Random Generator Printout

lumin

First Post
I am a big fan of using randomly generated resources in my Pen and Paper games. I typically take the random "thing" (whatever that may be - item, creature, loot, etc) and manipulate it just enough to have it make sense in my campaign, or allow it to create a story of its own.

For example, in a recent campaign, one of my characters was scouring a Goblin Fortress and I rolled up a random "Long Sword of Entanglement" as a loot item. I decided that this would play a central role in the campaign and created a neat story around it where the characters would have to return it to a hidden Druid Grove.

I love doing this because it not only helps me with the story, but it makes things stay fresh and exciting rather than relying on my own biases in making things up.

I usually play lite RPGs such as Castles and Crusades, Microlite, and (my personal favorite) Warrior, Rogue & Mage so I don't rely on many "rules". I usually only bring character sheets, graph paper, pencils and dice to my games and they usually take place in a non-formal setting (couch, bedside, etc). So my problem is that I hate having to use my big fat RPG books to roll for random stuff.

So can anyone point me to a Master GM loot table print-out that I can easily print on my printer and use at my games? I'm looking for something that's pretty much got it all - loot, furniture, monsters, weather, items (magic and non-magic), NPCs (well NPCs are not as important...but would be nice), traps, etc.

I've been looking for something like this for years and haven't found it. And, no, I prefer not to use software generator because I need to have the resource ready-in-hand while playing at any time or place.

It would be a very nice thing to have, especially if it could be printed out in booklet or pamphlet format for easy stowing. I just hate having to use my rulebooks for something like this.
 

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I like doing the same. For instance, I recently rolled a list of magic items available in a community (idea from here) and the results suggested someone had uncovered an ancient dwarven ruin nearby...

Personally I think comprehensive tables are too unwieldy for use at the table, so I prefer to use an online generator to pregenerate short lists of everything I need. I then pick items/NPCs/whatever in order as needed and refill the lists between sessions. If you'd rather say "let me roll" to your players, you can of course roll from the short list as well.
 

Ummm... For what?

I have a horde of PC generators that can generate just about anything for D&D, Gamma World or a Sci-Fi Setting.

It'll take about ten seconds to spin up the generator and create a random list of 500 or so of whatever you happen to want...

Characters
NPCs
Magic
Spells
Armors, Armor
Weaponry
Shields
Food
Equipment
Encounters
Creatures
Treasures
Citizens from the ten most used languages in the world
Starships
Star Systems
Asteroid Fields
Mutations
Modern Firearms
Age of Piracy ships, vehicle Weapons...
Character Backgrounds
Character Appearances...
Star Wars Planets
Random Planets
Vehicles
Aircraft
Facilities Ancient and Modern...
Kingdoms...

The trick with computers is to pregenerate a list of 100 or so random itens... Then you just go down the list generated and printed to provide suitable aesthetic booty... Just name your poison.
 

Ummm... For what?
The trick with computers is to pregenerate a list of 100 or so random itens... Then you just go down the list generated and printed to provide suitable aesthetic booty... Just name your poison.

Thanks for the advice, but you missed my point. I DO NOT want a computer generated random list. I want a "physical" booklet to hold in my hand that has random tables for use "during" my games.

The point is that I want to be able to very quickly generate random stuff on the fly during a game wherever I'm playing at. So If I'm playing a P&P game during a car ride or during a camping trip, I can generate random stuff without access to a computer.

I found these two books, which come close to what I'm talking about:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Mother-all-Treasure-Tables/dp/1594590656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303328349&sr=8-1"]The Mother of All Treasure Tables[/ame]
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/1931275548"]The Mother of All Encounter Tables[/ame]

I'm looking for something like this only free, and something that includes EVERYTHING in one book.

I am actually very surprised that something like this has never been done before, considering how many years D&D has been around. I envision a small handbook size book that could fit in one's pocket and carried to a gaming session with tables to very easily draw from if you needed random stuff.

I've looked far and wide for something like this, but have never found it. I am seriously considering making up my own book by compiling all of the random tables from source books that go back to 1st Edition D&D as well as including other fantasy RPG tables.
 
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I found these two books, which come close to what I'm talking about:
The Mother of All Treasure Tables
The Mother of All Encounter Tables

I'm looking for something like this only free, and something that includes EVERYTHING in one book.

Well, if the only thing you don't like about it is the fact that it actually would cost you money, then you've got to make do with the free options which are basically limited to online generators, or making it yourself. Can guarantee that if you'd really find it as useful as you imagine it would be, that $75 is a much smaller loss than the few hundred hours and reams of paper and ounces of ink it would take to make your own.

I am actually very surprised that something like this has never been done before, considering how many years D&D has been around. I envision a small handbook size book that could fit in one's pocket and carried to a gaming session with tables to very easily draw from if you needed random stuff.

It has been... It's in that book over there. It's also in all of the hundreds of random generator lists all over the internet.
 


The point is that I want to be able to very quickly generate random stuff on the fly during a game wherever I'm playing at. So If I'm playing a P&P game during a car ride or during a camping trip, I can generate random stuff without access to a computer.

I think the point you're missing is that

(1) There's no random generation quick than pre-generating a list of randomly generated items and then just going down the list.

(2) Even if you hate that idea, you could still use the computer generators freely available online to very quickly and efficiently make your own random tables.

For anybody else interested in this sort of thing: Those Mother of All... books are really, really good. Particularly the one for treasure. It doesn't just provide generators; it basically provides fully pre-generated hordes with lots of unique flavor to them. Very nice stuff.
 
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