Spes Magna Games

Issue I of Quid Novi? hits subscriber in-boxes shortly after midnight EST! If you’re not subscribed, there’s still time. Just enter your name and e-mail address in the subscriber form in the sidebar. Here’s a taste of what you’ll be missing if you’re not subscribed:

Recommended Reading: Gaming Tables at http://chaoticshinyproductions.com/

No, this site doesn’t sell game-related furniture. Rather, “Chaotic Shiny is a generator site aimed at people who write, game, or live in fantasy worlds of their own creation.” Well, I fit at least two of those three categories. I figured odds are good you do too. Chaotic Shiny has lots of generators. Here’s a brief sample of what I came up with just a few clicks:

Five Constellations:

1. These twelve bright stars form the shape of an old man. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant during winter, when it appears setting towards the Southern horizon. It is opposed by the constellations representing a hemlet, a bat and a torch. Those born under it are known for their courage.

2. These eleven stars form the shape of a sword. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant on the summmer solstice, when it appears rising from the Northeastern horizon. It is close in the sky to the constellations representing a howling wolf and a soldier. Those born under it are said to be secretive.

3. These fifteen bright stars form the shape of a scepter. The constellation represents a tale of betrayal. It is most significant during spring, when it appears setting towards the Southwestern horizon. It is related to the constellations representing a hound, a ship and a dog. Those born under it are often impulsive.

4. These seven stars form the shape of a sorceror. The constellation represents a villain foretold in prophecy. It is most significant on the winter solstice, when it appears halfway towards the Southern horizon. It is usually interpreted together with the constellations representing a mountain and a face. Those born under it are considered ill-omened.

5. These seven stars form the shape of a longbow. The constellation represents the power of a certain god. It is most significant during autumn, when it appears halfway towards the Northern horizon. Its story involves the constellations representing a crossroads and a raven. Those born under it have an affinity for the element of fire.

One Medieval Army: This army is famed for its highly precise formations and the use of falchions. They often rely on elementals and local heroes. They are famous for their long history of great victories and for their pride. Each regiment contains 30 sections of 30 soldiers. They have a very loose chain of command, with ranks based on election by subordinates. At present, they are on the verge of a mutiny.

And One Treasure Trove: Fifty black veils, one large swatch of buffalo fur, one ruby gem, nine very large gilt tridents, one steel dire flail, one bottle of sky blue liquid, one grey-blue scale, one yew mink figurine, one tiny hammer, thirteen blue-green flowers, fourteen huge lead-tipped rowan halberds, one gilt warhammer and thirteen fiery red belts.

Most of the generators have a “copy” feature for easier cutting-and-pasting.

But Wait! There’s More!

Chaotic Shiny offers a newsletter subscription that comes with four free PDF products. Three of them are collections of themed tables for taverns, traders, and terrors, respectively. You also get a preview of Martial Flavor. The tables PDFs are collections of tables (most using d6s) with themed descriptive elements. Roll enough times and you can piece together an interesting description for a tavern, for example. If you’re stuck for description, just toss a d6 or two. Let’s try. I rolled a 2 and 5 on the first two patron tables. The result: “The man is heavily cloaked but you see evidence of recent wounds.” Now there’s a conversation starter!

According to the site, Martial Flavor includes five “unique martially-themed subcultures for your 4e D&D game, with over 50 pages of background and the feats, class features and utility powers to back them up.” I’m not a 4e gamer, but I’m always looking for good ideas, no matter what the system. The Sijarra Preview you get with your newsletter subscription looks pretty complete to me at 11 pages. It includes narrative fluff text, a detailed description of Sijarra culture, some reasonably good art (mostly black-and-white line art), lots of suggestions about how to integrate the Sijarra into your game, and several utility powers and feats. I can’t make any claims about the balance of the powers and feats since I don’t know 4e well enough to comment, but I could easily adapt most of this document to just about any fantasy RPG.

To sum up: Lots of on-line generators and a newsletter with useful, free stuff. What’s not to like?