Free Gem Generators

A while back I wrote about gems and for some reason found myself on that post again.  I'd forgotten about the gem generators I found.  I thought I'd share the two I use.

The first is from PBE Games, they have a Gemstone Generator where you select the value of the gemstone and variance.  I believe the variance is there to narrow or expand the value of the gemstones generated.  You generate 10 gemstones per push of the button and you get a nice  description of each one.

huge cracked blue jasper (60 GP)

small dull black jasper (50 GP)

tiny pink rhodochrosite (32 GP)

tiny discolored pale blue tourmaline (100 GP)

large white jade (250 GP)

pale yellow amber (400 GP)

tiny green chrysoberl (150 GP)

huge chipped purple amethyst (100 GP)

large flawed deep green jade (100 GP)

blue azurite (10 GP)

The second generator is from Chaotic Shiny Productions, home of the best gaming generators.  +Hannah Lipsky created her own Gemstone Generator.  This generator is different from the one that is part of her Treasure Horde Generator.  Still my favorite generator of all and still using it to this day to help with inspiration when creating treasure.  This gemstone generator allows you to select how many gems you'd like appraised.  Instead of giving you a value there is information about the gem.  Like what people have come to have it represent or where you are most likely to find them.  If a GM says there are five gems in the chest and wants to give them a little more detail, push the button and you'll get something like this...

The gem is forest green. It is rare. It is prized for its religious associations. It is associated with courage, stress, optimism, wealth, and rejuvenation. It is primarily found in the west.

The gem is striated cerise. It can also be found in shades of red-violet, fuschia, white, and heliotrope. It is relatively uncommon. It is commonly cut with many facets. It is prized for its hardness. It is associated with a specific bloodline, psychic abilities, fortitude, a certain historical figure, and communication. It is primarily found in the desert.

The gem is peach. It can also be found in shades of blood-red, yellow, amber, and yellow-orange. It is commonly cut with many facets. It is associated with masculinity, doubt, a certain religious figure, strength, and physical strength.

The gem is vibrant lavender. It can also be found in shades of persimmon, red-violet, and heliotrope. It is uncommon. It is commonly cut marquise-style. It is associated with earth, harmony, and peace.

The gem is pale white. It can also be found in shades of ochre, tan, yellow-green, green, and bistre. It is associated with sleep, creativity, and magical abilities.

Both are fantastic tool to use in your game.  I highly recommend going through Chaotic Shiny's list of generators.  They are lot of fun and can be a valuable to a busy GM.

Kingdom Builder

A couple of weeks ago Hannah "Swordgleam" Lipski of Chaotic Shiny Productions asked me if I would do a review on her most recent generator, the Kingdom Builder Generator Pack II and I quickly said absolutely. It's no secret that I am a fan of Chaotic Shiny's products. I did reviews for Tavern Tables and Treasure Hoard Generator, both excellent tools to add to a GMs arsenal. I'm here to tell you the Kingdom Builder Generator Pack II is probably the best one yet.

Like all of Hannah's generators this one very simple to use and provides an amazing amount variety. It uses a nine tab strip across the top to find what you are in most need of to complete your kingdom. And like her other generators you can print and save your results. It generates a lot of good stuff so you're going to want to.

I've broken the review down into the sections of the generator followed by some examples of what you can expect.

Kingdom & Hooks
One push of a button and the outline for a new kingdom is ready. This tab combines most of the other generators and creates eight categories that outline the kingdom.

Kingdom Name: Straight forward results. Some are one work where some are the Holy or the Glorious. Most of the names are pronounceable, but I have to admit there are a few names that came up I think I would hurt myself if I tried to say them.

Ruled By: You would think with a name like Kingdom Builder that you would get a list of kings? No so. There are some interesting variations. In five generated kingdoms I got a philosopher-queen, two kings, an elected official and a minister. I like these variations because it gives a GM a shot of inspiration about the kingdom. A kingdom ruled by a minster would be a very different place than one ruled by a philosopher queen.

Prominent Places: Five randomly generated names for places are listed here. This section helps flesh out the geographical features of the kingdom. There is a tab dedicated to this feature where you can generate up to fifty places. There is a feature where you can select random names or nonsense names or word names. Examples of the random names generated are Crorrana Fen, Nodan Glen, and the Taenen Wilds. Some of the names are difficult to pronounce, but you can generate more than enough to choose from. The word names are putting two known words together. Here are some examples, Starrock Peak, Steelwine Sea, and Pickwaste Canyon. Some humorous results were generated also like Meatlawn Tarn, Wifebank Plain and I kinda like this one Gloommilk Crossing. So like most of the named sections, pick and choose what you like. If nothing else it will get your wheels churning and inspire other names you might not have thought of before. The other feature in this section is you can specifially choose what geographical location you would like named. So if you have a forest, swamp or settlement you're just having trouble coming up with a name with one push of a button you can have five to fifty suggestion waiting for you.

Laws: Two to four laws of the land are generated here. This is a great feature. It lists the crime committed and the penalty of the crime. An example of one is 'the penalty for a previously convicted criminal who steals a sheep is execution'. Wow, that's some hardcore justice there. Law has its own tab and here you can generate from five up to fifty laws. It's a nice addition that can get a GM started on a law system in a kingdom. I'm not sure how often the penalty for a wizard wounding a sheep is public humiliation will come up, but it's there if you need it.

- A landless person who slanders a priest is thrown into the stocks.
- A military officer is caught smuggling wine he will pay a small fine.

Recent Events: Five randomly generated events of what is going on in the kingdom. These generated events give the kingdom a life, a movement that things are happening within the kingdom. I really like this section because not only does it provide further geographical locations it also can be a great source for adventure hooks. There is an Events tab that can create up to fifty events. And each generated event comes in two parts that could either be separate or with some imagination linked together. Here are some examples of what could be headlines in your kingdom. It doesn't take much to see how these could turn into great adventures.

- Near the northern castle a new species of trolls may have emerged and the popular religion is losing followers.
- Several people have vanished near the southwest plains and an important politician has gone missing.
- A giant has been spotted in the southern barony.

Notable Individuals: Three to four interesting characters a generated with each kingdom. These could be high profile NPCs the players interact with or are working in the background. The details of the individuals vary a great deal. A combination of any of the following could be included, profession, friends and relatives, physical description, rumors, and where he or she can be found. Some examples:

- Bat, the Flamboyant, suspicious scholar who is openly feared by the commoners. He has been quickly gaining enemies. He can usually be found at a friend's house. He is stocky with an obvious birthmark and dark skin. The dashing guard captain Anou' is his friend. The secretive priest, Possor, is his advisor.
- Cra'elae, the shadowy, alcoholic adventurer who recently had a sudden change in alliance. She has just gained a significant ally. She can usually be found in the affluent part of town. She is muscular with a pierced nose and tanned skin. The proud magistrate Orachn is her opponent.

As you can see there is fodder in there for interplay among NPCs. This is one of my favorite elements in the Kingdom Builder Generator.

Army: Every kingdom needs an army. There is some great stuff included with the personality of the army itself. What they are known for, what weapons they prefer and an estimate of troop strength. I like that it also includes what tactics they favor and if there are any current issues with the troops.

- Caenmor's army relies heavily on powerful infantry and the use of slings. They are known, to a lesser extent, for using orcs. They are famous for their terrifying armor and flashy tactics. Each corps contains 15 battalions of 350 soldiers. Currently, they are are having supply-chain problems.
- Fraz's army is famed for its quick moving infantry and the use of dirks. They have a highly informal chain of command, with ranks based on family connections.

Current Fashion: This is a nice touch for role-playing. Not normally a consideration when drudging through the intestines of a mountain, but what's more embarrassing than using last year's 10' pole. Keep up on the trends of what people are wearing so maybe you can be one on the useless people who gain notoriety by doing nothing. Seriously though, I like this addition. It adds an element I rarely think of when gaming. This is also another one that has its own tab so you can generate five to fifty styles if you wish.

- The fashion features crude, form fitting dark gold and dark blue garments. Tops are typically cropped with plunging necklines. Bodices are also customary. Diadems are popular accessories. Embroidery and pockets and chiffon are staples of the style. Upper and lower classes wear very different clothing.
- This style emphasizes pleated, billowing pale violet garments. Top are typically long sleeved with high necklaces. Brooches and headbands are popular accessories. Bright green, violet and gold are also common colors. Young adults and elderly wear very different clothing.

There is one more tab that no kingdom can be complete without. Flags. I could go into a whole Eddie Izzard skit about flags, but I won't. If you have seen Hannah's random generator for coins the flags work on the same concept. You can specify what type of flag you want whether is square, swallowtail, or gonfalon is your choice. With all the options included in this one you can pretty much make any map you want. And you can also import you own pictures to customize your flag even further.

There is so much talk about building a campaign world, the time and work that a GM is required to put into it before one session is played. The Kingdom Builder Generator can get things started by producing kingdoms even before you have a map drawn. Game system neutral so it can be used for Swords & Wizardry, OSRIC and 4th edition D&D if you so choose. Hannah's asking price for this is $3.95. With the number of hours this will save you when creating a world this is a steal. Its real simple, if you are currently building or plan on building a campaign world get the Kingdom Builder Generation Pack II.

Tarot Card Generator

Chaotic Shiny has done it again. Hannah 'Swordgleam' Lipski has created a tarot card generator that should be added to your next game and pretty much every game after that. Like her other generators, the tarot card generator is simple to use, created some very interesting results and most of all useful to any genre.

She breaks the tarot cards generation into four parts, the description, meaning, condition and what's on the back. And you are able to create one to twenty-five cards at a time. Each tarot card is also given a title. The Sleepless Fighter, The Fearful Knave, The enchanted Warlock ect...

The description is just a sentence of what is depicted on the card. I'll use the Sleepless Fighter tarot as an example for the descriptions. The card depicts a tall, pious lass with copper-colored eyes and a shortbow before dawn.

This is followed by a short esoteric of what the card could mean. It is associated with an agreement, physical strength, and wealth. Inverted, it represents fear, an accomplishment, a death, and fire.

The third section is what condition the tarot card is in. I enjoy these descriptions because often the focus is what is on the card. Hannah takes it that other step. The card has a large bloodstain.

And the final section is a short description of what is on the back. Another fantastic addition that normally is not considered. The back is dark grey on grey with a gate.

I encourage everyone to go check out Chaotic Shiny generators. Hannah has produced some of the best gaming generators I've found. And she keeps cranking out new ones. There are a ton of them that are free. And if you haven't bought her Treasure Hoard Generator I recommend you do so. I did a review of it and have been using since then. It adds a depth and odd intresting things I would not normally have come up with. So please check out Chaotic Shiny Productions webpage and have a blast playing with all the generators.

The Treasure Hoard Generator

A quick math question: What do you get when you add a treasure generator and Chaotic Shiny Productions? Answer: Treasure Hoard Generator Pack, the best treasure generator available. This is not hyperbole, nor puffery. I've tried several online treasure generators, and all have their merits, but lacked the depth to keep me interested. Hannah "Swordgleam" Lipski has developed a treasure generator that any GM will be thrilled to have in their arsenal.

The Treasure Hoard Generator has eight treasure generators that can be combined or used individually. The first generator is the Treasure Parcel, this is the one that combines all the other generators. You can set what level of treasure you want it to generate up to 30th level and it also has a random level selection if you prefer. There are eight different categories of loot that you can choose to include or not. The categories include (I'll go into more depth in each one soon) jewelry, art, gems, food, potions, artifacts, components and other goods. Right off the bat I liked the selection of categories because of how rarely I've included art or food as treasure. After selecting the level and what type of loot you want included just push the Generate Treasure Parcel and wa-la, a pile of loot to distribute.

The next tab is the Treasure Hoard. This one is interesting. You can select anywhere from 5 to 50 hoards. The hoards consist of a paragraph of stuff and things. Here is an example that was just generated: Seven sheep skeletons, one blue steel dagger, one iron box, one large eagle feather, eleven very small platinum amulets, one large container of sea green paint, forty lock picks, one birch greatclub and nine tiny occult books.

I got about nine ideas just from my first reading. Seven sheep skeletons, I love it. Now all you old schoolers out there, can you see the benefit of this generator? Nothing is detailed, but invaluable suggestions for a GM to develop into their own personal coolness.

Parts of the Hoard
Charms, you can create from 5 to 50 at a time and also select from three categories; Loose, Jewelry and D&D loot. The description of these items lends the GM a handful of ideas should he choose to develop it further.

Gems, are described like no other generator. Included along with the physical description there is information on possible properties. This gem is associated with prosperity, optimism and divine love.

Art, there are several categories to choose from or you can select random. The categories include: Painting, Drawing, Tapestry, Sculpture/Statue, Sketch, Etching, Carving/Engraving, Fresco/Wall Painting and Mosaic. I will continue to say that the descriptions create ideas for the GM to develop a history behind the piece. Maybe that small wooden sculpture of a broad shouldered, gloomy minstrel has an extensive history or a piece to a larger mystery or maybe it has something cool hidden inside.

Potions, this one generates what the potion looks and tastes like. Also included are possible side-effects. These are a lot of fun. Smokey gray and foaming slightly, contained in a brass flask with runes down the side. The potion smells like ginger and tastes like rat droppings. Side-effects may include a temporary loss of the sense of taste. One could only hope if it tastes like rat droppings.

Artifacts, has several categories plus the all popular random selection. The categories are: Any Weapon, Armor and Shields, Polearms, Bludgeoning Weapons, Bows, Swords, Armor Pieces, Full Armor, Shields and Thrown Weapons. As you can see this is not your all powerful type of artifacts, but good old fashion hardware to make the other guy bleed and to keep you from bleeding. There are great descriptions of the look of the weapons and armor and it hints at the powers and possible quirks of them. This dire flail was forged by a legendary smith to be used by healers and is covered in engravings. The grip is knotted with green leather. It allows the owners to speak with the dead.

Coins, okay this is cool. You can make your own coins. You can select the shape of them, text, what is in the center, and if there are glyphs. And if you want, you can add cracks. Why? Because it elevates the cool factor. I included a set of coins I made for Gothridge Manor. I mean if it wasn't enough that the Treasure Hoard Generator created all these great descriptions of loot it also can make custom coins.

And yet there is more. Other features included are the ability to edit the results from the inside of the program, you can print directly from the Treasure Hoard Generator, and save the results of the last 10 things you've generated.

The price of the Treasure Hoard Generator is $3.95. Easily worth the money. This is a tool you can use for any fantasy genre game; Swords & Wizardry, OSRIC, Rolemaster, Castles & Crusades, Pathfinder and all the variations of D&D. And this treasure generator will help any GM create adventures and improve existing ones. One final word, Chaotic Shiny Productions will give you a full refund if you don't like the Treasure Hoard Generator. You've got nothing to lose and only the best treasure generator to gain.