Thursday, July 23, 2015

Princess Determination Table 1: Leigh Brackett's Solar System



Use the tables below to generate a space princess character for a game set on Leigh Brackett's Mars or Venus. 

Step One: Determine Planet of Origin

Roll 1d6:
1-2: Venus
3-5 Mars
6: It's complicated*

*Might involve transmigration of souls, such as occurs in temporal, planar, and transworld intrusions.  Might be an Earth agent in disguise. Think something up.


Step Two: Determine Region

If Mars:**
Roll 1d12:
1: Polar City
2: Polar hill tribe
3: Northern Drylands/High Desert well-tribe
4: Northern Drylands/High Desert nomadic tribe
5: Northern Drylands/High Desert city
6: Kahora or adjacent spaceport (equatorial region).
7. Other equatorial city-state (there are many)
8: Equatorial well-tribe
9: Equatorial nomadic tribe
10: Old Ocean Bed/Eastern drylands well-tribe
11: Old Ocean Bed/Eastern drylands nomadic tribe
12: Old Ocean Bed/Jekkara-Valkis-Barrakesh region (pick one city)

**Based on the map provided in The Sea-Kings of Mars and Otherworldly Stories by Leigh Brackett, Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks #46.


If Venus***
Roll 1d10:
1: Mountain city
2: Lowland city
3: Lake Village (may be built onto lake)
4: Lake City (may be built onto lake)
5: Lost city (no doubt beyond the Mountains of White Cloud)
6: Marsh tribe
7: Wetland tribe
8: Jungle tribe
9: Jungle city
10: Seaborne fleet-clan
11. Polar city
12. Undercity (under the surface of Venus or under one of its odd gaseous seas, such as the Red Sea)

***I haven't seen a map of Brackett's Venus, but many of the location types here make sense for her version of the world. and examples of several are found in her short stories.


Step Three: Determine Livelihood

Roll 1d8: 
1: Clan wealth
2: Banditry/piracy
3: Rulership of a tribe, clan, or city-state
4: Religious or cult leadership (mesmerism is a common skill)
5: Trade
6: Influence peddling
7: Guild leadership (assassin's guild, thieves' guild, etc.)
8. Knowledge (ancient secrets, favorable trade routes, etc>)


Step Four: Prized Possession

Roll 1d12:
1: Devoted and obedient slave or retainer
2: Ancestral weapon or other artifact
3: Ancient technological artifact
4: Empathic animal companion
5: Map of lost or legendary city-state or well
6: Letter of passage/carte blanche from a powerful sovereign (might be a clever forgery)
7: Personal flyer OR full plate armor
8: Animal mount (on Mars these are bipedal lizards)
9: Crown, signet ring, mace or other symbol of office
10: Legendary or rare ancient text
11: Gems or other treasures
12: Terran technological device

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