d20 Ronin Arts Modern 101 Occult Events.pdf

101 Occult

events

by James Maliszewski

Introduction

While science teaches us that the world is

an orderly and predictable place, obeying natu-

ral laws that never vary or change, those on the

front lines of the occult wars know better. For

them, the world is not merely stranger than we

imagine; it is stranger than we can imagine. The

odd, the inexplicable, and the downright impos-

sible are common occurrences for the men and

women who have chosen to fight in the shad-

owy battles that rage just beneath the surface of

21 st century life. They encounter events that

defy science every day. Indeed, some seem to

attract these events, as if they were magnets of

the weird.

Whatever the truth, there can be no denying

that occult events can and do occur. While

many are minor and easily ignored—rains of

frogs, the recurrences of certain numbers—oth-

ers are not so easily dismissed. To do so would

be to deny that human experience, no matter

how bizarre, has any value and to retreat into a

comfortable but dogmatic Dark Age no better

than those benighted times when superstition

and fear reigned supreme. If the occult wars are

to be won—or at least contained—humanity

will have to face up to the fact that our much-

vaunted science is woefully inadequate to the

task of describing the universe. The sooner we

come to grips with this awful truth, the better.

U SING T HIS P RODUCT

101 Occult Events is intended to serve sev-

eral purposes. The simplest use is as a

Gamemaster’s tool, a way to add mystery to an

occult-themed D20 Modern Roleplaying Game

campaign. The GM can select a handful of the

events offered here and sprinkle them sparingly

into his adventures. The events need not tie into

the adventures’ plots—in fact, they work best

when they do not—to create red herrings, mis-

direction, and hint at the notion that there are

things going on that the characters cannot hope

to understand. Of course, the GM can also

select occult events that do tie into his adven-

tures’ plots. Doing so can provide ways to pres-

Requires the use of the d20 Modern™ Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Modern

101 Occult events

ent information in an unusual or non-linear fashion,

as well as to heighten the players’ sense of ignorance

at the forces at work behind the scenes. Either way,

these occult events can add spice to any adventure

and, under the right circumstances, can spur spin-off

or side adventures, thereby making the GM’s job

easier.

Another use for the occult events is in conjunc-

tion with the Fortean Magnet feat presented in this

product. This feat enables a character who possess-

es it to “bring about” occult events on a limited

basis. The events presented here can be used with

this feat, since they are wide-ranging and generic

enough to fit into most adventures, whatever their

subject matter. Fortean Magnet gives players a small

amount of control over the game world, which is

essential, especially in occult campaigns where so

much happens in the shadows and without the char-

acters’ knowledge.

Finally, the occult events in this product can

serve as examples and inspiration for the GM in cre-

ating his own events. By and large, the benefits and

impediments that these events provide are small, no

more than a +/-2 bonus/penalty to d20 die rolls or a

minor magical effect that lasts up to 24 hours. No

effect should be permanent, as such things should

not happen without the GM’s specific decision to

include them as part of the development of his cam-

paign. Some events provide no benefit or impedi-

N EW F EAT :

F ORTEAN M AGNET (O CCULT )

Strange events inexplicably occur wher-

ever you go.

Benefit: One per game session, you may

ask the Gamemaster that an occult event occur

in your presence. If the event is beneficial to

you, then nothing further is required. If the

event is detrimental to you, the GM must

compensate you with a bonus action point.

This action point functions exactly like all

other action points and its use falls under all

the same guidelines and restrictions as others

of its kind.

Special: At the GM’s discretion, this feat

can only be selected at 1 st level or after there

is sufficient justification for the character’s

manifestation of Fortean magnetism (being

cursed, acquiring an occult artifact, a near-

death experience, etc.)

ment and it’s hoped the examples here will show

how even such seemingly insignificant events can

be used to good effect in a D20 Modern Roleplaying

Game campaign.

the Occult Events

The occult events presented here use a very simple format. First, there is a description of the event in

broad terms, including any game mechanics needed to use the event. Second, there is a parenthetical

notation indication whether the event is beneficial or detrimental for use with the Fortean Magnet feat

presented above. Some events have no notation, meaning that the GM is free to use it either as bene-

ficial or detrimental, depending on how he chooses to present it in his game.

1. Raindrops run up a window instead of down, cre-

ating a pattern that the characters can recognize

with successful Intelligence check (DC 12). The

exact nature of the pattern is up to the GM and

the specifics of his current adventure.

(Beneficial)

2. The wind seems to carry the faint echo of scream-

ing voices. Characters who make a successful

Listen check (DC 15) can make out what the

voices are saying, as determined by the GM.

(Beneficial)

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101 Occult events

3. A character experiences a sudden muscle cramp

(-2 to attack rolls and Dexterity-based skill

checks for 1d6+1 rounds) every time he passes

through a doorway of a particular locale.

(Detrimental)

4. In the middle of a normal conversation, one char-

acter inexplicably uses an utterly unfamiliar,

alien word for a normal concept. Depending on

the GM’s wishes, the word can be a clue or just

an oddity. Whether the word is in a knowable

language is also up to the GM. (Possibly bene-

ficial)

5. Two (or all of the characters) have the same

dream. (Possibly beneficial)

6. A character experiences déjà vu upon entering a

room for the first time. (Possibly beneficial)

7. One of the characters suffers a few minutes of

missing time. He cannot remember what tran-

spired during those minutes, except possibly

through hypnosis, magic, or similar means.

(Beneficial or detrimental)

8. One of the characters’ watches stops dead—or

goes backwards.

9. A coffee stain on a map circles the place the char-

acters are going next—but the map is a new one

and no one has ever put a coffee cup on it.

10. An old wound or scar begins to bleed again. The

character suffers 1d6 points of damage.

(Detrimental)

11. A character finds a coin on the ground minted in

the year of his birth. If he keeps it, he automati-

cally succeeds on his next rolls, whatever it is,

after which the coin becomes useless.

(Beneficial)

12. The characters stumble across a monstrously

huge spider web containing a “colony” of

dozens of spiders, seemingly cooperating in

capturing prey.

13. As far as the eye can see, darkness falls during

the daytime for a period of 1d8+2 minutes. The

darkness is so complete it that all creatures

within it gain concealment (20% miss chance).

(Beneficial or detrimental)

14. A black cat crosses a character’s path. If he does

not make an effort to find another route, he suf-

fers a -1 penalty to his next d20 roll, after which

this minor curse ends. (Detrimental)

15. A poisonous fog (Inhaled, DC 14, 1d2 Con/1d4

Con) suddenly rolls across the landscape and

lasts for 1d4 hours before dispersing.

(Detrimental)

16. A photograph a character has taken no longer

shows one or more people or objects that had

previously been visible. (Detrimental)

17. A photograph a character has taken now shows

someone or something that had previously not

been visible. (Beneficial)

18. Mysterious lights emanate from the sky without

any obvious source.

19. A telephone line a character attempts to use goes

dead without cause. (Detrimental)

20. A character receives an anonymous telephone

call from a mechanical-sounding voice that pro-

vides him with a small piece of information he

had been searching for. (Beneficial)

21. A bush inexplicably bursts into flames.

22. An unknown body crosses the path of the sun,

creating a partial eclipse for 1d4 minutes.

23. Burning cinders fall from the sky. Characters

must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or suffer 1d6

points of damage. (Detrimental)

24. Every animal within sight of the characters sud-

denly freezes in its tracks and then bolts away at

top speed, taking their owners, if any, along

with them.

25. Strange lights appear on the surface of the

Moon. A successful Intelligence check (DC 15)

can discern a pattern to the lights, possibly a let-

ter or symbol. (Beneficial)

26. The image of a ghostly town, complete with

people, appears as the characters travel through

a desolate area. The image fades as soon as the

characters approach it.

27. The characters encounter a surprising number of

redheaded people over the course of a single

day.

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28. A great shadow of some object or creature falls

across the ground, although there is no evidence

of its source.

29. A meteorite falls within a few feet of the char-

acters.

30. A brownish-red substance, resembling blood,

pours from the faucet of the next sink a charac-

ter uses.

31. An otherwise stationary object (like a rock or a

tree) moves from one location to another while

the characters are not looking.

32. A number (such as 23) keeps popping up again

and again. (Possibly beneficial)

33. A character finds an old newspaper containing

an article of relevance to their current activities.

(Beneficial)

34. The characters hear loud footsteps following

them wherever they go, but cannot discern any

source for them.

35. A character experiences jamais vu , the feeling

that something you should be familiar with is in

fact unknown to you. The GM determines what

the character forgets, while its length is 1d6

hours, after which the character’s memory

returns. (Detrimental)

36. A character receives a misdirected email whose

contents pertain to his current activities.

(Beneficial)

37. Someone mistakes a character for another per-

son. (Possibly beneficial or detrimental)

38. A small child stares at the character and points

toward something of interest to him, without

saying a word. (Beneficial)

39. A computer disk, CD-ROM, or other electronic

storage device a character is carrying becomes

inexplicably corrupted and utterly unreadable,

although a successful DC 30 Computer Use

check will reclaim 50% of the data.

(Detrimental)

40. A character encounters an old acquaintance

whom he has not seen in years. (Possibly bene-

ficial)

41. A character briefly sees another person’s face

when he looks into a mirror. The other person

mouths something that the character can lip read

on a successful Intelligence check (DC 18).

(Beneficial)

42. A character sees a pair of eyes staring at him

from a darkened window. If investigated, there

is no sign of anyone (or anything) at the win-

dow.

43. The characters hear a song that is of pertinence

to their current activities. (Beneficial)

44. A character finds a coin lying face down. If he

picks it up, he will automatically fail his next

roll, whatever it is. (Detrimental)

45. While passing through or near a graveyard, a

character feels an urge to look at a particular

tombstone and finds it bears his name. He suf-

fers a -2 penalty to his next d20 roll.

(Detrimental)

46. A black rain falls for the next 1d4 hours.

47. Someone approaches a character to ask for

directions. As it turns out, he intends to go to the

same place the characters are currently headed,

although for a different reason. (Possibly bene-

ficial or detrimental)

48. A character gets a fortune cookie whose fortune

pertains to his current activities. (Beneficial)

49. A freak snowstorm occurs during the summer

months.

50. A character suddenly gains the ability to speak a

foreign language for 1d4 hours. (Beneficial)

51. A swarm of rats comes streaming out of a near-

by storm drain and heads straight for the char-

acters. The rats are harmless but they do draw

attention to the characters, as well as frighten

anyone adverse to them. (Detrimental)

52. A thunderclap knocks a painting off a wall,

revealing a hidden compartment or safe behind

it. (Beneficial)

53. A bolt of lightning fells a tree within sight of the

character.

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54. A character suddenly sees strange writing appear

in the air around the head of someone he meets. A

successful Decipher Script check (DC 18) allows

the character to understand its meaning but not its

source. (Beneficial)

55. A character sees a person on the street suddenly

wink out of existence.

56. A character witnesses a car crash—and finds that

one of the two cars has no driver whatsoever.

57. A person the characters are pursuing trips, falls to

the ground, and immediately dissolves into a pool

of salt water and clothing. (Detrimental)

58. A character’s gun jams, because a small crystal is

in the firing chamber. (Detrimental)

59. An elderly person of an ethnicity uncommon in

the area the characters are traveling approaches

them and makes a cryptic statement about them.

(Possibly beneficial)

60. A character finds a sheet of paper on which are

written the final scores of baseball games that

happen tomorrow. (Possibly beneficial)

61. When the character awakes from sleep, he finds a

note written in his own handwriting that contains

a clue to his current investigation. (Beneficial)

62. With a successful Spot check (DC 15), the char-

acters can see that they are being tailed by two

men in black. Once spotted, they disappear and

never return.

63. The characters stumble across a dead dog whose

internal organs have been surgically removed.

64. While surfing the Internet, a character inexplica-

bly gains access to a restricted government net-

work for 1d4 minutes, after which he is shut out.

(Beneficial)

65. A field near where the characters are currently

staying manifests a crop circle for the first time.

The circles continue on a regular basis as long as

the characters are in the area and stop when they

leave.

66. A character wakes up with a small piece of parch-

ment inscribed with the Hebrew word emet (truth)

on his forehead. A successful Knowledge (arcane

lore) check (DC 15) reveals that it is one possible

activation word for a golem.

67. The next time a character buys a used item of

any sort, he finds written on it somewhere the

name of its previous owner: Nikola Tesla.

68. The next three times the characters attempt to

call Department-7, they get a wrong number—a

different wrong number each time. (Possibly

detrimental)

69. The characters see themselves doing something

at a distance. If they go to the place where they

saw themselves, they find no one but will see

themselves looking back at them from their pre-

vious location.

70. A wounded character inexplicably heals 1d8+1

hit points after he touches his wound with his

own hand. (Beneficial)

71. The characters encounter someone with a

vicious scar in the center of their forehead,

which, if asked, he says he acquired when he

drilled a hole into his head to “let out the evil

spirits.”

72. After encountering a devout priest, one of the

characters suffers stigmata for 1d6 days. The

wounds do 1d4 points of damage each day, after

which they cease. (Detrimental)

73. A television psychic describes events uncannily

like those the characters are experiencing. If the

characters contact him, he will, with reluctance,

admit that he made up his entire “vision.”

(Possibly beneficial)

74. One or more of the characters catches a non-

fatal disease unknown in their part of the world.

(Detrimental)

75. The characters encounter what they believe is an

animal (lion, tiger, chimpanzee, etc.) escaped

from a zoo, only to discover that the town has

no zoo and never has.

76. The radio in the characters’ car briefly plays a

radio show from fifty years in the past.

(Possibly beneficial)

77. A successful Spot check (DC 12) reveals a wal-

let in the gutter. The wallet belongs to a relative

of a person the characters are seeking or inves-

tigating. (Beneficial)

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