"I'm not anti-table!" (includes links to tables)

Someone who reads this blog and knows me personally in the physical world (a rare creature, indeed) told me this weekend that I came off as "anti-table" in a comment I made on my post explaining The Intersection of Secrets.

Me? Anti-table? That's like calling this cat anti-adorable!

Have you not seen my all-tables Solo Wargaming Rules for Heroclix? Did you not read my recent tables for Opposing Generals in RRtK Local Campaigns? Have you not counted the number of times I've referenced the Mythic GME?

The comment I made last week was to address when "intrusive randomizers" spoil the flow of solo narrative action. When you're on your own and immersed in story, anything that takes you out of it must be avoided, and that's why I like quick graphic idea generators like Rory's Story Cubes.

When I'm not immersed in story, I'm probably having more fun with the mechanics of a game, like when I played Meeple Trek and the story was about as flimsy as metagaming Monopoly. Meeple Trek was all about playing with the percentile tables in Donald Featherstone's Skirmish Wargaming rules, so the tables were my source of immersion and enjoyment!

Charts and tables were my original sources of invisible opposition. My first solo excursions many years ago were all about the Moldvay Basic Dungeons and Dragons, and the concept of story was virtually nonexistent. I ran random dungeons for my PCs, rolled lots on the Wandering Monsters Tables, and rolled lots (badly) on the Attack Tables - and I loved it! All I wanted was to see how far I could get in a dungeon and to see how long the table results would remain in my favor.

I can recapture those simpler non-narrative days with Labyrinth Lord and add a few more cool tables to make the event that much more table-tastic with the following links:

Free Coolness
Labyrinth Lord - the rules, which you all have already.

Labyrinth Lord Reference Tables - all the LL tables in one doc, courtesy Robert Morris.

The Dungeon Dozen - a great blog of inspired and hysterical d12 tables by jasons.

Engines & Empires - a campaign world by John Higgins with nifty random dungeon generator tables.

Donjon RPG Tools - an online resource with all kinds of random tables.

RPG Inspiration - from the NBOS peeps who brought you Inspiration Pad.


Coolness for Cash
Creature Crafter - mondo tables for spontaneous monster creation for any system; one of my faves.

Vornheim - hyped for good reason; Zak S. offers tables and tips you won't get anywhere else.


Questionable Coolness
Ultimate Toolkit  - I've heard only good things about this monstrous tome, but the high price gets in my way, so I don't own it. Can anyone who reads this blog give us more info?


I think I'll put these links to good use...