The Alphabet of Outer Beings - T is for Towers

Image Source: https://www.deviantart.com/art/Dominion-tower-741776408

Towers are the traditional, some may say stereotypical, workshops and living quarters of wizards. The actual residence or domain of a supernatural patron is well outside the scope of a simple generator, and should probably be a planar realm or entire empire or kingdom of itself. However, the wizards who pledge their service to such Outer Beings likely design their own residences in accordance to the wishes and preferences of their patrons. Alternately you can just use this to whip up a random wizard tower your PCs stumble on during some hexploration.

Table T1: Type of Tower (roll 2d6)

1. How did you roll a 1 on 2d6? You're doing it wrong!
2. Mountaintop - The wizard takes up residence atop a mountain, either in a cave or a simple hut of 1d3 rooms.
3. Just a cave - The wizard makes their residence not in a tower, or even some other structure, but a cave, carved from the heart-rock of the world.
4. A simple house - Not a tower at all but a simple house, one or two floors, wood and stone construction.
5. Wooden tower - A traditional tower constructed from wood and other materials.
6. Stone Masonry Tower - A classic tower of stone blocks, built to spec. or taken over later.
7. Carved from Monolithic Stone - A freestanding tower carved from a single slab of monolithic rock. This may stand out in the landscape, or be one of many such monoliths.
8. Tree house - A residence built within a living tree, 50%  chance of being entirely woven of the tree itself, otherwise constructed within the tree's branches from other materials.
9. Castle Tower - The wizard has an earthly patron who provides them with a tower within their castle. 
10. Cave behind a waterfall - Hidden behind a waterfall is a cave that has been made into a wizardly retreat. 
11. Submerged - The tower is actually built into a body of water and only the entrance is visible above the waves. Most likely stone construction.
12. A pocket dimension - The wizardly residence is actually in a pocket dimension accessible only via a trigger of some kind if a fixed location such as the top of a normal tower, or a natural location.

Table T2: Protection (roll 1d8)

1. Guards - The wizard employs some kind of living guards to protect their dwelling.
2. Magical turrets - The wizard's dwelling is protected by active magical defenses in the form of spell turrets that cast attacks spells like magic missile, fireball, and the like.
3. Golems - The wizard has 1d3 golems patrolling the area to keep out unwanted visitors. 
4. Wards - Magical wards prevent unwanted visitors from entering the area until the wards are destroyed. 
5. The location of the "tower" is hidden by magical illusions that hide the dwelling entirely. 
6. Magical plants and vines grasp any trespasser, holding them in place until the owner can deal with them.
7. The "tower" is incredibly small and can only be accessed by people using magic to shrink themselves down to size.
8. The tower is protected by spatial warps that make the distance to the tower much greater that it seems. 

Table T3: Weird Stuff (roll 1d6)

1. The location of the tower is only accessible during at night.
2. The tower can only be approached from a specific cardinal direction. 
3. Time passes within the "tower" much faster, or slower, than normal. 
4. The location and surrounding area are always affected by the same kind of weather. 50% chance of being inhospitable (rain/snow/fog), otherwise always fair. 
5. The residence exists within an anti-magic pocket or zone that actually prevents any kind of magic from functioning. 
6. The location of the tower is only accessible during daytime.

Table T4: Notable mundane features (roll 1d8)

1. The structure is in the shape of the patron's sigil. 
2. The residence is vastly larger than needed for the volume of furniture and belongings within.
3. The materials of the residence are especially rare and valuable. Worked masonry may be of all cut jade. Lumber comes from exceptionally rare trees. A cave dwelling in riddled with veins of precious metals or gems. 
4. A small river or stream passes directly through the residence complete with a waterwheel to provide mechanical power/work.
5. There is an orrery and an observatory atop the structure to allow detailed viewing of the stars.
6. A cemetery abuts the residence. 
7. A smithy abuts the residence.
8. All the doors are pocket doors.

Table T5: Notable magical features (roll 1d6)

1. There is a well appointed lab for the brewing of potions
2. A large summoning circle has been permanently inscribed into the floor in pure gold. 
3. A crystalline apparatus to aid in enchanting items is located on the grounds.
4. A garden of exotic magical and mundane plants is well tended.
5. A stable houses a small collection of strange beasts.
6. The entire property can be piloted from within and moved via the following means:
1. Great mechanical legs
2. Magical flight
3. Teleportation
4. Non-magical flight via balloons and propellers.
5. A series of clockwork ants that swarm under the building and carry it off.
6. An aligned dragon who owes a favor to the owner.

Thoughts on a DCC monk

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The monks of the far east rarely venture from their secluded monasteries, but from time to time a young monk will be too consumed with curiosity about the world or wanderlust to stay within their quiet and contemplative confines. These monks venture out into the world with very little to their name, a handful of coppers gained by begging in a nearby village, a stout stave, and the clothing typical of their order. Most of these monks eventually make their way back to the monasteries, but a truly scant few, of those scant few, decide to stay in the world, and of those few a bare handful pass their knowledge, incomplete as it is, on to a small number of worthy students. These students may seek out the monasteries in time to properly complete their own training and to complete the journey of spirit their teacher began. Others will take the lessons of inner strength and martial prowess into the world as adventurers.

Hit Dice: d8

Attack Bonus & Mighty Deed of Arms: as warrior

Weapons and Armor: The monk is trained only in the use of staves and unarmed combat. Monks rarely wear any armor and never armor with a fumble die greater than 1d8.

Flurry of blows: When fighting unarmed the monk may treat their fists and feet as dual weapons using the two weapon fighting rules. At first level a monk is always considered to have a minimum Agility of 16 (unless it is naturally higher) when fighting with bare hands and feet, at fifth level this increases to a minimum Agility of 18. When attacking unarmed and using the two weapon fighting rules the monk's unarmed attacks do 1d3 damage.

Chi Healing
Through meditation and mindful manipulation their internal energies a monk is able to speed up the healing of their own body. Once per day per level the monk may spend 1 turn in meditation to focus on healing themselves. Treat this effect as Lay on Hands (DCC pg. 30), rolling 1d20+Per+level. The monk is treated as "adjacent" and failure does not trigger disapproval, but does consume the use of the ability upon failure.

Be Like Water

Monks eschew armor in favor of staying mobile and nimble. On their turn a monk may add the result of their deed die to their Armor Class, and to their speed. This is in addition to any other effects of their Mighty Deed.

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Now my thoughts on the design side.

1. Hit Dice - While Monks are a martial class I knew I wanted to give them a recovery power and stepping down twice from the Warrior's d12 felt appropriate since they can self heal outside of combat.
2. Armor and Weapons - I decided to take a hard stance here and basically rule out almost all forms of both armor and weapons. Weapons is a stylistic approach as I wanted to have them make many attacks with less damage per attack (at 5th level they can make 4 attacks per round but are still limited to 1d3 damage + STR and Deed Die). This might end up a little too powerful, but I'm unsure without playtesting.
3. Flurry of blows - I copped this flat out from halflings and then added the 5th level boon since the monk is limited to their unarmed 1d3 damage. Again, this might end up a little too powerful, but I'm unsure without playtesting.
4. Chi Healing - My sole concession to "mystical monks." My hope is that the 1 turn requirement and the limited uses per day will keep this from making them too durable compared to a warrior. 
5. Be Like Water - This was the idea that spurred me to do this. Rather than approach "the armor problem" with a flat AC bonus scaled to their level why not utilize the existing Deed Die mechanic. This also means that the monk will occasionally roll poorly and be caught flat footed or in an open stance. The bonus movement was my way to also spice things up and allow these unarmored warriors to really move around the battlefield when they wanted. 

Feedback and comments are welcome, so long as they are constructive.

The Alphabet of Outer Beings - Q is for Quests

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Quests are a staple of the RPG hobby. Early on your character probably only have enough agency to control their fortunes for short periods of time, days to weeks. After that they will likely need a fresh infusion of coin and that means taking on a job, or coming up with a job of their own. When it comes to having a patron, be they divine or sorcerous, the character has an entirely different lever for the Judge to pull. Outer Beings don't give away their power and patronage for free, and when it comes time to pay the proverbial piper a quest may be asked of the character to retain or increase their current status, or pay off a debt gained from an earlier action.

Judge's are advised to be careful about their use of such quests. These requests from Outer Beings need to be both unique and also dangerous. There's a reason that powerful supernatural beings trade in power, and gaining pawns to execute their requests is something that should take on grand scale, either directly (go find this lost relic of my nemesis and destroy it) or indirectly (convince so and so to execute an action that will further my own ends).

I cannot stress enough how even a "simple fetch quest" should never be played as such. The story of Jason (he of the Argo) is basically a fetch quest: Jason needed to get the Golden Fleece and bring it back to Pelias to become king. Of course if it had been "just a simple fetch quest" it would not have become one of the most well known stories of Greek Mythology, and yet, at its heart, Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece is still "just a fetch quest." Judge's are should bend all their tools to making each Quest from an Outer Being epic and unique.

Table Q1: Type of Quest

1. "Fetch" - The character is requested to gather or recover [Item: Table Q2] from [Location: Table Q3] and [Action: Table Q4]
2. Sabotage - The character is requested to go to [Location: Table Q3] and sabotage the plans of [Person: Table Q5] to further the Outer Being's own plans.
3. Forge - The character is required to create an [Item: Table Q2] for the Outer Being. Often this can only be done in [Location: Table Q3] and and may require the knowledge of, or aid from,  [Person: Table Q5]
4. Protection - The character is required to protect an [roll 1d3: 1 [Item: Table Q2]; 2 [Location: Table Q3]; 3 [Person: Table Q5]] from [Person: Table Q5] or [Phenomenon: Table Q6].
5. Favor - The character must locate [Person: Table Q5] and convince, hire, blackmail, etc them to do [Favor: Table Q7] for the Outer Being (or alternately a different [Person: Table Q5]).
6. Kill - The character is asked to kill [Person: Table Q5]. This may require finding them in [Location: Table Q3] and/or the use of a specific [Item: Table Q2] they are vulnerable to.

Table Q2: Items (roll 1d8)

1. Relic (see R is for Relics)
2. Rare material
3. Tome of relevant knowledge
4. A blessed symbol (see H is for Holy Symbol)
5. Plant matter - flowers, stems, seeds, fruits, etc. May be alchemical, magical, or mundane.
6. Seemingly trivial item of common make 
7. A musical instrument 
8. Idol of a rival outer being (see I is for Idol)

Table Q3: Locations (roll 1d8)

1. Temple
2. Magical locus
3. Ruins of a lost civilization
4. Deep natural cavern
5. The Fey Lands
6. A demon crossroads
7. The ocean
8. Another plane of existance

Table Q4: Actions (roll 1d6)

1. Sacrifice - A ritual sacrifice of the item or person to the Outer Being
2. Bring it to [Location: Table Q3]
3. Deliver to [Person: Table Q5] 
4. Destroy item/kill person
5. Perform magical task on item/person (divine healing, break enchantment, etc.)
6. Protect item/person from the Outer Being's rivals

Table Q5: Persons (roll 1d12)

1. Pauper
2. King/Chieftain 
3. Demon
4. Outer Being
5. Wizard
6. Craftsperson
7. Warlord
8. Immortal
9. Guild-member
10. Dragon
11. Lich
12. Combine, roll again and combine the results. 

Table Q6: Phenomenon (roll 1d6)

1. War
2. Wildfire
3. Magical Flux
4. Flood
5. Earthquake
6. Demonic (or planar) invasion

Table Q7: Favors (roll 1d6)

1. Lend a powerful item
2. Use their influence over a group 
3. Turn over a child 
4. Provide advice or knowledge 
5. Change allegiances 
6. Grant military aid