D100 items Found in a Noble's Chambers

 Back once again with another tremendous table of tantalizing trinkets! I know it's been a while since I graced you with a new article, an error I intend to rectify. From out of the wastes I come, and I bring with me more fun random tables to help populate your campaign. Today's article is a D100 table filled with all kinds of interesting items or trinkets that could be found in a Noble's chambers, whether that's their bedchambers, sitting room, offices, or throne rooms. If you like this article, then check out the other tables and generators I have already out out. 

D100 Things you find in a Noble's Chambers

1. A large painting of a high lord and his lady in front of a banner of green and blue cheques. 4'X6', with carved ebony wood frame. This painting is a forgery. Looks 450 gp, but actually worthless.

2. A discarded goblet of rose glass, a geometric pattern cut into it. Pungent vinegar smell from the residue dried to the interior. Worth 10 gp.

3. Set of four drawing charcoals with finely made oakwood holders in a palm-sized tin. 

4. A child's wooden stiletto toy with manticore-skin scabbard. Scabbard fits a dagger. Worth 50 gp. 

5. A stuffed and mounted Leucrotta head. Worth 30 gp.

6. A small pouch of marbles carved from agate. Worth 45 gp.

7. A silver piccolo, with an engraving of twisting vines. Worth 40 gp.

8. A small book of pressed garden flowers with inscription in dwarven: "to my beloved. Think of me when the flowers bloom."

9. Palm-sized ivory playing card, with a leering skull on one side and smiling human face on the other. 

10. A small bottle with a stopper and large conical mouth. When opened, you can put your ear to the bottle and faintly hear whatever is going on in the reception room of the King's castle. 

11. A pair of men's felt high heeled pantofles in yellow with rosettes embroidered in green. 

12. An elbow's length pair of Thunder Lizard skin gloves with chevrons stitched on the back of the hands. 

13. A bronze trowel with silver grip. The trowel is engraved with the crest of a long dead noble house. Worth 15 gp.

14. A painting without a frame, 2'X3'. Painting depicts a goddess descending to earth, blessing Noble's house, their crest prominently placed. Worth 250 gp.

15. An ivory and gold fountain pen and a small bottle of red ink. Worth 100 gp.

16. A large, wide brimmed hat of royal green felt with a studded leather hat band. Axebeak feather secured in hat band. Worth 25gp.

17. A largely finished map of the local region with a note written next to an X stating "Nana's lost fortune is here ".

18. An arm's length brass tube fitted with a rotating cap at one end made of colored glass and mirrors. When the interior is viewed from the open side and faces light, the viewer will see a rotating pattern of whirling colors and shapes within the tube. 

19. An assorted collection of women's gloves, most only right handed. Made of silk and decorated with embroidery themes of courtly love. They are in an ornate mahogany box with a hidden compartment (1-in-6 chance of finding it). Inside can be found a number of love letters written in code (intelligence check to decipher) and a signet ring with this noble's house mark on it.

20. Three small vials of perfume, they smell like sweet honeysuckle, burnt orange, and lavender respectively. Worth 100 gp each.

21. A hand drum roughly the size of a mixing bowl. The instrument depicts a gorgon on the drum head. A long burgundy scarf has been tied to the cross-brace under the drumhead.

22. A set of false teeth made mostly out of wood and ivory. They are a rather nice set with small, brass hinge springs (halfling or gnome sized). 

23. A red dyed leather bound book titled "Tales of the Aedilon Wars". 1/3rd of the novel is faded and unreadable. 

24. A deep blue silk handkerchief stitched with a monogram ANL in blood red thread. 

25. A pair of brown calf-skin gloves that stop just before the elbow. (These gloves are secretly enchanted against mundane fire and heat, allowing the wearer to hold embers, molten metal, or pass their hand through fire without harm.)

26. An acorn-sized stone sphere made of dark red and green marble. It has been wrapped in a silk handkerchief with the embroidered monogram "RHJ".

27. A polished silver hand mirror, the handle and back of the mirror are carved with crocus flowers. Worth 20 gp.

27. A small gold hinged box 2" by 1" by 1/8th of an inch. There are ten small paper cards within, all say "Lord Arnulus Nelvexor Laudridich, Castellan of Krogmore Keep, Defender of the Realm, Bishop of Raelgrim Cathedral. (Case worth 30 gp)

28. An ornate, dinner-plate-sized sextant made of brass, copper, and gold. Worth 155 gp.

29. A small red lacquered music box made of sandalwood, plays "The Stars of Winter's Eve" when opened. Worth 170 gp.

30. A round copper seal with a wooden handle. When pressed in wax it depicts the crest of the lord's of this house. Worth up to 200gp to the right person.

31. A small dusty stuffed cockatrice, its eyes replaced with red carnelians. Worth 65gp.

32. A wyvern leather-clad tome, titled "Recollections of the Second Autumn War and the Breaking of the Elves" by Wagyr Farscatter.

33. A small calfskin folio with 20 letters detailed plans to bankrupt the kingdom. They are addressed to the Lord of this house by one "Ringauld Jarmongunt. "

34. A set of five Dwarf knuckle bone dice, they are each eight-sided. 

35. A tin whistle shaped like a screaming gnome. When played it sounds like a trumpet blast.

36. A circular area rug, 10' in diameter. The rug depicts giants atop wyverns, being defeated by an army of angels. Worth 75 gp.

37. 2d4 cones of incense in a small red leather pouch. The incense smells of cedarwood and citrus when burned. Worth 45 gp.

38. A pair of new calfskin boots with ebony wood heels, dyed dark blue with dark red laces. Sized for a dwarf. Worth 35 gp.

39. A leather bound violin case bearing the crest of another house. Empty, but for a piece of rosin and a few sheets of chamber music.

40. A circular wooden base with a tall, rounded cylinder of glass atop it. A fist-sized seed rests within, on the base is carved "Dryad Seed". Worth 1,200 gp.

50. Two carved game pieces, one depicts a manticore on the prowl. The other piece is carved to look like a king of legend. The manticore is made of oak and dyed black. The king is carved in ivory which is starting to yellow. Worth 10 gp for manticore, 35 gp for the king.

51. A mastercraft lyre made of maple and oak, painted a greenish blue, the arms and crossbar of the lyre are covered in gold leaf. (Scraping it takes one turn, and yields 32 gp). As an instrument it's worth 140 gp.

52. A porcelain tea cup and saucer showing delicately painted scenes of merriment and celebration all over it. Worth 25gp.

53. An ornate hand fan made of mastodon ivory and green silk. When opened a nature scene of white tigers hunting a mastodon can be seen embroidered into the fabric. Worth 35 gp.

54. A pair of high-end knee length mermaid skin boots naturally green-blue, with gold hardware. Worth 50 gp.

55. A collection of three nesting soapstone boxes, the first being the size of a human palm. These boxes are nestled one after the other inside the previous box. Each has a slightly different plant themed top lid decoration.

56. A translucent amber colored marble statue the size of a helmet. The statue depicts the god of abundance and joy smiling and laughing in a reclined position. When its belly is rubbed it glows like a candelabra for three turns. Worth 45 gp.

57. A collection of old and obscure loan agreements folded into a portfolio of burgundy leather. 

58. A thumb-sized boar ivory figure carved in the likeness of a pudgy sparrow. Worth 15 gp. 

59. A bark-bound album of pressed flowers from some distant land. Worth 100gp to the right person. 

60. A dagger with leather wrapped handle and a thumb-sized garnet embedded in the pommel. This dagger has a +2 bonus against plants. 

61. A copper signet ring, usually worn by a member of the king's elite guard. 

62. Sheet music arrangement of popular adagios from the eminent court composer Samnatus Warksye, written for oboe, violin, cello, and double flute. 

63. A set of reading glasses held within two wooden loops joined together with a hinge. Worth 85 gp to the right person.

64. A shiny glazed carafe painted with scenes of elves frolicking in nature, painted in green. Worth 100gp.

65. A polished flask-sized black and white speckled stone, heavier than it looks. When used as a paperweight the stone magically transforms the text of the page it's resting on from its original language into Goblin.

66. A collapsible parasol in green, with blue and red flowers all across it. 

67. A walking stick carved from sweet chestnut, with an antelope horn attached to the top of it for decoration. (There is a secret compartment underneath where the horn is attached to the stick big enough to hold a small bottle or a written message. 1-in-6 chance to discover the compartment.)

68. A pair of dyed dark green basilisk leather gauntlets tooled to look like reptile scales.

69. A brass table scale and 10 balancing weights. 

70. A black leather tome with a small brass lock. Inside the tome are account registers for a country estate somewhere. This book contains the last four years of production volume and costs for the estates, farms, and pastures. 

71. A small leather pouch that contains 27 tin soldiers, all about one inch tall. 17 of them have shields and pikes, the other ten are mounted knights with a variety of weapons.

72. A gnomish mechanical contraption, roughly 1' by 1', 10" tall. This device is made of a multitude of levers and keys marked with each letter of the gnomish alphabet. When the keys are pressed, the device will stamp the letters onto a sheet of paper that's been affixed to it. This way one person can print whatever they want with minimum effort and equipment. Worth 250 gp, ink ribbon has roughly 4d8 X 10 sheets of ink left on it. 

73. A ring of intertwining silver and gold bands set with a large pearl. Whoever wears the ring will gain an immunity to common dirt and grime. The wearer remains dirt and grime free no matter what sort of gross dungeon muck they are traipsing through. 

74. A set of thin ivory playing cards painted in the style of the ancient high elves. Contains all four suites- hearts, wands, coins, and flowers. All 56 cards seem to be accounted for. Worth 75gp.

75. A hollow pewter dodecahedron with small nodules sticking out slightly where multiple corners meet. Worth, who knows?

76. A set of six carved figurines, made of painted wood. Each figurine is carved into the likeness of a different wild monster. There is a manticore, a wyvern, a centaur, an owlbear, a harpy, and a flail snail. Worth 25 gp as a set.

78. A set of croquet mallets, reed wickets, and painted wooden croquet balls. Worth 11 gp.

79. A large tome, bound in the skin of a hydra. The book is titled “Vexillology and Symbols of the Great Houses of the Serene Duchy.” Written in an archaic form of the common language. (PCs can make an Intelligence check to translate on the fly. Contains knowledge of the history of many noble houses). Worth 305 gp.

80. A beautiful ceramic mug, painted with glazes of bright green, blood red, burnt umber, and a deep purple. Anyone who examines the cup in detail will notice a small hole built into the underside of the handle. (This is a two chambered poisoner's cup. Drinking from the cup without blocking the concealed hole means liquid comes out of the chamber of the mug with poison in it. Blocking the hole lets a drinker drink from the non-poisoned chamber concealed within the body of the mug.) Worth 80 gp.

81. A small end table, expertly carved from mahogany wood. It stands 2.5' and the table top is 1.5' in diameter. (Contains a secret drawer, 1-in-6 chance of discovering it). Worth 150 gp.

82. A silk tapestry woven in the style of the gnomish weavers of old. This bright tapestry depicts a fiery battle between gnomes and trolls set amongst the ruins of a castle. The tapestry's dimensions are 8' long by 5.5' tall. Worth 1,000gp.

83. A silver incense burner with a lid. This palm-sized burner has been inscribed with elven prayers to the wind and sky. Worth 30 gp.

84. A four post bed carved out of oak, maple, and mahogany woods. The posts and head board are carved to look like grape arbors with "bunches" hanging from the bed posts. Worth 2,500gp.

85. A cut crystal decanter with a stopper. Expertly cut and carved by fine gnomish craftsmen. Any beverage poured into this vessel will be rendered non-poisonious if it had any poisons mixed in. Worth 1,000 gp.

86. A full game set of ancient game Snakes and Foxes, including pieces for both players, dice, and a large cloth game board that game pieces and dice are wrapped in for transport. Worth 10 gp.

87. A squat rectangular brown glass bottle of Dwarven brandy, a 67 year vintage. Very sought after and very delicious! The bottle contains upwards of 25 oz of brandy. Worth 120 gp.

88. A set of six gold candlesticks decorated to look like lilies blooming. Candles burned in these holders burn twice as brightly. Worth 85 gp.

89. A set of small glass bottles contained within a black leather carrying pouch that attaches to a belt. Each bottle has been labeled with its contents. The bottles are labeled "eye of newt", "wing of bat", "tongue of frog", "fur of wolf", and a bottle simply labeled "teeth". 

90. A peaked, wide brimmed wizard's hat made of midnight blue felt and decorated with cloth stars. Stuffed inside the hat can be found a note to a "Laughlynn" imploring some one named "Jigarti" to "not seek the dragon and its treasure. Too little is known of her lair and its dangers."

91. A capelet made of red deer skin that hangs roughly to one's hips. This capelet has been dyed a deep aqua color. Worth 55 gp.

92. A large ceramic water clock. (You fill the reservoir of the clock and it will count down for four hours). Worth 200 gp to the right person.

93. A small green-blue parrot in a brass cage. The bird speaks a little, but in a language no one can decipher, and it sings beautifully when happy.

94. A long red, yellow, and blue Axebeak feather with an intricate silver nib. This is a magical Pen of Dictation. When the command word is spoken it will stand upright on a piece of paper. All a person has to do is speak their message out loud and the pen will write it down on its own. The pen can only write in Common, Elvish, and the tongue of demons. 

95. A beautiful brass inkwell that's shaped like an apple. Worth 35 gp.

96. A decorated scroll case made of leather, manticore hide, and cheetah hide. The case is large enough to put up to 10 scrolls rolled up inside. Found within the case are a scroll of Read Languages, a page detailing the history of the sewers under the Capitol, and a map of the surrounding wilderness with an unknown town marked on it. The case is worth 40 gp.

97. A small desktop sculpture consisting of a metal crossbar with five iron balls suspended on it at equal distance to each other. The balls swing and can be quite entertaining to watch careen into each other. 

98. A set of master crafted draftsman tools. These implements are made of bronze, iron, and hawthorn wood. Worth 25 gp.

99. A brass skeleton key that can unlock any door in this location. 

100. A glass bottle with a metallic, effervescent greenish hued liquid inside. The liquid smells like extremely strong pine sap and tastes like day-old oysters. If drunk it will turn the drinker's hair bright blue. This effect lasts for 10+2d10 hours. 

 

D100 Random Items

D100 tables are such a great way to add variety and verisimilitude to a campaign. More than that though, they're fun! I've been running my current campaign for almost a year now and I've been trying to finish writing up all the odds and ends that I've ignored or forgotten thus far for my homebrew setting. Besides the hexes that I never bothered populating till now, what I needed was a good random item table. Something to give players and NPCs that doesn't have a real coin value, and only nominally has adventuring utility. The table below is my result. I hope you enjoy it as much as my players have!

1.      Four rotted humanoid finger bones tied to a lanyard of braided copper wire.

2.      A wooden teetotum with the numbers 1 through 10 painted on them.

3.      A thumb-sized ball of red thread with two needles sticking out of it.

4.      Four thimbles, one made of carved bone, one of copper, one of soap stone, and one of hardened leather.

5.      A  red, gold, and black military ribbon given out for bravery.

6.      A dark green felt hat with a wide brim and a flat top.

7.      A small brass cloak pin worked to look like a bunch of grapes.

8.       A set of eating utensils made of steel and carved bone. it is contained inside a case that looks like a fish.

9.      A curved and smoothly carved piece of yew wood marked with four notches.

10. The flight feathers of a harpy eagle.

11. A very thin reed flute.

12. A bronze plate the size of a palm with an oak leaf motif etched into it.

13. A fancy and rather garish silk handkerchief imprinted with a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.

14. A foldable leather drinking cup marked with the sigil of the famous gnomish artisan Gigilote.

15. A small handheld woven wicker box and lid.

16. A writing set consisting of two nibbed feathers, an ink pot, and a pot of sand for blotting. This kit is all wrapped up in a neat deerskin roll.

17. A painted yellow ceramic ocarina with only four holes.

18. A pamphlet on children’s string games.

19. Half a deck of cards.

20. A small wooden box with a sliding lid that contains 20’ of fishing line and six hooks.

21. A figurine of a giraffe carved out of a red stained mahogany wood.

22. A red silk pair of women’s dress gloves.

23. A Phrygian style hat in blue.

24. The King’s Golden Lily, a medal given out to nobles for gallantry and honor in battle.

25. A half full half-keg of hard apple cider.

26. Just the right hand of a pair of chainmail gauntlets.

27. A hand-sized iron box. Its lid has a small grate built into it. This is commonly filled with sand and an ember or two is placed inside the box then slipped into one’s bed to help warm it in the wintertime.

28. A small leather pouch containing four sticks of charcoal.

29. A foot-long carved wooden ladle.

30. A bronze cookpot that can hold up to a gallon of liquid.

31.  A small leatherbound book on identifying different species of dragons based on their head shapes.

32. A small, polished bronze hand mirror.

33. Six extremely sharp obsidian arrow heads.

34. A book-sized placard with a film of wax melted on top, for writing messages.

35. A small pouch containing around twenty flat, smooth stones perfect for skipping across water.

36. A painted cameo of a beautiful, matronly looking woman in a green dress.

37. A glass goblet etched with the symbol of a powerful noble house.

38. A leather case that hangs on the belt containing three small vials. One vial contains holy water (1 damage to creatures with chaotic alignments), one vial contains distilled alcohol mixed with wood ash, and the last vial contains lead shavings.

39. A series of letters from a child to their distant parent. It is clear from the messages that the parent left to fight as a soldier. The little girl can only plead with him to return and never leave their farm again.

40. A small soapstone jar with medicinal lip balm made of botanicals and animal fat in it. (10 uses)

41. A small glass jar and stopper. The jar is filled completely with wood shavings.

42. Three lead soldiers. Their paint has started to rub off.

43. A clam shell larger than an open hand.

44. A deck of intricately painted fortune teller’s cards.

45. A roll-up leather game board with almost enough pieces to play the Game of Kings.

46. A set of brass hand chimes.

47. A personal knife with an intricately carved horn handle.

48. A mustard-yellow and burgundy sleeveless surcoat with painted horn buttons.

49. A bracelet made of orc teeth strung together with copper wire.

50. A small carved marble head of a dwarf, about the size of an apricot.

51. A lead curse tablet with a curse asking the gods to strike the current town leader down for their mean spirit and stingy nature.

52. A book of 300-year-old dwarven poetry, mainly haiku.

53. A ceramic beer stein twice the size of most steins.

54. A pet hamster named Norman.

55. A perfume bottle smelling of lilacs and honey with an individual use of perfume still left in it.

56. A small box made of thin strips of maple bark filled with incense.

57. A yellow green scarf knitted from goat hair. It’s very warm.

58. A set of knuckle bone dice carved from Gnoll bone.

59. Six brass buttons cast to look like shields.

60. Two elven-style wrist guards for archery, both made of beautiful and supple elk skin and painted forest green.

61. A lumpy clay figure of a laughing halfling clutching their belly.

62. A bent and corroded copper ring with a small pink agate set into it.

63. A simple apron-style dress made of dark red dyed linen.

64. A carving of a songbird made out of quartz. It is big enough to fit in the hand.

65. A scrimshawed deer antler the length of a human forearm, etched with figures of lions and leucrota rearing up at each other.

66. A kite made of thin, pink dyed linen attached to lashed river reeds. There is about 200 feet of twine tied between the handle and the kite.

67. A very old gold coin, larger in diameter but thinner than modern coins. A menacing eye with lines of power emanating from it is on one side. On the other are three spruce trees with three eight-pointed stars above them.

68. A rattle made of a wolf’s leg bone and a small bladder of rawhide stuffed with seashells that have been lashed together.

69. A pair of boots with specially designed soles that leave dog tracks behind.

Three pages of thick paper with the middle part of the epic poem, “The Saga of the Western Dragons” written on it.

70. A ladle made of half a coconut shell lashed to a length of bamboo.

71. A small leather case that holds eight beeswax candles, all a different shade of purple. When burned, these candles produce a strong smell of clove, orange, and cinnamon.

72. A four foot long cord attached to a flat piece of flat bark. When swung hard around one’s head, this odd contraption makes a very loud, hollow whistling noise.

73. A thin iron chain with small weights at each end. When laid atop an open tome, it keeps the pages open.

74. A small brown jar filled with a fine ground mixture of cinnabar and mica dust.

75. A functioning half foot-tall replica of a catapult made of wood, leather, and iron nails.

76. Three different leather eye patches, one made of green lizardman skin, one made of blue painted pig leather, and one made of wyvern hide dyed a reddish purple.

77. A protective metal cover and lock made of bronze, copper, and iron that is meant to fit around a wizard’s tome to secure it from theft.

78. A traveler’s salt cellar made of ebony wood secured by a brass latch.

79. A beautiful hair comb made of thin plates of bone lashed together.

80. A steel multi-tool that folds into a fork, knife, spoon, or toothpick.

81. A long red and black peaked knit hat that is over three feet long and ends in a blue pompom.

82.  A small goose down pillow with a brown case.

83. A carved marble game board for the dwarven game known in common as High table. No pieces remain, however.

84. A four string gnomish lire with a sound box made of tortoise shell and a neck made of a carved piece of rosewood.

85. A small chapbook full of socialist musings on the failing policies of a local kingdom.

86. A toy composed of a carved handle with an open cup on top and a small ball attached to the handle with some twine. The goal is to try and catch the ball in the cup on the first try.

87. An intricately tooled griffon leather sword sheath embedded with cast iron eagle embellishments at the tip.

88. A monocle with 10x magnification.

89. A tied up package of chewy date candy. There’s about enough for six servings.

90. Blinds and a bridle made for giant riding birds.

91. A set of carved wooden alphabet stamps in the common script.

92. A tin of loose leaf tea made from bay leaves, pine needles, and dried berries. There’s about enough for eight cups of tea.

93. Seven pieces of random broken pottery, all bearing the elven name Dellianna on them somewhere.

94. A yellow wool sash dyed with a pattern of repeating green olive trees, blue dolphins, and light blue zephyrous curls of wind.

95. Fuzzy earmuffs made of warm white yeti hair.

96. A pair of brown leather fingerless gloves.

97. A full set of oracle sticks carved out of badger bones.

98. A set of gray basalt rocks that make enough sparks when they are struck together to light a fire.

99. A white rose that never withers or dies.

100. A simple marionette made of carved and painted yew wood. The puppet resembles the local trickster deity.

You Come Upon a Lone Farmstead in the Woods

Greetings sleepwalkers! Welcome to this week's blog, a forest farmstead encounter generator! This fun set of tables will help you create a lone farmstead in the woods, replete with fields, farmers, and fun findings to challenge and intrigue your players! This blog article would make a great companion to the D66 table of woodland encounters from June. If you're looking for other interesting tables check out last week's D66 table of religious taboos, or try another location generator, like the wizard's tower generator.

*Medieval plowing with oxen (from a 14th century manuscript)

You Come Upon a Lone Farmstead in the Woods:

A Forest Encounter Generator

Dark and misty woodlands filled with gargantuan primeval trees, briar-choked deer paths meandering underneath the thick canopies of ancient timbers, the waiting silence at the forest’s heart - woodland journeys are replete with the grandeur and oddments of the forest, and it is not just the realm of animals, tree spirits, and elementals. Many peoples live in the forest, be it elf, man, or savage orc. Such folk rarely congregate together in large groups though, as farmable land within forests remains relatively scarce. Thus, a chance encounter with a lone farm deep in the woods is a more likely occurrence than coming upon a large farming community.

Below you will find a series of tables that you can use to create an interesting encounter location populated with all manner of inhabitants, monsters, and a host of other weird and wonderful things. Use the tables to flesh out the lone farm’s layout, its current inhabitants, and what interesting twist might be lurking just behind the PCs first impressions.

 

The Fields

A lone forest farmstead usually occupies a clearing cut into the forest when the farm was first built. Depending on the success of the farmer and their family, they may have an extensive system of fields, orchards, apiaries, barns, and other outbuildings. Use the table below to determine what the fields around the farmstead look like. Take note of any features that PCs or monsters may use to gain a tactical advantage in combat, such as stone field walls, trees, buildings, etc.

D10	The Fields Around The Farmstead
1	A small stone wall surrounds an acre of field and creates a barrier between the farm and the forest proper. Half the field is sown with wheat and the other half has been set aside for garden vegetables. Two scarecrows made of rusted plate mail, straw, wood, and cloth are propped up in the wheat field.
2	Two separate fields, each marked by waist-high stone walls, are occupied by over one and a half acres of wheat and corn. A small granary on stilts, roughly 10 feet in diameter with a 15-foot-tall conical top, has been built near the farmhouse. A small covered well has also been dug near the farmhouse door. Chickens and ducks can be seen ambling through the rows hunting for bugs.
3	Over five acres of apple trees surround this farmhouse. A wooden palisade as tall as a man has been built surround the entire orchard. A tall thin building with a peaked roof used to store apples has been constructed halfway between the palisade and the farmhouse. A small barn is also visible on the property, and an ancient stone well can be seen here too.
4	A knee-high wall of fieldstones surrounds a quarter-acre of farmland and six beehives on wooden platforms sit within. Two additional fields, two acres apiece, occupy the other side of the clearing. Each field is separated by fieldstone walls. One field lies fallow and the other is packed with the twisting vines of gourd plants. A barn the size of the entire farmhouse and a small pig pen with a few happy sows snorting away are the only other visible buildings.
5	A system of five-foot-deep ditches separates these four acres of orchard, wheat fields, and beehives from each other. Two small barns, one made of stone and the other of weathered old wood can be seen on the other side of the farmhouse. A large covered well and two large stone benches are arrayed outside the farmhouse’s front door. A lone donkey drinks from a stone watering trough to the side of the stone barn.
6	Six acres of grazing fields occupy the clearing, with wooden fences surrounding the whole area and dividing the interior into three separate sections. Sheep occupy two of the three fields, and two large slate-roofed barns and a small well with stone-cut animal troughs are the only other constructions here besides the farmhouse.
7	Two little fields, no more than a half-acre apiece, occupy the area in front of the farmstead. Short fieldstone walls surround them. One field has been planted with corn, the other cabbages. A back field over 2 acres large lies behind the farmhouse and contains a myriad of garden vegetables including green beans, peas, carrots, and turnips. There is a small barn and stable fenced in behind the farmhouse.
8	The entirety of this four acre farm has been given over to apiaries and wildflowers. Bees buzz throughout the clearing and the smell of honey wafts on the air. A long one-story barn runs behind the farmstead, and a small covered well sits next to it. On the outskirts of the clearing a massive, weathered stone head the size of a small wagon rests on its side, overgrown with moss.
9	The fields that surround this farmstead are roughly eight acres in size, and most of that has been planted with grapes attached to wooden arbors. The area nearest to the farm has a small wooden fence surrounding it and a host of garden vegetables growing inside. A small well and a two-story barn and stable can be found behind the farmhouse.
10	Three large fields, each roughly two acres in size, occupy this clearing. A series of dilapidated wooden fences surround the fields, and in many places they have completely fallen away. The fields themselves lie fallow and overgrown. A stone barn with a collapsed roof is the only other building besides the farmstead here.

 

*"Anderwood Corner", Picture was drawn by Walter Crane and engraved by W. J. Linton, probably in 1862.

The Farmstead

The centerpiece of any farm is its farmhouse. Many a small dirt-floored hovel has, with dutiful work and prosperous luck, been transformed over the years into a multistory stone villa fit for a dynasty. Whether a doughty adventuring party comes upon a one-room shack or a three-story mansion can inform all sorts of assumptions that a crafty referee can use to bring adventure into their campaigns. Use the table below to generate a farmhouse to put at the center of your fields.

D10	What Kind Of Farmhouse Is It?
1	A small one-story wooden farmhouse, roughly 10’ by 15’ with a fireplace of river stones and a single shuttered window. The outside walls and roof are covered in cedarwood bark.
2	A three-room one-story wooden farmhouse approximately 15’ wide by 25’ long with a roof of green glazed tiles. The roof overhangs the front of the house by seven feet and is supported by four wooden columns carved to look like snakes are coiling around them.
3	A simple turf house dug into the earth, approximately 15’ by 15’ with a roof of green sod. Large river stones have been placed on the edge of the roof where it meets the ground. The door is painted a golden orange color.
4	A robust two-story wooden farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. The building is 50’ wide by 55’ long. The columns that support the second story balcony above the porch are smoothly carved and painted with bright patterns of flowers and grasses, while the rest of the house is painted a brownish red. The roof is shingled in green-gray slates.
5	A modest log cabin with a small second story, roughly 20’ wide by 35’ wide with a thatched roof. A large brick chimney makes up an entire wall of the house.
6	A three-story wooden tower stands about 15’ by 15’ wide and 50’ tall with a peaked roof of red glazed  tiles. A small stove pipe is visible on the eastern side of the building. The sturdy wooden door to the farm tower is banded in iron and has been painted with the face of a medusa glaring back at would-be visitors on it.
7	A sunken farmhouse fashioned out of an ancient rock-cut tomb. The stone it is cut from is approximately 50’ feet in diameter, but the farmhouse itself is comprised of only three rooms. The stones around the doorway are carved in a weathered and unreadable script.
8	A modest one-floor farmhouse made of mortared fieldstones is approximately 15’ wide by 20’ long with a thatched roof and a number of glazed windows. An elaborately styled chimney on the western side of the house is tiled with a mosaic that depicts rose, ivy, and hawthorn branches winding their way up it.
9	A sprawling single-story sandstone farmhouse, roughly 55’ wide by 65’ long with a central courtyard and pillared arcades. The roof is made of glazed red tiles. To either side of the green painted door are two weathered marble statues of lamia standing at attention.
10	An impressive two-story chateau of mortared sandstone and granite roughly 30’ wide by 50’ long with dark gray slate roof shingles. The roof overhangs a second floor balcony, and both are supported by two massive granite pillars carved with elaborate fluting and pediments. There are many windows around the mansion, all of them glazed.

 

Does the Farmhouse Have any Secrets?

Use this handy table below to determine if there are any secrets about the farmhouse that a PC’s search of the interior may uncover.

2D6	Are There Any Secrets In The Farmhouse?
2	Stuffed in a green glazed jar next to the bed is a battered copper ring (ring of protection +1)
3-5	An excellent bottle of wine (20 gp) has been concealed inside a lidded cook pot.
6-8	No, this is just a simple farmstead. What you see is what you get.
9-11	A small horde of coins (3D10 gp) has been hidden in a small hole dug under the bed.
12	The ancient, gnarled walking stick set next to the door is actually an enchanted club that deals an extra +2 damage to Constructs and Undead.

 

Who Dwells Here?

Folk inhabit forests for countless reasons. Whether to flee oppression, avoid suspicion, find solitude, or to be closer to their gods, they seek the seclusion of the trees. Use the table below to generate your farm’s inhabitants. Some may seem like perfectly typical forest dwellers, and others might seem like odd inclusions in this setting. Use your imagination to help fill in the gaps and explain what circumstances may have brought them here.

D12	Farm Inhabitants
1	A modest family of humans including a grandmother, her daughter and daughter’s husband, their teenage daughter and adult son, the son’s wife, and their infant son. The grandmother, her daughter, and granddaughter all have heterochromatic eyes, one green and the other reddish-brown
2	Two young elf couples live here and work the farm together. They sometimes employ a few halfling field hands.
3	An elderly human couple live here after their children all left. They do have an even-tempered guard dog named Pooch.
4	A small collection (2d6+3) of dwarves live together in this farmhouse. They are all from the same clan and are distantly related to each other. It is impossible to tell the men from the women here.
5	A collection of two extended halfling families (2d6+2) occupy the farm and can often be heard singing to each other at night. A great gray wolfhound named Gary guards both families from danger.
6	A small clutch (3d4) of lizardfolk have their farm here. They wear leather pants and carry wicker backpacks around the farm. The matriarch of the lizardfolk has piercing golden eyes.
7	An odd collection of humans, goblins, halflings, and bugbears work the farmstead. They are all children of the same virtuous adoptive mother who raised them here in the woods.
8	A small family consisting of a mother, father, young daughter, infant son, and the father’s three brothers who help out as farm hands live here. The father has a bad limp and keeps to himself mostly.
9	A family of gnomish cottagers occupy this farm. The house is filled with two sets of grandparents, a mother and father and three young gnomish children, and a young boy and his two older sisters. The grandparents brew mead flavored with herbs gathered from the forest.
10	An ancient and weathered old woman and her mute teenage servant are the farm’s only inhabitants. The servant’s face has a pleading, guilty quality to it.
11	A simple family of orcs can be found here. A mother, father, and their eight nearly grown children farm the land. The mother is jovial and inclined to sing.
12	A human man and his orcish mate dwell in the farmhouse with three human servants. The couple eloped and left their families to be together - the human from his minor noble house, and the orc from their warrior tribe.

 

*"The Heronry at Vinney Ridge", Picture was drawn by Walter Crane and engraved by W. J. Linton, probably in 1862.

What Does it Seem Like is Going on Here?

Though many dwell under the forest’s loamy canopy, not all are as they appear to be at first notice. Still, your player’s first impressions are often what entices them into adventure. Through the forest undergrowth, what appears to be happening and what actually is happening are sometimes two different things. Use the table to generate a first impression of what is happening at the farm clearing. This will give you an idea of what is unfolding when the encounter itself starts and is just a jumping-off point for further interaction.

2d6	What Is Going On?
2	The fields and farm buildings are under attack! A small (2d4) band of [1. Orcs 2. Gnolls 3. Bugbears 4. Mudmen] are viciously trying to batter down the door to the farmhouse. The vile monsters are ransacking the farm fields as the farmhouse is being attacked.
3	Half the farm’s able-bodied inhabitants are working the fields, and the others are guarding the perimeter with wooden spears and rusted helmets. This farm’s inhabitants are cautious of raids from monsters and the like. They are devout, however, and are greatly swayed by the presence of lawful priests, clerics, and paladins.
4	Some of the farm dwellers are standing near a half collapsed wall, arguing about the best way to rebuild it. They seem nervous but are still quite friendly and will invite players to join them for their evening meal. The inhabitants speak only in whispers, but they won’t say why.
5	A few gathered farm folks stand near a freshly dug grave in prayer. They are bruised looking and weary. They have just buried a beloved family member. They won’t say how they got their injuries or how the deceased person died. They can be enticed to talk and/or trade but insist on doing everything on a table that they’ll bring out from inside the farmhouse.
6-8	A typical day on the farm. All able hands are at work sowing, reaping, tending, and mending what needs to be. Work songs and the occasional laugh perfume the air. The inhabitants of this farm are friendly if cautious and will offer what meager shelter and food they have for the evening. These folk are helpful and goodhearted, although not the most learned.
9	Two of the farm’s residents are chasing a small herd of deer out of the fields with brooms while they yell and holler. The farmers are happy to talk and trade with the player’s characters, although they do ask for help with the local deer population in return for any trades.
10	The fields are pockmarked with small burnt craters and the roof of the farmhouse has been caved in. Though there is a good deal of blood in the house, there are no bodies to be found at first glance.
11	Tension lies like a wet cloth across the clearing. There are signs of fieldwork being done, but no one is visible in the fields. The farmhouse windows and doors are shut tight and the inhabitants seem cautious and guarded. They will threaten violence if pressed, though this is but a scared bluff. In truth they are fearful of outsiders and will take some persuading if they are to be of  assistance.
12	A dead farmer lays facedown in their field. A smoldering pile of rubble is strewn next to them on the ground. The farmhouse door lies ominously open and smoke is beginning to trickle out of it.

 

What is Actually Going on Here?

Things in the deep woods are not always what they seem. What adventurers first assume to be going on when they come upon a lone farmhouse can sometimes be much more sinister than what appears at first glance. Use the below table to figure out if there is something more going on than meets the eye, and what that is.

1d12	What Is Truly Going On?
1-6	Everything is as it seems here. There is no twist, just humble folk who may need a hand.
7	The some of the farm’s inhabitants are secretly doppelgangers who have taken the identities of some of the farm’s true residents. At least one may try to accompany the PCs after they leave in hopes of taking over one of their lives.
8	The farm’s inhabitance are actually murderers who killed the true owners and have taken over. They will try to drug PCs who accept their hospitality so that they can sacrifice them to their dark gods.
9	The farm’s inhabitance are part of a secret cult to an altruistic god of Law. They will repay any kindness offered to them by way of their god’s blessing.
10	One of the farm’s inhabitants is a Hag in disguise. She has ensorcelled the others who live there and uses the farm as her secret base of operations.
11	The farm’s true inhabitants (roll again on the Farm Inhabitants table) have been away from home. In their absence, the current residents came to squat there and take the farmer’s food. The original inhabitants will return sometime during the PC’s encounter though.
12	The farm’s inhabitants are actually escaped fugitives lying low here in the forest until the heat dies down. They may be known to the PCs if they are infamous enough (2-in-6 chance).