Encounter tables for Freebooters on the Frontier 2e: nested d12 a la The Perilous Wilds or classic d100?

Encounter tables for Freebooters on the Frontier 2e: nested d12 a la The Perilous Wilds or classic d100?

Encounter tables for Freebooters on the Frontier 2e: nested d12 a la The Perilous Wilds or classic d100?

There will be lots of tables. I’m working on some comprehensive settlement encounter tables right now. I find d12 tables easier to reference quickly, but d100 tables are obviously more flexible in terms of how much you can pack in. Plus I’m already using d100 tables in Freebooters, and consistency is important to me…

Hm. I may have just answered my own question, but feel free to vote and let me know why you think one or the other is superior!

16 thoughts on “Encounter tables for Freebooters on the Frontier 2e: nested d12 a la The Perilous Wilds or classic d100?”

  2. I’ve ended up only using d36 tables for Maze Rats. I just organize them in sic groups of 6 entries, so your eye can quickly find the result from rolling 2d6. Given the option between d12 or d100, though, I would go d100.

  3. Technically, I should prefer the d12 because too many entries in a d100 table will never ever come up in play…

    On the other hand, if you have more or less the same content to put into tables, then you would end up with too many d12 tables, if compared to d100 tables… and if it’s random, it’s random… so give me the d100 tables and not a lot of d12 tables where I have to go search for the exact one for this specific occurrence…

    So in the end, my preference is for the d100…

  4. I’d prefer fewer, more evocative and open-to-interpretation (and therefore couched in existing fiction) results over many very specific results. Also, I hope some amount of ordering can be done such that we can alter chances in interesting ways by adding modifiers.

    I also really like Ben’s Maze Rats tables. They seem to strike a good balance.

  5. I like smaller tables — they require less page space and also less work to come up with consistently evocative/interesting entries. Bigger d100 tables could be in supplementary materials, or other character-gen tables/systems plugged-in at the DM’s discretion.

    I’m a big fan of Ben Milton’s d36 Maze Rats tables. Easy to take in at a glance. Small enough to be compact on the page, but enough entries that everyone at the table will be unique.

    But in my mind… consistency outweighs most other concerns. So I voted d100 🙂

  6. d36 (is that 1 d6 that then spreads to 6 diff tables of d6 a la Fiasco?) Sounds cool. But I do like the Perilous wilds d12 that leads to another d12 etc etc as deep as you want to go.

    But sometimes d100 is good – if for instance you have just a huge list of stuff that’s not necessarily related.

    Don’t lock yourself in – use both when needed.

  7. I’m with Chris Shorb, be flexible and use the most appropriate for the task at hand. I had no problem mixing D12 tables from PW and D100 tables from Freebooters (and D30, D20, etc, tables from other sources) while running my game. That said, I am a fan of the D36 tables as well.

  9. James Sauers, the wilderness exploration stuff will be baked into FotF2e, so you won’t need The Perilous Wilds.

    I love d36 tables as well and have made a ton of my own. The ones in Maze Rats are great. For encounter stuff, the simulationist in me has an urge to make use of varying probabilities so that the crazy/weird/powerful encounters can be more rare, and d100 tables seem the easiest way to do that while allowing for a wide range of outcomes.

    Lots of good ideas and opinions so far.

  13. I prefer a good nested d12 for a couple reasons:

    1: The best part of nested tables is the layers, usually from concept to specific, which is great when you just want to find something inspiring without rolling. Whether by type of monster, location, or item, it’s easier to find something when you’re starting with a generalized idea.

    2: Multiple rolls. We all love rolling dice, and if we’re rolling on these tables during play, you can involve multiple players in the roll. Go around the table, and use their rolls in order. The players aren’t waiting for you to roll 5 times, and it’s their own rolls that generate the result.

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