Disapproval Table Extension (WIP)

[oncelor]

We've been playing for about 20 months and I've found that the disapproval table is getting a little old-hat, so I'm working on an extension to the table. My idea is that every time a disapproval comes about the cleric would make a 10% check to see whether he rolls a flat result on the extension table, though I might say there is no chance of the extension table with the cleric's disapproval level is below a certain threshold. I'm posting my current ideas for this extension table here. I'm looking for disapproval ideas that are more permanent in nature and possibly affect the cleric's allies as well. If you've got any ideas, please post 'em!

Note: DP = Current disapproval level

• Any currently ongoing spells that were cast by the cleric this day are immediately ended.
  
  No spells for 1 round / DP.
  
  Must sacrifice most valuable possession. If 3d20 < DP, must sacrifice all possessions.
  
  Vow of silence. Cannot speak for remainder of the day except to pray or cast spells. Violation results in loss of spells for remainder of the day.
  
  Lamentation. Cleric must cry out as loudly as possible, wailing in sadness, for 1d3 rounds. If 5d20 < DP, must wail for 1d3 months. Failure to do so results in loss of spells for remainder of the day.
  
  Bite the Thumb. The cleric must bite the thumb of one hand for 1d30+DP rounds. Failure to do so results in loss of spells for remainder of the day.
  
  All members of the cleric's party that are the same alignment as the cleric suffer a -2 penalty to all action rolls for the next hour unless they stone the cleric to death. If 4d20 < DP, the duration is one week.
  
  Blind. Cleric is struck blind for 1d4+DP rounds.
  
  The cleric's entire party is struck blind for 1+DP/5 rounds.
  
  Any currently ongoing spells that were cast by the cleric are immediately ended.
  
  Cleric ages 1+DP/3 years.
  
  Lose a follower.
  
  Encumbrance. Cleric must gather and carry useless weight sufficient to slow his movement to half for the remainder of the day. Failure results in loss of spells for the day. No further spells may be cast until this weight is gathered.
  
  Spoil. All food in a 10'+10'xDP radius spoils.
  
  Blood. All water within 100'xDP radius of cleric becomes putrid and bloody.
  
  Frogs. Frogs appear to disturb the party's sleep this night; they get no rest. If 3d20 < DP, frogs disturb the party for ten days.
  
  Maggots and Lice. All party members are infested. Lose 1d4xDP/3 hit points each morning until character can bathe fully-immersed in clean water.
  
  Flies. A 30' radius cloud of flies follows the party for the remainder of the day. Any wound suffered within this cloud incurs +1 HP per DP/4 as the hungry flies eat away at the wound.
  
  Pestilence. The cleric and all creatures that can see the cleric must make a DC 10+DP Will save or suffer a disease chosen by the GM.
  
  Boils. All members of the cleric's party that are the same alignment as the cleric suffer temporary -DP/4 PER / -DP/4 STA. Stoning the cleric to death removes this penalty immediately.
  
  Hail. A storm gathers in the vicinity of the cleric 1 turn later and lasts until the start of the next day. If 3d20 < DP, the storm is historically destructive.
  
  Locusts. A cloud of locusts follows the cleric for the next 1d20 days and consumes all food and vegetation in the vicinity.
  
  Darkness. Magical darkness surrounds the cleric to a radius of 5'+2xDP' for 1 turn.
  
  Snakes. DP snakes magically appear and attack the cleric's party.
  
  Rebirth. Cleric is swallowed up by a magically conjured creature or hole and spends the next 1d3+DP/4 days suffering at which point he emerges with one hit point.

[cjoepar]

These are great, Onceler.

[Skyscraper]

Cool idea. A lot of interesting results in that table. Vow of silence is particularly amusing and perhaps my favorite. As a judge, I'd mention to the player that anything he says that I can even remotely think comes from his character, will be considered breaking the vow of silence. That way, the player can only describe what his PC does. The minute he provides an opinion on something, I consider that to be in-character, even if it was meant for the other players. Of couse this will bring laughs at the table

Encumbrance is very interesting, opens the door to interesting story ideas.

Loss of spell(s), loss of a valuable possession, blindness, spoiling food or water (blood), and most other calamities are really interesting, very flavorful and inspire the story.

What I'd avoid:

I think I would avoid disapproval effects that affect the cleric's party. I'd always target the cleric, because he is the one who did something to irk his god. Of course, you can have some that incidentally affect the party. For example, the "snakes" result can be that the snakes attack the cleric. We assume that the party will defend him, but they have the option to leave him alone to fend for himself Maggots and lice, could presumably infest other party members, but would initially be on the cleric only. Etc...

There's also the thing about defining "the party". What if they're with someone from town that tags along for some reason? What if this person is a henchman? What if this person is a spy working for their enemy? "The party" is a meta-creation for use in gaming. Disapproval is a story element affecting one character in the game. I'm not fond of crossing one with the other.

I also think that some party members will specifically want to dissociate from the cleric's god. Why affect them?

This concept aside, "bite the thumb" appears a bit, um, un-god-like. I would reconsider that one.

But overall, great stuff.

[Skyscraper]

Oh, as for suggestions, I think I'd consider god-specific ones? Specific to the cleric's god of course.

E.g. if you have a sun god, perhaps the cleric gets a major sunburn (can't sleep for 48 hours), or shines bright light for 12 hours; if the cleric has a god of nature, perhaps he sprouts twigs and leaves all over his skin or he attracts animals that feel forced to mark their territory on him... That kind of stuff.

Your idea is so good I'd consider increasing the disapproval chances to 50% of landing in that list, 10% appears low, don't you think?

[marshal kt]

Oh, as for suggestions, I think I'd consider god-specific ones? Specific to the cleric's god of course.

E.g. if you have a sun god, perhaps the cleric gets a major sunburn (can't sleep for 48 hours), or shines bright light for 12 hours; if the cleric has a god of nature, perhaps he sprouts twigs and leaves all over his skin or he attracts animals that feel forced to mark their territory on him... That kind of stuff.

Your idea is so good I'd consider increasing the disapproval chances to 50% of landing in that list, 10% appears low, don't you think?

For a nature god, I'd have animals come up and beg for food, or pester the cleric all the time; even at the worst possible time.
Raccoons and other scavenging animals especially. After the 1st, then more would follow.

Of course, harm couldn't come to the animal either.

[oncelor]

This concept aside, "bite the thumb" appears a bit, um, un-god-like. I would reconsider that one.

Thanks for your comments! I guess I don't mind inconveniencing/hindering/harming the entire party since they so often benefit from the cleric, but I can see how this might not be a popular design decision. I found an article that mentioned that biting the thumb was a druidic means of avoiding evil / curses, and since one of the two clerics in my current campaign is a druid it seemed thematic enough.

[oncelor]

For a nature god, I'd have animals come up and beg for food, or pester the cleric all the time; even at the worst possible time.
Raccoons and other scavenging animals especially. After the 1st, then more would follow.

Of course, harm couldn't come to the animal either.

I like it!

[oncelor]

We had the first of these come up in play in our last session on Wednesday. I rolled "snakes" and tweaked the rule on the fly so that the cleric had to spend the next five rounds of combat vomiting up snakes that then tried to attack her. The druid came over and cast "snake charm" several times and now has some new pets. This is how I introduced the existence of the divine disapproval extension table to my players. I'm will keep the contents of the table a secret in the hope of making it seem more terrifying.