Juice Oracle - Pocketfold Update


Another Pocketfold update as I continue to tinker and test.

Last time, I added a D&D 5e encounter table. After playing with it a bit, I decided I didn't like it for a few reasons. It seemed too limiting and required a bunch of different dice, so I scrapped that idea. Instead, I added Creature Description and Creature Abilities from Tana's Creature Crafter. This is much more versatile and system agnostic, I am liking this change a lot.

The newest feature to this version is the Immersion Tables. Roll on this to see what your character sees, hears, smells, or feels. There is also a column to determine where this sense comes from, and what effect it has on your character.

For example, you might roll that you see something "Colorful on the ground at it cheers you up". Maybe that means flowers? Some combos might not make sense at first ("You feel something sticky in the distance and it angers you"), but if you are creative you can twist it (Maybe you have a feeling of anger that sticks with you for a while).

I had a small square of space in the lower right corner, so I added a compass. Roll 1d100, and use the value on the compass as the upper limit. For example, 1-12 means north, 49-60 means south. 97-100 either means your target is where you are currently, or it means you don't know.

Also, I reordered and renumbered the tables. Previously I had a bunch of tables numbered with 10 at the top and 1 at the bottom, to indicate that "higher is better" (with more favorable results at the top). My intent with this was to help assist with the "Advantage / Disadvantage" rolls, however in reality I kept finding myself getting tripped up by the inconsistencies. Some tables were numbered ascending, some descending, and when I was switching tables a lot during play, it bugged me. So now its all consistent.

Finally, I reordered the pages. I'm still tinkering with this (and if you have suggestions, let me know!). The pocketfold format is very versatile in how it can be folded, and this ordering is designed to streamline things a bit.

I noticed while playing that the most common things I roll for are scale / details for inspirational ideas, and RE/PTP. So these are the front and back pages. Opening it up will have Objective/Focus, for getting an adventure started, along with the Fate Check / Next Scene.

Flipping the left pane open reveals the Behavior Check. Why is it buried in there? Because if you fold the right side back over again, then Behavior/Combat will be on the left, and RE/PTP will be on the right; perfect for a combat scenario.

Likewise, if you open it up such that Encounter/Inspiration is on the right, and fold the left side over, Scale/Detail will be on the left, which is perfect for an exploration scenario.

Enjoy! And thanks for the comments :)

Files

juice_mini_8_5_pocketfold.pdf 582 kB
Mar 18, 2023

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(2 edits) (+1)

The best email to receive! I am so happy to see the monster generator system agnostic! I could make do with the 5e list, just making up stats as makes sense for the system I'm in, but these new tables will be *even better* for that.

I really love the idea for generating a sense because when I try to write "At First Sight" sections for ROOT I tend toward using the same descriptions, and this will give me a nice list to roll from. I thought it was perfect before and it somehow gets even better.

One question though! What exactly is the scale table for? I obviously see it's use just in the name, but what do you primarily use it for.

Yea, the system-agnostic monster generator is a better way to go for sure. Its simpler yet more flexible.

I use Scale quite a bit, just to add a bit of flavor to things or flush an idea out. Lets say I am making a random quest, and I roll "Fetch Object". Ok, what is this object like? I'll roll 1d10+1d6 on the scale table a few times. If I roll 8:Style, 1, that means whatever this thing is, its ugly. If I roll 2:Durability, 5, then its pretty solid. Maybe its a shield made of bone? As an added bonus, I can roll the detail check, maybe I roll Favors NPC. That might mean someone is looking for this shield, and I can get a hefty payout for retrieving it, whereas if I rolled Focus Plotline, then maybe that shield will protect me from whatever weapon the big bad guy has.

I use it with the treasure table too. Maybe I open a treasure chest, and roll 4,5,3,2: A crafted leather brooch. Rolling on the scale table and getting 4,6 might indicate this brooch has some sort of high-level power associated with it, like it can cast Fireball or something.

Or roll on it when entering a settlement, getting 1,1 might mean this settlement is very newly developed, and might have plenty of work for outsiders. Or getting 9,4 might mean the settlement has decent quality shops available.

I like how much value a small table can provide, its fast and sometimes more evocative than the Description table on the inside.