When Clinton R. Nixon gets bored, look out. He’s likely to make up an entirely new role-playing game, or use the Internet and write or install software that turns the RPG world on its head.

Mind you, that’s not what he did on Tuesday when he got bored. He took the appendix to somebody else’s game and created a cheap and cheesy adventure generator. Choose the number of elements (the default is four), and get back cool ideas that can be combined into more work for you as Adventure Guide:

• Threats: A cruel and powerful young lordling. (City)
• Events: A bitter and unseasonable cold, caused by warring elementals. (Wilderness)
• Threats: A wizard jealously guarding her magical territory. (Magical)
• Characters: A placid mystic, preaching clam and demonstrating miracles. (Magical)

What can you write with something like this?

The city is starving. Crops in the surrounding lands have failed, and there is no relief in sight. Civil disorder is spreading, and mystery religions are taking hold charging that the people have forgotten their gods and exhorting them to return to the old ways: ritual sacrifice, war, and interreligous fighting. Neighborhoods are raiding neighborhoods. The young prince of the city is completely unprepared, and chooses to solve the problem with brute military force. Into this apocalyptic nightmare walks a man of peace, gathering followers behind him and preaching... um.... clams? Dammit, Clinton, now I’m off my stride.

Still, occasional typos notwithstanding, this is very cool.

Now if he could just combine it with the appendix to the old Dungeon Master’s Guide...