Make Dice Work For You is a series where I’ll regularly talk through a new way to use dice in your game. It came out of conversation surrounding What to randomise when you’re randomising, and what advanced techniques you can use for specific needs. I’ll where I know, but please help me out if you know a citation and I don’t have one, or if you know an example that I can add!

The basic structure of a river table is a list of items that is larger than the die you’re rolling, and a trigger that adds +1 to future dice rolls whenever you trigger it.

The effect of this is a table that through encountering the trigger, you’ll be exposed to new items until you reach the final item.

Requirements: River tables can’t have a bell-curve distribution (i.e. are typically a single die roll), and their final item must be “X or greater”.

Example

Roll 1d4 whenever you enter a room. Every 10 minutes, increase the die by an additional +1 for future rolls.

1-2. You hear someone approaching.

3-5. Martha, goblin maid enters the room, dusting. She flees if threatened, but otherwise assumes you’re supposed to be here.

6-8. Rufus, goblin guard, stumbles drunkenly through the room. He may not notice anyone depending on whether you’re hiding. You don’t have to hide well. If he does notice you, he’ll raise the alarm to summon 2d4 additional guards

9-10. Gregory, goblin guard enters the room, performing a security screen prior to his boss returning home. He will raise the alarm to summon 2d4 additional guards unless you have correct identification.

11+. The Wizard Chartreuse arrives in the Foyer. They will walk swiftly by the most direct route to their study, and will recognise any intruders.

Considerations: The difference between the dice size, the size of the bonus, and the how long the list is, will determine how quickly the “climax” of the take is reached.

Alternatives: Increase die size when triggered instead of +1 if you want the earlier entries to remain available. Decrease the die size if you want the table to “hone in” on specific results when triggered.

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