This works very well if you are running a sandbox game or something on the fly.

I’m obviously a huge proponent of random tables in gaming. I love my d12 tables that I create along with making tables for other things. Sure, I own plenty of books with really good random tables in them. I use them, too. Everything gets at least one go-round.

Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.

I hope every new Game Master becomes acquainted with the power of random tables. For example:

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Need and NPC Kin (Species, Ancestry, whatever?) Roll random. 2. Elf
Need their profession? Roll Random, 18. Chandler (Candle maker.)
How does is appearance set him apart? 17. Gnarly scar over his right eye.
Is he well to do? 4. Apparently candle sales have fallen off. He is dressed in pauper’s clothes.
The group is going to see him again. We need a name. Quick Elf Name Table gets us Gabrielle. (My Elves have French names to go with their decadent culture and I don’t like three and four syllable fantasy name generators.)

Several games out there such as Shadowdark have fun charts built into them for just such an occasion. Many main books, GM guides, and supplements include random dungeon generation. If you’re not a stickler for how the hobgoblins got there or what their living conditions are like, they work pretty well. (Just let the Goblin/Hobgoblin union rep deal with whoever constructed the place to iron out the living conditions. They’ll be fine unless the adventurers dispatch them.)

With a little practice a GM can even get good at interpreting the results of random halls/rooms, monsters, and treasure. Obviously if the Hobgoblins knew they were sitting on two magical swords, a magic shield and some healing potions, they would use them. Maybe they would hang up some of those expensive tapestries to make their dungeon seem less dreary. Perhaps an enterprising Hobgoblin cracked open a grimoire and learned to cast a few spells (accidentally. There goes a tapestry.) Why not? Why sit on that Sword of Head Lopping if they have some inkling that it’s magical and can probably do some serious damage over their M1A1 standard issue shortsword and buckler?

Hopefully the GM will roll some of the rooms far enough in advance to prepare for traps and secret doors. Those random tables can be notoriously tricky. My personal random monster tables, dungeon mishap tables, etc can be pretty unforgiving when placed directly in the characters’ paths.

It’s not all just random dungeons, either. The same can easily be said about outdoor travel (hex crawls.) It’s how I’m getting through Hex-A-Day 2025. Sure, I might have to go back eventually and fill in some missing details. There are even random settlement and city generators, ways to separate things into political factions, and all kinds of random quest generators for even more intrigue.

It might not be a long term solution some GMs will want to explore, but I do know of entire sandbox campaigns that are built on random tables with a little nudge here and there from the GM. Some GMs just don’t plot a story into their game and let the players take the reins. That’s great!

Please do what works best for you as a Game Master and your group. What works for me at my table may not work for yours and vice versa. The main focus is to have fun. There is no right or wrong way to roleplay.

Static planning or random worldbuilding with some help from the dice. Just have fun. Play the game.

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.