Elemental Reductions

  Note : There are a lot of external links in this post. None of them should be affiliate links If they are, please let me know . Note2 : This has been bouncing around in my brain informally for a while, but putting it to pixel was prompted by Rook’s post on names on Beneath Foreign Planets as part of the RPG Blog Carnival .  There’s a lot of great material that comes from these prompts. I encourage you, dear reader, to check that out. Note3 : Link to the GDoc version this post was originally composed in. On Names One of the holes new Game Masters fall into while playing D&D-esque games is names. I’ll start with random NPC names first, to get the subject out of the way:  Make a d20 or d100 list of names for each gender, and for families.  Either stick it on the fourth panel of your DM screen, or pre-roll five of each, and stick those lists on your fourth panel. If you need a list of real world names, use an onomastikon .   Onomastikon “What is an on...

  This was my contribution to a workshop request for effects of skeletons or other "bone creatures".  It's untested. Skeleton that grapples you , then wraps itself around target , automatically doing 1d3 damage each round . Attacks targeting this skeleton that do over 3 damage instead do 3 damage, and the excess is applied to the target wrapped by the skeleton.  The target can get out by doing a Strength or Dexterity check at -6. After dying , the parts of the skeleton continue to fight you , potentially tripping , blinding , or just making noise bonking against shields or armor .  Anyone within 5 feet of where the skeleton dies is -1 to all checks, and on a roll of a natural 4 on d20 checks, takes one of the following (roll d3): Blinded for one round. Save or get tripped. Latches on to armor, shield, or clothing, making noise or causing 1 damage each round. Dying 1:   After dying , release the spirit that was animating them . Spirit forms there for a few secon...