Comment if you've used them and have an opinion. Also keep in mind that I love these things and use them regularly, so it'll take a lot of hate to make me leave them out of the book =D
Eric Nieudan: The gutter and spine and getting the book to lay flat, mainly. =9)
But as you say, it can be more convenient to lay them out so that they can be used casually in sandbox play at need (and yes to read off the results undisturbed). Depending on the function of the tables of course.
For example you might also be able to use an encounter-based die drop table as a combat tracker by decrementing and removing the die as opponents are defeated.
There is also the problem with the amount of book real-estate they take up, since you generally want to be pretty clear (at a glance) where the dice actually land.
[Especially when you are a gamemaster that managed to roll a Dex of 1 on 3d6 (personally I'd argue that getting the dice to land stacked neatly on top of each other so that only the topmost one was showing a single pip was worthy of smome bonus, but...), with the attendant difficulties in being able to handle dice, so might need larger drop tables... =9) ]
I empathise with your DEX related issues, I really do =)
The real estate is really why I'm asking the question. I want the book to be as lean as possible, but I also want it packed with useful tools.
You don't need the book laid flat with these DD tables though. The photo above illustrates how you use them: the vertical page has tables that use the dice results for extra info.
I hate drop table with the white-hot passion of a few burning suns. Give me a random tables, indexed with result, and I will appreciate that. There is no way to ensure all results are even with a drop tables, even with customized sizes.
Pierre M YMMV of course, but I don't mind the lack of precision here: these are meant to inspire the referee, not to save a character's life =) Myles Corcoran I'm after spending ten years with a woman from Crumlin, so I am.
It's not about saving a character's life :) It's about statistics. if you want faeries encounters to be half as likely than werewolves in this forest, you can't do that with such a die drop. If you don't care about relative probabilities, just offering a table of ideas, then it would work - and you will still have to reroll dice out of the tables. It has no advantages over a random tables, and several more issues, so what would be the point in using one?
On the other hand there is generally a fundamental physical problem of having drop tables in a book.
ReplyDelete[But don't take this as an objection to having them with the book.]
I don't use them, but I'd like you to try and change my mind!
ReplyDeleteIan Borchardt Why is that? Do you like to keep the table with the dice on for reference?
ReplyDeleteBrian Ashford Well you'll get a print and play version before long, if you want to try them before the game is ready.
ReplyDeleteEric Nieudan Awesome. I'll give it a blast with both of my groups when it arrives.
ReplyDeleteEric Nieudan: The gutter and spine and getting the book to lay flat, mainly. =9)
ReplyDeleteBut as you say, it can be more convenient to lay them out so that they can be used casually in sandbox play at need (and yes to read off the results undisturbed). Depending on the function of the tables of course.
For example you might also be able to use an encounter-based die drop table as a combat tracker by decrementing and removing the die as opponents are defeated.
There is also the problem with the amount of book real-estate they take up, since you generally want to be pretty clear (at a glance) where the dice actually land.
[Especially when you are a gamemaster that managed to roll a Dex of 1 on 3d6 (personally I'd argue that getting the dice to land stacked neatly on top of each other so that only the topmost one was showing a single pip was worthy of smome bonus, but...), with the attendant difficulties in being able to handle dice, so might need larger drop tables... =9) ]
I empathise with your DEX related issues, I really do =)
ReplyDeleteThe real estate is really why I'm asking the question. I want the book to be as lean as possible, but I also want it packed with useful tools.
You don't need the book laid flat with these DD tables though. The photo above illustrates how you use them: the vertical page has tables that use the dice results for extra info.
I hate drop table with the white-hot passion of a few burning suns. Give me a random tables, indexed with result, and I will appreciate that. There is no way to ensure all results are even with a drop tables, even with customized sizes.
ReplyDeleteThe third option suggests you've been living in Dublin long enough to pick up the local speech patterns.
ReplyDeletePierre M YMMV of course, but I don't mind the lack of precision here: these are meant to inspire the referee, not to save a character's life =)
ReplyDeleteMyles Corcoran I'm after spending ten years with a woman from Crumlin, so I am.
Eric Nieudan And yet that 'so I am' phrasing makes me think of Northern Irish.
ReplyDeleteMyles Corcoran I rarely hear it, I must say.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about saving a character's life :)
ReplyDeleteIt's about statistics. if you want faeries encounters to be half as likely than werewolves in this forest, you can't do that with such a die drop. If you don't care about relative probabilities, just offering a table of ideas, then it would work - and you will still have to reroll dice out of the tables.
It has no advantages over a random tables, and several more issues, so what would be the point in using one?
Cette 3eme option me donne envie de cliquer dessus.
ReplyDeleteQuentin Forestier Do me a favour, please do it ;)
ReplyDeletePierre M The advantage is time and space are both saved. But I see your point, so in the final book the die drop boxes will be numbered 1 to 20.
ReplyDeleteThink it would work better as a printed pdf
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm fascinated by drop tables in theory, and love the artistic take on random tables, but in function I'm never really that pleased :(
ReplyDeleteKevin Tompos is there something you don't like about these in particular?
ReplyDeleteTalon Waite That's always an option these days :)
ReplyDelete