Scandal

Tables for generating scandals.

(Rules for blackmailing people based on those scandals to come later, including how much you can expect to extort and how they might react.)

Different groups have different things they consider scandalous. You can have this be as micro or macro as you want.

Subtables should be specific to your universe / world / country / region / city / district / institution / family. You don't have to specify everything, like murder or whatever, unless you want to. You'll see my own campaign's citywide subtable here. It's sometimes recursive.

Some things might be illicit but not be marked as such. For monetary penalties, you can either pay out the lump sum or serve jail time at 1s/day or mix/match. They're flexible. 

Once the subtable is complete (as the one below is), roll for the Content of the Scandal, which will refer you to the Scandalous Elements table.

Content of the Scandal (1d20)

Things not in brackets are not scandalous.

1. purchasing/stockpiling [item/drug]
2. sex with [protected/untouchable class]
3. sex [modifier]
4. [sexual practice]
5. possession/distribution/smuggling of [drug]
6. possession of books espousing [thought]
7. writing pro-[thought] literature
8. conducting pro-[thought] meetings
9. sympathy for [untouchable class]
10. participating in [sexual practice] meetup/support/party groups
11. insulting / abusing / killing [protected class]
12. touching someone [modifier]
13. being seen in public [modifier]
14. engaging in business [modifier]
15. writing about [protected class] without permission
16. illustrating [protected class] without permission
17. riding on a beast of burden or vehicle [modifier]
18. having a coin, gem, or piece of jewelry visibly touch your skin [modifier] 
19. receiving payment for [action] or to betray [protected class] or from [untouchable class]
20. [action]

Scandalous Elements (1d10 > 1d~)

1. item
1. anything from the body or hoard of a dragon (illicit: death)
2. anything taken from the hoard of a dragonborn (illicit: death)
3. anything taken from the body of a reptilian humanoid (illicit: death)
4. anything written in both draconic and another tongue or any item where the tongues are together or mixed
5. any potion vs reptilians
6. any potion to improve vision in dark
7. any potion of regeneration
8. the claws or teeth of any creature 
9. saliva
10. willow trees
2. consumable
1. hair (illicit: 25g)
2. beans
3. fingernails (illicit: death)
4. metal (illicit: death)
5. bats
6. winged insects
7. earth
8. mushrooms (illicit: 3g)
9. any reptile (illicit: death)
10. any humanoid (illicit: death)
3. drug
1. phizz (potion of healing) — illicit (50g)
2. kritterspit — illicit (100g)
3. blue star — illicit (150g)
4. fallizard— illicit (death)
5. bardiche — illicit (10g)
6. guisarme — illicit (76g)
7. glaive — illicit (50g)
8. silverleaf — illicit(130g)
9. black dougal — illicit (200g)
10. bargle — illicit (300g)
4. thought
1. worship of the Unnamed One
2. anti-drakarchism
3. veneration of dragon-slayers
4. opposing the hereditary wardenship
5. sexual practice
1. [modifier]
2. on the first day of the month (illicit: 37g)
3. involving [item]
4. involving [consumable]
5. as prescribed by [thought]
6. between dawn and noon
7. with a colleague
8. underground (illicit: death)
9. on the bare earth (illicit: 6g)
10. in the Tombwood (illicit: death)
6. protected class 
1. dragonborn
2. kobolds
3. lizardfolk
4. other reptilians (e.g., yuan-ti)
5. nobility
6. virgins
7. dynastic family
8. priest(esse)s
9. children
10. elders
7. untouchable class 
1. halflings
2. gnomes
3. dwarves
4. the descendants of Vendar
8. condition
1. any condition that causes scaly skin (e.g., eczema)
2. sunburn
3. frostbite
4. heat/chemical burns
5. hemophilia
6. albinism (reptilians excepted)
7. scoliosis
8. Argyria
9. Sarxoss
10. dracosomnolism
9. modifier
1. with [protected/untouchable class]
2. with [condition]
3. while afflicted by [condition]
4. while on [drug]
5. while dressed as reptilian
6. with minor / elder / relative
7. on a particular holiday
8. with someone with [condition]
9. with someone in the Shining Horde
10. with someone in current dynasty
10. action
1. touching / staring at underbelly of reptilian humanoid (illicit: breath weapon, duration and % of body determined by brazenness of infraction)
2. presence of a dragon (illicit: death)
3. remaining in the presence of kobolds after warning to leave (illicit: death)
4. non-reptilian humanoid sleeping on treasure, even under bed or under floor in bedroom (illicit: death)
5. speaking the name "Vendar" (illicit: death)
6. speaking ill of the drakarchs, the Shining Horde, or the current dynasty (illicit: 50g)
7. smoking (reptilians excepted)
8. painting the body (reptilians excepted)
9. wearing a sword in public (illicit: 18g)
10. entering the Tombwood (illicit: 10g)