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yellowdingo · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:41 pm Post subject:

01-04 Bad supplies
The castle has received bad supplies. The PC owner must pay an additional 10% of the castle's monthly upkeep to replace them.

05-07 Rotten food stores
The castle has received or developed rotten food stores. All who eat from the stores fall sick (a mild attack of a gastrointestinal disorder).
The water source (well, stream, lake, etc.) might become temporarily tainted as an alternative.

08-10 Fire
Some part of the castle catches fire (kitchen, smithy, military stores, etc.). There are 1-8 injured soldiers or castle inhabitants who must be cared for, and the PC owner must pay an additional 5% of the monthly upkeep to replace the lost equipment.

11-13 Excellent food stores
The castle steward makes a good deal. All food stores for one week are of excellent quality; morale (if used) is up 10% for that period.

14-17 Training accident
While training or on a drill, 1-6 soldiers (65%) or 1-3 mounts (35%) are injured.

18-20 Minor incursion
One or more minor monsters, worth a total of 150 xp or less (several ores, an ogre, or some wolves), enter the area controlled by the castle. If not chased off or slain, the monsters settle down and begin raiding farmlands.

21-23 Minor patrol accident
The weekly patrol suffers a minor accident (a rider is thrown from his horse, a soldier falls down a treacherous slope, etc.); 1-3 soldiers are hurt.

24-26 Disease check
Check for disease or parasitic infestation of random type, occurrence, and severity.

27-29 Specialist
An expert hireling (not a mercenary) settles in the area.

30-32 Tax collector
The PC castle owner's staff gains a dishonest tax collector who embezzles funds; reduce tax income by 2-5% until the embezzler is caught.

33-34 Bard/caravan
A wandering bard visits for several weeks for a small nightly fee; he may have news of interest to the PC. An alternate possibility is to have a merchant caravan arrive with materials of particular interest to the PC.

35-37 Minor racial clash
A minor racial clash occurs, such as a half-ore moving into a predominantly demi-human area or an elf and dwarf arguing over politics. Intervention by the PC to quell trouble will usually solve the problem. Otherwise, a fight may result in the near future.

38-40 Mine problems
If there is a mine in the region, it "plays out," floods, or develops other problems. If no mine exists, a small vein of valuable ore is discovered, suitable for mining.

41-43 Upkeep check
If the PC owner has not paid his castle upkeep fee, he pays for it in another way. For every 5% of the upkeep that is not paid, one minor accident occurs (stones from the walls give way, doors fall off hinges, etc.). To stop these accidents, the PC must pay double the upkeep fee next month. Note that this will never happen when a castellan is in charge.

44-45 Spy appears
A standard hireling becomes a spy for a neighbouring (but not necessarily evil) local lord. The hireling avoids causing trouble and continues to do his job well.

46-47 Dam needed
If the stronghold is by a river, a dam is needed to prevent spring flooding. The cost is equal to a wooden building.

48-49 Duel, non-magical
There is an unsanctioned duel between two soldiers, possibly between two officers of the castle guard. Subject to the DM's discretion, one combatant is killed or injured. How will the survivor(s) be punished? What will the relations be between the allies and underlings of each duellist? This situation could include any duel that does not involve spell-casters.

50-51 Duel, magical
A Duel is fought between spell-casters who are not part of the Castle’s Staff. The Duel takes place in the nearby town or countryside; at least one building is damaged, and some citizens may be injured. The locals cry for justice and vengeance. It is possible that other spell-casters might band together to protect the duelists.

52-53 Moderate incursion
One or more monsters, worth a total of 500 xp or less, enter the area controlled by the castle. If not chased off or slain, these monsters will settle in and begin raiding the countryside, eventually attacking merchant traffic.

54-55 Knight's challenge
A knight errant (4th-level cavalier of exceptional abilities) challenges any fighter of equal level in the castle to a duel, to one-half total hit points. The knight will not leave until he is defeated or defeats 10 fighters. If defeated, he assists in the castle defences for one month (but will not go on adventures with the PCs).

56-57 Crime
A fairly serious crime is committed in either the castle or in the nearby town. Those responsible may have to be tracked down or found by investigation. Possible crimes include robbery, forgery, fraud, murder, kidnapping, arson, or plotting to overthrow the PC's rulership.

58-59 Sanctuary
A local church gives sanctuary to a suspected spy, thief, or otherwise suspected criminal and refuses to hand the person over to the PC castle authorities.

60-61 severe patrol accident
A castle Guard suffers a severe accident (rock slide washed-out road, etc.); Id4 - 1 soldiers an killed, 1-6 soldiers are injured, and 1-4 mounts are injured or slain. There is a 5% chance that this "accident" was a trap set up by an enemy.

62-63 Hunting accident
There is a hunting accident, and a guest or henchman of the character is hurt. Bad relations between the injured character and the PC may result.

64-65 Moderate racial clash
A moderate racial clash is instigated, and the demi-humans of the town and castle take sides. Some of the local humans also take sides (miners with dwarves, foresters with elves, etc.), but most want the quarrel to end quickly. Intervention is necessary to end the feud.

66 Cleric leaves
If the highest-level cleric serving the castle owner is not a henchman, he is called away for religious duty. There will be no replacement for 6-8 weeks.

67-68 Sage
If the PC owner is a spell-caster, a sage is attracted to the area because of the character's academic reputation. This does not mean that the sage will take service; it just means that he will be in the area and available for consultation. The sage might also visit the castle frequently to talk with the character, to trade information, or to be part of the happenings of the court.

69 Magic-user leaves
If the highest-level magic-user in the castle is not a henchman, he leaves to further his career. No replacement is immediately forthcoming.

70-71 Rivalry
A stiff rivalry begins between the two highest-level NPC spell-casters at the PC's court. Both trade insults, attempt to embarrass the other, and may even attack each other. The servants and students of each defend their master, adding to the problem. Intervention by the PC is necessary to prevent an escalation of the problem.

72-73 Obnoxious druid
A mid to high-level druid comes to the PC castle owner with severe demands to curtail deforestation, overgrazing, or magical tampering with the weather. He becomes a pest at court, but he may find sympathy with some residents in town.

74-75 Lycanthrope (town)
A lycanthrope, posing as a town guard, normal merchant, or some other person in frequent contact with people, begins murdering townspeople. Paranoia and hysteria strike the town when the murderer cannot be found.

76-77 Expert hireling sickens
An expert hireling in the character's pay (such as an armourer) becomes seriously ill and cannot perform his normal duties. If not healed, the 'NPC will eventually die.

78-79 School
An NPC Henchman requests permission to set up a school or guild within the castle. Greater interest could be added if the NPC is of an unusual NPC class.

80-81 Alcoholic
One of the character's expert hirelings is found to be an alcoholic, remaining in a stupor most of the time. This may be dangerous if the hireling is an officer or castellan.

82-83 Bard (spy)
A bard entering the area is a spy. Through the use of his talents, he attempts to get important information from hirelings of the castle owner, otherwise appearing to be friendly.

84 New religion
Clerics and followers of a new religion request permission (or simply begin) to settle in the area.

85-86 Patrol attacked
A hit-and-run attack is made on one of the castle patrols by bandits, wolves, etc. The outcome of the fight and casualties are left up to the DM.

87-88 Ambassador
An ambassador from a neighbouring lord approaches the character for one of the following reasons: to band together against a rival lord; to form a joint expedition to hunt down bandits or humanoid raiders; to form a trade agreement to settle a border dispute; to look for a wanted criminal or monster; or to invite the character to a tourney, wedding, or festival.

89 Ambassador (spy)
An ambassador from a neighbouring lord feigns good intentions while actively spying on the character and undermining him in any way (such as secretly harming or killing hirelings or other diplomats, or spreading rumours and lies about the PC).

90-91 Missing patrol
An entire patrol is missing. The DM must decide what happened to it, though there is a 40% chance that the patrol is merely very late, having run into some sort of serious trouble on its rounds.

92-93 Major racial clash
There is a major racial clash, either resulting in a riot, murder, arson, or other serious crime. Intervention is required to prevent further bloodshed and fighting. As an alternative, a feared monster or character (such as a stone giant) attempts to move into the area to make a living for itself. This monster is not necessarily hostile.

94 Gray war
A gray war (a conflict between two rival thieves' or assassins' guilds or between two secret religious cults) begins, it may be well under way before the character is even aware of it.
The secret war will eventually snowball and create problems for the PC castle owner.

95-96 Lycanthrope (castle)
A castle official, unaware of a hereditary disorder he possesses, begins monthly attacks on castle guards, valuable warhorses, important guests — possibly even the PC owner. He reverts to his normal form by day, ignorant of the nightly attacks.

97-98 Assassin
If there is no assassins' guild, a freelance assassin goes to work for the best price. He should be very difficult to find or even reach. One of his first targets is a friend or ally of the PC owner.

99 Emissary
An emissary from a nearby race (demi-human or other) comes to court. Delicate diplomacy is called for; good role-playing may result in an alliance or other large gain. Bad role-playing may result in a major loss or even a war for the PC castle owner.

100 Major incursion
One or more powerful creatures, worth a total of 10,000 xp or less, enter the area controlled by the castle. If not immediately chased off or slain, these monsters will eventually attack the castle directly and attempt to loot it, either slaying or capturing all its inhabitants. As an alternative, the DM may substitute a major outbreak of plague, a devastating fire in the castle or nearby town (or in the surrounding lands), or a similar event. It is possible too that this event is helpful — the monster that arrives may be of good alignment and be able to help the PC in some manner.

Kobold Courier