Giant snake stealing some bits of cookies

I finished one of the left over illustrations I did for Pack World. The snake was too small to be a mount but I guess its just a baby giant snake. 

PCs camp events

The camp setup I posted was interesting, but it main flaw was that the events were concerning more the NPCs than the PCs. So I re-thinked the setup, and I think it better to just focus on the PCs and their retainers and followers.

Base chance of having a camp event: 1 on a d6.

Check for events:

• For each 12 hours of rest at the camp. 
• Each time that the group come back from the dungeon.
• If after leaving the dungeon area, the group return from the town: there is a automatic event. 

Who is at the camp? 

• Player characters only: roll a d8 on the events table
• Retainers/NPCs only: roll a d20
• Mix of PCs and NPCs: roll a d20
• Only one retainer or NPC: d12
• No one: roll a d8 

Rolling the same result:

Depending of the result, if possible escalate the situation instead of introducing a duplicate situation (use the descriptors in [brackets]). The situation descriptors in brackets should probably also be advanced by the GM, maiybe after each passing day.

NPCs looking for the camp:
NPCs or monsters who are looking for the camp have 3 chances on a d6 of finding it (this is reduced by bad weather and by efforts to hide or camouflage the camp) (leaving a lot of people or stuff behind can raise the base chances). 

Camping NPCs:
Random NPCs will camp in the area for d6 days. NPCs who explore dungeons will camp until they venture into dungeon. They will always post guards at their camp. 

NPCs venturing into the dungeon:
When venturing into the dungeon NPCs will:

• Find loot, roll a d6: (1: none, 2 nearly nothing, 3-4 minor loot, 5 good loot, 6 they emptied one treasure room). 
• Have losses, roll a d6 (1: some wounds, 2: one casualty, 3: 25% casualty, 4: 50% casualty, 5: 75% casualty, 6: TPK)   
• Test morale to venture again in the dungeon if they have suffered more than one casualty.

Table 1: Camp Events (d8 or d20)

1. Weather change 1-2 for the best, 3-6 for the worst: [Annoying wind] [Hindering sandstorm] [Deadly sandstorm].  
2. Adventurers: [Arriving and making camp] [Scouting and preparing a expedition] [Venturing into the dungeon]  
3. Bandits: [Arriving and making camp] [Scouting and bickering] [Venturing into the dungeon or setting a ambush for the PCs]  
4. Raiders: [Arriving and making camp] [Scouting and resting] [Attack the PCs camp or ambush the PCs]  
5. Someone traveling or lost in the desert arrive at the camp. (Roll a random NPC) (Can possibly become a new retainer or follower or can be a troublemaker) [NPC arrive] [NPC is helpful or cause minor trouble] [NPC offer to follow the PCs or cause major trouble] 
6. Wandering fauna: [Lurk around the camp] [Attack a guarding or patrolling character] [Venture into the camp in search of food or preys] 
7. Wandering humanoids from the dungeon: [Lurk around the camp and test the morale of the retainers] [Steal something or ambush a guarding or patrolling character] [Attack the camp to capture a retainer or to loot the camp] 
8. Wandering monsters: [Lurk around the camp and test the morale of the retainers] [Attack a guarding or patrolling character] [Attack the camp]  
9. Someone is lost. Someone went outside the camp and never came back. It may be possible to find his or her tracks. (2 on 6) +1 for guide or track wise characters. 
10. Someone found something useful or interesting. Some usable gear, some defensive position or a clue about the dungeon (work like a rumors). 
11. Moral is getting low. Test the loyalty of everyone left in the camp. On a fail they loose 1 point of morale. If the last venture went bad, test the retainers moral to see if they are willing to leave the camp. If the last venture went super well raise the morale of 1 NPC that passed the test.  
12. Strange dreams or visions. A NPC is blessed or tormented by dreams. Test morale to see if the dreams are positive or negative. This will affect the attitude of the NPC. If the NPC dream again and get the same result, add or remove 1 point of morale.
13. Getting away. Test loyalty of every retainers in order of loyalty. On a fail 1 NPC will leave the camp. [talks about leaving the camp] [try to talk the others into leaving the camp] [leave the camp alone or with others]
14. Want something: the NPCs want something or want to improve how things are done. If the PCs disagree, the retainers ask for a raise of salary. If the PCs disagree for the raise of salary, test loyalty.  
15. Friendship: two random NPCs became good friends. The one with most morale raise the morale of the other one by 1 point. The one with most loyalty raise the loyalty of the other one by 1 point. (if equal randomly distribute the point). If one of them die, the other one loose 2 morale. If the PCs screw one of them, the other one loose 2 loyalty. 
16. Strife: conflict between two NPCs left at the camp. Lower the morale of one NPC by 1 and the loyalty of the other one by 1. Now those NPC don't like each other. They have -1 ML when fighting beside each others. 
17. Strife: a fight erupt between two NPCs left at the camp. Test the morale of the lowest morale NPC. On a fail there was a fight between this NPC and a second NPC. Both take d4-1 dmg. The most damaged one lose 1 loyalty and 1 morale. If both are left alone, test for loyalty to see if they attack each other again.    
18. Strife: someone have stolen something. Test loyalty of the NPC with less loyalty. On a fail they steal from a PC. On a success they steal from each other and accusation fly around. The NPC who got something stolen loose 1 point of loyalty if the PCs do nothing about the thief. 
19. Conspiracy VS the PCs. Check the retainers loyalty. Those who fail hope to loot the PCs and to leave the camp. Add a penalty if there is a big tempting loot to steal from. [Secret meetings] [Preparations] [Execution of the plan]
20. Found a micro dungeon: if someone vanished from the camp, they come back and have found a small micro dungeon that maybe a new entry into the main dungeon. If no one vanished, someone is missing and will come back during the next event. 

Base camp for B4 The Lost City

I am preparing to run B4 The Lost City (with Labyrinth Lord), since the player characters are lost in the desert and are stranded at the dungeon location, I decided to give them a base camp that they can return to as if they were "returning to town". 

So the idea is that the group was travelling with a large caravan convoy full of different people. The convoy was travelling through the desert, Oregon Trail style, when it was attacked by a group of bandits just before a big sand storm.   

The survivors of the convoy took refuge in the ruins of the Lost City. They don't dare to venture into the pyramid. They hope that PCs will bring back water and that they will find a map or some way to orient themselves. They have maybe a day or two left of water (see table 4).  

It can be fun to ask the players to roll the dice to create the camp.

The base camp 
I guess that the base camp is composed of 10 notable NPCs, plus a bunch of non-described NPCs who can serve as PC replacements and potential hirelings (see table 4). Maybe it better to not be to precise with the bunch of non-described NPCs. 

Table 1: Notable survivors (those 10 NPCs are present at base camp) (determine randomly their gender)

1. A greedy specialist (1 alchemist, 2 armorer, 3 physician, 4 smith, 5 craftman, 6 engineer)
2. A helpful specialist (1 alchemist, 2 armorer, 3 physician, 4 smith, 5 craftman, 6 engineer)
3. A apprentice specialist (1 alchemist, 2 armorer, 3 physician, 4 smith, 5 craftman, 6 engineer)
4. Someone lightly wounded
5. Someone heavily wounded
6. Someone interested in the artifacts of the dungeon
7. Someone who keep the camp together
8. Someone who is against going into the dungeon
9. Someone who seem to support the PCs
10. Someone who don't like the PCs

Table 2: Occupations (roll on this table to determine who are the survivors #4 to #10) 

1. Specialist : 1 alchemist, 2 armorer, 3 physician, 4 smith, 5 craftman, 6 engineer.
2. 1-4: Merchant, 5-6: Slave master
3. Young and beautiful idealist or rebel: 1 orphan, 2 laborer, 3 slave, 4 servant, 5 poet, 6 poor student.   
4. Noble who have lost (nearly) everything.  
5. Family leader and some survivors of his or her family. Have family waiting for them at the caravan destination. 
6. Stranger: 1 from the far north, 2 from the far south, 3 from the far east, 4 from the far west, 5 demi-human, 6 rare & unusual demi-human. 
7. Sage: 1 mystic philosopher, 2 mathematician astronomer, 3 historian, 4 cartographer, 5 linguist, 6 naturalist & geologist.  
8. 1-2 Desert guide (saved some water), 3-4 animal handler (saved some animals), 5-6 teamster (saved some equipment)
9. Scum or shady character: 1 barbarian, 2 bandit, 3 nasty thug, 4 wanted murderer, 5 conman, 6 spy.   
10. Religious: 1 cultist, 2 heretic, 3 major distant religion, 4 minor local religion, 5 major local religion, 6 prophet, oracle or seer. 
11. Man-at-arm: 1 veteran mercenary, 2 caravan guard, 3 former henchman, 4 deserting soldier, 5 bodyguard, 6 former member of a town militia.  
12. Classed (level: d4-1): 1-2 fighter, 3-4 rogue, 5 cleric, 6 magic-user.

Table 3: Events (roll each time the PCs return to the camp)

1. Weather change (1-2 for the better, 4-6 for the worst)
2. Bandits or Nomad raiders attack!
3. Wandering fauna attacked someone. (1-4 wounded, 5-6 killed)
4. Wandering humanoids from the dungeon captured someone. 
5. Wandering monsters from the dungeon attacked someone. (1-3 wounded, 4-6 killed)
6. A new survivor wandered into the camp.  
7. The survivors found some food or water or some other useful supplies. 
8. Strife, one of the survivor gain the leadership of the camp. Others don't like it.  
9. Strife, violence and conflict between two survivors. 
10. Strife, murder: one of the survivor was murdered. The murderer is unknown (secretly roll who it is). 
11. The status of the wounded change: 1-2 for the best, 3-6 for the worst. (roll for each wounded). 
12. Someone now want to follow the PC into the dungeon. (may be a good or bad idea)
13. Someone left the camp with some loot that the PCs left behind. 
14. Conspiracy VS the PCs. Determine 3 conspirators. Check for hirelings loyalty. 
15. Someone have stolen loot from the PC or from someone else. (secretly roll who it is). 
16. The camp split up! Half of the survivors moved to a new camp. 
17. Moral is getting low. Test the hirelings moral to see if they are willing to leave the camp.  
18. Someone gain influence. One of the notable survivor is now well supported.  
19. Someone is lost. One of the notable survivor ventured outside the camp and never came back.
20. Two events. (ignore new result of 20) 

No more water!

• After the first day, the camp have 1 chances on a d6 of running out of water (they are rationing). 
• This augment by 1 for each of the following days. Reset the chances if the group bring back water.
• If the camp run out of water. In addition of the random events, the GM choose 1 of the nastier events from table. 

Table 4: Hirelings (Roll on this table if the PC want to recruit hirelings willing to venture into the dungeon.) (determine randomly their gender)

Hireling type d10 :

• 1: Zaelots
• 2-3: Men-at-arms
• 4-5: Scums
• 6-8: Torchbearers
• 9: Servitor
• 10: Follower (squire, novice, apprentice or young runaway)

Starting Loyalty (reaction test) :

• 2: Friendly 9
• 3 – 5 : Interested 7
• 6 – 8 : Neutral 6
• 9 – 11 : Unfriendly 5
• 12 : Hostile 3

Zaelots (d4 volunteers)

• Share : 1GP/day
• HP : d4
• AL : 1-3 chaotic, 4-6 loyal
• Loyalty : depend of alignment : +2 if same, -1 if different, -2 if opposed.
• ML : +2 (+2 with cleric of same faith)
• AC : 9
• WP : 1-2 club, 3 mace, 4 dagger, 5 shield, 6 spear.

Men-at-arms (d3 volunteers)

• Share : 4GP/day (+1 ML/Loyalty for x5 pay)
• HP : d6 (reroll 1, once)
• AL : neutral
• AC : 7(6) Studded leather + shield + helmet.
• WP : 1 axe, 2 mace, 3 javelins, 4 spear, 5 short sword, 6 dagger & short bow

Scums (d6 volunteers)

• Share : 2GP/day (+1 ML/Loyalty for x5 pay)
• HP : d4
• AL : chaotic
• Loyalty : -2
• ML : -1
• AC : 8 leather
• WP : club & dagger.

Torchbearers (d4 volunteers)

• Share : 1GP/day (+1 ML/Loyalty for x5 pay)
• HP : d4
• AL : neutral
• ML : -2
• AC : 9

Loyal Servitor (1 volunteer)

• Share : 3GP/day (+1 ML/Loyalty for x5 pay)
• HP : d4 (reroll 1, once)
• AL : loyal
• Loyalty : +2
• AC : 9
• Weapon : dagger.

Followers (1 volunteer)

• Will become LV1 when their PC reach level 2 (naturally only if they venture with them into the dungeon) 
• Share : 4GP/day (+1 ML/Loyalty for x5 pay)
• Class: same type of class as PC.
• Alignment : same as PC.
• Beginner luck: can be use once by session. 

Squire

• Fighter LV0 (can use fighter gear & manoeuvers)
• HP : 4
• AC : 7(6) studded leather + shield + helmet.
• WP : dagger + short sword.
• Beginner luck : can reroll 1 morale or attack test.
• STR 13 (+1 hit & dmg)

Novice

• Cleric LV0 (can use cleric scrolls, turn at -1 step)
• HP : 3
• AC : 8 leather.
• WP : quarterstaff
• Gear : 2 vials of holy water, holy symbol.
• Beginner luck : can reroll 1 morale or turn undead or saving throw test.
• WIS 13 (save +1)

Apprentice

• Magic-user LV0 (can use magic-user scrolls)
• HP : 1
• AC : 9
• WP : dagger
• Gear : 1 magic-user scroll, 1 lantern and 3 oil.
• Beginner luck : can reroll 1 saving throw, spell effect roll.
• INT 13 (know 1 encountered language).

Young Runaway

• Thief LV 0 (can use thief skills at half their rating)
• HP : 2
• AC : 9 (8) dex
• WP : dagger & sling
• Gear : extra trail rations and water.
• Beginner luck : can reroll 1 skill or trap trigger or a enemy to hit test.
• DEX 13 (+1 to hit with ranged wp).