Need an impossible horror case? Let the dice decide.
I made a small d6 horror tool called Atrocity File.
Roll once for Victim, once for Scene, and once for Twist. Combine the results into an impossible horror case.
Example:
Victim: The teeth are still whispering.
Scene: Every mirror reflects the killer, but the room is empty.
Twist: The corpse is still warm, but the autopsy says they died in 1840.
For solo horror games, tabletop investigations, and dark story prompts.
I published it on Itch.io.
More information here: https://antigone-press.itch.io/atrocity-file
Confounding Compendium is a system-agnostic collection of random tables, each containing options to add a touch of the uncanny to your games, stories, art… anything you can think of! It was made for Table Jam 26 and is available for free (PWYW).
The next update of Chimera Girls! Is progressing… just gotta update Enemy stat blocks to be simplified, add the cover art when it’s finished, and add a bunch of random tables for Downtime.
I want it to look nice, and be more playable lol.
Especially the Wardens (GMs)… I don’t want them to suffer while running combats or generating Downtime occurrences.
you are a little fuzzy creature. you have four limbs, two eyes, a fuzzy tail, and are covered in soft fur. roll twice for additional traits, reroll repeats
d12 - trait
1: unicorn horn
2: antlers
3: two small horns
4: third eye
5: long tail with a puff at the end
6: feathery wings
7: circle and line patterns on fur/skin
8: two antenna-like extensions
9: two long tails
10: extra pair of limbs
11: differently-colored eyes
12: leathery wings
a table of odd magic items that may or may not be useful
“…the GM will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful.” — Dungeon World
1d20 Magical Items of Mild Utility
A doorknob that can be easily affixed to any door by simply holding it on for about thirty seconds. Once affixed, it permanently transforms into an ordinary doorknob and lock, to which you have the key.
The Shaker of Infinite Salt
A pencil that significantly improves the user’s penmanship when writing with it.
An orb containing a very small pocket dimension, into which one can transfer their familiar so that it may safely rest.
A palm-sized stone figurine of a shark, which will bite any fingers that come near its mouth.
Self-Fluffing Pillow
Watch that shows you what time it was the last time you looked at the watch, instead of what time it is now.
Piece of string that, when tied around your finger, actually helps you remember to do that thing.
Temporary Scissors: They can only cut the normal things you’d expect from a pair of scissors, but if you hold the cut pieces together tightly they will magically re-form into a whole, as though they’d never been cut.
Robes that make the wearer an inch or so taller.
Magic Eraser (erases pencil, ink and crayon!)
Hand-sized stone that, when thrown, always lands 5 feet in front of your intended target—whether your aim is perfect or abysmal.
A bucket that transforms any liquid poured into it into seawater.
A bar of soap that temporarily changes the color of anything washed with it. The color is random, and changes each time the bar is used (1d6: 1: Red, 2: Orange, 3: Yellow, 4: Green, 5: Blue, 6: Purple). The color lasts one day.
Goggles of Shrimp-Color Vision
A ring with a single very round stone. When you say the magic word the stone pops out and transforms into a bowling ball. It turns back into a small stone after 2d4 hours and must be manually returned to the ring before it can be used again.
Boots that produce an animal sound of your choice when you jump up and do a jaunty little bell-kick while wearing them.
A small glass bottle that, when filled with water, appears instead to be full of a swirling, shimmering potion.
A quiet trumpet.
A knife that can only cut sandwiches. It is up to the GM’s discretion what does and does not count as a sandwich for this enchantment, but the rules are consistent.
Each background has a d6 table about the abilities and items a character possesses that are more focused on the present.
What is your favorite story to tell? (d6)
Note: all of these are real stories in the griot traditions of west Africa, with the exception of Blolo Bla (which is more of social concept in the west African tradition instead of a single identifiable story). Also, the name of "The Errand" was changed from "The Commission" (English)/"Une Commission" (French) for reasons of space and clarity.
The Epic of Sunjata. An account of the rise of a great African king. Take a hooded cloak that allows you to transform into a panther. You are unable to revert until you eat meat and gain one Fatigue.
Blolo Bla. A romance between a man and his wife who lives in the land of dreams. Take a pair of wooden figures that allow you to influence a person's dreams when placed under their pillow.
Fari the Donkey. A fairy tale about a donkey who transforms into a beautiful woman. Take a spellbook of Anthropomorphize. Anthropomorphize: An animal either gains human intelligence or human appearance for one day.
Gassire's Lute. A lyrical epic about a prince who becomes a singer after great tragedy. Take a guitar that makes no sound, even if dropped.
The Errand. A tale where a man tricks a hyena to earn the affections of his future wife. Take some envelopes (4) that are unable to be opened by anyone but the intended recipient.
The Epic of Kelefa Saane. A warrior with supernatural protections dies defending their people. Take a flute that can summon a spirit to aid you (4 uses).
I made an oracle for my game Runner of the Wastelands. Maybe some of you will find it interesting for your games?
Three layers of answers
When I started this oracle, I wanted it to have three different layers of depth, or three different things you could get from it with just one roll, without being overly complicated:
Yes or No.
Degree of the Yes or No.
Additional But/Because/And + Spark table to inspire them.
On my first attempt, I tried to devise a mechanic to access these layers with just 2d6, using all possible combinations and doing all the juggling I could think of with just these two dice. But after several days of playing with probabilities, I realized that what I wanted to do with them didn’t result in an oracle with the same probability for all its combinations.
In most cases, it wasn’t a big difference in probability, but if these biases were to remain, they could only do so if they deliberately supported the narrative of the game, which was not the case.
So, to keep my idea of a three-layered answer —and use as few dice as possible— I decided to change the size of the dice to d12s, since with them I came up with a way to do the same thing while keeping the same probability for all the combinations of outcomes (I could have also rolled 1d6 for each layer of the answer, which would have ensured an evenly distributed probability, but I was looking for that more “cohesive” feeling you get when you roll fewer dice and use the interaction between the results as part of the mechanics).
“And” and the thread/focus table
Also, one of the things I wanted to add to the oracle —which is one of the things I like most from Mythic GM emulator 2e— is a thread table: something that ties the answer you get from the oracle with the different threads your character is following. I wanted to design this bit in such a way that when rolling the dice, something special would be perceived visually, so I decided to use pairs as the “key” for threads (plus, their probability of occurrence for 2d12 is only 8.33%, which makes them even more special).
The oracle
After playing around and thinking about it, this is the oracle I have come up with. The idea is that not all questions will require the use of all three layers. Sometimes you will just want a yes or no, but other times you will want to dig deeper and get a degree and a possible “because/but/and” added to that answer.
Sparks, thread, and focus table
If you are using the third layer of the oracle (where you can get a “but”, “because”, or “and”), the idea is that you think of the first three things that come to your mind as seed to this extra part of the answer.
However, if you need something to ignite your imagination, I’ve made two spark tables (each with 36 entries) that can also be used to answer open-ended questions (without a clear yes/no answer). For me, having just a couple of tables to inspire my answer is something that works very well. More than that can slow down my reaction time too much, as searching for the “right” table through a library of tables adds more seconds between the question and the answer, which makes me feel more disconnected and less immersed in the moment.
If you roll pairs in the 2d12, you get an “and”: this is the moment to see which of the threads your character follows is related to the answer. As the thread table is just a collection of characters, factions, plots, places, and items your character is most interested in, it will probably be empty at first, so I’ve added a focus table next to it that you can use instead of the thread table (in case it is empty or when rolling on it, you fall in a empty box). Then, if what you get from the focus is interesting enough —adding all the specificities that come from your character’s context and history— you can fill in that empty box in the thread table with this new entry created from the focus table.
Print it and fold it!
For ease of use, I have compiled everything on a single A4 page, which can then be folded into a small A6-size “booklet”.
Here is the A4 page, in case you'd like to print and use this oracle.
A new weekend has arrived, so that means it is time for another new set of Curious Collectibles tables!
If you like these and want even more options each week, consider joining me on Patreon! Patrons get access to more options, with new tables released every Friday!
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Some additional inspirational prompts for the above treasure items:
Who made such a delicate item? Could it be of fey origin? Who was it made for?
What sort of infusion does this ore contain? Is it natural? Or cursed?
What sort of enchantment is on this tent? Could it have been a part of the fey carnival that came to town? Why was it left here?
Who uses a dagger so cruel? What sort of venom is left within it, if any?
And most importantly, what option would you choose?
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As always, this table is available and free for you to use in your home DnD / Pathfinder / Tales of the Valiant / Shadowdark / TTRPG games, to help generate some more descriptive loot. These treasure options are perfect for a new quest-hook or a truly epic / one of a kind reward to feed your players (ever growing) loot goblinoid hunger.
If you love ttrpg stuff like this and are looking for more loot options, as well as a hoard of printable paper minis, terrain and monsters to help fill your table, check out my Patreon page! I create affordable paper minis, VTT Tokens and more, with a release every week! You can follow for free so you never miss a post or join as a member to get access to all the extra Patreon exclusive goodies.
