Sunday, September 11, 2011

Road Tripping Chart

Now that the players are going to be cruising around in the ambulance they got here and will be upgrading it with the stuff they have here, I decided to write a multidimensional chart on stuff that might happen as they travel from place investigating the supernatural. It's quite in interesting chart if I do say so, though it's mostly several charts combined. I'd love to hear your thoughts or possible additions.

How it works mostly is you first roll a d4, then depending on what you get there you roll a d20 on one of four other charts. The attack chart also includes a d6 roll if you want to add even more variety. If you know you want the players to run into an attack or a business of some sort you could also just skip the first step and just roll for the table you want.

But if your just want something straight random, I'd recommend rolling a d4, and a d20, and a d6 all at once so that no matter what you get you already have numbers generated to choose things. Might save a few seconds in the middle of a game.


Road Tripping chart

1- Players are attacked in some way
2- prominent business of some sort
3- event or activity of some kind catches players eye
4- natural event of some kind


Attacked on the Road

1- meth dealers, they are driving an RV, it's their lab on wheels
2- motorcycle gang, there are d6+3 members, they fight with chains, crowbars, guns, knuckle weapons, knives
3- cops, depending on the situation the players may be being pursued for an actual crime they committed, being falsely pursued, or the police are doing some sort of routine check
4- inter-dimensional marauders, they appear from a portal of some sort, most likely non-human fighter types, but a few have magical or super science abilities
5- land based animal instinct monster of some kind, should be region specific if possible, 80% it's some kind of cryptid, 20% it's a regular item of some sort
6- same as above but flying
7- still flying, but this is by someone with human intellect, 50% of the time they are flying by supernatural means, otherwise by plane, helicopter, etc.
8- same as 5, but it's a water like creature, if no water available then they are burrowing through the ground
9- same as 8, but this is of someone of human intelligence, 50% of the time they are doing this by supernatural means, otherwise by boat, or drill, etc.
10- rival adventurers with upgraded car of some sort
11- hunters, they are going after one or more of the players because they are a rare supernatural creature
12- Something from one of the player's pasts
13- something or someone that exploits a player weakness
14- something or someone that can easily be taken advantage of by a player
15- an investigator looking into something mysterious the player's have recently been involved in, they likely won't be immediately hostile, but more interested in asking questions
16- a single person or creature without a vehicle, but they wield enormous and obvious magical power
17- revenge! Someone or something wronged by the players
18- cultists, most likely with some kind of supernatural leader, but maybe it's just a charismatic human
19- Military, like cops, but tougher, with way better gear
20- roll twice, the two groups are working together

Enemy Tactics
1-stealthy, will try and ambush players
2- honorable, will challenge players for some reason
3- impulsive, attack head on
4- unaware, players can try and ambush or avoid
5-equal terms, both sides notice each other at same time
6- fearful, will avoid players


Prominent Business

1-Academic, a school or university, 50% percent chance they are looking into a cryptid or magical circumstance, otherwise something mundane but sciency
2- Diner, human owned and relatively normal, if they players stop to eat, something weird will happen outside (roll on the chart again)
3- Diner, normal on the surface, but the food is kind of weird, something kind of weird is going on behind the scenes, either non-human chefs or the diner is a front for illegal activities
4- Diner, this one is overtly weird with it all either being nonhuman or everyone talks backwards or something, roll on enemy tactics chart to see how they react to players
5- Magical-Curiosity Shoppe, they should have some kind of regional magic such as potions with local ingredients, wards of common magical hazards/beings, maybe something offensive as well
6- Clinic, cheap, they offer medical care, but their will be limits on what they can do, they will also be more likely okay with anything overtly magical since they're sort of desensitized
7- Clinic, expensive, they can do more medically, but they are more likely to freak out from cryptids or magical stuff
8- Mundane weapon shop, depending on the area they might focus more on firearms or melee, or maybe something more exotic
9- Fancy restaurant, human owned and normal, but plenty of rich folk with money, you probably can't get in without dressing up some
10- Fancy restaurant, owned by a supernatural, employs all supernaturals, and serves food for a variety of supernaturals, might still be regular people their, they might be oblivious
11- Theater, 50% it's for movies, either wise it's a live performance, currently being shown is something remarkably close to previous player exploits
12- some kind of area for back-alley, street fighting competitions
13- House of worship, the sign says it is for a major religion, but there is a 40% chance the player's see something ominous and off going on
14- House of worship, this is obviously for some kind of cult or weird-ish religion
15- Mechanic, cheap, but all they can really work on is regular car stuff
16- Mechanic, expensive, but they can work on weapons and other vehicular upgrades
17- Sewage plant, but something's going wrong because it's starting to flood the road and it stinks, if the players just drive by they have to make a handling check with some penalties for smell and flood
18- Zoo, mostly mundane, but there is advertising that they've captured some kind of mythical creature or urban myth, 20% chance this a fake claim, otherwise it's legitimate
19- General store, gas station, there is a 40% that if the player's stop here they will get attacked, roll on that chart too then
20- Library, it's mostly normal, but likely has information on something going on the player's are interested in




On the Road event or activity

1- cops trying to apprehend criminal of some sort, 40% the criminal is magical in nature
2- A street vendor is rapidly handing out some type of product to the locals, their selling like hotcakes, but the players see they do something weird and magical to the people who get them, this could be bad or good
3- There are several journalists in this area, tv and newspaper, who are covering something, 20% chance it's something mundane like a fair or something, otherwise it's something exciting, roll again if need be
4- street racers in fast and colorful cars, they'll likely challenge the players in their weirdo car
5- political rally of some sort, depending on the situation the politician could be preaching anti-supe sentiment, pro-supe, or something else entirely
6- tribal or shamanistic ritual, it's in the middle of the road, driving through is likely going to tick off the participants or do something worse
7- roll twice on the enemies chart, they are fighting each other and not paying much attention to players
8- obvious drug deal goes down in front of players
9- New business is opening (roll on that table) they are offering services/prices for free or reduced prices
10- The player's have wandered into an area of old time, as far as they can tell they are really in some past era, but after they leave things return to modern earth
11- The player's have wandered into an area infused by some other realm or dimension, once they leave things return to normal
12- the player's are in a small town, but they don't see anyone around
13- there's a wild and crazy party going on in the streets
14- construction, if the player's don't go through it they will have to reroute, if that's the case roll all over again for this stage of the journey
15- Robbery occurs in front of players, it can be a bank, a liquor store, a museum, or whatever
16- The player's hear about something incredibly valuable in the area, they know where it is, and what protection it may have, could be tempting
17- roll on the business table, the players see that business but it then explodes
18- the player's see someone in jeopardy like a family, a bus full of kids, a wealthy business man, etc. roll on either the natural event table or the attack table to see what the danger is
19- They players come across corpses of regular humans, they've died in some mysterious way, unknown sickness, obviously magical, or murder
20- The players come across corpses of something magical in nature, it could be a giant whale, a burning vampire, etc.

Natural Event

  • most of the time, this chart will combine with others and just adds further dressing, it may or may not even come into play that much
  • if something is rolled and not area appropriate, reroll, or it could just be weird, or magical, or whatever

1- clear and sunny
2- clear but night time, you can clearly see the moon and stars, darkness penalty
3- night time, but the moon is full or at least nearly so, it's less dark, this may have varying other effects
4- raining and overcast during the day
5- raining and nighttime
6- Foggy and humid, anything ground level takes penalties
7- oddly hot for wherever you are
8- oddly cold for where you are
9- fast gusts of wind, depending on the region this may build into a tornado
10- tornado
11- furious storm, wind, rain, lightning, the works
12- this areas on fire could be natural or not
13- earthquake, roll a d10 for richter rating
14- nighttime, there's a meteor shower, something lands nearby
15- snowing
16- hailing
17- blizzard, driving wind and snow, low visibility
18- firestorm, an inferno that feeds itself
19- Dust storm
20- Acid rain

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