Random Events for Castles

1d100	Event
01-04	Bad supplies
05-07	Rotten food stores
08-10	Fire
11-13	Excellent food stores
14-17	Training accident
18-20	Minor incursion
21-23	Minor patrol accident
24-26	Disease check
27-29	Specialist
30-32	Tax collector
33-34	Bard / caravan
35-37	Minor racial clash
38-40	Mine problems
41-43	Upkeep check
44-45	Spy appears
46-47	Dam needed
48-49	Duel, nonmagicl
50-51	Duel, magical
52-53	Moderate incursion
54-55	Knight's challenge
56-57	Crime
58-59	SANCTUARY
60-61	Severe patrol accient
62-63	Hunting accident
64-65	Moderate racial clash
66	Cleric leaves
67-68	Sage
69	Magic-user leaves
70-71	Rivalry
72-73	Obnoxious druid
74-75	Lycanthrope (town)
76-77	Expert hireling sickens
78-79	School
80-81	Alcoholic
82-83	Bard (spy)
84	New religion
85-86	Patrol attacked
87-88	Ambassador
89	Ambassador (spy)
90-91	Missing patrol
92-93	Major racial clash
94	Gray war
95-96	Lycanthrope (castle)
97-98	Asssassin
99	Emissary
00	Major incursion

Table Results
Bad supplies: The castle has received
bad supplies. The PC owner must pay an
additional 10% of the castle's monthly
upkeep to replace them (see the AD&D 1st
Edition Dungeon Masters Guide, page 25).
 
 

Rotten food stores: The castle has
received or developed rotten food stores.
All who eat from the stores fall sick (a mild
attack of a gastrointestinal disorder; see
the DMG, pages 13-14). The water source
(well, stream, lake, etc.) might become
temporarily tainted as an alternative,
 

Fire: Some part of the castle catches fire
(kitchen, -smithy, military stores, etc.).
There are 1-8 injured soldiers or castle
inhabitants who must be cared for, and
the PC owner must pay an additional 5%
of the monthly upkeep to replace the lost
equipment.
 
 

Excellent food stores: The castle steward
makes a good deal. All food stores for one
week are of excellent quality; morale (if
used) is up 10% for that period.
 
 

Paining accident: While training or on a
drill, 1-6 soldiers (65%) or 1-3 mounts
(35%) are injured.
 

Minor incursion: One or more minor
monsters, worth a total of 150 xp or less
(several orcs, an ogre, or some wolves),
enter the area controlled by the castle. If
not chased off or slain, the monsters settle
down and begin raiding farmlands.
 

Minor patrol accident: The weekly
patrol suffers a minor accident (a rider is
thrown from his horse, a soldier falls
down a treacherous slope, etc.); 1-3 soldiers
are hurt.
 

Disease check: Check for disease or
parasitic infestation of random type,
occurrence, and severity (refer to the
DMG; pages 13-14).
 

Specialist: An expert hireling (not a
mercenary) settles in the area.
 
 

Tax collector: The PC castle owner?s staff
gains a dishonest tax collector who embezzles
funds; reduce tax income by 2-5%
until the embezzler is caught.

Bard / caravan: A wandering bard visits
for several weeks for a small nightly fee;
he may have news of interest to the PC.
An alternate possibility is to have a merchant
caravan arrive with materials of
particular interest to the PC.

Minor racial clash: A minor racial clash
occurs, such as a half-orc moving into a
predominantly demi-human area or an elf
and dwarf arguing over politics. Intervention
by the PC to quell trouble will usually
solve the problem. Otherwise, a fight may
result in the near future.

Mine problems: If there is a mine in the
region, it ?plays out,? floods, or develops
other problems. If no mine exists, a small
vein of valuable ore is discovered, suitable
for mining.

Upkeep check: If the PC owner has not
paid his castle upkeep fee, he pays for it in
another way. For every 5% of the upkeep
that is not paid, one minor accident occurs
(stones from the walls give way, doors fall
off hinges, etc.). To stop these accidents,
the PC must pay double the upkeep fee
next month. Note that this will never
happen when a castellan is in charge.

Spy appears: A standard hireling
becomes a spy for a neighboring (but not
necessarily evil) local lord. The hireling
avoids causing trouble and continues to do
his job well.

Dam needed: If the stronghold is by a
river, a dam is needed to prevent spring
flooding. The cost is equal to a wooden
building (DMG, page 107). <200 gp>

Duel, nonmagical: There is an unsanctioned
duel between two soldiers, possibly
between two officers of the castle guard.
Subject to the DM?s discretion, one combatant
is killed or injured. How will the
survivor(s) be punished? What will the
relations be between the allies and underlings
of each duelist? This situation could
include any duel that does not involve
spell-casters.

Duel, magical: A duel is fought between
spell-casters who are not a part of the
castle?s staff. The duel takes place in the
nearby town or countryside; at least one
building is damaged, and some citizens
may be injured. The locals cry for justice
and vengeance. It is possible that other
local spell-casters might band together to
protect the duelists.

Moderate incursion: One or more monsters,
worth a total of 500 xp or less, enter
the area controlled by the castle. If not
chased off or slain, these monsters will
settle in and begin raiding the countryside,
eventually attacking merchant traffic.

Knight's challenge: A knight errant (4thlevel
cavalier of exceptional abilities) challenges
any fighter of equal level in the
castle to a duel, to one-half total hit points.
The knight will not leave until he is defeated
or defeats 10 fighters. If defeated, he
assists in the castle defenses for one
month (but will not go on adventures with
the PCs).

Crime: A fairly serious crime is committed
in either the castle or in the nearby
town. Those responsible may have to be
tracked down or found by investigation.
Possible crimes include robbery, forgery,
fraud, murder, kidnapping, arson, or
plotting to overthrow the PC?s rulership.

SANCTUARY: A local church gives sanctuary
to a suspected spy, thief, or other
suspected criminal and refuses to turn this
person over to the PC castle owner.

Severe patrol accident: A castle patrol
suffers a severe accident (rock slide,
washed-out road, etc.); 1d4 - 1 soldiers are
killed, 1-6 soldiers are injured, and 1-4
mounts are injured or slain. There is a 5%
chance that this ?accident? was a trap set
up by an enemy.

Hunting accident: There is a hunting
accident, and a guest or henchman of the
character is hurt. Bad relations between
the injured character and the PC may
result.

Moderate racial clash: A moderate racial
clash is instigated, and the demi-humans of
the town and castle take sides. Some of the
local humans also take sides (miners with
dwarves, foresters with elves, etc.), but
most want the quarrel to end quickly.
Intervention is necessary to end the feud.

Cleric leaves: If the highest-level cleric
serving the castle owner is not a henchman,
he is called away for religious duty.
There will be no replacement for 6-8
weeks.

Sage: If the PC owner is a spell-caster, a
sage is attracted to the area because of the
character?s academic reputation. This does
not mean that the sage will take service; it
just means that he will be in the area and
available for consultation. The sage might
also visit the castle frequently to talk with
the character, to trade information, or to
be part of the happenings of the court.

Magic-user leaves: If the highest-level
magic-user in the castle is not a henchman,
he leaves to further his career. No
replacement is immediately forthcoming.

Rivalry: A stiff rivalry begins between
the two highest-level NPC spell-casters at
the PC?s court. Both trade insults, attempt
to embarrass the other, and may even
attack each other. The servants and students
of each defend their master, adding
to the problem. Intervention by the PC is
necessary to prevent an escalation of the
problem.

Obnoxious druid: A mid- to high-level
druid comes to the PC castle owner with
severe demands to curtail deforestation,
overgrazing, or magical tampering with
the weather. He becomes a pest at court,
but he may find sympathy with some
residents in town.

Lycanthrope (town): A lycanthrope,
posing as a town guard, normal merchant,
or some other person in frequent contact
with people, begins murdering townspeople.
Paranoia and hysteria strike the town
when the murderer cannot be found.

Expert hireling sickens: An expert hireling
in the character?s pay (such as an
armorer) becomes seriously ill and cannot <The Smith>
perform his normal duties. If not healed,
the NPC will eventually die. The DM
should select any serious disease from the
AD&D 1st Edition DMG, pages 13-14.

School: An NPC henchman requests 
permission to set up a school or guild
within the castle. Greater interest could be
added if the NPC is of an unusual NPC
class (such as one found in the Best of
DRAGON® Magazine anthologies).
    <Witch>
    <The Anti-Paladin>
    <Samurai>
    <Healer>
    <Berserker>
    <Ninja>
    <Alchemist>
    <Archer>
    <Bandit>
    <Bounty Hunter>
    <Nun/Friar>
    <Necromancer>
    <Duelist>
    <Jester>
    <Scribe>
    <Smith>
    <Diviner>
    
Bard (spy): A bard entering the area is a
spy. Through the use of his talents, he
attempts to get important information
from hirelings of the castle owner, otherwise
appearing to be friendly.

New religion: Clerics and followers of a
new religion request permission (or simply
begin) to settle in the area.

Patrol attacked: A hit-and-run attack is
made on one of the castle patrols by bandits,
wolves, etc. The outcome of the fight
and casualties are left up to the DM.

Ambassador: An ambassador from a
neighboring lord approaches the character
for one of the following reasons: to band
together against a rival lord; to form a
joint expedition to hunt down bandits or
humanoid raiders; to form a trade agreement;
to settle a border dispute; to look
for a wanted criminal or monster; or to
invite the character to a tourney, wedding,
or festival.

Ambassador (spy): An ambassador from
a neighboring lord feigns good intentions
while actively spying on the character and
undermining him in any way (such as
secretly harming or killing hirelings or
other diplomats, or spreading rumors and
lies about the PC).

Missing patrol: An entire patrol is missing.
The DM must decide what happened
to it, though there is a 40% chance that
the patrol is merely very late, having run
into some sort of serious trouble on its
rounds.

Major racial clash: There is a major
racial clash, either resulting in a riot,
murder, arson, or other serious crime.
Intervention is required to prevent further
bloodshed and fighting. As an alternative,
a feared monster or character (such as a
stone giant) attempts to move into the area
to make a living for itself. This monster is
not necessarily hostile.

Gray war: A gray war (a conflict
between two rival thieves? or assassins?
guilds or between two secret religious
cults) begins. It may be well under way
before the character is even aware of it.
The secret war will eventually snowball
and create numerous problems for the PC
castle owner.

Lycanthrope (castle): A castle official,
unaware of a hereditary disorder he possesses,
begins monthly attacks on castle
guards, valuable war horses, important
guests -- possibly even the PC owner. He
reverts to his normal form by day, ignorant
of the nightly attacks.

Assassin: If there is no assassins? guild, a
free-lance assassin goes to work for the
best price. He should be very difficult to
find or even reach. One of his first targets
is a friend or ally of the PC owner.

Emissary: An emissary from a nearby
race (demi-human or other) comes to
court. Delicate diplomacy is called for;
good role-playing may result in an alliance
or other large gain. Bad role-playing may
result in a major loss or even a war for the
PC castle owner.

Major incursion: One or more powerful
creatures, worth a total of 10,000 xp or
less, enter the area controlled by the castle.
If not immediately chased off or slain,
these monsters will eventually attack the
castle directly and attempt to loot it, either
slaying or capturing all its inhabitants. As
an alternative, the DM may substitute a
major outbreak of plague, a devastating
fire in the castle or nearby town (or in the
surrounding lands), or a similar event. It is
possible, too, that this event is helpful ?
the monster that arrives may be of good
alignment and be able to help the PC in
some manner.

[Other sources on information on events
for castle owners include: "Meanwhile,
Back at the Fief..." and "Armies From the
Ground Up," in DRAGON® issue #125; "The
Life and Death of a Castle," in issue #121;
and the "Events and Encounters" chapter
in Oriental Adventures.]

MAY 1989