The Old Tower, Isolated and Ominous -- A Wizard's Retreat Generator

 

        "...Warlocks exert little influence in our politics. They rarely leave the confines of their 'House of the Undying'--a pompous name, but I admit, a strange and dark tower. It is said that none who enter ever leave." -- Xaro Xoan Daxos, Game of Thrones

        Mages like towers. It probably has something to do with being fearful of torch-wielding mobs, a desire for privacy, or maybe due to the frequency of their experiments escaping their control. Much like how a Ferrari or Maserati would be seen as an aspirational item in our world, perhaps spellcasters see towers similarly? Whatever the case, the lonely, isolated tower is a standby in fantasy fiction of all stripes. Some aren't even towers. The only true requirement for a place like this is that the beings who originally built it intended it as a redoubt or hermitage to practice a mystical skill of some kind.

Oops.

        To use this generator, roll 4d8 and then consult the tables below. I've purposely tried to leave some of the answers vague for use by individual referees. Unsurprisingly, this table is of limited use for low or no-magic worlds.

d8	What form does the structure take?
1	Some sort of vehicle, such as a...1: Walking hut, 2: Ship, 3: Caravan or Wagon, 4: Floating Castle.
2	A series of tunnels hewed into a mountain or cave.
3-5	A classical wizard tower. Tall, spindly, imposing.
6	A monastery, school, library, or some other open place of learning.
7	A castle, manse, or other opulent abode.
8	Simple rustic house.

d8	Who lives or studies there?
1	A powerful wizard, like an Arch-mage
2	A Guild, College, or some other educational organization.
3	Completely abandoned.
4	Seemingly abandoned—roll again on this table, ignoring this result or number 3. The new result is hiding or somehow cloaking themselves.
5	No one. A watchful group stands guard near by to ensure it stays that way.
6	Nobody. The monsters who moved in, or the experiments who escaped murdered everyone.
7	A group of scavengers or looters have moved in, and are attempting to plumb secrets they cannot understand.
8	A powerful mage or group of mages have moved in and taken the structure as their own. The rightful owners may be dead, ascended, or alive somewhere else.

d8	What was meant to be studied here?
1	Necromancy.
2	A specific school, other than Necromancy. Roll 1d7 to determine the school.
3	Whatever struck the fancy of those who built the place.
4	Temporal or dimensional manipulation.
5	The creation of strange chimeras such as Owl-Bears or Displacer Beasts.
6	Immortality, or some other means of escaping corporeal death.
7	Magic bent to military purposes.
8	Communion with the gods beyond the stars.

d8	What sort of defenses or quirks does it possess?
1	It can move in some impossible way, whether that be teleporting, traveling to other planes, or existing simultaneously in a number of places.
2	It is bigger on the inside than the outside. The place is so large inside that it is easy to get lost or endlessly turned around.
3	There are no entrances or exits of any sort. Magic is the only way in.
4	A ferocious guardian lurks somewhere within, or nearby. This could be a golem, elemental or some other dangerous arcane creature.
5	It is shifted out of time or space in some way. It may appear only during certain times of the year or day, or time may flow strangely within the place.
6	Made out of some obviously dangerous material like broken shards of glass, chunks of impossibly cold ice, or crystalized agony.
7	Surrounded by a beguiling and maze like forest, desert, lake, or seemingly normal terrain.
8	It is in some impossible location, such as upside down on a cliff face, within a volcano, or simply floating above the ground.

Step on a crack and you'll break an Elf's back! -- A superstition and myth generator

 

        Welcome to another post in my generator series; we've covered such various topics as romance, holidays and games of chance. Today I'm presenting a superstitions generator, perfect for telegraphing ancient threats, or just being spooky around a camp fire.

        Who doesn't love a good myth? From oral traditions and fairy tales, to urban legends and creepypasta, these tales are with us throughout all levels of our storytelling and fiction. Remixed and rewritten endlessly, they form the basis for D&D, and table-top gaming as a whole. Unlike real life, D&D has a far, far greater chance of these rumors being quite true.

        To use this generator, simply roll 4d8 and consult the relevant tables below. The results have been left purposely generic to give room for setting specific flavoring.

d8	What happened in the past that inspired the belief?
1	A battle caused the deaths of many on both sides, including a local hero.
2	A great king or leader disappeared or died, and are promised to return someday.
3	Star-crossed lovers died in a suitably melodramatic way.
4	A serial killer, or mass-murderer made their mark on history.
5	An experiment gone wrong, magical or othwise that resulted in mass deaths or destruction.
6	A mysterious event caused the supposed enlightenment or rise of a historical figure of faith.
7	The observation of some strange, or otherwise uncommon, or seemingly magical event.
8	The entry, exit, or proclimation of some powerful being into the world, such as a Fiend, Celestial, or Spellcaster.

d8	How has it changed by the present?
1	Grossly warped from it's original telling. Details have been omitted, or lost entirely.
2	It has devolved into a song, poem, or game.
3	Appropriated by the believers into a moral or ethical tale and modified for those purposes.
4	It has been updated repeatedly to resonate with a changing status quo.
5	It was rewritten to be better suited for performance.
6	Repackaged as an advertisement, or some other cynical means to sell a product.
7	Entirely unchanged.
8	Conflated with another belief, roll on the table above and combine both results.

d8	How seriously is it taken?
1	Seen as an amusement, like a children's song or game.
2-5	Widely held, but unquestioned or otherwise seen as banal.
6	As a token of faith, or community identification.
7	Suppressed as being potentially dangerous, or otherwise disruptive to the status quo.
8	Held close to the heart, to the point of it being taboo to speak against it.

d8	How widespread is it?
1	Members of a single family or lineage
2	The children of a neighborhood or town.
3	A specific region like a city-state, or several villages.
4	A guild, military order, or some other secular organization.
5	Held as true by a certain ethnicity or species.
6	Believed by a specific faith.
7	An entire culture.
8	The entire world.

        Howdy there folks! I had to take a short break from the "Magic, Madness, & Sadness" series for a little while. I was getting a bit burned out, but I'll be back to it next week. As always, thanks for reading, and please remember to comment or follow!

Magic, Madness, & Sadness Part VI - A Handy Guide To Non-Existence

 

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him… When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Be not afraid, Zechariah…” - Luke 1:13

        No one wants to die. Wizards have come up with myriad means to avoid this fate. Illusionists pull themselves into one of their own dreams; Evokers tie their souls permanently to the land; Enchanters steal the bodies of others; Transmuters warp themselves into horrifying monsters; Diviners remove themselves from destiny itself. Conjurers forge a different path.

        Conjurers (otherwise known as Summoners or Binders) are along with Enchanters and Necromancers, practitioners of what are known collectively as the Dark Arts. On the surface they do not appear as amoral as your typical mind-bender or soul-thief, but the powers of a Binder are just as readily corrupted. While materializing walls, weapons, housing and other objects is undoubtedly valuable, people are understandably wary of someone who can just as easily bring Fiends into reality. Many Summoners attempt to fight against this stereotype by aggressively policing their own, or submitting to terrible oaths. These efforts do little to burnish their reputations. Whatever their protestations to the contrary, everyone knows in a moment of weakness any Binder could call upon the forces of darkness for aid. This temptation shadows all of them. Indeed, many of their number have mortgaged their souls (or those of others) away for power. How could anyone ever trust them?

        Summoners share a wildly different perspective on immortality than other magi. Unlike most of the others, powerful Conjurers have actually seen or been to the various afterlives awaiting mortals. Most are unimpressed. The afterlife is crowded and dominated by forces and beings far older and more potent than humanity. Riven by ideological concerns and endless moralizing, the afterlife resembles the life they left behind too closely for comfort. Finding they would lose their memories (and magical abilities) upon death is the final straw. Unwilling to brook service to some fell being, or an eternity grinding away at another rat race, these powerful Binders begin to search beyond the boundaries of reality for a solution. In their quest to grasp beyond the end of the universe, they become what are known as Unmade or Seekers.

“In the end, you are exactly—what you are.

Put on a wig with a million curls,

put the highest heeled boots upon your feet,

yet you remain in the end just what you are.” - Mephistopheles, Christopher Marlowe

        The summoning of dark beings beyond the ken of mortals has a long history within the realm of Sword & Sorcery fiction. From robed cultists attempting to summon their distant gods, to witches who trade their souls away to things with unutterable names. The trope of trading away one’s soul away for power is even represented in the English language as the term Faustian Bargain. While D&D is practically overflowing with examples of summoned creatures, most of them are ultimately inspired by the tale of Dr. Faustus.

        In many ways the idea of the archetypal conjurer is derived from the tale of Faust. Based on the real life alchemist Johann Georg Faust, the tale spread throughout Europe during the 16^th century in the form of folk legend and chapbooks. By the late 16^th century the tale had been adapted into a play by Christopher Marlowe called The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus. The play was scandalous in it’s day, the shock of devils being portrayed on stage being said to have driven some audience members insane.

        The plot itself is relatively simple. Faustus is a learned and arrogant man living in Wittenberg. Sensing he has mastered all subjects he is interested in, Faustus bids his servant to summon a pair of magicians to his home. They declare Faustus could be a talented magician himself if he so wished, so he attempts to summon a devil. Crafting a magic circle and speaking an incantation, he manages to attract the attentions of a demon by the name of Mephistopheles. Initially pleased his bindings worked, Faustus is disabused of this notion by the devil, who claims he targeted him because of how imperiled his soul is in the eyes of God; Mephistopheles cannot be bound, as his soul already belongs to Lucifer. After some instruction on the history of hell, he is offered a bargain by the demon; Faustus will be given 24 years of life, and during which he will be able to command Mephistopheles as he will. In return, Faustus must give up his eternal soul to Lucifer. The contract of service and sale is written in Faustus’ own blood. The good doctor signs, and the terms of service begin.

        Faustus becomes renowned for his abilities, able to perform seemingly miraculous feats. Unfortunately he does very little with them, amusing himself with what amount to mean-spirited jokes and pointless attempts to impress his peers and social betters. The time flows by for the doctor, and when his 24 years are nearly up, he begins to understand how much of his time and power he has wasted. Despairing, Faustus appears to his fellow scholars and gives an emotional speech about how foolish he has been, and how he has given up his eternal soul for no reason. He tries to repent and renege on his deal, but at the 11^th hour the demons and devils of hell, led by Mephistopheles, rise from the depths and drag the screaming Faustus down to Hell.

        While the story of Doctor Faustus could obviously apply to a foolish Conjurer, or really any Warlock at all, the influence of this tale upon D&D really cannot be understated. It is all there—the magic circle, the creepy behavior of the summoned creature, the failed binding resulting in the summoner being dragged to hell—all of it underpins how conjurers are not only portrayed in D&D, but really within fiction in general. However, a seasoned conjurer would find the story of Dr. Faustus that of an inexperienced Summoner with a distinct lack of vision. To them, Faustus could have gotten the better of Mephistopheles, had he been wiser.

“Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat…” - Rocky & Bullwinkle

        With the talent to bend eldritch beings and reality itself to their whims, the fear of death and sublimation drives prospective seekers forward. Their explorations start at the material plane, move to the Inner Planes of the elements, and to the Outer Planes of morality. There they find nothing but an eternal, ensnaring status quo. Searching ever further and wider, they delve into the forbidden lore of the Shadow plane, or the Far Realms. Even there, they find chains waiting for them.

        Seemingly bereft of options, many would-be Seekers simply stop there, and in despair they choose to bind themselves to some spirit. Others press on. They find that there is Nothing beyond the boundaries of the planes and existence itself. No mere void, but the place from whence existence was formed; every concept, natural law or physical object had their origin in this non-place outside of time or space. This Nothing, is made up of the cast-off shells of existence, every thought or notion that did not make its way into reality. Irrational numerical systems, colors and sensations which have no analogue, all of these things and innumerable others are in this non-existence. The Seekers have found their home at last. Now they must survive it.

        Non-existence is difficult, to say the least. Trying to directly transport oneself directly there seems unwise to even the most reckless Summoner. After all, even the gentlest of the planes require preparation beyond what most mortals can manage; the Nothing would logically require even more. Putting together the clues left behind by those who have achieved the pinnacle before them, they enact a ritual termed The Summoning of the Self. Meditating long upon their memories and goals, the Binder crafts a series of four objects known as Fetters, which represent differing aspects of their core being: the Wand, symbolizing their will and ego; the Coin, which is the symbol of their own body, and actions taken during the Summoner’s life; the Cup, which is the representation of their emotional and spiritual connections to reality, and finally the Sword, which symbolizes the Binder’s opposition to certain ideas, and their own ideals in turn. Despite the names, these objects are not usually what their literal names suggest, but rather things which evoke those feelings within the Seeker. Each of these objects is then in turn placed upon a summoning circle in which the Conjurer writes their true name. Enacting their final spell within reality, to all observers the Binder seems to wink out of existence entirely. The memories that others had of them disappear as well, leaving only scattered evidence of their passing.

        There, in the place that was not, the Seeker either adapts to their new environment and masters it, or they discorporate entirely. If their fetters hold, and their desire to persist are great enough, the Seeker pulls a slew of the unused concepts from the Nothing into their presence, and shapes them into their Invisible Palace. From there, the Conjurer truly joins the ranks of the Unmade.

        Making court around their Palace, the Unmade wrests the Nothing into the shapes they wish, and summons what companions and servants from their former home as they will. Many legends of the Fair Folk supposedly kidnapping travelers and children have their seed in the actions of an Unmade bolstering the size of their Palace’s ranks. In their impossible world, they are like the Gods of their former existences. For all their power, they are limited to affecting reality through the auspices of their Fetters or by summoning or dismissing other beings from their Palace’s grounds. With limited knowledge of what is happening in reality, as well as servants who tend to go mad or be rendered incomprehensible by the nature of their home, the Unmade is significantly more limited in what they can accomplish than before. Glimpsed chiefly through the actions of servants or eerie circumstance, they are reduced to distant meddlers and observers.

Game Information

        Existing outside the boundaries of time and space, Unmade are unable to die through either violence or age. They cannot truly be slain, as that concept longer has any bearing on their current existence. However, the Unmade must still possess their fetters, and destroying them can have devastating effects upon them, even to the point of leaving them in tatters for centuries until they can reform.

        Unmade may still cast spells, provided they have either a rational idea of what they are attempting to do. Recalling the old rules upon which magic function is difficult for someone who need no longer follow them, and as such successfully casting a conventional spell requires a Wisdom check, or a Magic save, as appropriate to the system.

        Most Unmade rely upon their Fetters to serve their eldritch needs within their Invisible Palace. Fetters, having been summoned outside of reality, cannot affect it any longer. Beings who are unwilling to be affected by a Fetter are entitled to a save.

Fetter	Possible Effects
Coin	Affecting the bodies of others, or their own. Making clones or living beings.
Cup	Controlling the emotions of others or themselves.
Sword	Controlling the actions of others.
Wand	Fashioning new objects or places.

        The forms which Invisible Palaces can take are as varies as the imaginations of the Unmade who made them. While they can refashion them at will, below is a list of some possible Palaces.

d8	Palace Appearance
1	Places important to the Unmade, haphazardly strung together.
2	A massive castle sculpted from some impossible material like quicksilver or glass.
3	An endless and natural-seeming grotto sculpted of bone, blood and obsidian.
4	Some cosmic object such as a moon, or strange and alien planet.
5	A famous historical place derived from the Binder’s home plane.
6	The site of the Summoner’s apotheosis, modified for their uses.
7	A seemingly normal house, with skewed physics and impossibly turned rooms
8	The vision of what the Summoner had expected heaven or hell to look like.

        Well folks, that is yet another entry in this series in the tank. I only have two schools left to go over: Abjuration and Necromancy. As always, I would love comments or follows. Thanks for reading!

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