As far as random generators go, here’s an oldie but a goody worth revisiting.
GMs run the gamut when it comes to their appreciation for compiling random encounter charts.
For some, it’s an hour well-spent, a selection of monsters and NPC’s that fits perfectly with the next adventure you plan on running. If the adventure is one you devised, then it further enforces your vision of the fantasy world you are presenting to the players.
But even if it is a published product, a custom random encounter chart is a great way to “own” the adventure. Having encounters ready to go that fit your interpretation of the material emphasizes your command of the material.
For those GMs, though, who think making such charts are akin to a visit to the dentist’s chair for a good ol’ teeth pulling, let me make this suggestion:
Pull that box of Magic The Gathering cards off the shelf. A quick perusal of your deck should provide a selection of monsters appropriate to the adventure you are running. Set those cards aside in a pile. Then shuffle and place it face down on the game table. When the time comes for an encounter, just have one of the players – preferably the one considered unluckiest, pull from the top. Presto, chango, that monster depicted on the card is your next encounter. Find an entry approximate to the picture on the card, roll for initiative and you’re off to the races.
As an example, I pulled the following forest cards for a wilderness encounter chart. In all, it took about 3 minutes once I had the cards in hand. There were 19, so I’ll throw a forest land card into the deck, a freebie “no encounter” if it gets pulled, which lets the players think fate is on their side. Here is a d20 version of my pulls for this article (minus the proper nouns that are likely MTG product identity).
- 1 acidic slime
- 2 grave bramble (plant)
- 3 wildwood geist (ghost)
- 4 hollowhenge scanvenger (plant)
- 5 ambush viper
- 6 flinthoof boar
- 7 bond beetle
- 8 briarpack alpha
- 9 deadly recluse (spider)
- 10 primal huntbeast (herd animal)
- 11 roaring paradox (owlbear?)
- 12 best tracker (NPC)
- 13 hamlet captain (NPC)
- 14 borderland ranger (NPC)
- 15 pilgrim (NPC)
- 16 elvish visionary (NPC)
- 17 arbor elf (NPC)
- 18 force mage (NPC)
- 19 timberland guide (NPC)
- 20 forest (free)
The real advantage to using a deck for random encounters is the instant visual reference. Hold up the card and say: “You run into this!” As the artwork for MTG is particularly evocative, it can only serve to enhance the presentation. Of course, as the GM, it’s up to you to say exactly how many of said creatures the party will encounter (or go old school, roll a d6+1, and let the party take its chances with the result). Will they run and hide or stand their ground and fight? Silly adventurers.
Of course, you could, if you wish, stock an entire dungeon in this fashion. I find swamp cards deliciously suited for that purpose, but your mileage may vary.
In any event, using MTG cards in this fashion can serve as a nice diversion to your usual gaming session preparation, or an elegant solution if you find yourself playing a roleplaying game on the go, say in a car on a long trip.
Either way, it’s worth a try. And if you’ve used this method before, give us a shout in the comments and let us know how it went.
I don’t use random encounters, so I was going to give this article a pass, but then I thought, “well, let’s see what he has to say.” I’m glad I did, I still am not going to use random encounters, but I can and will try to use little cards (such as Magic the Gathering) with pictures for my planned encounters. It still is a good idea for an extra level of immersion! Thanks, Troy!
Thanks for sticking with it. When I GM for my boys, they love to draw from the deck. Instead of stocking a dungeon, I just use a deck, and they get a kick in finding out what lies behind the next door.
If you want to make your own cards, try magic set editor or bighugelabs.com.
I use these to make custom cards for NPC’s. I post them for my roll20.net game and can pop them up to remind players what a particular NPC is like. I love them.
You could even just make up a few cards and run an entire session that way. Just put your notes on the bottom, a quick map or some terrain, and you are good to go.
Can you have those card-makers printed out at a Staples or other copy place, or is it something you have do to on your own?
This seems a viable and illustrative type of random monster generator – it certainly works.
The evil inside me, especially having been a former magician in my youth, would consider what of those GMs with magician skills that can “force cards” onto the recipient – make a player choose the specific card you want them to chose. Taking away the randomness, without the “drawer” to know. (I wouldn’t do this, but the thought popped in my head…)
Due to the fact that I run my own commercial digital print studio, I’ve printed cards specific for RPGs for my own games in the past.
Can you make dice roll up the number you want to?
Not without trick loaded dice. Forcing cards is just sleight of hand, bottom dealing, misdirected shuffling. Its relatively easy to cheat at cards, dice need internal weights to force a given “choice”. You cannot sleight a die result.
Not entirely accurate. There are tried and true ways of throwing a six-sider so this it will land on the number you want it to (usually accompanied by throwing a second, un-manipulated die at the same time to hide the fact.) However, it takes a lot of practice to get down, and only really usable on a flat surface.
Now if you wanted to use anything with a higher side count, then you’d need loaded dice.
“guys, guys! i just got the whole zendikar block! eldrazi! woo! woo!”
“…bloody hell. we’re dead.”
Oh my god! I have well over 50 decks. This will ruin me, but it is a fantastic idea.