Why I like Random tables

Much of my DMing style is combination of prep and improv, prep as the general skeleton with a lot of useful random resources rolled either in the moment or before the game ahead of time.

I generally enjoy being surprised along side my players when it comes to certain things, likewise why I get heavy use out of a 2d6 reaction table, it prevents me from getting stale or rote when I can throw the bones and let God and the Universe tug on the strings a bit.

Looking for big books of random tables

I already have Tome of Adventure design, much of Kevin Crawford's books including stars, worlds, and cities without number, Cults of Chaos by Pundit, Ready Ref Sheets, and d30 DM's companion.

so from a fantasy/traditional D&D standpoint I'm quite well rounded with tables, what I'm mostly looking for is either universally good tables or more modern-day related tables.

Check out Scot "Kellri" Hoover's fourth installment in his "Classic Dungeon Designer Notebook" series, Old School Encounters Reference.

Read about it here:  http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-old-school-encounters-reference.html

Then go here and click on the "CDD#4 - Encounters" link on the right side of this page: http://kellri.blogspot.com/

Its a free PDF but I printed out a physical copy using Lulu.

I've been reading through Magical Industrial Revolution because we just got copies in Canada, and it is modern-ish. Think industrial revolution London but magic is what is powering everything.
Lots of interesting random tables.

Canada or pre-order in United Kingdom (both have PDF only options.

I would highly recommend Skerples newer OSR book The Monster Overhaul because it has tables for randomizing elements of all the monsters. You did say you felt good for fantasy though.

Free Spacer has tables I really like for making random aliens, and random solar systems and their planets.
(Canada, United Kingdom.) And handy worksheets for tracking it all while you are running the game.

If you wanted something to help you come up with scenes/situations -- Wild does this by drawing tarot cards. Each card has multiple option for a "situation," an "obstacle," an"aid", and a "resolution."
Grab a few cards and mix and match.
Theme-wise the game is about dream-share technology so it tends towards a modern vibe with a little weird. The entries/prompts are vague enough to be taken lots of different ways.
 

I know you said you're covered for fantasy, but this guy has a lot of good stuff:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/4528/new-big-dragon-games-unlimited

Quote from: Crusader X on July 08, 2024, 06:37:03 AMCheck out Scot "Kellri" Hoover's fourth installment in his "Classic Dungeon Designer Notebook" series, Old School Encounters Reference.

Read about it here:  http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-old-school-encounters-reference.html

Then go here and click on the "CDD#4 - Encounters" link on the right side of this page: http://kellri.blogspot.com/

Its a free PDF but I printed out a physical copy using Lulu.

Thanks, that's quite a large pdf for being free product.

Quote from: Brad on July 08, 2024, 04:17:05 PMI know you said you're covered for fantasy, but this guy has a lot of good stuff:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/4528/new-big-dragon-games-unlimited

Oh yes I love his products, PX1 is what changed my mind on psionics in D&D, and I already have the d30 stuff, good pick but I already own this stuff.

I like his other stuff, but PX1 was more like it should have been a supplement for Pundit's Arrows of Indra, with all the Indian mysticism.

But anyway, while controversial now, I liked the Central Casting books. There was one for modern and one for sci-fi.

Augmented Reality is a good city/cyberpunk book of tables.  Here's a flip-through:

Quote from: JeremyR on July 09, 2024, 01:05:00 AMI like his other stuff, but PX1 was more like it should have been a supplement for Pundit's Arrows of Indra, with all the Indian mysticism.

But anyway, while controversial now, I liked the Central Casting books. There was one for modern and one for sci-fi.

From a system standpoint it seemed like a very cleaned up and good presentation of the AD&D psionic systems which were kind of a mess.

I've never heard of Central Casting books, what makes them so contentious?

If you like Cults of Chaos, you might also like a lot of the generators in the Gonzo Fantasy Companion; particularly if you are into Weird Fantasy.

Of course, most of my setting-specific books have a lot of great random tables as well; people who have run Sword & Caravan or Baptism of Fire both point out that the setting-related tables make it so that they can essentially run the game with nearly zero prep, if sandboxes are your thing.