Wednesday 23 May 2012

Random Clue Generator

One of my favorite Random Generators for running a sandbox is the Random Clue Generator. One option for presenting adventure hooks is to have NPCs who offer the party jobs. This is certainly straightforward, but not very engaging.  Another option is to drop leads and clues that the players can choose whether or not to investigate.  Of course, this changes the style of the game, making the party not just adventurers but detectives.

Random Clue Generator for Polish Resistance

For example, this is my random clue generator for my Polish Resistance game.  To determine the clue's relevance, I'll either pick one of the various plots floating around in my head, or I'll roll up a mission on the Random Mission Generator.


Die Roll Form
1 Note
2 Diary Entry
3 Photo
4 Book
5 Ticket-Stub
6 Overheard Conversation
7 Coin
8 Painting/Statue
9 Telegraph
10 Business Card
11 Advertisement
12 Letter
13 Pamphlet/Program
14 Map
15 Article(Newspaper/Journal)
16 Body
17 Body Part
18 Key
19 Tattoo
20 Radio Report

I recently used this generator to get the business card in session 5.

An Example

So continuing from my post about The Fugitive, let's say the youth doesn't make the jump and the party searches his body.  Let's roll up the clue they may find:

17- Body Part
And on the random mission generator(I'll have to do another post with that at some point) I got:
15 German Officer, 15 Frame, 7 Entertainer
So we'll say that the party finds a severed finger, and if they investigate, they may find that this guy is a trombone player who a German officer framed for kidnapping a German pilot(that's whose finger it is) who recently went missing.

There ya go. Instant pulp.

2 comments:

  1. This is brilliant. To generate story relevant hot spots where the characters are and when they create the opportunity, this is the way to go. Thanks :)

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