One tricky part about procedural creation during the game is that it can sometimes mean "decisions aren't meaningful" because it doesn't make a difference if the players go through the west door or the east door if the results for both will be randomly generated using the same method - it's not the DM railroading you but it can give the same feeling. Personally I like keeping encounters random (wandering monster check, encounter table, reaction roll, etc.), but keeping physical spaces pre-planned. I think this gives a good combination of a logically stable but alive world that doesn't wait around for the players before it starts moving.
Great stuff. You can even let players role things you would otherwise do secretly, like a move silently roll. Have them roll under a cup then don't reveal the roll until its needed.
" cough, cough," .. the guard rolls Wil/wisdom save for Hear/detect noise follow with Bluff/Will roll to keep their cool and not give away that they heard something/one is moving up behind them. I walked up behind people before and coughed or had my knee pop and the person ahead of me .. jump .. cause they where lost in thought and was startled. 2.) I had rogue PCs that would ease drop on what other people were talking about, then walk up roll AD&D: Etiquette/cha roll or 3rdE diplomacy to say hello and start up small talk. I rolled high on the die in front of everyone to show it passed. DM, " Wait a moment I am running this game here , so Where did you know this N/PC that you just talking to him like an old friend offering him a drink and cheap jewelry for a bar sl-t ?" Me, " I am rolling Gather Information to pump him for information. " DM, " Yeah well your three rolls passed, but so did your move silent check ?" Me, " But the AD&D DMG optional class bonus Xp rules for rogues, states they get bonus Xp using their skills." Then everyone at the table throws popcorn at me rolling their eyes.
I almost exclusively use Random tables. But they are are *always* tied explicitly to the immediate area of the setting and there are still "encounters" and locations that can be explored in the world. Randomness is fantastic! When tied to verisimilitude of the setting. So the world and settling lives, breathes and exists. Tactically, I roll things in advance, when possible, but the location of a party in a wilderness setting may change *what* gets encountered. I never have the players roll the dice, because the tables I use aren't "1 on 6" tables. Another thing I use climate/environmentally appropriate weather. This I always roll in advance.
@@BanditsKeep Great video, by the way. I should have said that first but I get passionate about good use of Random tables. :) . I agree on keeping players engaged. But I also don't wanna overwhelm them with my tasks (rolling on a complex table, etc.). More frequently I will have them help with "Mook" bad guys or animals in combats, or many times run hirelings too. Nothing better then when the Party gets attached to particular hirelings (really soldiers, sailors or whatnot specialists in my campaign). Any player you *want* at your table will be great and fair about these things. I think its a great sign of a very healthy group.
These videos feel like such a conversation I feel compelled to respond at your pauses 😆 System : 5e with OSR style hacks for better horror experience. Anyways, I use random encounter tables to inspire, not lead myself. I always feel better about designing a few encounters before the session. Even if I change things or at times make a completely random encounter I have at least one or two pre written encounters as foundations to build on.
I also think it can feel like it cheapens the experience when everything is randomly generated. Not necessarily because the dm didn't care enough to prepare, but more because as someone else noted it destroys the illusion that the world actually exists. I love random generation for minor encounters and loot, and maybe even some dungeons if they're not an important part of the story. Which leads to this thought: if the game is more explore, fight, loot - loose and fun- I think random generation is fine as long as the world's locations already exist, because you feel you you're exploring this existing world and its very immersive with its own random, living, breathing life. But when there is a campaign with a story/main quest, random generation can feel like a movie where they clearly used AI/actual dice rolling to help write the script instead of real world bulding; it feels hollow and cheap. Naturally part of the fun and immersion comes from feeling like this world exists already, not that it's being created as we go. Same reason why some people hate randomly generated worlds in games like No Man's Sky, it feels like the world doesn't actually exist, so your actions feel unimportant. That's the same reason some people hate fanfiction; it's not actually part of the world and destroys the suspension of disbelief. Playing a campaign with a written -not generated - world feels like taking part in, and writing, your part of that story, and it feels good that you're completely allowed to do that, without risk of destroying the existing story like fanfic does, whereas playing a campaign with too much random generation feels more akin to taking part in fanfic - nothing matters because everything is being made up anyways. For those who like fanfic/randomly generated worlds in games, and hate random generation in campaigns, maybe its because the campaign is their favorite place to play to the tune of an existing world since they're already getting their need for random generation elsewhere. So in the end I think it comes down to expectation not meeting reality. If a player doesn't like random generation, they're probably expecting a world that already exists, so the random generation makes their actions and choices feel pointless. ---on that note, some people also dislike games that encourage group storytelling/worldbuilding. It can feel less like a game and more like just storytelling. Fine if you like writing and are into that specific writing exercise, but if you're wanting to play a game and get met with expecting to help tell the story of this world, it can sap the fun right out of it. Fallout 2d20 for example seems to encourage the players to help tell the story of the world in some instances, which myself and the players have ignored because they want a world to get lost in, and helping write the world rips them from the fantasy and puts them in a writer's chair. Another thing - the idea of dnd being collaborative storytelling instead of a game is also not fun for some, because it implies the world doesn't actually exist and we're all just sitting around making stuff up. From my understanding Gygax (correct me if I'm wrong) moved away from the heavy war gaming perspective of older games and wanted wanted dnd to be more collaborative storytelling, so I'm not saying dnd isn't meant to be just that. But I am acknowledging that just isn't fun for those expecting a game in an existing world, instead of random story time. So on that note I'd say if players love the idea of collaborative storytelling, they're probably more on board with the idea of random generation as they're not fully expecting a pre-existing world. My hypothesis. Anyways great video as always
In my campaign I'm giving a group of players meet the 1st group of players I had way back in '92. (I'm retconning the realms fron 1371DR.) They're experiencing that 1st game session we had along with the old players and I'm playing events out and letting the dice decide what happens. The events are pretty much the same but in situations where certain decisions say by the NPCS are being made I'm rolling the dice in front of them & its sooo eery that events are being played out ALMOST IDENTICAL! This new group (back in '92 were NPCs) with some class exceptions but it's been fun to the hilt to do it this way! Reliving history is indeed stranger than fiction when the dice are involved! Great channel sir! Keep doing what you're doing!
Hey Daniel - Great vid. I actually used my Tables For One last night with my girlfriend and her roommate. There was no DM and we all played "solo co-op" where almost everything was rolled randomly. We just took turns asking questions and kind of agreeing via basic logic and context what made the most sense. It was one of the most fun sessions I've ever had - That's no slight to traditional games with GM's who prep (bless us), more of an observation that *if everyone agrees to it* - collaboratively creating the story out of thin air is extremely fun, and took pressure off of me to prepare
Putting random generation right in players' faces can be less fun for some players because it destroys the illusion that the parts of the game world they haven't seen are still "out there". I love randomness for generating ideas. But I only use the ideas if I can figure out a way for them to make sense, and ignore the rest, which works when the rolling is before the game or at least not public. Everyone rolling stuff together sounds like it could be a fun game, but a different kind of game.
As a DM, I feel like that randomness lets me get to discover the game along with my players in a way I don't get to if I'm running mostly static homebrewed kind of adventure.
Given certain parameters, this method could lead to a GMless system with shared, group storytelling. It reminds me of another system that does this, but I can’t remember which one it is (probably Mythic).
I love this video and I love random tables. Specifically, I love tables of ideas, locations, motivations, triggers, etc. I use these to prep for the next sessions when the PCs take detours, get lost, or just curious. If they take the left or right fork in the road then those lead to different encounters. I agree that prepping in advance is necessary to make the game flow well and to be respectful. I handle rumors typically near the end of a session when PCs have returned to their home village or stopped for the night at an inn. I have each rumor on separate index cards and will hand to specific PCs, and the bulk are distributed randomly. That gives them something to think about between sessions and offers a glimpse of future events. I encourage the players to talk with each other before the next session. It helps them to think about equipment, choose spells, and generally prepare.
We just had a discussion about this on our server. For them, it wasn't that they felt the DM/Referee was showing up unprepared, but rather that the world had no meaning, that it didn't give the illusion of a "truth about the world." But I don't think that's necessarily the best use of random generation for that purpose. To me, when there are tables of random monster encounters for a hex crawl, that is simulating the ecosystem of that area (or should), in the same way that the police can populate a map of crimes and their likilhood of occuring, or that the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife could tell you how likely you are to encounter a fox and what the fox would be eating. In that way, I think random generation can be used to make the world seem *more real* not less. And it's not that the DM/Referee didn't prepare anything, they actually *needed to prepare those ecosystems* based on the truth of the world, the factions etc. No different than a Dungeon ecology and it's random monsters appearing tables. The Gardens of Ynn is a great example, it's an amazing book imo! But the *truth of the world* is there. All the locations are there, the factions and the big bad horrible thing down at the bottom of the gardens. What the randomness generates is the sense of disorientation for someone trying to explore a fairy place. That's not to say that you can't do it on the spot, but with the Gardens of Ynn, all of the truths of the world, stat blocks and info are prepared for the Referee, and so generating their journey randomly is an important part of presenting the truth of that horrible place. And then of course, I think it's up to the Referee/DM to be able to communicate and portray whatever they run into in a sensible way anyway.
Great video! I use d100 tables for about everything from loot to encounters. It makes me feel like as the DM I play the game with my players instead of run it for them. We play 5e with some homebrew rule changes to make it more old school
You’re right. When players roll the results, they feel “responsible” for the outcomes, and therefore become more proactive in engaging in the outcomes, which is always preferred by DMs. I’m not sure this was ever covered, but something I’ve noticed missing is random environment tables. By that, I don’t mean “now you’re in a forest… and NOW you’re in a tundra”, I mean tables of varying environmental hazards appropriate to the current location, such as rolling for “slippery” or “rough” or “dense”, with result being… “As you enter the forest, the muddy ground slows you by a bit, and you judge it’ll take you longer to traverse this field; just a mile ahead, you spot craggy overgrowth that may wreak havoc on heavy armor wearers, and a mile in the other direction is covered in fog, making it hard to determine what is beyond the mist… except for a pale blue, pulsing light emanating ominously from within …” Of course, players rolling these results will also feel compelled to journey into what they hath wrought. 😁
I really like having the players roll for randomness, everyone likes rolling dice or we'd play a different game haha And like you said, it takes the fault off the gm when things go poorly for them
The perception of a curated experience is important. I think it is inherent in the style of play ttrpg's embody; it makes players feel that the encounters were a fair test, and that they earned it. Came here to ask a question on reaction rolls because I couldn't remember what they were called. I'll see if the answer is in some of your other videos. Thanks Daniel!
Ooh! I've got stuff I can say about this too! 5th Edition DM here. First, I love the idea of having the players roll for the random table instead of me, I'm going to try that. Secondly, I agree that players need to know upfront! and I tell them that the dungeon I've prepared was randomly generated if that was the case. Players make better decisions, and accept more odd or weird encounters if they are aware that's what they're getting. Third, I've experienced the same "too much random", via the various carousing tables that are around. My player, while they wanted to get black out drunk... they didn't expect the consequences of black out drunk meant waking up somewhere random, without items, having done stuff out of what they believed their character do. It has made them think twice about over indulging, but I learned that tables can't be so random that it pulls them from their characters. Lastly, I dropped my random encounters/wandering monster lists down to 1d4. It meant that I had to pick the four most interesting options, and more importantly the four most plausible encounters/monsters. As a DM i didn't have to juggle a list of 12-20 things that may or may not work, but I also got to keep the random element. I saved on prep time this way, and guaranteed that even with a 1 on the die the option wouldn't be a dud.
Awesome! This makes me think that if your players would be fair about it you could probably ask them what their PC might have done… I may try this next campaign (while drunk that is)
Oh, I love the idea of having players roll for the random stuff. I can split that up depending on the roles players are filling. The navigator can roll to decide the terrain, trackers can roll for encounters, etc. Definitely gonna use that for my pokemon-inspired sandbox game.
I don’t DM with random encounters in play i do these in the prep and let players guide themselves into them by choices they make. I did add random tables for fumbles, wild magic, weather etc. that I want players to see in VTT and participate in. Keep up the good work!
First of all, another great video from a great channel. Congratulations for your work, I recommend your channel to all my friends who pay RPG. Second, randomness is one of the pillars of this game; otherwise, we wouldn't use dice. And generally, the more dice the players are rolling, the better. In my current campaign, I am using a lot more random tables, and my players are loving it. But they roll all the dice, and the result is influenced not only by the dice result, but also by the player's choices and/or their skill/class abilities/etc. But they know I have material prepared because all the table's results are fitting with the current adventure. In a near future, I plan letting my players roll for the AC, instead of me rolling to see if the enemy's attack hit.
Another great video ty Daniel. I’ll use a lot of this but not quite the fully random dungeon, at least not yet. I’ve had my players roll defence rolls I.e. they roll to see if they defend the monster’s attack, rather than the DM rolling to see if it hits
AD&D and 3rdE optional rule regarding AC, instead of Taking 10 on d20 +AC bonus, the PCs roll 1d20+AC bonus. Results are some PCs will get hit more often or some players have a good run and roll nothing bellow 15 on d20 being untouchable in combat. More dice rolling but more random action in combat. Sometimes you get Double Jeopardy, Player rolls a natural 1, while the attacker rolls a natural 20. Then it is Real bad for the player's PC.
I think there's a key difference between random rolls to establish things that can happen randomly in-world (encounters, reaction, weather, etc.) and rolls to establish things that would be already set in-world (what kind of room is behind this door?, is this chest trapped?, what's its content?): the latter can be immersion-breaking, and in that case would better be used in the preparation phase rather than during the play session.
@@BanditsKeep Absolutely. I wasn't implying that the second kind is necessarily "bad". Just that there's an inherent difference that _may_ be relevant (for some players, or sometimes).
Geezer here... Good vid and advice. For myself, have the players roll for everything possible. Note, they do not need to know what the target number is or what the throw is for. Gaming on.
Hey Daniel, just came across your channel recently and I've been binge watching your all videos since. Will definitely be recommending your channel to all our local DMs.
I did start a notebook that was supposed to be full of random encounters. Different sections for terrain types. So I'd just flip to the right section and use the next unused encounter. I never used it though because I can't find anyone IRL to play with :D Everyone's doing 5e and all the tropes I can't stand with that...
@@BanditsKeep All the demihuman and humanoid races being played like humans wearing costumes, no interest in making them actually non-human. Everything feels like it's written by Joss Whedon. All the caster classes and "BBEGs" making it feel more like a supers game than medieval fantasy. Level 1 to 20 in 6 months of game time. I think that about covers it :)
When DM'ing I generally let the players roll their percentiles etc but I like the idea of them throwing for random encounters, as you say I can see it adding a bit of tension. I'll defo be borrowing that, cheers mate.
Also, getting a set of "weird dice" (d3, d5, d7, d9, d15, d24, d30, etc) helps a lot! It takes strain off of you to make as many options for your tables, because you can roll easily on whatever size table you can easily and organically generate
I like to use random tables to help spur my imagination during prep, not so much during play. Unless, as you mention re. random encounters, the item is suited to being randomized during play.
Years ago in one game, us players were mostly an underhand group and do to playing Vampire or Star Wars gangsters or Sith we drift to minor lawful mostly Neutral .. minor evil PCs. So our party passes a small hamlet/ village by a shallow river with a foot bridge and wagons just cross through the low point of the wide creek. The hamlet was selling smoke/dried fish, rope and spare tents. Random forest roll, the party was Spotted by Hill Giants out hunting. This was a run & hide for your life encounter. So my rogue/bard runs at the hill giants waving his arms calling to the giants cause I won initiative over the two groups. Nearly everyone at the table was like, Well just started and now dead .. reroll up new PCs. So I had my rogue roll diplomacy and I told the hill giants that the hamlet we just pass was putting in a new bridge but lack the mules to drag the timber to the creek, along with the hamlet was offering tents as payment which could be turn into hill giant clothes and carry bags. And I roll high enough the hill giants believed it and went away to the hamlet to drag tress. I made up the story on the spot just to cause campaign mischief. Cause there was no job to build the bridge. But the DM ran with it, and had the players draw cards to role play the people in the hamlet and who was going to role play the giants. So the mini one shot game turn into a mini campaign soap opera of a group of rogues going around starting up crap, and hill giant lumber jacks building bridges during the summer along with the hamlet N/PCs working as the hill giant managers and social guides. So an imaginative group of players can take a random encounter roll and turn it into a whole campaign. 2.) With 3rdE D&D/Star Wars skill point ranks and easier rules on multiclassing, we came up with creative ways of building up PC skill ranks such as Card playing ( magic the gathering, or Sailor Moon ..) or having a dwarf with skill ranks in Rope Use, Craft( rope), profession ( rope seller, and beard braider.) and Alchemy ( hair shampoo). Since our female DM had random chart rolls of Drow or human noble women complaining about having a bad hair day, I made a dwarf beautician. Sale slogan, " If my hair shampoo & conditioner doesn't fix your hair, I will shave my beard."
There's a couple things I like to do to keep apparent dice rolling to a minimum. The first is I print out lists of 100 die rolls for 4,6,8,10,12,20 and % each. That gives a pretty good spread of rolls depending on your method of generation. I'll only roll ONCE for where I start on the chart and then just read results from left to right from there. If I hit the end I just go back to the top-left and continue. This is great if we are in a place where space is at a premium or the noise of dice clattering around would distracting, or give away that I'm rolling random numbers ;) The other is a combination of other comments I've made. I'll carefully curate my random charts so there are few wild results. This keeps things consistent and on theme, but still a bit unpredictable. The other is to use a long list of random encounters but some have alternates in case the first was used. This keeps players from hearing the exact same thing every time but again on theme. Finally, I roll for random encounters only once and just go down the list from there, cycling back to the top and using those alternate results if necessary.
Hello Daniel, I tried the (pretty random) adventure *The Stygian Library* and asked you for advice in the comment section of one of your older videos that had randomization as a subtopic. Thank you for making this video. I will rewatch it and I will give that randomized dungeon setting another go. I like (most of) the ideas in it a lot. Maybe I will roll everything up before the session, but when I run out of content I will try to let the players roll as you advised. I normally roll very sparingly anyway. I like playercentric systems a lot better than system were I role nearly as much as a player does. Also informing the players beforehand that it is a randomized dungeon and giving them an ingame explanation why is also a good advice. The Stygian Library is a strange place. Its changing, its evolving its ... gygaxy so to say 😁 Thank you again and Greetings from Germany P.S.: Patreon: I don't need any extra content on patreon. I understand being a patron means that the patron is paying so everyone can benefit. I know that in the states that often is called socialism, but I personally don't need anything more than content for everyone. If it's more than without the support it's even better :D
We have used different encounter tables for different neighbourhoods of a city. Nothing special, one for the abandoned, slummy outer city and one for the still maintained inner city on the right side of the wall. At night, you roll a larger die which can bring the weirder and nastier encounters into play. Interacting with the city elite had its own random table which generates a specific individual and how they fit into the city hierachy with more focus on faction allegiance and vices.
My thing was I like rolling for the whole day, and if you get two you can put them together. Instead of you get attack but goblins in the morning and a bear after noon... It's more like " You come around the corner to see a bear in a trap with Goblin in he's grip while other dancing around the beast with spears."
You asked about things we would like to see, and I think that there's more people talking about TTRPG on UA-cam than actually playing TTRPGs. So I think it would be nice to see something like what Trevor Devall is making on his channel, "Me, Myself and Die". Short (~30min) sessions of solo play. Great format, somewhat easy to produce I assume, and good entertainment.
I prefer to never pull back the curtain and reveal the mystery of how things work. I don’t want to say things before hand like you will find this rumor. But I appreciate you trying to target a specific audience. And I like them rolling to see if they encounter a monster! Thsts good and feels like something they are a part of
Good stuff. I let players determine stuff randomly all the time. Say they want to know what the ground is like but it is not specified. I will ask the player what kind of floor they desire. Then the player rolls a d20. If it is something simple I just make it even/odd. If they want it super specific I make it a harder roll. I also have players roll treasure and stuff.
Everything being random from tables does slow things down. I only roll randomly treasures and occasionally weather. My "random" encounters are always pre-planned; I just roll dice on occasion to make it look like there's some random element. This makes things faster at the table/ VTT. My encounters are a means to advance my story and clue the players. But I really like your idea of having the players roll for an encounter chance. I'll just have the pre-planned encounters ready to plop down on the map if the player's roll reveals it.
Interesting video Daniel! I like to roll behind the screen periodically even if I’m not rolling for anything. The players don’t know what I’m rolling for and the begin to wonder what’s coming and it adds a little tension to the game Cheers Bob
Ooooo, I didn’t know you were also on UA-cam 😊👍 as for getting players involved in rolling more for random outcomes I agree this is good GMing and gets the players more involved in the game BUT as a player I only enjoy this aspect when I know what I’m rolling for and what result I’m aiming for (eg low or high). Otherwise I’d prefer the GM just roll because in those cases my roll as a player really doesn’t matter
Good point! I would say the player not know the result needed would only be used (by me) for things like traps etc that they would not know - other stuff, yes, you want to know what your target number is for sure!
Hey Daniel, Great video, again! Good luck with Patreon. If you are still doing videos in 5 years when I'm finished with university, I will gladly support you on there : ) I know other D&D UA-camrs like to put written stuff on their Patreon, like your morale combat rules from a few videos ago.
I think what I was trying to say was: I like to be very careful with the language I use, so it doesn’t break the suspension of disbelief. For example: “Let’s roll up the dragons loot” versus: “Let’s see what items of note your character can find digging through the dragons hoard!” The latter should get your fantasy senses tingling!
If I am going to be using a table I roll like 10 times and note them on a paper and go down the list of numbers, that way I am not rolling during play and it doesn't seem so random to the players. I as a player don't like things to be random. I want to feel like there is a meaning to why I am going into said place and that this place makes sense.
I as DM have started to implement more random things for PCs. They throw the dices and we see what happens. More exciting for me as DM that way and seem to keep burnout away
I have roll tables for random encounters that I use when appropriate. I just defaulted to let my players roll for the results of these tables and they get excited taking turns with every roll.
I used to do this kind of rolling in 2e. It worked because it was expected that random monsters or loot would be there. That was the thing, you didn't know what you were going to get. I think many players now expect you have tailored the game much more. So when it came uo they give push back, I could totally see it. Idk, maybe the game has advanced past this being more than a one off gimmick to keep it fresh. I haven't tried it, but it would be a trip down amnesia lane.
Question: Do you expose the entire treasure tables? Or do you have the characters roll, but look it up on the table then? Or do you progressively disclose the treasure table? I like this because I love board games, and I have friends who love board games, and it makes it a bit more on the "Game" side of the Game-Drama/Narrative-Simulation triangle.
This is interesting, I guess I do the 1st as I open the book on the table - but I can’t say I’ve had players (at least obviously) check it out and note possibilities.
@@BanditsKeep I'm imagining players thinking, "OK, this monster, produces that kind of treasure, ..," and taking it into account about whether to stick around with that kind of encounter, or perhaps run away and try and get a more "fruitful" encounter with another monster..! "This monster is too cheap for us!"
I got a few ideas for Patreon. But largely I'd like to see something more than just a place you can get a dollar from your fans. Totally fine to start there but wouldnt it be cool for you to share what games you played this month, what games or products you purchased and wanna try out (or how'd the ones you got last month go)?
@@BanditsKeep exactly. "A what I bought/what I played/what I want to play" summary. Your videos already are great and speak for themselves so offering more insight into you and how you game is what you offer via patreon. Access. Speaking of videos you could maybe add supplemental stuff from your video topics there? Just spitballing. Cheers!
Random tables are better used if actions are written down and rolled for. Actions that have rewards and conflicts and roleplaying moments written on the table. Rolling for situations
This is gr8t advices! Thank you! I have a question: Do you randomize all monsters all the time the game demands for it or you decide when you wanna do it? For exemple, if you do it whenever the rules demands for it, it might ends up with a LOT of encounters and could bring out a dragon out of nowhere in front of a level 1 party which can be difficult even just evade from it or parley with it. Whats your take on these kind of situation?
On the topic of players rolling more, have you tried a system where the players roll to defend instead of monsters rolling to attack? You essentially take the AC and subtract 10, and that's the armor bonus they add to the roll. Monsters still have AC.
I like to do all random rolls in front of my players so that they know I'm never BSing them. The game is what the game is and the dice are what the dice are.
At the risk of sounding sycophantic, this is such a great channel. You have this thoughtful, humble style and a lot of experience and creativity. But what really makes this channel stand out to me is how much of a "student of the game" you are. It's clear you take a lot of care to read the original texts and really try to understand what the creators intended. There are more than a few great D&D channels out there, but this is by far the most, err, contemplative, if that makes any sense.
But what if it is cards? Crimson Cutlass Omnibus Pg 1359 - Chariot Grievances: The monarch overacts to bad news. Anyone who informs him of problems is beaten or beheaded. He is kept in ignorance of his failing political alliances
I'm sure there is a difference between a DM who has nothing prepared so it's like he's just going through the cabinets and a DM who planned to see what a random game was going to do. Or.....we can deal with these random kobolds or we can used this planned undead beholder and owl bear pets. No? Stop complaining.
One tricky part about procedural creation during the game is that it can sometimes mean "decisions aren't meaningful" because it doesn't make a difference if the players go through the west door or the east door if the results for both will be randomly generated using the same method - it's not the DM railroading you but it can give the same feeling. Personally I like keeping encounters random (wandering monster check, encounter table, reaction roll, etc.), but keeping physical spaces pre-planned. I think this gives a good combination of a logically stable but alive world that doesn't wait around for the players before it starts moving.
I can see that for sure
Great stuff. You can even let players role things you would otherwise do secretly, like a move silently roll. Have them roll under a cup then don't reveal the roll until its needed.
I like this!
I like that!
brilliant idea!
" cough, cough," .. the guard rolls Wil/wisdom save for Hear/detect noise follow with Bluff/Will roll to keep their cool and not give away that they heard something/one is moving up behind them.
I walked up behind people before and coughed or had my knee pop and the person ahead of me .. jump .. cause they where lost in thought and was startled.
2.) I had rogue PCs that would ease drop on what other people were talking about, then walk up roll AD&D: Etiquette/cha roll or 3rdE diplomacy to say hello and start up small talk.
I rolled high on the die in front of everyone to show it passed.
DM, " Wait a moment I am running this game here , so Where did you know this N/PC that you just talking to him like an old friend offering him a drink and cheap jewelry for a bar sl-t ?"
Me, " I am rolling Gather Information to pump him for information. "
DM, " Yeah well your three rolls passed, but so did your move silent check ?"
Me, " But the AD&D DMG optional class bonus Xp rules for rogues, states they get bonus Xp using their skills."
Then everyone at the table throws popcorn at me rolling their eyes.
I already do this and call them “mystery rolls”. They’re mainly for tasks or outcomes that aren’t immediately known to the players. 👍🏾
I almost exclusively use Random tables. But they are are *always* tied explicitly to the immediate area of the setting and there are still "encounters" and locations that can be explored in the world. Randomness is fantastic! When tied to verisimilitude of the setting. So the world and settling lives, breathes and exists. Tactically, I roll things in advance, when possible, but the location of a party in a wilderness setting may change *what* gets encountered. I never have the players roll the dice, because the tables I use aren't "1 on 6" tables. Another thing I use climate/environmentally appropriate weather. This I always roll in advance.
Cool
@@BanditsKeep Great video, by the way. I should have said that first but I get passionate about good use of Random tables. :)
. I agree on keeping players engaged. But I also don't wanna overwhelm them with my tasks (rolling on a complex table, etc.). More frequently I will have them help with "Mook" bad guys or animals in combats, or many times run hirelings too. Nothing better then when the Party gets attached to particular hirelings (really soldiers, sailors or whatnot specialists in my campaign). Any player you *want* at your table will be great and fair about these things. I think its a great sign of a very healthy group.
These videos feel like such a conversation I feel compelled to respond at your pauses 😆
System : 5e with OSR style hacks for better horror experience.
Anyways, I use random encounter tables to inspire, not lead myself. I always feel better about designing a few encounters before the session. Even if I change things or at times make a completely random encounter I have at least one or two pre written encounters as foundations to build on.
I can see that for sure
I also think it can feel like it cheapens the experience when everything is randomly generated. Not necessarily because the dm didn't care enough to prepare, but more because as someone else noted it destroys the illusion that the world actually exists. I love random generation for minor encounters and loot, and maybe even some dungeons if they're not an important part of the story. Which leads to this thought: if the game is more explore, fight, loot - loose and fun- I think random generation is fine as long as the world's locations already exist, because you feel you you're exploring this existing world and its very immersive with its own random, living, breathing life. But when there is a campaign with a story/main quest, random generation can feel like a movie where they clearly used AI/actual dice rolling to help write the script instead of real world bulding; it feels hollow and cheap. Naturally part of the fun and immersion comes from feeling like this world exists already, not that it's being created as we go. Same reason why some people hate randomly generated worlds in games like No Man's Sky, it feels like the world doesn't actually exist, so your actions feel unimportant. That's the same reason some people hate fanfiction; it's not actually part of the world and destroys the suspension of disbelief.
Playing a campaign with a written -not generated - world feels like taking part in, and writing, your part of that story, and it feels good that you're completely allowed to do that, without risk of destroying the existing story like fanfic does, whereas playing a campaign with too much random generation feels more akin to taking part in fanfic - nothing matters because everything is being made up anyways.
For those who like fanfic/randomly generated worlds in games, and hate random generation in campaigns, maybe its because the campaign is their favorite place to play to the tune of an existing world since they're already getting their need for random generation elsewhere.
So in the end I think it comes down to expectation not meeting reality. If a player doesn't like random generation, they're probably expecting a world that already exists, so the random generation makes their actions and choices feel pointless.
---on that note, some people also dislike games that encourage group storytelling/worldbuilding. It can feel less like a game and more like just storytelling. Fine if you like writing and are into that specific writing exercise, but if you're wanting to play a game and get met with expecting to help tell the story of this world, it can sap the fun right out of it. Fallout 2d20 for example seems to encourage the players to help tell the story of the world in some instances, which myself and the players have ignored because they want a world to get lost in, and helping write the world rips them from the fantasy and puts them in a writer's chair.
Another thing - the idea of dnd being collaborative storytelling instead of a game is also not fun for some, because it implies the world doesn't actually exist and we're all just sitting around making stuff up. From my understanding Gygax (correct me if I'm wrong) moved away from the heavy war gaming perspective of older games and wanted wanted dnd to be more collaborative storytelling, so I'm not saying dnd isn't meant to be just that. But I am acknowledging that just isn't fun for those expecting a game in an existing world, instead of random story time. So on that note I'd say if players love the idea of collaborative storytelling, they're probably more on board with the idea of random generation as they're not fully expecting a pre-existing world. My hypothesis.
Anyways great video as always
In my campaign I'm giving a group of players meet the 1st group of players I had way back in '92. (I'm retconning the realms fron 1371DR.) They're experiencing that 1st game session we had along with the old players and I'm playing events out and letting the dice decide what happens. The events are pretty much the same but in situations where certain decisions say by the NPCS are being made I'm rolling the dice in front of them & its sooo eery that events are being played out ALMOST IDENTICAL! This new group (back in '92 were NPCs) with some class exceptions but it's been fun to the hilt to do it this way! Reliving history is indeed stranger than fiction when the dice are involved!
Great channel sir! Keep doing what you're doing!
Hey Daniel - Great vid. I actually used my Tables For One last night with my girlfriend and her roommate. There was no DM and we all played "solo co-op" where almost everything was rolled randomly. We just took turns asking questions and kind of agreeing via basic logic and context what made the most sense. It was one of the most fun sessions I've ever had - That's no slight to traditional games with GM's who prep (bless us), more of an observation that *if everyone agrees to it* - collaboratively creating the story out of thin air is extremely fun, and took pressure off of me to prepare
Very cool!
Don’t tell me what to do, you aren’t my real dad!
😝
@@BanditsKeep haha, keep up the good work Daniel.
Putting random generation right in players' faces can be less fun for some players because it destroys the illusion that the parts of the game world they haven't seen are still "out there". I love randomness for generating ideas. But I only use the ideas if I can figure out a way for them to make sense, and ignore the rest, which works when the rolling is before the game or at least not public. Everyone rolling stuff together sounds like it could be a fun game, but a different kind of game.
For sure - some players do not like the randomness, especially if it is not common at the table
As a DM, I feel like that randomness lets me get to discover the game along with my players in a way I don't get to if I'm running mostly static homebrewed kind of adventure.
Given certain parameters, this method could lead to a GMless system with shared, group storytelling. It reminds me of another system that does this, but I can’t remember which one it is (probably Mythic).
Also that makes the rabid owl bear Barry's fault not the DM being mean.
True, very true
I love this video and I love random tables. Specifically, I love tables of ideas, locations, motivations, triggers, etc. I use these to prep for the next sessions when the PCs take detours, get lost, or just curious. If they take the left or right fork in the road then those lead to different encounters. I agree that prepping in advance is necessary to make the game flow well and to be respectful.
I handle rumors typically near the end of a session when PCs have returned to their home village or stopped for the night at an inn. I have each rumor on separate index cards and will hand to specific PCs, and the bulk are distributed randomly. That gives them something to think about between sessions and offers a glimpse of future events. I encourage the players to talk with each other before the next session. It helps them to think about equipment, choose spells, and generally prepare.
I think the module is called Blood in the Chocolate.
Ah yes! Thanks!
We just had a discussion about this on our server. For them, it wasn't that they felt the DM/Referee was showing up unprepared, but rather that the world had no meaning, that it didn't give the illusion of a "truth about the world." But I don't think that's necessarily the best use of random generation for that purpose. To me, when there are tables of random monster encounters for a hex crawl, that is simulating the ecosystem of that area (or should), in the same way that the police can populate a map of crimes and their likilhood of occuring, or that the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife could tell you how likely you are to encounter a fox and what the fox would be eating.
In that way, I think random generation can be used to make the world seem *more real* not less. And it's not that the DM/Referee didn't prepare anything, they actually *needed to prepare those ecosystems* based on the truth of the world, the factions etc. No different than a Dungeon ecology and it's random monsters appearing tables.
The Gardens of Ynn is a great example, it's an amazing book imo! But the *truth of the world* is there. All the locations are there, the factions and the big bad horrible thing down at the bottom of the gardens. What the randomness generates is the sense of disorientation for someone trying to explore a fairy place. That's not to say that you can't do it on the spot, but with the Gardens of Ynn, all of the truths of the world, stat blocks and info are prepared for the Referee, and so generating their journey randomly is an important part of presenting the truth of that horrible place.
And then of course, I think it's up to the Referee/DM to be able to communicate and portray whatever they run into in a sensible way anyway.
Great video! I use d100 tables for about everything from loot to encounters. It makes me feel like as the DM I play the game with my players instead of run it for them. We play 5e with some homebrew rule changes to make it more old school
Awesome
You’re right. When players roll the results, they feel “responsible” for the outcomes, and therefore become more proactive in engaging in the outcomes, which is always preferred by DMs.
I’m not sure this was ever covered, but something I’ve noticed missing is random environment tables. By that, I don’t mean “now you’re in a forest… and NOW you’re in a tundra”, I mean tables of varying environmental hazards appropriate to the current location, such as rolling for “slippery” or “rough” or “dense”, with result being…
“As you enter the forest, the muddy ground slows you by a bit, and you judge it’ll take you longer to traverse this field; just a mile ahead, you spot craggy overgrowth that may wreak havoc on heavy armor wearers, and a mile in the other direction is covered in fog, making it hard to determine what is beyond the mist… except for a pale blue, pulsing light emanating ominously from within …”
Of course, players rolling these results will also feel compelled to journey into what they hath wrought. 😁
Yes!
I really like having the players roll for randomness, everyone likes rolling dice or we'd play a different game haha
And like you said, it takes the fault off the gm when things go poorly for them
Indeed
Great conversation. Random is fun and I totally agree regarding the 'levels' in which to use random tables (you roll, they roll, we all roll) Regards
Thanks
The perception of a curated experience is important. I think it is inherent in the style of play ttrpg's embody; it makes players feel that the encounters were a fair test, and that they earned it.
Came here to ask a question on reaction rolls because I couldn't remember what they were called. I'll see if the answer is in some of your other videos.
Thanks Daniel!
Sure, I think expectations should be met - which is why communication is so important
Ooh! I've got stuff I can say about this too! 5th Edition DM here.
First, I love the idea of having the players roll for the random table instead of me, I'm going to try that.
Secondly, I agree that players need to know upfront! and I tell them that the dungeon I've prepared was randomly generated if that was the case. Players make better decisions, and accept more odd or weird encounters if they are aware that's what they're getting.
Third, I've experienced the same "too much random", via the various carousing tables that are around. My player, while they wanted to get black out drunk... they didn't expect the consequences of black out drunk meant waking up somewhere random, without items, having done stuff out of what they believed their character do.
It has made them think twice about over indulging, but I learned that tables can't be so random that it pulls them from their characters.
Lastly, I dropped my random encounters/wandering monster lists down to 1d4. It meant that I had to pick the four most interesting options, and more importantly the four most plausible encounters/monsters. As a DM i didn't have to juggle a list of 12-20 things that may or may not work, but I also got to keep the random element. I saved on prep time this way, and guaranteed that even with a 1 on the die the option wouldn't be a dud.
Awesome! This makes me think that if your players would be fair about it you could probably ask them what their PC might have done… I may try this next campaign (while drunk that is)
@@BanditsKeep That’s another good idea, i agree!
The adventure you were talking about is Blood in the Chocolate. Alas, it's no longer available from LotFP.
Ah yes, it was fun
Oh, I love the idea of having players roll for the random stuff. I can split that up depending on the roles players are filling. The navigator can roll to decide the terrain, trackers can roll for encounters, etc.
Definitely gonna use that for my pokemon-inspired sandbox game.
Awesome
I don’t DM with random encounters in play i do these in the prep and let players guide themselves into them by choices they make. I did add random tables for fumbles, wild magic, weather etc. that I want players to see in VTT and participate in. Keep up the good work!
Cool
First of all, another great video from a great channel. Congratulations for your work, I recommend your channel to all my friends who pay RPG.
Second, randomness is one of the pillars of this game; otherwise, we wouldn't use dice. And generally, the more dice the players are rolling, the better. In my current campaign, I am using a lot more random tables, and my players are loving it. But they roll all the dice, and the result is influenced not only by the dice result, but also by the player's choices and/or their skill/class abilities/etc. But they know I have material prepared because all the table's results are fitting with the current adventure. In a near future, I plan letting my players roll for the AC, instead of me rolling to see if the enemy's attack hit.
Cool!
Glad to see a previous poster mention the Crimson Cutlass, such a great and sadly forgotten game.
I’ll seek it out with my OSR detective skills
Another great video ty Daniel. I’ll use a lot of this but not quite the fully random dungeon, at least not yet. I’ve had my players roll defence rolls I.e. they roll to see if they defend the monster’s attack, rather than the DM rolling to see if it hits
Nice!
AD&D and 3rdE optional rule regarding AC, instead of Taking 10 on d20 +AC bonus, the PCs roll 1d20+AC bonus.
Results are some PCs will get hit more often or some players have a good run and roll nothing bellow 15 on d20 being untouchable in combat.
More dice rolling but more random action in combat.
Sometimes you get Double Jeopardy, Player rolls a natural 1, while the attacker rolls a natural 20.
Then it is Real bad for the player's PC.
I think there's a key difference between random rolls to establish things that can happen randomly in-world (encounters, reaction, weather, etc.) and rolls to establish things that would be already set in-world (what kind of room is behind this door?, is this chest trapped?, what's its content?): the latter can be immersion-breaking, and in that case would better be used in the preparation phase rather than during the play session.
I don’t disagree generally - but there are some really fun random dungeons out there - also a hex crawl is close to this in most cases
@@BanditsKeep Absolutely. I wasn't implying that the second kind is necessarily "bad". Just that there's an inherent difference that _may_ be relevant (for some players, or sometimes).
Geezer here...
Good vid and advice.
For myself, have the players roll for everything possible. Note, they do not need to know what the target number is or what the throw is for.
Gaming on.
Cool
Hey Daniel, just came across your channel recently and I've been binge watching your all videos since.
Will definitely be recommending your channel to all our local DMs.
Thanks 😊
Best TTRPG/OSR channel on UA-cam
Thank You!
I did start a notebook that was supposed to be full of random encounters. Different sections for terrain types. So I'd just flip to the right section and use the next unused encounter. I never used it though because I can't find anyone IRL to play with :D Everyone's doing 5e and all the tropes I can't stand with that...
Which tropes do you not like?
@@BanditsKeep All the demihuman and humanoid races being played like humans wearing costumes, no interest in making them actually non-human. Everything feels like it's written by Joss Whedon. All the caster classes and "BBEGs" making it feel more like a supers game than medieval fantasy. Level 1 to 20 in 6 months of game time. I think that about covers it :)
When DM'ing I generally let the players roll their percentiles etc but I like the idea of them throwing for random encounters, as you say I can see it adding a bit of tension. I'll defo be borrowing that, cheers mate.
Cool
I'm a fan of 2d6 tables with multiple columns--so much value for the same amount of page!
Also, getting a set of "weird dice" (d3, d5, d7, d9, d15, d24, d30, etc) helps a lot! It takes strain off of you to make as many options for your tables, because you can roll easily on whatever size table you can easily and organically generate
For sure
I like to use random tables to help spur my imagination during prep, not so much during play. Unless, as you mention re. random encounters, the item is suited to being randomized during play.
For sure
Years ago in one game, us players were mostly an underhand group and do to playing Vampire or Star Wars gangsters or Sith we drift to minor lawful mostly Neutral .. minor evil PCs.
So our party passes a small hamlet/ village by a shallow river with a foot bridge and wagons just cross through the low point of the wide creek. The hamlet was selling smoke/dried fish, rope and spare tents.
Random forest roll, the party was Spotted by Hill Giants out hunting.
This was a run & hide for your life encounter.
So my rogue/bard runs at the hill giants waving his arms calling to the giants cause I won initiative over the two groups.
Nearly everyone at the table was like, Well just started and now dead .. reroll up new PCs.
So I had my rogue roll diplomacy and I told the hill giants that the hamlet we just pass was putting in a new bridge but lack the mules to drag the timber to the creek, along with the hamlet was offering tents as payment which could be turn into hill giant clothes and carry bags. And I roll high enough the hill giants believed it and went away to the hamlet to drag tress.
I made up the story on the spot just to cause campaign mischief. Cause there was no job to build the bridge. But the DM ran with it, and had the players draw cards to role play the people in the hamlet and who was going to role play the giants. So the mini one shot game turn into a mini campaign soap opera of a group of rogues going around starting up crap, and hill giant lumber jacks building bridges during the summer along with the hamlet N/PCs working as the hill giant managers and social guides.
So an imaginative group of players can take a random encounter roll and turn it into a whole campaign.
2.) With 3rdE D&D/Star Wars skill point ranks and easier rules on multiclassing, we came up with creative ways of building up PC skill ranks such as Card playing ( magic the gathering, or Sailor Moon ..) or having a dwarf with skill ranks in Rope Use, Craft( rope), profession ( rope seller, and beard braider.) and Alchemy ( hair shampoo).
Since our female DM had random chart rolls of Drow or human noble women complaining about having a bad hair day, I made a dwarf beautician.
Sale slogan, " If my hair shampoo & conditioner doesn't fix your hair, I will shave my beard."
There's a couple things I like to do to keep apparent dice rolling to a minimum.
The first is I print out lists of 100 die rolls for 4,6,8,10,12,20 and % each. That gives a pretty good spread of rolls depending on your method of generation. I'll only roll ONCE for where I start on the chart and then just read results from left to right from there. If I hit the end I just go back to the top-left and continue. This is great if we are in a place where space is at a premium or the noise of dice clattering around would distracting, or give away that I'm rolling random numbers ;)
The other is a combination of other comments I've made. I'll carefully curate my random charts so there are few wild results. This keeps things consistent and on theme, but still a bit unpredictable. The other is to use a long list of random encounters but some have alternates in case the first was used. This keeps players from hearing the exact same thing every time but again on theme.
Finally, I roll for random encounters only once and just go down the list from there, cycling back to the top and using those alternate results if necessary.
I tried pre-rolling once (for 5 sessions) the players hated it - felt without the dice it didn’t “feel right” I don’t disagree with their assessment
Hello Daniel,
I tried the (pretty random) adventure *The Stygian Library* and asked you for advice in the comment section of one of your older videos that had randomization as a subtopic. Thank you for making this video. I will rewatch it and I will give that randomized dungeon setting another go. I like (most of) the ideas in it a lot. Maybe I will roll everything up before the session, but when I run out of content I will try to let the players roll as you advised. I normally roll very sparingly anyway. I like playercentric systems a lot better than system were I role nearly as much as a player does.
Also informing the players beforehand that it is a randomized dungeon and giving them an ingame explanation why is also a good advice. The Stygian Library is a strange place. Its changing, its evolving its ... gygaxy so to say 😁
Thank you again and Greetings from Germany
P.S.: Patreon: I don't need any extra content on patreon. I understand being a patron means that the patron is paying so everyone can benefit. I know that in the states that often is called socialism, but I personally don't need anything more than content for everyone. If it's more than without the support it's even better :D
Thanks! I hope some of this will work well at your table.
We have used different encounter tables for different neighbourhoods of a city. Nothing special, one for the abandoned, slummy outer city and one for the still maintained inner city on the right side of the wall. At night, you roll a larger die which can bring the weirder and nastier encounters into play.
Interacting with the city elite had its own random table which generates a specific individual and how they fit into the city hierachy with more focus on faction allegiance and vices.
Nice
My thing was I like rolling for the whole day, and if you get two you can put them together.
Instead of you get attack but goblins in the morning and a bear after noon... It's more like " You come around the corner to see a bear in a trap with Goblin in he's grip while other dancing around the beast with spears."
Nice
You asked about things we would like to see, and I think that there's more people talking about TTRPG on UA-cam than actually playing TTRPGs. So I think it would be nice to see something like what Trevor Devall is making on his channel, "Me, Myself and Die". Short (~30min) sessions of solo play. Great format, somewhat easy to produce I assume, and good entertainment.
Here you go 😊 - no funny voices, but a solo actual play nonetheless - youtube.com/@BanditsKeepActualPlay
@@BanditsKeep Oh, I didn't know you had another channel. I just subscribed! 😊
haha "we're all sitting here watching you roll dice and draw a map." Totally get your point.
😊
I prefer to never pull back the curtain and reveal the mystery of how things work. I don’t want to say things before hand like you will find this rumor. But I appreciate you trying to target a specific audience. And I like them rolling to see if they encounter a monster! Thsts good and feels like something they are a part of
Makes sense
Good stuff. I let players determine stuff randomly all the time. Say they want to know what the ground is like but it is not specified. I will ask the player what kind of floor they desire. Then the player rolls a d20. If it is something simple I just make it even/odd. If they want it super specific I make it a harder roll. I also have players roll treasure and stuff.
Nice
Everything being random from tables does slow things down. I only roll randomly treasures and occasionally weather. My "random" encounters are always pre-planned; I just roll dice on occasion to make it look like there's some random element. This makes things faster at the table/ VTT. My encounters are a means to advance my story and clue the players. But I really like your idea of having the players roll for an encounter chance. I'll just have the pre-planned encounters ready to plop down on the map if the player's roll reveals it.
Cool, let me know how that works out
Interesting video Daniel!
I like to roll behind the screen periodically even if I’m not rolling for anything. The players don’t know what I’m rolling for and the begin to wonder what’s coming and it adds a little tension to the game
Cheers
Bob
I’ve heard many DMs say that - not my style, but if it works for you and your group, that’s awesome
Great advice! Also, that's a sexy looking shirt... I bet the guy who designed it is super cool.
I agree!
Some great ideas in this video
Thank You!
Top advice!
Thanks
Ooooo, I didn’t know you were also on UA-cam 😊👍 as for getting players involved in rolling more for random outcomes I agree this is good GMing and gets the players more involved in the game BUT as a player I only enjoy this aspect when I know what I’m rolling for and what result I’m aiming for (eg low or high). Otherwise I’d prefer the GM just roll because in those cases my roll as a player really doesn’t matter
Good point! I would say the player not know the result needed would only be used (by me) for things like traps etc that they would not know - other stuff, yes, you want to know what your target number is for sure!
Yes! Let players roll wandering monsters, treasure type, anything and everything. They love rolling dice lol
For sure
Hey Daniel,
Great video, again!
Good luck with Patreon. If you are still doing videos in 5 years when I'm finished with university, I will gladly support you on there : )
I know other D&D UA-camrs like to put written stuff on their Patreon, like your morale combat rules from a few videos ago.
Thanks, watching here and chatting is great support 😊
I think what I was trying to say was: I like to be very careful with the language I use, so it doesn’t break the suspension of disbelief.
For example: “Let’s roll up the dragons loot” versus: “Let’s see what items of note your character can find digging through the dragons hoard!”
The latter should get your fantasy senses tingling!
Indeed
If I am going to be using a table I roll like 10 times and note them on a paper and go down the list of numbers, that way I am not rolling during play and it doesn't seem so random to the players. I as a player don't like things to be random. I want to feel like there is a meaning to why I am going into said place and that this place makes sense.
I can understand that
I as DM have started to implement more random things for PCs. They throw the dices and we see what happens. More exciting for me as DM that way and seem to keep burnout away
Indeed
Always roll dice in the open and accept the results.
Indeed
I have roll tables for random encounters that I use when appropriate. I just defaulted to let my players roll for the results of these tables and they get excited taking turns with every roll.
Fun!
I used to do this kind of rolling in 2e. It worked because it was expected that random monsters or loot would be there. That was the thing, you didn't know what you were going to get.
I think many players now expect you have tailored the game much more. So when it came uo they give push back, I could totally see it. Idk, maybe the game has advanced past this being more than a one off gimmick to keep it fresh. I haven't tried it, but it would be a trip down amnesia lane.
Always worth the trip 😊
Question: Do you expose the entire treasure tables? Or do you have the characters roll, but look it up on the table then? Or do you progressively disclose the treasure table?
I like this because I love board games, and I have friends who love board games, and it makes it a bit more on the "Game" side of the Game-Drama/Narrative-Simulation triangle.
This is interesting, I guess I do the 1st as I open the book on the table - but I can’t say I’ve had players (at least obviously) check it out and note possibilities.
@@BanditsKeep I'm imagining players thinking, "OK, this monster, produces that kind of treasure, ..," and taking it into account about whether to stick around with that kind of encounter, or perhaps run away and try and get a more "fruitful" encounter with another monster..! "This monster is too cheap for us!"
@@LionKimbro I like that! Giant Toads collect gems, but trolls hoard potions! Or something like thatv
I got a few ideas for Patreon. But largely I'd like to see something more than just a place you can get a dollar from your fans. Totally fine to start there but wouldnt it be cool for you to share what games you played this month, what games or products you purchased and wanna try out (or how'd the ones you got last month go)?
Cool, like summaries of adventures I’ve run / plan to run?
@@BanditsKeep exactly. "A what I bought/what I played/what I want to play" summary. Your videos already are great and speak for themselves so offering more insight into you and how you game is what you offer via patreon. Access. Speaking of videos you could maybe add supplemental stuff from your video topics there? Just spitballing. Cheers!
Random tables are better used if actions are written down and rolled for. Actions that have rewards and conflicts and roleplaying moments written on the table. Rolling for situations
Random situations 🤔
This is gr8t advices! Thank you!
I have a question: Do you randomize all monsters all the time the game demands for it or you decide when you wanna do it? For exemple, if you do it whenever the rules demands for it, it might ends up with a LOT of encounters and could bring out a dragon out of nowhere in front of a level 1 party which can be difficult even just evade from it or parley with it. Whats your take on these kind of situation?
I tend to roll for random monsters as directed - dragons don’t always have to attack 😊
On the topic of players rolling more, have you tried a system where the players roll to defend instead of monsters rolling to attack?
You essentially take the AC and subtract 10, and that's the armor bonus they add to the roll. Monsters still have AC.
I have not, but that sounds fun
I like to do all random rolls in front of my players so that they know I'm never BSing them. The game is what the game is and the dice are what the dice are.
For sure!
Way more than 500+ people liked this video. Do they forget to hit the like 👍, people, like I often do.
😊
At the risk of sounding sycophantic, this is such a great channel. You have this thoughtful, humble style and a lot of experience and creativity. But what really makes this channel stand out to me is how much of a "student of the game" you are. It's clear you take a lot of care to read the original texts and really try to understand what the creators intended. There are more than a few great D&D channels out there, but this is by far the most, err, contemplative, if that makes any sense.
Thank You! That is very kind 😊
But what if it is cards? Crimson Cutlass Omnibus Pg 1359 - Chariot Grievances: The monarch overacts to bad news. Anyone who
informs him of problems is beaten or beheaded. He is kept in ignorance of his failing political alliances
Hmm good question - for some reason I never got past page 1052
@@BanditsKeep Well you don't read it like a book. It's a searchable pdf with linked tables
I'm sure there is a difference between a DM who has nothing prepared so it's like he's just going through the cabinets and a DM who planned to see what a random game was going to do. Or.....we can deal with these random kobolds or we can used this planned undead beholder and owl bear pets. No? Stop complaining.
Not sure who is complaining in your example. Please explain