Best Random Book Generator || Guide & Tables

The essence of any good role-playing game lies in the details. Random book generators add depth to your game by providing a list of titles for your in-game libraries, personal collections, and secret lairs. Whether it's Interesting Books that your characters might pick up or Forbidden Tomes containing powerful spells, a Book Generator (Magical and Mundane) adds layers of detail to your storytelling.

Here an example of a Random Book Generator based on random tables. (By Elijah User)
https://www.rolegenerator.com/sandbox/modules/random-book-generator-for-fantasy-dnd/134

1D10 Random Books DnD

Guide for Creating Random Role-Playing Tables for Generating Random Books

A random table for generating books can be a great addition to any role-playing campaign. Not only does it add an element of surprise, but it also deepens immersion into your game world. Here, I present a guide on how to create random role-playing tables for generating books, with ideas to make the process mechanical and easy to do.

Step 1: Define the Key Elements

Before creating the table, it's crucial to define what elements we want to include in our random books. Some ideas are:

• Form: This defines whether it's a scroll, a book, a stone tablet, etc.
• Condition: Describes the book's condition, like new, worn, damaged.
• Cover: The material of the cover, which could range from wood to human skin in the case of evil tomes.
• Pages: Type of material in the pages, like parchment, metal, etc.
• Script: How the text is written—elegant, sloppy, etc.
• Ink: The type of ink used, like common ink or something more exotic like blood.
• Language: The language the book is written in.
• Illustrations: Whether the book has pictures and what quality they are.
• Contents: The information the book contains, like history, magic, etc.
  
  

Step 2: Establish Possible Outcomes for Each Element

Once you've defined the key elements, the next step is to list all possible outcomes for each one. You can do this in a text document or a spreadsheet for clearer vision. For example: If we want 10 possible results, 20 or 100.

Step 3: Assign Probabilities

Decide how common or rare each outcome is. You can do this with a simple dice roll like 1d6 or something more complex like 3d6 for a tighter distribution. As a general rule if you want them all to be equally random you will take individual dice for the roll: 1D6, 1D10, 1D20 or 1D100. If you want to have more probable results and rarer ones then you will have to choose the sum of several: 2D6 or 3D6. The results at the extremes will be less likely (2 or 12), while those in the middle will be more likely (6-8).

Step 4: Create the Table

Combine all the elements into one large table. Make sure it is easy to read and accessible during gameplay. You can do it manually or use specific software for this. We recommend creating it with Excel or with a notepad. Then if you want you can add it to RoleGenerator to create the table and have the dice roll randomly among the results.  https://www.rolegenerator.com/sandbox/tables/

Step 5: Testing and Adjustments

Once created, test the table multiple times to see if the outcomes are what you expect. Adjust the probabilities as needed.

Ideas for Mechanizing the Process

1. Automation: Use a program or app that can automatically generate outcomes based on your table.
2. Predefined Templates: Create templates for different types of books (e.g., magic books, diaries, etc.) so you can quickly generate a book of a specific type.
3. Subtables: For more complex elements like contents, consider using subtables that you can roll on after getting a general outcome (e.g., if you get "Magic" for contents, you could roll on another table to know what type of magic).
4. Contextual Modifiers: Add modifiers based on the context in which the book is found. For example, in a wizard's library, you're more likely to find spellbooks.

Wizarding Treatises and Book Titles

Creating specialized books like Wizarding Treatises involves additional magical elements. You might need to include tables for spells, magical phenomena, or even curses that might be triggered upon opening the book. These elements can be added to the "Contents" section of the base generator.

Here an example (By Elijah User):
https://www.rolegenerator.com/sandbox/tables/magic-treatises-and-book-title/296

Banned and Evil Tomes

When creating Banned and Evil Tomes, you may consider adding tables that denote the levels of evil energies or curses associated with the book. You may also consider a section specifying where these tomes are typically found, such as in forbidden libraries or demonic realms.

Here an example (By Elijah User): 
https://www.rolegenerator.com/sandbox/tables/forbidden-banned-and-evil-tomes/295

Library Books and Book Generator Fantasy

For Library Books or other more mundane collections, focus on the "Contents" table. Here you can include various subjects from history, geography, to cooking recipes. Book Generator Fantasy settings can also add elements of folklore, tales of ancient heroes, and maps to mythical places.

Here an example (By Elijah User):
https://www.rolegenerator.com/sandbox/modules/random-book-generator-for-fantasy-dnd/134

Crafting Interesting Books

To create truly Interesting Books, consider a table of unexpected surprises. For instance, a seemingly normal book might contain a hidden compartment with a secret message or a map to a hidden treasure.

1D100 Chart Random Books for D&D