The Percentile Table (Dungeon Master Guide)
The Percentile Table
This is another simple form of encounter table. Here, the creature frequency
percentages can be used directly. To create a percentile table, the DM repeats
the steps given above for selecting and grouping his encounters, again opting
not to use the efreeti or the brass dragon. Then the number of creatures at each
frequency is divided into the percentage for that frequency (70%, 20%, 7%, and
3%, respectively, for common, uncommon, rare, and very rare). In the earlier
example, the list includes six common monsters. (70%), resulting in an 11% spread
per monster (66% total). This is repeated for the monsters in each category.
The resulting number is the dice range for each creature. Using these values as
a guide, he arranges the creatures into a table.
| D100
|
|
| Roll
| Creature
|
| Common
|
|
| 01-11
| Camel
|
| 12-22
| Giant centipede
|
| 23-33
| Herd animal
|
| 34-44
| Ogre
|
| 45-55
| Orc
|
| 56-66
| Huge spider
|
|
|
|
| Uncommon
|
|
| 67-70
| Basilisk
|
| 71-74
| Caravan
|
| 75-78
| Hobgoblins
|
| 79-82
| Nomads
|
| 83-86
| Giant scorpion
|
|
|
|
| Rare
|
|
| 87-88
| Chimera
|
| 89-90
| Pilgrims
|
| 91-92
| Harpy
|
| 93-95
| Dervishes
|
| 96-97
| Salamander
|
|
|
|
| Very Rare
|
|
| 98-99
| Lamia
|
| 100
| Djinni
|
Using this method the DM was able to remain reasonably faithful to the
frequency percentages for different creatures: 66% as opposed to 70% for common; 20%
exactly for uncommon; 11% as opposed to 7% for rare; and 3% for very rare. In
creating this table, the DM had to make adjustments here and there to account for
all percentage numbers, but doing so allowed him to increase the emphasis on
certain monsters.
Table of Contents
Published by