Generating Swords & Sorcery Nations

One of the most interesting and flavor-choked character generation elements in first-edition Stormbringer is its character Nationality chart. A single random roll not only tells the player what part of the Young Kingdoms she hails from but has a profound effect on what the character will be. Her range of class backgrounds, magic accessibility, cosmic allegiances, body type even, all hinge on that single roll.

The resultant character positively drips with Moorcockian Swords & Sorcery ambiance--while providing for some really interesting asymmetrical surprises for the player--a hell of a nice hat trick in game design.

Though I have been busy dumping the Young Kingdoms formal dress in my (non-commercial) SB hack for the second Domain Game phase, I am not-surprisingly deeply reluctant to dump those kinds of elements in the mash-up system.

So what's the work around? How do you create something that can hit those notes without being bland as white toast, buying into a big-boy licensing feature, or straight-jacketing co-creation?

Solution A is create a generic, sociological system. Solution B is to tie it around a specific, hardwired setting of my own. Insert the sound of a loud, strident game show “wrong answer” buzz here.

Solution C is to try and play to that strength of that original chart and go even more random—and weird (and tongue-in-cheek). I, of course, voted for that.

Below is part one of my random S&S nationality generator. The first part is more generalized and can be used for nearly any fantasy rpg, the second part will have more mechanical applications to my hack--but should be relatively easy to adapt into other games if desired.

As always eager to hear any feedback.

Swords & Sorcery Nation Generator

Step 1. Roll on Nationality Name. Change or modify results to suit your own taste.

Step 2. Roll on National Features.

Step 3. Based on Step 1 and 2, compute background paths.

Step 1: Nationality Name

Name Structure Chart

Roll d10
1	[Syllable]
2-3	[Syllable] + [Syllable]
4-6	[Syllable] ' or - [Syllable]
7	[Syllable] + [Syllable] + [Syllable]
8	[Place Name] “of” [Descriptor]
9	Color of Your Choice + [Place Name]
10	[Descriptor] [Place Name]

Syllable Table

Roll d100
01-02	Ain
03-05	Ath
05-07	Bai
07-08	Bay
09-10	Be
11-12	Can
13	Dei
14-15	Eo
16-18	Fir
19	For
20	Gur
21-23	Gor
24	Hir
25-27	Hor
28	Jen
29-30	Jor
31-33	Kar
34-35	Kam
26-37	Koz
38-41	Kyr
42-45	Lan
46-49	Mar
50	Mer
51-53	Mir
54-55	Myr
56	No
57	Nok
58	Nuk
59	Oi
60-61	Po
62-64	Rom
65-66	Rat
67-70	Ror
71	Rex
72	Ru
73-74	Tek
75	To
76	Vlk
77-80	Vor
81	Xo
82	Xai
83-84	Xe
85-88	Xoth
90-92	Yani
93-94	Yor
95-96	Zhe
97	Zu
98-00	Roll Twice

Descriptor Chart

Roll d10
1	Sighs/Sighing
2	Whispers/Whispering
3	Howls/Howling
4	Woe/Woeful
5	Dread/Dreadful
6	Fear/Fearful
7	Desolation/Desolate
8	Madness/Mad
9	Endless/With No End
10	[The First Word that Comes Into Your Head]

Place Name Chart

Roll d10
1	Desert/Wastes/Barrens
2	Steppes/Plains
3	Cities/Towns
4	Forest/Woods/Jungles
5	Isles/Islands
6	Mountains/Peaks/Valley
7	Hills
8	Moors/Craters/Broken Lands
9	Swamps/Marshes/Bogs/Mires
10	Ocean/Seas/Gulf/Bay