The OSRchivist

Rediscovering the magic of old school roleplaying.

RPGaDay 2025 04: Message

Today’s topic is “message”. I have to admit, I was a little stumped to write something here! In the end, I figured to create a little random table of possible message delivery methods. I wanted to use my d30 again, so I made a table escalating dramatically in the higher numbers. That way, if you want more grounded suggestions, you can just roll a d10. If you want only out-there results, add 10. If you want to go hog-wild, add 20!

1–10 Normal 11–20 Wacky 21–30 Gonzo
1 Carved in a tree 11 Carved in a tavern table 21 Carved in a dead body
2 Stuck in a bottle 12 Stuck in a ming vase 22 Stuck in a Faberge egg
3 On the back of a map 13 On the back of a rug 23 On the back of the King’s royal portrait
4 Appearing in smoke 14 Appearing in the clouds 24 Appearing in the stars
5 Whispered from a nearby alleyway 15 Shouted from the rooftops 25 Declared in a booming voice from the sky
6 Seen in a dream 16 Seen in a drug haze 26 Seen in a prophetic vision
7 Heard through a rumor in a pub 17 Heard from a town crier 27 Brought by appointed messenger
8 Found in a scroll on a desk 18 Found in a book in the library 28 Found etched in a newly discovered ancient monument
9 Appears when a letter is held over flame 19 Appears when a letter is held in moonlight 29 Appears in wounds over the PC’s back
10 Sent through carrier pigeon 20 Sent through griffin postal worker 30 Sent through an angelic messenger

Look forward to more RPGaDay posts throughout the month! RPGaDay Setup