• Registered: 2013-10-30
  • Posts: 38

Topic: Ideas for Random Encounters Tables

I only recently became interested in the Old School Renaissance. As a fan of Gothic and Lovecraftian horror, I find Lamentations of the Flame Princess a fascinating adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons rules.

Being new to OSR and trying to get a feel for Weird Fantasy gaming at the same time presents a unique challenge, and I am having some difficulty putting together Random Encounter Tables (RET). I am trying to create a setting that uses traditional fantasy elements and branches out into the weird.

This is the outline for a RET I plan to use in a dungeon occupied by cultists on the lower levels.

Roll 1d12
1 - 4: 2d4 Cultists
5 - 6: 1d6 Goblins
7: 1d4 Humans (sub-tables to determine details about them, from Rules Cyclopedia)
8 - 9: 1 Abomination (custom monster fitting the cultists)
10: 2d4 Elves
11 - 12: 1d4 Ghouls

Suggestions for traditional fantasy monsters that work well in LotFP and comments on how my table is set up are welcome.

In addition, it would be great if people wanted to contribute examples of RETs they have been using in their own games.

Last edited by CironeAE (2013-10-30 22:32:29)

  • Judd
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  • Registered: 2013-10-16
  • Posts: 12

Re: Ideas for Random Encounters Tables

I've enjoyed using my tables more like oracles, giving me description and context, more for use on the train ride to the game to suss out the adventure in a notepad.

For example, in the game I ran, a city had a bunch of monsters living in its walls from an old law that was suddenly repealed. Now it was open season on them. When I wanted to make a monster I just rolled for a handful (2d4, 1d10) of dice to determine the following:

Monster Type
1 - Wizard
2 - Construct
3 - Vampire
4 - Refugee Deity

Descriptor
1 - Shadow
2 - Lightning
3 - Fire
4 - Deep Sea
5 - Insect
6 - Arachnid
7 - Pain
8 - Crystal
9 - Plague
10 - Moon

Then I narrow it down based on the monster type

Deity Refugee
1 - Cult
2 - Community
3 - No one
4 - Pantheon

Wizard
1 - Manor
2 - Tower
3 - Homeless
4 - Gang

Golem
1 - Gang
2 - Lab
3 - Scholars
4 - Merc Company

Vampire
1 - Coven
2 - Community
3 - Brood
4 - Isolated

And I'm off to the races with an odd beast and its context in a strange city.

Githyanki Diaspora: my gaming blog
  • Judd
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  • Registered: 2013-10-16
  • Posts: 12

Re: Ideas for Random Encounters Tables

I'm sorry, the above isn't what you were asking for.

This is what I jotted down for a random encounter table:

City Random Encounter Table

1) Corrupt City Guard 1d8 0-level humans led by a 1st level Fighter
2) Toughs looking for their cut (1d4 0-level humans, 10% chance of a 1st level Specialist)
3) Wizard’s creation gone amok (see Wizard’s Creation Table below)
4) Party of Adventures (1-2 coming back from their haul, 3-4 horning in on your haul, 5-6 setting up their own haul)
5) 2d20 0-level humans forming a mob to kill a monster in their neighborhood.
6) Monster on the run, looking to get out of here. 1-2 will pay 10d10 silver, 3-4 will offer money stashed outside of town, 5-6 will beg for help.

Githyanki Diaspora: my gaming blog