LOCATION GENERATOR

Note: See Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition has multiple essays on using locations to emphasize horror. They can be found at:

  • [Include index entries]

This die drop procedure can be used to randomly create points of interest, be that within a constrained space or a larger location. Once you’ve established a theme or overarching logic for your location, use the corresponding random tables to aid in filling the spaces. You can use these to help create regions, towns, or single locations within your scenario.

EXAMPLE LOCATION TYPES

  • City/Town
  • City Block
  • Sewers or Underground
  • Campground
  • Forest
  • Dimensionally Warped Locations
  • Building

MATERIALS NEEDED

  • A piece of paper.
  • Something to write with.
  • A handful of d6 one d10.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • What was the location’s original purpose?
  • Who/what has access to this location?
  • What is the location’s history?
  • What are the themes of this location?
  • What are the aesthetics?
  • Is there a specific Horror associated with this location?
  • What factions have assets here?

CONNECTIONS
Locations/rooms should be connected by paths that allow the Investigators to navigate between them. These will vary depending on the type of location you’re creating, but they may include regular connections, secret paths (hidden and require discovery), or conditionals (require additional means to navigate). There should be multiple connections between most of the locations to create interesting means of navigation and should vary where they make sense. Where possible, there should be a non-linearity in connections, creating multiple paths, loops, branching paths, shortcuts and dead-end.

DIE DROP PROCEDURE

  1. Grab a pool of six d6, adding additional for dense locations or areas of large scale.
  2. Roll the dice onto a sheet of paper. These become your points of interest. Write the resulting number on the map.
  3. Create connections based on the type of location. A forest or town might have paths or roads that cut between them, while buildings will have rooms that are either connected directly or to a joining hallway.
  4. For each point of interest, roll d10 on the corresponding table, writing the result. Use the table result as a starting point, having your guiding questions guide the process.
  5. Fill in the spaces as needed. Towns will have additional shops or homes and buildings will have rooms. These remaining spaces will just be empty or not have anything particularly interesting going on in them.

POINTS OF INTEREST

  • 1-3: Nothing
  • 4: Inhabited
  • 5: Horrors or Hazards
  • 6: Weird

NOTHING
The spaces are empty or contain mundane elements and functions that are not of particular interest.

INHABITED
These spaces are either currently inhabited or are heavily used. This may be by people or utilized by the horrors in some manner. When creating a living world, take into consideration when they would see the most use and how that impacts the interaction of the Investigators.

  1. Someone going about day to day life.
  2. A member of one of the Factions or some sign of their involvement.
  3. A potential Associate.
  4. A person in need of assistance.
  5. Someone hiding a dark secret.
  6. Two factions vying for a resource or evidence of their rivalry.
  7. Someone grappling with Fallout.
  8. A person or object that was lost.
  9. A Ritual part way toward completion or signs of an attempted Ritual.
  10. Someone seeking an ally.

HORRORS OR HAZARD
Roll a d6. If the result is even, a Horror is present. If odd, a Hazard is present.

Horrors may be the monstrous creatures themselves or their lairs. What Horrors are present will depend on the nature of your scenario. If a specific Horror has already been identified, use this point of interest to reinforce their tie to this place.

Hazards are situational elements that impede progress, with most being overtly threatening in some manner. Hazards may be setbacks, puzzles, or traps that would be appropriate for this location.

WEIRD
The weird represents a strange or unnatural occurrence, often through locations that have been warped or changed due to exposure to the horrors.

Weird

  1. An unnatural Landmark.
  2. A Resonant Artifact.
  3. An Omen or hint that something is wrong.
  4. Manifestations of the horrors that have changed the space.
  5. A merchant of the weird and strange.
  6. A victim, partially through a transformation.
  7. A clue that leads to another location nearby.
  8. A powerful or hidden resource.
  9. Evidence of a Ritual, either in preparation or evidence of its effects.
  10. Something that should not be there.

SESSION SEEDS

Some additional generator supports in creating your own locations. Hooks and complications can be used to further expand upon these locations by pulling in additional elements such as:

LOCATION STOCKING PROCEDURE

If you are using a map of a mundane place, it is up to you to bring the horrors.

If you need assistance bringing these normal spaces to life, roll on the table below when determining what to place in a room. The sub-tables used in the Location Generator can also be used to facilitate stocking.

d6
1-3 Nothing (stay with generic description)
4 Inhabited by an NPC (use a Reaction Roll if it is unclear if they are friend or foe)
5 Horrors or Hazards
6 Weird

Next Section: Room Keying
Previous Section: Encounter Procedures

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Liminal Horror is developed by Gobin Archives, Josh Domanski, and Zach Hazard Vaupen