Mythic Magazine 03
Mythic Magazine 03
Mythic Magazine 03
THE MYTHIC ROLE-PLAYING SYSTEM, MYTHIC GAME MASTER EMULATOR, AND CRAFTER SERIES
Using
Mythic With
Published
Adventures
Random
Dungeon
Crawl
Generation
VOLUME 3
EACH MONTH MYTHIC MAGAZINE PRESENTS DISCUSSION AND COMMENTARY ON SOLO ROLE PLAYING AND
GETTING MORE OUT OF YOUR MYTHIC AND CRAFTER ADVENTURES.
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What If
the problem is that there are many ways to approach it,
and everyone has different priorities when it comes to
soloing a published adventure. I think using Mythic to
run a published adventure requires a new way of looking
at role-playing that’s different from both traditional group
role-play and normal solo role-play.
Using Mythic With The second article is a continuation of last month’s
Published Adventures randomization system for Location Crafter. I revisit those
rules, except this time we’re drilling down further with a
system that is specifically for generating a classic dungeon
crawl. This is exciting to me because it’s a shout out to
the earliest versions of solo role-playing, like the random
dungeon generation at the back of the first edition
Dungeon Masters Guide. The desire for dungeon delving
hasn’t ebbed in all that time, and there are countless
systems out there for generating random dungeons. I’m
adding my own take on it this month, with random
Variations
dungeon generation powered by The Location Crafter
and Mythic.
I hope you enjoy this issue and I hope 2021 is being a
good year for you!
Happy adventuring!
Random Dungeon
Crawl Generation
MYTHIC MAGAZINE VOLUME 3 • 3
WHAT IF
Discussion of some aspect of solo, Mythic, or Crafter play for you to chew on.
Character. For instance, if the encounter is 6 monsters We want to preserve as many surprises as we can. With
then reduce them in half to 3. Or, instead of reducing the my approach you have to accept that some surprises will
number of the encounters you reduce their power instead. be spoiled, it’s just unavoidable.
The monsters cause half as much damage and have half as The goal with my approach to soloing a published
many hit points. adventure is not to experience the adventure exactly
You may also reduce other hazards in the Adventure as I would if it were being Gamemastered by a human
in a similar way. A pit trap causes half as much damage, being but to enjoy the adventure as both a Player and
for instance. If a danger isn’t so easily calculated, then a spectator. You are going to know things about the
reduce it by whatever amount feels in line with the adventure that your Character does not, and you’ll have
multiple you selected such as lower poison potency, an to play as though your Character does not know what
easier target number to resist, etc. you know. This is a different experience than either
If we decided we wanted an even weaker Character to regular solo play or traditional social role-play. However,
go in, maybe level 4 or 5 in our example above, we might I like this approach as it preserves the intent and the
decide that we’re working with a multiple of 4 instead of atmosphere of the published Adventure. I think trying to
2, so damage is now quartered, hit points for encounters change the Adventure too much in order to create more
are quartered, or monster quantities are quartered. surprises for you sacrifices what makes the published
Scaling like this is going to be a little rough and adventure special in the first place, the author’s creativity
shooting from the hip, but it should be kept simple so in creating their narrative.
you can make adjustments quickly as you adventure. Still, having said that, I suggest reading as little as
Knowing that the multiple is 3, for instance, makes it possible so that you preserve as much surprise as you can.
easy to decide that the monster has 20 hit points instead As you read the introductory sections, make sure you
of 60, and does 1-6 damage instead of 3-18. Round any have your Threads and Characters Lists handy. Go ahead
fractional values down. and write down any Threads or Characters you read about
When dealing with creature and Character encounters, that seem important. With a published Adventure you
the easiest way to reduce their lethality while preserving are populating the Lists with elements that are revealed to
their nature is to reduce their quantities. If you reduce you before you begin playing. This helps prime Mythic to
the encounter numbers then don’t reduce their individual set the tone and atmosphere of the published Adventure.
power. For instance, if the encounter calls for running
into 12 animated fungi, and the multiple is 2, then you
would reduce the encounter to 6 animated fungi but not ADVENTURE FEATURES
change their individual characteristics. This system for using Mythic with published
Adventures introduces a new List item: Adventure
GETTING STARTED Features. Alongside Threads and Characters keep track of
Adventure Features, which is anything special or unique
My approach to published adventures is simple, using
that is part of this published Adventure that could form
just the published adventure, Mythic, and whatever game
an encounter.
system the adventure goes with. Once you’ve chosen the
For instance, maybe your published Adventure about
adventure, I suggest reading through the introductory
hunting a vampire lord includes special wandering
sections but try to resist reading much more than that.
monster tables, a list of random visions that the Character
may sometimes get, and the sudden appearance of the seek such people out. You might add “Guide finds you” to
vampire in hit and run attacks. You would put all of these the Adventure Features List for this reason.
items into the Adventure Features List as possible things Let your reading of the introduction and experience
that could happen in a Random Event. in the Adventure guide you in filling out the Adventure
Keep in mind that items in the Adventure Feature Features List. If a unique aspect of the Adventure would
List may also appear in the other Lists, especially the add to the overall experience then it should probably be
Characters List. If you have a random encounter with added to the Adventure Features List.
a ghoul, that ghoul may end up as an entry in the
Characters List as well as still being a possibility in the SCENES
Adventure Features List as “wandering monster”.
I treat Scenes a little differently when I use Mythic
Allow yourself to be creative when it comes to
with a published Adventure. Mythic uses Scenes to create
Adventure Features. This is one way to link Mythic with
structure for a solo experience. The published Adventure
the tone of the published Adventure. For instance, if you
is already providing that structure so Scenes are less
are a fantasy Character in a jungle town looking for a
important. I suggest still using Scenes, but perhaps using
guide, it may be common in the Adventure for guides to
them less frequently or having longer gaps between good idea in the middle of an Adventure and decides to
Scenes. For instance, the opening of the Adventure would spring it on the Characters.
be a Scene. Your Character exploring the first part of the You can decide to have the Random Event take place
Adventure could be a single Scene, even if it incorporates right at the beginning of the Scene, when the event was
exploring various areas. Your Character takes a break, generated, or perhaps a little bit further in if it seems
which could end the Scene. When your Character more appropriate.
resumes could be a new Scene or when they move on to a For instance, with our fantasy warrior exploring the
new part of the Adventure. vampire’s castle, when he enters the catacombs the Player
When starting a new Scene, still roll against the may have rolled within the Chaos Factor. Normally,
Chaos Factor. However, the changes we make to a Scene this might have called for an Altered Scene but we
are going to be milder than we might do with Mythic instead make it a Random Event. Rolling on the Focus
alone. Again, we want to stick as much as possible to and Meaning Tables, the Player gets PC Negative, and
the published Adventure, Mythic is not here to overtake “Decrease” and “Liberty”. The Player decides this means
the Adventure but to tweak it as we go. Mythic is almost that winds that the Character has been experiencing
more of a co-GM with a published Adventure, with the throughout the castle are much stronger in the catacombs,
written Adventure having priority. making it difficult to maintain his torch and visibility.
Since you don’t know much about what’s going to He’s going to have to proceed more carefully in the
happen next in a published Adventure it may be tough catacomb since he can’t see as well in the flickering light.
to decide what the next expected Scene is going to be. This Random Event used information that the Player
For instance, if the Adventure is your fantasy character already knew and didn’t change the published Adventure.
exploring a vampire’s castle you may have decided that However, it still fits and works, and adds some tension to
discovering the catacombs below the castle constitute a the exploration.
new Scene. This is a dramatically new area of the castle If the Player had instead rolled NPC Action and
and deserves to be considered a new section of the “Propose” and “Travel”, and if the NPC rolled on the
Adventure. However, your only expectation is that your Characters List had been Brookfield, a human servant of the
Character is going to explore the catacombs. You don’t vampire, the Player may have interpreted it this way: a little
know much more beyond that so applying an Altered bit further into the catacombs, the Character would come
Scene would be difficult and an Interrupt could derail you across Brookfield (an NPC already defined in the published
too much from the published content. Adventure as a possible wandering encounter), who will try
If you roll within the Chaos Factor, instead of applying to talk the Character into fleeing from the castle.
an Altered or Interrupt Scene have it be a Random I’m going to get more into Random Events in a
Event. This sidesteps trying to create a Scene based off bit, because there are a few more changes in how they
an environment you don’t know while still injecting are generated for published Adventures. Before that,
surprises into the Adventure. Since your Lists are being however, let’s talk about how to resolve encounters in the
cobbled together by the experiences your Character has published Adventure.
in the Adventure the Random Event will have the flavor
of the published Adventure. The Random Event won’t
dramatically change the course of the Adventure like an
Interrupt would, it’s more like when a Gamemaster has a
ENCOUNTERS AND LOCATIONS have to, deciding what to do, and reading more, then
navigating how it all unfolds using your best judgement
Whether a published Adventure takes a sandbox
and Mythic to guide you.
approach or is linear, they all generally provide a
collection of places and encounters for Characters
to interact with. Just like with the beginning of the RANDOM EVENTS
Adventure, I suggest only reading as much of each In the beginning of this article I stated this approach
encounter as you have to at first. Read to understand allows the published Adventure to set the Adventure
what the Character is experiencing, then decide what the structure, and this is reflected in Random Events as well.
Character does. After his, read further to understand what When you roll for Random Events, use the Published
consequences the Character’s actions may have. Adventure Focus Table. This is a simpler Event Focus
There will likely be some spoilers with this approach, Table that removes the entries Remote Event, Introduce
but that’s okay. We are separating Player knowledge from A New NPC, Move Toward A Thread, Move Away From
Character knowledge as much as we can, and the goal A Thread, Close A Thread, and Ambiguous Event. You
is to experience the flavor of the Adventure even if that don’t need Mythic to produce these events for you since
means getting clued in on some of the surprises. the published Adventure will do that for you.
For instance, as our Character enters the catacombs What remains is NPC Action, PC Negative, PC
and begins to explore, they come across a dusty room with Positive, NPC Negative and NPC Positive. These are
several coffins in it. The Player stops reading at this point, all results that can use the elements presented by the
and decides his Character is going to enter the room published Adventure, allowing you to present those
and carefully open one coffin, and then the other. After elements in Random Events that don’t break the overall
deciding this he reads on and discovers that one coffin has Adventure as presented.
a wight in it that will attack if disturbed. There is also a There is one more result possible on that table:
pressure plate on the floor that if stepped on will alert the Adventure Feature. We discussed this earlier in this
wight who will then spring out of the coffin and attack. chapter. Adventure Features are elements that are unique
The published Adventure provides rules on how to to the published Adventure and could be just about
decide if the Character steps on the pressure plate so anything. If you roll Adventure Feature as a Random
the Player follows through to see if his Character did. Event you may not have to roll on the Event Meaning
The Player already knows the Character is opening both
coffins, so an encounter with the wight is inevitable.
Published Adventure Focus Table
At any point in the process of adjudicating an
encounter you aren’t sure what should happen you can 1-12 ADVENTURE FEATURE
always pose it as a Fate Question and ask Mythic. For
13-48 NPC ACTION
instance, maybe the pressure plate is triggered if you walk
to one of the coffins first. Since the Player isn’t sure which 49-66 PC NEGATIVE
coffin the Character approaches first he might just poses it 67-78 PC POSITIVE
as a Fate Question, “Did he step on the plate?”
79-88 NPC NEGATIVE
Encounters in a published Adventure are resolved
liked this with a combination of reading as much as you 89-100 NPC POSITIVE
FINAL THOUGHTS
The system presented here is very simple. It strips
down Mythic to allow the published Adventure to shine,
and it replaces some of the surprises that Adventure would
normally produce for surprises that Mythic will produce.
The end result is the ability to go through a published
Adventure solo and experience the flavor and atmosphere
that Adventure provides. I stress the word “experience”
when it comes to this approach, because this system isn’t
like the usual solo role-play experience and it isn’t like
the usual social role-playing experience. It’s really it’s
own thing, a different way to enjoy both Mythic and a
published Adventure.
Random Dungeon
Crawl Generation
THE CLASSIC DUNGEON CRAWL the information in one book so you don’t have to refer to
more than one volume while you play. The information
Nothing says role-playing game like grabbing your
will be presented in this issue in a summarized fashion;
sword or wand and pushing past a cobwebby entrance to
you have everything you need here, but if you want to
a stygian catacomb and braving the darkness with your
read more in depth on this system then please refer to
wits and courage. The classic dungeon crawl.
Mythic Magazine #2 and The Location Crafter.
This article is a continuation of Mythic Magazine #2’s
article, “Randomized Location Crafting”. In that article
I presented a system for using The Location Crafter to WHAT’S NEW?
generate completely random Regions from scratch, as you Generating a random dungeon uses all the familiar
go. In this article we’re going to take it a level deeper and elements presented in the last issue of Mythic Magazine
use that same system, but specifically tailored to creating (and again, summarized at the end of this chapter). You
random dungeons as we explore them. encounter a Region, generate Descriptors for it to give it
The majority of the process of making a random some flavor, list any Known Elements, and explore it Area
dungeon is the same as making any random Region, as by Area using the Area Elements Table.
spelled out in the last issue. However, there are some What’s new in this system is we are dealing with a
important differences to help bring out the flavor and specific kind of Region, a dungeon. There are three new
atmosphere of a classic dungeon crawl. elements that make this Region unique. First, in addition
I’m not going to assume that everyone reading this to generating Descriptors for how the dungeon looks, you
has Mythic Magazine #2 or The Location Crafter, so also generate a story for the dungeon. Every labyrinth,
the last pages of this article contains a summarized recap creepy castle, or underearth cavern has a tale that draws
of everything discussed and presented in the last issue, the adventurer in to explore it in the first place. Story
including the important tables. This also helps keep all Descriptors are much like Region Descriptors, except they
are more about the Why than the What of the dungeon.
The second new element are more specific Region WHAT ABOUT SECRET DOORS?
Descriptors. Dungeons are loosely defined in one of
three categories: Cavern, Ancient, and Palatial. Caverns There are various tropes around dungeons that you just must have
are mostly natural dungeons, the fissures in the earth sometimes. Pit traps, wandering monsters, weird puzzles ... and
where dark creatures dwell. Ancient dungeons are your secret doors. Most elements of a classic dungeon can be generated
classic built structures that have withstood the ages and through the normal course of play, with the Region Elements
where dark forces lay in wait. A palatial dungeon is Table, Meaning Tables, Known Elements, Mythic Fate Questions,
meant to represent a built area that is less decrepit, like and your interpretations generating them as you go.
a castle. Each type of dungeon has its own set of Region But what about secret doors? A simple way to include classic secret
Descriptors to help define it. doors in your dungeons, especially an Ancient Dungeon where
The last new element are Connectors. Normally such things are expected, is to allow your Character to search for
when using The Location Crafter system, the focus is on secret doors periodically as they normally would. If they succeed in
generating interesting Areas to explore. How these Areas their search, then ask Mythic the Fate Questions, “Is a secret door
found?” You decide the odds for this question as normal. If the
connect, the doorways and halls that lead from one Area
answer is yes, then a door is found!
to another, is abstracted and you are expected to interpret
connectors that make the most sense. With defining a Treat this as any other exit from an Area. Your Character is moving
Region as something as specific as a dungeon we can add from one Area, through a Connector (more on that later), to a new
Area to explore. Considering that this Area is extra special in that
random Connectors that are more meaningful.
it was accessed through a secret door, give your rolls on the Region
The last few pages of this article contain a recap of the
Elements Table a +1 modifier for Location, Encounters, and
rules presented in Mythic Magazine #2. Feel free to skip
Objects. This is to signify that what lays beyond the secret door is
this if you’re already familiar. likely more interesting than what may be normally found at this
point in the Region.
COMING UPON A DUNGEON
The rules given here are for randomly generating a your entire dungeon, or you can use it as inspiration and
dungeon as you go as a special type of Location Crafter add creativity as you go.
Region. How your Characters end up at this Region Keep in mind that these rules are designed for a classic,
is part of your Adventure, or perhaps you had already fantasy role-play dungeon. This is meant for the sword
planned on encountering a dungeon. There are various and sorcery world.
ways you can come to this situation.
If you are playing a Mythic Adventure and using The DUNGEON TYPE
Location Crafter to help with generating Regions, you
This system treats dungeons as a special type of
may naturally have come to the point in your Adventure
Location Crafter Region. Think of it as Region: Dungeon.
where you come upon a dungeon. This is when you can
The first thing to do is determine what kind of dungeon
pull out these rules to generate it as you go.
we’re dealing with. Dungeon’s are broken down into
You can also use these rules to help you generate a
three general categories: Cavern, Ancient, and Palatial.
dungeon before an Adventure if you are the Gamemaster
These are very broad categories that should cover just
for a group of players. The rules here can be used to create
about any kind of dungeon. The Type of dungeon will
determine what kind of Story it has, its Descriptors, and Ancient Dungeon
its Connectors.
The Ancient Dungeon is your classic catacomb, dark
and filled with cobwebs, perhaps cobbled together in a
Cavern Dungeon bygone age by a mad wizard or a cult enshrining their
A Cavern Dungeon is any kind of natural dungeon, dark god. The Ancient Dungeon is probably the most
such as cave systems under the earth or deep fissures in a iconic of dungeons and is what we generally think of
mountain. These kinds of dungeons tend to pose more when we think “dungeon”.
natural hazards, like crumbling stalagmites or crevasses to
fall down. The creatures in these kinds of dungeons also Palatial Dungeon
tend to be more natural, like deep dwelling monsters or
races that live in the bowels of the world. The Palatial Dungeon is the category for dungeons
that are not quite dungeons but still have that classic
dungeon crawl feel when explored. These are castles or
other structures that are newer or in better shape than an DUNGEON DESCRIPTORS
Ancient Dungeon. Instead of dank hallways it may have
When your Character first approaches the dungeon,
broad cathedrals or sweeping staircases. Just because it’s
Descriptors will give you the initial impression of what it
Palatial doesn’t mean it’s not a ruin, however. This is still a
looks like. This is the same rule as Region Descriptors but
dungeon, just of a grander, less stygian nature.
specialized to dungeons. Roll twice on the Dungeon Region
Descriptors Table for a word or phrase pairing. Interpret
THE DUNGEON STORY the results to come up with a first, visual impression of the
Normally when you encounter a Region with the dungeon and sometimes the setting around it.
randomized version of The Location Crafter (from Mythic
Magazine #2) you start with Region Descriptors to give DUNGEON CONNECTORS
the Region flavor. A Dungeon Region has an additional
The Location Crafter system is for generating interesting
Descriptor: Story. Just like Region Descriptors, Story
Areas for your Character to have encounters in. Normally,
Descriptors give you a pair of words or phrases that you
the ways these Areas connect ... the doorways and hallways
then interpret into something meaningful. We’re developing
for instance ... are left up to you to decide based on what
a simple story around the dungeon, a reason for it existing
you think is most likely.
or rumors about its dangers. This usually has something to
The rules presented in this article are for a specific
do with the circumstances of its creation or who, or what,
kind of Region, dungeons, making it possible to add
built it. It’s purpose will sometimes also be hinted at.
a mechanic for including specific Connectors between
Developing Story Descriptors is optional, and would
Areas. This rule is optional, and specifically how the
only come into play if your Characters are learning
Areas connect is still mostly abstracted and left to you to
about the dungeon. Most dungeons have a tale to be
decide, but the Dungeon Connectors Table can provide
told, however, and it helps shape the reason for why the
inspiration if you wish.
Characters are risking their lives to enter it in the first
When a Character moves out of one Area you can roll
place. You can use these Story Descriptors when your
on the Dungeon Connectors Table to see what the route
Characters first learn of the dungeon.
is that takes them to the next Area. Roll 1d100 once on
Alternatively, you could still generate Story Descriptors
the table. Most of the results are simple and are just there
when you first encounter the dungeon, perhaps the
to help you map out the way the Areas of the dungeon are
Character simply has heard the story of the place or
connected. As with most things Mythic, interpret your
has knowledge of the lore. You may not need Story
results to fit in best within the current context.
Descriptors if the dungeon already fits into your
Even though you are rolling on the table for the
Adventure through the normal course of events. However,
Connector, use what you expect most to fill in any
the mechanic is here if you need inspiration for a story.
creative blanks. For instance, if your Character is in a
Story Descriptors are generated the same way Region
tomb and is moving on, you might decide that the exit is
Descriptors are: roll two times on the Descriptor table
an archway then roll on the Dungeon Connector Table to
and interpret the pairing of your results together. If you
see what lays beyond the arch.
get the same result twice then consider that result to be
Most of the results on the table should be self-
“doubled down,” a more intense version of what you
explanatory. Following are details about some of the more
would have gone with.
complicated results.
THE BIG EXAMPLE: UNLIBAR it. Legend has it that the shark ended up in the Galloway
island chain, where it was slain by locals who discovered
AND THE CAVE OF THE the pearl. Fearing its power, they hid it away on one of the
LEVIATHAN’S PEARL many islands where it has remained ever since.
Let’s put all of this to use in an example where we Unlibar believes he has found the island and sets sail for
have our Player Character, Unlibar The Red, searching it. En route his ship sinks during a great storm, with his
for the fabled Pearl of the Leviathan. Unlibar is a pirate crew perishing but the pirate himself swimming to shore.
who has been searching for the mythical pearl, an item of Undaunted, Unlibar continues his hunt for the pearl.
great power said to give its possessor control over the seas. While exploring the island, Unlibar’s Player determines
Unlibar’s Adventure so far has taken him to a string of that his pirate Character has learned the location of
islands as he follows rumors and ancient maps. The “pearl” a cave system where the pearl is located. The Player
is said to be a shard from the soul of a monstrous sea uses the Dungeon Story Descriptors Table to see what
creature slain eons ago. Seafaring warlords used the pearl Unlibar initially learns about the cave. We know that it’s a
to lay siege to coastal cities, only for the artifact to be lost dungeon, and a natural cave system, so the Player decides
in a great naval battle. A shark is said to have swallowed it’s a Cavern Dungeon. Rolling twice on the table gives us
“A powerful object is housed within” and “The source of sound can be heard. A strange creature looking like a
monsters plaguing nearby towns.” leathery yellow bat swoops down, zipping past as it flies
Through interpretation and a couple of Mythic Fate further into the cavern.
Questions the Player determines that the cave is notorious The Player thought about asking Fate Questions
on this island. Nearby fishing communities claim the cursed about the creature but decided at this point a non-violent
cave is the source of monsters wandering forth and feeding encounter seemed most likely. The description seemed
on their catches. The Player already knows that the cave is to fit the “bizarre” result. The Player adds “yellow bat
the location of a powerful object, so that makes sense. creature” to the Encounters List and Unlibar continues
Unlibar makes his way to the cave, prompting the into the dungeon.
Player to roll on the Dungeon Descriptors Table for The Player rolls on the Dungeon Connectors Table for
a first impression of what the entrance looks like. He how Unlibar moves past this Area and gets “same”. So, the
rolls “Difficult to travel through” and “Mossy or fungi”. cave tunnel continues on.
Thinking about this a moment, the Player interprets this Unlibar enters the next Area, the Player rolling on the
to mean that the cave is difficult to access because it is in Area Elements Table (now with +1 to the rolls because of the
a cove near the ocean. The entrance floods during part of Progress Point) and gets a Location of “known, or random”,
the day, making it difficult and dangerous. Just inside the an Encounter of Expected, and an Object of Random.
cave entrance can be seen moss and fungus growing and Since there are no elements on the Locations List of
clinging to the cave walls. the Known Elements Region Sheet the Player decides that
Unlibar is ready, and with a lantern in hand he ventures the Location is Random. Rolling twice on the Random
into the cave, sloshing through the low tide waters. Element Descriptors Table for this the Player gets
The Player prepares for the exploration by printing a “negative” and “familiar”.
copy of the Known Elements Region Sheet. He writes The Player interprets this to mean that the Location
“monsters” on the first line of the Encounters List and is familiar in the sense that it’s more of the same kind
“Pearl” on the first line of the Objects List. These are the of cave. It’s negative, however, in that the water level is
only things the Player knows are within the dungeon. higher here, around Unlibar’s waist now.
For the fun of it, the Player also pulls out a sheet of For the Expected Encounter, the Player decides that
paper to map out the dungeon as he explores it. the most likely thing is that Unlibar sees more of the
The Player decides that the dungeon is likely a small strange yellow bats flapping around near the cavern roof.
Location, so he’ll use that column for rolls on the Area The Player rolls for the Random Object and gets
Elements Table. Unlibar enters the first Area of the “faded” and “personal”. The Player decides that Unlibar
dungeon, the entrance. The Player rolls 1d10 on the Area sees clothing floating in the water, caught against a rock.
Elements Table getting a Location of Expected, Encounter After some investigating, he finds a body in the water
of Random, and Objects None. Rolling to see what the wedged between the rocks. Unlibar is apparently not the
Random Encounter is, the Player rolls twice on the Random first person to enter this cave. He withdraws his sword,
Elements Descriptors Table and gets “fast” and “bizarre”. holding his lantern higher above the water, nervous and
The Player interprets the results this way: Unlibar wary now.
makes his way into the cave as the water sloshes around The Player rolls for the Connector past this Area and
his ankles. The cave is moist with lichen and barnacles gets “same”, so the tunnel continues forward.
clinging to the walls. As he holds his lantern up a flapping The Player rolls for the next Area and gets a Location
of Expected, an Encounter of Random, and an Object table from the RPG he’s using Mythic with to generate a
of None. standard, random aquatic monster and gets a type of half
The Player decides that the Expected Location is just human/half fish creature.
more of the same with the cavern and the high water. After some Fate Questions the Player determines that
Rolling for the Random Encounter, the Player rolls Unlibar finds himself in a chamber with fishmen glaring
“bizarre” and “combative”. at him with their large, green, bulbous eyes. They are
The Player decides that this means the bats have holding torches and spears. They force him from the
had enough of Unlibar and attack him in a group. The water and, with spears at his back, march him further into
Player makes a series of Mythic Fate Question rolls to the cavern.
determine how dangerous the bats are, and Unlibar finds The Player rolls for the next Connector and gets “same,
himself in a fight against a group of them trying to land with a side area”. The Player interprets this to mean the
on him and bite. fishmen force Unlibar along the cavern, then into a side
The Player resolves the combat with Unlibar waving cavern forming a new Area to generate.
his sword at the creatures, but having a tough time Rolling, the Player gets a Location of “known, or
fending them off. He finally dives under the water and random,” an Encounter of None, and an Object of None.
swims as far as he can to avoid the bats. This douses his There are no known Locations so the Player rolls for a
lantern, plunging him in darkness. Random one getting “full” and “bleak”.
The Player determines that this has moved Unlibar The Player interprets this to mean that this chamber
past this Area and into a new Connector. Rolling for it, is a series of cells where the fishmen hold prisoners.
we get “Roll on Descriptions Meaning Tables.” Rolling for Unlibar sees other cages with skeletons in them. The body
a word pairing there, we get “ruthlessly” and “defeated”. he found near the entrance makes more sense now, the
That doesn’t sound good at all. The Player interprets this fishmen must be using this cave system as their lair and
to mean that as Unlibar swims, the currents pick up and are preying on the nearby villages from here.
plunge him down a shaft, washing him roughly against Unlibar finds himself locked in a cell by the grunting
stone as he bumps and slides his way into the unknown. fishmen. They leave him, and Unlibar considers his
When Unlibar comes to a stop and pokes his head options. Using a knife from his boot, he picks the lock of
above water, the Player rolls for a new Area. The Location the cell. It wasn’t hard, the metal is rusted and the locks
is Expected, the Encounter is “known, or random” and are crude. Unlibar sneaks out of the cavern, finding the
the Object is Expected. space outside it clear of the fishmen. Torches hang from
The Player decides that the most Expected Location the walls providing light, and Unlibar continues down the
to come up in is a cavern with a pool in it. For the cavern he was first being marched along.
Encounter, since there are elements on the List, the Player The Player rolls for a Connector and gets “leads
rolls 1d10 and gets “Choose the Most Logical Element”. directly to another Area” so we go direct to generating a
The Player thinks about this a moment, it’s between the new Area.
bats and the “monsters” Unlibar had heard about. The For Location we get Expected, for Encounters we get
Player decides that the yellow bats are likely localized to None, and for Objects we get None. The Player interprets
the entrance of the cave where they menaced Unlibar, so this to mean this is just another cavern Area, empty for
this encounter is with the mysterious monsters Unlibar the moment.
heard tales about. The Player decides to use a monster Unlibar continues, the Player rolling a Connector of
“same”, so another cavern shaft to walk down. For the completes the dungeon, it should be dramatic. He decides
next Area, we get a Location of Expected, an Encounter of that the Expected Area would be the fishmen’s lair, where
“known, or random” and an Object of “Expected, PP-6”. they live and sleep. The Expected Encounter is with a
The Player decides this is another cavern area with group of fishmen, including their chief.
torches on the walls. He rolls for the Known Encounter Although there are no objects in the Area, the Player
and gets “yellow bats”. He reduces the Progress Points determines that the Pearl of Leviathan is hanging around
on Objects. a necklace around the chief’s neck. Unlibar grabs a spear
The Player’s interpretation is that this chamber and gets into a battle with the group of watery mutants,
has boxes and cages in it with eggs and young bat eager to get his hands on the artifact he’s worked so hard
creatures. The fishmen are breeding the animals Unlibar to find.
encountered, perhaps using them as
guards for the cave entrance.
Unlibar quietly sneaks past the
cages so the animals don’t waken
and raise an alarm. The Player rolls
for a Connector and gets “same”, so
more caverns.
For the next Area we get
a Location of Complete, an
Encounter of “Expected, PP-6”,
and an Object of None.
The Player thinks about this
and decides that since this Area
None
Functional
A Category Element of None means there is no
This result is similar to Specific Purpose but is more Element for that Category in the Area.
specific in that the Region itself is a type of machine.
If you need inspiration for the function, roll on the
Actions Meaning Tables to see what the Structure is
Random
supposed to do. When a roll on the Area Elements Table generates a
Random Element for a Category, roll on the Random
Rolling A Descriptor Twice Element Descriptors Table twice for inspiration to figure
out what it is. This table is a specialized version of the
If you happen to roll the same Descriptor twice Meaning Tables. Like the Meaning Tables, put together
consider the table to be doubling down on that the word pair you rolled to use for interpretation. If
Descriptor and make that element stronger. you need more inspiration, then roll on the Description
Meaning Tables for descriptive inspiration or the Action
AREAS AND ELEMENTS Meaning Tables for activity inspiration.
A Region is generated Area by Area. This process
works in the same way as it does in Location Crafter,
with a few modifications. The most obvious change
Known Special
This version of The Location Crafter doesn’t use The Special Element requires a roll on the Special
pre-made Custom or Unique Elements, but it does use Element Table which will provide instructions on what
Known Elements if you are aware of them. to do.
When first generating a Region, if you know anything
particular about it, record it on the Known Elements Complete
Region Sheet found at the back of this book.
Known Elements are just that, Locations, When the Complete Element is generated this
Encounters, and Objects that are known to this indicates that the Region has been fully explored;
Region. Before your Character enters the Region, fill there is no place else to go, at least that the Characters
out Known Elements for each of the three Categories. are aware of. If this is rolled, treat it as an Expected
You should only list Elements that you actually know Element for this Area, but there are no further Areas
are present somewhere in the Region. Also, you should of interest to explore beyond this one; the Region is
only list Known Elements that are important. done. If you know there is more to the Region that
You can add to the list of Known Elements as you hasn’t been explored yet, consider all of those areas as
progress in the Adventure if you learn of a new Element Expected for all Categories.
that hasn’t been discovered in the Region yet or you
discover an Element that can be encountered again. Expected, PP-6
After a Known Encounter happens, you can choose
to remove it from the list if that makes sense. This is a special Element result that will eventually
When a Known Element is rolled, and you have happen when your Progress Points grow and your roll
entries listed on the Category List, roll 1d10 to see what overflows the Table. This functions as a typical Expected
Known Element you generate. If the roll indicates a Element, except don’t record a new Progress Point for
listed Known Element, then that is the Element active this Category and reduce the total Progress Points for
in this Area. If you roll a blank line or a line where a this Category by 6 points.
Known Element has been crossed off, then choose the
most logical Known Element in the List. HOW IT ALL WORKS
If you roll Known Element and you don’t have any
Exploring a Region is a process of generating one
Known Elements for that Category, then ignore the
Area and its contents at a time. Characters enter an
Known Elements result and use the alternate result
Area, you use the Area Elements Table to randomly
indicated on the Area Elements Table (it’ll either be
determine the Elements of the Area, play out the Area
Random, Expected, or Special).
as you see fit for your Adventure, then the Characters
move on to the next Area.
To generate a new Area in the Region to explore
(including the first one), roll 1d10 for each Category
(Locations, Encounters, Objects) on the Area Elements
Table and add the Progress Points for that Category to completing the exploration. Every time you roll
to the roll (more on this later). This will give you one on the Area Elements Table write down a hash mark
Element for each of the three Categories to construct on a piece of paper for that Category to indicate the
your Area with. Combine these Elements together using amount of Progress Points (which begin at zero) for that
logic and interpretation to determine what this Area is Category. Each time a Category is rolled to determine
and what’s happening in it. the Elements of an Area, roll 1d10 plus the Progress
The Locations columns on the Area Elements Table Points for that Category to get the Element.
gives you two options: Large and Small. This is for Continue to generate Areas one at a time like
you to decide if you think the Region counts as a large this until the Complete Element is rolled, until
Region or a small one. Only make this determination the Gamemaster decides the Region has been fully
once, from there on all rolls on the Area Elements Table explored, or until the Characters decide they are done
for this Region will use that Locations column. and leave.
REGION:
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
2
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
3
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
4
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
5
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
6
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
7
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
8
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
9
Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element Choose The Most Logical Element
10
PROGRESS POINTS
Area Elements Table
1D10+PP LOCATIONS, LARGE LOCATIONS, SMALL ENCOUNTERS & OBJECTS
16 or
Expected, PP-6 Expected, PP-6 Expected, PP-6
more
1-10 SUPERSIZE: Roll on the Area Elements Table again (if you get Special again, treat it as Expected).
Whatever Element is generated, enhance it as much as possible. Make it more intense in some way.
11-20 BARELY THERE: Roll on the Area Elements Table again (if you get Special again, treat it as
Expected). Whatever Element is generated, minimize it as much as possible, making it less intense.
21-30 THIS IS BAD: Roll on the Area Elements Table again (if you get Special again, treat it as Expected).
Whatever you get, it is bad for the Player Characters and interpret it that way. This may be a
dangerous encounter, a trap, or something that is simply broken and unusable. Whatever detail you
generate give it a negative interpretation.
31-40 THIS IS GOOD: Roll on the Area Elements Table again (if you get Special again, treat it as
Expected). Whatever you get, it is good for the Player Characters and interpret it that way. This
may be a helpful encounter, a way out, or useful object. Whatever detail you generate give it a
positive interpretation.
41-50 MULTI-ELEMENT: Roll twice on the Area Elements Table (if you get Special again, treat it as
Expected), and combine both Elements into the Area together.
51-65 EXIT HERE: This Area, in addition to whatever else it contains, also holds an exit from the Region,
if this is possible. Maybe it’s a back door out of the mansion, or another exit from a cave. If this result
makes no sense, ignore it and treat this as an Expected Element.
66-80 RETURN: Whatever else this Area contains, it also has access to another, previously encountered
Area in this Region. This is only possible if that other Area had a way to reach this one such as doors
or access that the Characters had not yet explored. Choose the connected Area that’s most logical.
If this result makes no sense then ignore it and treat this as an Expected Element.
81-90 GOING DEEPER: Treat this as an Expected Element. Instead of adding one Progress Point for this
Category add three instead.
91-100 COMMON GROUND: Treat this as an Expected Element. Eliminate three Progress Points for this
Category (don’t record the Progress Point for this Element and eliminate two more).
Random Element Descriptors Table
1D100 LOCATIONS ENCOUNTERS OBJECTS 1D100 LOCATIONS ENCOUNTERS OBJECTS
DESCRIPTOR 2
1: Abandoned 21: Disagreeable 41: Graceful 61: Magnificent 81: Remarkable
2: Abnormal 22: Disgusting 42: Hard 62: Masculine 82: Rotten
3: Amusing 23: Drab 43: Harsh 63: Mature 83: Rough
4: Ancient 24: Dry 44: Healthy 64: Messy 84: Ruined
5: Aromatic 25: Dull 45: Heavy 65: Mighty 85: Rustic
6: Average 26: Empty 46: Historical 66: Military 86: Scary
7: Beautiful 27: Enormous 47: Horrible 67: Modern 87: Simple
8: Bizarre 28: Exotic 48: Important 68: Extravagant 88: Small
9: Classy 29: Faded 49: Interesting 69: Mundane 89: Smelly
10: Clean 30: Familiar 50: Juvenile 70: Mysterious 90: Smooth
11: Cold 31: Fancy 51: Lacking 71: Natural 91: Soft
12: Colorful 32: Fat 52: Lame 72: Nondescript 92: Strong
13: Creepy 33: Feeble 53: Large 73: Odd 93: Tranquil
14: Cute 34: Feminine 54: Lavish 74: Pale 94: Ugly
15: Damaged 35: Festive 55: Lean 75: Petite 95: Valuable
16: Dark 36: Flawless 56: Less 76: Poor 96: Warlike
17: Defeated 37: Fresh 57: Lethal 77: Powerful 97: Warm
18: Delicate 38: Full 58: Lonely 78: Quaint 98: Watery
19: Delightful 39: Glorious 59: Lovely 79: Rare 99: Weak
20: Dirty 40: Good 60: Macabre 80: Reassuring 100: Young
MEANING TABLES: ACTIONS
ACTION 1
1: Attainment 21: Release 41: Expose 61: Oppress 81: Excitement
2: Starting 22: Befriend 42: Haggle 62: Inspect 82: Activity
3: Neglect 23: Judge 43: Imprison 63: Ambush 83: Assist
4: Fight 24: Desert 44: Release 64: Spy 84: Care
5: Recruit 25: Dominate 45: Celebrate 65: Attach 85: Negligence
6: Triumph 26: Procrastinate 46: Develop 66: Carry 86: Passion
7: Violate 27: Praise 47: Travel 67: Open 87: Work
8: Oppose 28: Separate 48: Block 68: Carelessness 88: Control
9: Malice 29: Take 49: Harm 69: Ruin 89: Attract
10: Communicate 30: Break 50: Debase 70: Extravagance 90: Failure
11: Persecute 31: Heal 51: Overindulge 71: Trick 91: Pursue
12: Increase 32: Delay 52: Adjourn 72: Arrive 92: Vengeance
13: Decrease 33: Stop 53: Adversity 73: Propose 93: Proceedings
14: Abandon 34: Lie 54: Kill 74: Divide 94: Dispute
15: Gratify 35: Return 55: Disrupt 75: Refuse 95: Punish
16: Inquire 36: Imitate 56: Usurp 76: Mistrust 96: Guide
17: Antagonize 37: Struggle 57: Create 77: Deceive 97: Transform
18: Move 38: Inform 58: Betray 78: Cruelty 98: Overthrow
19: Waste 39: Bestow 59: Agree 79: Intolerance 99: Oppress
20: Truce 40: Postpone 60: Abuse 80: Trust 100: Change
ACTION 2
1: Goals 21: Messages 41: Advice 61: Death 81: Victory
2: Dreams 22: Energy 42: Plot 62: Disruption 82: Dispute
3: Environment 23: Balance 43: Competition 63: Power 83: Riches
4: Outside 24: Tension 44: Prison 64: Burden 84: Normal
5: Inside 25: Friendship 45: Illness 65: Intrigues 85: Technology
6: Reality 26: Physical 46: Food 66: Fears 86: Hope
7: Allies 27: Project 47: Attention 67: Ambush 87: Magic
8: Enemies 28: Pleasures 48: Success 68: Rumor 88: Illusions
9: Evil 29: Pain 49: Failure 69: Wounds 89: Portals
10: Good 30: Possessions 50: Travel 70: Extravagance 90: Danger
11: Emotions 31: Benefits 51: Jealousy 71: Representative 91: Weapons
12: Opposition 32: Plans 52: Dispute 72: Adversities 92: Animals
13: War 33: Lies 53: Home 73: Opulence 93: Weather
14: Peace 34: Expectations 54: Investment 74: Liberty 94: Elements
15: Innocent 35: Legal 55: Suffering 75: Military 95: Nature
16: Love 36: Bureaucracy 56: Wishes 76: Mundane 96: Masses
17: Spirit 37: Business 57: Tactics 77: Trials 97: Leadership
18: Intellect 38: Path 58: Stalemate 78: Masses 98: Fame
19: Ideas 39: News 59: Randomness 79: Vehicle 99: Anger
20: Joy 40: Exterior 60: Misfortune 80: Art 100: Information
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