Let the Dice Decide

A possible vision of the City- and the Violet Citadel looming
Noran's Home by Jean Giraud (Moebius)

The village of Highpass needs supplies. To get supplies they need money. Our characters head to the capital to sell some furs gathered over winter. Welcome to the Violet City of the Cats!

Here i hit a little snag.. I cant actually picture what the city looks like from the descriptions in the UVG book. I know that the Violet Citadel is a place of learning. There are cats all over the place who actually run the city. And there are lots of opportunities for carousing, gastronomes, and getting high..

But these three characters are supposed to be from here as children... they should have contacts, people (or cats) they can talk to or look up. But my brain is a little worn out from dealing with the 5month old little mistress of the house... But I knew this all ahead of time, hence why I bough "Yoon-Suin the Purple Land" by David McGrogan

If you like RPGs and want an amazing setting, get this book now! It is chock-a-block full of randomised tables that ooze flavour. But what is especially nice for me is that I can cherry pick what I need and still get interesting results.

Anyway.. I want to make this game not "about the characters", but not "not about the characters" - if that makes any sense. To me, in a D&D game your character is what allows you to interact with the fictional world, and so while important, should not be irreplaceable. To that end it is good if the characters come with some hooks that let the players interact easily with the world.

So - I want to have some social groups for the characters to get in touch with.. lets see here...

• D12: 12: Philosophical Society
• 3D10 (3, 6, 10) Golemologist, Noble Benefactor, Fallen to worship of .. violence.

Oh this just needs to be attached to Kamala - daughter of a missing Sage, possessor of a book of secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands, orphaned at a young age.... This screams to me of "parent's research into Golems twisted to an evil(?) direction caused the parents to flee for their lives". I can use that for sure.

• D12: 7: Tea/Opium Shop
• 3D10: (10, 4, 3) Head Guard, Gourmand fanatic, Local protection racket...

Hmmm, This could be for either of the other two characters.. But I see a Tea House that is struggling. Perhaps the head guard is out of their depth? Convincing the owners to pay up? Is the current owner? Oh! The Guard took over when the criminals framed the owners. Now he is standing up to the criminal racketeers. This has to belong to Archana. Her family's old Tea House and the criminals who framed her parents!

• D12 : 10: Criminal Band
• 3D10: (7, 7, 7) Avuncular elderly member, Protection Racket Victim Recently kidnapped child of important City NPC..

Yes. Some tasty hooks for Vijaya. Her mentor could be the old guy. For some reason I am picturing a "Father Chains" type of character. But they are tied with the Team House obviously... But kidnapped children.. mixing this with the Catlords of the Violet City makes me think of a box of kittens. The kittens could belong to the Noble Benefactor of the philosophical society!

With a few dice rolls, the table entries get my imagination flowing. I have unexpected links that I would never have thought of! Now of course I need to get something for the Noble House

• 3D10 (2, 6, 8) Heir apparent, Tea Taster, Young adoptee needs worldly education

Oh too perfect :) The Gourmand from the Tea House is the Tea Taster of the Noble House. A regular that was taking care of the young kitten-heir, and the criminals took advantage and kidnapped the kitten to exert even more pressure on the tea house Head Guard...

Well, the adventure scenario seems to have written itself by rolling 15 dice. Politics, secrets to uncovered, criminal strong arm tactics and trouble for everyone.

This is why I love Yoon-Suin!