Whether you’re fighting it out with a warband of daemons deep in the Chaos Wastes or exploring the horrors of Innsmouth in the world of HP Lovecraft, there is lots of potential for extraordinary and innovative random events. These can keep your games fresh, engaging, and cinematic, even if you don’t have another human opponent to play against.
I’m using the Brutal Quest/Planet 28 rules systems as my framework here, but they can easily be tweaked and ported over to any other ruleset. Just like these new traits, abilities, and spells, I used AI to help generate this list. With the right prompts, follow-up instructions, and light editing, the possibilities for narrative really are limitless here. Enjoy…
Realm of Chaos Random Event Table
Distorted Reality (Surreal): The very fabric of the realm distorts. All characters suffer -1D4 to their agility until the end of the turn as they struggle to move through the shifting terrain.
Twisted Terrain (Surreal): The battlefield transforms into an otherworldly landscape. Choose a terrain feature (e.g., a forest, rock formation). Characters within 10cm of this terrain are affected by a random supernatural effect until the end of the turn.
Ethereal Echoes (Supernatural): Ghostly echoes of past battles fill the air. All characters may make one extra action this turn. However, any character who slays an opponent this turn suffers -1 brutality as the ghostly echoes haunt their psyche.
Daemonic Infusion (Supernatural): Chaotic energies infuse the battlefield. Choose one spellcaster character. They may cast one spell of their choice without spending an action this turn. However, after casting, they roll 1D6. On a roll of 1, they suffer mind death.
Twisting Shadows (Surreal): Shadowy tendrils reach out from the chaotic rifts, wrapping around a character’s limbs. That character may not make any actions or move this turn.
Flickering Realities (Surreal): The battlefield itself becomes uncertain. Roll 1D6 for each character at the beginning of their turn. On a roll of 1, the character is briefly transported to a random location on the battlefield. Roll 1D10 to determine where.
Chaotic Surge (Supernatural): Chaotic energy surges through one character’s body, making them temporarily invulnerable. Choose one character (yours or your opponent’s). That character gains immunity to damage until the end of the turn but cannot attack.
Baleful Mirage (Surreal): Illusory duplicates of all characters appear on the battlefield. Until the end of the turn, opponents must declare their target before making any attacks or actions, and then roll 1D6. On a roll of 1, they target a duplicate, and their action is wasted.
Chaos Incarnate (Supernatural): The embodiment of chaos takes form on the battlefield. Choose one character (yours or your opponent’s). They become a living conduit of chaos, gaining +3 brutality points but also suffer 1D6 damage at the end of their turn as the energies consume them.
Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror Random Event Table:
Eldritch Whispers (Maddening): Strange whispers fill the air, causing characters to question their sanity. Each character must make a (P) roll. Those who fail suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls until the end of their next turn.
Void Beckons (Terrifying): A portal to the void yawns open briefly. The character must make a break test. If they fail, they are drawn into the void, removed from the battlefield, and considered defeated.
Inexplicable Mutation (Bizarre): Cosmic energies warp one character’s form. They gain a random physical mutation (e.g., extra limbs, distorted features) that affects their abilities for the remainder of the battle. This should be determined by rolling on a random mutations table.
Cursed Relic (Dreadful): A malevolent relic surfaces on the battlefield. The character must make an (A) roll to resist touching the relic. If they fail, they are cursed, suffering a -1 penalty to all rolls until they defeat another character in combat.
Cosmic Revelation (Mystical): A character has a sudden, mind-bending revelation about the true nature of the cosmos. They gain +1 to all rolls for the remainder of the game.
Unearthly Shadows (Unsettling): Strange, shadowy figures flicker at the edges of the battlefield. All characters must make a break test. Those who fail are overcome with paranoia and suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls until the end of their next turn.
Whispers from Beyond (Maddening): Characters hear voices from beyond the stars. Each character must make a (P) roll. Those who fail are compelled to spend their next turn moving toward the nearest enemy character.
Cthulhu’s Gaze (Terrifying): The terrible presence of a cosmic entity looms over the battlefield. All characters must make a break test. Those who fail are filled with dread and suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls until the end of their next turn.
Eldritch Awakening (Dreadful): A character becomes a vessel for eldritch power. Choose one character (yours or your opponent’s). They gain a new ability called “Eldritch Blast” that allows them to deal 1D8 damage to any character on the battlefield. However, using this power causes them to suffer 1D6 damage due to the strain on their sanity.
Otherworldly Whispers (Mystical): Alien whispers guide one character’s actions. For the next two turns, they must move and attack as directed by another player of your choice.
Maddening Visions (Bizarre): A character experiences horrifying visions of a future ruled by cosmic horrors. They are filled with dread and must make a break test. If they fail, they are stunned and unable to take any actions for one turn.
Cosmic Mirage (Unsettling): The battlefield shimmers with bizarre illusions. Roll 1D10 for each character on the battlefield. On a roll of 1-3, the character becomes disoriented, suffering a -1 penalty to all rolls until the end of their next turn.
Sanity’s Erosion (Cataclysmic): The fabric of reality weakens further. Choose one character (yours or your opponent’s). They must make a (P) roll. If they fail, they lose 1 point of permanent (P) for the remainder of the campaign.
Stars Align (Mystical): The alignment of the stars grants one character insight into a powerful ability. They gain a unique, game-changing ability for the remainder of the battle. This ability is determined by rolling on a random table.
Cosmic Resonance (Terrifying): The cosmic forces resonate with one character’s presence. They become the focus of the cosmic energies, gaining +2 to all rolls until the end of their next turn.
Realm of Chaos, Cosmic Horror, & Lovecraftian Random Events
As mentioned earlier, I’m using the Brutal Quest/Planet 28 rules systems as my framework here, but they can easily be tweaked and ported over to any other ruleset. Just like these new traits, abilities, and spells, I used AI to help generate this list. With the right prompts, follow-up instructions, and light editing, the possibilities for narrative really are limitless here. Enjoy…