in-6 in combat.
10	One of the PC's legs grows longer than the other. Treat movement as 1 encumbrance level higher due to the ungainliness of their walking.
11	The PC hawks up a small mucus covered creature (1hp). They must nourish and care for it. If it dies, they die.
12	Iron and steel burn the PC's flesh, inflicting 1d6 damage every round they are in contact.
13	Wood rots and crumbles at the PC's touch.
14	Animals despise the PC and attack on sight.
15	The PC is deafened.
16	The PC's fingers and toes fall off, -4 DEX. They regrow over the next 3 days, are usable on the 4th day and then the cycle repeats.
17	If the PC is violently ill if they eat anything other than turnips. Drinking is not affected.
18	The PC exudes a delicious savoury scent. Stealth vs enemies with a keen sense of smell is twice as hard. Carnivores always attack this PC first.
19	The PC runs a constant fever and is always catching colds. Saves vs Poison to resist disease are rolled with disadvantage.
20	The PC's vocal cords are paralysed and they cannot speak.
21	The PC's tongue has a will of its own and spits vile insults whenever the PC tries to speak.
22	The PC's bones become brittle and frail. They cannot carry >1 level of encumbrance.
23	Whenever a friendly character within 50' casts a spell there is a 50% that the spell targets the PC, if offensive, or their enemy, if beneficial.
24	All iron and steel objects that the PC touches rapidly crumble into rusty fragments.
25	If the PC kills something they immediately spew 1d20 litres of blood from every available orifice and suffer 2 CON damage.
26	If the PC stands still for more than 30 seconds in the same spot they are rooted to the floor by vines. They can free themselves with an Open Doors roll.
27	The sun burns and blisters the PC's skin, doing 1d6 damage per round.
28	If the PC is knocked unconscious daemons spirit their soul away for 1d4 days and permanently reduce their CHA by 1 point.
29	The PC has no weight when exposed to the wind and will be blown away without adequate precautions.
30	The PC's skin becomes cracked and raw, opening wounds at any opportunity. Max HP is reduced by 1d6 to a minimum of 1HP.
31	The PC's nose rots away and falls off, -4 CHA.
32	Everything the PC utters is believed to be a lie by those who hear them.
33	A fug lies across the PC's mind, slowing their wits and dulling their senses, -4 INT & WIS.
34	The PC's back cracks and knots into a hunched stoop, forcing them to walk on all fours. They roll to hit with disadvantage and suffer -4 DEX.
35	The PC's hands and feet switch places.
36	The PC's eyes point out of the back of their head.
37	Daemonic forces rend the PC's soul and cause them constant pain, -2 CON. If the PC ever drops to 0HP their soul is immediately dragged to the Abyss.
38	The PC's muscles wither and decay, 1/2 STR.
39	If the PC ever suffers a piercing injury they fall into a catatonic state from which they can only be revived if kissed by a being with a CHA score of >16.
40	The PC cannot breathe air, but they can breathe underwater.
41	The PC's blood roils and rebels in their veins. Any injury causing blood to be spilt deals double damage as the PC's blood seizes the chance to be free.
42	The PC's presence is anathema to most beings. They will always be attacked first in combat.
43	Knowledge of written language is struck from the PC's brain. They cannot read or write.
44	The PC must speak in rhymes.
45	A seed worms its way out of the PC's nose and embeds itself in the ground. Within an minute it grows into a tree - any damage or illness that the tree suffers, the PC suffers.
46	The PC cannot consciously cross running water.
47	The opposite gender despise the PC.
48	The PC can only heal naturally when they deal an amount of damage to another being as a sacrifice. The damage dealt is the amount that the PC heals at the standard rate.
49	The PC attracts ranged projectiles. All ranged attacks launched from within 100' have a 50% chance of targetting the PC.
50	The PC's soul burns and shines like an astral beacon, attracting all sorts of divine and arcane energies. Their Saves vs Magic are rolled with disadvantage.
51	The PC's joints stiffen and creak, causing pain with every movement, -4 DEX.
52	The PC's footsteps are boomingly loud, even on soft surfaces. Stealth is impossible.
53	The PC's skin exudes a volatile, flammable oil that will ignite if any source of flame comes within 10'.
54	The PC loses all mental filters and voices their thoughts aloud.
55	The PC views the world in monochrome, save for the occasional blood red object.
56	The PC's internal compass is hopelessly scrambled and they are unable to navigate in any meanindful way. Any attempts to navigate will always lead to being lost.
57	Unlucky. The PC cannot benefit from critical hits and suffers a critical miss on a roll of 1-3.
58	The PC hears whispers demanding blood and skulls. They have an random chance of attacking any living thing within range in combat, including their movement range.
59	The PC's palms and soles lose virtually all grip. Climbing skill is halved and all attack rolls are made at a disadvantage.
60	The PC's body weighs twice as much. Their encumbrance doesn't change but they are twice as likely to break things they stand on. They sink very quickly.
61	Liquid flees the PC's presence. This makes drinking rather difficult.
62	The PC cannot drink unadulterated water.
63	The PC turns to stone if another being looks at them. They recover when nothing is looking.
64	The stars spell the PC's doom. Each day, after sleeping under the open sky, the PC makes all rolls with disadvantage.
65	Any paper or parchment touched by the PC rapidly ages as if it had spent a century in the sun.
66	Upon waking the PC has a 50% chance of finding their relative gravity reversed.
67	The PC's chest cavity opens and their heart hangs loose. Any attacks to the PC's front deal triple damage.
68	The PC's mouth seals shut.
69	The PC's arms and legs swap places.
70	The PC's bones lose all structure and they devolve into a grotesque blob form, -4 CHA & DEX.
71	The PC is bent 90 degrees backwards at the waist, disadvantage on all combat rolls.
72	The PC's arms elongate until their knuckles touch the floor. They gain 1 reach on any attacks but take disadvantage on all combat rolls.
73	The PC's torso bloats to double its size, destroying any worn armour (and dealing 1d6 damage if so) in the process.
74	The PC's legs shrink to half their length. They drop to the half their previous movement speed, rounded down.
75	Any object held in the PC's hands seems unbearably heavy. Any held item counts as oversized for encumbrance purposes.
76	Ropes and chains in the vicinity of the PC animate themselves and attempt to restrain and hang them.
77	The light of the moon causes the PC to enter a catatonic state for 1d6 days.
78	Objects stick to the PC's hands. It takes a full action to drop something they are holding, throwing is impossible.
79	When the PC falls into a deep slumber when they hear music. They can only be woken by shaking or a physical blow.
80	The PC appears as if they are standing in daylight when in dark places or at night.
81	The PC's fingers fuse together into flippers.
82	The PC is marked for death and cannot naturally heal.
83	Any light source held by the PC burns twice as quickly and produces twisted, horrifying shadows.
84	The PC can only gain sustenance from the flesh and blood of sentient beings.
85	The PC cannot bear to be in the presence of a god, cleric or holy site. They take 1d6 damage every round when they are not actively fleeing the source of a divine presence.
86	The PC's eyes and mouth switch places, CHA is reduced to 3.
87	One of the PC's hands does all it can to inconvenience and harm them, i.e. dropping or breaking items, refusing to grip great weapons etc.
88	The PC's legs fuse together and they must hop everywhere. Movement rate is reduced to the lowest possible.
89	The PC is unable to remove any armour, clothing or other equipment they are currently wearing as it fuses to their flesh with a sizzling hiss.
90	The PC is afflicted with a terrible lust for treasure and will attempt to devour any valuable objects they see.
91	Any rope or ladder bearing the PC's weight will break or snap within moments.
92	One of the PC's arms withers to a feeble husk and cannot be used.
93	Any plants touched by the PC wither and die, including ones they step on while walking.
94	Doomed. The PC takes disadvantage on all combat rolls and their opponents gain advantage on all of theirs.
95	The PC is constantly parched and requires twice as much water each day to stop them from dehydrating.
96	The PC only has a corporeal presence at night.
97	The PC feels a constant hunger and must Save vs Magic whenever they see food. Failure means that they will violently attempt to gorge themselves.
98	Any tool that the PC uses to complete a task has a 50% chance of breaking, regardless of the nature of the task.
99	All light sources within 50' of the PC extinguish themselves with screams.
100	Food and drink spoils if in the presence of the PC for longer than a day.

Footnote: Anyone with experience in getting HTML tables formatted in Blogger, please send me any tips that you have!