The Game Master's Book of Astonishing Random Tables: 300+ Unique Roll Tables to Enhance Your Worldbuilding, Storytelling, Locations, Magic and More for 5th Edition RPG Adventures Hardcover – 17 July 2023

Role, pick or just browse and crib ideas, a very useful book for GMs.

Some wonderful tables that my players absolutely loved, would highly recommend.

I was bought this book as a present for Xmas and, despite an unjustified wariness about 3rd party content, I've loved reading it. The utility of such a book depends on what sort of DM you are. I'm a solid prepper rather than a 'pantser' but despite that I've found a ton of useful content. Strangely it became more interesting as I progressed, and to explain that:Section 1 on World-building isn't something I'd likely use, as my campaigns tend to be adapted content of established settings e.g. Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Spelljammer. My only world build was actually for the books I wrote. Nonetheless the myriad tables and nuances and aspects considered here are excellent.Section 2's session building definitely has utility: I don't often run random encounters, but the tables have such varied ideas that I may steal some parts; the chase complications I'll definitely use; side quests maybe not, but skill challenges were fun; the environmental hazards tables are very very useful, and I'll take happily from them and supplement into encounters in my ongoing campaign.The third section is golden. Magic and miscellany has a stack of great material, that just add fun detail to adventures. Just random ideas like prophecy and dreams, book titles, weird curses, and spell mishaps. Can't imagine any DM not finding useful stuff in here.Indeed, it reminds me at times of fun content you'd find in old copies of Dragon many years ago.Finally, there are three one-shots which are nice enough but don't really sit with the rest of the book which is more of a roll as you go vibe. Could have done without them and not impacted on the book as a whole.Overall, an excellent book. Recommended.

One of the most useful third party products I have purchased for dnd. A good variety of tables for different things.I have used the wild magic and potion tables.

So I'm a big fan of the books that have been released in this series. However this book has been a big let down. Which is sad since I love random tables.To start of with the condition of the book apon arrival was upsetting. The front cover is covered in scrates, folds, what seems like grease marks and is even got a cut at the binding/spine. Not a big cut but along with all the other stuff is annoying. Tbh I feel this book should have been binned given the condition of the front cover or either sold as damaged/used. (It's a bit hard to tell from the pictures.)Then for the contents. Well I feel the world building stuff has been done to death and normally in books that focus solely on the world building. So I feel that it should have been given it's own book which could have gone into greater detail with more unique ideas rather than the generic stuff in the worldbuilding section. Although I will admit that some of the tables in the section are good and I'm happy to have them. Although some of the random tables are tragically bad. Like the continental Configuration table for determing how many continents the world will have or the Determined Domain(s) table to determine what cleric domain a god belongs to, there are only 8 options. That table could easily have up to 100 different options for domains for gods yet there are only 8. This continues to be a theme of Small tables which could and should be bigger. Although there are some big tables in the book. Another problem is the dice used. Almost every table should use a d100 and make the odds a bit different. But most tables will only be given 4, 6 or 8 options so that you can use a D4, D6 or D8. Which is fine for some tables but it certainly doesn't feel very random. It almost feels like they picked what dice they wanted to use for a roll then filled the table with that many options instead of filling the tables with options then determining the dice used.Now for some of the stuff that I like about the book. I like that there are GM notes around the book with some information regarding the tables which normally has a nice little recommendation or some other options to add or use instead. I like the random Encounters by area. And the Side quests sections of the book. I just wish there was more choice/options than what was provided. I feel the book would have benefited from more of these types of tables or having these tables be bigger. And the rest of the Session building section of the book is great. And for the Magic & Miscellany section of the book. I think it's good and again the book would benefit more from having more of this type of content in the book. Especially if they they used spells from books other than the Player's handbook.Now. I don't really see why this book has one shot adventures in it. I get every other book did however I feel it makes the least amount of sense in this book. Maybe if they had you using some kf the stuff from the book to add some randomness to the adventures and teach you the best way to use the tables that would be good. But they don't. In fact the adventures have no planned randomness. It gives details for every encounter and what not. No random tables needed. So I think that was a wasted opportunity.So to sum it up. This book is wasted potentially. Could have easily been great but while trying to be great it failed to even be good. Instead it is bad when compared to the other books in this series and mediocre when compared to other books made around random tables. I don't know if I would recommend getting it but if you do then I'm sure you'll find something useful.

Had been eagerly waiting for this next installment in this great series of Game Masters books, only for the dleviery chap to not even bother knocking the door and stuff it through the letter box and it hit the edge of the interior doorstep causing the ding shown in the photo. Annoying.