Random Dwarf Advancement

When you level up, you gain a random benefit based on your race or class. Here's what dwarves get.

You can either roll a d7 for your house to get a result from a tightly-bound part of the table or roll a d50 to get anything from the entire table.

This is ostensibly for the Middle-earth Hexcrawl project but I think it can be broadly applicable to any fantasy adventure game with dwarves in it. 

Dwarves

Roll a d7 (for your house) or a d50

Art by Goran Gligovic

Longbeards

1. +1 Skill
2. Baruk Khazâd: Add +2 to your damage dealt with axes.
3. Crafts of your Hands: Whenever a dice roll would determine the quality of something you've made (a forged blade, a tied knot, a set trap, the health of a child sired) add +2 to the result.
4. Hardy: Once per day, you may recover Endurance equal to your Strength score, even in combat.
5. In Moria, In Khazad-dum: When you study a dwarven artifact or visit a site important to the dwarves, you can sing a song that inspires the company to understand your dwarven perspective. If you do so, add 1 Morale.
6. Mine Fighter: You gain +1 to your attacks while fighting underground.
7. Stentorious Merchant: You may use Skill instead of Beauty when trying to influence the reaction of characters on matters of business, closing a deal, or making a bargain.

Firebeards

1. +1 Valour
2. Driven: During a forced march, you can elect to double the damage taken and gain 100% more of your daily allotment of travel points (instead of 50%).
3. Calloused Hands: Your hands are as tough as leather gauntlets. You can handle objects as hot as a forge fire less intense than a blast furnace.
4. Fell-handed: Add +1 to your damage dealt.
5. Fire Resistant: Items that you own and specifically care for are immune to fire criticals.
6. Forge Hardy: You gain resistance to fire damage.
7. Weapon-crafty: By tending to your weapon and oiling it (costs 1 silver piece/6 marks), you may increase its damage dealt by +1. This bonus lasts until the end of a battle in which you deal damage; afterwards, you must care for it again.

Broadbeams

1. All's Well that Ends Better: When you Carouse, you may roll twice and take either event.
2. Armour-crafty: By tending to your armour and oiling it (costs 1 silver piece/6 marks), you may increase its Defensive bonus by +1. This bonus lasts until the end of a battle in which you take damage; afterwards, you must care for it again.
3. Fond of Vittles: If you eat 2 rations instead of 1 during camp, roll an extra boon.
4. Gourmand: You have exceptional taste. With just a tiny taste of food, you can tell what the ingredients are (e.g., if there's a little extra poison in there).
5. Luxurious Beard: Your beard is thick and lustrous. You may carry one normal-sized item in it. The item carried there does not count towards your encumbrance and is not easily taken from you.
6. Make Light of Burdens: Your worn armour does not count towards your encumbrance.
7. Mountain Guide: While you act as the Guide while traveling, the company may move in hill hexes for 1 travel point/league and mountain hexes for 2 travel points/league.

Stiffbeards

1. Bane of Worms: You deal +1 damage to worms, serpents, and dragons. Keep a tally of how many worms you have killed. At 50 worms, this bonus increases to +2. At 200 worms, this bonus increases to +3.
2. Caution of Curses: If you spend a watch in contemplation of an artifact, the GM will tell you if there are any curses that lay on it and what manner they are.
3. Deep Voice: When singing Songs of Power, you may choose to use your Skill attribute instead of Beauty.
4. Dwimmercrafty: You can tell how many charges or uses are left on a limited use item.
5. Frost Resistant: Items that you own and specifically care for are immune to cold criticals.
6. Stronger than Snakes: You may heal poison damage naturally through Morale and rest.
7. Winter Hardy: You are resistant to cold damage.

Ironfists

1. Careful: Once per day, when you fail a test, you may negate the effects of failure. It's as if you never attempted it.
2. Galvorn: You know the secret of the black metal, galvorn. If you can find a source of meteoric iron, you may craft items made of it as a Downtime Action.
3. Grasping: What you hold, you keep. No thief can ever take what you hold in your hands. In combat, you can never be disarmed.
4. Hoarder: You can secrete 100 coins on your person in such a way that they won't be discovered (short of shaving and stripping you) and they don't count towards your encumbrance.
5. Obsessive Care: Choose one of your Named items. Under your care, this item will never rust, notch, or be sundered. If you lose the item, it will eventually find its way back to you through strange roads.
6. Song of Counter-spell (4): You have learned the songs that cut through the nets of the enemy. The target of this song may be any sorcerer or ongoing sorcerous effect. Roll the dice and add your Skill bonus vs Δ9. If successful, the sorcery effect is ended.
7. Vengeance: You gain a +1 to attack anyone who has damaged you in combat or stolen from you.

Blacklocks

1. Curse: Once ever, you may pronounce a curse against a mortal foe that ensures their eventual ruin. The curse will strike when most appropriate. The exact nature of their doom is left up to the discretion of the GM, but you can rest assured that if they continue to live, their life will be miserable: utter poverty, a broken body, forsaken by their kin, etc.
2. Dark for Dark Business: You gain +1 to attacks while under the night sky.
3. Devil's Advocate: Your people suffered a bad deal once, and you'll never make the same mistake. You can spot unfair arrangements in contracts without needing to make a test. Moreover, you gain a +2 (or +10%, if relevant) bonus when negotiating contracts to be in your favor.
4. False Gold: With a week of work and 1 gold of supplies, you can make 10 coins of fake gold. Dwarves are never fooled by this gold, but it passes the basic scrutiny of most other folk.
5. Forge Flaw: A trick developed when your people labored for the Enemy. You may place a flaw into anything you create with your hands. By all appraisals, the flaw is invisible. However, at a time of your choosing, the item will fail.
6. Gloomy: When you travel by the light of a single candle, you can keep the flame from being seen by almost any other observer. Such a light only is sufficient for yourself; no companions.
7. Wiry Beard: In a pinch, your coarse beard hairs can be used as an improvised lockpick.

Stonefoots

1. Charm-craft: You can craft good luck charms. A charm requires a watch to create and 1 silver/6 marks of materials. The bearer of the charm can break it to give themselves +1 to the result of any attribute test. A charm takes a slot, and a person can benefit from a charm once per day.
2. Never Lose Your Steps: You always perfectly remember any path you've traveled. You can always follow your way back through a confusing environment, labyrinth, or misty forest. This ability works even if blindfolded.
3. Root of the Mountain: When you deliberately plant your feet, you cannot be moved by almost any force. In combat, you can never be tripped.
4. Stalagmite Stealth: Gain +2 bonus to tests to hide and move silently while underground. Additionally, if you stay completely still, a cavern environment always provides you enough cover to conceal yourself.
5. Stiff Neck of Dwarves: You can no longer be choked or strangled. Criticals that target your neck (such as beheading) are ignored.
6. Stone Sleep: You may enter a long sleep, wherein you do not age or require food or water. You awaken at a condition that you set: "When the sun next falls on my face," "When Durin reigns again in Khazad-dum," etc.
7. Wise of Dwarven-Doors: Once per day, you may ask the GM "Is there a secret door in my line of sight?" and receive an honest answer.

All Dwarves

1. +10 Endurance

While I have you...

Did you know that I am currently doing an Early Worm campaign--sort of "direct crowdfunding"--for THE CASTLE AUTOMATIC, my forthcoming dungeon for His Majesty the Worm. I'd love for you to preorder the book! You get a discount and a sweet map from Guy Pradel! 

Join the Early Worm campaign!

[Early Worm Campaign] The Backstory of the Castle Automatic

In case you missed it, I'm currently running a direct pre-order campaign for my upcoming 100+ room, 5 level dungeon The Castle Automatic. 

Become an Early Worm now!

But what's the story of the Castle Automatic? What makes it an interesting place to explore?

Here's the deal

Long ago, in the confluence of history and mythology, a conquering giant declared himself the Emperor of the Wide World—the king of kings. He gathered four treasures to himself: a sword that could defeat any weapon, a coin that could pay for anything, a cup that granted immortality, and a wand that opened doors in thin air.

In this time, a certain dwarf named Taitale was widely considered the smartest person alive. The Emperor of the Wide World commissioned Taitale to build him a castle populated entirely by mechanical golem guardians to hide these four treasures. It was called the Castle Automatic. Then, the Emperor placed Taitale in the Castle, a prisoner in a prison of her own creation, so that she would never tell anyone how to defeat its many traps and puzzles. 

Taitale's son sought to free his mother and meddled with forces beyond his understanding, playing a discordant melody not meant for mortal minds. Vampiric spirits from the far realms rushed into the world, eager for their fill of blood. They overthrew the Emperor and broke the mechanisms that controlled the Castle Automatic.

For an age, the Castle Automatic has been lost in the Underworld. But now, its gates have been reopened…perhaps by His Majesty the Worm?

Why do you explore the terrible castle?

You can use the Castle Automatic as a dungeon in your Underworld. In His Majesty the Worm, adventurers are primarily motivated by their quests. The GM can add any quest objective into the Castle, integrating their ideas and plots into the factions, treasures, and characters of the dungeon. Because of the powerful artifacts housed within, consider placing it deep in your Underworld where it is not directly connected to the surface. 

You can also use the Castle Automatic as an independent adventuring location, basing a small campaign around finding and exploring the Castle. In this case, the GM can suggest a player (or the entire guild) take a quest specific to the published information from this dungeon.

This dungeon has stats and references to the procedures of His Majesty the Worm. It is still appropriate for use in the OSR game of your choice (with a little adaptation). 

Here are likely personae, treasure, or occurrences in the Castle Automatic that you can tie to your players' quests. 

Find the Four Treasures

There are four powerful magic items in the Castle Automatic: 

• The Perfect Sword, which can defeat any weapon 
• The Coin of Pentacles, which can pay any debt 
• The Chalice of Life, which can extend mortal life 
• The Wand of Power, which can fold space 

Note: The four treasures significantly change the balance of the game, and we recommend against letting the guild continue to adventure outside the Castle Automatic after obtaining any of them. Acquiring the four treasures should either be the capstone of a campaign (followed by blissful retirement), or the triumphant adventurers should become rulers of the Castle, replacing one of the other factions. 

Rescue Taitale

Perhaps the guild has been tasked with rescuing the mythical Taitale from her imprisonment. She is an important figure in underfolklore. 

Rescuing a figure out of the mythic past would be enough to win any underfolk fame and renown. Even the most recalcitrant dwarven lord would surely acquiesce to a request from an adventurer who accomplished such a task. 

Taitale could also bring knowledge out of the past to the present. She could explain processes long forgotten, repair machinery long since broken, or even invent new technologies.

Slay the Hierophant

Perhaps the evil depredations of the Hierophant threaten the City or the guild's allies in the Underworld. Perhaps someone from an adventurer's past has fallen victim to the curse of vampirism, and slaying the Hierophant is the only cure. Perhaps the blood of a vampire lord like the Hierophant is the only reagent powerful enough to power a magical ritual that allows the guild to fulfill one of their quests.

Some example spreads

The development is complete! Copyediting and layout are the next steps. I think it's turning out awesome. Check it out. 

The GM map is the most complete version; there's also a minimap and maps for the players

Taitale and her son, Vorte, have been trapped in the castle for an age

Each room in the castle has traps, new monsters, and new treasures for players to uncover

There are five separate levels, all connected through magical mirrors

Become an Early Worm

New to His Majesty the Worm? Want a ready-made dungeon to get started with? The Castle Automatic is for you! Join now and receive an exclusive map with your order. 

Two small observations re: the Middle-earth Hexcrawl project

On the matter of writing empty hexes

I've already talked about my approach to writing Tolkien content, here. I've learned that I need to create actionable, discrete details--not just replicate an encyclopedia entry. Beyond that, as I've been working on this daily writing prompt, I've been forced to confront how I feel about hexcrawls as a medium.

Middle-earth is big. Even the Shire has some sprawling "empty" spaces on the map. It can be challenging to fill those! As far as we know, they're just one 12-mile chunk of the Far Downs or an unnamed section of a forest. 

But 12-mile sections of wilderness are big spaces! No area of the wild would be truly empty. These places would all have their own local landmarks, resources, dangers, hidden secrets, etc. However, coming up with unique, interesting stuff for each hex without any prompt can be difficult.

Writing localized encounter tables has been my solution to fill "empty" hexes. It is easier for me to imagine interesting discrete details--beavers felling trees or wandering shepherdesses--than it is to make empty cliffs and forests interactable. As the party travels, these empty spaces suddenly crackle with a localized event. If they travel back and forth, there and back again, they might crackle a lot!

If I ever get a chance to playtest, I'll see how successful this method is.

On writing overland movement rules

If we use the fellowship's journey-over-time as a model, how far can a party travel in a single day? What can we extrapolate out from that pattern? I already talked about right sizing travel distances in a Lord of the Rings game, here. 

Another factor that I'm considering is imagining the upper end of what is possible. The rules need to be able to model what the book characters actually did, even if difficult. 

The three hunters in The Two Towers traveled 45 leagues in 3 days. That's 135 miles, traveling 45 miles a day.

Let's look at the Dolmenwood travel rules. An unencumbered traveler whose encounter speed is 40 ft has 8 travel points / 12 travel points on a forced march. That will let them move through six 6-mile hexes of hilly terrain in a day: 36 miles. 

From the Dolmenwood Player's Book

That's about right. On the AT, a 20-mile day is a big day. A 30-mile day is impressive and unsustainable.

If we allow that Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas got buffs to their speed that gave them an encounter movement rate of 50, they would have 10 travel points / 15 on a forced march. That would allow them to practically do the ultramarathon of the three hunters--assuming the rules allow them to do a forced march three days in a row. 

So we can use these rules as a baseline for starting to write overland movement rules. 

• Unencumbered, accomplished travelers can travel 20 miles/day, like a good AT through hiker. 
• With forced marches, they can travel even further. Forced marches should deal Endurance damage. Those with more Endurance can do them more often.
• Heroic characters can get buffs to their base speed that allow them to travel even farther, for the true upper limit of (demi)human accomplishments.

Eastfarthing - Middle-earth Hexcrawl

 An installment of my hexmap for Middle-earth project. Follow the "Middle-earth Hexmap" tag for all entries in this series.

In the east of the Shire, north of the Water, are three communities built in and around the Hills of Scary. Although all hobbits (outside of the Marish) are habitual tunnellers, these towns are especially underground. What will intrepid burglars find there?

Art by the inimitable Goran Gligovic

44.59

FARMLANDS. Poor but pretty and well-kept farms spread across the rolling hills of the region. Friendly farmers toil in fields of oat, wheat, barley, and rye.

(1) - RIDERLESS PONY: A draft pony, hitched to a wagon piled with tanned hides, munches sour apples from underneath a nearby tree. His owner is nowhere to be seen.
(6) - HARVEST DANCE: Several farms have come together for a dance in a cleared field to celebrate a recent heavy effort. They dance rustic dances and wish to see any special dances the company knows. Malty beer flows freely.

45.59

BROCKENBORINGS. A mining Hobbit village in the Hills of Scary. Hobbits in many parts of the Shire (landscape willing) make tunnelings and live in smials; in Brockenborings, very few above-ground houses and outbuildings are used whatsoever. Copper and tin are the predominant resources produced here. The local tavern is the Tipsy Tramp.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Basso Hornblower (hobbit - sniffly and red nosed, eccentric, furrier) sells mole-skin (literally!) gloves, shaws, and hats, 2. Diamond Tunneler (hobbit - freckled, no nonsense, cook at the 'Tramp) is always in the market for mushrooms to use in her cooking, 3. Milo Goodenough (hobbit - sooty, rough spoken, mining forehobbit) is looking for someone to go to Pincup (49.58) and catch some pet sparrows for the miners.

! - BADGER INCURSION. Mr. Uggo Underhill's sitting room has collapsed as a badger family has tunneled into it. He begs for help with the ornery, obstinate, and sometimes frightening badgers.

The badgers understand Common (but speak their own language). The head of the badger family is called Badger Buffo in his own tongue. Buffo believes he and his family have every right to the earth as hobbits; in fact, Hugo was the first to cross the territorial line, having recently expanded his garden.

46.59

APPLE-BRIGHT MEADERY. On the "garth" between the split in the Water is a meadery and farm run by the Methier family. The meadery sells bottles out of the Floating Log in Frogmorton (47.59) and also abroad.

! - RARE INGREDIENT: Rose Methier (hobbit - apple-cheeked, sweet, mead-maker) looks to hire burglars to procure dumbledor honey from the east bank of the Brandywine River (45.62). She warns that dumbledor stings can be deadly.

43.60

BUTTERFLIES. Fields of wildflowers in the southeastern Green Fields attract a dazzlement of butterflies in all seasons except winter.

THE PALE KNIGHT: A ghost in shining, translucent Arnorian armor rides overgrown roads looking for evil to fight. He can only be encountered on nights of the full moon. He often jousts in jest with ghosts and beasts, and can provide quite a bit of out-of-date history to anyone with nerve enough to talk to him.
[Credit: MERP - Realms - The Shire]

44.60

THE TROLL'S TABLE. A local landmark, a dolmen called the Troll's Table because of its size and appearance. In truth, it marks the burial site of a forgotten race of Men.

A TROLL'S TABLE INDEED. At night, a lonesome troll named Oslo comes down from the northern hills and lingers near the dolmen in hopes that someone will set a table for him. If anyone ever does this, he thanks them with six magic acorns that turn whatever they're thrown at to stone.

(6) - PICNIC: A couple from Dwaling, Mr. and Mrs. Tunneler, along with their three children, are having a pleasant picnic atop the table.

45.60

ROAD. A track that runs between Brockenborings (45.59) and Dwaling (44.61). The Hills of Scary are to the south and wild country to the northwest. There's an inn along this route called the Rushlight (Mr. Adalbert Bolger, proprietor).

(1) - FOOTBRIDGE OUT: A footbridge over this section of road is currently broken. Farmer Boffer is trying to figure out how to get his dog, his chicken, and his sack of grain over the water, without the whole thing turning into a debacle.
(6) - DICE GAMES: A mixed group of hobbit laborers playing simple dice games atop a barrel invite the company to play. They know threes, liar's dice, or ship, captain, crew. Bet for pennies.

46.60

SCARY. A Hobbit mining town, operating the Quarry (45.61). (The region's name is derived from the "scar" on the land.) Its people are stout and somber by Shire standards. They breed a race of ponies, much loved by the locals, specifically suited to deal with the hilly region. Several alewives operate spring-up taverns, but the oldest continuously operating tavern is The Knocker, named after a mining bogey of legend.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Poncho Underhill (hobbit - wheezy, mild, miner) doesn't mind telling you that whenever a miner dies underground, the Knockers will drum to let his wife know, 2. Farmer Stout (hobbit - one-eyed, offensively boring, sheep farmer) will confide that a sure-fire cure for a pony whose hips are weak from foaling is to put a freshly killed sheep's skin on her back, 3. Teitur (dwarf - ruddy nose, fair to a fault, labor consultant) is negotiating for hired miners to be provided tunneling tools by members of the joint-stock arrangement that operates the Quarry; the stock-owners argue he's trying to sell dwarven tools.

! - LEECHCRAFT: Nora Noakes the apothecary needs a collection of living leeches from either Rushock Bog (XX.XX) or the region of the Overbourne Marshes (51.60).

41.61

THE SWARD. An uninhabited region of grassy fields called the Sward between a hilly country to the west and River Brandywine to the east. Flocks of dolorous quail nest here; one can hear them chirping at night. If hunted, the rest of the flock follow the hunters, accusing them with loud calls. Stealth is all but impossible. The birds will follow them, unceasingly, for 1d4+2 weeks or until they, too, are slain. Those with Beast Lore know of these animals' habits.

42.61

THE SWARD. An uninhabited region of grassy fields called the Sward between a hilly country to the west and River Brandywine to the east. A ruined aqueduct is visible as a landmark.

(3-6) - WILD PONIES: A herd of ponies, obviously descended from some escaped hobbit stock, live wild on the Sward. If encountered, enterprising burglars may try to catch them with a Skill Δ8 check. Taming them requires Beast Lore and time.

43.61

PETRIFYING WELL. Point of interest. In a cleft in a hillside is a pool that gathers its waters trickling down from the wet cleft face. Objects placed in this well are covered in a stone shell over the course of a day. Hobbits treat it as a tourist attraction, tying small objects—bells, dolls, carvings—under the water to be pulled out and taken away as trinkets.

44.61

DWALING. A Hobbit town, prosperous but somewhat remote. The center of the Hobbit linen industry is grown in the flax fields north of town, and many work in the Quarry to the south. The public house is called the Plough and Stars. On the eastern edge of this region, the Brandywine is impassable.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Gerda Brown (hobbit - halo of frizzy hair, impressionable, doll-house maker) gives each burglar who speaks to her a small and simply-carved wooden doll in their likeness as a present, 2. Frerin (dwarf - shining bald head, overly formal, doctor) refuses to admit he's going deaf, misunderstands 50% of what's said to him, 3. Holly Fern (hobbit - fair, shy, orphan living with her aunt) is frustrated by slug damage in her garden, 4. Laura and Lily Bunce (hobbits - one tall and lean, one short and fat, charitable, spinsters) wonder if you mind picking up their bottle of "the cordial" from the Plough and Stars; it's already paid for.

! - MYSTERIOUS DOOR. Wilcome Tunnelly, landlord of the Plough and Stars, has a mysterious door in his cellar that's been there as long as anybody can remember. It's never been opened. He's willing to commission burglars to have it opened just out of curiosity.

The door is of arched stone: it is 10' tall at its highest mark. There's no sign of keyhole or handle. The antechamber before the door is used as a root cellar, containing sacks of potatoes, carrots, turnips, spare tables and stools, and several small casks of beer.

A Understanding Δ12 test will suggest that certain magic doors have hidden runes on them revealed only by magic or by the light of the stars and moon. Singing either the Song of Freedom, Song of the Trees, or Song of Stars will reveal secreted rune-letters on the door.

The runes are in the Angerthas Moria, or "Moria runes." A Longbeard dwarf can read them. Others should test Understanding, using the normal procedure.

When transliterated, the dwarf/lore-master will find an antique form of Westron. It reads:
What the lords of Arthedain asked of Dúrnir, Dúrnir gives. While my payment languishes in their vaults, let it languish herein as well, until the earth cracks and sun falls upon the doors.

The door will open only if the doors are bathed in the light of the sun. Wilcome will not agree to an excavation on a "suspicion." (Perhaps mirrors might be employed.)

If opened, a small chamber lies beyond. In a locked and trapped chest are two artifacts:

Axe of Memory
Engraved on the axehead are the names of valiant fallen warriors of Andor.

• +1 axe. If wounded in battle, adds +2 against that foe on your next turn.

Dwarf Mask of the Dwarrowdelf
A large ornate helm with curving horns. Wearing it makes the bearer fight on, no matter the circumstances.

• +2 defense. Adds +1 Strength and Valour when at 50% Endurance.
• Take half damage from fire while wearing the mask.

45.61

QUARRY. Many Hobbit towns have small quarries (except in the Marish), but The Quarry is in the hills of Scary. Much stone is excavated here for different uses throughout the Shire. The river is impassable on the eastern border of this region.

(1) - SCARED BY KNOCKERS: A team of subsurface miners seem shaky and legitimately terrified. Today, they heard a cacophony of knocking in the deep, then an uncleared passage collapsed. Everyone is blaming the Knockers, the folk of the mines. Nobody was hurt, but everyone is shaken up.
(If investigated and excavated, the company can find evidence of goblins in the deeps. Were they the source of the knocking? Or did the Knockers collapse the cavern on the goblins?)
(6) - LAD'S LUNCH: An adorable hobbit child of about six (Sammy Tunnelly) is holding a basket with lunch for his da. He's having trouble locating him among all the miners. If you help him, the company gains Morale because it's so dang cute.

Map credit: Idraluna Archive. Click for the full map.

While I have you...

Did you know that I am currently doing an Early Worm campaign--sort of "direct crowdfunding"--for THE CASTLE AUTOMATIC, my forthcoming dungeon for His Majesty the Worm. I'd love for you to preorder the book! You get a discount and a sweet map from Guy Pradel! 

Join the Early Worm campaign!

Why the Castle Automatic is doing a preorder campaign instead of a Kickstarter

In case you missed it, I just launched a pre-order campaign for my upcoming 100+ room, 5 level dungeon The Castle Automatic. 

Click to become an Early Worm!

Instead of doing a "traditional" Kickstarter to fund the book, I opted for a pre-order campaign through Exalted Funeral instead. We're calling it the Early Worm campaign. 

Why?

Most folks don't remember this, but once upon a time, Kickstarter was for burgeoning creators to collect enough cash to hire artists, editors, designers, and other folks to help them make their dreams a reality. Since then, the biggest companies in the industry have come to dominate crowdfunding platforms. They bring completed, polished works to the table and gamify people's FOMO. Now, crowdfunding platforms are really marketing and preorder platforms, not really a place for new artists to launch new projects. And, of course, these platforms are happy to take their chunk of the cash. 

The Worm team has long been skeptical of the current trends in crowdfunding. To fund the core game, we used an Itchfunding model—putting ashcan drafts of chapters up on Itch.io as pay-what-you-will to collect enough coins to commission artists and editors. It took a long time, but it was the right move for the game. 

Now, to fund the production costs for the Worm's next big book, we want to do something similar. 

A preorder campaign is like crowdfunding, but it cuts out the middleman and dispels the kayfabe of "will it fund?" We are confident this book is getting made! 

This approach is more honest, more appropriate for Exalted Funeral's size, and promotes a better culture between me (the writer) and you (the gamer). 

But making a book takes a minute! Artists need to draw the art, cartographers need to draft the maps, it needs to be laid out by a graphic designer, the editor needs to make sure all the cross-references are correct. Then, printing, shipping, warehousing, packaging—all before the postal service can bring you the book. While we're working, we'd like to start gauging interest. It helps us cover these costs up front. 

This isn't a Kickstarter, but I'm still excited to keep you informed every step of the way! 

Current status

Writing is complete and the book is currently in copyediting! Layout should be complete by the end of the year. Print files will be prepared early next year. We expect that with prepress, printing, and shipping, this preorder will be fulfilled in May or June of 2026.

I will update Early Worms with regular updates via email. As soon as the digital files are ready, backers will get instant access. 

As thanks for supporting the book during the preorder campaign, we'll give you a free large scale (A3) isometric map of the Castle Automatic illustrated by Guy Pradel. 

Click to embiggen. Ain't she a beaut?

Join the Early Worm campaign, help us prove our point about Kickstarter, and dig into a Metroidvania megadungeon that will make you fall in love with dungeon crawling.

[EARLY WORM CAMPAIGN] The Castle Automatic - A Dungeon for HIS MAJESTY THE WORM

Hoo boy. Okay. 

The Castle Automatic's great gears sat still for an age. Now, His Majesty the Worm has begun the machines again…

Become an Early Worm!

The Castle Automatic is a 100+ room, 5-level Metroidvania-style dungeon designed for use with His Majesty the Worm, the 2x ENNIE-winning, tarot-based RPG. In the module, players will repair magi-mechanical engines that control the castle's sun, moon, weather, and seasons to overcome its deadly challenges. The book is ~144 pages, A4, black and white. PDF and digital handouts included. 

Use it as an entire campaign! If you're new to His Majesty the Worm, you can get started with just this dungeon, the core book, and a single tarot deck! Or, slot it into your personal Underworld, expanding the core game with all new talents, monsters, dungeon lords, and magical treasures.  

Click to zoom in

Importantly, The Castle Automatic is easy to run. Puzzles, traps, and combat sites are illustrated and included as handouts to be shown during play. The GM has a dungeon tracking sheet to monitor the castle's current state: mechanisms broken and repaired, time of day and year, and current factions in play. With maps for the GM, for the players, and included on every dungeon spread, it's easy to understand the sprawling space. Art, dungeon tracker assets, and maps are also included as separate assets so GMs can easily distribute them to their players and display them during the game. 

The Castle Automatic is currently raising funds as a preorder at Exalted Funeral! We're calling it the Early Worm campaign. It's like crowdfunding, but more direct. 

Click to zoom in

There are lots of reasons to become and Early Worm 

Join the preorder campaign now to receive a large scale (A3) isometric map of the Castle Automatic! This is an exclusive offer, not available after the campaign. 

But not just that!

• 

  Map by Guy Pradel - click for big size!

  A reason to explore: Four magical artifacts are locked inside the castle—each is powerful enough that the factions of the City would give anything an adventurer wanted to get their hands on one. Also, adventurers can meet mentors to learn all new talents! 
• A reason to experiment: The Castle Automatic's magical engines are broken. Adventuring guilds can repair them to change its seasons, the weather, and the day/night cycle to overcome different challenges and unlock new sections of the dungeon. 
• A reason to talk: The dungeon is controlled by competing factions of golems, ancient giants who once ruled this place, and the otherworldly vampires who stole it from them.
• A reason to fight: The module contains fully illustrated combat zones with new creatures and dungeon lords, including a wyvern, a shapeshifting vampiric hierophant, and four mechanical kings. 
• A reason to be surprised: Illustrated puzzles and traps let enterprising players balance risk and reward as they explore five interconnected levels.
• A reason to breathe easy: GMs have lots of conveniences—handouts, maps, and indices—to make running as easy as possible. 
• A reason to return: With 100+ rooms, there's plenty of content to sustain an entire campaign of His Majesty the Worm.  

What is His Majesty the Worm?

If you're not familiar with my previous work, here's the basic deal!

His Majesty the Worm is a new-school game with old-school sensibilities: the classic megadungeon experience given fresh life through a focus on the mundanities and small moments of daily life inside the dungeon. Often-ignored subsystems, like food, hunger, light, and inventory management, are central to play and actually fun. Tarot cards are used as a randomizing element. Combat encounters are handled with an action-packed subsystem that ensures that all players have interesting choices every minute of combat!

Basically, the game is the result of designing a dungeon crawling RPG using OSR principles from the ground up instead of adapting original D&D. 

It won two ENNIEs (Best Rules and Best Game) in 2025. If you've been holding off on giving it a look, now is the time to check it out! Preorder the Castle Automatic and get a campaign going as soon as the book fulfills! 

The Team

The book was written by me, Josh McCrowell! I'm obsessed with dungeons. In addition to His Majesty the Worm, I wrote a step-by-step guide to help GMs create dungeons that are fun and engaging. The Castle Automatic is a manifestation of this dungeon-design philosophy.

Development and editing has been provided by Ty Pitre. Copyediting is being done by Stuart Broz.

Interior fantasy art is provided by Martin S. and Felipe Faria. Puzzles, boss fights, and traps illustrated by Tiger Wizard. Cover art by Strega Wolf. Cartography (player map, GM map, and minimap) illustrated by Guy Pradel. 

Art by Felipe Faria - Click to preorder and plumb the depths of the Castle!

The Green Fields - Middle-earth Hexcrawl

An installment of my hexmap for Middle-earth project. Follow the "Middle-earth Hexmap" tag for all entries in this series.

We previously visited the Northfarthing near Long Cleeve, but have not toured the entire region. Today, let's follow the Northway road up past Oatbarton to Greenfields, chief town of the Green Fields region. We'll beat the northernmost bounds of the Shire. Much is quiet here, but there's often more to hobbits than meets the eye. There are several site-based adventures to be found here, as well as a burgling mystery.

 

by Alan Lee

46.58

NORTHWAY ROAD. A road branches off from the East Road north towards Oatbarton (44.58). To the west of the road lie pasturelands. To the east, a hilly country.

(1) - AN ANNOYING GENTLEHOBBIT: Aloisius Biggerwaiste (hobbit - sneering, annoying, goodman) is looking for a suitable partner. If a hobbit lady exists in the fellowship, he'll begin following them around. He attempts to prove his gallantry by "helping": roll twice and take the worst result.
(6) - RIVER FLOUTIST: Hermeto Astron (hobbit - albino, playful, tramp) is sitting in the middle of the Water playing a flute. Unbothered, moisturized, in his lane. Listening to his music restores 1 Endurance.

FEATHERSTONE. Featherstone is a wayside inn atop a hill where the Northway forks towards Brockenborings (45.59).

! - FEATHERSTONE MYSTERY. It has recently been discovered that a shipment of Fool's Water (an ardent spirit) has disappeared. Use the "Foul play at Feathertop" scenario in the Under Hill, By Water supplement Feathertop to run this quest.

45.58

NORTHWAY ROAD. The road to Oatbarton (44.58). Farmland of cereal crops lies on either side of the road.

(1) - PAINTER: From the road, Hob Painter of Oatbarton is painting the Dimple (see below). He asks for critique. He hasn't quite gotten landscapes down, yet.
(6) - BAKER: Fatty Bakewell, son of the baker of Oatbarton, is on delivery to Featherstone Inn (46.58). He has an ample helping of hand pies to keep his strength up on the journey; offers the company one.

THE DIMPLE. Local landmark—a hill with a bowl at the top.

Resting here for a few moments prompts Skill Δ4 tests or the burglar falls asleep (Δ6 for hobbits). Sleepers here receive dwimor-dreams: the dreamers seem to be transported to a new place and time. They awaken when they would take damage. There is a 50% chance that they actually grasp what they were holding in the dream.

Roll 1d3 for a dwimor-dream.

1. A she-dragon, resplendent in necklaces and rings, broods over an egg warming in the sun. She offers passers-by tea in her cave, where she plans on eating them.
2. The dreamers find themselves in a guard tower. It is surrounded by their own countrymen, calling for their heads for dereliction of duty, having let the spies of Angmar into the city.
3. A beautiful garden is burning. Giant women, like tall trees, mourn at the edges of the flames. They lament that none can brave the fire to rescue the seeds of Amalion.

45.57

NORTHFARTHING STONE. Point of interest. Although smaller than the Three-Farthing Stone (47.57), a boundary stone stands where the Northfarthing and Eastfarthing meet. The stone sits in a country lane, surrounded by farmland on all sides.

44.58

OATBARTON. A village of hardworking and humble hobbits. Some of the townsfolk are farmers: oats and barley are the predominant crop, which are stored in "the Grange" in the village square during the winter months. Some townsfolk work in the coal mine or the clay mine, both on the western edge of town. The local inn is called The Mushroom; its beer is famously black and bitter.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Hob Painter (hobbit - bright-eyed, bashful, draughtshob) earns a living (barely) by painting tavern signs but has a passion for art, 2. Noggin Oatly (hobbit - sandy haired, quiet, pot boy at The Mushroom) stares in awe at any non-hobbits—he's powerfully curious about faraway lands, 3. Wil Tubb (hobbit - slicked back hair, cocksure, musician) thinks that the "Oatbarton sound" is the best school of music to come out of the Shire in years.

! - HEDGE MAZE: Mr. Cuthbert Burrows (hobbit - pointed nose and big ears, eccentric, goodman) of Borrowstones House has spent years perfecting his hedge maze, hiding several of his antique finds within. He's eager to test it out on real "professional treasure hunters."

Find the Hedge Maze of Mr. Cuthbert Burrows, here.

44.57

COAL MINE. Small scale bell pit mine, with coal being winched up from a central shaft. Miners are rustic folk from Oatbarton (44.58).

CLAY MINE and BRICKYARD. An open air pit where laborers from Oatbarton (44.58) quarry clay. A brickyard abuts the clay mine, where the majority of the clay is fired and made into bricks, then transported to Oatbarton for sale. Surplus clay is sold raw for pottery and other uses.

43.57

OLD FARMSTEAD. The rolling meadowlands of this region are colored only by the inclusion of an abandoned farmstead, unkept for a generation. The smial is dilapidated. The barns are useful only as temporary shelter from bad weather.

(1) - WILD ENCOUNTER: An owl hoots (even in day), seeming to say something to the company. (Those who understand owl speech understand that she's warning them about a snake that she wants to eat.) The burglar in the front of the marching order must test Understanding Δ6 or accidentally tread upon an adder (Wilds or Beast Lore adds +2). On a failure, they're struck on their heel for 2d6 damage.
(6) - FAR FETCHED: The company comes upon a patch of delicious mushrooms near a nest of unguarded wild chicken eggs. Breakfast would be easy!

42.57

NORTH MOORS. The border of the moorlands. To the west, a hilly shrubland covered in cottongrass and lichen. To the east, it greens into pasturelands. Grouse are common.

(1) - MOANING WIND: The wind that groans over the hilltops is chill, even in summer. All travelers lose Endurance based on the season: summer - 1d4, spring/autumn - 1d6, winter - 2d6. One companion may describe a scene of warmth from their memory that comforts them to reduce everyone's Endurance loss by 1d6.
(6) - LOST ARROW: A Hobbit hunter's spent arrow fletched with an owl's feather is found in a tussock of grass.

MENHIR. Hidden. A tall, upright stone raised by the Men of the Northern Kingdom, long ago. There are strange runes and etchings on it. Those with Ranger Lore can read an accurate almanac of the days: the solstices, equinoxes, and midyear days. Those with Sorcery Lore can learn a spell from it.

41.57

FOOTHILLS OF EVENDIM. A wild country of fir trees on conical hills, the ground covered in moss. At dusk, the land takes on a rich blue glow. An abandoned sleigh can be found here; the reigns have bells. Under its seat is a leather sack that contains a toy sword, a toy bow and arrow, and a vial of healing cordial (restores 2 Endurance per sip, 6 uses). If the bells are shaken, a tame reindeer emerges from the woods.

WARM SPRINGS. A spring in this region emits warm (but not quite hot) water. It has a sulfurous smell.

43.58

COUNTRY ROAD. The overgrown road between Greenfield (42.58) and Oatbarton (44.58). Green fields lie on either side of the road.

(1) - A DROWNING: Off the road, a young hobbit, Willy Chubb, has fallen into a pond that he was fishing. He splashes, trying to call for help. He can't swim!
(6) - MYSTERIOUS BOX: Farmer Toebuck has dug up a strange lockbox with no keyhole. It's proved resistant to both axes and fire. It has a queer markings on it: Two feathers framing a laughing face (the box will only open when tickled). Will sell it for 10 pennies. 1-in-6 chance it has nothing in it. Otherwise, it contains a random treasure. Empty or full, the company now has a special lockbox.

42.58

GREENFIELD. A small Hobbit village. This district of the Northfarthing is called "Green Fields" but the village is "Greenfield"; appropriate punctuation is a shibboleth for the locals. The village hosts a mathom-house; the majority of its space is dedicated to small personal effects of Bandobras Took but it also contains a series of maps and charts. The local public house is named the Goblin's Head.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Boddin Todmingle (hobbit - mouth full of tobacco, aggressive, bounder) credits his golf prowess to his lucky rabbit's foot, 2. Killian the Trapper (man - brown and bearded, standoffish, fur trader) thinks he's seen goblin sign passing through Bullroarer's Gap (41.58), 3. Pete Puddlefoot (hobbit - acne-scarred, pushy, medicine peddler) walks between the towns of the Northfarthing selling tinctures and oils for arthritis, rheumatism, tooth aches, and snake bites.

GREENFIELD MARKET. On the first and third Saturday of each month, Greenfield holds the largest regular market day of the Northfarthing. It is a confluence of craft from different kith and kin: "Moorish" sweaters from Greenfield, Oatbarton beer and baked goods, Dwarvish handicrafts, and furs and hides from Mannish trappers.

! - MISSING CHILD: The village is deadly worried—Taffy Proudfoot has gone missing. They've formed search parties, but haven't been able to find her. Wolves have been heard in the ruins north of the hills (42.59), which has worried the Proudfoots terribly—they're eager to contract a professional.

Taffy is lost in the ruins in 42.59. See that entry for details.

STATUE. Point of interest. This region is the site of a battle in T.A. 2747 (193 years ago) between the Hobbitry-in-Arms and goblins from Mount Gram led by the orc king Golfimbul. A bronze statue of Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took is placed at the memorial of the battle in a coppice outside the village.

41.58

FOOTHILLS OF EVENDIM. A wild country of fir trees on conical hills, the ground covered in moss. At dusk, mist like bluish smoke fills the region.

BULLROARER'S GAP. A pass through the hills is called Bullroar's Gap by the local hobbits (carved by the Bullroarer in a single blow!). Traveling north to south is as if on a plain.

RELIC-SEEKING GOBLINS. At night, 2d6+1 goblins are in this region, sniffing down holes, tunneling into hills, and skulking in gulleys. They are searching for the skull of King Golfimbul, who was slain by Bullroarer Took in Battle of Greenfields (see 43.58). They know his skull is around here in a hole, somewhere.

41.59

NORTHERN GREEN FIELDS. Pasturelands. Large tracts of fields with small, shaggy cattle, bordered by sporadic fencing and the occasional farmer on a pony. A few ruins, low stone walls or building foundations, are used as sources of hewn stones by the Greenfielders (42.58).

ANCIENT SMIAL. Hidden. In a hillock, a large oblong stone (6' tall, 800 lbs.) blocks the entrance to a round door. This was once the smial of Bandobras "the Bullroarer" Took. Inside, a thick layer of dust: obviously undisturbed for centuries. Over the fireplace, a shillelagh with a loaded iron head (the Cudgel of Bullroarer, +1 to hit, +3 morale in hobbits).
[Inspiration from TOR2E - Starter Set - Shire.]

42.59

GREEN FIELDS. Pasturelands. A ruined watchtower is visible as a landmark. Those with Wilderness Lore can see the spoor of recent wolves.

(1-3) - WOLVES: 3d4 wolves in the area; will attack at night.

RUINED WATCHTOWER. One ruined watchtower marks the boundary of an ancient kingdom.

! - MISSING CHILD: Exploring the ruins triggers a site-based adventure.

1. Ruined wall: A sketch of a wall; each stone larger than a hobbit's pony, but no more than three stacked on each other at any point. 3d4 wolves patrol here, will let no one in or out unchallenged.
2. Ruined watchtower: The rough shape of the round tower remains, but is empty inside. A sinkhole in the earth leads down into darkness (to area 3); once a secret passage, revealed by erosion and time.
3. Cavern: A natural cavern, carved by ancient hands into a secret redoubt. Taffy Proudfoot is here. She is a brave little girl, chased into the cavern by the wolves. She is terribly hungry. If given food, she remembers that she found an old star-shaped key. The cavern continues deeper to area 4.
4. Tomb: An ancient Arnorian tomb in a natural cavern with worked stone. A stone sarcophagus sits in the grotto. A carven statue of a knight seems as if it watches over the tomb.
   1. Sarcophagus: The stone coffin holds the dust of the body of an Arthedain warrior queen. Around the lip of the heavy lid is Sindarin text: "The star beam lights the way for the elf-stone." On the lid is a large green beryl (Treasure). Elf Lore reveals that beryl is called an elf-stone.
      1. If the sarcophagus is tampered with, the knight statue animates and attacks the would-be tomb robbers. Stats as a stone troll.
   2. Knight statue: The statue of an old knight. On its chest is a star-shaped hole.
      1. If the star-shaped key is inserted into the statue, it animates, removes the beryl from the sarcophagus, and offers it to the fellowship.

43.59

SOUTHERN GREEN FIELDS. Pasturelands. Large tracts of land with occasional herds of shaggy cattle and cowherds with their dogs.

DOVECOTE. The farm that once tended the birds is gone, but the stone dovecote with its flock of brown pigeons remains. They coo melodiously. Those who understand their speech can hear a rumor.

Inside the dovecote are treasures hoarded by the pigeons. Searching reveals the result and all lower results:
1. A scrap of paper that reads: "Dragon-spell, dwarf-spell, roll away stone. Elf-gold wants for sun, no claim from old bones." (A piece of the map to the treasure of Otto Boffin—see "Matter of Inheritance," 51.54).
2. Leather wallet, empty
3. Hat pin with diamond stud
4. Sheaf of pages of musical notation; strangely haunting
5. Map of the Evendim region
6. Scroll in a scrollcase. No obvious writing. A prophecy concerning the discovering character appears in the light of the crescent moon.

Map credit: Idraluna Archive. Click for the full map.

d10 Special Doors

Hookay, writing this blog post not because I have good ideas, but because I don't have any ideas. Bashing my head against a writing prompt is a good way to unblock creativity. Here are 10 special doors to put in your dungeon.

The Mouth of Orcus in the Garden of Bomarzo

1. Gravestone Door

A door that appears to be little more than a huge gravestone set onto hinges with a doorknob welded to it. A grinning skull is set above the inscription: "This door may not be opened by the living." 

Attempting to pry the door open triggers the necromantic enchantments set onto the door, dealing 2d6 negative energy damage to anyone touching the door.

A living person trying to open the door will always find it locked. It must be opened either by some contrivance where a living person is more than 30' from the door (wizard's hand from 35' away) or by some non-living creature. A zombie or a golem could do it. 

2. Witching Hour Door

An iron door without lock or knob. It is inscribed with a witch on a broom flying over an hourglass. (Lore bids will reveal that 3:33 is the "witching hour.") 

If the clock in the room (or an adjacent room, to make the puzzle harder) is set to 3:33, the door will open.

3. Watchful Door

As the players enter, they hear this door snap close. As they approach, they see an ornate door beautifully inscribed with a peacock. All of the eyes on the peacock's tail are animated and watching the PCs. Each eye stares back at the players, obviously making eye contact. The door has neither handle nor key. 

If the door is put to sleep, it will open. Alternatively, it will open if it doesn't see anyone--if the entire party is invisible. 

Or, even more simply, if the players actually all close their eyes, the door will open, too. It only watches for eye contact.

4. Four-Part Door

Like a Zelda door, you can tell there's something supposed to be here. But searching for the right brick to press has proved fruitless. In the four corners of this room are four Grecian statues, each holding a strange object in their hands: a sort of flat rod in peculiar shapes. Maybe they look something like: L / \ ⅃

In Carcassonne

The statues can be slid with an effort. If put together, the four statues statues outline the frame of a door and the door appears.

5. Snail Door

The door is made out of a colossal snail's shell. The shell is practically immune to any sort of mundane harm. In the center of the room is an empty brazier. 

Actually, the snail shell is a living but painfully slow flailsnail. Lure the flailsnail out by filling the brazier (actually its feeding trough) with rotten fruits and vegetables: it will come out willingly and move from blocking the passage.

5.5 Same Idea, Different Gimmick

The passage to the catacombs is too large to open by mortal hand. Instruments of torture litter the antechamber.  Inside the iron maiden is a petrified Nosferatu, a chain around its throat. The chain projects from the back of the iron maiden into the wall. A labyrinth is traced into the stone of the floor, culminating into a small stained basin in the very center.

Get outta the way

Filling the basin with blood causes the petrified Nosferatu to animate. It drags itself and the iron maiden across the floor and laps at the blood. As it pulls the chain, the door opens. For now, at least. 

6. Honeymoon Door

A heavy iron door, painted pink. It has neither key nor handle, but has a glass heart set in its middle.

In the middle of the room is an inscription surrounding a 10' radius circle. Above the circle is a skylight. The inscription reads: "Join hands, beloved, at noon / and pass on to your honey'd moon" 

If two married people join hands in the middle of the circle when the sun shines through the skylight (at noon), the light reflecting from their diamond rings will beam into the glass heart on the door, causing it to open. 

Luckily, any directed light will do the same. A bull's-eye lantern would work.

7. Regent's Door

A scrap of map swears there's a door in the cliff face here, but it will only open in the presence of the King Under the Mountain.

Unfortunately, there's no good way to trick the enchantment. The dwarven spells are too strong. You'll either have to bring the current king of the dwarves (and his halfling retainer) to the door. Or, worse, you might have to dig up the bones of old Thror and present them to the door. Either will open it.

8. Turn Undead Door

The door isn't a door. It's a presence projected from the twin statues of wraiths that flank the archway. An evil will that cannot be overcome, forbidding entry.

Across from the door is a more hopeful statue: a cleric, an empty vial in their hands, raised in rebuke. 

A cleric in the party can Turn Undead to temporarily quell the evil will that stops the PCs from crossing the threshold. If no cleric is in the party, the cleric statue's vial can be filled with holy water, which will have a similar effect for 24 hours.

9. Dead Can Dance

The door into the cathedral is a stone door inscribed with a danse macabre. It has neither key nor handle. In the courtyard, the skeletons of the executed hang from large bells like grim clappers. 

If the skeletons are moved or pulled, the bells still ring. Each bell is a different tone. Playing the funeral march (A - A - A - A - C - B - B - A - A - A♭ - A) opens the door.

10. Wind Door

A stone door without latch, carved in the face of a blowing wind. 

Elsewhere in the dungeon are four statues shaped like the four winds. Turning the statues changes the direction that wind flows through the room. 

The wind door opens when a "circuit" of wind is conducted through the dungeon from room 1 into the room with the wind door.

Bonus: Candelabra Door

(A similar theme to the last door where the key to opening the door is exploring the dungeon and interacting with features in different rooms.)

A bronze door depicting a maiden fleeing from a castle with a candelabra in her hand. In the chamber, there is an unlit candle on a sconce set in a niche on the wall.

If the candle is lit, one of the candles on the door glows. 

There are several such niches and candles throughout the dungeon. Light all seven before any one candle burns out to open the candelabra door.

Stepladder Tables

I am not certain that I am the first to have this idea. In fact, I most certainly am not; there's nothing new under the sun (especially in RPGs). But I did have this idea organically and think that it has merit, so I am sharing it. I expect instruction in the comments about how it has been handled elsewhere. 

The idea is similar to Ladder Tables, so I am calling it a "Stepladder Table." The purpose of this tech is to have a random table with memory (similar to the Ladder Table). Stepladder tables would be good for tracking a slowly changing state. To illustrate the idea, I'll use weather, since weather rarely goes from one extreme to the other.

The basic idea

To establish a baseline, roll or select the middle result. This is the current state. Then, each interval where the state would change, roll a dice. If the result is higher than the current state, the state increments to the next highest state. If the result is lower, the state decreases to the next lowest state. If the result is the same, the state is unchanged. 

Example: Weather (autumn)

Roll 1d6 every day for weather, incrementing the result up or down the weather table for the season. 

1. Torrential rain

2. Drizzle, damp

3. Cloudy, cold

4. Rolling clouds, chilly

5. Windy, cool

6. Balmy, clement

So, on the first day of autumn, perhaps the state begins at 4: Rolling clouds, chilly. 

• The next day, the GM rolls the dice and gets a 6. Because 6 is higher than the current state, the weather increments to the next highest state: Windy, cool. 
• The next day, the GM rolls the dice and gets a 6 again. Because 6 is higher than the current state (5), the weather increments to the next highest state: Balmy, clement. This autumn is fine so far!
• The third day, the GM rolls the dice and gets 2. Because 2 is lower than 6 (current state), the weather steps down the table to Windy, cool again. 
• The fourth day, the GM rolls the dice and gets 5. Because that is the current state, the weather does not change. 

Example: Weather (autumn in the Dismal Swamp)

But what if you want to simulate bell curves or demonstrate trends in your states? No problem. Just build the stepladder table out a bit. For example, the Dismal Swamp region could have a different weather table more prone to extremes. For example:

1. Torrential rain

2. Driving rain

3. Thick fog

4. Thick fog

5. Misty fog in morning, cold

6. Cloudy, cold

7. Rolling clouds, chilly

8. Windy, cool

Here, you'll never have a balmy clement day. And because thick fog is the state of two different results, more days will be foggy, even if the weather "improves." 

I imagine you can use stepladder tables to track all sorts of different kinds of persistent states (reaction rolls? spell effects?) but this is the basic idea.

A Tour of the Southfarthing - Middle-earth Hexcrawl

An installment of my hexmap for Middle-earth project. Follow the "Middle-earth Hexmap" tag for all entries in this series.

The Southfarthing has a broad mix of environs: swamps in the east, unplowable hills in the west, and warm valleys where the pipeweed industry flourishes centrally. And Hobbits mirror the land they inhabit, at once soft, hard, and warm. I decided to give Longbottom itself a bit of a folk horror cant, while playing up the snootyness of Sackville (they are near the border, after all). Idraluna's hexmap leans on the Atlas of Middle-earth's interpretation of the location of these towns, though other sources disagree slightly.

Art by Kay Woollard

50.54

ROAD. A white chalk road between Michel Delving (48.54) and Hardbottle (51.54). Outlying farms and rocky fields lie on either side of the road.

(1) - RUFFIAN: Jocolby ("Jolly") Grubb (hobbit - missing tooth, sneering, layabout) sits in the shade of a tree calling out insults. "Your hole is so old they're putting it into a mathom-house!" "Your mayor's so fat, he has his own farthing!" He won't stop unless you beat him in an insult contest of this manner.
(6) - SHIRRIFF: Bruno Bracegirlde (hobbit - shirt unable to be buttoned over belly, blowhard, shirriff) rests by the side of the road puffing and panting. Old Gus (49.54) fought the law and the goat won.

51.54

HARDBOTTLE. A Hobbit town cut into a stony hillside. The fields surrounding the town are difficult to cultivate and impossible to plow; local farming is predominantly livestock. Still, the town is well regarded as picturesque. Most locals frequent the Cellar Door Inn, but the Rendwalk Inn is famous for its honeymoon suites.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Adelia Hornblower (hobbit - round-faced, argumentative, glassblower) swears she saw a falling star strike the earth in the hills south of town, past the bounds (52.54), 2. Bob Bracegirdle (hobbit - stained hands, friendly, potter) is renowned for the lifelike shapes crafted into his clay steins and meerschaum pipes; will sell you either for a silver penny, 3. Blanco Banks (hobbit - slob, earnest, rat catcher) has a small but vicious dog ("Whitey") that he's looking to breed, wonders if you can get him a good bitch.

! - A MATTER OF INHERITENCE: Messrs. Grubb, Grubb and Burrowes seek an experienced treasure hunter to settle a bequestment. Otto Boffin, a one-time adventurer, has left a treasure to his daughter, Primrose Bracegirdle (hobbit - goldenlocks, adventure-some, goodwife)…but nobody knows where it is. He only left a scrap of a map and this cryptic clue:

There is an old hoard in a dark rock,
forgotten behind doors none can unlock;
that grim gate no man can pass.
On the mound grows the green grass;
there sheep feed and the larks soar,
and the wind blows from the sea-shore.
The old hoard the Night shall keep,
while earth waits and the Elves sleep.

The law firm has two words of caution: One, they would prefer this contract to be carried out secretly (it's disreputable to employ a burglar). Two, Otto Boffin suffered some disfigurement in the adventure that supposedly won his wealth—the company should use caution to avoid the same fate.
[Inspiration from TOR2E - Starter Set - Shire]

! - THE LADS WHO DON'T DO NOTHING: The Shire is full of clubs, confraternities, and even secret societies. The Lads Who Don't Do Nothing is not one of these. They are an informal group of drinking buddies who meet up in inns and public houses across the Shire. You might encounter them in the Cellar Door Inn or through the random encounter table. If you drink with them, they might give you one of the following challenges: roll 1d6.
[A kind guest contribution by Skerples!]

1. Marking the Slab
There’s a long slab of exposed bedrock near Thistle Brook, within staggering distance of the Swan's Neck Inn (50.59). For generations, hobbits in the grips of ale have, by the light of the moon, stood at one end of the slab, taken careful aim, and attempted to outdistance their peers. The rare daring young hobbit maid who wishes to participate is usually wise enough to bring a milking stool or similar aid. The long furrow scored in the stone, the only permanent mark on it, is (or so the story goes) the result of a potion a wizard gave to Gerontius Took to help with his bladder stones. The creek is shallow enough that falling in is amusing. Go to the slab and outdistance the company.

2. Poison Plants
There hasn’t been an intentional poisoning in the Shire in living memory, and only a handful of accidents. Deliberately cultivating poisonous plants is seen as raffish and uncouth, but more than a few doddering Gaffers and Gammers have a tiny patch of Crimson Henbane or a Blistering Mulberry bush tucked in a corner of their solariums; relics of wild youthful devil-may-care gardening. Find one, pluck it, and wear it in one's cap as a sign of affiliation with the Lads.

3. Ghost Stories
The telling of a “proper boneless tale” is an art cultivated by young hobbits who wish to bend social norms. Many a young hobbit has been scared sheet-white by the whispered diableries of an older cousin, and then frightened into howling flight by a second bedsheet-clad cousin creeping up to the fire. Gaffer Quaffer was legendary for “The Tale of the Twice-Found Chest” where, at the climax, he’d roll his eyes back until the whites showed, drop out his false teeth, and emit a hideous rattle. Eagan Trimfoot swears he had a full head of hair before he heard the tale, and that it all fell out by the next morning. Scare the Lads present with a truly heartstopping ghost story.

4. Throwing Knives
Young hobbits who wish to appear wicked, or old hobbits who wish to deter visitors from arriving without notice, sometimes take up throwing knives at stumps and old bottles. They fashion and name elaborate and deeply impractical “weapons” from cutlery and old bits of potmetal. A curiously wavy “goblin” dagger at the Mathom-house is, some say, the source of all this nonsense. Play a round of throwing knives with the Lads and see if your aim is true. Or, if you're truly daring, practice your burglary at the Mathom-house in Michel Delving to claim the goblin dagger.

5. Strange Liqueurs
Every family has a herbal remedy or two that can double as paint stripper, goat reviver, or firestarter, but few hobbits would willingly drink them when fine ales and brandies are available. For the Lads, the anti-prestige of a bitter draught, especially one that comes in a fancy bottle and has a curious colour, is worth any amount of stomach pain and troubled dreams. Go drink for drink with the Lads with a smile as they put away a gaffer's patented tonic.

6. Bothering the Stuffy
The usual boundary-pushing behaviour. Wearing cosmetics, strange fashions, and speaking in a cant, asking questions like “Has your tipper turned the taters?” or “Who aaaaare yoooou?” Join the Lads for a round of mild promiscuity, staying up late, petty theft (or petty borrowing-without-intent-to-return).

50.53

HAMMIDGE ESTATES WINERY. Boffo Hammidge (hobbit - rosy-cheeked, ambitious, vintner) started producing wine at scale only recently; his father's wine has been stocked at the Cellar Door Inn at Hardbottle (51.54) for many years. Although inexpensive, the locals talk about the wine (and winemaker) as being "still too young."

Boffo wants to marry Lavender Mazer, daughter of Old Tallyman—the owner of Old Winyards (48.55)—but she's not (as of yet) interested.

49.55

FARMLAND. A region of poorer but well-tended farms, especially cattle. In the autumn, each farmer helps his neighbor gather the hay. The last to get their hay in must overwinter the "King of the Fields" (a scarecrow). The cream and butter of the region is especially rich.

50.55

SWEET ONIONS. Rolling hills and stony farmlands. Roving herds of cattle are a common sight. Wild onions with a surpassing sweetness grow in this region.

51.55

ROAD. The road between Hardbottle (51.54) and Sackville (52.56). To the south, rising green hills. To the north, stony farmlands.

(1) - CATTLE JAM: The road is jammed with lowing cattle. Progress down the road (especially in vehicles) is impossible. Two farmers are arguing about whose are whose. It might be a while.
(6) - RIDDLER: Caradoc Brandybuck (hobbit - tall hat, self-confident, goodman) sits in a camp chair by the side of the road, feet up, twirling an arrow with a red feather. Offers to wager the arrow in the riddle-game; says it's never missed while hunting. GM can Google for 30 seconds to represent his broad knowledge of riddles.

49.57

HOLLOWAY. The road from Longbottom (51.57) to Pincup (49.58) arcs through the southern corner of this region, turning into a tree-canopied "holloway" (a sunken lane). To the north of the lane is the Green Hill Country.

(1) - ROAD WEARY: In the shade of the trees, there's a feeling of sleepfulness and desire to picnic. Resting here for a few moments prompts Skill Δ4 tests (Δ6 for hobbits) or the burglar falls asleep for 8 hours.
(6) - TRAPPED HEDGEHOG: A baby hedgehog is caught in a snare; its mother is rushing to help. If observed, the mother rubs an herb on the snare that causes it to untie. The mother hedgehog will then eat the herb. If prevented from doing so, one portion of raskovnik is obtained. It's a magic herb. Using it can unlock a lock, open a chest, or untie a knot.

50.57

COUNTRY LANE. A sunken country lane runs from Longbottom (51.57) to Pincup (49.58). Outlying farms, staple crops, tea bushes, and tobacco fields lie on either side of the lane.

(1) - SNAIL RACE: Six snails cross from one side of the lane to the other; children and a few adults are betting on the race. Impossible to pass without disrupting the race (to the boos and bad will of the audience). If willing to delay, can bet on a snail. (Slimey, Bluey, Sluggoth, Shineshell, Gooper, or Wet Willy)
(6) - CART RIDE: Willa Lambeth (hobbit - gnarled, spunky, spinster/farmer) coming back from market with an empty cart; offers ride and discussion of weather. +2 travel points for the day, accurately predict the next week's weather.

51.57

LONGBOTTOM. A Hobbit town nestled in a warm valley. Pipeweed was first grown here and remains the predominant cash crop. The chief pub—situated around a large tree outdoors—is called The Green Man, run by Alder Hornblower and his daughter Willow.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. "Big" Yan Oak (hobbit - tall and hardy, plain, farm worker) bets a pint he can lift any hobbit or dwarf who can't lift him, 2. May Broome (hobbit - apple-cheeked, courteous, post mistress/sweet seller) runs the local Post and sells candies on the side, 3. Miss Rose Briare (hobbit - pretty, thoughtful, school teacher) is an expert in Hobbit legends, including knockers, mewlips, the Gullion, the salmon of knowledge, the Withywindle Woman, the Old Forest, etc. 4. Mr. Laird Islen-Summer (hobbit - wild-haired, canny, farmer) owns the largest tobacco farm in the area, producing the Southern Star. Although charming and well-liked by the locals, he has strange ideas about "ancient rites" and "sacred mathematics."

YULE-FIRES. During the two days of Yule, many residents of the Southfarthing flock to Longbottom to celebrate. Fires are lit in celebration of the renewing of the year, including a huge bonfire of a wicker-hobbit in the town commons.

! - SPECIAL DELIVERY: Mr. Tommy Hornblower (hobbit - twinkle-in-his-eye, bemused, farmer) needs someone to expedite a shipment of Longbottom Leaf to Bree (47.56) within a fortnight. Willing to pay 4 silvers if they manage to get it there in time.

! - THE COFFER FROM HARSHPORT: Mr. Laird Islen-Summer, a member of the Order of the Eagle, has recently procured an import from Harshport in Harad (not appearing on this hex map). He's had word that it has reached the Grey Havens (47.39) but has been tied up somehow with the elves. He seeks a completed delivery for six silvers.

If delivery is achieved, Islen-Summer will invite the company to attend his scholarly appraisal and opening of the coffer. See MERP - Realms - The Shire's adventure "The Coffer From Harshport" for full details.
[Credit: MERP - Realms - The Shire]

52.57

ROAD. The road from Sackville (52.56) to Sarn Ford (55.59). An old belltower, to be rung in case of emergencies, sits next to the road southeast of Sackville.

(1) - BOUNDER: Hungo Bunce (hobbit - overbite, suspicious, bounder) riding a pony (Turnip) takes an interest in any non-hobbits in the company. He will try to impede their progress unless they have letters of favor from important hobbits in the Shire.
(6) - WALKING HOLIDAY: A group of hobbits out on a walking holiday towards [1. Sarn Ford, 2. Deephallow, 3. Hardbottle, 4. Michel Delving]. Will volunteer to walk with the company if their paths are going the same way. Their company provides morale, and they'll give any hobbits or dwarves fresh, woolen socks.

50.58

BETWEEN TWO RIVERS. An uncultivated land between the Thistle Brook (on the northern edge) and the River Shirebourne (unpassable, along the southern border of the hex). Willows, sycamores, and birds. Peopled mostly by wild geese and swans, except for the very intrepid angler or mushroom hunter.

51.58

WILLOWBOTTOM. A rural Hobbit village of brick houses positioned where Thistle Brook meets the River Shirebourne. The end of the road coming down from the Marish. To the south, marshy and unfarmed fields.

✦ - OFTEN HERE: 1. Mother Sutherland (hobbit - eyes white with cataracts, mild, housewife) has given birth 27 times to 66 children, an unsurpassed accomplishment in hobbit history, 2. Harry Highfax (hobbit - combover, avuncular, cobbler) sees himself as an armchair military historian; practically neglects his wife and children as he debates alternate histories of Middle-earth battles via correspondence, 3. Willa Bunce (hobbit - pretty but proud, sour, pigeon-seller) is a notorious gossip; will tell you that "everyone knows" Faira Oldbairn poisoned her late husband.

! - OF FUNGUS AND WORMS: Faira Oldbairn (hobbit - nut-brown and wizened, cantankerous, professional old person) wants six jack o' lantern mushrooms. They're luminescent and poisonous; she uses them for rat traps and hunting.

• Jack o' lantern mushrooms only grow in the Overbourne Marshes (51.60) or an adjacent hex.
• Searching a hex costs 1 travel point, as per usual.
• Mushrooms can be found in a 1-in-6 chance during the day, or 2-in-6 chance during the night.
• Those with Herb Lore add +1 to their X-in-6 chance.
• Many grow on Farmer Clayhanger's land (51.59), but he refuses to let anyone pick them. (Although he doesn't harvest them, either.) The chance to find them while searching this region is 3-in-6 during the day / 4-in-6 during the night.

Jack o' lantern mushrooms are often food for night-worms. Each search reveals 1d8-2 night-worms. Night-worms have 1 Endurance point, but have a paralyzing bite.

As a reward, the Gammer Oldbairn will trade a strange compass. It always points to something (but it isn't north).

52.58

WINDMILLS. Windmills pump water from the boggy soil, turning it into arable land. There are scattered crews of farmhands working during the day. Irrigation ditches lead to the river (impassable) that runs along this region's eastern edge.

Map credit: Idraluna Archive. Click for the full map.