Evil Game Master Society

As a GM, before you start any game, there’s one fundamental decision you have to make: are you going to use a published game world or not?

Let’s look at the three main benefits of using a published game setting:

1. The world is already created, so you don’t have to spend any time creating anything. Just pick it up, read through it and go.
2. Your players have easy access to the game world info, or may already be familiar with it.
3. There will be published material available for you to use: sourcebooks, adventures, supplements.

Now, let’s look at some drawbacks:

1. Your players have easy access to the game world material, and may read through the adventures/sourcebooks/supplements available, so there will be no surprises or secrets.
2. Game books can cost a lot of money.
3. The published material might not cover what you want to do with your game.
4. Publishers can only publish so much, and you’ll probably run out of published adventures before your game ends.

Are published settings worth it? They’re great for a GM who doesn’t have the time, ability or inclination to create a world from scratch. They’re also a fantastic starting point: GM’s can take the base world (the Forgotten Realms, for example) and go from there. Create their own conflicts and adventures without getting a single other product. Still other GM’s use them as a source of inspiration for their own games.

Still, it all comes down to what you need. Published material eliminates the need for a lot of prep time. Just read through the module, make some notes and you’re ready to go. And that’s perfect for a GM that’s starting out, or simply doesn’t have a lot of time.

I went through everything that was on the old pages, and the links were so out of date that 99% of them were broken. I’ve decided just to start over from scratch.

So, if you’ve got any links you think would be useful, please suggest them in a comment below.

This article continues on from “Make the World a Happening Place” and “Annual Events”.

Monthly events are rolled up one of three tables, depending on what yearly event was rolled up. As with yearly events the tables and following explanations are taken from the monthly events which appear in Oriental Adventures, but are modified for western style campaigns, plus a few original contributions.

Monthly events are more local, where annual events affect an entire area, monthly events usually affect one community and its surroundings. The DM can also use the table for when your adventurers enter a community for the first time. The DM can roll to see what particular crisis the village or town is currently suffering.

Monthly Events Table:
Table:	Table One:	Table Two:	Table Three:
Annual Event is:	Assassination, Incursion, Political plot, Rebellion, War	Natural disaster	Other
Monthly Event	Table One	Table Two	Table Three
Accident	01-05	01-05	01-05
Bandit activity	06-10	06-12	06-10
Bad Harvest	11-12	13-20	11-12
Bad weather	13-14	21-29	13-14
Birth	15-17	30	15-23
Death	18-21	31-35	24-27
Earthquake, minor	22	36-39	28-29
Excessive taxes	23-25	40-44	30
Famous person	26-27	45	31-35
Fire, minor	28-29	46-50	37-40
Flooding	30	51-55	41-42
Haunting	31-32	56-57	43-44
Horrendous monster	33-35	58-60	45-47
Incursion, major	36-43	61	48
Incursion, minor	44-53	62-63	49-50
Injustice	54-56	64-67	51-55
Landslide	57	68-71	56
Major battle	58-63	72	57
Maiden of virtue	64	73	58-62
Maneater	65	74-78	63-67
Marriage	66	79-80	68-76
Notorious criminal	67-68	81	77-85
Plague	69	82-86	86
Recruiting	70-76	87	87-88
Troop movements	77-86	88-89	89
Uprising	87-92	90-91	90
Vengeful stranger	93-95	92-95	91-95
VIP visit	96-00	96-00	96-00

Explanation of Monthly Events:

Accident: Some type of terrible accident occurs in the area. A bridge across a raging river may collapse, lightning may strike a building, a horse-drawn cart may plough into a crowd of people, a levee may break etc. The DM must decide what accident occurs. The accident at best causes inconvenience and at worst causes substantial loss of life. It will be the topic of conversation for some time afterward.

Bad Harvest: Poor weather, lazy farmers, bad luck and greedy cows have combined to yield a poor crop. Farm income in the area is reduced by 25%. There is a 5% chance of a famine occuring, and the price of food increases by 50% for the rest of this month and the following two months. The peasants/lower class are dissatisfied and there is considerable grumbling about bad luck and ill fates. Often the poor harvest is blamed on the ruler of the land. Supposedly the poor crop is punishment for his/her evil actions.

Bad Weather: The weather throughout the month is particularly foul. During winter roads are choked by blizzards and the air is freezing cold. In spring and autumn, the rains are particularly heavy, turning everything into a sodden morass. In summer the weather is exceptionally hot, broiling the community uncomfortably. All movement is reduced by 50% with a like effect on trade. Armies in the field suffer a 15% desertion rate during the month as the common soldiers decide they have had enough. During the farming season crops are damaged, reducing farm income by 15%.

Bandit Activity: A force of 20-200 bandits has moved into the area and is being particularly active. The bandits may have been driven out of a neighbouring region or may have naturally gravitated here. They establish a stronghold in some remote place, preferably deep in the mountains. They have spies and informers in the towns and villages, appraising them of the movements of merchant caravans and treasury shipments. There is a base 50% chance that any caravan moving through the region is attacked, unless escorted by a strong force. Lone travelers and unescorted or poorly escorted caravans are attacked/robbed 80% of the time. Should any merchant or official be so indiscreet as to publicaly let out that he is transporting a valuable cargo, the caravan is automatically attacked. Of course, mercenary guards are in great demand. If the government of the area is effective, troops are called out to drive the bandits from the region. Merchants and travellers are suspicious of strangers. If the government troops are ineffective, the bandits stage raids on small villages, robbing their grain stores shortly after each harvest. The bandits remain in the area until they are defeated or the pickings become too slim to be profitable.

Birth: Should any of the characters be married, the character learns at this time that he or she is to have a child. The actual birth will occur in nine months. If this does not apply, a local noble or government official has a child (95%) or there are reports of a miraculous birth of a child to a peasant/lower class family (5%). Should the child be born of a noble, it is an occasion for feasting and celebration for the noble and his retainers. If the birth is a miraculous one, it is an event of great wonder. The child is found in a vegetable patch, appears from the waters of a pool or spring, is found at a local shrine, etc. The peasant family is always honest, hard-working and pious. As the child grows through the years, he or she will prove to be exceptional in some way - great strength, cleverness, magical ability etc. Meanwhile the fortunes of the peasant family will rise and they will become leaders within their community.

Death: A local noble or government official dies, either of natural causes, war, or misadventure. If the position vacated is hereditary, it is filled by his son (or daughter if an equal or matriarchal society). If the noble has no heirs, there is a 30% chance some other person has inherited the property, either through adoption or assignment of rights. In this case the succession goes smoothly. If the succession is unclear and there is a strong government in the area, the fief is assigned to a new lord by the court. At the court there is political manoeuvering to gain the fief on a scale appropriate to the value of the province (furious struggles erupt for control of a rich farming province, for eg). If the central government is weak or non-existent, neighbouring lords attempt to seize the fief through force of arms. This can lead to armed clashes across the province or land. If the vacated position is a government post, the central government appoints a new official who arrives in 2-7 weeks unless a local is appointed, in which case the waiting period is 2-16 days. During the interim no government duties relating to the post can be resolved. Thus, upon the death of a magistrate for example, no cases could be heard or resolved until the new magistrate arrived.

Earthquake, Minor: The region is striken by a minor earthquake, affecting a five mile radius from the centre point chosen by the DM. Although loss of life is minor, 50% of the buildings in the area of the quake will be damaged. There is a 20% chance of a major fire occurring, and a 30% chance of a minor fire. The earthquake is preceded by tremors identical to those that precede a major quake. After the earthquake, the cost of building materials doubles for 1-2 months.

Excessive Taxes: A new edict comes from the ruler of the land or area, setting the taxes upon the peasants at a high, perhaps impossible rate. The ruler may need to finance a military campaign, rebuild sections of the kingdom destroyed in a natural disaster, or may just be a corrupt, licentious spendthrift. If the taxes are at an impossible rate, poorer peasants are driven into poverty or debt-slavery (if such a thing exists in the area). Many may be forced to sell their lands at low prices and take up begging. Everyone tries to find ways to avoid the new taxes - petitioning for special exemptions, or smuggling or hiding their goods. There is a 30% chance of an uprising occurring and a 70% chance of an increase in bandit activity as the impoverished peasants flee to the hills. If the taxes are not impossibly high, there will be just a lot of grumbling by all classes, and the normal attempts at tax evasion as previously mentioned above.

Famous Person: A person of great renown, but no official position, has arrived in the area. The person is noted for exceptional skill in some art, craft or other skill, or may be a famous adventurer. The person may also be a sage of repute. The person may have extraordinary skill at painting in a certain style, mastery of a particularly difficult type of poetry, superb form in a fighting style (maybe even the inventor of a type of fighting style), brilliance as a philosopher, or a reputation for pious behaviour while not being a priest - Ghandi for example. The person may have a class and level, or may just be a 0 level, or may have skills unavailable to normal characters. The famous visitor will attempt to arrive quietly and pass her time without arousing notice. However, rumours soon get about of his presence and his reputation. In addition, the famous person may have secret reasons for being in the area. The DM can create and add whatever complications she desires. The person remains in the area for 1d6 weeks.

Fire, Minor: A large fire sweeps a city, town or village. If the fire occurs in a city 10-40% of the buildings are destroyed. If the fire is in a town, 50-70% are burned. If the fire is in a village 80-100% of the buildings are burned to the ground. Costs of building materials in the area are double the normal price for 1-3 months. Fortunately loss of life from the fire is minimal. Minor fires are a useful tool for the DM when he wishes to make some change in the buildings or day-to-day affairs of an established place.

Flooding: Flooding is a sudden and less severe event than Floods in the Yearly Event table. Flooding is caused by the collapse of a levee, dam or dyke, or by a sudden cloudburst upstream. The water rushes over the countryside in a great wave 5d4 feet high. The wave is 101-200 feet wide, centered about the riverbed of its source. The wave rushes downstream for 1d6 miles before losing force. It can easily snap trees, tear down buildings, and sweep men and livestock away. All those caught in the path of the wave are swept downstream and will drown 75% of the time, unless they have some type of raft or other flotation device. After this passes the water level quickly drops. If the flooding is from a collapsed dam, dyke or levee, a water level of 3d12 inches remains in the area until the collapsed construction is rebuilt. Otherwise apart from some deep pools of water, the water level in the area is only 1d6 inches higher than normal, and will evaporate 1 inch per day (2 inches if the temperature is over 75 degrees F).

Haunting: It is rumoured that some site in the region has recently been the centre of strange and supernatural events - often the site of a great battle, murder or accident. The DM decides whether the haunting is real or not. This event can be used to provide the party with a ready-made adventure. Hauntings may be a simple affair, or quite elaborate with the spirit returning to complete some arduous task left unfulfilled or to right some wrong (perhaps committed by a government official), or may just be nasty.

Horrendous Monster: Some creature of great evil and power moves into the area and begins terrorizing the local communities. The DM should select the monster, either from those presented in the Monstrous Compendium/Manual, or a unique monster of his own creation. The lair of the monster is some secluded site hidden from its hunters. However, the general location of the lair is known to the local peasants. They do not attack the monster, afraid of its power. If the monster is not defeated or driven away soon, the villagers make offerings to it, hoping to appease it. In addition, others of its type (or young) appear in the same area and the infestation becomes stronger. Alternatively, the monster may gain evil human, humanoid or monster followers. Remember to play the monster as intelligently as its intellect allows. This event may be as simple or elaborate as the DM wishes.

Incursion, Major: A strong force has moved into the region, with the intent of establishing a permanent home here. The force may or may not be friendly and good. Like the yearly event, this incursion is relative to the size of the territory. Unlike the yearly event, this incursion is not a gradual process but a rather sudden arrival of people or creatures from another area. Typical incursions are soldiers invading or retreating, refugees escaping disaster or war, bandits or monsters driven from another territory, nomads following game, or even hordes of prospectors attracted to a recent mineral find.

Incursion, Minor: This is identical to a major incursion except that the forces involved are much smaller. Such incursions may be a band of thieves, reinforcements to a bandit gang, the punitive expedition of a neighbouring territory, the raiding party of a tribe of humanoids, etc.

Injustice: Wickedness has seized control of the local government and/or courts. Corrupt and greedy magistrates and/or government officials are jailing and punishing innocent people. This evil may occur because the official has been bribed, wants to steal the property of the accused, is cruel, or is exacting official vengeance on rebels or traitors and their sympathisers. Such injustice can be stopped if evidence can be brought to higher officials (assuming they are not corrupt), or the player characters decide to act as protectors of the innocent. There is a 5% chance that a player character is wrongfully accused of a crime (20% if the player character has a powerful enemy). Optionally the injustice may be unintended, and the party could search for proof of this misunderstanding.

Landslide: This event can only occur in mountainous or hilly regions. A major landslide or avalanche has blocked one of the main roads of the province. The road cannot be used until the landslide is cleared. The community must be mobilised to clear the road and the work takes 1-2 weeks unless magic is used to speed the task.

Maiden of Virtue: (Although this event is written for a female, there is no reason why the person could not be male with some minor modifications). A young woman of exceptional grace, wit and beauty has appeared in the region. She may be the daughter of a powerful noble (50%), a maiden of mysterious or magical origin (30%), and exiled princess (10%) or simply a commoner (10%). She charms and impresses all who meet her. She has 1-4 artistic talents which may include an exceptionally fine writing style that reveals a pure nature, skillful playing of a musical instrument(s), and/or a clear singing voice. She is properly respectful of her parents (if she has any). If the maiden is any but the daughter of a powerful noble, she can be courted (and possibly wed) without the full formalities. However, being aware (but not vain) of her own qualities, whe does not accept just anyone. Her accepted suitor must posses exceptional qualities of his own. He should be a model of virtue and preferably be likewise skilled in the arts. He must also posses heroic qualities. To even attract her attention he must produce some artistic item of quality - a poem, painting, carving or similar. He must also have a charisma of at least 13. A player character who does not fit all these requirements may still court her, but it will be very difficult for him. Maidens of mysterious origin or princesses may set impossible tasks as a condition for any successful suitor. The social rank of the character is not as important as the qualities mentioned above. The handling of the courtship, the degree of attraction between the two, and the final result of any courtship are left in the capable hands of the DM.

Major Battle: A large and important battle is fought in the region. As with war and similar events, the DM must decide the forces involved on each side and the site of the battle. Use of the BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy combat supplement or any similar rules, can be used to resolve this battle, possibly giving the player characters command of units on one side. If this approach is not used, the DM must determine the outcome of the battle. Prior to the engagement, there are many troops moving through the area (possibly creating interesting encounters). After the battle, the losers are forced to retreat, possibly in flight. During this retreat, many peasants take up arms to protect their farms and/or villages and hunt down the losers. Patrols of the victorious force scour the countryside looking for stragglers, deserters and small bands of the enemy.

Maneater: A bear, wolf, tiger or similar creature has acquired a taste for human flesh and is raiding the local village, carrying off women, children, and farmers in their fields. The animal strikes once or twice a week, killing its prey and dragging it off into the woods. The villagers are paralysed by fear, unwilling to venture outside alone or after dark. They petition the government, a powerful NPC, or the player characters for aid. The maneater remains active until captured or killed.

Marriage: Should one of the player characters currently be courting a member of the preferred sex, his or her proposal of marriage is accepted (unless the DM rules this does not happen for other reasons). If this is not the case, an important or influential person in the region either marries or completes marriage arrangements for one of his children. If the player characters are known to the NPC, they are invited to attend the wedding. In any case the wedding is cause for feasting and celebration.

Notorious Criminal: A wanted villian is rumoured to be in the area. He/she may be a banished Lord/Lady who has secretly returned, a traitor fleeing the wrath of a ruler, an escaped convict, a famous bandit, etc. There may be a reward posted for the capture or slaying of the criminal. His/her prescence may only be a rumour, leading to nothing but a wild goose chase.

Plague: See Plague in yearly events - although this is more localised.

Recruiting: Men (and/or women, depending on the type of society) are needed to shoulder arms, and special measures are taken to recruit soldiers. These include conscription of the lower classes, bounties offered to capable officers, and recruiting gangs. If the characters do not want to be hustled off to the front line, they will have to do some fast talking (or something!)

Troop Movements: Organised groups of soldiers, either friendly or enemy (or perhaps both at different times) sweep through the territory. In either case there may be a fair amount of looting and collection of food, utility items and transport. No repayment can be expected for this, although notes may be issued for items taken. There is a 10% chance a member of the party is arrested as a spy. Ranger characters may be given orders to spy on the enemy 40% of the time. Neither friendly nor enemy troops engage in wholesale pillaging (unless the enemy troops are on a raid). Barbarians and enemies on raids burn buildings and cause as much damage as possible in addition to carrying off anything of value.

Uprising: Dissatisfied with their poor lot, the peasants/lower classes rise spontaneously in rebellion. They may be protesting an injustice, excessive taxes, or their general misfortune. The uprising may begin in one or two communities and spread quickly to the other rural areas of the region, or may be purely local. The peasants/lower classes will arm themselves with whatever is at hand - farm implements and weapons gathered from soldiers/guards they have hunted down. Only 10% of the peasants involved have proper armour. There is a 60% chance any evil or chaotic neutral temple in the area supports them, giving them troops, shelter and aid. If the current government is an evil one, the same is true for all good and neutral temples. The rebel peasants involved have no military plan or strategy, simply attacking and ambushing any troops and officials of the government they find. If a strong leader should arrive in their midst, they can be trained into an effective fighting force in 2-4 months. Of course, uprisings are dealt with severely by the government, and reinforcement troops (if available) are despatched to deal with it. No mercy or quarter is usually shown by evil governments, a fact which causes rebels to fight to the death. When an uprising occurs, there are many positions the player characters can fill - leaders of the uprising or commanders of the government forces being the most common. The party could go on a hurried quest to find a person or a magic or holy item the rebels or government need to win. Unless the player characters or outside influence manages to swing the balance of power, the uprising is doomed to failure. An evil government will execute all who took part (and their families for good measure), while neutral and benevolent governments will usually only execute the rebel leaders. The rebellion may not be a total waste, as there is a 70% chance that even an evil government will listen and react to the complaints of the lower classes, possibly lowering taxes or replacing the corrupt officials in the area. There is a 70% chance that there is increased bandit activity in the area for 1-3 months after the uprising, as the surviving peasants take to the hills to escape punishment. As with war and rebellion, the DM must determine the size and type of the forces involved.

Vengeful Stranger: A mysterious NPC arrives in the area, searching for a particular person. He/she travels through the region making discreet inquiries in the villages and towns. He or she seeks revenge for some past wrong (possibly a murder or insult). If the player characters have offended or wronged some family or person in the past, the stranger is looking for her/him/them. He learns their whereabouts 70% of the time. The GM can use this as as basis for an adventure for his/her player characters. If the stranger is not looking for the player characters he/she may enlist their aid in the search (or the hunted person may do the same). Most often the local government is neutral in the matter, but if the GM decides, the local officials may decide to intervene. Should the stranger be hunting for the player characters and they kill him/her, this may be the cause of an ancestral feud between families. The stranger may also be an assassin, psychopath, or vengence seeker hired or deliberately misinformed by the party’s enemies.

VIP Visit: An important official comes on a formal visit to the territory. The purpose of his/her visit is left to the GM to decide. If the VIP has arrived to investigate the misdeeds of the local officials, they may try to eliminate him/her. However, in this case the VIP will be travelling in disguise. Player characters may be hired to protect the VIP or do away with him/her. Otherwise the visit is marked by official banquets and feasts (which the player characters may be invited to attend or be hired as bouncers/guards/entertainment).

This article continues from “Make the World a Happening Place” about creating a believable and independant world for your campaign. Annual events are rolled up using a d100, and will affect which table is consulted in Monthly Events. This table is almost an exact copy of that which appears in the Oriental Adventures book (which is now out of print), and the descriptions are edited to align to a western fantasy world rather than an oriental one (plus a few original contributions).

The annual events are normally figured only for the campaign area. Thus if the player characters are in the Forgotten Realms on the Cormyr/Dalelands map, a yearly event is determined for that area only. However, if the party is expected to travel a great deal, or if there are several groups of player characters at different points in the campaign, the DM should determine the yearly event for every smaller scale map in which the parties are likely to be travelling to or across. Once the DM knows what the annual event is, a d12 is rolled to find which month the event happens, or begins. Some events, such as an earthquake occur in a short period of time. Others, such as war, can last several months for a single campaign season, while the entire war can last years.

Yearly Events (d100)
01-10	Ambassador	61-68	Marriage
11-15	Assassination of a Lord	69	New religion
16-30	Birth	70-74	Plague
31	Comet	75-78	Political plot
32-40	Death of a Lord	79-85	Rebellion
41-43	Earthquake, major	86	Tsunami
44-47	Famine	87	Visitation
48-52	Fire, major	88	Volcano
53-57	Flood	89-00	War
58-60	Incursion, major

Explanation of Yearly Events:

Ambassador: An ambassador arrives from (50%) or is sent to (50%) another land. The ambassador remains for 3d10 months. Ambassadors are sent for a variety of reasons, to prevent war, form an alliance, arrange a marriage, pay tribute, promote trade, or gain cultural experience. Their arrival is always a major event for those of the court, accompanied by ceremonies and banquets. There is a 10% chance that any arriving ambassador comes from a distant land or a previously unknown land (or plane/dimension/alternate world).

Assassination of a Lord: A high ranking lord is assassinated. High ranking lords include emperors, kings, princes, chieftains, governors, leaders and ministers of state. If the player characters are vassals of the one slain or have had dealings with that NPC, they may fall under suspicion. They are automatically suspected if they are known enemies of the one assassinated. There is a 30% chance the assassin is taken alive, and may have been paid to accuse the party, if this fits in with the DM’s plans. If the one assassinated has no clear successor (DM’s choice if not already established, or a 20% chance), a power struggle will ensue, lasting for 1d6 months (this may result in a war or civil war if the DM desires).

Birth: A high ranking noble’s family member has given birth to a child, thereby ensuring continuation of the line. This is a cause for celebrations both by the noble and those under him/her. The event is a happy one, and feasting and ceremonies will last for several days. The naming ceremony the following month (usually) is another large celebration, although this lasts for only one day. Other nobles from other areas and friends (perhaps including the PC’s) may be invited.

Comet: A bright comet is seen in the sky for 1d4 weeks. This is considered a portent of some great event. A second yearly event is chosen by the DM and occurs shortly after the comet passes.

Death of a Lord: A high ranking noble dies, either in battle, through misadventure, disease, or peacefully in bed. The effects of succession are the same as those given for Assassination above.

Earthquake, Major: A powerful earthquake strikes the land, causing extensive destruction in a 50 mile radius. The DM chooses the centre point of the earthquake. Before and after the earthquake there are a series of lesser tremors, causing slight damage (as decided by the DM). The major earthquake destroys cities, reshapes lakes, coastlines and rivers, causes great fires, and possibly kills hundreds of people. The effect on the player characters and their property if in the radius is equal to an earthquake spell (severity chosen by the DM). There is a 70% chance that a major fire occurs in any town or city within the area of effect, as well as a 40% chance that a plague will occur in a populated area. The price of building material is 10 times normal for the next 4-6 months.

Famine: Drought and poor harvests result in the region undergoing famine. The signs of impending famine are obvious - crops wither, animals die, the poor begin to hunger etc. The famine lasts for 2-7 months. During this time the price of food skyrockets, 10, 50 or even 100 times normal price. Marauder groups appear, scavenging for food of any type - cattle, sheep, dogs, horses etc (and of course any money). Farms in the region produce no income for the year and only 25% of their normal income in the following year. There is a 60% chance of an uprising by the peasants/lower classes unless steps are taken to relieve the suffering. The population of the area is reduced by 5% per month of famine. There is a 20% chance of a plague occurring.

Fire, Major: A huge conflagration sweeps a major city of the land, destroying 50-80% of the city. Property of the player characters may be burnt to the ground, the percentage chance of this occurring is equal to the amount of the city destroyed. The city’s population is reduced by 10-40%. There is a 20% chance of a plague outbreak and a 10% chance of famine. The price of lumber and building materials is 10 times normal for the next four months. The price of food doubles for one month.

Flood: A major flood sweeps the region. If on the coast, severe storms cause the waters to flood the coastal regions. If along a river, series of heavy rains cause the river to rage and overflow its banks, flooding the bottom land. The waters rise 5-30 feet (5d6). Signs of the impending flood are obvious 2-5 days in advance and levees and dykes can be built to protect against it. Once the flood begins, the waters rise at the rate of half a foot per hour until the maximum is reached. They remain at their high point for 4d6 hours and then subside at the rate of one foot per day. Buildings are extensively damaged, although only those in the path of the raging waters are destroyed. The population of the area is reduced by 1-10% and the price of all goods are doubled for 2- 5 months. Normal movement across the flooded areas is impossible. If the flood strikes during the planting season (autumn), income from the farms is reduced by 50% for the year. If it strikes during the harvest season (late summer) 80% of all farm income is lost and there is a 40% chance of a famine in 1-3 months unless steps are taken to prevent it. In addition all floods have a 20% chance of causing a plague. Floods do not occur in desert or arid regions.

Incursion, Major: A major migration of creatures enters the area from outside its borders. Although this migration is not war, it is not necessarily peaceful. The size of the incursion should be in proportion to the size of the area. Thus several hundred creatures would be a major incursion for a small province, while several thousand migrating creatures would be a major incursion for a large kingdom. The creatures may be humans, humanoids, demi-humans or monsters. The migration might be a barbarian horde driven from its homeland, or a race of hobgoblins expanding their territory. The newly arrived creatures attempt to live life as they always have, retaining their old habits and speaking their own language. If given to violence and raiding, they continue these practices. The creatures remain until driven out. If allowed to stay, they will, over the years, adopt some of the habits and practices of the new land until they are considered a regular part of life. This migration occurs over a period of 1d12 months.

Marriage: The ruler of the land has arranged an important diplomatic marriage involving either himself or his children. Such marriages are used to secure alliances, gain control over smaller kingdoms or cities, settle disputes, or appease overlords. The marriage is a cause for festivals and feasting.

New Religion: A new religion or sect of an established religion appears in the land, quickly gaining followers and coverts. There is a 75% chance this causes hostility and feuding between it and the established religions, leading to skirmishing, temple burning, and battles between temple soldiery. Both sides attempt to gain the support of the ruler of the land. There is a chance the ruler may rule in favour of the new religion as this can break the political power of the established religion(s). The initial arrival of the new religion takes 2-7 months, while the feuding between different sects and religions may last for centuries.

Plague: A terrible disease sweeps the land faster than the priests can check it with their spells. The plague lasts for 2d6 months. There is a 40% chance per month spent in the plague-ridden lands of contracting the disease and a 60% chance of contracting it if in the company of a diseased person. The population of the area is reduced by 5% per month. Those untouched by the disease and those of neighbouring lands are suspicious of strangers. Traders do not enter plagued lands and the cost of imported goods increases five times normal, and the cost of normal goods doubles. When a plague strikes, the entire country (unless small) does not become diseased all at once. Rather the plague moves about, seeping from town to town like a moving scythe. Thus a town may not yet have been hit by the plague, may currently be in the throes of the disaster, or may have suffered and survived through it already.

Political Plot: A plot to overthrow the present government is discovered or the ruler of the land is convinced that such a plot exists. Many nobles and government officials are stripped of their rank, banished, or executed. If the player characters hold positions within the government or are involved in political affairs, there is a 40% chance they are accused of complicity. If the characters have powerful enemies, this chance is increased to 80%. They must either prove their innocence or suffer the consequences. There is a 20% chance that a noble or group of nobles rises in rebellion. Spies and secret police are everywhere, ready to arrest people on the slightest evidence. The political turmoil lasts for 1- 3 months.

Rebellion: A powerful lord, secret society, religious sect, army commander, or army of lower classes attempts to overthrow the government in the area. The purposes of the rebellion may be to gain independence from the government, avoid taxation and brutal treatment, gain special privileges, or seize the throne. The exact cause of the rebellion is left to the DM. Likewise the strength of the rebellion and the final outcome are left for the DM to decide. If the rebellion involves the player characters in military battles the “BATTLESYSTEM” fantasy combat supplement may be used to create and play several battles with the players. If these rules are used, the DM can give the players responsibility for management and strategy of either the rebels or the government troops. The rebellion lasts for 1d6 months before succeeding (unlikely) or failing. Captured and defeated rebels can expect no mercy. If the rebels win, government troops are likely to be released if they swear allegiance to the new regime. The ruler, if the rebels are defeated, may introduce measures to ensure the rebellion will not happen again. This may include heavy handed crackdowns or tight new laws, or the ruler may take steps to bring about the changes the rebels were fighting for anyway.

Tsunami: A great wave strikes a 50 mile section of the coastline. The wave is 100-200 feet high when it hits, striking with little warning. The population of the area is reduced by 70%. Countries or areas without coastline treat this as no event for the year. In its aftermath there is a 10% chance of a plague occurring. The price of building materials triples, and the price of all other goods doubles in the area. While the tsunami strikes quickly, the effect on prices last for 1-2 months.

Visitation: A deity appears somewhere in the land, either for good or ill. News of the appearance travels fast and the site is revered or despised according to the nature of the visitation. If the site is revered it becomes the object of pilgrimages by the faithful. The religion or sect orders the construction of a temple or shrine on the site. If the site is despised (with the appearance of an evil or worship- forbidden god for example), the fortunes of those in a five mile radius fall. Common folk move away if possible, and the area is generally shunned. It becomes the secret meeting place of evil followers and monsters.

Volcano: Either a dormant volcano (70%) or a new volcano (30%) appears. In either case the eruption is preceded by tremors and rumblings identical to those that precede a major earthquake. When the eruption occurs, it is of exceptional violence. Everything within a five mile radius is destroyed and clouds of thick ash rain down up to 30 miles downwind. The volcano spews smoke, poisonous gases and ash for the remainder of the month. Thereafter the volcano remains active for 1d12 months, with a 10% chance per month of another major eruption.

War: Either the ruler of the kingdom launches a campaign against a neighbouring land (50%) or the kingdom is invaded from a neighbouring land (50%). The size of the armies range into the thousands or tens of thousands, depending on the size of the area. As with rebellion, the exact causes, forces, and outcome of the war are left for the DM to determine. If the DM has the “BATTLESYSTEM” fantasy supplement, he/she may wish to involve the player characters in the war by giving them command of an army unit. One major campaign is fought per year, and lasts for 2-5 months (generally in spring/summer). The war lasts for 1-3 years. Player characters are readily accepted into the ranks of the army and, depending on their actions, may be able to quickly rise to high rank. The effects of the war are many and varied. Prices on the campaign trail double or triple, farm incomes in the area fought over are reduced by 50%, and the civilian population generally moves away. Away from the front, other groups may take advantage of the situation and stage a rebellion or uprising. PRess gangs roam the countryside, seeking new “recruits”. The younger sons of peasants/lower class desert their homes, seeking fame and fortune as soldiers.

Make the World a Happenin’ Place

by Rick Underwood

Background

All DMs I know have begun their careers with simple games. The game begins with the adventuring party arriving the area where that night’s adventure takes place. The scenario is played out for one or more nights, then the party divides up their treasure, tally up the experience points and are ready for the next adventure. Many people are happy to play this way, and for the DM it is the easiest and least time consuming method of play.

I had played D&D and then AD&D this way for almost eight years before I was in a position to allocate more time for preparation. It was then I discovered the Continuity Campaign. A campaign is a series of modules strung together, usually linked by a theme. It can be a simple campaign, with the party arriving somehow at the correct location of each linked adventure (by magical means or by the assumption that the party has conducted an "off screen" trek), much like the simple, stand alone game. In a continuity campaign journeys to adventuring sites are not taken as read, but can be exciting adventures in themselves. A continuity campaign puts more detail into the world around the party, and requires a great shift in attitude on behalf of the players. Unlike in a simple game or simple campaing, in a fully run continuity campaign the characters are not the centre of the universe. They interact with a living and breathing world, a world which acts independantly of the characters, and calls for an accounting of the characters’ actions. The major link between each adventure for this type of campaign is the party and the world in which they live. Linked adventures such as hunting a major villian, quest for an artifact etc, are then a part of the continuity campaign, rather than the entire campaign. A continuity campaign can be as complex as the DM has time to allocate to its creation. There is no doubt the continuity campaign requires more time to prepare. This article aims to illustrate how such a campaign can be produced, and how it affects game play.

The World

One of the first things that must be done for a continuity campaign, is decide which world the party is in. The first choice is whether to have them adventure in the DM’s own world, or a pre-generated world. Making your own world can be extremely satisfying, but requires a large slab of your free time to generate and maintain. Pre-generated worlds, such as the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun and Greyhawk for AD&D are mostly laid out for the DM, but still require time to read and understand, as well as the initial outlay in dollars.

To make things manageable the amount of detail in your own world should be small at first. Create the broad outline of a country, its basic geography, population type, government type,
and capital city, but detail only one small town, its surroundings and major NPCs. It is also a good idea to detail problems faced by this community, bandits or a nearby hobgoblin tribe for example, possibly as reasons behind the party’s initial adventures. This community will be the party’s home base. To deal with aggressive and chaotic players of equal importance is the law enforcement capability of the community. Players must be shown from day one that there is an accounting for their actions. If they attack the local trader because they cannot get the price they want, the guilty player characters will pay for it. As the party wants to expand their horizons, the DM must create more of the world to accommodate them.

Similarly in a pre-generated world, begin in one of the areas which you want to be the party’s home base, and buy the supplements for (or make up) the other regions as the party looks further afield. This need not be too expensive. For example, an entire continuity campaign could be run in one area of the Forgotten Realms, such as "The North", or the "Dalelands", or a number of others. If the party wants to expand into other areas of such an established world, they can either be created by the DM, or the other supplements can be bought by the DM alone or with a contribution from the players.

The Calender

Once the world, or as much as the DM wants to use of it, is decided and established, the most important tool of the continuity campaign is the calender. Just as the real world turns on our perception of time, so too should a fantasy world. The calender can be based on the modern day gregorian (like the Forgotten Realms calender), use the more difficult Jewish or Muslim calender, or can be completely different. A year in the DM’s world could have 200 days with twenty ten day weeks. A word of warning though, it is probably a good idea to keep it relatively simple, or the players will have trouble understanding it, and therefore the world will not seem as real to them.

On the calender the DM should list important natural events, like phases of the moon, and seasonal changes. Equally important are the human (using the term loosely) uses of the calender. This means such things as national and local festivals, holy days and other important anniversaries should be included. These events would be conducted by the inhabitants of the world, whether or not the party participates. Some of these special days will undoubtedly impact on the charactes. They may not be able to buy horses or supplies on a certain holy day for example.

To facilitate integration of PC’s with the world it would be better for the DM to encourage the characters to participate in these anniversaries. As an illustration, in our old Forgotten Realms campaign every year a barbarian party member traveled to his homeland during the game month equivalent of September to attend a religious festival important to his culture. The rest of the party grumbled about his absensce, but they understood and put up with it. A paladin noble of our party made every effort to attend the annual jousting tournament held in his home city of Waterdeep during the midsummer festival. The rest of the party always tagged along to watch, and to participate in the other contests, such as wrestling and archery. For such events the potential exists for solo adventures, and more importantly for character development and role playing.

The weather is another good inclusion to make your world suit him/herself. Personally I use the system detailed in the weather appendix of the Wilderness Survival Guide, and plot it out at least a game month in advance. This system is reasonably realistic, but quite time consuming. A friend DM uses a simple table of his own devising using a d10, which he rolls as the party greets each morning. Having the party grumble as they try and sleep through a late night shower, or put off their planned expedition until the gale force winds abate, increases the ability of the players to suspend disbelief, making the world "real".

There are many other ways to use the calender to bring life to the characters’ world. Astronomical data, such as the phases of the moon, may be important to cursed or lycanthropic characters, or as part of a story (the Great Conjunction approaches!). Seasons will be important to a ranger or beast rider with a hibernating bear companion. Ages of the characters can be marked with certainty (the character’s birthday can be on the same day as that of the player). Weeks spent training takes on more importance using a calender, which shows valuable time slipping past, and the general importance of time in any adventure can be more critically felt, especially those adventures which use time as a major component of the plot.

Events

Events are incidents which happen in the area, and may or may not have a direct or indirect effect on the party. Even if the party are affected, these events may not have anything to do with their adventures, or whatever activity with which the party is currently involved. For instance, a local event could be a thief tries to pickpocket a party member, a law enforcement official may interview the party, or a runaway horse and cart may threaten the party’s safety. Major events have more chance of affecting the party, soldiers on the move during a war may cause the party to change their travel plans, the assassination of a government leader may close the city’s gates, or a natural disaster can cause destruction, the steep rise of the price of all goods, and restriction of travel. Along with weather and festivals, events are a good way of showing the players that their world is not just a static backdrop.

Events tables can be yearly, monthly, daily or all three. The Oriental Adventures book (unfortunately no longer in print) provides a good start for annual and monthly events. This table could be modified for the DM’s own campaign, and he or she could add a daily event table for more local events. It is a good rule of thumb to use such events to add to the campaign, working them into the party’s current situation if possible. For example the above mentioned thief could be an agent of a recurring villian, or the prime foe, looking for something specific, or planting false evidence on a party member to set them up. If the DM cannot think of a way to integrate the events into the campaign, they should not significantly detract from the campaign, but is inserted just for nuisance value. An earthquake in an urban environment could result in a dramatic escalation of prices (food initially, and later building materials), a lack of clean water, an outbreak of disease (even plague), and/or a breakdown in law and order (characterised by widespread looting, for example). All these consequences would and should hinder the party on their quest in the affected town, but should not stop them. Consequences may follow the party in other towns ("Dont go near the Doombringers, they came from Swinetown where the plague started after the ‘quake! They might be infected!").

Rumours

Rumours are a very important way to impart information to the party throughout a campaign. Not all rumours need be true, and some should have truth mixed with untruth. Other rumours may have nothing to do with the party’s current interests. If you adopt this method from the beginning, the players will more easily be able to get the best from the rumours. The DM should make it clear that it is up to the party to sort out what is true and relevant, and what is not. Rumours should be used to set background for events (the traveller informing the party about the earthquakes in a certain area), reflecting existing important events (the grumpy inkeeper complaining about all the violent mercenaries flooding into the city due to the coming war), impart cryptic information about a current foe (members of the Wizard’s Guild pondering on Elwood’s new nickname - "Elwood the Dozen"), as an introduction to NPC’s (a mayor informing the party that the chief Lord of the area will be visiting the town soon), and many other situations.

In game mechanics, the method of delivery of the rumours is left to the DM. The DM could give one rumour every time "Rumour" comes up on their local daily event table, give the party one list of rumours heard in the area per calender month, or read out one rumour per day until all rumours have been heard.

Summary

Use the calender, weather tables, and events tables to bring life to your world. Your enjoyment and that of your players will be enhanced. In coming issues of the Role Player I intend to include the tables I use for annual events, which is a modified version of that found in the Oriental Adventures book, monthly events will be provided sometime after that, and lastly, daily events. Good luck!