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Oct 10, 2012 -- 10:29AM, QuestorTelloc wrote:

By the "end" of 4E, I had about 4 or 5 homemade rolltables taped to my DM screen. I think they're cool.

Cover
Where are you sleeping tonight? (if you're not in a city or anything)
1. No cover (if it rains, you'll be the first thing wet)
2. Light Natural cover (tree canopy, cliff overhang, etc.)
3. Heavy natural cover (inside a gigantic tree, cave mouth)
4. Architectural cover (typically ruins / other abandoned structures)
5. Hospitality cover (the spare rooms of a noble whose land you're transgressing, the barn of a friendly farmer)
6. Paid cover (Inn, hostel, brothel, etc.)

I also had a "Race" rollchart for NPCs, adding to it as new ones were released. I once had a player roll a 20 on a Streetwise check, which in-story meant that the City Greeter ran up to them, shouting "NEW PEOPLE!!" sandals flapping, eager to tell them everything about the city. With that image already affixed in our minds, I belatedly roll for race and image becomes a [roll] Warforged. The image of this giant machine THUMP, THUMP, THUMPing its heavy footsteps up to us, still in sandals, greeting us exuberantly, was hilarious to my group and we couldn't play for about 10 minutes.

For a truly bizarre encounter, I used the Monster builder to create a harmless "Lunatic Elf," which would gather in a large group to celebrate a full moon, but if you got hit by them too many times you started catching their lunacy. Every time they moved, I rolled to see how (skipping, Silly Walks, serpentine, crawling, somersaults). As a minor action, they could change their clothing (1 roll for headwear, 1 roll for torsowear, 1 roll for legwear. "Nothing" and "a gigantic bow" were options on all three charts). On a hit, they had all kinds of bizarre behaviors. On a miss, they had all kinds of random cries. When they died, etc. My wife NEVER wants to face them again.

"I don't always use rollcharts, but when I do, they friggin' ROCK."

So what other rollcharts are out there? 

I have a "Prophecy" random roll chart.

At the start of the in-game calendar year, I roll d6 to see how eventful the year will be for that kingdom, then roll on the table that number of times. Then I roll to see what month each event takes place.

Famine
Important Birth
Wedding
Funeral
Astrological Event
Battle/War
Betrayal
Weather Event
Magical Event
Monster

Once an event is determined, I work up some details to make the vague description happen in some way.

Oct 16, 2012 -- 9:05AM, Sir_Joseph_the_Crowe wrote:

Oct 10, 2012 -- 2:15PM, QuestorTelloc wrote:

Oct 10, 2012 -- 12:50PM, Sir_Joseph_the_Crowe wrote:

I have a "Prophecy" random roll chart.

At the start of the in-game calendar year, I roll d6 to see how eventful the year will be for that kingdom, then roll on the table that number of times. Then I roll to see what month each event takes place.

Famine
Important Birth
Wedding
Funeral
Astrological Event
Battle/War
Betrayal
Weather Event
Magical Event
Monster

Once an event is determined, I work up some details to make the vague description happen in some way.

Totally stealing this.

Awesome. Let me know how it goes.. and anything cool you put on your table that I can steal to update my own.

Yoink! 

Oct 16, 2012 -- 1:49PM, pilgaard wrote:

Interesting tables - allowing for fun outcomes it seems

Oct 16, 2012 -- 9:05AM, Sir_Joseph_the_Crowe wrote:

Awesome. Let me know how it goes.. and anything cool you put on your table that I can steal to update my own.

In the old BECMI rules for ruling dominions 1-4 of the events below could happen to a dominion in a given year - perhaps some of it can be useful for your table:


Natural Events: All of the following depend on the terrain, location,
and other details of the dominion. “Disasters” are indicated by
asterisks.
Comet 30 %
Death (Official, Ruler, etc.) 10 %
*Earthquake 10 %
Explosion 10 %
Fire, Minor 50%
*Fire, Major 10%
*Hurricane 15 %
Flood 10-50%
Market Glut 20 %
Market Shortage 25 %
Meteor Shower (minor) 20 %
*Meteor Strike (major) 1 %
*Plague 25%
Population Change
(double normal)
Gain or Lose 20%
Resource Lost 10 %
Resource New 10%
Sinkhole 5%
Storm 80%
*Tornado 25%
Trade Route Lost 15 %
Trade Route New 15 %
Waterspout 25 %
Whirlpool 25 %
*Volcano 2%

~ Unnatural Events: The following events are are not based on Nature.
Assassination 10 %
Bandits 50%
Birth in ruling family 20%
Border Skirmish 40 %
Cultural Discovery 10 %
Fanatic Cult 10 %
Insurrection 10 %
Lycanthropy 15 %
Magical Happening 30 %
Migration 10 %
PretenderIUsurper 10 %
Raiders from other dominion 25 %
Rebellion (minor) 10 %
Resident Specialist, New 20 %
Spy Ring 60%
Traitor 30 %
Accidental death of Official 25 %
VIP Visitor 10 %
Wandering Monsters, 20 HD+ 75 %

I like the idea of market fluctuations.

Player: What do you MEAN a shovel costs 100 gp?

DM: It's a gold-rush, man. They can't keep up with demand.

I like a lot of these, actually. THANKS!

Oct 16, 2012 -- 1:49PM, pilgaard wrote:

Player: What do you MEAN a shovel costs 100 gp?

DM: It's a gold-rush, man. They can't keep up with demand.

That doesn't work for me. I have a player who works as a merchant. -_-