Random lists

[Zio_the_dark]

I really like random generators. If some of you already checked my tool in the resource section you can see that it has become a hobby for me (even if it's still very uncomplete).

I'm opening a poll to see what's the trend for the average gaming table here on ENworld

What I like is tools that allow you to expand whatever is inside the tables/generator that's why I started building my own things rather than using other tools (some of these tools are really well done but when it's on the internet there's no way to edit the data...).

Also I'm seeking ideas/advices on what is the most useful for you, or even random lists you like to use.

Happy gaming!

Edit: forgot to add, I like tools because it avoids wasting time rolling on multiple tables with a book oben that take some space at the table!

 

[aco175]

I think we used them in the past more than I do now. I used to have random name generators, Inn names, gems, height/weight of the PCs, all sorts of things. Today I mostly have a weather generator with 1d10 and it is only used when needed, a wandering encounter generator used sparingly since I tend to make a set encounter if a roll is made, and random magic items.

I find the players like to roll for a random item since the others are DM rolled. I tell the table that a random item is found and I open the DMG and tell one to roll percentiles. I tend to look at a couple of the charts and decide if one item is better than the other if a 54 is rolled and not be set to use table A.

 

[ART!]

We definitely like random generators, but mostly just for crits and chaos magic. I can't speak to what other DMs in the group do, but I tend to decide treasure and magic items on my own, based on what makes sense to me given the source of the treasure, location, etc.

We even went so far as to make a set of randomizing decks for one of the DMs, as a present two Christmases ago. We did a deck each for piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning attacks, spells, NPCs, and weird items. We had a blast coming up with crits and fumbles, plus Ihelped design the deck card backs.

 

[R_J_K75]

I've used them for random spell mishaps, crits, parts of character/NPC creation. There's a lot of random tables in D&D books throughout the years. Tavern generators are always useful. The ones I liked a lot were from the Cities of Mystery and City System, they had random street scene generators and random pickpocket tables. Nowadays if I use any of them its during adventure design more than in game though.

 

[embee]

I do when I can sit down and take the time to prep a bank of random encounters.

 

[el-remmen]

I prefer lists I can pick from to a generator.

 

[R_J_K75]

I prefer lists I can pick from to a generator.

Yeah sometimes random generators just give you the same few results which are useless at that point.

 

[Zio_the_dark]

Yeah sometimes random generators just give you the same few results which are useless at that point.

Indeed that's why I like generators that can be customized with your own lists for input (and that's what I try to do)

I've used them for random spell mishaps, crits, parts of character/NPC creation. There's a lot of random tables in D&D books throughout the years. Tavern generators are always useful. The ones I liked a lot were from the Cities of Mystery and City System, they had random street scene generators and random pickpocket tables. Nowadays if I use any of them its during adventure design more than in game though.

You're right I mostly use them during design too, during play I prefer to improvize what seems to be the more logical/needed for the moment.

 

[R_J_K75]

You're right I mostly use them during design too, during play I prefer to improvize what seems to be the more logical/needed for the moment.

Just gives you more control over illogical scenarios based on random dice rolls. OTOH, there have been a few times I've rolled randomly on the street scene tables and used what came up. Made for some pretty fun and funny encounters.

One thing that always bugged me about the random pick pocket table was the small mouse trap like device in the pocket to deter pickpockets. Sounds good in theory but how does one go about getting anything out of their pocket without setting off their own trap?

 

[Lanefan]

Voted "sometimes", in that I don't use randomly generated dungeons and rarely use random encounters, but a lot of other things in the game are random: fumble and wild magic effects, many things surrounding char-gen (either fully random or optionally random), available items other than those placed in adventures, and so forth.