Like any aesthetic, Cottagecore has its share of problems, largely stemming from co-opted nostalgia and rural life but there are also the considerations of idealized domesticity and neo-colonialism. However, the ideas of appreciating simple things, of making something with your own hands, of sharing and caring for each other, and of allowing anyone of any gender or orientation to express themselves without judgement. These are the things I can appreciate and are what I hope this generator reflects.
All images were obtained from the Old Book Illustrations collection.
D1 Can I use this for fascist/colonialist/far right bullshit?
- Fuck no
D2 Should I Buy Wanderhome?
D4 Their Season is
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
D6 Pronouns- Fuck this D6 if you want, pronouns are flexible and should fit whatever the person (or NPC) wants it to be.
- He/Him
- She/Her
- They/Them
- He/They
- She/They
- Neopronoun, Any, or some other combination! Please Ask!
D8 They Kind of Remind you of a
- Toad/Frog
- Cat
- Pig
- Badger
- Rodent (Like a Mouse or a Beaver or a Capybara)
- Dog
- Opossum
- Some other animal
D10 Disposition
- Well-Meaning
- Jovial
- Witty
- Gentle
- Quiet
- Studious
- Hard-Working
- Introverted
- Gruff
- Mischievous
D10 Vice/Flaw
- Incorrigible Sweet Tooth
- Can’t help but stick their nose into mysteries
- Knows all the gossip from here to the next village
- Knows about second breakfast AND elevensies
- Cannot resist the urge to leap into puddles
- Has a tendency to talk as though they are an expert on things they know next to nothing about
- Cannot keep a secret for the life of them
- Is a questionable matchmaker
- Cannot say no to most dares
- Has a petty rivalry with another NPC over their shared hobby/interest
D12 Archetype
- Lover
- Hero
- Magician
- Outlaw
- Explorer
- Sage
- Innocent
- Creator
- Ruler
- Cargeiver
- Everyman
- Jester
D20 Hobby/Skill
- Cooking/Baking
- Weaving/Sewing/Crocheting/Knitting/Quilting etc
- Gardening
- Collecting -Sub table
- Cartography
- Writing Poetry/Prose/Calligraphy
- Boating
- Brewing
- Woodworking
- Basket Weaving
- Sculpting/Pottery
- Jewelry
- Sleight-of-hand/Cardistry
- Bushcraft
- Tinkering
- Drawing/Painting
- Local History
- Singing and/or Instruments
- Natural Sciences
- Star Gazing
D100 Quirks
- Always smells of freshly baked bread
- Always knows the shortest path to a good cup of tea/coffee
- Carries a small god in their vest pocket
- Breel, god of the first yawn of the day
- Thylo, god of books bought but never read
- Vipsie, god of the feeling of taking off your shoes after a long day
- Uulou, god of snail romance
- Jadro, god of small epiphanies that make you smile in public
- Gemmok, god of eyelashes found on cheeks
- Has a memento from the War that now acts as birdbath in their garden
- Is much much younger/older than they appear to be.
- Only a few books to their name, but they’ve memorized them by heart.
- Always has a basket, a gingham blanket, and a selection of cheeses ready to go
- Knows all sorts of games for all sorts of occasions
- Is ordained to perform civil and/or religious weddings/unions
- Apprenticed as a midwife and knows a smattering of other medicines
- Is incredibly good with kids
- Widely known for their abilities as a mediator
- Is an active and vocal advocate against a repressive law or rule.
- Uses their position to help it so no one has to go through what they once went through
- Trained as a wainwright and can fix most simple modes of transport
- Plays an important role in the yearly harvest dances
- Was raised by a local genius loci/Forest Deity/Mountain God.
- Has a way with animals that borders on the supernatural
- Has won the pie-eating contest at the village fair 5 years running
- Knows a lullaby that will bring restful sleep to anyone, sworn to only use it for those in need
- Remembers how those children’s rhymes originated and is glad of happier times now
- Is still looking for themselves and that’s okay
- Spent much of their youth in Fairy, remembers most of it only as a dream
- Has a sibling who is a Witch, they come the village for gossip and trade every other Tuesday
- Is perpetually naïve, but occasionally possesses great insight
- Has never been seen without a flower crown on, even in the dead of winter
- Never says goodbye, only “See you later”
- Has known love and loss, and knows how to spot it in others
- Always has enough food and blankets for one more unexpected guest
- Has been trying to write their memoirs for a long time
- Is a veteran of the Last War and is still struggling with the idea of Peace
- Knows the secret of brewing dragon tea and is part of the very close knit society
- Knows all of the mushrooms in the region, has a dog or hog that helps them search
- Keeps bees
- Is the one that all the stray cats in the village eventually migrate to
- Teaches self defense to village youths, they’ll not be oppressed again
- Always more pockets than any single outfit should reasonably have
- Used to catch butterflies but is now content to just watch them
- Knows small kind magics learned from
- A traveling witch
- Forest spirits
- Their Grandmother
- Listening to the wind
- An old book in the library
- A friend who is no longer here
- Vinegar is the secret ingredient in all their cooking
- Joyfully changes hobbies every couple of weeks
- Thinks there is nothing quite as pleasant as an afternoon in a rowboat
- Knows many ghost stories and enjoys that tingle of fear and suspense
- Is very untrusting of “society” and “company” but is an excellent host to those in need
- Has learned the secret of how to fall asleep essentially anywhere and wake up refreshed
- Can outstare a cat if they have the mind to do so.
- Has a ring on a string, a small precious thing.
- Absolutely believes in soul mates and kismet.
- Keeps a meticulous diary
- Is secretly in love with another NPC, but has thus far been too shy to do anything but leave love letters.
- Is a werewolf, but has worked things out with their significant other and most the town knows.
- Knows their limits and is okay with that knowledge
- Knows their limits, but works daily to push them
- Can make a filling soup from just about any provided ingredients
- Can fit their whole life into a backpack at a moment’s notice
- Will always be the first to speak up
- Is owed a favor by the keeper of a teahouse or bathhouse the next town over
- Is only passing through here themselves, they have many miles yet to go
- Ended up marrying their long time rival when they mutually realized their rivalry was an artificial construct created by their toxic families
- Has trouble communicating their emotions, uses a series of masks to help
- Knows the calls of all the local songbirds and can communicate with them in a limited way
- Is a dragon in disguise that subsists on stories
- Holds a key to a secret garden
- Has been to Cloud Cuckoo Land, keeps a piece of cloud in a bottle as a memento
- Is actually a ghost/spirit who wants to keep this place safe
- Makes a yearly pilgrimage and would be happy for some company
- Is an armature archeologist and knows a bit about the local ruins
- Their dads were known for the enormous pumpkins they once grew, might remember the secret to other giant vegetables.
- Knows how to perform all of the necessary rites for burial and proper handling of the dead
- Feels like a big fish in a small pond and is looking for the chance to make a change.
- Has visited the Goblin Market but has not partaken, though they hear even now those temptations
- Is look’n for something
- Has been to Rock Bottom and learn the secret to pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps
- Gave up a life of crime a long time ago, but their lockpicking skills haven’t gotten rusty yet
- Still has some contacts in the City but left that place for good reasons
- Is a member of (or perhaps leader of) a niche charity organization
- Has some very odd vintages in their cellar
- Keeps a small shrine inside their home
- Their bathroom is haunted and they would really like some help
- Came across some strange books during the monthly flea market
- Has a Pact with a Demon, it isn’t as bad as it sounds. They come by for tea and talk politics on the New Moon.
- Is distinctly Friend-Shaped
- Keeps a long and detailed genealogy and could speak for hours about family
- Their home is teeming with Tiny Folk
- Has mastered the art of the sword and now has no need of the ugly piece of metal
- Is an expert at reading the weather, they can feel the rain in their knees and then some.
- Has a child who they discovered inside a bamboo stalk or a barley flower or a walnut shell
- Has a hound that is more wrinkle than dog, it is a very good judge of character nonetheless
- Inherited the ability to spin thread from anything
- Has figured out how to make dyes of Impossible Colors like Stygian Blue and Forbidden Colors like Hermetic Jade
- Goes out weekly with a long stick to disarm bear traps and snares in the woods.
- Dances naked under the full moon, because no one said you couldn’t be Cottagecore AND Witchcore
- The friendship bracelets they weave become distressingly itchy if a friend who wear their matching pair is in trouble
- Has a collection of naughty cross-stitches
- Is an armature entomologist and can identify even the strangest of bugs.
- Sincerely and unironically enjoys clowns
- Befriended a goblin named Boblin, they live in the cellar and keep it free of rats
- They possess a micropig named Thurston, they dress them in galoshes and a yellow rain jacket when appropriate.
- Possesses one or more “Cottagecore Magic Items”
- Think of how many hobbies you tried, roll that many times on this list
D10 Magical Cottagecore Items
- Tiny clay cauldron earrings: The earrings can become actual cauldrons for practical use by placing a small amount of any home-grown herb inside of them.
- Checkered overalls of holding: That pocket goes deep y’all!
- Magical tattooed freckles: These magically added freckles can come and go and rearrange themselves at their owner’s beck and call.
- Tattered quilt of feasting: the quilt looks (and smells) like it came out of a very old closet at granny’s house. Once a month the player can unfurl the quilt to reveal a sumptuous feast (As Hero’s Feast or similar.)
- Kerchief of luscious locks: A small scarf embroidered with delicate flowers. When placed on someone’s head, the player appears to have long, flowing ripples of hair. The hair is perfectly random in style, and falls elegantly everywhichway.
- Basket of gathering: On first look, it appears to be a typical wicker basket used for gathering berries or other small garden goods. It doubles the amount of any foraging done with it.
- Clothesline of the celestial designer: Need just the right outfit to flirt with the farmer next door? Hang this clothesline out just before the full moon each month, and clip a drawing of the outfit you desire in the light of the moon. When you go outside in the morning, your outfit will be there, swaying in the breeze. It will last until the next full moon whereupon it will turn back into the drawing.
- Conformed Corset: This corset can hide or accentuate any feature on a torso to fit the wearer’s preferences and desires.
- Picnic Basket of Prosperity: As long as this basket is properly packed it can hold enough food to feed up to 100 people but only weigh about as much as a small child. Every time it is packed, however, there is a 2-6 chance that it needs to be repacked because of a left out mustard jar, a misplaced spoon, or a thermos without a lid.
- Cameo’s Necklace: The Cameo in this necklace can listen to and remember the details of a single conversion and replay it at a later date, supplementing with its own gossipy commentary.
Hug a friend, explore a forest, punch a fascist, fish in a lake (that possibly contains a very lost sea serpent), and home in time for supper. All delightful stuff!
Like animal farm, but, instead of top-down communo-feudalism, everyone just wants to get along and have snacks.