LRGames - The Random Grimness Tables

The Random Grimness Tables

Ever feel that your game isn't grim enough? Tired of those water-downed modules where there isn't really any opportunity for true angst? We here at LRGames hear your cries, and understand! Where's the unabashed angst? Where's the old Brother's Grimm style of adventuring? Well, we've tried to help inject a bit of grimness into any campaign with these easy to use Grimness Tables. They're easy to use, and a sure-fire way to depress any PC party. All you need are 2d10 dice for percentile, or even more insidious, one of those golf-ball like d100's that never stop rolling.

First off, roll on the Grimness Table, to determine how many acts of random grimness should occur during your game. Of course, feel free to ignore the rolls on any of these charts, and tailor your campaign's grimness to best suit smashing the hopes of your PC's, and giving them appropriate reasons for personal angst.

Once you've determined how many acts of grimness will be in this particular adventure, roll on the What Happened? Table, to discover the act of grimness. If you want more detail, also roll on the Whodunnit? Table and the Why Did They Do It? Table to establish blame.

(Disclaimer: We at LRGames are not responsible for what your PC's do to you, the GM, should you introduce these tables into your games.)

The Grimness Table

01 - 20	1 Act of Grimness
21 - 40	2 Acts of Grimness
41 - 60	3 Acts of Grimness
61 - 70	5 Acts of Grimness
71 - 80	8 Acts of Grimness
81 - 90	13 Acts of Grimness
91 - 00	21 Acts of Grimness

The What Happened? Table
An act of random grimness has occurred, related to your party of PC's.

01 - 10	Aardelea receives a random beating.
11 - 15	Beastmaster's pet gets rabies from boars and dies.
16 - 20	Detonation of a PC's home village.
21 - 25	Detonation of random village within splatter distance of PC's.
26 - 30	Drakes show up, kill everybody who gives them lip, and steals the party's thunder.
31 - 35	Loved one depatternized (without blood charms, they detonate).
36 - 40	Loved one inherited Molta's hat.
41 - 45	Loved one killed futilely defending children in opening flash-back.
46 - 50	Ork scorchers massacre home town.
51 - 55	Hometown massacres group of peaceful ork scorchers.
56 - 60	Random PC Depatternizes (without blood charms, they detonate).
61 - 65	Random PC is killed by bees at the end of adventure.
66 - 70	Random PC is run over by a Thundra beast and killed.
71 - 75	Random PC's mother is shot by hunters (even if a Life rock).
76 - 80	Skyship falls on party.
81 - 85	Skyship loaded with orphans and elderly questors of Dis lands on party.
86 - 90	Sun disappears for a moment, with no apparent cause, as an old man comes out. He points at the party screaming, "It is the prophesy! They will doom us all!!!" Lynch mob follows.
91 - 95	The group manages to get Raggok's personal attention.
96 - 00	The group finds itself crawling through 50 meters of unpleasantness. They, however, don't come out clean on the other side -- instead they meet a dragon, and have to make a blood oath to escape with their lives.

The Whodunnit? Table
Consult this table to discover who masterminded, performed, or was simply the catalyst for the deed.

01 - 10 Arch-villain	That's right. An Arch-villain is responsible. That nefarious scum-sucker intentionally went out of their way to inflict grimness on the world. You know the type - John Doe, Marek, Dastardly Dan, Cruela DeVille - real meanies.
11 - 20 Nemesis of the party	Remember that guy the spokesperson of your party spilled beer on? Well, he's back for revenge. Someone the PC's have hacked off in their long (and hopefully illustrious) careers has come back for vengeance. Or they were at least passing through.
21 - 30 The Denairastas	That's right - as long as it involves inflicting pain and suffering on someone, the Denairastas have to show up to get their licks in. They have a family reputation to uphold, after all. Even if they didn't do it, one of their more zealous minions will certainly take the credit, anyway.
31 - 35 The Therans	Come on. Even if they REALLY didn't do it, you're in Barsaive. Blame 'em anyway.
36 - 40 Horror Construct	Some Horror Construct wandered in at the wrong time. You should have sprayed for 'em.
41 - 50 Random Namegiver	Some local nut-burger was the source of your grimness. It could very well have been the Mad Bomber what bombs at midnight.
51 - 60 Named Horror	This is their meat and potatoes, so of course they did it.
61 - 70 Regular Horror	Some low-rent housing Horror wandered in and kicked some kittens. They're trying to get a Name, you understand.
71 - 75 Another PC	Ah, party politics. There's always one sick monkey in every lot.
76 - 80 A Baaaad Yeti	Sometimes, Yeti discover they can be villains, too.
81 - 99 Molta's hat	I know, I know - you tried to warn her that she was wearing a Horror on her head. Does she listen to you? Nooooooooooooooooo...
00 FEMA	You know it was... them.

The Why Did It Happen? Table
Why was this act of grimness heinously inflicted upon the PC's? Be sure to roll on the Who Did It? Table first, or already have a scape-goat in mind to apply this reasoning to.

01 - 10	The GM really wanted to run an undead game.
11 - 20	They hadn't got their licks in yet.
21 - 30	It was Tuesday.
31 - 40	It was coming right for them.
41 - 50	They were trying to get into a villain's society.
51 - 60	They were trying to get out of a villain's society.
61 - 70	The PC's had it coming.
71 - 80	This is when the PC's discover that their last stash of treasure was cursed.
81 - 90	The troubadour in the party is destined to be the first country and western singer.
91 - 00	The party was getting along too well.