Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission
Some deaths are worthy of legend, of heroes falling battling countless foes or performing great acts. Other deaths are so embarrassing that they are best forgotten. This is ten deaths by accident, incompetence and misadventure that will only make their way into a bardic tale as a source of humour.
Accidentally spills oil over themselves and ignites it, causing them to go up in flames.
Clothing catches on something, causing them to fall badly and break their own neck.
Goes to sheathe their sword and misses, accidentally slicing their own leg open and severing an artery.
Slices their own hand with a blade to which they are applying poison, fatally poisoning themself.
Stumbles and falls, breaking their neck when they land.
Tripped over their own feet and fell over, impaling themselves on their own weapon.
The ceiling collapses on them after a misaimed blow hits a weakened upright.
The head of their mace flies off as they swing it and smashes their own skull.
Their crossbow violently disassembles itself, sending parts flying into their skull.
Turns in their saddle and falls off their horse, breaking their neck.
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Here are six rumours for characters to hear in or about Festival in Castorhage, also called the Blight, of the Lost Lands setting. They could hear these rumours whilst asking around for other information, or stumble across them in other ways. Whether or not a rumour is true, false or somewhere in between is up to the GameMaster. The rumours can be used as a source of background colour, misinformation or as potential adventure hooks.
Almost half of Festival is covered by the Crimson Lantern, the city’s red-light district. As well as the more normal pleasures pursued, there are rumoured to be even stranger ones sought, and provided for, with some of the most illegal being available, albeit not openly, in some of the darkest corners of the district.
Festival is a huge, artificial island built on top of a low hill in the Great Lyme River. It’s rumoured that recently parts of the island have been suffering from structural issues, with a number of poorly-maintained locations plunging into the river as a result.
Festival is notorious, both within and without Castorhage itself, for the various scams that are run on the unwitting. Most of these scams are simply intended to separate the gullible from their money, but it’s rumoured that there are a few being run with much darker outcomes.
Freakshows are hardly unheard of in Festival, and some have more than a little fame. It’s rumoured that there are darker freakshows that can be found tucked away in out of the way parts of Festival, where true horrors and freaks can be seen. Given what can be seen at normal freakshows, there is speculation about just what might be so bad that it couldn’t be shown in such.
It’s rumoured that someone in the Jaunt is building their own private little empire within Festival, and no-one has been able to stop them so far. It’s also said there’s a substantial price on this individual’s head from those who would prefer that they be convinced to cease their operations, preferably by removing said head from their body.
Those unfamiliar with Festival can easily get lost in the district, which can cause a host of problems, as there are people willing to prey on them in various ways. Even worse, sometimes people get lost because of the effects of Between on the area, and those that get lost that way are rarely seen again.
This product contains intellectual property of Frog God Games LLC under license. Such intellectual property is considered Product Identity under the terms of the Open Game License provided by Wizards of the Coast.
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Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has four rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Use that can be found with creature descriptions in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.
A thuman has been encountered on the roads and behaving strangely. It’s watching those who apss by carefully, and sometimes is launching attacks if they go in a certain direction, though stopping as soon as the direction has changed, or the thuman is at risk. Some wonder if the thuman is protecting its master in some way.
Terahydras have been raiding an outlying village, flying down from their nests to swoop off with the village’s livestock, and sometimes other things. The behaviour is a bit odd for tetrahydras, as they seem to be acting in cooperation with each other and selecting specific targets, as well as continually raiding the same place.
Travonis ul are walking appetites from an unknown world that constantly look for cellular matter to eat. They are intelligent, but so alien that no-one has been unable to understand how they think. Travonis ul are also far too dangerous to try to communicate with, but that isn’t always enough to stop someone from trying. A Nano believes that, despite lacking any known ability to communicate, travonis ul can communicate and wants to capture one to try and talk to it.
Varakith are insect like creatures that nest underground and which are surprisingly intelligent. They are normally found alone or in pairs, but there are rumours that beneath the surface are larger realms of varakith, where the creatures live in dozens, if not hundreds.
The Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has ten rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.
According to legend, the first dragons were made by Lotan, a legend that vastly annoys any dragon who’s asked if it’s true, and an annoyed dragon is a fearful sight. However, it’s rumoured that part of dragons’ annoyance at the question is because it is true, and that because they were created by Lotan, Lotan still has the ability to control them.
Demons of Lotan are spirits of the dead transformed by Lotan into demons. They have no flesh and can possess others, and recently it’s said there’s been an upsurge in such possessions, suggesting that more demons of Lotan are active. Worse, most demons of Lotan strive only to cause as much harm as possible, but recently they seem to be acting with some kind of goal in mind other than random destruction.
Dlamma egg fragments are said to insulate against the effects of magic, which makes them greatly sought after by adventurers, as well as others. It’s rumoured that some dlammas have grown tired of people hunting for egg fragments, though, and have started taking measures against such expeditions.
Giants are a dangerous problem for Ardeyn, for gigantism is a curse whose sufferers are perfectly human most of the time, and often unknowing of their behaviour as giants. It’s rumoured that a group of people has started hunting down anyone known to have had a giant anywhere in their ancestry, or even suspected to have one, and killing them, in an attempt to wipe the curse out.
Hydras incorporate useful heads from their victims into their body, where they eventually become as happy as the other heads. It’s rumoured that there is a hydra with a vast number of heads that it has acquired over many years, gaining a great deal of arcane knowledge as a result, making it both incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly dangerous.
Kray were shown how to get past the Seven Rules of Ardeyn by the Betrayer, and today the creatures plague the recursion. It’s rumoured that the number of kray being encountered in Ardeyn has been steadily increasing over the years, and there’s a fear that they are still coming in from the Strange.
Monitors are remnant Qephilim of Silence that went into hiding when the Incarnation of Silence disappeared. According to most, they haven’t been seen in centuries. However, there are rumours that some have seen a number of monitors congregating in out of the way places, and wonder if they have gained new knowledge about their Incarnation.
The Betrayer, the former Incarnation of War of Ardeyn, makes several hundred homunculi, broadly in his own semblance. Most noteworthy are the translucent ones, which are the greatest of their kind. It’s rumoured that there is one of their precursor homunculi, one that looks identical to the Betrayer, hiding out somewhere in Ardeyn.
The Incarnations summoned the golems of Ardeyn to mobility during the Age of Myth, and many still remain, now devoid of purpose or master. Sometimes they wake if disturbed, and occasionally magic can press them into service. It’s rumoured, though, that every now and then a golem awakens and sets off for an unknown destination, and some say they are all travelling to the same place, with a definite, albeit unknown, purpose.
Umber judges are seen outside the Night Vault looking for escaped spirits, rogue necromancers and banned copies of the Gospels of Lotan. However, it’s ru8moured that recently one has been encountered that doesn’t appear to be seeking out any of these things, but looking for something else entirely.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Space in Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the organisations operating in space in Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
All ESA facilities in space are now kept under intensive surveillance in order to prevent something like the O’Neill Wars, in which they lost control of two orbital cylinders, from happening again. Even so, it’s said there are still underground movements operating on the remaining facilities that haven’t been fully rooted out, and sooner or later another rebellion will happen.
Almost 85% of the orbital workshacks and space stations have been built by the Japanese Aerospace Bureau, thanks to its ability to mass produce them cheaply and efficiently. There are rumours, though, that everything manufactured by the JAB has backdoors built in, allowing the organisation to spy on others and, perhaps, even cause damage to the facilities.
IEC took the step to move operations off Earth more than any other mega-corp, though both EBM and Araska are now pursuing the same plan. There are rumours, though, that all three corporations have been clashing over the matter, as they are fighting for supremacy in orbit.
International Electric Corporation is the second largest orbital-based conglomerate, as they have moved much of their corporate infrastructure into orbit out of fear of an Orbital/Earth war. It’s rumoured that IEC has done more than simply move their infrastructure and manufacturing facilities; it’s said they are also developing space-based weapons platforms and ships. Purely for self-defence, of course.
It’s rumoured that one of the probes into the outer Solar System discovered something unexpected, which is being kept quiet. It’s not known which organisation was operating the probe, but there are only a limited number who operate such in the depths of the system, with NASA being put forward as a possible contender.
NASA is the primary source of transport for personnel and equipment to and from Mars and is using its position on the red planet to conduct further exploration of the Belt and the outer Solar System beyond. There are rumours that as well as the known sites in operation in the Belt that NASA has a secret facility where additional research is carried out.
The USAF has had at least three deep space weapons platforms commissioned in the last five years, a matter of concern to others in space as they could easily destroy other facilities. It is also better armed and equipped than any other orbital power and is more willing to use these. It’s rumoured that they also have some secret bases out in the Belt where new weapons are being constructed, well out of the site of most of the other powers.
There are rumours about just what the Utopian Corporation is up to and just what it’s been responsible for over the tears. UC has facilities scattered across the solar system, and it’s rumoured that the corporation is manufacturing nanotech-based weaponry at some of the remoter facilities.
There have been rumours for some time that the SRC has been planning manned missions to Venus and Mercury to set up mining outposts on the planets, and some insist that the preliminary stages of these missions are already underway, though they don’t appear to be able to explain how the SRC has managed to do such without anyone noticing.
Utopian Corporation was founded when a small team of scientists from Microtech left the company after it decided to target computer technology. Since then, UC has gained a technological capacity that outstrips any other corporation. It’s rumoured that Microtech would now do almost anything to bring the wayward company into the fold, though it’s unclear how this could possibly be done.
D10: Deep Space Rumours – Organisations is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
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The Tattooed Monks splatbook for Yin Yang Panda introduces mystical tattoos and comes with six tattoos that can grant the owner additional abilities. Here are six new tattoos that can be used to add more abilities.
Ability – this tattoo allows the owner to enhance one physical ability. When this tattoo is activated with a standard test, the owner may re-roll a failed test once per day that could be considered to have used the physical ability in question. Every time the character gets an ability tattoo, they need to choose what ability it effects (strength, speed, agility etc.).
Ancestor – this tattoo allows the owner to speak with one of their ancestors. The character may make a standard test once per day to ask the ancestor a question on a subject that the ancestor has knowledge on. Each time the character gets an ancestor tattoo, they need to come up with some details on the ancestor they can speak to with it.
Charming – this tattoo allows the owner to more easily convince others to believe them and do what the owner wants them to do. When used, make a standard test to see if the NPC being spoken to reacts more favourably to the tattoo’s owner as a result.
Dreamwalking – this tattoo allows the owner to enter into the dreams of other beings. The being must be asleep at the time and known to the owner, even if they are not friendly. A standard test is needed to enter another creature’s dreams, and once there they can gain a single piece of information about that creature that they didn’t already know.
Insight – this tattoo enables the owner to gain insight about something. By making a standard test, they can get a flash of insight on something that will grant them an extra die to use on any tests related to it once per day. Every time the character gets an insight tattoo, they need to choose what they get insight on (combat, fields of knowledge, dealing with people etc.).
Vision – this tattoo allows the owner to see something they would otherwise not be able to (i.e., spirits, invisible beings, in the dark as if it were daylight etc.). Every time the character gets a vision tattoo, they have to decide what it allows them to see.
Based on Ying Yang Panda, Łukasz Kołodziej 2022, published by Skavenloft. Yin Yang Panda is based on Lasers & Feelings, John Harper 2013.
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Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has ten rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Hearsay that can be found in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.
Fishing is one of the primary sources of work and food for the inhabitants of Taracal, yet there are rumours that the fishing recently has been unusually poor. This is despite the fact that the arcology moves around and should pass through new sources of fish. Some wonder if a predator of some kind is following Taracal and devouring much of the fish.
Force walls can be beamed out from Taracal proper to create a semi-permanent bay that protects the arcology’s fleet and the secondary structures from all but the worst storm surges. Rumour has it, though, that either the storm urges are getting worse or the strength of the force walls has been gradually weakening over time.
Shinspinners are a problem on Taracal, and they need constantly keeping under control. It’s rumoured that despite best efforts, the shinspinner problem continues to grow, and that the city is looking for outside help to finally rid the arcology of the scourge before it really gets out of control.
Ships from Taracal occasionally come across vessels in need of assistance, and rescue those on them, giving them the option, if they have useful skills, a chance to join as citizens or work off their labour contracts as “bonds.” It’s rumoured that some of Taracal’s ships are the reason why the other vessels are in trouble, having attacked them in an act of piracy.
Taracal has many decks, though there is a persistent rumour of a deck that has been hidden, despite the implausibility of hiding such a thing. Despite many having checked for missing space, and finding nothing, the rumours persist of a small deck hidden, perhaps by numenera, within the others.
Taracal is an inhabited arcology that migrates across the Sea of Secrets, always remaining afloat no matter what the weather conditions. There are persistent rumours, most believe just from doomsayers, that the arcology has gradually become less seaworthy over the years, but few believe this.
Taracal’s boat fleet mostly disperses away from the floating arcology during the day, with the small raft out at sea primarily run by fisherfolk. It’s rumoured that some of the small boats are not looking for fish, but for other things, though just what these other things might be varies from teller to teller.
The Unfathomable is in an apparently permanent whirlpool that lies along the seasonal path Taracal takes. Some say that the arcology should stop floating around the Sea of Secrets and permanently settle close to the Unfathomable as is safe; naturally, not too close, just in case.
Those who gain unique abilities from the Unfathomable are not required to join Taracal’s Canonicate, but those that aren’t are carefully watched and then urged to leave, with the suggestions growing less polite over time. It’s rumoured that many of those who have left have banded together, and are considering returning to Taracal en masse to take a new place as rulers of the arcology.
Unique abilities are conferred on those who listen to the song of the Unfathomable, though using them shortens one’s life. It’s said that people keep trying to find a way to use the abilities without the consequences, and that those who try to do so always end up dying sooner rather than later.
The Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has four rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.
Eletta Salt is the vampire who is the current leader of the Code, those who pledge themselves to Law, not Chaos. It’s rumoured that a number of attempts have been made recently to get rid of Salt, but the vampire has so far proven far too wily to be taken down by any assassin.
Gloaming seems very similar to modern Earth, except that the population doesn’t like being out at night, even though most don’t know why. It’s said that those inhabitants who delve too deeply into the why of it sometimes disappear during the day as well.
The Conclave of Chaos in Gloaming consists of those beings who devote themselves to Chaos. It’s rumoured that some of the Conclave go a little too far, even by its standards, in the pursuit of chaos, going to extremes in their behaviour that endanger the others.
Those in the know about Gloaming know that there are two factions that govern the place, one being the Code. The Code is a set of rigid rules that those abiding by it follow, though it’s rumoured that they are too rigid, and that strict adherence can cause more problems than it solves.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangs of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangs of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Arzin Tynon is a new boostergang to Night City, and other boostergangs treat them with contempt. It’s rumoured that the gang is planning to make a play to not only grab some turf of their own, but to earn the respect of the other gangs. It isn’t known what they might be planning to try, but it could well be bloody.
Blood & Tears is a combat gang in the Zone noted for their trademark removal of eyes from their victims. It’s rumoured that a few people have been turning up outside the Zone also missing their eyes, and some are concerned that the gang is branching away from their home turf.
Death in the Afternoon is one of only two true Nihilist groups still operating in Night City. The gang operates out of the Combat Zone and does most of its damage outside the city proper. There are rumours, though, that recently Death P.M. has started carrying out more attacks within the bounds of Night City. It might be that they will go the same way as the third Nihilist gang, but they could still do a lot of damage on the way out.
Jack the Rippers is a nasty gang known to be responsible for the deaths of over one hundred joygirls in the last three years. Though witnesses claim the killer is one man, the NCPD has decided they are the work of a deranged gang. However, some believe that the police are definitely on the wrong track with that, and that until they start looking for a single individual, the police are not going to get anywhere.
The Edison’s are a posergang that specialises in the construction of ingenious and sadistic deathtraps and similar creations. Though most of these seem to be made for the gang’s own enjoyment, it’s said that they will also create traps for a price, should anyone have someone they want disposing of in an unusually cruel way.
The Golden Knights are a guardian gang with technology and strategies that allow them to keep a four-block area safe. It’s rumoured that some of those they’ve managed to keep out of their turf are unhappy about it, and that the gang’s leader has a substantial price on his head as a result.
The Second Comming are a former millennium cult that now believes that the Second Coming will arrive during the final episode of Combat Cabb. It’s rumoured that some of the gang’s members want to hasten this by forcing the series to end sooner than is planned.
The Tygers Claw occasionally protect the Japanese community at large in Night City, and there are rumours that they are backed by Arasaka. Though most believe the backing is purely financial, it’s also rumoured that Arasaka provides the members with cutting-edge cyberware designed to increase their speed and skills.
The Water Rats operate around Night City’s docks, and specialise in helping pirates smuggle stuff into the city. It’s said that the gang isn’t fussed about just what they smuggle into the city, as long as they themselves are at no risk of being directly harmed by it.
The Widow Sisterhood are a posergang sculpted to resemble famous beauties from past and present, and they are also assassins often hired by the corps or used as bodyguards. The Sisterhood is so close to so many powerful people that it’s rumoured that they also have a great deal of knowledge about just what’s going on in the precincts of power.
D10: Night City Rumours – Bank Block is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
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