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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
The Importance of Randomness
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<blockquote data-quote="Connorsrpg" data-source="post: 5825187" data-attributes="member: 19265"><p>Sorry Dannager, didn't get that point about 'advice'. Aren't you the one telling others their styles are poor or they are poor DMs for using methods you don't like. That "OMG a 93" quote is kind of offensive and demeaning. Don't for a minute think we are just lazy or stoopid b/c we like rolling the dice.</p><p></p><p>Many of us are experienced too. I have been running games for 25+ years. I still love to use MANY random tables. (Check my sig if you want some <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />).</p><p></p><p>I have many ideas and I 'can' design well balanced and suitable encounters. See, the main thing is I don't WANT to do this all the time. For many reasons.</p><p></p><p>1. In a sense, players in our group often feel cheated if all of the predetermined encounters were going to happen anyway.</p><p></p><p>2. Related to 1. I don't like to just follow my instincts all the time on what would make a cool series of adventures. I like the idea other things could happen. This is a really hard concept to explain, but I kind of feel like I am cheating the PCs if they only ever encounter what I want them too. Eg from game: Played in city, so I wanted some nearby buildings, so I didn't just make a few up, instead I gathered all my dnd sources on this and made some charts that allow for the rolling up of random Buildings & Businesses (yes, on our site) and THEN I rolled a few and it was fun. I do find it fun creating this way.</p><p></p><p>3. I am sick of balanced encounters that last so many rounds (and go for too long). I can see why many 4E games don't throw in more randomness.</p><p></p><p>4. Who would write up encounters with a lone snake having a go at a PC? That stuff just doesn't get enough millage any more, as it is apparently irrelevant to the main plot? I can understand it not being in written modules, but throwing many 'mini-encounters' into a game can be fun.</p><p></p><p>5. It is great fun making many Random Encounters actually add more to the central plot - ideas I would not have usually followed. I once ran a whole cross-the-country-chase this way.</p><p></p><p>6. If I were to pick the encounters I think would be cool, I feel like I am missing out on the many other ideas out there. That is why I compile them into one spot.</p><p></p><p>7. And I will stop here - I just love rolling the dice and seeing what comes up and how I can put that into the campaign. Note I often do these ahead of time but not always. Isn't that why AEG's Ultimate Toolbox was so awesome <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />?</p><p></p><p>I guess you could say I just like randomness for randomness sake (and that is true too <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />), but we have had so much fun over the years playing this way. I am finding it hard to put my finger on it, but this play style seems less relevant to the more scripted 4E style of game. Not dissing, there is just something missing for us and I can see why people that love 4E would be less favourable to random rolls. But at our table we embrace it. All players roll 4d6 and make 1 swap only. Even with point buy being an option (only time it was used was a new guy that love computer games). I certainly would like to see randomness be embraced in the next edition...maybe not to the extent I do, but I want cool tables for Dungeon Dressing, Buildings, Trees, whatever. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Connorsrpg, post: 5825187, member: 19265"] Sorry Dannager, didn't get that point about 'advice'. Aren't you the one telling others their styles are poor or they are poor DMs for using methods you don't like. That "OMG a 93" quote is kind of offensive and demeaning. Don't for a minute think we are just lazy or stoopid b/c we like rolling the dice. Many of us are experienced too. I have been running games for 25+ years. I still love to use MANY random tables. (Check my sig if you want some :p). I have many ideas and I 'can' design well balanced and suitable encounters. See, the main thing is I don't WANT to do this all the time. For many reasons. 1. In a sense, players in our group often feel cheated if all of the predetermined encounters were going to happen anyway. 2. Related to 1. I don't like to just follow my instincts all the time on what would make a cool series of adventures. I like the idea other things could happen. This is a really hard concept to explain, but I kind of feel like I am cheating the PCs if they only ever encounter what I want them too. Eg from game: Played in city, so I wanted some nearby buildings, so I didn't just make a few up, instead I gathered all my dnd sources on this and made some charts that allow for the rolling up of random Buildings & Businesses (yes, on our site) and THEN I rolled a few and it was fun. I do find it fun creating this way. 3. I am sick of balanced encounters that last so many rounds (and go for too long). I can see why many 4E games don't throw in more randomness. 4. Who would write up encounters with a lone snake having a go at a PC? That stuff just doesn't get enough millage any more, as it is apparently irrelevant to the main plot? I can understand it not being in written modules, but throwing many 'mini-encounters' into a game can be fun. 5. It is great fun making many Random Encounters actually add more to the central plot - ideas I would not have usually followed. I once ran a whole cross-the-country-chase this way. 6. If I were to pick the encounters I think would be cool, I feel like I am missing out on the many other ideas out there. That is why I compile them into one spot. 7. And I will stop here - I just love rolling the dice and seeing what comes up and how I can put that into the campaign. Note I often do these ahead of time but not always. Isn't that why AEG's Ultimate Toolbox was so awesome :)? I guess you could say I just like randomness for randomness sake (and that is true too ;)), but we have had so much fun over the years playing this way. I am finding it hard to put my finger on it, but this play style seems less relevant to the more scripted 4E style of game. Not dissing, there is just something missing for us and I can see why people that love 4E would be less favourable to random rolls. But at our table we embrace it. All players roll 4d6 and make 1 swap only. Even with point buy being an option (only time it was used was a new guy that love computer games). I certainly would like to see randomness be embraced in the next edition...maybe not to the extent I do, but I want cool tables for Dungeon Dressing, Buildings, Trees, whatever. :) [/QUOTE]
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