REVIEW OF "30 THINGS CAN HAPPEN"

Another review, but I promise that my next post will be World of Jorth related.  Wait, change that from "promise" to "guarantee."

Review of “30 Things Can Happen! A System-Free Sourcebook for Medieval Fantasy RPGs” by Mark Clover, Creative Mountain Games.

“30 Things Can Happen!” is a sourcebook from Creative Mountain Games, written by Mark Clover. This book gives the Game Master a rather large selection of interesting plot hooks and events, much like a wandering monster encounter chart. The “things” are broken down into reasonably managed tables for selection. There is no fluff here, Clover brings us straight to the tables.

The book is divided into three main sections, “While in a City”, While in the Country”, and “While Underground.” Each main section is divided into 10 tables, each with three subtables of ten “things” each. A die rolling mechanic involving d30's, d20's, d10's and d6's is given to make random selections, though I found the book's main utility to be in providing inspiration for adventure writing plot hooks, rather than as an in-game GM utility.

The book comes in at a well-laid-out 34 pages. The typeface is easy to read, and the tables are numbered well, for ease of use. The art is black-and-white stock images, including some by the great Howard Pyle. The illustrations fit the themes of the tables well (with one exception). It is nice to see some classic medieval style artwork in an RPG publication, rather than the 'punk' or 'hyperdeformed' styles that seem prevalent with some publishers.

I recommend “30 Things Can Happen” as a GM resource, and give it 5 out of 5 stars. Regularly priced at $6.00, this PDF is useful for master GM's and novices alike. The right balance of short but inspiring plot points and adventure hooks; and a good price point, make this a must download.