WIP: Yearly Campaign Events

I have been thinking of making this table for a while, and right now am working on it for the Grenzland zine. The inspiration for this is of course the Campaign Event table in Oriental Adventures, which I have to say is one of the few parts of that book that can stand on it’s own. Nevertheless, while it is in general the most useful part of the book, it also is too long, too wordy, and slightly too focused on the “oriental” setting presented in that book. This is a table more geared towards a generic fantasy setting (yes, even though I added Kaiju). The table in the book also had a monthly chart, which I am still working on, and a Daily chart, which I found a bit superfluous. The results of the monthly table are nested in the yearly one, and both can interact with one another.
This table is meant to create a sort of background chatter for a campaign. No, in a lot of places player characters might not have to actually deal with what’s happening, but the rest of the region is dealing with it and talking about it.
As always, don’t see the results of this table as holy writ, but use it to flesh out the background of your campaign with events, stories, and rumors. In my experience you get the best results if you trust your dice, but if something just does not fit, don’t make it fit by force.

Procedure
1. Roll 2d6 to determine yearly event
2. Roll 1d12 (or an appropriate other die, depending on how many months are in your campaign to determine when in the year this takes place.
3. Some events take longer, roll how many months this event takes. This influences which table to roll on to determine monthly events.

2d6 Yearly Campaign Event Table

2. Good Omen
3. Birth
4. Envoy
5. Death
6. Marriage
7. Religion
8. Disaster (roll Disaster Subtable)
9. War
10. Rebellion
11. Political Plot
12. Other (Roll Other Subtable)

1d8 Disaster Subtable

2. Volcano
3. Undead
4. Inferno
5. Famine
6. Flood
7. Earthquake
8. Kaiju

1d6 Other Subtable

1. Visitation
2. Incursion
3. Comet
4. Miracle
5. Strange Phenomenon
6. Dungeon!

Explanations:

Birth: a high-ranking person in the region or beyond (in a larger realm) has a child, this is cause for public celebrations and feasting (1d6 days)

Comet: a comet apears in the sky, roll again. New yearly event will happen within 1d6 months.

Death: a high-ranking person in the region dies, either naturally (1-4/6) or by assassination (5-6/6). This involves kings, dukes, high-priests, and other personages of at least regional importance. This causes disorder in the court for 1d6 months, or with 20% likelhood a violent struggle due to an unclear inheritance situation (treat like result for War/Rebellion)

Dungeon!: The location of a heretofore unknown dungeon full of treasure, traps, and dangerous monsters becomes known.

Earthquake: takes only a few hours, but causes destruction in 50 mile radius. 70% causes Fire, Major. 40% causes plague. (compare Earthquake spell)

Envoy: an envoy is sent to another country (1-3/6) or received in the local country (4-6/6). This can be an ambassador or an important other figure that will stay in the host country for 1d10 months to talk about matters. There is a 1/10 chance the envoy is from a very exotic location and a 1/20 chance the envoy is in fact a conman.

Famine: Famine due to drought, war, or other reasons. Lasts 1d6+1 months, food prices double each passing month and will take the same amount to recover (Plague and Rebellion extend this). Marauders raid for food. 60% chance of Rebellion (see result Conflict, Internal), 20% chance of Plague following Famine. Every month of famine reduces population by 5%.

Flood: major flooding hits region, population reduced by 1-10%, 40% of famine at harvest season, 20% of plague

Good Omen: an omen generally seen as a good one appears, a new star in the sky, a dead tree lives again, etc. The harvest is bountiful. Population in the area grows by 5% over the next year.

Incursion: A large number of creatures enters the region from outside, driven to migrate either peacefully or aggressively.

Inferno: a major city is partially destroyed 2d4x10% by a huge fire. This can cause famine (20%) and plague (10%). Prices are doubled for a month, building material is 10x as expensive for 1d6 months.

Kaiju: a giant monster (e.g. the Tarrasque) or multiple ravage the land for 1d3 months. Effect like Earthquake, but repeat each month.

Marriage: the ruler of the land or his children are married in a political alliance. This is cause for public celebrations and feasting (1d6 days)

Miracle: if a disaster was ongoing it is either completely undone (1/6) or significantly reduced in results. If completetly undone treat results like Visitation

Political intrigue (5-6/6) causes tumult for 1d6 months, or assassionation (5-6/6), see entry for Death. There is a 20% chance an intrigue will develop into a rebellion per month which adds to the time it takes.

Rebellion: A rebellion (1-4/6) or political intrigue (5-6/6) causes tumult for 1d6 months. There is a 20% chance an intrigue will develop into a rebellion per month which adds to the time it takes. There is a 5% chance per month it causes a Civil War. Treat like Conflict (external) except without foreign enemy.

Religion: A new religion appears, or a notably different sect of an established one shows itself. There is a 75% chance this causes strife with established cults/religions. Establishment of the new faith takes 1d6 months. 50% chance they convert the local ruler.

Plague: a deadly disease scours the land for 2d6 months. Population of region decreases by 5% each month of plague. Prices of goods quadruple.

Strange Phenomenon: Something very notable but otherwise hard to categorize happens

Undead: The dead rise again, either by the hand of necromancy or just due to ill fate (50% chance of each)

Visitation: A god, angel, demon, or other being of considerable power is encountered at a location in the region. If seen as positive this causes a new place of worship to come in existence (20% of new religion/sect), if seen as negative this causes everyone to move away and the whole surrounding hex becomes a place of bad reputation.

Volcano: dormant (1-3/4) or new (4/4) volcano erupts, destroying everything in 5 mile radius. Volcano stays active for 1d12 months. Every month 10% chance of new eruption.

War!: War erupts for reasons to be determined. Either local country against other country/tribe/polity, or the other way around (50% chance). If affected causes famine in 1/3rd of cases. The war lasts 1d8 months. A war that lasts more than 4 months will not end this year, but will flame up again during the next spring.

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