Abandoned Temple Generator

 If you like what you see, try out the Random Roadside Inn Generator or the Wizard's Tower Generator too. *Updated 6/25/23 due to an erroneous omission on the first table. 

It is estimated that there have been at least 5,000 named gods worshiped since the invention of writing. Certainly there have been countless more, as innumerable and nameless as the trees in a forest or the stars in the sky. Amongst such a plethora of deities, is it any wonder that the ruins of religious sites are some of the most numerous ancient structures discovered? Because of the effect they have on the imagination, ruined temples, abandoned shrines, and crumbling churches make for great adventuring fodder.  Use the tables below to flesh out the details of your next abandoned temple with all manner of interesting and odd details to captivate your player’s imaginations.

 

Petty Gods of the Temple:

The majority of abandoned holy sites one encounters on the road are the sacred places of long-abandoned gods. Such “petty gods” may be obscure to the common grave robbing knave, but that doesn’t mean that they may not still wield some spark of divine power. Generally speaking, gods whose shrines are rededicated and have proper offerings left for them will favor those who aided them. Use the table below to find out which god or gods are worshipped in your abandoned temple.

2D20	Which God?	How Are They Depicted?	What Are They The God Of?
2	Flower-crowned Bayalia-Neutral	A flower-crowned female elf holding a holly bough in one hand and a longsword in the other.	Spring flowers, new growth, squirrels.
3	Time-walking Kryntose-Law	A great horned owl with wings outstretched.	The passage of time, Fate, Destiny, owls.
4	Blade-tongued Sember Simbachus-Law	A male human body with a ferret’s head, holding a scroll, surrounded by hounds.	Protection Spells, hunting, ferrets, and voles.
5	Wheat-whispering Fraineulis-Neutral	A human woman whose hair is made of wheat, wielding a scythe.	The fall harvest, wheat, protection of the home.
6	Luckriding Lotsi Ufis-Neutral	A redheaded human man with his hands bound behind him like a prisoner.	Trickery, Luck, poetry, boardgames.
7	Dommila The Matron-Law	A stately human woman, naked from the waist up, drinking from a two-handled goblet, crowned in flowers.	Mothers, queens, the divine feminine.
8	Agen Ataar The Mountain-Neutral	A stylized triangle representing a mountain.	Mountains, wealth, protection, dwarves, drums.
9	Wolf-eyed Selupro-Neutral	A young girl with a wolf’s head, with a stone dagger in her right hand and a thistle flower in her left.	Strength in combat, loyalty, wolves, the color brown.
10	Deep-minded Orvis-law	An elderly, blue-skinned human in a scholar’s robe holding a lantern in his right hand and a tome in the other.	Scholars, books, hording of knowledge, book binders, and scribes.
11	Leb the Firefriend-Chaos	A dancing human with fire for hair.	Fire, chaos, cruel fun.
12	Vovat Litiannus the Conqueror-Law	An ashen-haired human in armor with a third eye, wielding a two-handed sword.	Kings, emperors, the fate of kingdoms, bats.
13	Snake-chasing Zubrubesser-Neutral	A shrike standing over the corpse of a serpent.	Spring flowers, shrikes, songbirds, natural springs, protection of children on long journeys.
14	Fish-singing Otomak-Neutral	An androgynous human using their long hair to fish in a pond, attended by three carp.	Fishing, fish, wisdom, reed flutes.
15	Black-blooded Ti’hani Nebri-Chaos	A grey skinned human male with a baboon head sitting on a throne of skulls.	Pain, anger, sorrow, darkness.
16	Wind-dreaming Iutimus-Neutral	A naked halfling child dancing among bipedal cats.	The wind, sailors, wind chimes, flutes, favorable weather, cats, halflings.
17	Fire-browed Gogrigando-Law	A human smith wearing a crown of flames and beating on an anvil.	Smiths, forging, oaths, protection.
18	Unsunken Shef’Na-Neutral	A large silver carp fighting a heron.	Success in the face of utter defeat, carp, brooks, streams, and ponds.
19	Wall-striding Uzatzin-Chaos	A red-skinned hill giant striding over a wall.	Siege warfare, death, soldiers, weapons, bagpipes, brass horns.
20	Sorrow-shielding Delayna-Law	A dwarven woman in armor and shield, wielding a battle axe.	Emotional succor, protection of the least fortunate, women, and girls.
21	Golden-pated Servus Machus-Law	A stately, bald, gold-skinned human sitting on a thrown with a rod of state in his arms.	Mechanical devices, kinghood, human ingenuity, engineers.
22	Cruel-hearted K’Hasis -Law	An angry-looking armored hobgoblin wielding a cat-o-nine-tails.	Vengeance, torture, blood, pain, hobgoblins.
23	Light-drinking Aboses-Chaos	A black serpent wreathed in angry flames.	Darkness, utter destruction, chaos, pain, fire.
24	Star-crowned Vodack-Neutral	An arch of three 13-pointed stars arrayed around a stylized squid’s eye.	Cosmic wisdom, magical insight, astral travel, astrology, navigation.
25	Heart-bound Meolotus-Neutral	A blue-skinned human with their chest opened and their heart bound in chains.	Suffering for others, endurance, overcoming obstacles.
26	Tree-binding Ambzish-Law	A naked, ashen-skinned elf with red eyes wielding a stone dagger.	The downfall of elfkind, pain, cruelty, industry, war, dreams.
27	Keen-eyed Elltianne, the Gahldroch-Neutral	A noble human woman with a weeping mask standing in a field of poppies.	Protection in dreams, theater, protection of seamstresses, tailors.
28	Bloody-toothed Avarti-Law	An angry looking griffin with bloody claws.	War, triumph over evil, weapons, soldiers.
29	Grave-meined Neth Chebbat-Law	A red-skinned dwarf in an executioner’s mask holding twin flensing daggers.	Pain, torture, enforcing oaths, doom.
30	Loonis Shadowmantle -Chaos	A dark shadow in the shape of a humanoid.	Shadows, darkness, quiet, trickery, caves.
31	Wheat-hearted Omvrimach -Law	A woman’s body with a wheat shaft for a head.	The wheat harvest, fertility, the protection of livestock, protection of unmarried maidens.
32	Holstan Ironhand-Neutral	A grey-skinned warrior with metallic hands.	Protection of warriors, strength, hawks, weapon smiths, the forge.
33	Dream-laden Ri-Umbrose-Chaos	A lotus flower.	Dreams, wisdom, prophecy, sacrifice, opium
34	Sweet-teared Tufinal-Neutral	A human woman with her hands cut off weeping a flood of water.	Special knowledge gained through self-sacrifice, lilies, protection of outcasts, the poor.
35	Gebrah of the River-Neutral	A green-striped river snake.	The waters of the river Gebahn, those who died due to drowning, cleanliness, river snakes, trees.
36	Highmost Zar Kahesh-Law	A chalice of kingship crowned in fire.	Kingship, the sky, weather, birds, the spear, the bow, protection.
37	Sorrow-sworn Vokinaz-Law	A blue-skinned human man missing his right hand.	Compassion, understanding, candles, millers, hedgehogs.
38	Star-beguilded Quostus-Neutral	Three eyes arranged in a triangle.	Cosmic wisdom, the future, prophecy, madness.
39	The Laughing God-Chaos	A mask of a laughing face.	Violence, hatred, blood, suffering, mayhem.
40	Blood-binding Ssrazzbazzortch-Chaos	A fiery, smiling demon’s face with sharp fangs.	Revenge, hatred, blood, fire, infernal oaths, fire newts, volcanoes.

 

Temple Guardians:

No matter how decrepit a temple or shrine may seem at first glance, there is almost always some force or presence that watches over the site, protecting it from outright destruction. Be it the spirits of the dead, living caretakers, or traps and wards, temples can be under the protection of all number of forces. Use the table below to figure out who or what has kept this lost house of worship from being empty and plundered like so many other derelict ruins before it.

 

D10	Guardian:
1	The specter of the shrine’s last bishop. They wish to see the temple restored and worship of their god brought back to these lands.
2	Malevolent shadows of vanquished defilers now trapped here. They wish to be free of the prison they were trapped in. (will wreak havoc if let loose.)
3	A large black pudding. This creatures is hunger personified and will seek to make a meal out of anyone who tarries too long.
4	A young sphynx who has taken up a nest in the belfry. They seek wise heroes to help them in their goals of restoring a lost dynasty to greatness again.
5	A strobing mass of eyes and tentacles from the outer void drawn to the divine energy of the altar. Who knows what this incomprehensible mass of eyes thinks? The entity is extremely dangerous and very unpredictable.
6	An outcast mutant who has had a religious epiphany. They seek help restoring the shrine.
7	A secretive druid who sleeps nearby. They want to drive off any who may seek to reconsecrate the shrine and begin services again.
8	Two stone golems made to resemble the statues of angels. They are childlike in their demeanor, seeking instruction, mistaking friendly characters for their returned masters.
9	A minor divine spirit that now lives in the shrine. They seek worship alongside the shrine’s original god.
10	Erudite but bored skeletons commanded to stand watch eternally. They are very happy to have anybody to talk to. One loves puns, the other does not.

 

 

Hidden Secrets:

Temples and shrines are more than simple worship structures. They are repositories of culture, knowledge, and divine magical power. Because of this, abandoned and derelict holy sites often still contain hidden secrets. Use the table below to add some secrets for your players to uncover. This will help make the location feel more alive and worth the time it will take to explore.

 

D20	Secret:
1	A djinn trapped in a stoppered glass bottle. She was searching for the Room of Many Doors when she was captured.
2	A hidden stone-lined cyst containing three gold and silver masks of well-known theater characters and two golden rattles with ruby inlay. (the masks are worth 250 gp a piece, the rattles are worth 150 gp each.)
3	A scroll case containing two scrolls - one scroll of Bless and another of Darkness.
4	A silver hand mirror containing the talking reflection of a long-dead elf maiden that was trapped inside because of a curse. She is surly and critical but is a wealth of information about the ancient ages of the past.
5	The temple will phase shift back to another plane in roughly D6 x10 minutes, taking any characters on the premises along with it.
6	The guardian of this place will not cross a line of wood ash poured out on the floor.
7	A hidden compartment in the altar containing a platinum holy symbol of the god worshiped here. (worth 150 gp.)
8	If the statue of the god on the altar is rotated counterclockwise, it will unlock a trapdoor leading down to an untouched mausoleum.
9	Any gold or gems taken off the altar will curse whoever stole it with uncontrollable sneezing that lasts continuously until they return the stolen wealth. This sneezing curse effects stealth, sleep, spellcasting, etc.
10	Human footsteps have been melted into the stone floor, up the wall, and onto the ceiling of the structure.
11	The large brass gongs that sit on either side of the altar will temporarily stop time for 1D6 rounds if struck. The effect lasts as long as the sound of the gong does, but doesn’t affect the person who struck the gong.
12	At night, demons assail the temple from outside, hurling insults and abuse at the temple’s gods and their caretakers. The demons are more than willing to use violence on those that challenge them, but will not enter the temple due to its holy nature.
13	The water in the sacred fountains within the temple seems divinely clean, and it is. It also causes those who drink of the water to hallucinate for D4 +10 minutes.
14	Concealed by a rotting tapestry that hangs on the wall behind the main altar is a Sword +1 of Sharpness. (severs limbs on an attack roll of 19 or 20.)
15	The abandoned vestments of the temple’s original priests are blessed with holy magic, granting AC 13 to any who wear them.
16	There is a hidden mystical portal within the temple that links this place with a similar ruin 500 miles away.
17	There is a sacred well in the middle of the temple that, if a character sticks their head in it, causes them to hear the voices of demons arguing in hell.
18	There is a small, covered niche in the wall, twelve inches by eight inches by ten inches concealed behind a small door. If the door is closed for more than ten seconds, the next time it opens it will be full of bread, wine, and cheese, enough for a single day’s rations. (if food is made this way more than six times in a day it won’t work for the next week before it returns to normal.)
19	If wine is poured on the altar as a ritual libation, the sound of an ancient priest will ring out, reciting old liturgies.
20	The guardian of the temple isn’t who they seem. They are in actuality the temple’s god masquerading as a guardian.

 

Gravestones:

Many temples and shrines exist without also holding the remains or possessions of their deceased worshippers. There are many gods who have no purview over death or the souls of the deceased, and in such instances the temples of such gods are rarely found with a graveyard attached. That being said, there are many who would feel more at peace knowing that they were laid to rest within the holy grounds of a temple or shrine. Below you’ll find tables for generating graves and epitaphs to populate your next lichyard, cemetery, or necropolis.

D6	Type of Graves:
1	Upright stone slabs chiseled with epitaphs and imagery of 1) Stars and moon cycles 2) Cherubim frolicking joyfully 3) Skulls with wings 4) Oak and holly boughs
2	Waist high stone squares made of 1) Red sandstone 2) Black basalt 3) Green marble 4) Blue granite
3	Small cairns of stacked stones with metal plates set at the base with epitaphs written on each.
4	Stone slabs the size of coffins laid on the ground. They are carved with images of 1) Devils playing chess 2) A burning heart 3) Repeating geometric patters of squares, triangles, and circles 4) Musical notation
5	Burial niches with iron faceplates, located within the temple itself.
6	Miniature stone mansions carved in ancient architectural styles, made of 1) Polished white marble 2) roughhewn gray basalt 3) Fluted jade 4) Jet black obsidian

 

D20	Epitaph:
1	“Here rests our dear Melindos, ravaged by bears, as she would have wanted.”
2	“Let no man forget Bertholt the Bold, who was killed defending the children of Isdorn from a most evil badger.”
3	“Rest in peace Aemili my love. May the gods take you to your eternal rest.”
4	“Take note, for this is the grave of Igon the farmer.”
5	“Here lies Euginus of Marr, who strode the world from the Pillars of Fire to the Godswound and back. Taken to his final rest too soon.”
6	“Agnault the younger”
7	“I, Ziledemmas, rest here and was much loved by my family.”
8	“Rest in peace, Ava. Mother, Baker, Wife.”
9	“Let all the gods bear witness, it was not holy misfortunes that took Nagel, but a lowly donkey what got him.”
10	“We cry for you, Galt of Lendorn, he who gave his life for his king and his family.”
11	“Rest now with the gods, Lukaz Tarfoot.”
12	“Here we put to rest Lord Racklan Keeneye, who refused to enter Death’s kingdom till his oath was discharged.”
13	“May harpies eat out the eyes of any who disturb the grave of Gressford the Sorceror!”
14	“Rest well, father. May your soul find this monument one day, though your living body could not.”
15	“May the gods favor Leena, a true and warm soul.”
16	“Dek, beloved son, lover of cats.”
17	“This is the grave of Yogden, who saw too little and did too much. May he be ever allowed his rest.”
18	“Wabkin of Daub, he took the oath and died a sinless man.”
19	“Here lies dastardly Drebbin, who stepped where he shouldn’t have and went straight to heaven.”
20	“Ombaz the dwarf rests here. Mind your feet.”

 

Grave Goods:

Let us be honest, players live to plunder and steal the wealth of the dead for themselves. Can you blame them? An abandoned grave makes a pretty easy haul compared to a dungeon full of monsters. And after all, the deceased aren’t using their treasures (usually). What’s a fun set piece like a graveyard without interesting loot to dig out of the ground? Below you’ll find a table of different items one might find buried with the dead.

2D20	Grave Goods:
2	A Pale crystal athame with wound silver wire-wrapped handle. (This dagger deals double damage to Lawful creatures.)
3	Six goblin knuckle-bone dice
4	Four silver rings with cut glass gemstones. (10 gp each)
5	A bottle of lapis blue ink. (75 gp)
6	A snake skull pendant.
7	Nine bent iron swords.
8	A delicate cameo of a handsome woman carved in amber. (50 gp)
9	Two drinking cups made of orc skulls.
10	A magical self-lighting pipe. (55 gp)
11	An old locket with a painted portrait of a player character in it!
12	Ivory and obsidian chess pieces carved to resemble skeletal dancers. (15 gp a piece)
13	A golden broach in the style of a water goddess. (100 gp)
14	A rune-carved finger bone.
15	A broken brass arm ring. (10 gp)
16	A carved wooden boat fashioned from elven cypress. (30 gp)
17	Dried marigold flowers.
18	A wax tablet with a wooden stylus.
19	A sacred alabaster hearthstone.
20	An ornate brass cup and plate set. (100 gp)
21	The bones of a beloved dog.
22	A curious quartz cube large enough to fit in the hand. This objects wards those who sleep within 10 feet of the cube from having their dreams invaded.
23	Earrings made of human teeth.
24	A bronze holy symbol of Law in the shape of the sun. (55 gp)
25	A red leather Phrygian cap.
26	A jade and ivory death mask. (150 gp)
27	A lead wine cup with geometric patterns etched into it. (5 gp)
28	A platinum goblet carved with vines and grape bunches. (150 gp)
29	Two bamboo wood fans painted to resemble the rising and setting sun. The wind they produce always smells of citrus fruit. (150 gp each)
30	A crystal goblet. (75 gp)
31	A midnight blue coat with human-bone buttons. (60 gp)
32	A palm sized ceramic jar made to resemble a closed skeletal fist. When thrown at the ground it will shatter, creating a skull-shaped cloud of smoke 10 feet in diameter that lingers for 10 minutes.
33	A stoat-fur hat in good condition. (50 gp)
34	A small clay figurine of a hippo. (15 gp)
35	A dried wreath of holly.
36	A long wooden flute. (20 gp)
37	A brass ring with over 100 keys on it.
38	A crystal hand bell engraved with lilies. (25 gp)
39	An oaken feasting ladle over four feet long. (as club)
40	A small tin of chamomile tea.