Tools for Game Masters

The following pages supply a host of inspirational charts, suggestions, and other quick references to help inspire GMs both before and during a game session.

Table 2–1: Plots

d%	Plot
1–2	Greed or Glory: PCs hear about a dungeon nearby and how no one dares enter it.
3–4	Raiding Monsters: Monsters or evil humanoids attack farmsteads and must be stopped.
5–6	Treasure Hunt: An NPC has a treasure map.
7–8	Guards: PCs hired to protect merchant caravan through dangerous terrain.
9–10	Seek: Locate missing important NPC.
11–12	Destroy: Purge a dungeon of monsters.
13–14	Underwater Exploration: Map area of sea and explore inland for suitable settling areas.
15–16	Mine: Search underground for rich vein of ore or a legendary cache of gems.
17–18	Protect: Enhance village defenses and train locals to defend themselves from an impending threat.
19–20	Ruins Stir: Secret but good NPCs are searching for holy relic and accidentally stir up undead.
21–22	Spies: The PCs are hired to collect information on a nearby group or kingdom.
23–24	Investigate: PCs brought in to solve a crime.
25–26	Bait and Switch: Monster far beyond the PCs is allegedly behind the plot—can it be true?
27–28	Sacrilege: Confront zealots allegedly carrying out human sacrifices.
29–30	Salvage: The crew of a listing merchant ship row ashore claiming that somehow their cargo scuttled the vessel, and that they want nothing more to do with it.
31–32	Steal: Work for good-fronted merchant group to steal an object they stole in the first place.
33–34	Capture: A rival merchant or guild wishes monster intact to serve as guard.
35–36	Escape: During routine adventure PCs are trapped by a rockfall which unleashes horror.
37–38	Roundup: A rancher needs extra hands to protect his herd from rustlers as he heads to market.
39–40	Execution: The PCs or an ally face a harsh punishment for breaking an unjust or arbitrary law.
41–42	Exploration: The PCs quest to explore a new realm, whether it be a continent, underground expanse, plane, or other locale.
43–44	Kinslayer: A relative of the ruler plans to claim the throne for his or her own.
45–46	Watch: PCs hired by town watch to uncover spies.
47–48	On the Run: The PCs must help a goodly creature escape those who hunt it.
49–50 Monstrous: The locals decide the newly arrived PCs are behind the deaths.
Alliance: Prevent a marriage intended to unite two 51–52 monster clans without them realizing the sabotage.
Precious Cargo: Someone must keep a monster’s egg 53–54 safe until it hatches.
55–56 Dead Man Walking: A long-dead ally or personality reappears, seemingly alive and unharmed.
Chainbreaker: Find the slaver’s base by getting 57–58 captured and then escape to get reinforcements.
59–60 A Little Knowledge: Someone keeps trying to kill the hapless storyteller; which of his tall tales is actually true?
61–62 Unexpected Event: Earthquake or volcano unleashes horrors onto countryside or settlement.
Reagent: A powerful magic user needs the PCs’ help in 63–64 tracking down a rare component or ingredient.
Menagerie: Creatures have escaped from a private 65–66 collection and the PCs are hired to return them.
67–68 Courteous Killer: An assassin sends a letter suggesting that the target put his affairs in order.
69–70 Plague Run: Find the ingredients that cure the disease and get them back before too many more people die.
Deadly Waters: The river has turned black and toxic— 71–72 what’s going on upstream?
Feathered Apocalypse: All the birds are dying and the 73–74 druids are looking for someone to blame.
75–76 Prophecy: A prophecy is due for fulfillment. The PCs must work to fulfill or prevent it.
Animal Enemies: All the usually peaceful animals 77–78 become killers.
79–80 Political: PCs assist local leaders in rooting out evil in their own halls.
Festival: PCs infiltrate performers to uncover a killer. 81–82
From Beyond:PCs must prevent plot to summon a 83–84 powerful outsider.
85–86 Incursion: Creatures from another plane infest town and take hostages to experiment upon.
Revenant: Do the PCs stand in the way of an evil 87–88 avenging spirit intent on wiping out an entire family?
89–90 The Strange Child: Is the changeling really behind the nightmares like the locals say?
91–92 Doppelganger: The PCs or others are seen murdering and stealing and the locals want revenge.
93–94 Righteous Indignation: A local tribe of non-evil monsters threatens a community that has trespassed upon their land or otherwise offended them.
95–96 Surrounded: PCs find themselves hunted in wilderness. Can they escape and survive?
97–98 Hunted: For some reason everyone thinks the PCs are someone they aren’t. As the city mobilizes to capture and execute them can the PCs get to the bottom of the plot?
99–100 Dragon: A dragon appears in a city and demands tribute. Can the PCs defeat it? Is it real?

Table 2–2: Plot Twists

d20 Plot Twists
1 Altered: PCs undergo some sort of magical transformation during the course of the adventure, and must seek to return to normal (or defend themselves from newly jealous rivals).
Burden: Something fragile (whether an NPC or 2 object) is vital to the completion of the adventure, such as a delicate crystal or a prophesied child.
Controlled: Someone is secretly under the influence 3 of another, either as an agent of the enemy or keeping an eye on the group for their patron.
Deception: A critical piece of information about the 4 adventure is deliberately false. Old friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. Or is it all just an elaborate act?
5 Doubles: One or more of those characters appearing in the adventure (including possibly the PCs) has an imposter or duplicate.
Dual Nature: Someone in the adventure has a 6 second nature or form unknown at the start.
7 Extraordinary Arena: Some or all of the adventure takes place in an unusual environment.
Impairment: The PCs suffer some sort of 8 disadvantage relative to their foes.
9 Love Interest: An NPC encountered in the adventure forms a romantic attachment to one of the PCs, not necessarily reciprocated.
Mistaken Identity: One or more of the PCs 10 resembles, or gets treated as, another person.
Natural Obstacle: A formidable barrier stands 11 between the PCs and completing the adventure.
Negotiation: The PCs must make a deal with 12 someone in order to complete the adventure.
13 Peaceful: Some portion of the adventure requires that the PCs find a non-violent way to solve their problems.
Rivals: A group with similar abilities sets out to 14 oppose the PCs.
15 Role Reversal: Some portion of the adventure turns out the exact opposite of the PCs’ expectations.
16 Secret Ally: Someone in the adventure offers aid to the PCs.
17 Time Limit: The PCs must complete the adventure within a specified duration in order to succeed.
18 Transported: The PCs are taken somewhere against their will and must return on their own.
19 Undercover: The PCs must assume new identities and remain “in character” in order to gather information or complete their objective.
20 Watched: Someone observes the PCs during the course of the adventure, and may interfere with their progress, or attempt to guide them.

Table 2–3: Macguffins and Quest Items

d%	Macguffin or Quest Item
1–2	Kidnapped royalty
3–4	Religious idol
5–6	Lost spellbook
7–8	Fountain of youth
9–10	City of gold
11–12	Pirate treasure
13–14	Lost culture
15–16	Weapon of the gods
17–18	Dangerous technology
19–20	Claimant to the throne
21–22	Ancient tomb
23–24	Dragon hoard
25–26	Imprisoned loved one
27–28	Legendary warrior (possibly deceased)
29–30	Placation for angry spirits
31–32	Signet proving noble birth
33–34	Rare spell component
35–36	Forbidden magic
37–38	Ressurection for a slain innocent
39–40	Godhood
41–42	Cure for a plague or curse
43–44	Land grab
45–46	Enlightenment
47–48	Stolen property
49–50	State secrets
51–52	Mythical beast
53–54	Unlimited power source
55–56	Embezzled funds
57–58	Designs for a new weapon
59–60	Ghost ship
61–62	Lich’s phylactery
63–64	Jade statue of a bird
65–66	Long-lost twin
67–68	Lost soul
69–70	Flying machine
71–72	Treasure map
73–74	Sunken island
75–76	Shipwreck
77–78	Lost culture
79–80	Relic from religious figure
81–82	Death (for self or others)
83–84	Hidden master
85–86	New home for displaced people
87–88	Sleeping prince or princess
89–90	Unexplored territory
91–92	Destruction of evil item
93–94	Prophecy and revelation
95–96	Dangerous fugitive
97–98	Portal to another world
99	True love
100	Answers

Table 2–4: Cultural Titles

Byzantine	Chinese	Dutch	English
Basileus, Porphyrogennëtos	Huangdi	Keizer, Keizerin	King, Queen
Kaisar	Gong	Koning, Koningin	Prince, Princess
Kouropalatës	Hou	Groothertog, Groothertogin	Duke, Duchess
Proedros	Bo	Hertog	Earl/Count, Countess
Magistros	Zi	Prins	Viscount, Viscountess
Vestarches	Nan	Markies, Markgraaf	Baron, Baroness
Anthypatos	Qing	Graaf	Baronet
Exarchos	Daifu	Burggraaf	Knight
Ethiopian	Finnish	French	German
Negus	Kuningas, Kuningatar	Empreur, Imperatrice	Kaiser, Kaiserin
Leul	Suuriruhtinas, Suuriruhtinatar	Duc, Duchesse	König, Königin
Ras	Herttua, Herttuatar	Marquis, Marquise	Großherzog
Dejazmach	Ruhtinas, Ruhtinatar	Comte, Comtesse	Herzog, Herzogin
Fitawrari	Markiisi	Vicomte, Vicomtesse	Fürst, Fürstin
Enderase	Kreivi, Kreivitär	Baron, Baronne	Markgraf, Markgräfin
Reise Mekwanint	Vapaaherra, Vapaaherratar	Baronnet	Graf, Gräfin
Basha	Ritari	Chevalier	Freiherr, Freifrau
Indian	Italian	Middle Eastern	Ottoman/Turkish
Maharaja	Re, Regina	Caliph	Khalifa
Raja	Principe, Principessa	Sultan	Sultan, Padishah
Thakur	Duca, Duchessa	Khedive	Kaymakam
Nawab	Marchese, Marchesa	Pasha	Khedive
Janab	Conte, Contessa	Emir	Wali
Sardar	Visconte, Viscontessa	Mirza	Pasha
Jagir	Barone, Baronessa	Bey	Bey
Zamindar	Baronetto	Sheik	Effendi
Persian	Polish	Roman	Russian
Shah	Cesarz, Cesarzowa	Caesar, Imperator	Tsar, Tsaritsa
Argbadh	Król, Królowa	Rex	Korol, Koroleva
Artabid	Wielki Ksiaze, Wielka Ksiezna	Magnus	Velikiy Knyaz
Khshathrapava, Satrap	Ksiaze, Ksiezna	Princeps Elector	Ertsgertsog
Istandar	Markiz, Markiza	Dux	Kurfyurst, Kurfyurstina
Databara	Hrabia, Hrabina	Marchio	Boyar, Borarina
Vuzurgar	Wicehrabia, Wicehrabina	Vicecomes	Graf, Grafinya
Aztan	Baron, Baronowa	Liber Baro	Rytsar
Scandinavian	Spanish	Spartan	Thai
Keiser, Keiserinne	Emperador, Emperatriz	Polemarch	Chao Fa
Kong, Drottning	Rey, Reina	Lochagos	Mom Rajawongse
Storhertug, Storhertuginne	Príncipe, Princesa	Pentekoster	Mom Luang
Hertug, Hertig	Duque, Duquesa	Enomotarch	Na Ayudhya
Fyrst, Furste	Marqués, Marquesa	Phylearch	Somdej Chao Phraya
Marki, Markis	Conde, Condesa	Perioikoi	Phraya
Jarl, Greve	Vizconde, Vizcondesa	Hypomeiones	Muen
Friherre	Barón, Baronesa	Helots	Pan