Is random good?

[Summer-Knight925]

This can mean anything from Randomly generated characters to random terrain.

Do you feel randomness adds flavor and makes things less personal?

Take a member of my group for example, he plans his entire character out (min/max-er to the 10th degree) while another lets the character make himself (roleplayer to the 10th degree)

Both play very differently, that is obvious.
But what is your view on things? Does random treasure change a character's aim? Can a random monster change the campaign's theme? What about random stats?

the random dungeon rules will be left out of this thread for the sake of saving time.

 

[Cor Azer]

Random is neither good or bad. It just is. (I'm a mathematician, can you tell? )

I prefer tailored stuff, but random results are for making me think outside my pre-conceived box, both as a player and DM.

 

[Nifft]

If all options seem good enough, or when facing "analysis paralysis" (i.e. writer's block), randomness can be an excellent way to make choices.

If a player or GM enjoys the challenge of "making the best" of the hand that's dealt, rather than the challenge of coming up with a specific concept in a vacuum and then building towards that concept, then randomness can be an excellent tool.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Serendipity]

I like random. Not necessarily for everything, all the time, but in the main, I quite like it. Yes, it's almost certainly just that I am a product of when I started gaming (1980) but I'm fine with that. I suppose it's an aesthetic thing for me, personally.
(And because I feel this will come up sooner or later - no, I don't much care for point buy systems. I'd much rather use an array in the latter case. Arrays are neat.)
I like my combat at least somewhat 'swingy' and am not generally too concerned about balance, save in the overall sense. No great philosophical rationale for any of this, it's just how I like it.

 

[SlyDoubt]

Yes it is. I like random because it takes power away from me as a DM and puts power in 'the world'.

In character generation I always prefer random stats within limits. The characters tend to be more interesting and less slightly less typical than with a point buy system. Someone might choose to do something they didn't plan on simply because of the stats they have.

As for everything else, same idea. I think randomness is an important part of making the world seem like it has its own logic, not just what the DM feels is appropriate at any one moment. That kind of consistent randomness keeps things from feeling tailored and unique for just the players. It makes them a part of a larger world that already has its own rules.

 

[Croesus]

I like my combat at least somewhat 'swingy'...

Whereas I'd rather combat was fairly "unswingy", which is one reason why I tend to prefer systems that use a bell curve, as opposed to d20 or percentile dice.

 

[DMKastmaria]

Randomness allows me, as a DM, to be surprised, challenged and enhances my overall enjoyment of running a game.

Abulafia has some good ones.

 

[Sunseeker]

It does both, depending on what it's applied to and how often it's used.

I would say that on the whole, it's usually a good thing.

 

[Celebrim]

This can mean anything from Randomly generated characters to random terrain.

Do you feel randomness adds flavor and makes things less personal?

Randomness tends to be better than the planning that a novice DM would do. Random dungeons, random monsters, and random treasure all tend to be less boring than a young DM's initial instincts. Randomness can be an excellent substitute for or supplement for creativity and it should be taken as such.

It's not perfect. Sometimes random things really don't make sense and sometimes the DM does have to put their finger on the wheel, but randomness would be a basis from which I'd suggest starting a lot of things.

Random stats and other random character features will likewise tend to encourage more diversity in character creation than you'd have otherwise, but I no longer consider that particularly important. Players have relatively little power over the game, so its just better to let them play what they want.

 

[VheeShane]

I spent about 2 years and about 20 charts randomized for everything, its really fun and can be the impetus for players to start creating their own conclusions. Thats fun to watch a story unfold that the players create (especially if no one knows your pulling random and adlibing based on the players reactions)