Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ThreeofSwords Dec 17, 2014 16:19:04	I really like the paragraph on page 27 of the Lost Mine of Phanelver :   Describe the party's overland travels as vividly as you like, but keep the story moving.  "You walk for several miles and encounter nothing of insterest" is far less evocative and memorable than, "A light rain dampens the rolling plains as you travel north.  Around midday, you break for lunch under a lonely tree.  There, the rogue finds a small rock that looks like a grinning face, but otherwise you see nothign out of the ordinary."   I try to do this.  However, I've been DMing w/ the same players on and off for years.  So my ability to come up w/ new 'nothing happened' descriptions is getting exhausted.     Does anyone know of a random 'nothing happened' table out there?  I'd like to mine it for ideas.
#2 iserith Dec 17, 2014 16:23:50	Yes, and it's right in front of your face...   It's the table at which you're sitting around which are four or five other brains that might have some ideas about cool stuff they saw on the way from Point A to Point B. So just ask your players using good, framed questions. Build on what they say and then carry on. People are great "random generators" and, better still, people tend to really engage with ther own ideas.
#3 Varden_Khol Dec 17, 2014 17:23:52	As usual, I agree with Iserith's advice here. Leading or framed questions can be used over and over with different answers popping up each time.   Some leading statements/questions to spur your PCs imaginations: On the first day of travel the party came across an obstacle that only you could get them through. What was it and how did you overcome it? During your turn on watch something strange caught your attention. What was it and how did you react? You crossed paths with a stranger while on the road. Who were they? (This can lead to "What did they say?" "What did you learn from them?" "On what terms did you part?") While resting and taking your midday meal something catches your eye. What did you find?   I like to do this at the end of the journey. The great thing about this is that you can avoid a lot of dice rolling and uncertainty because it's already established that they have arrived safely. The players get a chance to add to the story and have their characters in the spotlight for a moment.
#4 iserith Dec 17, 2014 18:38:08	Varden_Khol wrote:
#5 ankiyavon Dec 17, 2014 19:16:58	Here are some random tables that might help you, OP. I remember somewhere seeing a table for something about what fun things happened while you were looking at the map instead of paying attention, but I can't find it.   Random Table: What's in the Hole? http://beyondtheblackgate.blogspot.com/2011/01/random-table-whats-in-hole.html   Random Wilderness Dressing http://greyhawkgrognard.blogspot.com/2011/03/wilderness-dressing.html
#6 Noon Dec 18, 2014 1:06:22	I wouldn't - I'd just have small fry world events. Someones cart is in the ditch - do you help them? And that's taking in mind that helping them may have a consequence down the road, not a 'yeah, we help and never think of it ever again' thing.   Someone needs help carrying baskets of vegetables to market (in the direction you're going). Someones horse has thrown a shoe. Someones trying to sell some luck charm to everyone they meet on the road. Etc.   From little things, big things grow. But granted, I don't have a list of them. Making up a list would be a good idea - I agree!
#7 ThreeofSwords Dec 18, 2014 16:15:16	Thanks for the replies.   The idea of using the players to supply ideas is sound, and quite often my players do extemporize on what I present to them.  But sometimes we're rushed for time.  In those cases, a quick non-event blurb maintains the necessary verisimiltude while keeping the pace moving forward.  This is why a table would be nice.   ankiyavon, thanks for the links.  While not exactly what I was looking for, they did give me a few ideas just by glancing at them.  That's all I wanted.  Something to spur further creativity.   Noon, I agree.  With so many random generators out there, I was surprised I couldn't find one for this topic.
(Reply to #5) Akeisha	ankiyavon wrote:
(Reply to #4) Th3Dux	iserith wrote:
#10 sleypy Dec 24, 2014 6:57:52	Recently, I have been using the PF chase deck for random nothings. Though the cards are designed for chases, I have taken to pulling the card and weaving a description based on the object(s) found on the card I draw. I have actually been using the chase deck for all sorts of things when I need a random idea and it works great.