The Christmas Day DM Toolkit (Roll-and-Run OSR Tools You Can Use Tonight) (YouTube Video Transcript)

(00:00:00) Your YouTube transcript will appear here (00:00:03) Merry Christmas. That is Christmas. (00:00:07) Of course, you know, good luck keeping (00:00:09) your table alive between leftovers, (00:00:11) travel, somebody's dog barking (00:00:15) in the next room, you know. (00:00:20) And here's the deal. Today's video is (00:00:22) pure DM tools. (00:00:24) Ready to use roll at the table material. (00:00:28) No prep talk, no theory lecture, just (00:00:31) tools. (00:00:33) By the end, you should have a cold open (00:00:36) you can start with instantly, rumors (00:00:39) that generate play, NPCs that come with (00:00:42) problems attached, (00:00:44) and counter twists that stop fights from (00:00:46) feeling (00:00:48) sy (00:00:51) and a drop in mini situation. you could (00:00:53) run (00:00:55) tonight if you're not sleeping off the (00:00:58) Christmas festivities. Now, these tables (00:01:02) that I'm going to show you, consider (00:01:04) them samples. (00:01:06) You should I'm going to upload this, by (00:01:08) the way, uh to the general folder. It's (00:01:11) going to be a Dropbox folder. I'll (00:01:14) include a link in the show notes. I'll (00:01:16) include a link as a pinned comment. (00:01:19) I'm going to upload it in word format so (00:01:23) you can literally (00:01:26) change up everything and anything to (00:01:29) suit your campaign. (00:01:32) That's what you should do. (00:01:34) These are examples. Then it might not (00:01:37) fit your campaign. That's fine. (00:01:42) Make them fit. Change it up. It's your (00:01:46) table. (00:01:47) This is your tool. So, the first one is (00:01:52) cold opens. I have this as a D6. (00:01:57) Uh, a wagon wheel snaps on the bridge. (00:02:00) The river below is loud, fast, and cold, (00:02:02) and something bangs from inside a (00:02:05) covered crate. (00:02:08) This is the in what they call it in (00:02:11) media res. when the session starts and (00:02:15) the players are in the middle of it. Um, (00:02:20) move on. Like just example number five. (00:02:22) A local priest begs for help then (00:02:25) quietly admits the victim is guilty and (00:02:27) deserves it. You want things that will (00:02:32) make your players have to think, make a (00:02:37) decision. (00:02:39) So now we also have rumors that create (00:02:41) decisions. Now, this is a 2D6 chart (00:02:48) and the rumors are short. (00:02:51) Okay? And it's 2d6. It doesn't start at (00:02:54) one, right? It goes 2 to 12. And they're (00:02:57) built to force choices, not just deliver (00:03:01) more. (00:03:04) Okay. A roll of two. The old road is (00:03:07) open again. It's also claimed. (00:03:11) Um, a safe ruin is safe because (00:03:14) something already ate everyone else. (00:03:19) The sheriff was hiring to pay you is (00:03:20) good. The job is (00:03:23) dirty. (00:03:26) So (00:03:28) these (00:03:30) add (00:03:32) something to your session. And again, (00:03:37) the minds are open. The miners aren't (00:03:39) coming back. (00:03:41) Well, is there something for the players (00:03:43) to investigate? You're giving them (00:03:46) leads. You're giving them decisions, (00:03:53) patrons with hooks, (00:03:56) and maybe you want a longer list. Maybe (00:03:58) your d6 should be a d12 or a 2d6 or (00:04:01) whatever. (00:04:03) Again, these are just (00:04:06) tools. Your toolbox needs to be prepped (00:04:11) for you. (00:04:13) The inkeeper needs protection from (00:04:16) bandits who are actually unpaid (00:04:18) soldiers. (00:04:20) The traitor wants an escort but won't (00:04:23) say what's in the locked chest. (00:04:26) The scholar wants one specific item and (00:04:29) offers cash but also offers dangerous (00:04:33) information. (00:04:38) How about some encounter twists? (00:04:42) The enemy is running a scam. Half are (00:04:44) fake guards, half are pickpockets. (00:04:48) A third party arrives late. Are they (00:04:51) going to help the PCs? Are they going to (00:04:54) help? This is for urban environment type (00:04:57) of things. Are they going to (00:05:02) attack the PCs? (00:05:05) Are they going to stand by and wait to (00:05:06) pick up the pieces (00:05:09) after the combat is over? (00:05:12) The enemy is starving and desperate, not (00:05:14) brave. Maybe (00:05:17) maybe they can be bought. Maybe they can (00:05:21) be fed. (00:05:24) Twists make things (00:05:27) different. They make things less (00:05:30) stagnant. And not every encounter needs (00:05:33) a twist, (00:05:36) but as a DM, you've got to learn how to (00:05:40) add spice when spice (00:05:43) will assist. (00:05:48) So, travel pressure (00:05:52) and I would say D roll a d6 per overland (00:05:56) segment. how what you're deciding as a (00:05:59) DM how long a a travel portion that is. (00:06:04) But this keeps wilderness travel from (00:06:06) becoming. (00:06:08) We walk and nothing happens. (00:06:11) Every meaningful travel segment, it (00:06:14) could be a day, could be a watch, could (00:06:17) be a hex. Roll a d6. (00:06:20) There could be a delay. The world clock (00:06:22) advances. (00:06:24) Something could get drained. Ration, (00:06:26) spoil, or spill. Ammo breaks. (00:06:30) Torches get wet. (00:06:32) A mount strains or sprains. A leg (00:06:38) goes lame. (00:06:40) Discovery. Find something useful but (00:06:42) risky. Could be shelter, a stash, a (00:06:45) clue, a shortcut. Demand. there's a toll (00:06:49) or you're crossing a border or a patrol (00:06:53) or even simply a local custom that must (00:06:56) be obeyed. (00:06:58) Danger, an encounter, but not (00:07:01) necessarily or always. Combat (00:07:04) could be a hazard dilemma. You got to (00:07:08) choose A or B. (00:07:10) one will cost time (00:07:15) but be more safe. (00:07:17) You know, it's it's that time versus (00:07:20) safety is stealth versus speed type of (00:07:22) deal. But give them a choice. (00:07:27) Choices matter. (00:07:33) The uh (00:07:36) one roll NPC D6 plus (00:07:41) One sentence roll ones for a usable NPC (00:07:44) and give them one sentence that reveals (00:07:46) what they want. (00:07:48) A trait and a need. So they could be (00:07:53) quiet and over and observant. So it's a (00:07:56) clerk who noticed something illegal (00:07:59) needs the party need to confirm it (00:08:01) before their silence. (00:08:08) dropped in many situation. You could run (00:08:10) this tonight (00:08:12) [clears throat] and this is not a plot. (00:08:14) It's a situation with pressure, a (00:08:17) location and competing interest. (00:08:20) So frostbound toll house or whatever you (00:08:24) want to make it could be a bridge (00:08:27) uh um (00:08:29) could be a raft crossing or ferry (00:08:31) crossing. (00:08:33) A tall house on an old road is (00:08:35) collecting fees again at the years of (00:08:37) abandonment. The problem the toll (00:08:39) collectors aren't exactly alive and (00:08:42) they're enforcing a contract (00:08:45) nobody remembers signing. (00:08:48) What's true? The tall house is staffed (00:08:50) by three collectors. (00:08:53) They could be undead. They could be (00:08:54) cursed. They could be masked enforcers. (00:08:59) They demand a toll, (00:09:01) coin, goods, or a favor owed. Um, a (00:09:06) local merchant may have quietly hired (00:09:08) him to reduce banditry and now regrets (00:09:11) it. (00:09:13) That would be if they were masked in (00:09:15) forces and the road is safer, but the (00:09:19) price is escalating. What the party can (00:09:22) do? They can pay and pass. (00:09:25) It's easy now, potentially ugly later. (00:09:28) They can fight, which is fast, loud, and (00:09:31) will have consequences. (00:09:34) Negotiate. (00:09:36) They could expose the merchant. (00:09:39) They could find the original contract, (00:09:42) which points to a ruin, a shrine, (00:09:47) old courthouse. That could be the (00:09:49) adventure in and of itself there, or (00:09:51) another part of the adventure or another (00:09:53) lead. The collector's offer. If you (00:09:56) won't pay coin, you may pay service. (00:09:58) Retrieve the ledger from the old ruin. (00:10:01) Return it unopened. So again, we talked (00:10:05) about door A, door B, right? We talked (00:10:08) about giving your players options or (00:10:12) choices that matter. (00:10:15) This is it. They handing it to you in in (00:10:18) a box, but just you got it. (00:10:22) And uh (00:10:27) what else we got here? What else do we (00:10:29) got? (00:10:32) Um (00:10:34) quick OSR friendly stat sketch. This is (00:10:37) like this is system neutral. All right. (00:10:41) But for the collectors, three of them (00:10:44) AC, I don't know, chain plate, whatever (00:10:47) works. Hit dice two could be more if (00:10:51) your players are a higher level. Adjust (00:10:54) it to your party. (00:10:57) Uh attacks weapon or chilling touch if (00:11:01) they're undead. (00:11:03) Morale high unless the contract is (00:11:05) threatened. (00:11:07) They will not pursue beyond the road (00:11:09) boundary unless paid to do so. (00:11:16) Now the merchant (00:11:18) would have higher muscle. That's if this (00:11:21) escalates (00:11:22) they would be leather chain if they are (00:11:25) going to be tougher like the one hit die (00:11:28) again adjust it as your party needs are (00:11:32) morale average but would break if the (00:11:36) merchant is exposed. (00:11:39) These are (00:11:41) situations. (00:11:42) The party, your players, turn this (00:11:47) into the adventure. (00:11:51) All right. If you want any piece of this (00:11:53) today, tomorrow, this weekend, next (00:11:56) week, in a month, (00:12:00) whether it's the cold open, the travel (00:12:02) died, the tall house, you make up your (00:12:05) own tables. (00:12:07) Tell me what happened. (00:12:09) The best part of DM tools is seeing how (00:12:13) different tables spin the same (00:12:17) raw material, same concepts (00:12:21) into completely different chaos. (00:12:27) Folks, (00:12:30) I wish all of you a very merry (00:12:33) Christmas, (00:12:34) a happy new year, a happy Hanukkah, a (00:12:37) holy holiday season. (00:12:40) Again, there will be a link for this to (00:12:44) what you see up on the screen. It's (00:12:46) going to be in the show notes. It's (00:12:47) going to be as a pinned comment. It's (00:12:50) free for all. (00:12:52) Enjoy your holiday (00:12:54) and I will return tomorrow. (00:12:58) God bless.