Tag Archives: random table

Random Table: Ring Descriptions

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Ring ImageThis week’s random table is ring descriptions. Rings of magical and decorative variety are quite popular in fantasy role-playing games. Use the table below to liven up the description of the next magical ring your adventurer’s find in that treasure trove.

The table is general enough to allow most of the descriptions to match up with any type of magical ring. In a future installment I might take a single magical ring type and do themed table around that type of ring. For today though, this more generic table should cover a multitude of situations.

And remember, if you have suggestions for next week’s table topic leave a comment on this blog post or a comment over on Google+!

Roll (d20) Ring Descriptions
1 plain steel band, dented as if by some great force, the initials F.T. are carved into it
2 silver ring with raised wolf’s head with deep red eyes
3 smooth silver band, warm to the touch
4 steel band carved to appear as two arrows twisted together
5 ring is made of finely braided light brown rope, resistant to cutting
6 silver band with a sunburst signet
7 gold band with an intricate carving of entwined vines circling the ring
8 platinum band, the ring glows slightly in darkness
9 a waffle pattern of silver and gold compose this ring
10 black band with a crimson spiral going around the ring
11 steel band, painted white with a blue stripe circling the ring
12 gold band, two feline skeletons have been carved into it
13 wooden ring with oak leaves carved into the band
14 brilliant blue ring with flecks of yellow across the surface
15 obsidian band, the colors seem to swirl beneath the surface of the band
16 the band is formed of what appears to be unmelting ice, cold to the touch
17 band made of brass, severely nicked and stained with blood
18 a silver serpent wrap around itself to form this ring
19 plain gold band with a signet depicting a tankard
20 band is made of black and red marble in a swirling pattern

 

Random Table: Ale Names

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Beer Mug FoamFor this week’s random table we have 20 different ale names! Taverns are one of the favorite places for adventurers to seek out anytime they come to town. What better place to meet the locals and get the feel for what is happening in the newly arrived town.

Instead of selling your characters just another ale, roll a d20 and you can be serving them an ale with a name! No more buying a nameless ale, now your players can buy a Flying Rat Ale or a Twisted Trail Lager!

Have suggestions for next week’s table? Feel free to leave some ideas in the comments of this post or over on Google+!

Roll (d20) Ale Name
1 Skullcrusher’s Ale
2 Overlook Brew
3 Roc Stout
4 Brook Stout
5 Gold Hook Pilsner
6 Runemaster’s Lager
7 Skanzi’s Stout
8 Ironcrag Lager
9 Flying Rat Ale
10 White Root Ale
11 Spinster’s Pilsner
12 Dwarven Gutbuster Ale
13 Twisted Trail Lager
14 Brown Falcon Ale
15 Amber Sky Ale
16 Hobgoblin Stout
17 Rolling Boulder Lager
18 Black Alley Ale
19 Well Springs Pilsner
20 Castle Stone Stout

 

Random Table: Treasure Chests

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Old Treasure ChestLast week I kicked off my random table experiment with a random table of odors one might smell in the dungeon. Some folks noted the table could be used in other situations as well – odors in town, NPC smells, and such. There are several uses for the dungeon odor table during your game session or during prep.

This week I post a table of treasure chest descriptions. These can be used on the fly if your players start asking for more details about a treasure chest they have found. Or you can use them during session prep to spark some ideas of your own. Just what would be in a metal, perforated treasure chest?

Have suggestions for next week’s table? Feel free to leave some ideas in the comments of this post or over on Google+!

Roll (d20) Treasure Chest Description
1 wood, appears to have suffered water damage, some warping, though chest still appears functional
2 dark, lacquered wood, iron bound corners
3 copper, stained green, reinforced wooden corners
4 made of cedar wood, the smell of cedar still emanates from the chest
5 light colored maple wood, carvings of leaves and twisting vines on each side
6 sides and lid made of thick vines woven together, flexible vines form the hinges
7 steel fabrication, embossed with gold leafing, two oversized hinges and two padlocks on the front
8 carved from a block of stone, even the hinges are crafted of stone, covered in various geometric patterns
9 wooden chest of thick planking, painted all white
10 scorched oak wood, rusted iron-plated corners, with oversized padlock
11 metal construction, coated in quartz for a “glittery” effect, corners reinforced with painted white metal plates
12 entire chest is fabricated of perforated metal
13 sides and lid made of black marble with white swirls, appears without seams
14 crafted entirely of obsidian the sides are melded together at the corners, silver trim along each edge
15 wooden chest, painted red and edged in painted black iron corner pieces
16 crafted of iron, turned rust red with age and moisture, three hinges on the back with a single large latch on the front
17 crafted of oak, trapezoidal in shape with blocks making chest legs
18 made of reinforced glass, tinted to obscure the contents
19 steel box, one corner and lid significantly dented in
20 dark wooden lid appears mismatched to a lighter chest proper, steel banding does not match, intricate lock

 

Random Table: Dungeon Odors

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photo courtesy: disoculated @ flickr

photo courtesy: disoculated @ flickr

I am going to try piloting a new weekly feature here at The Iron Tavern. There is always room for more random tables in games. They are handy for on the fly ideas at the table or even while prepping ahead of time and just needing a “kick” to get you thinking.

With that in mind, I plan on posting a new random table every Thursday for the next 4 to 6 weeks. These tables will contain 20 entries and the subject matter will typically have something to do with the fantasy genre. I have several ideas for tables already, but if you think of something you would like to see, feel free to add a comment here or on G+.

After the 4 to 6 weeks I will take a look back at the feedback these posts have received through either comments here, on G+, or twitter and a look at how the posts do traffic wise. If things look positive I will continue the random table posts. If things were only so-so, we’ll call it a simple experiment and I will still have had the exercise of brainstorming some random tables. Always good for the creativity, even as an exercise!

To kick off this random table experiment, we start with dungeon smells! 20 possible smells your hero’s might experience as they make their way through otherwise empty dungeon corridors!

Random Dungeon Odors

Roll (d20) Odor
1 faint sulfur
2 rotting trash
3 hint of spoiled milk
4 musty with a hint of mold
5 tangy, earthy
6 strong rat feces
7 faint incense
8 overpowering mildew
9 pungent ammonia
10 trace of a bat guano
11 hint of a flower aroma
12 lingering scent of body odor
13 stale urine
14 decaying meat
15 smoky smell from past burnt torches
16 wet animal fur
17 overly sweet smell
18 lingering smell of rotten fruit
19 strong vanilla
20 moldy straw