TEXT: The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 1
  Content Manager: 
  Charles Rice, Chris Davis
  Layout: 
  Chris Davis
  Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying 
  Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are 
  trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the 
  United States and other countries and are used 
  with permission. ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 
  System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms 
  of the d20 System License version 6.0.  A copy 
  of this License can be found at www.wizards.
  com/d20.
  #29
  Introduction
  Here’s a little scenario for you:  it’s a little bit before 
  dinnertime, and you get a call from your playing 
  group.  They’re all coming over, ready to play...
  tonight.   Problem is, you’ve got nothing prepared 
  -- the last time you played, your group completed 
  their latest adventure, and for whatever reason, you 
  haven’t had the time to come up with anything else.
  What are you going to do?
  The following system is provided for Modern d20 
  Gamemasters to generate adventure ideas on the ﬂy, 
  giving enough of a core seed idea to proceed.  Pepper 
  the idea that you get with some GM characters (easily  
  and quickly generated using RPGObjects’ Modern 
  Character Generator), and you’re ready to go.
  The tables provided in this issue of Modern Dispatch 
  will give a Modern d20 GM the bare outline of an 
  adventure.  That outline will have to be tailored for 
  your speciﬁc campaign.  For example, a modern 
  military campaign will have very speciﬁc needs, and 
  differ greatly from a modern campaign where the 
  player characters are police detectives.
  Modern Adventure Generator
  By Gareth-Michael Skarka 
  About the Author
  Gareth-Michael Skarka has been working in the adventure games industry since 1988.  He is the designer 
  of several role-playing games, including Hong Kong Action Theatre!, UnderWorld and Skull & Bones.  
  His design imprint, Adamant Entertainment, ventured into ePublishing in 2003, and produces support for 
  Skull & Bones, the pulp d20 line Thrilling Tales, and more.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 2
  This variance will be especially noticebale when 
  it comes to FX elements.  There are some results 
  on the tables which seemingly point to a fantasy, 
  horror or science-ﬁctional elements of an adventure.  
  However, you should open your mind and let the 
  results here lead you where it may---who’s to say, for 
  example, that the result of “Monster” might mean in a 
  Vietnam-era campaign with no supernatural elements 
  at all?  Perhaps it refers to a character like Colonel 
  Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, whose madness has led 
  him to become very much a monster.
  Learning from Screenwriting
  The basic format for the random adventure seed is the 
  dramatic core taken from screenwriting:  all plots can 
  be boiled down the following sentence:
  “The main characters must [DO SOMETHING], 
  but have to contend with [COMPLICATIONS] while 
  being confronted by [OPPOSITION].”
  This is the basic structure of any story, whether it is 
  ﬁlmed, written or roleplayed.  The variables 
  change, providing a wide array of 
  possibilities.   For the Modern Adventure Generator, 
  however, we’ll expand that basic structure even 
  further, allowing for a wider variation.  So, the basic 
  dramatic structure of our Modern d20 adventures will 
  read more like this:
  “The main characters must [DO] [SOMETHING], 
  at [LOCATION], but have to contend with 
  [COMPLICATIONS] while being confronted by 
  [OPPOSITION].”
  The main difference between the standard format and 
  the one presented above is that the location of the 
  adventure has been added as a variable, and, more 
  importantly, [DO SOMETHING] has been split into 
  [DO] [SOMETHING].  
  Let’s explain that a little bit further.
  The “do something” is the focus of the adventure 
  -- it’s what 
  drives the action.  Making it a 
  single category under this 
  system will only result in 
  64 possibilities (by cross 
  referencing two d8 rolls).  
  However, after splitting 
  the “do” (the verb) and the 
  “something” (the subject) 
  into two categories, that means 
  that each have 64 possibilities, and 
  can combine for a total of 4096 different 
  results.
  For example, take these:  “Rescue the 
  Scientist”, “Find the Treasure,” and “Defeat 
  the Monster.”  Under this new system, 
  these three focii can be split, giving you 
  those same results, but also additional ones 
  such as “Find the Scientist,” “Rescue the 
  Monster,” etc.
  This can, admittedly, lead to some odd results, such 
  as “Defeat the Treasure”....but, as a GM, that phrase, 
  which on its surface seems bizarre, begins to generate 
  all sorts of ideas for me.  What is the treasure?  Why 
  must it be defeated?  How do you defeat a treasure, 
  anyway?   Before you know it, you’ve come up with 
  an adventure detailing the character’s struggle to 
  overcome a malevolent magical ring with a life of its 
  own. 
  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it....
  How to Use the Generator
  This type of system is not intended to replace 
  planning on the part of a Modern D20 Gamemaster, 
  but rather as a springboard for the development of 
  the Gamemaster’s own ideas.   Give it a try -- I think 
  you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.
  To use the Modern Adventure Generator, the 
  Gamemaster rolls two eight-sided dice, and cross-
  referencing the results on each of 5 category tables: 
  Do, Something, Location, Complications and 
  Opposition.
  As stated before, Do provides you with the verb, 
  Something provides you with the subject.  Together, 
  they form the focus of the adventure.  Location gives 
  you where the adventure takes place, Complications 
  are those things that arise during the adventure 
  to hinder the player-character’s progress, and 
  Opposition is the force or individual that is actively 
  going against the PC’s efforts.
  Each category has 64 possibilities, so this system 
  allows for 1,073,741,824 different combinations...
  more than enough to give any Modern d20 
  Gamemaster something to work with.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 3
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  1
  Ruler
  Princess
  Treasure
  Worker
  Monster
  Creature
  Country
  Soldiers
  2
  Scientist
  People
  Citizens
  Freak
  Energy
  Train
  Police
  Assassins
  3
  Outcast
  Organization
  Enemy
  Object
  Relic
  Package
  Invention
  City
  4
  Animal
  Gang
  Secret
  Item
  Leader
  Artifact
  Vehicle
  Criminal
  5
  Company
  Wanderer
  Researcher
  Woman
  Man
  Child
  Insect
  Alien
  6
  Stranger
  Terrorist
  Driver
  Technician
  Rebel
  Government
  Fighter
  Military
  7
  Love Interest
  Thug
  Thief
  Politician
  Celebrity
  Spy
  Team
  Building
  8
  Prophet
  Aircraft
  Friend
  Wealth
  Book
  Technology
  Nature
  Contraband
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  1
  Fight
  Defeat
  Rescue
  Protect
  Retrieve
  Hunt
  Look for
  Battle
  2
  Aid
  Talk with
  Find
  Attack
  Assist
  Defend
  Take
  Join
  3
  Arm
  Sell
  Buy
  Combat
  Guard
  Save
  Watch
  Create
  4
  Escort
  Chase
  Oppose
  Meet
  Ally
  Resist
  Kill
  Revive
  5
  Entreat
  Journey with
  Rally against
  Check
  Investigate
  Support
  Destroy
  Change
  6
  Move
  Track
  Amuse
  Enchant
  Dispel
  Injure
  Drop
  Comfort
  7
  Conceal
  Look at
  Reveal
  Race
  Quarrel with
  Observe
  Trade with
  Tag
  8
  Strike
  Snatch
  Beset
  Shield
  Contend with
  Confuse
  Manipulate
  Harass
  Do
  Something
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 4
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  1
  City
  Rural Setting
  Small town
  Frontier
  Jungle
  At Sea
  In Orbit
  Under Water
  2
  Ghetto
  Skyscraper
  Docks
  Foreign
  Country
  Resort
  Desert
  Mountains
  Forest
  3
  River
  Lake
  Tundra
  Enemy 
  Stronghold
  Subway
  Airport
  Port
  Government
  Installation
  4
  Military Base
  Entertainment
  District
  Hidden 
  Location
  Secret
  Location
  Plains
  Distant 
  Land
  Business 
  District
  Corporate 
  Headquarters
  5
  Hideout
  Casino
  Landmark
  Farm
  Residence
  Remote 
  Location
  Research
  Facility
  Island
  6
  Beach
  Studio
  Underground
  Slums
  Market
  Nightclub
  Mansion
  Highway
  7
  Library
  Shopping Center
  Garage
  Religious 
  Location
  Sporting 
  Event
  Bar
  Restaurant
  Warehouse
  8
  North/South Pole
  Swamp
  Canyon
  Border
  War Zone
  Lab
  Criminal 
  Location
  Prison
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  1
  Mistaken 
  Identity
  Disaster
  Crime
  Legal Trouble
  Misdirection
  Lack of Info
  Government 
  inﬂuence
  Unexplained
  2
  Travel
  Squabbling
  Lost equipment
  Abduction
  Barriers
  Weather
  Monster
  Trickery
  3
  Animals
  Riots
  Duplicity
  Fear
  Theft
  Mystery
  Survival
  Strange 
  occurance
  4
  Police
  Power Struggle
  Politics
  Transport 
  problem
  Physical feat
  Mental feat
  Drugs
  Security
  5
  Gangs
  Getting Lost
  Insanity
  Side-tracked
  Trap
  Vendetta
  Ambush
  Enemies
  6
  Interference
  Attention
  Bizarre 
  circumstance
  Equipment 
  failure
  Military 
  inﬂuence
  War
  Diplomacy
  Money
  7
  Love Interest
  Random attack
  Red Herring
  None
  The Unknown
  Distraction
  Recurring NPC
  Differing PC 
  motivations
  8
  Bureaucracy
  Rivalry
  Lack of trust
  Desperation
  Betrayal
  Incompetence
  Allies
  Bystanders
  Location
  Complications
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 5
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  1
  Scientist
  Soldier
  Gang Member
  Priest
  Pilot
  Businessman
  Country
  Ruler
  2
  Monster
  Enemy
  Former Ally
  Criminals
  Company
  Terrorists
  Assassin
  Madman
  3
  Friend
  Government 
  ofﬁcial
  Mobster
  Rebel
  Organization
  Creature
  Unknown
  War
  4
  Disaster
  Stranger
  Police
  Military
  Veteran
  None
  Corporation
  Outlaw
  5
  Spy
  Recurring Villain
  Cult
  Woman
  Man
  Roll Twice
  Lawyer
  Diplomat
  6
  Killer
  Agency
  Driver
  Technician
  Tycoon
  Traitor
  Conspiracy
  Occultist
  7
  Femme Fatale
  Thief
  Team
  Doctor
  Celebrity
  Shadowy 
  Figure
  Mystery
  Themselves
  8
  Disease
  Cartel
  Friend
  Mastermind
  Smuggler
  Technology
  Nature
  Prisoner
  Opposition
  Example
  I break out my trusty d8s, and give a few rolls on the 
  tables above.  I will give an example of how it might 
  be used in three different campaigns: A military 
  campaign featuring anti-terrorist commandos, An 
  arcana campaign featuring modern-day sorcerers in a 
  world-wide secret society, and a campaign where the 
  PCs are police detectives in a large American city.
  My  result:  (4-8, 7-3, 2-7, 1-5, 3-1)
  “The main characters must revive a thief, in the 
  mountains, while having to contend with misdirection 
  and being opposed by a friend.”
  Military Campaign: a common thief has information 
  regarding the whereabouts of an infamous terrorist 
  leader.  The problem is that he’s very ill...near death 
  in a shack in the mountains of Afghanistan.  The unit 
  has to revive him and get the information, but they’re 
  being fed incorrect intelligence by an allied country 
  who have their own motives.
  Arcana Campaign:  The PCs have discovered that 
  centuries ago, a thief stole a magical artifact from 
  the Vatican, and ﬂed to the Italian Alps.  While 
  investigating the artifact, the thief triggered a 
  curse that placed him (and the artifact) in a state 
  of suspended animation, trapped within a wall of 
  crystal.  The sorcerers must journey to the Alps, ﬁnd 
  the thief and release him from the curse, so that they 
  can claim the artifact for themselves.   Along the 
  way, however, they discover that they have not been 
  told the truth about the true purpose of the artifact...
  because a fellow member of their order wants to 
  secure the power for himself.
  Police Campaign:   The detectives are investigating 
  a conspiracy, possibly involving crooked cops.  
  One witness, a common thief, is shot by a cop and 
  is wounded.  The characters are placed with the 
  thief in a safe-house (a ski cabin in the mountains), 
  waiting for him to revive and reveal what he knows.  
  Unfortunately, the crooked cops are former friends of 
  the PCs, and have set up the entire situation to frame 
  the characters and get themselves off the hook.
  You see?  With a little bit of thought, the same result 
  can be applicable for a wide variety of campaign 
  styles.
  So -- grab your dice and start rolling!
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  Modern Adventure Generator
  Page 6
  Open game license
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
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  Skarka
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