This week I’ve been working on boring-but-necessary pieces of the Inspiration app to get it ready for playtesting, such as a way to share a dungeon’s random number seed so several people can test/play the same dungeon.
But for this week’s post, I want to give you a gameable slice of the app, translated into random tables that you can roll on with real dice.
Below are the Inspiration encounter tables for the cloud giant. It’s a high level monster, so it’s not as exhaustively detailed as a more commonly-encountered critter like a kobold or a hobgoblin, but on the other hand, I like cloud giants, so it’s not sparse either.
table 1: signs of nearby cloud giants in the hills/mountains: roll d20
1-3: huge footprints |
4-6: rhythmic thumping or crashing; the distant footsteps of a giant or giants |
7: a trained griffon circling overhead |
8: a trained wyvern circling overhead |
9: gardens with huge crops: carriage-sized pumpkins, wheat stalks higher than a human, etc |
10: a ground mist that makes the terrain look like the surface of a cloud |
11: a distant voice or voices lifted in echoing song |
12: giant beanstalk, ladder, trellis, or stairway that leads up to a giant cloudy realm |
13: DC 14 Nature check: in a cloudy sky, a single cloud is traveling against the prevailing wind |
14: huge, weathered steps carved into the side of a steep slope; the steps are five feet tall each. The steps lead to huge shrine containing a black obelisk, which is a symbol of Memnon, an evil giantish god |
15-20: no signs |
table 2: behavior of a single cloud giant in the hills/mountains: roll d20
1-4: Hunting or patrolling near its lair. It can detect trespassers within 100 feet with its Keen Smell, identifying their species but not pinpointing their location. If it sees or smells trespassers, it will order them to surrender or die |
5-6: sleeping in its lair; its Keen Smell trait may wake it up |
7-8: in its lair, bored, eager to talk to strangers |
9: hunting with a trained griffon: the griffon flies overhead and attacks travelers, and the cloud giant follows the sounds of battle |
10: in its lair, reading a lost book of poetry by a famous author. The book is valuable and weighs 50 pounds. The giant is so intent on its reading that it has disadvantage on perception checks and its Keen Smell trait is inactive |
11: shirtless; exercising by uprooting and tossing trees and rocks. It occasionally stops to flex and admire itself in a clear pond |
12: giving secret orders to a hill giant to lead its tribe against a nearby settlement. If trespasser are hiding within 100 feet, it may stop and sniff the air, alerted by its Keen Smell |
13: writing love poetry, reciting each line aloud; it’s stuck and can’t think of a rhyme. “Your lustrous eyes make my soul take flight… your hair… is a fright? is alright? is white?” It will kill intruders unless they supply a good rhyme |
14: in its lair, watching a human juggler in a giant bird cage |
15: ordering a stone giant to make a fine statue in its honor; busy giving exact details as to the statue’s appearance |
16: in its lair, ordering captive dwarves to make jewelry. If you’re within 100 feet: it may stop and sniff the air, alerted by its Keen Smell that trespassers may be nearby |
17: training a wyvern as a guard animal |
18: moaning in despair because another cloud giant doesn’t love it; it will reward anyone who can write a poetic and passionate letter |
19: it tries to capture trespassers and hold them for ransom, sending its pet wyvern to deliver ransom notes. Its Keen Smell lets it detect trespassers but not pinpoint their location: if it can’t find trespassers, it talks to its pet wyvern about how it can’t stand eavesdroppers but is always happy to offer gifts and hospitality to visitors. It has no intention on following through on these promises |
20: in ambush on a cliff over a roadway: a trade caravan is approaching |
table 3: behavior of 2 cloud giants in the hills/mountains: roll d20
1-3: tracking you by smell; attack on sight, meaning to capture and question you |
4: watching two hill giants fight for their amusement |
5: each with a griffon circling overhead; hunting an orc tribe that has been raiding their lands |
6: each with a peryton on its wrist like a hawk; hunting for sport. One of the giants is carrying a wriggling sack containing captured humans or halflings |
7: attempting to tame a savage, captured roc |
8: giving detailed orders to a fire giant smith for suits of armor suitable for their nobility and magnificence |
9: ordering a frost giant to lead its tribe against a human settlement or kingdom |
10: taunting human knight prisoners: offering escape to whoever will betray their comrades |
11: gambling: a rich pot of gold sits between them [note: this encounter always comes with a treasure hoard] |
12: gathered around a scrying pool which they use to watch events unfold, betting on the outcome of human politics and wars |
13: looking for prisoners that they can pit against their pet remorhaz, betting on the outcome |
14: muttering in low voices, planning the secret assassination of a storm giant |
15-20: roll on table 4 |
table 4: behavior of 3 or more cloud giants in the hills/mountains: roll d10
1: a noble and courtiers in their magnificent lair [note: this encounter always comes with a double-sized treasure hoard] |
2: a war party on its way to attack a rival cloud giant force |
3: a war party on its way to attack an ancient dragon |
4: combining their magic to create a solid cloud: it has the stats of an airship |
5: conspiring against the storm giants: discussing whether to enter open rebellion or to continue secretly fomenting dissent |
6: nobles come together in luxurious surroundings for a dance: the intrusion of smallfolk at the dance would be embarrassing to the hosts |
7: in open defiance against the storm giants, they’re planning to conquer human land: they’re launching messenger griffons to tell their allies that the time for war has come |
8: wrestling and performing other contests of strength |
9: swooping down to attack on their cloud |
10: an outdoor cloud giant wedding, officiated by a cloud giant priest of Annam. The wedding is attended by a dozen frost, fire, and stone giant vassals. |