"A long rope ladder leads up to an ice fortress guarded by ghosts and psionic traps. Inside is a frozen titan from another time and place."
Simple tables for ruins in space fantasy settings. Tables for Ruins Prompts for Space Ruins, Ruins Descriptor and Form.
[Art by Gary Dupuis]
Space Fantasy Ruins
Space fantasy ruins open up many things from fantasy and space or science fiction alongside the chance to mix them up.
Elves with guns, shapeshifting spaceports, taverns made of glass and ectoplasm. Inhabited by mutants, outcasts, pirates or a spacefaring mimic.
And here are some tables to help create them.
There is a fantasy sea encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Space Fantasy Ruins.
10 Ruins Prompts for Space Fantasy
| 1d10 | 10 Ruins Prompts for Space Fantasy |
|---|---|
| 1 | An iron statue is a monument to a forgotten war. Reading the right sequence of names inscribed here opens a portal to a faraway moon. |
| 2 | Sunshadow Asylum. A psychic river carries streams of glowing fish to an asteroid, gathering around a former palace. Many odd creatures have been left here and a character has dreamed of this place. |
| 3 | A derelict space port is home to sentient penguin merchants. An array of potent unreliable devices can be bought or traded. Buyer beware! |
| 4 | A long rope ladder leads up to an ice fortress guarded by ghosts and psionic traps. Inside is a frozen titan from another time and place. |
| 5 | Beacon of Reflections. A metal citadel split in two floats among wrecked ships. Visting pilgrims seek visions in its mesmerising walls. |
| 6 | On an invisible platform grows a lovely garden around an old tomb. There is a self-contained ecosystem, looked after by a grumpy hermit. |
| 7 | An overgrown labyrinth is said to be older than any nearby planet and protected by an elemental spirit. Heroes have emerged from its trials, remade with potent magic powers but cursed by tragic destinies. |
| 8 | An abandoned arcane ship made of wood holds an extensive archive. Most curious is a room of sigils, each holding a different voice that speaks part of a story. Several sages have died studying them. |
| 9 | Grimcross Watch. A bronze outpost observes a pulsating anomoly. It is looked after by an immortal sentient slime, who waits for a visitor. |
| 10 | Large rusted metal structures hold a zoo of creatures from many worlds. They have been turned to stone, crystal and other materials. A plaque by a statue near the entrance marks the last caretaker. |
Ruins Descriptor and Form
Use 1d6 for beasts or non-sentient creatures.
| d10 | Descriptor | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | renowned or alien | temple or museum |
| 2 | phantasmal or ancient | spaceport or beacon |
| 3 | elemental or ornate | outpost or hulk of many ships |
| 4 | sacred or ruined | city or viewing platform |
| 5 | arcane or psychic | vault or wreck |
| 6 | shapeshifting or hulking | shipyard or orbital station |
| 7 | ghostly or luminous | zoo or statue |
| 8 | abandoned or overgrown | ship or generator |
| 9 | fortified or shimmering | tavern or library |
| 10 | derelict or mechanical | laboratory or citadel |
More Ruins
There is a fantasy sea encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Space Fantasy Ruins.
If you liked these there are Fantasy Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
