Tables for a Nautical Campaign

Two junk tables for world building.

Illus. Harry Clarke

Flotsam (1d100+1d6)

Based heavily on Chris G's Secret Santicore 2013 contribution, "What did the ocean barf up this time?". I favor terser entries, so where there is a corresponding entry in that table I have put it in square brackets after. Entries that are bold with a "*" should not be replaced after they are rolled.

1. 20th Century Radio & Debris [31]
2. Addictive Air Bubble [81]
3. Alistair the Whale [78]
4. Ambergris [40]
5. Amnesiac Noble [12]
6. Anchored Ghouls [45]
7. Baby [62]
8. Baby Seal [89]
9. Bagpipes [73]
10. Barnacled Pier [58]
11. Barrel of:
1. Nothing
2. Ale [63]
3. Oil [16]
4. Vinegar[22]
5. Wine
6. Admiral Nelson
12. Blood [41]
13. Body* [95]
14. Boot, containing: [1]
1. Nothing
2. Foot with Toe-Ring [13]
3. Prosthetic
4. Crabs
5. Gemstones
6. Smaller Boot
15. Bottle, with Message: [100]
1. From a Castaway
2. Warning to PC from Future Self
3. Old Love-Letter
4. Plea for Help from Noble
5. Deed to Creepy Island
6. Treasure Map
16. Bottles, Broken [6]
17. Box of Chocolates [75]
18. Bridge
19. Capstan
20. Chalk [56]
21. Chest of MLT [23]
22. Chill Sea Serpent [84]
23. Cloak of the Manta Ray [91]
24. Coracle
25. Crate of Rations* [32]
26. Creepy Masthead [21]
27. Crystal Ball [87]
28. Cursed Sand-Counter [46]
29. Diary of a Time Traveler [10]
30. Dog [82]
31. Dragon Turtle Shell
32. Driftwood [34]
33. Drunk Assholes [70]
34. Escaped Rowing-slave [15]
35. Eavesdropping Seashell [60]
36. Evil Mermaid Wizard [3]
37. Famous Painting [9]
38. Fishing Net [67]
39. Fleet of Paper Boats
40. Floating City, Run Aground [99]
41. Floating Wizard's Tower
42. Floating Zombie
43. Formal Invitations to Poseidon's Party [37]
44. Garbage [55]
45. Genie in a Bottle [33]
46. Ghost Ship [20]
47. Giant Egg, Hatches in (1d6x2)² Hours [14]
48. Giant Oar
49. Giant Ornery Clam [35]
50. Grand Piano [19]
51. Hallucinogenic Kelp [11]
52. Haunted Treasure Chest [4]
53. Hecate [80]
54. Iceberg
55. Incandescent Sea-Slime [79]
56. Invading Military Force [59]
57. Jaunty Sea-Snail [39]
58. Lifeboat (False Bottom) [18]
59. Lobster Trap (1d6-1 Lobsters)
60. Lodestone [64]
61. Loose Buoy
62. Loose Oranges (1d6x100) [77]
63. Love Bomb [97]
64. Lovers [69]
65. Moldy Rope [57]
66. Murderous Mutineer [5]
67. Namor [66]
68. Nereid [38]
69. Oil Slick
70. Oracle Tortoise [61]
71. PC Sibling [17]
72. PC's Favorite Bag [86]
73. Pirate Philosophers [26]
74. Pirates Burying Rum [92]
75. Pleasure Barge [54]
76. Poltergeist with Anchor [27]
77. Pumice
78. Queen Seekers [28]
79. Rando Sailor*
80. Random Potion
81. Refugees [44]
82. Rower Golem
83. Sailcloth
84. Sea Chariot [76]
85. Sea Devil [68]
86. Seagull [51]
87. Ship's Manifest [74]
88. Ship's Mast
89. Skipping Stone [65]
90. Soul-Swapping Sea Cucumber [88]
91. Swimmer Racing Shark [43]
92. Tiny Deity [48]
93. Trail to the Far Lands [7]
94. Tricorne Hat [90]
95. Trident [72]
96. Upright Mirror
97. Vikings [96]
98. Waterskin*
99. Wooden Shoes [83]
100. World-Shattering Horror [98]

"I Search the Body…" (1d100+1d6)

There is an implied real-world setting to some of these. Entries that are bold with a "*" should not be replaced after they are rolled.

1-50. Number of sp equal to d100 roll just thrown.*

51. Abacus
52. Astrolabe
53. Auger
54. Barometer, Wrong
55. Block & Tackle
56. Chalk
57. Coded Message
58. Compass
59. Contagious Tattoo
60. Crowbar
61. Cup-and-Ball Toy
62. Deck of Cards
63. Dowsing Rods
64. Ear Trumpet
65. Fine Perfume
66. Flares (1d6)
67. Flask of Rum*
68. Flute
69. Giant Shark Tooth
70. Grappling Hook
71. Grenades (1d6)
72. Hand-Hooks (1d6)
73. Hatchet
74. Keys
75. Knitting Needles
76. Letter of Marque
77. Live Fish
78. Mattock Head
79. Mop Heads (1d6)
80. Packet of Seeds
81. Pearl Eyeball
82. Pocket Bible, Annotated
83. Political Pamphlet
84. Rations* (1d6)
85. Scrimshaw
86. Sea Salt
87. Seaglass
88. Sewing Kit
89. Sextant
90. Silk Rope
91. Snuffbox Full of Parmesan
92. Spare Flag:
1. Dutch
2. English
3. French
4. Portuguese
5. Spanish
6. Other
93. Spyglass
94. Treasure Map
95. Tuning Fork
96. Voodoo Doll
97. Wanted Poster for:
1. Corpse
2. Party Patron
3. PC
4. PC's Sister
5. Rando
6. Rival
98. Waterskin*
99. Weights & Scale
100. Whistle

Addendum

I have removed a mention of a product by Zak S. and also a link to some work I did related to his Discord server. For more information, see my post here.

Creatures of Near Kingdoms

I made a Goodreads account just to review this book (although hopefully it will encourage me to be more thoughtful in my reading). I'm afraid that whatever I do, my reviewing style will probably be very dry, but FWIW, I really enjoyed this book.

Creatures of Near Kingdoms by Zedeck Siew
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book is ~160 pages, paperback, liberally illustrated with woodcuts. There are 25 flora and 50 fauna inside, with each described on the right-hand page via a short second-person vignette with ecological digressions, and illustrated on the left-hand page. It could be described as a bestiary of a near-future mythical Malaysia.
I loved this book. The second-person narration seems strange at first, but it quickly becomes very comfortable, like the voice you talk to yourself in your head with. I don't think you are meant to be a specific person. Instead, each new vignette gives you new family, new surroundings that immerse you in the narrative much more deeply. The creatures are not described scientifically, but rather they are brought to life by the ways that they interact with your newly-assumed everyday life.
My heart was broken several times and I laughed out loud a few times also.
It is hard to describe the illustrations in a way that do them justice, but they are critical to the mission of the book.

View all my reviews

You probably don't need to know this, but for whatever reason, some books take me months to get through, and some books I read overnight (this doesn't seem to affect my enjoyment either way). Despite its format suggesting the former, I devoured this book. Maybe it was the anticipation while it was in the mail.

You can order Creatures of Near Kingdoms here, or by contacting Zedeck directly (he is on tumblr, instagram, G+, etc.).

What's the Deal with this Island? (Pt. 1.5)

To my shame, I missed the relevant generators on Abulafia in my previous roundup.

Ancient Greek Island Names

Where to get it

Abulafia, but apparently it is drawn from AGON.

What is it

Generates five plausible names of Greek islands every refresh. Underneath, it appears to be a flat table of ~100 entries (I didn't count).

Sample Output

• Kandeloussa
• Kefalonia
• Mykonos
• Armathia
• Vous

Notes

Could be useful in a specifically Greek campaign, but doesn't give any insight into the island, so not great in a pinch. Risk of duplicates if used a lot.

Island

Where to get it

Abulafia

What is it

Generates ten island outlines every refresh. Underneath it's a mess of nested tables (which is what Abulafia does best, and which also would be really annoying as dice-rolling exercises).

Sample Output

• Plentiful Island. Stream. Catoblepas. Tarn. Hill. Stream.
• Luxuriant Island. Cave. Marble.
• Teeming Island. . Hill.
• Sandy Island. Poisonous rivulet. Porous Lava Spring.
• Rugged Isle. Hill.
• Monstrous Island. Giant rats. . Hill. Water naga. Giant lampreys. Promontory. Hill.
• Teeming Island. Dormant fissure volcano. Hill. Stream. Agate.
• Barren Rocks. No features. Try again!
• Meager Isle. Warm spring.
• Luxuriant Island. Cave. Active dome volcano. Mountain. Stream. Hill. Hill. Cliff. Stream.

Notes

I like some of the specificity it gives that wouldn't normally appear. For example, and island made of agate is great! And it gives some of the same "ecosystem" type stuff that I like about other generators. But it also requires a little extra parsing (e.g. "Mountain. Stream. Hill. Hill. Cliff. Stream."), and not every detail is relevant. Also, a lot of the more interesting results are less likely due to the nesting nature of the tables.

Addendum

I have removed a mention of Zak S's Discord server and also a link to some work I did related to it. For more information, see my post here.

Some Spells

These spells are meant for a nautical LotFP campaign. I haven't tested any of them yet, but I'll let you know how it goes if I do. They're intended to use the draft rules for risky casting.

Drown

Magic User 1
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Rage: Touch
Special: Must have unwillingly taken drowning damage to learn this spell.
Trick a brain into drowning. Each round that the target fails a save (paralyzation), choose to either advance the spell a stage or return to 0th stage. The 0th degree takes effect immediately.
Stage 0: Target cannot move, but can speak and breathe. Further saves at a disadvantage.
Stage 1: Additionally, target cannot breathe and takes 1d6 subdual damage this round.
Stage 2: Additionally, target takes 1d6 (normal) damage.
Stage 3+: Additionally, target loses one point from a random ability score (permanent).
If subdual damage + real damage > HP, the target is unconscious and the spell ends. The target must be physiologically able to drown.

Miscasts

1. Also trick your own brain. The spell affects you the same as the target (use target’s saves for progression).
2. Trick everyone’s brain. The spell affects everyone around you in a 120’ radius (use target’s saves for progression).
3. PTSD. Must save or flee from water. Rerolls mean save is at progressive penalty.
4. Water elemental that loves drowning people is jealous, attacks you (1 HD/level).
5. Casting this spell is always risky. Reroll frees the caster from this result, as they become hardened to its effects.
6. Target is immune to the spell, and can now hold their breath twice as long as usual. Caster grows to irrationally hate them if they don’t already.

Gills

Magic User 1
Duration: 6 Turns/level
Range: Touch
As Water Breathing, except lose ability to breathe air. The reverse is Lungs.

Miscasts

1. Permanent deep one mutation (nictitating eyelids, webbed fingers, etc.)
2. Spell is permanent.
3. Greater mutation for duration of spell.
4. Gills are non-functional, and now you can't breathe.
5. The fish love you, maybe a little too much. Actions and visibility underwater are hindered by schools of fish, if any are nearby.
6. You have been chosen for a quest from Dagon (or other suitable entity). Details will come to you in your dreams.

Raft

Cleric 1
Providence sends a raft of sufficient buoyancy and size to support 1d4 person-days/level. It appears on the horizon drifting towards you, such that it can be reached by an unencumbered swimmer without issue (barring other circumstances). The form will vary but it will have no inherent means of propulsion. Some forms may include:

• volcanic raft
• iceberg
• dense seaweed mat
• carcass of a great beast
• empty barrels & crates lashed together
• low-lying fossil cloud
• strange metal disc
• empty shell of a dragon turtle
• ants

Read Wakes

Magic User 1
Duration: 1 Round/level
Range: Self
In a perfect Newtonian world, information is never lost, it merely gets quieter and quieter. This spell lets you read the history of the ocean before you. Once each round, you may learn one of the following things:

• What was the bearing of the most recent ship to pass here, and when was that?
• What direction is the nearest stationary object?
• Where and when did anything most recently break the surface of the water intermittently (like a whale surfacing or a stone skipping)?
• etc.

This spell does not work in the rain or when the water is otherwise busy. If a question is asked again, you can read further back in history (e.g. the second most recent ship to pass).

Miscasts

1. Visions of the rain—severe headache incapacitates caster for 1d6 rounds/level. No information gained.
2. Echoes of creation—permanent deafness (this does not hinder the spell).
3. Ghosts of the flood—each day save or be possessed by an antediluvian ghost (with their own, worse CHA, WIS, & INT). They lose interest after a week of saves.
4. Harmony of nature—save or be compelled to join your ghostly whale friends swimming through the sea.
5. Bad point of reference—information given is actually about the future. This could raise issues about free will, but don’t let it bother you. At least it’s good information.
6. Transmission from the stars—1d4 permanent damage to a random ability score, and you learn a weird new spell.

Transmute

Magic User 1
Duration: Permanent
Range: Touch
When you learn this spell, roll for two materials, then roll for 1 more material/level. When you gain a level, roll again for an additional material. You can transmute the volume of 1 person/level from any one material you know to any other material you know. Allow saves as appropriate. Some materials include others, and this is not a mistake. For example, “stone” includes “marble”. You cannot choose to transmute to the more specific material if you do not know how.

Miscasts

1. Transmutation fails, and target is immutable to any future magic.
2. Transmutation fails, and you forget the target material.
3. Transmutation is successful, but only for 3d6 (1d4: 1-seconds, 2-minutes, 3-hours, 4-days).
4. Target goes to a random target material.
5. Target goes to a random target material, and you learn to transmute that material!
6. Transmutation is successful, but grafts itself to your body.

Materials (4d20)

If you re-roll a material, move up or down the list until you find a new one.

4d20	Material	Notes, Examples
4	illusion	like a hologram or something
5	lava
6	diamond
7	sponge
8	snakes
9	poison	retain form but become poisonous
10	nitrogen	~79% of air, asphyxiant
11	mercury
12	liquor
13	jade
14	ink
15	gunpowder
16	bakelite
17	amber
18	aerogel
19	gold
20	wool	felted, loose, pelt
21	wax
22	tin
23	silver
24	sand
25	rubber
26	rags
27	needles
28	ice
29	chocolate
30	ceramic
31	brimstone	i.e. sulfur
32	arsenic
33	steel
34	mud
35	fungus	edible, myconids, mycelium, magic
36	flesh
37	charcoal
38	bread
39	wood
40	metal
41	keratin	hair, fingernails, fur, hooves, horns, feathers
42	dung
43	leather
44	stone
45	bone
46	chalk
47	clay	unfired
48	fruit
49	glass
50	oil
51	tubers
52	ashes	the solid remains of any fire
53	bronze
54	chitin	exoskeletons, scales
55	copper
56	lead
57	paper	papier-mâché, origami, stacked
58	ropes
59	salt
60	seeds
61	soap
62	water
63	wine
64	bottles	normal bottles, anything hollow and bottle-like
65	acid	standard "fantasy acid"
66	air
67	ants	for range purposes, maybe consider a hive as one organism
68	blood
69	honey
70	ivory
71	leaves
72	marble
73	nacre
74	oxygen	does not itself burn, but in pure oxygen most things do
75	rust
76	sodium	reacts with water
77	tea	pressed, loose, steeped
78	ectoplasm	makes a thing into a ghost, or vice versa
79	radium	does radiation make superheroes or corpses?
80	void	as sphere of annihilation

Materials (flat)

The table above is vaguely weighted with more common materials in the middle, so that hopefully you aren't stuck with "Transmute lava/ectoplasm/jade" as your only options. But I've been wanting to try out Spwack's thing, so you can also use this to roll flat across the whole table if you feel chaotic.

What's the Deal with this Island? (Pt.1)

There are lots of tables and methodologies for making islands. I've looked over the ones I could find and collected them here.

At Sea in the Tropics

Where to get it

The Rusty Dagger
This was also part of Secret Santicore 2011.

What is it

A set of six d10 tables: "Cliffs", "Night", "Random", "Ships", "Creepy", and "Islands".

Sample Output

Island 1

Large mechanical insects are scattered across this island. They lie dormant as if, waiting for a signal.

Island 2

This island appears to be a solid chunk of smooth and rounded stone. That outcropping looks almost like a nose. Is the whole island a half submerged head?

Island 3

This is actually and archipelago chain which has been formed into a an island nation. It is a primarily agricultural based society, or it was until the plague struck. The pox struck nearly everyone, so now the stench of rotting bodies and crops is noticeable well out to sea.

Island 4

This is actually and archipelago chain which has been formed into a an island nation. It is a primarily agricultural based society, or it was until the plague struck. The pox struck nearly everyone, so now the stench of rotting bodies and crops is noticeable well out to sea.

Island 5

This is actually and archipelago chain which has been formed into a an island nation. It is a primarily agricultural based society, or it was until the plague struck. The pox struck nearly everyone, so now the stench of rotting bodies and crops is noticeable well out to sea.

Island 6

Volcanic eruptions are creating a new island here. Huge steam clouds form as magma pours into the sea, and black ash falls like snow for miles.

Notes

It's unclear how to use some of the tables, but lots of the ideas are evocative. Because there are only 10 options in "Islands", some of the sample outputs are repeated.

Welcome to Fantasy Island

Where to get it

This was part of Secret Santicore 2014 (p. 22-24, here).

What is it

A set of eight tables: "Normal Island Types" (d20), "Exotic Island Types" (d6), "Ocean Island Weather Events" (2d6), "Adventure Themes" (d12), and four encounter tables (d12) for islands of different sizes.

Sample Output

Island 1

Sea Stack (large)
A narrow rock, taller than wide, and more than 30’ tall.
The Island is home to a shunned, but noble people.

Island 2

Islet (small)
A small patch of land supports a copse of trees, apron of sand.
The island is a massive arena where things fight for the pleasure of unseen overlords.

Island 3

Rock (tiny)
A single large piece of rock jutting up from the water.
The island is a massive arena where things fight for the pleasure of unseen overlords.

Island 4

Greater Island (huge)
A large landmass that includes hills, volcanoes, and real forests.
The island holds is lost culture, advanced in magic.

Island 5

Rock (tiny)
A single large piece of rock jutting up from the water.
The island is a massive arena where things fight for the pleasure of unseen overlords.

Island 6

Cays (large)
A landmass rich enough for a small community of humans.
The island holds a lost culture, advanced in magic.

Notes

I did not include the weather or encounter tables in the sample results, but they may be useful in a pinch. I also did not end up with any "Exotic" island types, because they are only rolled for on a 20, but that could be OK for an extended island campaign. The final "Adventure Themes" table is interesting, but strangely weighted for a d12 (fully 1/3 of the results are "The island is a massive arena[…]").

Mazes & Minotaurs

Where to get it

Mazes & Minotaurs is free here. Island generation is on p. 28-29 of the Maze Masters Guide.

What is it

A set of 14 nested tables (mostly xd6)

Sample Output

Island 1

Ringed by smooth, sandy beaches.
Town with some surrounding villages.
The inhabitants live in harmony.
Remote temple
Gigantic Cyclops

Island 2

A variety of coastline exists.
Powerful city ruling an island kingdom.
Gruesome secret. Is a god involved?
Secretive tower
Hydra
Sphinx

Island 3

A variety of coastline exists.
Small villages.
They have never seen outsiders!
Old road
Lycans
Roc
Stone Titan

Island 4

Ringed by high cliffs.
No settlements, uninhabited by humans.
Ruined fortress
Myrmidons [tiny warriors]
Serpent Men
Sphinx

Island 5

Ringed by high cliffs.
No settlements, uninhabited by humans.
Secretive tower
Ghosts

Island 6

A variety of coastline exists.
Town with some surrounding villages.
Islanders regularly attacked by a cruel monster.
Territorial markers (skulls etc.)
Giant Spiders
Giant Eagles
Empusae [vampire witches]

Notes

I really like this one, but it is more of a process to generate an island. Instead of one or two complicated elements, the tables focus on simple elements, and as you fill in the island, you can imagine how they interact. For all that, it sill goes pretty quickly. I think that the tables unnecessarily combine dice, which will lead to e.g. "Gruesome secret" being more common than "Athletic games underway", and I don't see why that is. If I were using these for an extended campaign, then I'd probably just discard duplicate results.

Tome of Adventure Design

Where to get it

You can buy it from Frog God Games ($21). This is p. 290 of  my copy.

What is it

Two d100 tables: "Unusual Island" (d100), and "Owner of the Island" (d100).

Sample Output

Island 1

Vegetation on the island is intelligent and dangerous.
Titan

Island 2

Island is a graveyard for ships.
Leader of aquatic humanoid tribe

Island 3

Island is a graveyard for ships.
Ghostly leader with minions

Island 4

Central volcanoes.
Powerful religious leader (non-human)

Island 5

Cyclopean statues.
Storm giant

Island 6

Island is a living creature and any tunnels probably lead to internal organs.
Mist creature.

Notes

This isn't really what the book is good at (it's more for brainstorming), so it seems a little unfair. There are only 10 items on "Unusual Islands", so it could just be a d10 table, but everything in the book is mapped to a d100 table.

Pathfinder GameMastery Guide

Where to get it

You can buy it from Paizo ($45 print/$10 PDF). This is p. 216 of my copy.

What is it

One d100 table (25 entries).

Sample Output

Island 1

Island with trees that behave like natural siege artillery, firing enormous nuts and fruit at ships passing too close to shore.

Island 2

Reef rules by warring kingdoms of sentient crabs.

Island 3

Island almost entirely made up of old shipwrecks.

Island 4

Iceberg with a ship trapped in it.

Island 5

Frigid island in the far north filled with countless misshapen monsters trapped within its ice.

Island 6

Frigid island in the far north filled with countless misshapen monsters trapped within its ice.

Notes

I quite like the tables in the Pathfinder GM book, even for non-pathfinder games. There are some other good tables in the "Water Toolbox" section, including "Pieces of Interesting Flotsam", "Ghost Ships and Shipwrecks", and "Sailors and Boatmen".

Weird Science Fantasy Island Generator

Where to get it

Weird & Wonderful Worlds

What is it

A set of eight nested tables.

Sample Output

Island 1

Small
Fungal forest
Volcanic
Singing flowers
Apex predator: Camouflage golems
Threat: Long-range reptiles
Other: Reptiles, Fungus
Treasure: 200 gp natural resources

Island 2

Small
Short grass or mossy
Coral forest
Perpetual, localized storm
Apex predator: Super fast golems
Threats: Fast Reptiles, Trap-making birds
Other: Plant animals, Golems
Treasure: 400 gp ancient relic or natural oddity (special)

Island 3

Small
Tall, sparse trees
Synthetic (plastic, metal, etc.)
Apex predator: Massive birds
Threat: Poisonous golems
Other: Mammals
Treasure: 600 gp ancient relic or natural oddity (mundane)

Island 4

Large
Fungal forest
River of cold blue magma
Apex predator: Fish able to swallow a man whole
Threat: Poisonous mammals
Other: Reptiles, 2 different kinds of arthropod
Treasure: 800 gp ancient relic or natural oddity (special)

Island 5

Tiny
Fungal Forest
Synthetic (plastic, metal, etc.)
Apex predator: Super strong reptiles
Threats: Strong reptiles
Other: Mammals
Treasure: 100 gp natural resource

Island 6

Tiny
Dense, woody forest
Floating building-sized plates
Singing flowers
Scattered, ancient, advanced relics
Apex predator: Poisonous fungus
Threats: Durable fungus
Other: Mammals
Treasure: 200 gp natural resource

Notes

This is most similar to the Mazes & Minotaurs generator, but feels slightly less interesting, I think because it leaves the categories so broad (e.g. "mammals"). I quite like the re-use of base types though, so that we can see Island 5 has Super Strong Reptiles that prey on Strong Reptiles, for example. I also like the conceit of building the "ecosystem" on each island.
I did arbitrarily make the decision that each niche could not support more "species" than the size roll of the island.
These tables would be much faster if there were numbers in front of the options.

Uncharted Isles: a Saltbox Generation Toolkit

Where to get it

Billy Goes to Mordor

What is it

Unlike the other tables here, this is actually a method for mapping a bunch of islands.

Sample Output

Island 1

Small (1 square)
Rocky
Ruin: Settlement of a monstrous race, with a plague or curse
Person of Note: Naval Officer

Island 2

Large (9 squares)
Surrounded by hidden reefs
Salt-swamp
Ruin: Fortress of a wizard, with monsters
Ruin: Settlement of a wizard, with technology
Ruin: Other ruin of a wizard, with a plague or curse
People of Note: 3 Natives, 1 Colonist, 2 Pirates, 1 Naval Officer

Island 3

Small (2 squares)
Jungle
Ruin: Settlement of a humanoid race, with a treasure
Ruin: Temple of a humanoid race, with a weapon
People of Note: 2 Pirates

Island 4

Medium (7 squares)
Rocky
Ruin: Industrial/scientific complex of a wizard, with technology
Ruin: Fortress of a giant race, with a plague or curse
Ruin: Fortress of an ancient pagan race, with technology
Ruin: Other ruin of inhuman things from another dimension, with a survivor
Ruin: Temple of an ancient pagan race, with monsters
People of Note: 3 Natives, 2 Colonists, 1 Escaped Slave

Island 5

Medium (7 squares)
Freshwater river
Rocky
Ruin: Settlement of inhuman things from another dimension, with a weapon
Ruin: Settlement of a monstrous race, with monsters
Ruin: Temple of a humanoid race, with a plague or curse
Ruin: Settlement of a giant race, with a plague or curse
People of Note: 2 Natives, 1 Colonist, 1 Escaped Slave

Island 6

Large (18 squares)
Freshwater river
Surrounded by hidden reefs
Jungle
Ruin: Tomb of inhuman things from another dimension, with a survivor
People of Note: 3 Natives, 1 Colonist, 1 Escaped Slave

Notes

I misunderstood the directions and placed 1d6 ruins on each island, instead of distributing them. I did the same thing for persons of note. This has made for some very dense islands, and a less enjoyable generation experience, but I hope that this will not reflect undeservedly on the toolkit.
I arbitrarily decided island size by 1d4 (this seems common). I limited hte number of ruins and notable people that an island can hold by the size roll. I also skipped names and interrelations of the notable people, and I skipped settlement and lair generation as well.

Worms Upon a Piece of Wood

Where to get it

Legacy of the Bieth

What is it

Five nested tables (for island generation), and an ocean encounter table.

Sample Output

Island 1

Flock of monstrous avians (harpies, perytons, etc.)

Island 2

Inhabitants are very welcoming to outsiders, but have strange customs which wind up causing pain. Sindbad encountered this with the islanders who insisted he marry one of them, but then revealed that if one spouse dies, the other is buried alive with them. Some other examples might be ritual sacrifice

Island 3

Cannibals

Island 4

Sorcerer keeping the populace in thrall through use of charm spells to set up a secret police. No, everything's fine here in this little island village, how are you?
Demon-possessed large animals (think the Lions of Tsavo but worse and all demonic) committed to terrorizing the locals. No interest in rulership or gross consumption, but to cause pervasive terror. Or they're waiting for something, killers even more horrendous than the animal that they now ride...

Island 5

Perfectly symmetrical island. When structures are built on one side facsimiles will appear on the other. Same for the remains of any sapient being. Every day that a facsimile is separated from the island, roll a d6; on a 3+ the facsimile disappears.

Island 6

Colony of ghuls - erudite, urbane, eaters of the dead, and running out of consumable corpses.

Notes

Even though the tables are nominally held together by a 1d4 table, and there is the possibility of combining multiple options, I feel like the options are complete enough and the overlaps simple enough that this might work better as a single table.

Low Country Point Crawl Prep: Barrier Island Generator

Where to get it

Unlawful Games

What is it

Four d20 tables.

Sample Output

Savage Man’s [Island]

Small, Forested
Natives

Dead Alligator [Island]

Medium, Rocky
Uninhabited

Green Man’s [Island]

Medium, Marshland
Uninhabited

Hermit Helena’s [Island]

Medium, Sandbar
Natives

Surly Helena’s [Island]

Large, Structures
Uninhabited

Lost Snake [Island]

Medium, Marshland
Colonists

Notes

Apart from the names of islands, I don't feel like this table is really adding a lot. Similar to "Welcome to Fantasy Island", there is a subtable for "Other" islands, but it is only used on a roll of 20.

100 Uncharted Islands

Where to get it

DnDSpeak

What is it

One d100 table, 100 options. Handy "Generate" button.

Sample Output

Island 1

An island with only one inhabitant, a crazed artist trying to find his muse. He will paint portraits of all who visit him but will destroy them hours later as they did not meet his standards and do not show his inspiration for art.

Island 2

A small rocky island. On the South side, a dock pokes tentatively out of the mouth of a cave at sea level. A long staircase winds up inside the rock from the cave to a temple on the top of the island, long abandoned. The Western side houses a small beach, then a sheer cliff overlooked by the temple gardens, now overgrown. The rest of the island is barren rock, rising upwards from the sea.

Island 3

This island seems to be in constant movement... Turns out it actually is a tiny island that sits on top of a enormous turtle that roams the surface of the ocean. The island is a patch of sand and dirt that sits on its shell, a single, tiny tree sits on top of it.

Island 4

A tiny rocky island with a large tower, the top is illuminated by a very powerful Light spell. This is used as a lighthouse but there isn’t a shore nearby, the lighthouse keeper is elderly and doesn’t remember why they are there or who sent them.

Island 5

A giant knot of vegetation. Kelp extends deep into the waters below, and mangrove-like trees are rooted into the mats of kelp.

Island 6

An island is floating above the sea, about twenty feet from the top of the ocean. On top of the island is a library run by Chameleon warriors who travel around collecting books for their massive library. You can find information about nearly any civilization here, for a price.

Notes

As a crowdsourced-from-reddit table, the quality of entries varies wildly. At least one entry is just a list of short suggestions that were never properly separated, multiple entries are the Zaratan, multiple entries are giant skulls that only look like islands, the units are arbitrary (feet, km, miles, meters), etc. Still, there's some good stuff too, and as the first 100-entry d100 table it is at least full of variety.

Islands in the Sky: Random Island Generator

Where to get it

A Pack of Knolls

What is it

Four tables with some nested rolls and a sky travel encounter table.

Sample Output

Island 1

1 sq mile, plains/prairie
Organized militaristic humanoids
100% human

Island 2

1 sq mile, fey or shadow
House on a hill (occupied)
20% gnome, 20% dragonborn, 20 % shadar-kai, 20% fomorian, 20% drow

Island 3

3 sq mile, fey or shadow
Artisan town
100% human

Island 4

0.5 sq mile, badlands
Small trading village
100% troglodyte

Island 5

24 sq mile, desert
Wilderness
100% wilden

Island 6

4 sq mile, fey or shadow
Wilderness
100% human

Notes

The racial makeup is not very evocative for me, and consequently I feel that these tables also do not carry their weight. Technically these are sky-islands, but I figure the principles are the same.

D100 Islands

Where to get it

Elf Maids & Octopi

What is it

Two d100 tables: "Insular Islands within and around Exile Island", and "Islands and oceanic phenomena on Planet Psychon".

Sample Output

Island 1

A lonely, haunted gravesite, haunted by one undead.

Island 2

Grog shop under tarpaulin over fallen tree with local exotic sentients drinking together

Island 3

Lich dwells in a fortified tomb and a lich inside has power only limited by corpses

Island 4

Drunken cult of the wine god holidaying here in stupors

Island 5

A vampire lord is trapped here, a crumbling collapsed manor is only remnants

Island 6

A gigantic sea serpent hides in a cave here to recover from encounters with worse monsters

Notes

I did not see the second d100 table, so none of the sample islands were generated from it. I generally like these, but some of them link to other d100 tables, and I don't think there's any particular "island" feeling about those ones.

Adrift Amid the Random Isles

Where to get it

Tales from the Sorcerer's Skull

What is it

Six tables

Sample Output

Island 1

Volcanic (active)
Large
Sahuagin, war-like women (man-hungry)
Earth-bound god

Island 2

Coral atoll
Large
Uninhabited

Island 3

Volcanic (active)
Small
Animals
Froghemoth

Island 4

Voclanic (extinct)
Small
Humanoid cargo cult

Island 5

Volcanic (active)
Medium
Uninhabited
Living statues

Island 6

Mountain top of a drowned continent
Very small
Animals
Giant animal

Notes

By making civilization so rare, I feel like the more interesting possibilities of these tables are limited.

Why is this boat?

Some possible passing ships.

Why is this boat? (1d20)

1. Wine merchants traveling in a large circle to age their cargo of Madeira. Very bad at sailing because they weren’t willing to pay any experienced crew.
2. The hold is filled with crates of earth and a coffin. Otherwise deserted.
3. Lycanthropes who set out to sea with no plan other than to escape their curse.
4. Pilgrims seeking a spot in the middle of the ocean where they believe their patron saint drowned.
5. Scientists hailing from a distant land. Tasked with charting the seas, recording other cultures, and taking samples of flora and fauna back with them.
6. Salvagers, attempting to recover a previous salvaging expedition. Know where they’re going, but not what the original was seeking. Increment if re-rolled.
7. Monkeys. Do they know where they’re going? How did they learn that?
8. Smugglers who can’t return to port until they figure out how to stop their ship glowing at night.
9. Lone man in a kayak. Does not speak any common language. Grateful for assistance, but unconcerned that he is far from home.
10. A diver convinced that there is an underwater civilization right below him. No one else sees any evidence, but he’s wealthy, so everyone humors him. He endeavors to be the first ambassador to that civilization.
11. Mutineers who never agree. Any given member of the crew has been captain, prisoner, or both. They want the PCs to take the most recent captain off their hands (they have no more rafts).
12. Heretic monks who were kicked out of their monastery.
13. Lone pirate captain, stranded on a life raft after a mutiny.
14. The entire navy of a local noble’s vanity micronation (two vessels). Out practicing war games.
15. Woman with magic boots can walk on the surface of the water (no boat).
16. Weird merchants. See e.g. Gorgonmilk's Goblin Market.
17. Cannibals.
18. Tax collectors / excise ship.
19. Stowaway who has just escaped your ship in your life raft.
20. Conquistadors.

Addendum

Previously, this post referenced some work by Zak S. Because it was not necessary, I have removed these references. For more about my views on Zak, see here.