I have been doing this for twelve years now. Writing against RPG-a-Day. Against. Again and again. Every day, every August, since 2015. Most often on my own, sometimes collaboratively with others here on d6ideas or across different (German) blogs.
2015: ArtifactaDay
2016: Loot-a-Day
2017: Rival-a-Day
2018: Ad-Blog
2019: RPG+Ally+a+Day
2020: Not One Step Back
2021: Veteran-a-Day
2022: The Thousand Titles of the Cat Emperor
2023: Sommerverdichtung (German only)
2024: CampaignConceptaDay
2025: A-Piece-of-History-Every-Day / Calculating World(s)history
And now? The German next door neighbours at Kritischer Fehlschlag have issued the rallying cry “Crime Scene” (German).
But here? After twelve years of doing this dirty work? There is but one possible answer:
The Dirty Dozen.
Interpreted via the lense of the so called Dirty Dozen of persistent organic pollutants such as DDT and dioxins (although an earlier thought was the likewise so called Dirty Dozen of biological weapons and this might still colour some of the entries).
One-hundred-and-fourty-four poisons and pollutants (in the widest, freest sense). Twelve each for twelve systems. Thirty-one days. Twelve years. Against RPG-a-Day. Again.
Easy: Potion residue in the water. (Which reminds me of that idea about a slum that has sprung up around the drainage pipes of an alchemists’ fortress.)
- Climbing – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that an encountered creature will be in some elevated position only reachable by climbing (such as a tall tree, a rock ledge, a roof, …)
- Healing – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that an encountered creature will have 1D4 extra hitpoints
- Flying – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that an encountered creature will move 1 extra square (by jumping)
- Giant Strength – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that an encountered creature will suffer a -1 penalty to hit but cause +1 damage
- Growth – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that an encountered creature will have 1 extra hit die but 1 less hitpoint per hit die
- Treasure Finding – in an area heavily polluted by such residue, there is a 20% chance that treasure shines and twinkles very brightly, doubling the chance of finding it