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Tricks+Treats

While many different traditions come up around this time of year, the one that's always scary popular is Trick or Treating. At least in the USA, things are typically focused more on treats rather than tricks... though, in some shady corners, flaming bags of animal poop, eggings, and the TP'ing of people’s houses still likely prevails. There are also always rumors of the tricks disguised as treats:  needles or razor blades shoved into candy or fruit treats, drug laced delights, and so forth. Even today, it's still recommended that adults go through their younglings' collection of confections before letting them have at (also a great opportunity to sneak some candy yourself). But before you slip into your sugar infused diabetic naps, have a quick read of a table of tricks and treats you can use to sweeten up your tabletop games.

- A

A mixed bag of candies and curses for your players can come in any number of ways. Perhaps they're a collection of Victorian tinctures and tonics. They might be experimental genetically engineered "enhancements," or just your regular old magic bag of mystery. No matter how you roll or your role, your players should find amusement with a few of these:

  1. Pixie Dust - Everything your character ingests tastes amazingly sweet for the next day. (A)
  2. Jolly Rancher - Inside the wrapper is a note saying the players have won a free stay at the setting-appropriate ranch of their choice! Everyone there is happy to see the PCs... maybe a little too happy... (B)
  3. Molasses Chew - Your character keeps repeatedly stubbing their toe. Minus one movement unit for the next hour. (A)
  4. Starburst - In addition to blast of fruity flavor, the character gets a tiny glimpse of the awesome and terrible nature of the Cosmos. Roll a Sanity check. (B)
  5. Peppermint Treat gives your character’s teeth a heroic shine. Minor bonus on persuasiveness for the next day. (A)
  6. Nerds - After finishing the box of these tiny candy people, the character notices a label saying that the package contained an entire university, complete with students, miniaturized and put in suspended animation. Was it a prank, or has the character committed an accidental act of academic atrocity? They'll never know, but get a boost to any Intelligence rolls for the rest of the session, anyway. (B)
  7. Cinnamon Ball - Hot. Very hot! So, very, very hot. No two mouths are not on fire. Character is unable to speak correctly for the next hour. (A)
  8. "Fun-Sized" Candy Bar - The chocolate ridges on top form a very tiny treasure map! But the player characters will have to take serious measures to read it before the chocolate melts or is squished into a very inaccurate map that leads them to danger. Or the thing gets eaten. (B)
  9. Whopper - People believe the next outrageous whopper of a tale you tell, if only for the one evening. (A)
  10. Candy Corn - Whoever eats this instantly turns orange and yellow! Great camouflage if they need to infiltrate a traffic cone factory or citrus repository. (A)
  11. Circus Peanuts - At least it isn’t a Neco Wafer (A). Character can’t stop giggling for the next minute. 
  12. Werther's Originals - The definitive "old person" candy gives whoever's sucking on it a bonus to Wisdom scores and an uncontrollable urge to tell rambling stories until it dissolves. (B)
  13. Gummy De Milo - Your character can only speak in innuendo or puns for the next day. (A)
  14. Now and Later - Oh no! The character's teeth are immediately stuck together, rendering them silent until the thing finally melts at the GM's discretion. (B)
  15. A Rock. You got a rock, you blockhead. It isn’t even a good rock that's worth throwing. If you do attempt to throw it, it crumbles and dust blows into your eye. (A)
  16. Double Bubble - This inexplicably hard hunk of gum forms an unbreakable adhesive, but someone's going to have to chew it first, risking serious dental and jaw damage (Constitution or system equivalent check). (B)
  17. Full-Sized Candy Bar - Your character is sustained for one normal meal by eating this candy bar. (A)
  18. Tootsie Pop - A magical or otherworldly being has information the player characters need, but first they must first solve a fiendish riddle involving the number of licks it takes to reach the center of this candy treat.
  19. Another Rock - Or is it?!?! Theres a secret compartment inside big enough to fit a small key.
  20. Neco Wafer - Your character’s mouth tastes dry and chalky for the next hour, no matter how much you drink. Anything else ingested in that time loses part of its effect. (A)
  21. Box of (Possibly) Candy Crayons- Each one is labeled with the name of a spell. But are you supposed to draw with it or eat it? Someone in the group is going to have to try one to find out. (B)

Don’t like some of our options? Or did we inadvertently give you a strange amount to roll for? Not to fret, use the treat of Random.org to get a purely random whole number in the range any two numbers. Hopefully, these tricks and treats will at least make your players chuckle. At worst, they’ll be quickly forgotten. At best, you’ll all have an inside joke for years to come. Feel free to add your own tricks and treats. Just make sure to not make it anything too outrageous. You’re looking for small bites here, not big meals. Until the next Spooky Season, enjoy your tables and your dice! - A

 Send questions, comments, and your favorite weird oldy-tyme candy that somehow get handed out on Halloween to neversaydice20@gmail.com or tweet us @neversaydice2.


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