Sundaland Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator

Yet another Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator, but this one is tailored to my Bronze Age to Antiquity setting. 

After my tables I've collected some more great free Sword & Sorcery adventure generators (From which I myself have taken inspiration or outright borrowed).

Use the following tables in any configuration you wish as many times as you need to spark your imagination. Go to the content overview for more random tables that will be of use. The Random RPG Faction Generator is particularly useful for adversaries and allies in ongoing campaigns.

Location: Where does the adventure take place. 1d12

Setup 1, 2 and 3: The situation at the start of the adventure. 3d20

Hook: How the players get involved. 1d6

Patron, ally, client, help-seeker: Who is asking for help or on their side. 1d6

Task: What has to be done? 1d6

Reward: What's in it for the players? 1d6

Antagonist or Adversary: Who is working in opposition to the players? 1d6

Obstacle: What stands in the way? 1d12

Complication: What makes the situation complicated? 1d6

Twist: What unexpected thing happens? 1d12

Location (1d12): 

1. Island: Archipelagos, bays, lagoons, coral reefs, sand bars, cliffs, limestone karsts. Pirates, serpents, leviathans.

2. Savannah: Open grasslands, scattered trees, rocky outcrops, bush lands. Heat, herd animals, predators.

3. Valleys: Cliffs, crevices, hidden paths, winding trails, boulders, deep rivers, waterfalls, rock falls, ledges, overhangs. 

4. Caves: Shallow caves, deep cavern systems, giant sink-holes, cenotes. Echoes, eyes in the dark, hiding places.

5. Temples: In ruins or pristine, abandoned or in use, huge complex or small as a house. Worshippers, fanatics, priests, acolytes.

6. Village: Along the river bank, high on a cliff's edge, on stilts over water, distributed across a wide area, closely packed with defences. Fishermen and women, hunters, weavers, warriors, gardeners.

7. City: Abandoned or occupied, falling into ruin or thriving, enclosed within walls or spread out across a wide area. Merchants, guards, soldiers, artisans bureaucrats, 

8. Table top mountain: Cliffs, hidden access, unusual flora and fauna.

9. Volcanic: Ash lands, lava streams, geysers, geothermal pools, noxious smells.

10. Swamps, marshes, bogs, mangrove forests: Occasional islands of firm ground, tides. Bottomless quagmire, mosquitos and insects, movement in the water.

11. Rivers: Wide and slow, narrow and fast, waterfalls, rapids.

12. Forest: Rainforest: dense canopy with little undergrowth. Jungle light canopy with dense undergrowth. 

Setup 1 (1d20):

1. Pirates, brigands, raiders or thieves

2. Nobles

3. Ambassadors

4. Common city dwellers

5. Slavers

6. Enslaved

7. Courtesans

8. Sea-gypsies

9. Merchants or traders

10. Crafters and artisans

11. Mercenaries

12. Villagers

13. Guards

14. Soldiers

15. Sailors, fisher-folk

16. Explorers

17. Ambassadors

18. Bureaucrats

19. Cultists

20. Priests or shamans

Setup 2 (1d20):

1. Attack

2. Ally with

3. Bribe

4. Lead

5. Subjugate

6. Worship

7. Trade

8. Build

9. Take

10. Replace

11. Kill or destroy

12. Buy

13. Rescue

14. Seek or find

15. Guard, protect or escort

16. Capture

17. Discover or explore

18. Hide

19. Make

20. Escape

Setup 3 (1d20):

1. Spices

2. Animals such as elephants or water-buffalo

3. Metal such as Bronze or tin

4. Gold, silver, jade or obsidian

5. A magical metal

6. Jewels or jewellery

7. Boat or ship

8. Food resources

9. Astrological knowledge

10. Herbal and healing knowledge

11. Maps

12. Weapons

13. Tablets

14. Idols

15. Scrolls

16. Statues

17. Tombs

18. Ruin

19. Beasts or monsters

20. Star Gods

Hook (1d6):

1. Characters owe someone a debt or favour.

2. Characters are blackmailed into helping.

3. Characters are hired specifically for the job.

4. Characters hear there is a reward for any volunteers.

5. Characters hear an enticing rumour or legend.

6. Circumstances force the characters to get involved.

Patron, ally, client, help-seeker (1d6):

1. Old friend

2. Old ally

3. Superiors from your culture

4. Superiors from another culture

5. Common folk

6. Travellers or strangers

Roll on Setup 1 again to know more about the Patron / Ally

Task (1d6):

1. Rescue

2. Escort, defend or guard

3. Find or explore

4. Transport, trade or exchange

5. Destroy

6. Attack

Reward (1d6):

1. Treasure such as precious metals, jewels, artefacts, spices or jewellery. 

2. Special rights, privileges, future favour or personal debt.

3. Weapons or tools.

4. A house, mansion, palace or fort.

5. Elephants, water-buffalo, boat or ship with crew.

6. Information or clues.

Antagonist (1d6):

1. An old or former friend

2. An old or former ally

3. Someone with a neutral or indifferent relationship to the players.

4. An old adversary

5. A sworn enemy

6. An unknown adversary

Roll on Setup 1 again to know more about the Antagonist

Obstacle (1d12):

1. Animals

2. Beasts or monsters

3. People (Roll on Setup 1 again to know more)

4. Geographical feature or barrier such as mountains, rivers, waterfalls, swamps, reefs, deserts, ravines, jungles and such things.

5. Natural disaster such as typhoons, torrential rains, mud-slides, volcano explosions, plagues etc.

6. Strange local customs

7. Restrictive local laws

8. Subterfuge, deception or trickery

9. Mistaken identity

10. Sudden loss of an important person, resource, tool, knowledge or weapon.

11. Curse

12. Secret

Complication (1d6):

1. Lack of appropriate resources.

2. Lack of appropriate people.

3. Lack of appropriate tools or weapons.

4. Lack of appropriate knowledge or information.

5. Misleading information.

6. The clock starts ticking because... (roll on another table such as Antagonist, Obstacle or Twist)

Twist (1d12):

1. The ally is a potential enemy.

2. The enemy is a potential ally.

3. The Setup is not as it seems.

4. The Obstacle is not what it at first seemed to be.

5. Adversaries are forced to help each-other.

6. The antagonist's goal more worthy than at first seemed.

7. What seemed mundane is actually super-natural.

8. What seems super-natural is actually mundane.

9. It's a trap or trick.

10. The goal of the mission is superseded by something more immediately important.

11. Failure results in unexpected consequences.

12. Success results in unexpected consequences.

Let's roll up a random Sword & Sorcery Adventure:

2d12 (I want two locations), 3d20, 5d6, 1d12, 1d6, 1d12

Location: 

7. City: Abandoned or occupied, falling into ruin or thriving, enclosed within walls or spread out across a wide area. Merchants, guards, soldiers, artisans bureaucrats, 

10. Swamps, marshes, bogs, mangrove forests: Occasional islands of firm ground, tides. Bottomless quagmire, mosquitos and insects, movement in the water.

Setup 1: 15. Sailors, fisher-folk

Setup 2: 7. Trade

Setup 3: 1. Spices

Hook: 4. Characters hear there is a reward for any volunteers.

Patron, ally, client, help-seeker: 5. Common folk

Task: 1. Rescue

Reward: 1. Treasure such as precious metals, jewels, artefacts, spices or jewellery. 

Antagonist: 6. An unknown adversary + 11. Mercenaries

Obstacle: 3. People (Roll on Setup 1 again to know more) + 3. Ambassadors

Complication: 4. Lack of appropriate knowledge or information.

Twist: 11. Failure results in unexpected consequences.

Weaving this together I get:

The adventurers arrive at s a city that lies deep in a swamp. The reason the city lies in a swamp is because it is a collection and trading hub for rare spices that are only found in the vicinity.

Common folk that live in the swamp (who otherwise live as fisher-folk) gather spices and bring them to the city in exchange for goods and services. While perusing the street markets the characters overhear that some of the swamp people have been kidnapped by a band of unknown warriors (they are in fact mercenaries) They are holding them hostage in order to force their families to divulge the secrets of where to find particularly valuable spices and how to harvest them. 

The adventurers may wonder what properties do these spices have that make them so valuable?

The swamp people are offering a reward of some of these spices to anyone who can rescue their family members. The origin, culture and character of the kidnappers is unknown and the leaders of the city are reluctant to send out guards or warriors on a rescue mission because they believe they will be at a severe disadvantage in the swamp. In fact there are ambassadors from several other city states in attendance and they have all agreed to forbid anyone from aiding the common folk of the swamp. It is unclear if this decision was unanimous or if there was a vote or some kind of ruling.

The complicating factors of this task are a lack of information of the whereabouts of the kidnappers or any other information including their numbers. All they swamp-folk can offer is a scroll detailing the demands (Or so they've been told, they can not read this language and needed the aid of one of the cities' scribes).

The twist in this adventure is that if the adventurers fail to rescue the kidnapped people the swamp folk will turn on them and offer them up in exchange for their family members.

What will happen?

Will the adventurers aid the swamp people?

What is the nature of these particularly valuable spices?

Will the characters try to play both sides in order to secure the knowledge of how to find the spices themselves?

Why do the city leaders and ambassadors not want to help?

Do all parties agree this is the right course of action?

Will the city leaders and ambassadors actively try to hinder the adventurers?

Did one of them hire the mercenaries?

What happens if the adventurers succeed?

How will the city leaders and ambassadors react? Will they be pleased, or will it anger them?

Will they each react differently because of different motivations and involvement?

What will the adventurers do if they fail and the swamp people turn on them?

What will happen to the mercenaries in each different scenario?

Some more generators and random tables:

Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator

Random sword and sorcery table

Hyperborea: Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator

Random Sword and Sorcery Adventure Generator

Random Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator

Sword and Sorcery Adventures Generators Overview

Elder Beings: Truth of the Star Gods

Legends of the Star Gods: 

When the land was still young they came in their many ships, down from the heavens where they existed first. Here they, whom we call the travellers from the stars, found a forest covered land with abundant fruit and flowers, air filled with the songs of birds, the calls of monkeys, the growling of tigers and the trumpeting of elephants. 

They set out to build high towers and great palaces to make their homes in and recruited the animals to help them in these efforts. The animals were directed to dig into the earth for stone and jewels, and to cut down trees and divert rivers and lakes. And many of the animals were taught to speak so that they could more easily be guided in this work.

It is said that the star-travellers could take the clay from which all creation was fashioned and mould and press it into new shapes as they saw fit. To make small fruits grow large, to make beasts stronger or walk upright where before they were on all fours, to give a snake limbs or to even make a fish breathe air and walk on land.

However even in their wisdom there was disagreement amongst them. First arguments, then conflict and eventually open war; although it is not known why or to what end. Battles raged on mountain tops and in deep caverns. Entire cities were destroyed with terrible magic, and ever more fearsome monstrosities were created with which to chase enemies across open seas and down into deep mines where it was hard for them to reach.

Eventually the wars of the star-travellers ended, but with no ultimate victor or vanquished. The lands were ravaged and our people were there amongst the ruins. In service we had been taught how to carve stone and pour metal. How to sail ships and cast nets. And how to tend forest gardens and herd animals. This is how we managed to survive in the aftermath of so much devastation.

The travellers from the stars left in their ships, for reasons as mysterious as what brought them in the first place. Although it is said some stayed behind guarding in mountain fortresses or still lie resting in tombs in deep caverns. 

Even then there was no peace as the surviving animal servants warred amongst themselves for the inheritance that was left behind. Our people eventually prevailed over all others who then forgot how to speak, or perhaps choose no longer to talk with us because of what we did. Those that refused to submit fled into the forests and swamps, or into the cold mountains and the deep oceans where they plot to one day return and overthrow us.

Since those times we've multiplied, prospered and built new cities, using what we remember from our teachers to honour them, even attempt contact with them and request their return. There are ambitious amongst us who believe there is still yet more to learn from the star-travellers. And that there are to be found in the ruins of those ancient towers, cities and tombs knowledge and artefacts, magic and weapons that can benefit us still. There are even said to be the wrecks of some of their enormous ships situated in the remote parts of the land. Could they be repaired and sailed to the stars to meet their original captains? 

- Unknown Author 

 

Truth of the Star Gods:

Pick one or create your own truth.

1. The star-travellers are worshipped as gods but do not exist. They form part of or the entirety of the various pantheons of gods that exist in the religions of Sundaland. 

Religions are a collections of memes that are passed down through the generations; providing a survival benefit to societies by increasing group cohesions and codifying cultural knowledge. Some, often less pious, religious leaders are aware of the cultural power they wield and do so consciously. In the same way a great warrior leads an army a religious leader can lead and control believers. 

What kind of knowledge, 'magic' or technology underpins the power and authority of religious leaders? How do they use religion to lead or control believers? What kind of interpretations of the nature of the gods exist and how do they manifest in religions? What kind of different religions exist? How do they interact?

2. The travellers from the stars are gods from outside of time and space that were involved in the creation of the universe or perhaps closely tied to the ultimate creator. They came to earth in order to guide and teach humans and to help them develop civilisation.

The star-travellers are gods worshipped by the people of Sundaland. These gods interact with the world in seen and unseen ways but are capricious in nature and their aims and motives are not fully understood by humans. The people of Sundaland are at the mercy of the gods and do their best to gain their favour through rituals and religion.

What is the intention of these gods? Are they moved purely by self-interest or do they wish to impact humanity, either positively or negatively? Are they the ultimate power in the universe or is there something else out there?

3. The star-travellers are not gods but actually aliens that travelled to earth where they engaged in geo and bio-engineering projects using technology so advanced it seemed like magic. They genetically engineered several species to increase their mental and physical capabilities including the ancestors of humans. Variant human species such as Denisovans might be the result of these experiments or the initial stock that was uplifted. There were also experiments with reptiles, amphibians and newly genetically engineered creatures.

The evidence of the alien presence on earth still exists, albeit in a severely deteriorated state since it occurred thousands of years ago. There are various types of building and structures whose purpose we can not hope to understand as well as ruined cities, underground complexes and even space-ship wrecks to be found in Sundaland.

Where did the aliens come from? Why did they come to earth? What did they want to do here? Why did they fight amongst each other? Why did they leave? Will they come back?

Adventure Ideas: 

1. A newly discovered underground complex, lost city, ruined tower or star-ship wreck has been discovered near a remote village. The authority of your culture wants you to investigate the site and bring back whatever knowledge or artefacts you can find before neighbouring city-states hear about it as well.

Have other cultures learned of the site? How did they find it? Did the gods reveal the location to religious leaders? Are there elder-species (uplifted reptiles, amphibians, mammals) at the location? What can be found at the site?

2. A group of elder-species or elder-humans has reportedly moved into lands near our city-state. The people are fearful of might happen next. What are their motives and desires? Will they instigate violence, consume resources or attempt to live peacefully? The authority of your culture has a particular response in mind and wants you to set their plan into motion.

3. An ancient artefact has been discovered in a mine. It surely belonged to the Star Gods and has been brought to the religious leaders of your culture. However it is unclear what the purpose of the artefact is. Can you help find out what it is? Is it a weapon, a tool, or something else? How is it used? Who else wants it and what do they want to do with it? What are the consequences of its use?

4. Something has been disturbed which should not have been. A deadly disease spreads from an re-opened complex, a piece of technology has been activated and is transforming the land, elder-species have been set free from a hidden city after an earthquake, a star-god has been awakened from a thousand year slumber.

How are the various cultures in the land reacting? How will our way of life be transformed? Can anything be done to put a stop to this? Will our way of life end? Has the apocalypse begun? 

Adventuring In Sundaland: 14 Ideas To Get Started

I thought it would be good to provide some ideas on how to actually start playing in this setting. How are adventures or interesting scenarios instigated for new players unfamiliar with Sundaland or Bronze to Classical Age settings?

Here I'll present 14 adventure seeds and a discussion of the frame and context I'm creating around them.

I understand that at the end of the day players just want to fight bad-guys and monsters, or uncover the  plot of the rival priest caste. But how do we present that without following medieval and fantasy tropes and instead invoke a different feeling? You can't get the players to meet at an inn, because those probably don't exist (substitute the market or port).

The first and easiest option, one that fits perfectly with the setting, is to remember the relationship between individuals and their society in ancient times. People were less individualistic than today and had a very strong bond with their family, home and culture. There wasn't really a choice in the matter. You were either part of society or you were out in the wilderness on your own. And there's a reason why banishment was such a serious punishment back then. Whether voluntarily or not, you had to contribute in order to continue to get the benefits of civilisation.

For new players the instigator of scenarios can be any authority in their society. Simply put, the queen of your city state or one of her subordinates tells you what to do. If your game starts with low powered characters this is a fairly safe way to introduce them to the setting, bring them together and give them a chance to distinguish themselves.

Examples:

1. Forced Labour: The characters are rounded up as labour for some public work such as digging irrigation canals, building city walls or a big monument (see the Random Sundaland Culture Generator for ideas). Perhaps the work is interrupted by raiders from a rival city or is deliberately sabotaged?
2. Extra Pair of Hands: The king wants to send an envoy to a nearby city-state and the caravan or boat needs an extra pair of hands. The envoy is attacked by a local tribe or perhaps find themselves lost?
3. War: An aggressive culture has declared war on your kingdom and you've all been called up to help defend it. You're each given a spear and a basic helmet and thrust into battle against a mixture of similarly inexperienced fighters and elite professional warriors.
4. Scout: The King's army is passing through your area and has asked for locals to aid as scouts for an upcoming battle. Your job is to find the enemy and report back without being noticed, or lead the army through treacherous territory.
5. Ritual Battle: You were born into the warrior caste and have been trained for battle from a young age. An annual ritualised battle is set to take place, the first you'll actively participate in. Ideally you'll capture an enemy fighter and prove yourself to your caste members.
6. Beast Hunt: Something is killing the animals or dragging villagers out of their homes at night. It's time to go out with the other able-bodied men and women and put a stop to it.
7. Investigation: You and your companions are priests, scholars or bureaucrats. It seems that someone is stealing from the royal store rooms. You are tasked with finding out who is responsible and what their motive is.

That's what I would call a mission-based guided way of brining people into the setting. But what if we want to open up the options and even provide a sandbox game?

When creating a setting there is sometimes tension between the requirements for making the world feel internally consistent, real and immersive versus making it a fun place to play in. My understanding is that on the whole personal freedom was limited for people in ancient societies. The lot of your life was largely dependent on the circumstances of your birth and improving them was usually only possible during times of upheaval or at great personal risk. The freedom to be a wandering adventurer, to do what you please, is stuff of legends and a mindset perhaps afforded to us by the luxury of our modern lives. Perhaps I'm overstating that, I'm not sure.

In any case, while the tone of my version of Sundaland isn't at the level of high or heroic-fantasy, I still want to inject some personal autonomy and freedom. I think the best way to give players that personal freedom is to have them involved in some way with trade and exploration.

From my research on Bronze Age economies there certainly seems to be evidence of independently operating merchants and traders, not just official envoys, travelling far and wide to trade for products and goods to bring back home. I'll cover the economics of Sundaland in a future article.

In this context players can act as explorers, merchants, guides and guards. Adventures can include navigating unknown territories and seas, encountering wild animals and beasts, interacting with new cultures, fighting off bandits and uncivilised tribes and dealing with the obstacles of the natural environment.

Remember there are no horses in Sundaland, which means that most transport is either on foot, with elephants (perhaps water buffalo) or on boats on the numerous rivers throughout the land. (Get an idea of the intricate river system from the map in this article: Transport in Sundaland). In my opinion difficulty in getting around adds to a sense of wonder about the environment.

Here are some ideas for scenarios where characters can be more self-directed, setting the scene for exploration on their own terms and possibly a sandbox game.

1. Escape: The characters are enslaved. They might be working in a salt mine or rowers on a boat. Can they plan their escape or make the most of a window of opportunity? Perhaps there's a flood at the mine or their boat is cast upon rock and everyone must swim for their lives?
2. Explore: Investigate an unexplored area for resources, exotic plants or animals and anything else of value. Characters might stumble upon ancient ruins, hidden tribes, rare beasts and mega-fauna as they head off into the unknown.
3. Negotiation: A member of the elite was captured during the last battle with a nearby city. Their family is promising a reward for anyone who can negotiate for his safe return.
4. Rescue: Alternatively the characters might try rescuing the hostage so the ransom can be returned. Could they get away with keeping it for themselves?
5. Faction: The characters join or work against a faction. This can be done in several different ways. Violence, intrigue and politics are just some of the methods to be used depending on the context of the situation. If the characters become powerful or influential enough they may be able to start their own faction. I have an article about creating factions coming soon.
6. Trade: There's a demand for a particular product or resource and you want to acquire some to trade for a good profit. First you'll have to research on where to find it. The you'll have to travel there, deal with any obstacles on the way or at the end destination (rival traders, uncooperative suppliers etc.) and finally bring the bounty home safely.
7. Endless War: Your city has been involved in a low level war for generations. Raiding, stealing, hostage taking or simply initiating combat for the sake of it are all options that will increase your standing amongst your people. How much risk are you willing to take for personal glory and without escalating the conflict beyond what it is now?

I'm not going to pretend these adventure seeds are original. But hopefully I've given you a bit of insight into how I'm trying to convey the setting through context and framing. And as mentioned earlier, I'm working on a way to create factions which will give you the ability to quickly create the context for all kinds of adventuring scenarios.