The Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables

In this video, I take a look at the newly released Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables—a massive trove of tables, ideas, and modular inspiration for anyone running tabletop roleplaying games. Like the other books in the Game Master series, this one is designed to be a flexible tool, perfect for worldbuilding, improvising on the fly, or just sparking your imagination when you’re feeling stuck.

I also share my own thoughts on random tables and how I use them in my campaigns—not just for generating results, but for weaving stories and surprises that keep players engaged. For example, I love using them as inspiration during character creation (like my Character Prologue system that’s inspired by the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount), and they’re a lifesaver when a player throws you a curveball in the middle of a session.

The book itself is incredibly well organized, with sections covering everything from worldbuilding (like pantheons, climates, and governments) to session-building tools (like random encounters and chase complications). My personal favorite part? The local color tables—like region-specific dishes—which add flavor (pun intended) to your world and make it feel like a real place.

Plus, there’s a whole section on magic, dreams, prophecies, and even pickpocketing—tiny details that help you flesh out every corner of your world, or just have a ready answer for the players’ wild ideas.

I’m giving away a copy of the book to one lucky subscriber—just leave a comment on the video with the hashtag #RandomGeek before the end of June 2023. And even if the contest has ended by the time you’re reading this, you can still check out my affiliate link in the description if you want to grab a copy for yourself.

So if you’re curious about how to weave these kinds of tables into your games—or just want to see what all the buzz is about—head over to the video and check it out.

Cheers,
Brian