What's up with those crazy nobles, anyway?

By: Unknown on 04:15

I've decided that for my next non-mutated D&D outing I want more Excalibur/You Know Who & The Holy Grail/Princess Bride style knights, castles, princesses with pointy hats and such. That's why I'm drawing up a list of all the major noble houses of the realm and giving them coats of arms. I want to make sure that arriving at the Thane of Mno's castle isn't just a cookie cutter duplicate of a visit to the castle of the Baron of Kishur. Obviously, a big random chart is in order.

Random Castle Shenanigans (d20)

1. Romance - A member of the household is interested in one of the PCs. One night stand? Stupid crush? Eternal love?

2. Haunting - The unquiet ghost of an ancestor prowls the halls on certain nights.

3. Hidden Catacombs - The place is built over a dungeon.

4. Knight Errancy - One or more of the younger sons are wandering adventurers, possibly off on a crusade.

5. Widow - A higher ranked noble is adjudicating the disposition of the dead lord's affairs, possibly to his own advantage.

6. Damaged Castle - Wreckage caused by last year's siege/monster attack/earthquake still being repaired.

7. Sibling Rivalry - Brothers and/or sisters engaged in petty mischief, may boil over to outright violence.

8. Amazons - The ladies wear the platemail in this family.

9. Family Curse - Lycanthropy? Innsmouth taint?

10. Keepers of the Flame - Protectors of the secret hiding spot of some artifact of the Old Kingdom.

11. Heretics - One or more members of the household not orthodox in their religious views.

12. Festival - Celebration of a wedding, birth, knighting or perhaps a fair or tourney.

13. Rowdy Lads - The lords younger sons and/or bastards are a rough and tumble bunch. Hard to control, but would make for brave adventuring companions.

14. Lurking Monster - Some mankiller has made a lair in the same hex.

15. Black Magic - Someone in the family secretly studies sorcery.

16. Secret Society - One or more members of the household belong to a secret political party, witches coven, etc.

17. Petty War - The barony down the road is getting too uppity, I tells you.

18. Blood Feud - A random noble house are mortal enemies.

19. Strong Ally - Another noble house? A wizard? Some creature?

20. Prisoner - either a member of the household is being held elsewhere or the locals are holding someone of note, awaiting ransom