Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Hireling Names

I'm convinced a good hireling name is one that instantly gives you everything you need to know about them just from their name. I took ten minutes and brainstormed a bunch for handy use in the vein of Scrap Princess's awesome name list over here.

Of similarly awesome use is Ian's recently posted list of things psychotic people will yell at you pulled from the Borderlands game.


Torchbearers:
  • Pig
  • Old Mottley
  • Huggert
  • Li'l Zed
  • Stinky
  • Len Dumbass
  • Stickfoot
  • Nigel Sodpants
  • Louse


Men-(and women)-at-arms:
  • Droig
  • Black Maggie
  • Rufus
  • Elonzo
  • Vosh Vestra
  • Angry Jenny
  • Grumble Crumbles
  • Beagelwitz
  • Kur Bulgestein
  • Gustvolt von Pike


Veterans:
  • Bertha
  • Van Duggen
  • Grimes
  • Eggers
  • Gram Stabbo
  • Reverend Slurry
  • Sister Magdalena
  • Gunt Whistler


Packhorses (aka treasure carriers):
  • Bob
  • Gus
  • Chronic
  • Lazy Ned
  • Mule
  • Lefty
  • Curtis
  • Tunk

Thieves:
  • Los Loster
  • Midnight
  • Jack Shadow
  • Whisper
  • Scuttles
  • Sausage Fingers
  • Silas the Glove
  • Eliza Cabbage

Magicians:
  • Delzor
  • Voth the Mundane
  • El Hadazar
  • James Brown
  • Casper Varley
  • Carlito Maglioni

Dwarves:
  • Grim Grimmorson
  • Podge
  • Vargas
  • Dirty Krodo
  • Loambeard Stoutgut
  • Unger Derpson
  • Frugal Sal

Elves:
  • "Doug" Silverspear
  • Amaril
  • Leandra
  • Mute Fortha
  • Beaumont
  • Maple Maloney

Other:
  • Carnage the Wardog
  • Drazzle (doppleganger)
  • Handsome Jack (asshole Aasimar)
  • E. Lester Hicks, time traveler
  • Puddin' (polymorphed ooze)
Edit: Updated with some fun contributions from the G+ crowd.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Mid-Level Starting Character Random Quirk Table

"What happened to them?"
Good things, bad things, but most importantly interesting things. Compiled with help from cool people on G+. It's a d50 table - you could just do the d100/subtract 50 if over 50 thing.


  1. Has a cursed (but bonused) shield that cannot be taken off, making eating, sleeping, hugging, etc. difficult.
  2. Two fingers once bitten off by a bullywug, including the family ring. The Bullywug got away.
  3. Love/hate relationship with a pixie who has taken up residence in beard, hair or hat.
  4. Somehow learned how to speak to oozes.
  5. Spellbook has acquired intelligence, may require charisma rolls to convince it to let you learn spells.
  6. Character has started growing vestigial wings. Can't wear plate mail (and has to have other armor adjusted), but can fly for level in rounds, after which exhausted.
  7. Feet replaced by cloven hooves.
  8. Always smells of cinnamon.
  9. Looks exactly like famous prince/infamous baron.
  10. Blood replaced by tiny insects after jaunt in Carcosa, terrified of insects.
  11. Had renounced money - spends it as quickly as possible on insect themed totems for 'protection' (but really on any other grandiose project or odd addiction.)
  12. Former Henchwoman now assassin for one woman death cult - still friendly though.
  13. Has an arrow stuck in their head.  Removing the arrow would cause brain damage. No other effects.
  14. Has acquired a touch of lycanthropy, body part may occasional become furry and violent.
  15. Heterochromia (different colored eyes) -- one normal, and one with complete light blindness, but sees perfectly in dark/low-light settings.  Now wears an eye-patch and switches it back and forth, depending on lighting. Depth perception is totally screwed up now and can't shoot worth a darn.
  16. Touch of undeath - Brought to 0hp so many times the character can now be turned like the undead.
  17. Has developed an awkward, and outwardly obvious twitch when around or discussing gold.
  18. IT BUUUURNS!: Was hit by green slime in the past and lived, but with horrible scarring. 1d6: (1-3 head/face, 4 torso, 5 arm, 6 leg)
  19. Papa/Mama?: Took in a kobold baby, now grown up. Treat as fanatically loyal henchman with kobold stats. Unless they learns the truth of what happened to their parents...
  20. After years of dungeon crawling, has developed a taste for spider webs. Yes, eating them. 
  21. After a chance encounter that nearly killed them, the character has become terrified of certain vegetables and fruit.
  22. Was a living sacrifice, and had his heart ripped out by Lolth.  Shortly after, his body was "liberated" and resurrected, but the Priestess still has his now-beating heart in a jar in her bedroom on a side table.
  23. Starts uncontrollably itching under the armor when near poisonous traps and monsters.
  24. Stalked: An invisible stalker has somehow become infatuated with the character. They won't attack the character directly, but will be hostile towards any who show affection towards the character.
  25. Magic Robot Hand. What it says on the tin, partially translucent.
  26. Teeth are filed to sharp points.
  27. Tattoo in checkerboard pattern, all over.
  28. Swallowed by a whale. Survived, but can now breathe underwater.
  29. PC only requires alcohol to satisfy nutritional and hydrational needs. Only alcohol satisfies these needs. PC still gets drunk at normal rate.
  30. Tinkerbell: You can animate your shadow, but it doesn't always follow orders. 
  31. You are the familiar for a wizard no one has seen for one thousand years. 
  32. Half a treasure map is tattooed on your back.
  33. You are a person transported from 21st century earth to the setting by mysterious means.
  34. Pie In The Sky: Every week you go without a piece of pie, you lose a finger. Extra pie can help grow lost digits back...
  35. Your urine heals wounds. 
  36. Teeth can be pulled out and used as grenades. For each goblin you blast away, you travel another mile on the ugly road...
  37. Cool tail, bro.
  38. Immune to fear because the voices in your head tell you not to worry. 
  39. In complete darkness, your eyes shine like spotlights.
  40. There is a demon seed implanted in your chest. 1 in 6 chance direct blows to body damage the demon instead of you. 
  41. You have a reputation as a great swordsman, wizard, whatever. Losers come crawling out of the woodwork to challenge you.
  42. Your skin is green from radioactive stirge bites back at level one.
  43. You are covered with inexplicable scars, including bullet holes, sword cuts, claw marks, burns, frostbite discolorations, a Y shaped autopsy suture and inexplicably a suture completely encircling the neck - may actually be a Frankenstein.
  44. Keeps trophies of slain monsters. Others terribly creeped out by collection of untanned goblin ears, dark elf scalps, fire beetle antenna, pixie skulls and giant rat tails. Of course the stinking mess is proudly displyed on your armor/clothes at all times.
  45. Addicted to gambling, ogre gland extract and/or psychedelic cave lichen.
  46. You sold your soul to the devil in exchange for something you have yet to claim. He gets to call in the debt as soon as you complete the wishing. 
  47. You own a magical horse, and can summon it with a whistle. It's pretty clever and brave, and can survive on its own without supervision when you send it off.
  48. The local cat community owes you one, and will help you out when it can. This is just housecats and the smaller wildcats, though, no lions or magical beasts.
  49. You now age backwards at twice the natural rate. If you don't get magically aged you'll have to give up adventuring very quickly.
  50. Due to transdimensional mind-shift, you actually DO know everything your player knows.