ALDERAC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESENTS ULTIMATE TOOLBOX

WRITING AND DEVELOPMENT DAWN IBACH JEFF IBACH JIM PINTO

ADDITIONAL WRITING DALE C. MCCOY, JR. EDITING JANICE M. SELLERS
COVER ART MATTHEW ARMSTRONG GRAPHIC DESIGN DAVE AGOSTON JIM PINTO
INTERIOR ART JONATHAN HUNT CARTOGRAPHY ED BOURELLE
CREATIVE MANAGER JIM PINTO PRODUCTION MANAGER DAVE LEPORE

SPECIAL THANKS BRUCE ALDERMAN JANEL BISACQUINO JON HODGSON AMANDA JOSE SARAO ANGELO SARGENTINI
DEDICATION FOR ERIC WUJCIK, WHO INSPIRED US ALL

Copyright 2009 Alderac Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.

Printed in Canada
 CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter seven

plot (GM ONLY)

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 CHAPTER SEVEN
Table 77: Getting the PCs Together Table 721: Unique Rewards
1 All related or from the same village 1 Access to a library or sage
2 Bound by charter or contract 2 Ancient or forgotten song
3 Common goal or membership 3 Answer to a troublesome riddle
4 Common social class 4 Citizenship or voting rights
5 Conscripted or press ganged 5 Council seat
6 Down to last few coppers 6 Family heirloom or rare antique
7 Former/current rivals 7 Forgotten book or lost lore
8 Grew up in orphanage 8 Glory (parade in your honor, etc.)
9 Hand-picked by king 9 Hidden truth or terrible secret
10 Highly patriotic 10 Honorary medal or title
11 Hired by local lord known for his fairness 11 Land or estate
12 Owe favor to a particular NPC 12 Magical secret
13 Paying off a debt 13 Monument in honor of deeds
14 Received a mysterious letter/invitation 14 Mount/Steed of impeccible breeding
15 Rival families working off blood-oath 15 Rare formula or ritual
16 Served in army or aboard a ship 16 Religious relic or unholy artifact
17 Serve the same church or patron 17 Seat at table of the king (or important noble)
18 Survived the same tragic event (ambush, etc.) 18 Ship, with or without crew
19 Worked together before 19 Slaves or concubines
20 Wrong place at the wrong time 20 Treasure map

Table 717: Patrons, Generic 4* Table 750: Gossip About a City/Town

1 Soft-hearted queen 1 Almost wiped out by disease a few years ago
2 Strategic merchant 2 Best or worst brothels in miles
3 Stuttering lady-in-waiting 3 Best or worst manners and hospitality
4 Suspicious bodyguard 4 Buildings have unusual architecture
5 Tenacious collector 5 Cemetery has a high rate of undead
6 Thick-skinned herbalist 6 Citizens known for violent tempers
7 Tireless paladin 7 Filled with cheats and liars
8 Tyrannical captain 8 Flooded every spring
9 Ugly mercenary captain 9 Has an assassins guild
10 Unkempt sage 10 Home to the most beautiful woman
11 Venerable courtier 11 Makes the most deadly poisons
12 Wanted criminal 12 Makes their own spirits
13 Wealthy merchant 13 Mayor is a scoundrel
14 Worldly captain 14 Outrageous taxes on imports
15 Worrisome teacher 15 Regularly attacked by nearby monsters
16 Xenophobic dwarf 16 Retired adventurer(s) live there
17 Wandering cleric 17 Starting a gambling hall
18 Wide-eyed vizier 18 Visited by a series of unsolved murders
19 Wise mage 19 Weapons are banned from confines
20 Zealot priest 20 Wont deal with outsiders
* A patron may have a secondary objective beyond
what he or she hires a PCs to do
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Table 7 25: Villains
1 Bangorot: Master cultist who seeks the means to destroy a powerful artifact of good and light
2 Bella Gnor: Former cleric of the god of valor who grew corrupt and greedy
3 Bitarra: Fireball throwing wizard that wants to burn everything down to the ground
4 Ceratin: Thief wronged by one too many dwarves who now wages a secret war
5 Commander Sabian: Military leader from a now conquered nation leading an insurgent campaign
6 Cryntona: Corrupt priest who seeks to destroy all knowledge eon a ancient trapped god of good
7 Drognor: Former physician became obsessed with death and now is the master of poison
8 Hiirta: Blight druid of the Bleak Cabal who seeks to corrupt a power node lay line to darkness
9 Jadesinger: Witch in the mountain that seeks a way to maintain eternal youth
10 Khalvok Estendis: Corrupt magistrate of large city who helps release caught thieves from the guild
11 Klopfen Bloodguard: Champion of a dark god, raised to follow the cult's dark desires
12 Longekalt Staze: Pirate of the high seas, raised to value the coin more then the value of close friends
13 Lungalis: Seeks to raise an army to defeat a leader that once humiliated him long ago
14 Mercutio Tramtola: Wields sorcerous powers from a demonic pact for hire against nobility
15 Mishka Hakira: Jealous student of arcane arts who uncovered a book of forbidden spells
16 Nascarlith: Master illusionist who uses both sorcery and alchemy to hide any traces of crimes
17 Rhumtal Lectrotis: Former high priest of the god of the dead turned necromancer at large
18 Skiltar Rhume: Lecherous puppetmaster of local beggars and owner of a seedy theatre house
19 Wykurt Sevian: Accidentally drank a poison and survived but it drove him insane
20 Yuntaris: Peerless archer of the east, now hires out his crew as a long-range assassins

Table 729: Brute Details

1 Agebaloen Lock Picks Diveeye: Half-elf street rat who spent most of his youth in various prisons
2 Aralcuag Dead Shot Dawntracer: Elven archer who fights for coin instead of racial honor
3 Braighn Cutman: Hobgoblin axe-wielder known for hacking at his foes long after they are dead
4 Eradin Scars Kaulman: Human sword thrower covered with scars who brags of his many kills
5 Frelk Slatefighter: Hairless human brawler known for his signature Unarmed Death Strike
6 Heinrick Jameson III: Human rapier fighter who frequently wears flamboyantly-colored clothes
7 Ilurars Bruiser Coralbane: Slow and dimwitted half-orc with the strength of two men
8 Jamie Blood Dagger Farhunter: Human (with ogre blood) known for her murderous past
9 Kayle Raven Hair Risian: Half-elf archer known for her precise shots and signature fletchery
10 Little Torr" Steelbattler: Dwarf almost as tall as a human and an excellent sword fighter
11 Lyle White Skull Proudbarrel: Bald dwarf with a white skull painted on his head
12 Nidohuit Quiver Shothunter: Human adopted by an elven barbarian tribe; hunts dwarves for sport
13 Penel Bloodloss Greenbottle: Angry human woman whose rosy lips are frequently poisoned
14 Reenreen Pigaxe Brownbarrel: Fur covered troll said to have a wild boar for a father
15 Rotob One Ear Gembuilder: Hobgoblin axe man who lost an ear when a bugbear bit it off
16 Tireghaeb "Double Daggers Jadeflame: Elf known for plucking out the eyes of her victims
17 Two Punches Grimbreaker: Human ravager, well-trained in the art of bare-handed fighting
18 Ungar Long Beard: Dwarf said to have strangled two men with his beard before it was shaved off
19 Wykirk Tattoos Simien: Bugbear who tattooed the faces of her first three victims on her back
20 Zhang Green Tooth: Half-orc whos physical strength is only matched by his horrid teeth

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Table 736: Evil Wizard Names Table 746: Villain Affectations, Objects
1 Aduiz the Visionist 1 Animal skin belt and boots
2 Agnakir Chamari 2 Badge of station or superiority (orb, etc.)
3 Aleshian the Cabalist 3 Chains worn as bandoliers
4 Bondiak Seeneye 4 Decorative arm bracers
5 Casonlon Apparition 5 Expensive clothing or impeccable dress
6 DeTlakar Circalis 6 Falcon on his arm
7 Derelith Conjuris 7 Gold-rimmed monocle
8 Girithiav Oozemein 8 Ineffective, but ornate breastplate
9 Inklooria Magicztome 9 Inlaid and ornate iron crown
10 Klamentile the Theurgist 10 Intelligent, loyal, and sentient familiar
11 Kylvayne Windmaster 11 Obnoxious jewelry (rings on every finger, etc)
12 Lycias Veinweaver 12 Ornate jewelry
13 Mariuk Spellbinder 13 Pair of massive hunting dogs on a chain
14 Pentalis Boneburner 14 Personalized, exotic, high-quality weapon
15 Serefyn Furyflame 15 Pocket watch or timepiece
16 Skelryn Mistmaster 16 Signet ring with personal mark
17 Solnaryz Phantasmist 17 Top hat
18 Succent Blooddry 18 Unholy or desecrated symbol
19 Thasalian Onecast 19 Walking stick with hidden blade
20 Wuiliar Curseman 20 Well-used book of quotations and prose

Table 740: Hidden Agenda Table 762: Clues 8

1 Acquire political power seat 1 Specially-ordered perfume/cologne
2 Alliance with evil faction or race 2 Specific book missing from library
3 Bound by blood oath or debt 3 Spell book with wizard's private sigil
4 Confusion 4 Spell components for a specific charm
5 Deconstructtion or societial experiment 5 Spell components for a specific illusion
6 Destruction of local church 6 Tattoo indicates affiliation or magic
7 Disorder 7 Torn banner with clan symbol or heraldry
8 Earn favor of a cult or secret society 8 Torn scroll with address
9 Enslavement of particular peoples 9 Unfinished letter to loved one
10 Genocide 10 Unfinished novel with locations and names
11 Keep army busy, fed, or trained 11 Unfinished painting with hidden meaning
12 Main goal is a diversionary tactic 12 Unfinished song on an old parchment
13 Overthrow of local government 13 Urn with message painted around lip
14 Placate an even more powerful villain 14 Visit from a mysterious interloper
15 Quietly usurp the magical power of another 15 Wagon wheel tracks lead up to wall
16 Revenge for an unperceived slight 16 Water spills between cracks in stone floor
17 Spread fear of the unknown 17 Wax impression of a key
18 Universal mysteries 18 Wax stamp with monogram or heraldry
19 Unknown (magically coerced or otherwise) 19 Well-made, custom mask or disguise
20 Unleashing a powerful ritual 20 Withered old map to someone's home

21
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Table 775: Quests
1 Charter a ship to a dread sargasso to discover the fate of a legendary pirates lair
2 Discover a lost oasis and return an ancient heros flesh to stone
3 Discover the fate of a needed sage and wizard by searching the remains of his tower
4 Discover the ingredients to an antidote for a poison which has been resistant to healing
5 Dispose of a rulers scepter in a whirlpool of lava to break his tyranny
6 Escort a powerful merchant group to a town of wealthy pirates in seas of danger
7 Explore an old dragons cave to verify stories of its demise
8 Explore the tunnels unearthed by a previously hidden secret door
9 Find a riverside cave hinted at in bards song to discover a lost lake of prehistoric creatures
10 Follow a map created by a blind astrologer to learn the truth of a prophecy
11 Follow a map to a supposed abandoned or lost dwarven gold mine
12 Free a mountain pass from the marauding of some giant cave insect and its brood
13 Pass through the Ice Caves to discover the lost well of the rainbow pool, a key to immortality
14 Penetrate the deepest glade of a nearby forest to gain an audience with the treant and dryads there
15 Rescue a powerful weapon smith jailed in a rival city and return him to forge an item of rule
16 Slay a dragon large enough to craft dragonscale shields for the kings personal elite guardians
17 Steal the all-seeing eye of a trio of hags for manufacture in a powerful magic item of redemption
18 Stop an evil satyrs blood curse on a forest stream to win an audience with the elf princess
19 Travel to an imprisoned island to return someone or something turned to gold at the shrine
20 Traverse a maze of the vampire crypts; find the mummy buried in an ancient tomb of a lost empire

Table 782: Secrets 4

1 The Land of Kaloria is so cold everyone who dies there finds their spirit trapped in crystals of ice.
2 The Land of Turnbel trains Eldritch Knights to one day fight the armies of the apocolypse.
3 Loremasters of Kryton possess the knowledge to speak the true language of arcana.
4 Making an arrow tip from the rib bone of a dragon creates a dragonslaying arrow.
5 The mayor of Loftwick is the only man to ever escape from the prison of Abreinth.
6 The mayor of Serdoon honored the woman who spurned him by petrifying her in his garden.
7 Mirrors crafted with silver frames are gateways for devils.
8 Mixing holy water and wine heals wounds from fiends as a potion of cure moderate wounds.
9 Moskos the wizard has perfected a potion to cure lycanthropy.
10 The mysterious assassin The Cloaker is actually the illusionist Atlorn.
11 The noble family Khyyrst hires bards to tell false tales of their greatness.
12 On the scalp of the pirate Tharus Belgrun is a treasure map leading to Diamond Isle.
13 Rangers of the Vormus Craggs can meld into stone.
14 The dark red fog over the plains of Karlainth corrupts all who touch, turning them to chaotic beasts.
15 Rengarth Abbey teaches monks a mystical style of sorcery and martial arts.
16 The Ruins of Gnar were once a great fortress commanded by a mortal who ascended to godhood.
17 Ruland the druid has a pair of dire leopards as animal companions.
18 Satyrs brew an alcohol that can mimic any alchemical elixir.
19 Scribing arcane spells with the feather of a phoenix produces empowered versions.
20 Seven elder air elementals wait to dispense wisdom to those who ascend Mount Hollai.

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Table 7100: Job Postings 2
1 Discover who poisoned a recent shipment of wine
2 Discover why a barbarian tribe attacks travelers moving through a valley
3 Encode secret messages for the King and help keep our country safe
4 Escort aristocrat to find lost pirate treasure
5 Escort dwarf merchant on trip to neighboring city
6 Explore a recently discovered island
7 Explore a tower others say moves across the landscape
8 Explore and map ruins of an ancient city
9 Extra guards needed for a local celebration
10 Find out why wolf pack attacks on nearby farms have suddenly increased
11 Find the pass through the mountains that the goblin tribes use
12 Flood washed away family heirlooms; need someone to locate and return objects
13 Get back stolen wizards spell book
14 Goblin translator needed for court case
15 Guard an important caravan train heading across borders
16 Guard nobles while hunting
17 Help bolster the city watch as important ambassadors come to town
18 Help clear out Kobolds and their traps out of the new mine to earn a great reward
19 Help quell riots over recent overthrowing of the ruler
20 Hunt down a monster that has been plaguing local roads

iN OTHER WORDS
Ricardo Montalban realized early in his
career that the best type of villain does
not see himself as villainous. He may
do villainous things, but the character
feels that he is doing them for righteous
reasons. Likewise, with heroes, Montalban
said he always tried to find a flaw in the
character because no one is completely
good or completely evil.

The best antagonists think themselves the

protagonists of a story. Many tragedies
explore dark characters, showing vile
people getting away with the worst crimes.
There is so much gray between absolute
good and absolute evil, it is impossible to
define anyone with these terms. The best
villains started in a tavern just like you.

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 CHAPTER SEVEN

ENCOUNTER DESiGNER
Especially useful for fleshing out a travel sequence or making a city or community come to life,
this form focuses ideas and themes for interesting encounters that showcase your world, make a
trek seem worthwhile, or liven up a city when a character gets sidetracked. The best partmost
of the answers to this form can be found by flipping to any page in this book.

This chart was originally designed to bridge the gap between the quick travel sequence (the
Indiana Jones red-line style) or the detailed (and often bogged-down) trip where the GM
describes every mile in excruciating detail. The party can travel just long enough until it comes
upon some part of the world you want to showcase. Its specifically designed so that every
encounter card should not (and need not) lead to combat. When the players are presented with
options and decide to move on or ignore the encounter, thats their loss.

First, decide what type of encounter it is (it could have multiple entries). Is it a Challenge, likely
to lead to combat and confrontation? Is it strictly a Roleplaying encounter where no real combat
stats are required at all? Is it Static, set in a singular location only, or is it Dynamic, occurring
anywhere the PCs are at the time its needed?

Then, what is the encounter for? Is it an interesting scene to show off something important
to the players? Who is the opponent or roleplaying encounter with? Is it some sort of trap or
pitfall? What is the goal or purpose of the thing in question? Is it providing or hampering passage
through an area? Is it imparting or withholding important information or resources? Does it want
to encounter the party or simply avoid it?

Where is the encounter taking place, a city or town? The wilderness? By a river, at the base of a
mountain, along a well-worn road? Some of the charts in here could even suggest another plane
or by a dungeon entrance!

Then there are the how and when of the encounter. This is where you can throw in a little plot
twist or complication to make the encounter more interesting. This also includes interesting
environmental effects.

In your encounter notes include a summary of the purpose and use for the encounter or a page
reference for pertinent rules.

Take the information sparked above by the different categories and write yourself a little narrative
at the bottom summing up the purpose and use of the encounter, or a note to jog your memory
to a page in a rulebook with information pertaining to the encounter.

Finally, think about some generic non-combat skills that may come into play and circle them and
brush up on their use.

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 CHAPTER SEVEN

ENCOUNTER DESiGNER
Challenge Roleplaying
Static Dynamic
WHO
OPPONENT

Monster / NPC
Scene / Trap

WHAT
GOAL

Passage / Info
Resources / Avoiding

WHERE
LOCATION

City / Forest
Dungeon / Other
MOTIVE

WHY

WHEN
COMPLICATION

HOW

ROLEPLAYiNG SKiLLS

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 CHAPTER SEVEN

PLOT OUTLiNE
Campaign Name _______________________ GM _______________________________
Unique Campaign Hook _________________ Campaign Theme/Tone _______________
_____________________________________ __________________________________

Plot En Route
Plot _________________________________ Getting There _______________________
Adventure Core Location _______________ __________________________________
Meeting Location ______________________ __________________________________
Instigation ____________________________ __________________________________
Story Goal ___________________________ Clues _____________________________
Patron _______________________________ __________________________________
Reward ______________________________ Paths _____________________________
Relevant Gossip _______________________ __________________________________
_____________________________________ Complications ______________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________
Secrets ______________________________ Twists ____________________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________
Secret Keepers ________________________ Surprise Ending _____________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________

Villain Encounters
Villain ________________________________ __________________________________
Vilain's Goal___________________________ __________________________________
Hidden Agenda ________________________ __________________________________
Trigger _______________________________ __________________________________
Weakness ____________________________ __________________________________
Tricks ________________________________ __________________________________
Lair _________________________________ __________________________________
Affectations ___________________________ __________________________________

Henchmen ____________________________ __________________________________

Brute ________________________________ __________________________________

Misc
_____________________________________ __________________________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________
_____________________________________ __________________________________

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USiNG THiS CHAPTER

Adventure Awareness
15 Post: A public post asking for the meeting or job to be completed
Meet Me At The
15 Stone bridge
Patrons, Generic 4
18 Wide-eyed vizier
Adventure Instigation
18 Someone going wants group to join them
Connections
8 Deception: One goes along with anothers plans to learn enough to take the originals place
Adventure Location 2
4 Mountain of
Adventure Location 3
17 Eternity/Forever
Getting There,D etailed
8 Between two warring nations
Story Goal
10 Infiltrate a difficult location
Villains
5 Commander Sabian: Military leader from a now conquered nation leading an insurgent campaign
Villain Goals 2
15 Revenge
Villainous Names
10 Gitario the faithless
Henchmen
3 Brainwashed sycophant
Villain Affectations, Personal
8 Extremely handsome or beautiful
Personalized Reward
5 Favor of the king

The adventures notice a posted parchment asking for interested scouts to meet someone at the
old bridge at midnight. There, they meet Johan, a wide-eyed vizier bearing a badge of the kingdom.
You will be escorting his ward, Hoscath, to the Mountain of Eternity far to the west between
two warring kingdoms. [Secretly, Hoscath is going along to learn enough to return and take old
Johans place at court.] Johan ensures the party a favor of the king. Johan tells the party the evil
Commander Sabian is there plotting something evil, and he wants the group to infiltrate the place.
Sabian was in the army of one of the warring nations until late. In the mountain lair hes attended
by his loyal bodyguard, Gitario the faithless, little more than a brainwashed sychophant. Sabian is
very charismatic and likely has many followers.

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