Shag can always be found at his surf shop in Loose Bones Cove, but he also has a penchant for travelling through whichever area your players are currently exploring. Shag might show up to the square of the small village, the marketplace of the city, or the dungeons of the kobold keep. When and wherever your players encounter Shag outside of his surf shop, roll on the tables below to get an idea of where he’s been, what he has, what he wants, and what he knows.
These tables are designed for rolls of 2d4.
Roll
Where has Shag been?
What does Shag have?
2
Looting a place of power (temple, altar, etc)
An item from Shag’s collection
3
On his way to a small settlement
Fine Art (1d10 gold value)
4
Bartering with local merchants
Nothing interesting
5
The Board Shop
Purple Board Wax
6
Roaming the wilderness
Ancient non-magic relic (1d10 gold value)
7
On his way to a large city
Consumable (food, potion, etc)
8
Scavenging a nearby dungeon
An item from Shag’s collection
Roll
What does Shag want?
What does Shag know?
2
Local flora
An important person’s secrets
3
An important person’s secrets
The location of the nearest Epitaph* smoke spot
4
Fine Art (of similar value)
Exactly what the party is up to
5
Gold (of similar value)
Nothing important
6
Local fauna, portion
The location and value of local fine art
7
Local flora
Time and location of the next Great Surf Contest
8
Local fauna, alive
The name and location of a secretive Union
*Epitaph is plant matter that, when smoked, recalls wild tall tales of potentially suffered dooms to mind.
Unions and their ‘Rituals’ have been a really interesting concept to me within the context of Into the Odd / Electric Bastionland ever since Chris McDowall wrote about them. They are a unique way to engage associatively in character development and advancement. The following are a few Unions for my own setting; an as-of-yet unnamed European (French/British) fantasy world with a nice dose of slightly-silly whimsy. I imagine that in action, around the table, time with a Union (especially that which ends in a Ritual) will play out similar to individual or pub vignettes.
Convincing a Union you are ‘down with their cause’ is the best way to become engaged with them, but most can also be swayed by the truth of 10 gold.
The Monastic Society of True Wealth
False Wealth cannot follow where True Wealth leads. Desires to… – acquire ‘True Wealth’ for the afterlife – preach against the pitfalls of ‘False Wealth’ Potential rituals… – Appraise Truth: You are able to distinguish True Wealth from the False (1-in-2 chance to be True), but your ability to distinguish Actual Truth from Actual Falsehoods is disadvantaged. – Material Prayer Market: Congregants spend hours in prayer devoted to their True Wealth, then express worship by bragging about those items. The floor is then opened for trading. – Belittle the False: You may admonish owners of False Wealth, berating and guilting them into an impaired/disadvantaged state (CHA save ends). Handling False Wealth yourself puts you on edge, causes extreme jitters, and your efforts are impaired/disadvantaged.
The League of Surf Wizards
All I need is some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and to own as much of the coastline as possible. Desires to… – use magic to catch the gnarliest waves in the gnarliest fashion – privatize as much coast under the League as possible Potential rituals… – Wave Pool Training: The League imbues one of your foci with the spell Tubularize Water, which is used to generate rad waves in the training pool. – Hostile Beach Takeover: The League shows up in force at a beach they do not own and act like total jerks. Crashing waves into sunbathers and knocking over sand castles is par for the course. If you meaningfully contribute, you can add two to your score in the next surf contest. – Surf Contest: There are always five contestants, including yourself. Roll ascending dice d6-d12, assigned to the NPC contestants. You are given a single attempt, and your score is equal to the height of the wave ridden. If you win, receive 5 gold, and an invite to the Inner Sanctum of Wet Wizards. – Meeting of the Inner Sanctum of Wet Wizards: Only the best Surf Wizards attend these meetings. The agenda? Drink beer, smoke epitaph, and swap surf stories. Epitaph brings to the front of your mind potential final words for deaths you could have suffered; “Here Lies So-and-So, drowned in a totally rad 20-footer” or “… dashed upon the rocks of Skridden Beach”. On a CHA save, the Sanctum thinks your tale is totally rad and gifts you a surfboard (bulky) and a wooden ring containing the spell Neversink.
Tubularize Water (d4-d20): You pull water up and out of its body, creating a rolling wave. The height of the wave is [sum] feet, and the length is twice [sum], given a large enough body of water.
Neversink (d6): The underside of a targeted object glows a light blue as you enchant it to be entirely unsinkable for [sum] hours. No matter the force or weight applied, the enchanted item cannot be fully submerged. If [sum] is six, you may make the effect permanent.
Tax Auditors’ Union
Take as the system demands; keep what overflows. Desires to… – publicly maintain a reputation of fairness and good-will – secretly scrape off the top and practice extortion Potential rituals… – Tax Code Training: You will be taught all about local tax code and laws. You can use this knowledge to your advantage when it comes to trade and haggling. – Group Audit: Members vote on a business and then pour over their taxes as a group, zealously applying tax law in ways favorable to themselves. Make a CHA save to meaningfully contribute and receive a share of the spoils (1d6 gold). – Casting of the Flawed: A member is audited and as much of their worth as possible is split between contributing members. Make a CHA save to meaningfully contribute and receive a share of the spoils (2d6 gold). There is a 1-in-6 chance you are the targeted member.
Chris McDowall loosely defines Unions as a means to spend money, and Patrons as a means to earn money.
This post describes a few patrons who might be interested in your treasures. Generally, a patron should be interesting to interact with and fairly unique. An adventurer should feel inclined to seek out the best patron for their wares, or be motivated before-hand to procure the particular goods a patron desires. These should be living characters with more opportunity for influence than a simple shopkeep with a list of items.
a sampling of the kingdom’s patrons
The Monastic Society of True Wealth
– A society of former nobles who have denounced ‘false wealth’ in favor of stockpiling ‘True Wealth’; that which may follow them to the afterlife.
– There is a 1 in 2 chance that any particular treasure is ‘True’. If a ‘false’ treasure is offered to the society, they will reject the rest of the lot.
– Offers 90% of value, but can easily be haggled up to 150%.
Ilgi Ozek, Ambassador of the Sultanate of the Southern Edge
– Puts on airs of wealth, but is actually quite restricted by the Sultanate.
– Tasked with collecting treasures unique to the Kingdom, but personally interested in collecting living creatures.
– Offers 115% of value for items interesting to the Sultanate, or 2d10+80% for living creatures.
King’s Court Association
– A group of older, past-their-prime courtiers who resent the replacement of the monarchy with a council of aristocrats.
– Interested mostly in weapons to be stockpiled for a ‘revolution’.
– Offers 75% of value, or 125% if you express fealty to the monarchy or a lack of faith in the council.
Memory Erasure, and an Amulet of Stolen Thoughts (any time you remove or steal from a sentient being’s mind, gain a charge; charges can be spent to cause a 1d6 mind blast each)
Metallurgist
STR -9
Hone, and a roll of Flexiplate (rolled up sheet of metal; can be commanded to take the shape of plate armour, 1 armour, bulky)
Wild Attunement, a small buckler, and an extra arm that ends at the wrist
Savant (for when nothing else fits)
re-roll one stat or distribute 2 extra points; select a qualifying entry
* requires either target number or higher (positive), or target number or lower (negative)
Spells
Muscle Transfer (d4): Sap strength from a limb and donate it to another. Donation to an arm gives +[sum] on next attack utilizing that arm, donation to another limb gives +[sum] STR to next applicable save. Non-self sap targets loses +[sum] STR. Lasts for one use or 10 minutes, whichever is sooner.
Ethereal Sword (2d4): Summon an ethereal sword (d8) into your hands. It lasts for [sum/2] rounds, or minutes if out of combat. The sword can be dispersed on contact to deal extra damage equal to the number of rounds/minutes remaining.
Freezecloud (d8): Requires water (or exceptional humidity). Disperse water into a cloud roughly 10ft3, then flash freeze the particles. Beings in the area are frozen for [sum] rounds/minutes, or half of that on a STR save.
Burnt Ends (d6): Target is surrounded in flames that only barely singe for 2 damage, but the target remains lit for [sum] rounds/minutes. The flame burns through 1 armour every 2 rounds/minutes, and will burn held items of wood after 2 rounds/minute, metal after 3, tougher materials after 4. Melee attackers receive 1 damage for the duration. The flame can be put out.
Hasten Infection (d4-d8): Fast-forward the infection process on an injury. Deal [sum/2] damage to target with an open wound. They cannot gain (or re-gain) STR/HP beyond their current numbers for [sum] hours.
Memory Erasure (d10): Soft tendrils of smoke twist toward up to two targets, creating a link to their memories. You may wipe one shared memory from the targets' minds; the tendrils yank back violently and dissipate.
Hone (d4): Instantly sharpen any metal edge for [sum] rounds/minutes. Hone'd weapons gain +1 damage for the duration, and other Hone'd objects deal base damage in relation to their weight and efficacy as a weapon.
Bestial Graft (d8): You magically meld a severed portion of animal onto the target. This could be hooves, horns, wings, fangs, et cetera. The graft target also takes [sum] damage during the casting, and the spell takes ten minutes to perform. The magical graft adheres for an hour.
Wild Attunement (1): You attune your mind to the wild magics around you, capturing a new spell in as little as a single minute (or one round). This spell must be held in a focus, and you cannot attempt to retain control of it after casting (although a CHA save will still save your focus).
Magic is wild, flippant, and mildly sentient. Spells whirl through the universe, making it difficult to pin any particular one down. Once you have, however, a bond begins to form between the wizard and their spells. Casting a spell requires an immense amount of mental fortitude, as spells don’t generally love being cast. Spells like living in a mind; they don’t like being forcefully expelled.
Capturing
Any wizard may spend an hour sifting through the arcane energies of an area, searching for a spell. If they succeed a CHA save, they successfully capture a new (random) spell. A wizard may only hold a single spell in their mind at a time, but may spend an additional hour transferring a spell into a magical focus (staff, gem, holy symbol, etc.). A powerful wizard is rarely without his arsenal of foci; often, a wizard’s strength is judged by the size of his foci collection.
Casting
Casting a spell isn’t too complicated. First, the wizard declares their spell and rolls the associated dice. Then, the wizard takes damage first to their HP, then to their CHA, equal to the ‘[sum]’ of the roll. If a wizard’s CHA is reduced through the casting of a spell, there is a chance that the spell will flee their control. The wizard must make a CHA save; on a success, the spell is kept under control. On a failure, the spell attempts to break free. If the spell is held in a focus, the wizard may choose to have the spell destroy the focus. The wizard may then hold the spell in their mind, as long as it is free of any other spells. If a spell flees from a wizard’s mind, they once again take damage equal to that spell’s dice.
Spell Samples
Muscle Transfer (d4): Sap strength from a limb and donate it to another. Removes [sum] STR from drain target, and grants that same STR to the chosen limb; the bonus STR is only applied to applicable saves/checks. An attack performed with the enstrengthened limb deals +[sum] damage. Lasts for one use or 10 minutes, whichever is sooner.
Ethereal Sword (2d4): Summon a d8 ethereal, bladed sword into your hands. It lasts for [sum/2] rounds, or minutes if out of combat. The sword can be dispersed on contact to deal extra damage equal to the number of rounds/minutes remaining.
Roll your stats (assumes 3d6 for STR, DEX, and CHA), then roll for your criminal record.
All outlaws have a dagger (d6).
Outlaw
Req. *
Features
HIGH ROLLS
Heroic Outlaw
DEX 13 CHA 11
the ability to endear paupers to yourself through money (1d6 silver), a mutual distaste for the well-to-do, a bow (d6), and a grudge
Busker
CHA 13
an instrument, a distracting song (CHA save to avoid distraction), and a garrote (d6, STR save or crushes windpipe)
Highwayman
STR 13
a low-quality horse, a trou-de-loup kit (DEX save or d8), and a set of caltrops (DEX save or d4)
Burglar
DEX 13
a grappling hook, 50ft of rope, and a blackjack (d6)
Disgraced Knight
STR 13 CHA -9
a longsword (d6), a round, wooden shield, and a grudge
LOW ROLLS
Sharper
STR -9 DEX -9
the ability to tell the true value of any item, a fake jewel, and a grudge
Shadow
STR -9
a nasty-looking dagger with a smokey gem in the pommel (d6, drain the smoke from the gem to hide in shadows for as long as you remain still; the gem can be refilled with smoke)
Poisoner
DEX -9 CHA -9
a bottle of nightshade oil (d4-d20 STR damage, ascending every 10 minutes), +2 to save against poison, and the ability to harvest venom and distill poisons
Street Rat
ALL -9
you require only half-rations, and have a small monkey companion (5 STR, 15 DEX, 8 CHA, d4 bite, d4 eye-gouge)
Savant (for when nothing else fits)
re-roll one stat or distribute 2 extra points; select a qualifying entry
* requires either target number or higher (positive), or target number or lower (negative)
Grudges
Roll
Grudge
1
a noble set you up
2
an outlaw betrayed you
3
a noble bought your village out from under the people
4
a knight named you his nemesis
5
a guard foiled your crime
6
the thieves’ guild ex-communicated you for taking from other members
Criminal Record
Your criminal record indicates the crime you were accused of and subsequently outlaw’d for; this doesn’t necessarily mean you are actually guilty of the rolled crime.
You’ve been a knight-in-training for long enough! Is it time to strike out for your own fame and fortune? Maybe you’ve finally learned enough from your Knight to hunt down those who wronged you in the past. Whatever your reason to adventure, consult the table below to see what sort of Knight you’ve been training under (assumes 3d6 for STR, DEX, and CHA).
All squires have a shortsword (d6) and a round, wooden shield.
Squire
Req. *
Features
HIGH ROLLS
Knight-born
STR 13 CHA 11
an inherited item, a quest for vengeance, and a desire to honor lineage
Cavalry
DEX 13
a low-quality horse (requires feed), and a lance (bulky, reach, d8)
Banneret
CHA 13
a custom square banner (+2 to followers’ morale and +1 to others’ saves when they can see the banner)
Siege Knight
STR 13 DEX -9
a full suit of plate armor (bulky, 1 armour), a flail (d6, ignores shields), and a tower shield (1 armour, can be destroyed to negate an attack, can be used as cover)
Knight Savage
STR 13 CHA -9
a shortsword (d6), and the ability to rage while dual-wielding (whenever you are hurt, make a CHA save or enter a rage; +1 damage, immunity to fear and unconsciousness through STR loss, cannot take defensive or tactical actions, -4 CHA, CHA save to end)
LOW ROLLS
Low-born
STR -9 CHA -9
an inherited item, and a quest for vengeance
Mage Knight
DEX -9
a sunstone-studded gauntlet (able to conjure up to 6 small jets of flame (d4 each), or one medium sized blast of fire (d6, blast); recharges one sunstone per hour of sunlight)
Knight of the Wilds
DEX -9 CHA -9
a +1 bonus to damage and saves against beasts, and a wolf companion (10 STR, 10 DEX, 6 CHA, d6 bite, d4 claw)
Knight Noir
ALL -9
you are an undead skeleton (resistant to piercing, poison, fear, etc.) with full black plate suit armor (1 armour, bulky) and a two-handed mace (d8, bulky)
Savant (for when nothing else fits)
re-roll one stat or distribute 2 extra points; select a qualifying entry
* requires either target number or higher (positive), or target number or lower (negative)
Roll
Inherited Item
1
a named greatsword (bulky, d8)
2
a named suit of plate armour (bulky, 1 armour)
3
a named shortsword with a glowing sunstone in the hilt (d6, small-room filling light for one hour, recharges after an hour in the sun)
4
a named helmet with a glowing moonstone embedded in it (1 armour, helmet can be thrown like a bomb for d8 blast)
5
a named dagger with red iron tracing throughout (d6, regain 1d6 HP on kill)
High above the cove, a craggy, narrow cave entrance sits ominously in the face of the sea cliffs. Inside is wet, and slick with moss. The cave slopes down, down, under the beach, out under the sea, and leads to a fine treasure.
Getting to the cave mouth requires a difficult climb up the cliff face. The opening is about 5-feet wide and might require a bit of a squeeze for larger characters. This part of the cliff is over some sharp and jagged rocks – jumping out past them might require some effort.
Immediately apparent upon entry is how the entire cave slopes steeply downwards. It appears to crawl down the cliff and then out under the water. Water drips from the rough, natural stone and puddles about on the floor. There is nothing of significance here, save for a narrow passage leading onward.
2 – The Trapped Bones
The passage drops out into an open area. There are three separate off-shoots, one of which is significantly steeper than the others. Here though, visible from the end of the entrance passage, is a large boulder. It seems to have fallen from the ceiling, and it has pinned down a skeleton named Jorge. He is stuck, and it would require significant effort to release him.
Jorge is a distrustful skeleton, who found a secret treasure in this part of the cave. In another room is a massive, over-sized, purple mussel. In its mouth was a massive, over-sized, black pearl. He managed to tickle the mussel open and roll the pearl out before being caught under the falling boulder. The pearl rolled into 3 – The Pearl. He definitely does not want anyone else to make off with his pearl, but probably wants to escape more than he wants to profit.
Jorge might…
beg to be released
offer information about his treasure as payment for assistance
reveal the secrets of the purple mussel
3 – The Pearl
This passage curves slightly, leaving the massive, over-sized, black pearl just out of sight until the last moment. It is 6-feet in diameter. Removing it from the cave would be quite tricky. If it is touched, the massive, over-sized, purple mussel in 4 – The Mussel wails loudly, screaming and crying but exclaiming nothing intelligible. As the mussel wails, the cave shakes and shudders. Pieces of rock fall from the ceiling, probably requiring some effort to avoid. If the mussel wails long and hard enough, eventually the cave entrance will collapse.
4 – The Mussel
This large area is nearly entirely dominated by a massive, over-sized, purple mussel. It is easily 10-feet tall, and wider even than that. Its natural state is closed and dozing, but it wails and sobs uncontrollably if its massive, over-sized, black pearl is touched. The only way to console it is to put it to sleep, through various means (gentle rocking, a quiet song, magic, etc). If attacked, the mussel will become hostile, thrashing and snapping but not pursuing.
5 – The Red Hawk
This path has been eroded down to a smooth and slippery state. It gently switchbacks its way down, down, down until the light from the entrance is not visible in the slightest. The increased pressure is quite noticeable. At the end, the path drops out into a naturally open chamber. There is rubble and loose rock everywhere, and a sizable puddle of water.
Above, crashed through the ceiling of the cave and acting as a plug, is the bottom hull of The Red Hawk. Inside is a copious amount of treasure. However, if the hull is breached, treasure isn’t the only thing that begins to fill the cave. Water from the ocean begins pouring into the cave, filling it in minutes. It will require great effort to make it back up and out of the slippery cave while carrying any amount of treasure.
When The Red Hawk sunk, it’s treasure went down with it. For your average humanoid, retrieving treasures from the seafloor can be quite difficult. For a skeleton, however, the task proves little more than trivial.
While Shag was never much of a surfer himself, he had gained some renown as a board builder. Once a nomadic sort, traveling from beach to beach selling boards and his special brand of wax, he settled down once he discovered Loose Bones Cove. The cove’s attractions? A captive clientele, a seemingly never-ending supply of the purple mussels he makes his wax from, and of course, a sunken treasure to collect. With only one place for skeletal surfbums to buy, repair, and wax their boards, Shag has quite the monopoly on the treasures of The Red Hawk.
Shag might…
ask for assistance with collecting mussels
ask for help with the wolves harassing the skeletons
tell the tale of the treasure
Stone’s Throw Cantina
The Stone’s Throw Cantina, named as such for its proximity to the ocean, is a single, open bungalow establishment. The bar wraps around, forming a small square where the bartenders can normally be found.
In life, Bud and Beety were a happy, newly-wed couple. In undeath, eternity has eroded their goodwill for each other; their constant bickering is the number one complaint of the clientele. While their sour attitudes may stand out in this sun-drenched paradise, their drinks are to die for. Or drink singular, rather. Crafted from mulched sea anemones, Pink Puckerups are cheap, delicious, and very effective. Sea anemones are extremely plentiful in the cove, so much so that Bud and Beety freely distribute the drink; they’ve nothing better to do, after all.
Bud and Beety (or one of their patrons) might…
ask strangers to settle their arguments
ask for help with the wolves harassing the skeletons
ponder the cave mouth in the sea cliffs and argue about what might be inside
The Wolves Dire
Loose Bones Cove is bordered by a forest that stretches into the mainland. Recently, a pack of wolves led by a single Dire Wolf have taken a fondness to gnawing on bones – particularly ones that are laying in the sand and don’t put up a fight. Many a surf-skeleton has lost a finger, femur, or rib in the night to these pesky hounds. The community is fed up, and many are willing to offer rewards for pelts or better yet, returned bones.
roll
1d4 wolf hunting encounters
1
1d4 wolves away from the den, gnawing on 1d4 sun-bleached bones of various sizes
2
a wounded wolf, whimpering under a tree
3
a well-equiped human hunter, surrounded by 2d4 wolves
3
the wolf den; 2d6 wolves and the Dire Wolf (1d6 bones)
Loose Bones Cove was once a coastal paradise. Nestled between ocean and forest, it features pristine white sand beaches, cool water, and towering sea cliffs covered in purple mussels. Decades (or even centuries) ago, the cove was a hot-spot for tourism, sand castles, and of course, surfing. Now, few mortals dare travel to this lost paradise, even if the tasty waves are as tantalizing as ever.
Captain Bartholomew Spittail
Ages ago, Bartholomew Spittail was a pirate. He sailed the seas with his crew, pillaging and looting wherever they went.
The crew was on their way to hide their copious amounts of treasure when their ship, The Red Hawk, was scuttled just off the coast of what is now Loose Bones Cove. Captain Spittail, as furious in death as in life, couldn’t stand the constant stream of tourists and surfers enjoying life just above his resting place. So, naturally, he cursed the place; whosoever enjoys the waves above his ship would be doomed to roam the cove for eternity.
Loose Bones
It only took a few years for most mortals to abandon the newly skeleton-dominated stretch of coast. However, a few brave surfers still show up from time to time, determined to catch the very best waves – even if it means sure damnation. Skeletons have taken over the day-to-day operations of the beach cantina, and a board shop (owned by the human Shag) is still kept afloat through bony patronage. Most inhabitants of the cove pass their time surfing or sleeping in the sand.
roll
2d4 encounters
2
1d6 skeletons pop out of the sand, surrounding you and demanding your money (or board wax)
3
a wolf emerges from the forest, sprinting towards a snoozing skeleton
4
a group of skeletons sits around a beach fire, swapping tales and encouraging you to share yours
5
a skeleton approaches in desperate need of board wax
6
a man exits the board shop and begins scaling the sea cliffs, prying purple mussels from the walls
7
a giant crab rises from the water, and a handful of skeletons attempt to beat it back
8
1d6 skeletons emerge from the water, gold and jewels draped all about them, headed for the board shop (1d10 * 6 gold)
