Omens from the Spirits

In Fire Tales, the See Omens technique allows characters to notice and interpret omens sent by gods and spirits. This is not an innate or magical ability, like spellcasting, but an ability received through training and experience. Many capable seers have neither the Sight nor the Gift. These are some omens which could be sent from spirits to one capable of interpreting omens:

From Eteilla's Tarot, engraved by Pierre-François Basan

A flock of strange birds flying in a strange shape.

A pattern in the web of a spider.

An inauspicious plant growing by the side of a path.

A shape in the tea leaves.

A shadow from the clouds.

An arrangement of lightning.

A collection of fallen leaves in the summertime.

A figure seen for a brief moment in a dancing flame.

Omens may tell of danger, treachery, peace, or death. They are almost always vague in that they can only be described by a single word (Omen of ____.)

Not every passing shadow or patch of spilled grain contains an omen. Omens are freely given by friendly spirits to mortals. Because of this they are also not a direct portent into the future but a piece of information or emotion from a more informed being.

The Greek Magical Papyri as an RPG Magic System

I rediscovered the Greek Magical Papyri when creating the magic systems for Fire Tales, while specifically looking for historical magic systems.  What I found here was somewhat influential on a game design pillar I am calling "Magical Magic."

Many of these spells are fairly minimal in their impact (Spells for winning at gambling games, relieving headaches) but you do have some RPG classics like invisibility spells, protection spells, etc.  

Is the Greek Magical Papyri a gameable magic system for a tabletop roleplaying game?  Yes and no.  I believe a useable magic system could be made from some of the spells[1], but I also believe many of the spells would need to be excluded for various reasons[2].  

Below I've copied some of my favorite spells from the text.  (Please note that there is a ton of extremely triggering/unethical and bizarre spells in these texts.  The ones I picked out to show here tend to be among the more interesting[3][4] as well as the least problematic.  If you do seek out the rest of the text be aware of this.)

Favor and victory charm: Take a blood-eating gecko that has been found among the tombs and grasp its right front foot and cut it off with a reed, allowing the gecko to return to its own hole alive. Fasten the foot of the creature to the fold of your garment and wear it. 

Adapting this spell:  This spell allows 1 reroll and then becomes inert.

For migraine headache: Take oil in your hands and utter the spell  "Zeus sowed a grape seed: it parts the soil; he does not sow it; it does not sprout."

Adapting this spell: This spell has no mechanical benefit except when it makes sense.

Against every wild animal, aquatic creature and robbers: Attach a tassel to your garment and say: "LOMA ZATH AION ACHTHASE MA . . . ZAL BALAMAON EIEOY, protect me, NN, in the present hour; immediately, immediately; quickly, quickly."

Adapting this spell: This spell provides some bonus to protection/AC for a single hour. 

A means to learn from a die whether a man is alive or has died:
Make the inquirer throw this die in the [above] bowl. Let him fill this with water.
Add to the [cast of the] die 612, which is [the numerical value of] the name
of god, i.e., "Zeus," and subtract from the sum 353, which is [the numerical value of] "Hermes." If then the number [remaining] be found divisible by two, he lives;
if not, death has [him].

Adapting this spell: This spell could easily function exactly as it describes. 

Indispensable invisibility spell: Take fat or an eye of a nightowl and a bail of dung rolled by a beetle and oil of an unripe olive and grind them all together until smooth, and smear your whole body with it and say to Helios: “I adjure you by your great name, BORKE PHOIOUR IO ZIZIA APARXEOUCH THYTHE LAILAM AAAAAA IIIII OOOO IEO IEO IEO IEO IEO IEO IEO NAUNAX AI AI AEO AEO EAO” and moisten it and say in addition: “Make me invisible, lord Helios, AEO OAE EIE EAO, in the presence of any man until sunset, IO IO O PHRIXRIZO EOA.”

Adapting this spell: This spell also functions as described and makes you invisible until the next sunset. 

Request for a dream oracle: Take a strip of clean linen and write on it the following name. / Roll it up to make a wick, pour pure olive oil over it and light it. The formula to be written is this: “HARMIOUTH LAILAM CHOOUCH ARSENOPHRE PHREU PHTHA HARCHENTECHTHA.”  In the evening then, when you are about to go to sleep, being pure in every respect, do this: Go to the lamp, say 7 times the following formula, extinguish the light / and go to sleep.  The formula to be spoken is as follows: “SACHMOUNE PAEMALIGOTEREENCH, the one who shakes, who thunders, who has swallowed the serpent, surrounds the moon, and hour by hour raises the disk of the sun, 'CHTHETHONI' is your name. I ask you, lords of the gods, SETH CHREPS: reveal to me concerning the things I wish.”

Adapting this spell: This spell allows you to ask 1 question of Set which is answered via dream-vision. 

To win at dice: “THERTHENITHOR DYAGOTHERE THERTHENITHOR SYAPOTHEREUO KODOCHOR make me a winner at dice, / O prevailing Adriel.” Into your hand say: “Let not even one person be equal to me, for I am THERTHENITHOR EROTHORTHIN DOLOTHOR, and I am going to throw what I want.” And say this repeatedly, and then throw.  Another way you must say the formula is: “Let not even one of these playing with me be equal, and I am going to throw what I want.”  

Adapting this spell: This spell gives you a 50% chance to automatically win at dice games, but must be cast every time.

There is a very blurry boundary between many of these spells and prayers.  The voces magicae can often be assumed to be invocations of a "true" or "secret" name of specific deities allowing the invoker to channel some of their divinity.  This is often paired with some ritual involving materials that relate to the request being made.  This is part of what inspired the Invocation system to exist as it does in Fire Tales.  

[1]And doing so would make an interesting thought experiment at least
[2]redundant spells, spells that are complex in a way that doesn't translate well to tabletop, spells that are very unethical in their aims or method of casting
[3]At least from a game design perspective
[4]I also focused primarily on spells that were short enough to function well in an RPG

Magic Systems Somewhat Reminiscent of This:

Wolves Upon the Coast - Magic Outside of Levels 

Beyond the Wall

Kill Clerics, Become Warlocks

Merry Hexmas: The Autumn Valley

This is a hex for the Rankin Bass themed shared hexcrawl/blog bandwagon announced by Prismatic Wasteland.  

The Autumn Valley - A forested valley region nestled between wintry mountains where autumn is unending.  This domain is ruled by the Autumn Council, a collection of ancient spirits.
Forest Encounters: (1. Werewolf 2. 1D6 Wolves 3. 1D6 Scarecrows 4. 1D6 Skeletons 5. Dryad 6. None)

Landmark Location: Pumpkintown - A quaint town nestled in the autumnal woods of the valley.  A river runs through the center of town with 2 bridges crossing it.  Elves from the north pole often vacation here during the offseason.  
Pumpkintown Encounters: (1. Police Sergeant (Will make up something illegal you are doing and attempt to fine you) 2. Pothead (Will tell you about the Graveyard) 3. Taxi Driver (Will take you anywhere nearby for 1 silver or to the edges of nearby hexes for 100 dollars) 4-6. Empty Streets)

The Hollow Tree Tavern: An tavern built within a large dead tree.  Townsfolk, hotel employees, and creatures from the surrounding woods hang out here at night.  
!The tavern keeper (Commoner; clueless, busy) is having issues with kids painting graffiti on the back of his tavern.  He needs someone to wait behind the trash bins to catch them in the act.  The tavern keepers own children are actually the ones tagging his tavern.

Pumpkintown Bakery: An old river mill where cider and donuts can be purchased.
!The baker needs more apples from the orchard outside of town, but the orchard is being controlled by a local Necromancer (Mage; wicked, entrepreneurial) and guarded by (2D12) animated skeletons.  The necromancer plans to open a rival cider shop.

The Graveyard: A small walled off graveyard shaded by leafless trees where thousands of crows roost.  
Encounters (1. 1D6 Ghosts 2. 1D6 Grievers 3. Crow-speaker 4. Graverobber 5-6. None)

City Hall: A small brick office building.  The mayor who is unelected but selected by the autumn council works in the second floor.  The Mayor (Charlatan; egotistical, wealthy) is a fake vampire who wears blue makeup and stays inside during the day to preserve the illusion.  
!The Mayor needs help taking care of an auditor who is investigating a case of embezzlement.  The auditor has collected key evidence that must be destroyed and is staying on the 13th floor of the Overlook Hotel outside of town.  

The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rankin Bass

The Train Station: A simple station with two covered platforms and a bridge over the tracks.  The train ferries passengers to the Underworld in both directions through tunnels in the sides of the valley.  Tickets can be purchased for a silver coin.  On each platform is a vending machine from which Coca-Cola® products may be purchased. 

Landmark Location: The Overlook Hotel - Atop a great hill in the north end of the valley is a gothic castle.  The weather on the hill is always foggy during the day and stormy at night, with the castle being lit by lightning continually.  The castle is actually a hotel where denizens of the underworld may stay in the land of the living for up to 2 nights per 10 years.  Rooms can be purchased by mortals for 10 dollars, a silver piece, or a single memory of a sunlit day.  Eating food or drink from your room's fridge or minibar traps mortals within the walls of the castle unless they can swap the food out before it is noticed (At midnight.)

Mad Monster Party, Rankin Bass

!The undead bellhops believe 2 of their members were banished to the underworld for attempting to start a union.  (An illegal act)  Proof of this is in a letter from Hades in the manager's office desk.  If you help the bellhops they will tell you the location of the Cookie Grotto.

Secret Location: The Cookie Grotto - A magical ice cave, hidden by a frozen waterfall in the side of the valley, where the autumnal magic begins to fade.  Santa keeps a frozen stash of cookies collected over hundreds of years here.  He believes eventually he will eat them.  2 Ice Demons stand guard over the hoard of cookies.  

Connected Hexes:
To the north: The Powder Plains
To the northeast: Unknown
To the northwest: The Vorpal Vale
To the southeast: Unknown
To the southwest: The Rime Ridge
To the south: Unknown

100 Quest Hooks for the year 500

I am currently running an open world Arthurian Fire Tales campaign, complete with a full 5 mile scale hex map of Britain, Ireland, and Northwestern Gaul.  When populating this world with quests I first brainstormed a large list of ideas in bullet point form and then set about assigning them to settlements and points of interest on my map.  Here is a selected list of 100 quest hooks.

Howard Pyle

1. Druids vs Woodcutters.
2. The Black Knight takes all challengers.
3. Saxons vs Britons.
4. Dragon raids on cattle.
5. Coven vs Druids.
6. Corrupt despotic thane.
7. The Endless Tournament.
8. Older woman is in love with a Sidhe.
9. The Red Knight (bandit who scares off shepherds to eat their sheep)
10. Knight errant wishes to win the affection of a merrow.
11. Saxon bard wishes to acquire the mead of poetry.
12. Princess wishes to learn witchcraft.
13. Selkie wants her coat returned.
14. Lavellan are overrunning nearby tombs
15. Hollow hill filled with wights who ride out at night on spectral horses.
16. Village craftswoman wants her son who joined a gang of outlaws to be brought home safely.
17. The Perilous Bed (Idk what to do with this yet)
18. Slave revolt in the mines.
19. Another slave revolt in the mines.
20. Slave revolt in an old roman quarry.
21. Exiled prince wants his brother killed.  
22. Milkmaid wants to join the wild hunt.  She has dreams of when they will arrive, Needs a mask, a worthy weapon and a mount.
23. Alchemist desires a unicorn's horn for his potions.  Knows of a nearby pasture where unicorns were seen grazing 10 years past.  
24. Queen needs a faye tear to survive a horrid illness.
25. Knight wishes to break off his friend's betrothal with a beautiful maiden whose family he suspects of wicked motives.
26. Town grindylow causing troubles.
27. Bluecap cursing an anglish mine.
28. Minerva cultists vs Christians
29. Druids want to stop christians from destroying a local monument and portal to the otherworld.
30. Redcap is killing local innocents.
31. Village elders ask for the removal of a fire demon.
32. Local thane wants to punish skald for not paying his debt.  Skald is actually not indebted but insulted the thane in song.
33. Woodcutter has had an amulet stolen by a puca.  He was going to use it to propose.
34. Mithras worshippers being murdered.
35. Ferryman was murdered.
36. Lost dog.
37. Quarrel between families over a cattle raid.
38. Rescue a captured druid from warrior priests.
39. A man has been possessed by a demon.
40. Cattle being eaten by bandits.  "Bandits" are actually escaped slaves who wish to leave the area.
41. A warrior has had her carnyx stolen.
42. Historian is looking for scrolls lost in a local ruin.
43. Smith is looking for astral iron.
44. Smith is looking for dragon scales.
45. A local lord wishes to build a new fortress but the nearby quarry is controlled by bandits.
46. A local druidic leader is trying to protect an ancient alder tree from being chopped down by christians.
47. An orchard has been overrun by wolves.
48. Monk needs help building a chapel.
49. Local cult has barred themselves in a tower after killing 3 guards.
50. A lord seeks a formula for roman concrete.
51. A creature is living in the town's old roman sewers.
52. A banshee is terrorizing locals with her song.
53. A buggane is stealing crops from nearby farmers.
54. A saxon swordmaster seeks vengeance against a warlord in the Weald.  
55. A bethir is terrorizing local villagers.
56. Find bethir eggs for a beast master.
57. Fighting arena.
58. Prison work camp.
59. Steal an amulet of Macha back from a priest.
60. Help a lord's daughter meet with her beloved.
61. A shepherd has had sheep stolen by a local lord.
62. Recover a store of grain stolen by bandits.
63. Villagers have angered a local spirit.
64. The Seat Perilous.
65. The Chapel Perilous.
66. A woman is in love with a kelpie and wishes to know if she reciprocates.
67. A tower being built keeps crumbling because the local lord has angered Nodens.
68. A child has become lost in the woods.
69. A small fishing village is plagued by a Sea Monster scaring off fish and attacking fishers.
70. A knight-warlord captures others and holds them for ransom in a keep.
71. The Dolorous Knight attacks the king's caravans and makes off with goods issuing challenges to the king's son.  She seeks vengeance against him for killing her lover.
72. A gnostic priest wishes to have a set of texts recovered from a local priest.
73. Horse thief.
74. The Afanc terrorizes villagers.
75. A clever woman collects copper coins from those who attempt to guess her name.  Any who guess correctly (Angharad) may take half the coins.  (2D100 copper, 1D20 silver total)
76. A restless spirit from roman times.
77. Queen's druid seeks an acorn of knowledge.
78. King's magus seeks a formula for greek fire.
79. Fili is seeking inspiration for a song.  
80. Miller's daughter insists that the village will be attacked by raiders soon but none believe her.
81. Bard has hidden away to avoid the wrath of a local lord.
82. Princess guards a magic fountain in the woods and fights all challengers.
83. Ferryman will take those who beat him in a game of riddles across an estuary to where an otherwordly feast will be held.
84. The Dagda demands that a shrine of his be cleared of bandits.
85. Drinking contest.
86. Missing brother.
87. Monastery lost their cat.
88. Miners dug into Abhartach's tomb.
89. Lover's quarrel.
90. The Cerulean Knight takes all challengers.  Knows a true name of Mercury. 
91. Outlaw leader wants the head of the local lord.
92. A young knight wishes to win a local tournament but has little skill.  
93. Warrior was taken by a rival family due to an old feud.
94. An old woman asks for a leaf from a great tree in Arroy to heal her husband.  Those who can heal her husband will receive a cat from her litter.
95. Investigate a slew of knights who have apparently beheaded themselves.
96. Clear wolves from an abandoned ruin.
97. A giant named Rhience is rumored to live atop Yr Wyddfa and collects beards to weave into his cape.
98. Roaming sluagh near a village.
99. Young shepherdess wishes to know if another shares her affection. 
100. The Grail Quest.

The Basics of "A Rat Game"

This is a capsule game inspired by To Be Resolved's Honeybee Game Blog Posts and Honey Heist.  The game is about non-anthropomorphic rats living in a subway station.  The goal is survival, which means collecting food, avoiding poisons, finding shelter, avoiding notice by humans while on the platform.

Inventory: 
Rats can drag a single item using their tail, and push a single item in front of them.
The max weight of everything carried or pushed by the rat is it's Size x .25 pounds. 

Stats (Roll 1D10 for each stat)

Rolls against stats are made with 1D10 by default.
Rolls that equal the stat are critical successes.

Conspicuity
Roll Under for Intimidating, Signalling Others
Roll Over for Sneaking, Hiding

Size
Roll Under for Brawling, Landing, Shoving
Roll Over for Slipping, Jumping, Dodging

Health (Reaching Health: 0 causes death)
Roll Under for Avoiding Disease, Shirking Damage
Roll Over for Desperation, Wild Luck

Conditions (Temporarily modify Stats)

Dirtiness (Levels 1 - 4)
Each level of Dirtiness adds temporarily to Conspicuity.  Going in water removes a level, unless you have 0 levels in which case it adds 1.

Wetness (1 Level)
Wetness increases Size by 1.

Stamina (Levels 1 - 3)
Food can be eaten to temporarily increase Size and Health an amount equal to Stamina.  Stamina can be spent to modify Stat rolls by changing the dice by one increment (1D6, 1D8, 1D10, 1D12, 1D20) in either direction per Stamina spent (Up to 2 total per roll.)

Damage (Levels 1 - infinite)
Temporarily decreases Health per level of damage.  Damage from being stepped on is 1D4.  Damage from being hit with a thrown projectile is 1.  Damage from landing hard is 1D4.  Damage from losing a scuffle with another rat is 1D4-1.  Damage from being hit by a train is 1D100. 

The Environment

Basic subway maps can be found here.  I may write up how to roll a station in another post.

Spark Tables for Prophesies

This set of tables inspired by spark tables is designed to roughly emulate the style of prophecy in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Prophetiae Merlini. Every roll will have some gaps that need filled, but the tables are designed to give a quick general sketch from which a nice sounding prophecy may emerge. To roll for a prophesy roll a D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20 all at once and consult the tables.  You may also roll for two nouns and two descriptors (1D4, 1D12, 1D6, 1D20) for more complex prophecies.

John William Waterhouse

Events (D8)

1. War
2. Rebellion
3. Anniversary
4. Peace
5. Famine
6. Plague
7. Tempest
8. Celestial Event (Constellation Sign, Comet or Eclipse)

 Actions (D10)

1. Rise
2. Cover
3. Fall
4. Hide
5. Grow
6. Destroy
7. Judge
8. Herald
9. Devour
10. Betray

Descriptors (D12, nested D4)

1. 
   
1. Red
2. Crimson
3. Scarlett
4. Bloody 
2. 
   
1. Blue
2. Cerulean
3. Watery
4. Sapphire
3. 
   
1. Green
2. Viridian
3. Emerald
4. Leafy
4. 
   
1. Golden
2. Yellow
3. Bright
4. Amber
5. 
   
1. Silver
2. Grey
3. Ashen
4. Shining 
6. 
   
1. White
2. Ghostly
3. Pale
4. Unseen
7. 
   
1. Violet
2. Purple
3. Noble
4. Amethyst
8. 
   
1. Black
2. Dark
3. Shadowy
4. Hidden
9. 
   
1. Ancient
2. Wise
3. Elderly
4. Knowing 
10. 
    
1. Wicked
2. Warlike
3. Wild
4. Murderous 
11. 
    
1. Wintry
2. Snowy
3. Silent
4. Icy
12. 
    
1. Fiery
2. Burning
3. Glowing
4. Smoking 

Nouns (D20, Nested D6)

1. Diminutive Creatures 1
1. Mole
2. Salamander
3. Mouse
4. Urcheon
5. Bee
6. Fly
2. Diminutive Creatures 2 
1. Spider
2. Locust
3. Frog
4. Midge
5. Toad
6. Bat 
3. Woodland Creatures
1. Deer
2. Fox
3. Wolf
4. Tortoise
5. Badger
6. Rabbit
4. Noble Creatures
1. Dragon
2. Lion
3. Swan
4. Destrier
5. Owl
6. Elk
5. Magical Creatures
1. Dragon
2. Unicorn
3. Phoenix
4. Sphinx
5. Sea Serpent
6. Centaur
6. Dangerous Creatures
1. Dragon
2. Wolf
3. Viper
4. Wildcat
5. Boar
6. Bear
7. Waterbound Creatures
1. Sea Serpent
2. Eel
3. Fish
4. Seal
5. Oyster
6. Whale
8. Farm Creatures
1. Cow
2. Bull 
3. Hen
4. Ass
5. Sheep
6. Goat
9. Mounts
1. Donkey
2. Camel 
3. Palfrey
4. Destrier
5. Courser
6. Rouncey 
10. Large Creatures
1. Dragon
2. Giant
3. Bear
4. Bull
5. Elephant
6. Lion
11. Small Birds
1. Carrion Crow
2. Dove
3. Songbird
4. Gull
5. Duck
6. Woodpecker
12. Large Birds
1. Eagle
2. Owl
3. Vulture
4. Swan
5. Sea Hawk
6. Raven
13. Royalty
1. King
2. Queen
3. Princess
4. Prince
5. Duke
6. Lord
14. Warriors
1. Knight
2. Berserker
3. Archer
4. Hero
5. Rogue
6. Slayer
15. Professions 1
1. Bard
2. Priest
3. Scholar
4. Sailor
5. Farmer
6. Shepherd
16. Professions 2
1. Guard
2. Smith
3. Hunter
4. Forester
5. Mason
6. Fisher
17. Food and Drink
1. Apple
2. Wine
3. Honey
4. Bread
5. Mead
6. Stew
18. Human Things
1. Cloak
2. Blade
3. Castle
4. Boat
5. Axe
6. Shield
19.  Earthen Things
1. Stone
2. Hill
3. River
4. Tree
5. Mountain
6. Thorn
20. Flowers
1. Rose
2. Sunflower
3. Daisy
4. Foxglove
5. Lily
6. Thistle

Invocation Channeling Focuses

Each Invocation needs a Channeling Focus. These are often specific to the Invocations they are used in and must be relevant to the Invocation. Here are some useful channeling focuses to use in your Invocations.

Arthur Rackham

A small chunk of ice from an inland lake - useful for chilling invocations.

A burning coal plucked from a hot fire - useful for light and fireball invocations.

The first branch to brush against you on a forest path - useful for invocations to grow foliage, or find your way when lost in the forest.

The shadow cupped between your hands - useful for shadow invocations.

A clear gemstone - useful for invocations of dispelling illusion or providing clarity.

A wand of petrified wood - useful for petrification invocations.

The tooth of a wild wolf - useful for invocations to summon wolves in the moonlight.

A pool of magma - useful for powerful invocations of fire and heat.

A detailed star map drawn with dust from a fallen star - useful for invocations of prediction, prophesy and illumination.

A flute carved from the wood of a fairy tree - useful for enchantment and bewitchment invocations.