Randomize PC Races

[Malfarian]

Hello All,

I've GM'ed a few D&D sessions now and we're going to make PCs soon. I wanted to add a random element to it, and I thought this might be fun, before I drop it on my PCs, who are mostly new or old timers returning to the game:

Use a standard set of playing cards: Diamonds = Dwarves, Halflings = Hearts, Humans = Clubs, Elves = Spades (could swap with dwarves).

Shuffle and have players draw a card to determine race:

2-10 you're that race with standard array.

Ace gives you free +1 to any single stat standard array of that race.

Face Card means draw another card, if it's also a face card, you can play any PC race. That gives a 5% chance of non-starndard 4 races.

Obviously this is purely preference, so I'd like to know what your reaction might be if you walked up to a table like this.

Thanks
Mal

[GnomeWorks]

I'd like to know what your reaction might be if you walked up to a table like this.

I'd keep walking.

[Composer99]

Obviously this is purely preference, so I'd like to know what your reaction might be if you walked up to a table like this.

Thanks
Mal

This seems like the kind of thing you get player buy-in for in advance. Or run a game where it's intrinsically part of the rules. I'd consider doing it in D&D, but I can see why plenty of people wouldn't.

[FreddyNoNose]

Hello All,

I've GM'ed a few D&D sessions now and we're going to make PCs soon. I wanted to add a random element to it, and I thought this might be fun, before I drop it on my PCs, who are mostly new or old timers returning to the game:

Use a standard set of playing cards: Diamonds = Dwarves, Halflings = Hearts, Humans = Clubs, Elves = Spades (could swap with dwarves).

Shuffle and have players draw a card to determine race:

2-10 you're that race with standard array.

Ace gives you free +1 to any single stat standard array of that race.

Face Card means draw another card, if it's also a face card, you can play any PC race. That gives a 5% chance of non-starndard 4 races.

Obviously this is purely preference, so I'd like to know what your reaction might be if you walked up to a table like this.

Thanks
Mal

I have been playing games since I was a child in the 60s. I play the cards I am dealt. BTW, I have both played in and ran games with randomness like this. Even pre-generated characters........

[Dragovon]

I'd play...but if I got stuck with a Halfling, you could expect me to have a very short life expectancy. :)

[Jormengand]

Yeah, this is something that you need to have players in on in advance. I have seen it done, but it's not necessarily a great idea.

[Solaris]

I think it might be a good idea to make sure the list of races are tailored to the players' preferences. The randomness can be fun if the players are into that style, but it still sucks to land a race you hate playing.

[Westhart]

Well, I've seen games that use a d100 and do the below:

1-2 aasimar (Light is usable 3/day)
3 anthropomorphic animal
4-5 asherati
6 aventi
7 catfolk
8 centaur (use monster class in Races of the Wild)
9-11 changeling
12 doppleganger (use monster class in Races of Destiny
13 darfellan
14-17 dwarf
18-21 elf
22-25 gnome
26-27 goblin
28-29 goliath
30-31 hadozee
32-35 half-elf (Optional +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution, chosen at level 1)
36-38 half-orc (+2 racial bonus on either Survival or Gather Information checks, chosen at level 1)
39-42 halfling
43-44 hellbred
45-46 hobgoblin (proficient with simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, and shields)
47-51 human
52-53 sharakim
54-56 illumian (you can choose your sigils)
57-58 kenku
59-60 killoren
61-62 kobold (If not Dragonwrought, base Strength increases by +2 at 4th level)
63-64 mongrelfolk
65-66 neanderthal
67-68 orc (+3 racial bonus on Survival checks)
69-70 raptoran
71-72 sea kin
73-75 shifter*
76 skulk (use monster class in Races of Destiny)
77-78 spellscale
79-80 tiefling (Darkness is usable 3/day)
81-82 underfolk
83-85 warforged
86-100 template

But it was in advance, and the goal of the game was to see what you could do with it. They then rolled for subtypes/templates etc, but what you are suggesting? I'd probably not play much...

...if at all.

[Nifft]

I'd consider something like that for Reincarnation, and I'd certainly allow a player to use it for fun, but I wouldn't mandate it for every player.

[jqavins]

My general preference is for games heavy on character concept and role playing with enough hack-and-slash to move the story along, as oposed to very heavy dice rolling and dungeon crawling. My friends and I design our characters carefully and grow attached to them. So I think you can guess how I'd react to this.

A game with a character I have little or no investment in might be fun now and then for a change of pace, but it'd never become that great game where I cant't wait for the next session and I remember it for years after.

I might take it as an interesting challange to make a character I love palying from a randomized starting point like this. But I'd be somewhere from disapointed to pissed off at having that challange foist upon me unwilling.

And one thing in particular: ditch the ace. "Cool, I got an ace so I get to be better than the rest of you" will not go over well.