Random Tables

[ethan_dawe]

I've been playing long enough to remember when Random generation was commonly used for everything in games. It often lead to hilarity and I miss them at times. Anyone else use or miss them? (PLEASE, lets not talk about FATAL and it's random generation!)

[Tadanori Oyama]

I didn't use random tables very often because I wanted to pick my own stuff. But the D&D 3.0 DMG did have alot of tables in it.

I recently purchased a two books of tables actually. One is an entire paperback of various results of damage types such as crushing, cutting, burning, and melting.

The other is The Book of Dumb Tables and features a few dozen d20 tables of things like names, PC concepts, and "High Concepts".

[ethan_dawe]

I have a book of random tables for the D30, but I don't have my D30 anymore. My first edition copy of Murphy's Rules from SJG had a bunch of hilarious random tables in the back including random potion appearance, random pizza topping, and my favorite, random asnwers from wrong number calls.

[Tadanori Oyama]

I use most random tables as lists to prepare ideas rather than spir of the moment things.

Like the lists in Damnation City of NPC desires or new and interesting NPC decriptions.

[Kroack]

I've been playing long enough to remember when Random generation was commonly used for everything in games. It often lead to hilarity and I miss them at times. Anyone else use or miss them? (PLEASE, lets not talk about FATAL and it's random generation!)

Hey lets talk about FATAL, its got random generation too!

[Murph]

The only random generation table I remember liking is the misc. magic items one, mostly because the items on there weren't combat applicable (most of the time) and not game breaking (most of the time).

Pretty much all other random tables were pretty terrible.

[robotkarateman]

Anyone else use or miss them?

The only two random tables I've ever really liked were the random plot table in TOON, and the random mutations in the original Gamma World.