Is random good?

[Crothian]

In the right game random is great. In the wrong game random is horrible.

 

[(un)reason]

It's usually faster, which is a substantial benefit in itself. Increasing the odds of the game surprising the DM is also a plus in my book.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Random is...

**rolls d20**


Good!

 

[Zelda Themelin]

I like random. I have nothing against cool plots either. I like systems that use random elements usually dice.

Yes, I like random rolling for stats unless it's computer game. There I tend to roll until I get good ones, and continue rolling when I get them on reflex and curse and continue rolling. Wastes lot of time to actually play the game.

Interestingly I don't do that in table-top games.

 

[Loonook]

Randomness is next to 1d4 godliness.

I love the randomness of games, and believe that you need to build around the random. It's what makes me like certain series, and the idea that anyone is expendable. I think that the surprise of a good combat, good interactions, and the possibility that some day you may have to go to a flumph .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Yora]

It is important that players never know if something they attempt will be a guaranted success or guaranteed failure, so adding some randomness to the action is a very good thing.

Everything else should not be depend on randomnes.

 

[Desdichado]

Randomness has an important and well-protected and probably inviolate place in RPGs. That said, a fetish for randomness is not a good thing either. A good GM needs to know when to invoke randomness and when to minimize it.

 

[Filcher]

A case could be made that randomness helps to avoid DM railroading the adventure to fit "his story."

On that basis alone, randomness has its value.

 

[saskganesh]

*Looks at his collection of funny shaped dice*

I think this genre is built on a high degree of randomness, whether its character generation, combat or wandering monsters. Now the challenge of a player or DM is to overcome that for best results.

I like random a lot.

 

[chaochou]

Here's a good essay about the role of chance in wargaming.

Clearly, it is talking about board wargaming rather than rpgs but I think some of the concepts and ideas are transferable.

Chance and Wargames