Roll Tables for Character Creation

For When Your PC Just Doesn't Know Who to Be

Apr 01, 2025

Sometimes I come into a game with my character and their backstory fully formed in my mind from the jump. I know who they are, what they look like, what the last haircut before this one looked like and why they didn’t repeat it, what their relationship to their father was like, and what they would do if sprung upon by a gang of enemies in a tight corner. Other times…not so much. Which is precisely why so many game designers include roll tables as part of character creation.

For many games, you have the freedom to build your PC up however you like, which is great when you have a clear idea in mind. But for those who are feeling a little stuck or for those who thrive off games of chance, building a character with the help of roll tables is incredibly fun.

Share these roll tables with your game table so everyone can get in on the fun!

And they need not be limited to the basics, like name, job, or relationship to the PC sitting next to you. Heck, you don’t even need to limit yourself to the roll tables included in the game you’re playing! You could use any roll tables you like—including the eight brand new Many Sided Media-crafted roll tables below! Because why just leave your PC’s mode of transportation up to chance when you could also let the dice gods decide how many unpaid parking tickets they owe and what’s the deal with their oldest sibling?!

Next time you’re stumped on who to play, or you simply want to inject a healthy dose of chaos into your RPG, I hope these tables deliver you a PC that’s fully formed, fun to play, and, most importantly, weird as all hell.

Roll for Color of Your Favorite Shirt (d6)

Ugh, a stunning mauve with eggplant trim, it’s fabulous!
The nuns of the Whistling Willows dyed it red in my honor
I don’t do shirts, bro
Stripes, motherfucker
Yellow
The name of such a shade has been lost to the sands of time…

Roll for Dream Job (d8)

Ship Captain
Game Designer
Dancer
Comptroller
Barkeep
Postal Worker
Professional Girl’s Girl
Ghost

Roll for Your Oldest Sibling’s, Like, Whole Deal (d6)

They make experimental art films
They’re mom’s favorite
No I’m not!
They desperately want to abdicate the throne
They’re hot. Like, unimaginably hot
They play 5e

Roll for Number of Unpaid Parking Tickets (d3)

1
450
3.7, I’ve been paying them off in installments

Roll for Mystery Item In the Pocket of the Coat You Haven’t Worn Since Your Last Adventure (d4)

A cat toy with catnip
An egg
The damn remote
A used handkerchief

Roll for Fun Fact (d12)

I have perfect hair (turn one hostile faction friendly)
I don’t know how to read (you are proficient in all in-world languages)
I know literally everything about aviation (gain a flying familiar, it is not under your control)
I have a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (gain proficiency with all vehicle types)
I’m wearing two belts (double everything in your inventory)
I once had a pet raccoon (gain night vision)
I’m lactose intolerant (roll with disadvantage on all Constitution checks)
I lied earlier (turn one failure into a success per session)
I was born with a tail (+10 to all Dex rolls)
I pushed my dad off a building (+100 gold pieces)
I had an imaginary friend named Shooey as a child (gain advantage on all rolls when meeting someone new)
These are not my teeth (um, ok…)

Roll for Regular Coffee Order (d6)

Instant coffee powder, I don’t have time for machines!
Cortado with two lumps of sugar
Oat milk latte WITH latte art
Caffeine is the Devil’s poison
Plain black coffee, please
Ooo, that depends—what kinds of milks do you have?

Roll for Favorite Board Game (d10)

Monopoly: I am the bank, always
Wingspan: We are all born of Mother Nature’s cloth
Clue: I have a candlestick and I know how to use it
Jenga: What do you think that button does?
7 Wonders: Do it for the science
Cards Against Humanity: My name is Pingus Testes
Magic the Gathering: Do you want to pay one for Rhystic Studies?
Backgammon: I’m old as dirt, don’t test me!
Fire Tower: Let my name be known in the farthest corners of the universe
Settlers of Catan: I will fight you

Now go play games, fools.

— Abby

💸 Coupon Clippings

You may have heard mention of our special Many Sided Media coupon codes in Talk of the Table, My First Dungeon, or Bitcherton, but we’re putting them here now too! Use these codes to score deals on some of our most favorite games and keep an eye out for more coupons coming up in future newsletters.

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