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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rogueattorney" data-source="post: 5684899" data-attributes="member: 17551">Some non-rpg resources:A baby name book.  I have one that's broken down by national origin.  That way, people from area A can have German sounding names and people from area B can have African sounding names, and so on.Google maps.  Particularly the satellite imagery.  Click on a little town about the size of the pcs' home base and, boom, instant map.  You can load graph paper right into most printers.  Works like a dream.Counters.  Screw having the exact right mini for every random monster roll.  Unless your mini collection is extensive, you're just not going to have it.  And even if you did, it's a bother trying to dig out the exact minis.  ("I know my xvarts are in here somewhere.  I need 9 xvarts!")  Counters work fine.  Board game pips, chess pieces, whatever.  I like using inch square pieces of brightly colored construction paper that you can write on to indicate who's been wounded, effected by a spell or whatever.Ditto with floor maps.  Again, construction paper can be a good, quick solution if you don't have a battle grid for the proper area ready to go.As far as rpg products are concerned, random tables are your best friend.  Kellri's Encounters Reference is one of the best resources of this type I've ever seen, and you can find it <a href="http://kellri.truculent.org/CDD%234%20-%20ENCOUNTERS%20Reference.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> for free.Next, draw or acquire a decent area map, maybe 40 miles by 40 miles.  Expand later as needed.Draw or acquire a blown up map of the pcs' home base (town, fort, camp, whatever).  Detail other settlements later as needed.Draw or acquire an expandable 2 or 3 level dungeon map, enough for the pcs to explore in one session.  Expand later as needed.  Sprinkle some cool encounters/npcs/lairs around all three maps.  Don't be afraid to use your random tables.  (Living in that castle, there is... <roll> an 11th level illusionist.  Something should live on top of that mountain it's a...  <roll> family of storm giants with...  <roll>  white apes as pets.)Draw up a list of about 10 rumors or bits of information to give your pcs some ideas of what to do.  (Rumors say that the storm giants' white apes have revolted against them and that the giants are using a powerful artifact to put down the revolt.  The illusionist to the north is hiring adventurers to go into Blech Swamp to collect swamp mist for some strange spell he's researching.)  Go!</blockquote>

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