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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 7625943" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>I do love me some random encounter tables.</p><p></p><p>The important thing to remember about a random encounter table it is supposed to be a scene generating device.</p><p></p><p>So don't put anything on the table that you don't think you can improvise a meaningful scene out of. For a random encounter table in the jungle, that's generally pretty easy - everything on the table wants to eat the PCs. Bang.</p><p></p><p>For a random encounter table in the city, the sort of interaction that the named thing is going to have with the PCs is much less obvious and so often needs to be specified. If you can't see what that interaction is going to be immediately, then it's probably not that great of an entry for the table, and it's going to be even less obvious if you are preparing this for someone else not steeped in the intricacies of your campaign world. </p><p></p><p>So for example, what meaningful interaction is going to happen with the opera troop performers? Or at least, the crowd watching the opera troop? Whatever write up you give about the opera troops needs to help you and the intended audience frame a meaningful scene, even if it is something like - "10% chance, member of the troop is drunk/ill/injured/missing, and the director tries to press a PC into service as a character.", or "10% chance, opera troop is presenting a play that faction X considers a direct attack on them, and they've hired rowdies to throw rotten fruit at the performers and break up the play." Point is, while you or I might be experienced enough to brain storm up this on the fly, under the pressure of play it's a lot harder than it is now while I'm typing this, and it will be even tougher for the people who by your book.</p><p></p><p>So remember it's not a random creature generator, it's a random encounter (scene) generator.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, I find that every good random encounter generator has a "Roll Again Twice" entry, which creates encounters between NPC's that invite the PC's to get involved with, or encounters with unexpected allies, or encounters simultaneously with two other groups seeking out the PCs independently (a staple of soap operas). This is excellent fodder for the imagination, and often provides a reason for the PC's to interact that they might not obviously have. For example, an encounter between soldiers and bandits implies the opportunity to choose sides. Or you might have an encounter with a soldier beating up the aggressive fortune teller because of his undesired fortune. Or an encounter between a Bao Men and the aggressive merchant peddling goods, because the Bao Men want a refund on their purchase because of something they claim as a defect. Or a merchant might bring a constable and insist that the players stole something in a case of mistaken identity. And so on and so forth.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 7625943, member: 4937"] I do love me some random encounter tables. The important thing to remember about a random encounter table it is supposed to be a scene generating device. So don't put anything on the table that you don't think you can improvise a meaningful scene out of. For a random encounter table in the jungle, that's generally pretty easy - everything on the table wants to eat the PCs. Bang. For a random encounter table in the city, the sort of interaction that the named thing is going to have with the PCs is much less obvious and so often needs to be specified. If you can't see what that interaction is going to be immediately, then it's probably not that great of an entry for the table, and it's going to be even less obvious if you are preparing this for someone else not steeped in the intricacies of your campaign world. So for example, what meaningful interaction is going to happen with the opera troop performers? Or at least, the crowd watching the opera troop? Whatever write up you give about the opera troops needs to help you and the intended audience frame a meaningful scene, even if it is something like - "10% chance, member of the troop is drunk/ill/injured/missing, and the director tries to press a PC into service as a character.", or "10% chance, opera troop is presenting a play that faction X considers a direct attack on them, and they've hired rowdies to throw rotten fruit at the performers and break up the play." Point is, while you or I might be experienced enough to brain storm up this on the fly, under the pressure of play it's a lot harder than it is now while I'm typing this, and it will be even tougher for the people who by your book. So remember it's not a random creature generator, it's a random encounter (scene) generator. Secondly, I find that every good random encounter generator has a "Roll Again Twice" entry, which creates encounters between NPC's that invite the PC's to get involved with, or encounters with unexpected allies, or encounters simultaneously with two other groups seeking out the PCs independently (a staple of soap operas). This is excellent fodder for the imagination, and often provides a reason for the PC's to interact that they might not obviously have. For example, an encounter between soldiers and bandits implies the opportunity to choose sides. Or you might have an encounter with a soldier beating up the aggressive fortune teller because of his undesired fortune. Or an encounter between a Bao Men and the aggressive merchant peddling goods, because the Bao Men want a refund on their purchase because of something they claim as a defect. Or a merchant might bring a constable and insist that the players stole something in a case of mistaken identity. And so on and so forth. [/QUOTE]
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