How can the DM most simply and fairly choose 1 out of an odd number of players to be targeted by an attack or...

Springs with some finite mass

How can I create a character who can assume the widest possible range of creature sizes?

Is "plugging out" electronic devices an American expression?

Manuscript was "unsubmitted" because the manuscript was deposited in Arxiv Preprints

What does Linus Torvalds mean when he says that Git "never ever" tracks a file?

How are circuits which use complex ICs normally simulated?

Does a dangling wire really electrocute me if I'm standing in water?

"To split hairs" vs "To be pedantic"

Is domain driven design an anti-SQL pattern?

Lethal sonic weapons

Spanish for "widget"

Why don't Unix/Linux systems traverse through directories until they find the required version of a linked library?

Output the Arecibo Message

Limit to 0 ambiguity

How can I fix this gap between bookcases I made?

What can other administrators access on my machine?

Can't find the latex code for the ⍎ (down tack jot) symbol

It's possible to achieve negative score?

Carnot-Caratheodory metric

Monty Hall variation

Is bread bad for ducks?

How to deal with fear of taking dependencies

I see my dog run

Why is the maximum length of OpenWrt’s root password 8 characters?



How can the DM most simply and fairly choose 1 out of an odd number of players to be targeted by an attack or effect?



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InIt is possible to have one player lose control of their actions (get possessed) and have the other players not know it?How can I keep the nature and capacity of NPCs hidden to generate a fear of the unknown?How do I remove a poorly-designed rule without my players feeling cheated?Diceless Pathfinder Combat MechanicWhy do Ability Score method names imply difficulty inversely?How can I make combat more tactically interesting for me as a DM?One player likes faster-paced games, but the rest enjoy smelling the rosesHow to encourage players to state approach and goal, rather than asking for skill checks?How to stop players from making the game X-ratedHow can I speed up 5e combat?





.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
}







12












$begingroup$


When DMing and randomly determining a character to take damage or an effect, it's easy to roll a die if you have an even number of players. But what about if you have an odd number of players?



What is the simplest method for randomly choosing 1 out of an odd number of players, while ensuring that each player's probability of getting chosen is equal or very close to equal?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$



















    12












    $begingroup$


    When DMing and randomly determining a character to take damage or an effect, it's easy to roll a die if you have an even number of players. But what about if you have an odd number of players?



    What is the simplest method for randomly choosing 1 out of an odd number of players, while ensuring that each player's probability of getting chosen is equal or very close to equal?










    share|improve this question











    $endgroup$















      12












      12








      12


      1



      $begingroup$


      When DMing and randomly determining a character to take damage or an effect, it's easy to roll a die if you have an even number of players. But what about if you have an odd number of players?



      What is the simplest method for randomly choosing 1 out of an odd number of players, while ensuring that each player's probability of getting chosen is equal or very close to equal?










      share|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      When DMing and randomly determining a character to take damage or an effect, it's easy to roll a die if you have an even number of players. But what about if you have an odd number of players?



      What is the simplest method for randomly choosing 1 out of an odd number of players, while ensuring that each player's probability of getting chosen is equal or very close to equal?







      gm-techniques dungeons-and-dragons






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited yesterday









      V2Blast

      26.3k591161




      26.3k591161










      asked 2 days ago









      Andrew FranklinAndrew Franklin

      4762416




      4762416






















          4 Answers
          4






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          38












          $begingroup$

          Dice work just fine for the most common numbers of players



          I work with probabilities a lot. Dice allow you to represent many common probabilities, but when you want to roll to pick from options, I've discovered the following "law": it stops making sense to people when you have to roll more than a single die at once. Luckily, the most common numbers of players can be chosen from using just a single die roll, or a single die roll that occasionally gets re-rolled when its result is invalid.



          If you have a single player, no need to roll.



          If you have three players, a d6 will do --- one player gets results 1-2, another 3-4 and the third one 5-6.



          Five players, roll a d10. One player gets 1-2, the next 3-4, then 5-6, then 7-8, and the final one 9-10.



          There is just a bit of math behind these two options: they work neatly because three and five are factors of six and ten, respectively. That means we can "partition" each dice's possible outcomes into that many equally probable sets, similar to how we can use "odd" and "even" to select from two options using a d6.



          Seven players is the first tricky one because it's the least prime number that's not a factor of any of the common die sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 20. This means you cannot resolve a choice between seven players with any bounded number of these die rolls with complete fairness. You can, however, use a d8 with numbers 1-7 corresponding to each of the players and 8 indicating a reroll. The chances of having to roll the die impractically many times for a single decision are minimal.



          Nine players or eleven players, similar to seven except use a d10 or d12, respectively. Since nine is divisible by three, you can also use two rolls of a d6: first divide the player into three groups of three, let the first roll decide which group you pick and the second roll which particular player from that group. The d10 method is simpler, though.



          You can of course use arbitrarily large dice to cover any amount of players using the "reroll if too high" strategy, but it can get unwieldy for larger numbers.



          Drawing from a deck of cards works for many sizes of groups



          Using a deck of cards provides a simple solution for groups small and large, without having to remember any complex roll rules. Have each player draw a card from a standard deck of 52 cards. The player who gets the highest card (or lowest, if you prefer) is chosen. Remember to have a set convention on the ordering used (aces high or low and precedence of suits).



          There's 52 cards in a normal French-style deck of cards, and each is unique, so you can choose a random player with everyone drawing a single card for groups up to 52 players. That's probably more than enough.



          Draw from a bag



          Yet another classic method: have each player write their name on a slip of paper. Put them in a box or bag, and resolve the decision by drawing one without looking. My experience is that this is quite awkward especially when table space is limited --- I appreciate the other methods' compactness. However, this method works quite well regardless of the size of the game, assuming you have a big enough box for the name slips and shuffle it well.



          Random number list, if you want to keep it secret



          If you know the amount of players you'll have in advance, you can create a list of random numbers and bring that to the game with you. When consulting the list, cross over the topmost number on it and select the player based on that number.



          This solution is, for most games, over-engineered, but it has an advantage in that unlike die rolls and draws from the deck of cards, it is very subtle and allows invoking the randomness without signaling it to your players. My experience has been, though, that it's best to let the players know when you're actually choosing one of them at random in most cases --- otherwise, they can assume the choice is you being arbitrary.






          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$









          • 1




            $begingroup$
            Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
            $endgroup$
            – Kevin
            2 days ago












          • $begingroup$
            If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
            $endgroup$
            – TimLymington
            yesterday






          • 1




            $begingroup$
            Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
            $endgroup$
            – Jack V.
            yesterday



















          25












          $begingroup$

          If you have 5 players, roll a d6. If you get a 6, re-roll until you get a number other than 6. And so on, for other odd numbers. Yes, this is completely fair, if the die you're rolling is a fair die.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$









          • 1




            $begingroup$
            You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
            $endgroup$
            – Sarriesfan
            2 days ago






          • 1




            $begingroup$
            This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
            $endgroup$
            – John
            yesterday





















          8












          $begingroup$

          How I have done this over the years:



          It makes for even probabilities.




          1. For three players: roll 1d6, divide result by 2, round up.


          2. For five players: roll 1d10, divide result by 2, round up


          3. For seven players: roll 1d8, re roll any 8.



          4. For nine players: Roll 2d6 of different colors. (Let's say red and
            green, since that is what my bag is filled with)




            • Green die indicates which range of three: 1 or 2 =1-3, 3 or 4 = 4-6, 5 or 6 = 7-9.

            • You now have a "three players" situation

            • Red die indicates who in that group is chosen by using the "for three players" above.



          5. For 11 players; roll a d12, re roll 12's.



          It's really fast and intuitive once you start doing this (it's easy to do the comparison in your head). It takes longer to describe it than to do it.



          Notes:




          1. While I don't do this, @BenR suggests out that for 9 you could do it
            as you do for 7; roll a d10 and re roll 0's/10's. Since I prefer to
            roll just once; the 2d6 is one roll and the result is right
            there).



          2. While I have not done this, @Yakk suggests this for a d13 if you have
            13 players.




            • For 1d13, roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value.








          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$









          • 3




            $begingroup$
            Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
            $endgroup$
            – Ben R.
            yesterday










          • $begingroup$
            @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday








          • 1




            $begingroup$
            What, no 13 players?
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday










          • $begingroup$
            @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday












          • $begingroup$
            @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday





















          1












          $begingroup$

          The existing answers all presuppose that the GM is the one rolling for the determination, but this is not necessary. Another approach is to have each player roll a d20 and the lowest (or highest) roll is selected. In the event of a tie, the tied players roll again until a single low/high roll is achieved.



          The primary flaw in this method is that it reveals to players that you are making a random selection among them, which may or may not be an issue depending on your group conventions and the reason for the selection.



          The primary advantage of this method is that it works for any size group of players. (With an exceptionally-large group, frequent ties could become an issue, but that can be resolved by using a d100 instead of d20.)



          If you are running a system with a "luck" stat of some sort, this method can also be enhanced to take that stat into account. e.g., everyone makes opposed luck rolls, roll d20+luck if it's a numeric stat, roll (luck)d20 and take the best (or worst, if you have negative luck) if luck is bought in "levels", etc.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$














            Your Answer





            StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
            return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
            StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
            StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["\$", "\$"]]);
            });
            });
            }, "mathjax-editing");

            StackExchange.ready(function() {
            var channelOptions = {
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "122"
            };
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
            createEditor();
            });
            }
            else {
            createEditor();
            }
            });

            function createEditor() {
            StackExchange.prepareEditor({
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
            convertImagesToLinks: false,
            noModals: true,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: null,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            imageUploader: {
            brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
            contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
            allowUrls: true
            },
            noCode: true, onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            });


            }
            });














            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f144731%2fhow-can-the-dm-most-simply-and-fairly-choose-1-out-of-an-odd-number-of-players-t%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown

























            4 Answers
            4






            active

            oldest

            votes








            4 Answers
            4






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            38












            $begingroup$

            Dice work just fine for the most common numbers of players



            I work with probabilities a lot. Dice allow you to represent many common probabilities, but when you want to roll to pick from options, I've discovered the following "law": it stops making sense to people when you have to roll more than a single die at once. Luckily, the most common numbers of players can be chosen from using just a single die roll, or a single die roll that occasionally gets re-rolled when its result is invalid.



            If you have a single player, no need to roll.



            If you have three players, a d6 will do --- one player gets results 1-2, another 3-4 and the third one 5-6.



            Five players, roll a d10. One player gets 1-2, the next 3-4, then 5-6, then 7-8, and the final one 9-10.



            There is just a bit of math behind these two options: they work neatly because three and five are factors of six and ten, respectively. That means we can "partition" each dice's possible outcomes into that many equally probable sets, similar to how we can use "odd" and "even" to select from two options using a d6.



            Seven players is the first tricky one because it's the least prime number that's not a factor of any of the common die sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 20. This means you cannot resolve a choice between seven players with any bounded number of these die rolls with complete fairness. You can, however, use a d8 with numbers 1-7 corresponding to each of the players and 8 indicating a reroll. The chances of having to roll the die impractically many times for a single decision are minimal.



            Nine players or eleven players, similar to seven except use a d10 or d12, respectively. Since nine is divisible by three, you can also use two rolls of a d6: first divide the player into three groups of three, let the first roll decide which group you pick and the second roll which particular player from that group. The d10 method is simpler, though.



            You can of course use arbitrarily large dice to cover any amount of players using the "reroll if too high" strategy, but it can get unwieldy for larger numbers.



            Drawing from a deck of cards works for many sizes of groups



            Using a deck of cards provides a simple solution for groups small and large, without having to remember any complex roll rules. Have each player draw a card from a standard deck of 52 cards. The player who gets the highest card (or lowest, if you prefer) is chosen. Remember to have a set convention on the ordering used (aces high or low and precedence of suits).



            There's 52 cards in a normal French-style deck of cards, and each is unique, so you can choose a random player with everyone drawing a single card for groups up to 52 players. That's probably more than enough.



            Draw from a bag



            Yet another classic method: have each player write their name on a slip of paper. Put them in a box or bag, and resolve the decision by drawing one without looking. My experience is that this is quite awkward especially when table space is limited --- I appreciate the other methods' compactness. However, this method works quite well regardless of the size of the game, assuming you have a big enough box for the name slips and shuffle it well.



            Random number list, if you want to keep it secret



            If you know the amount of players you'll have in advance, you can create a list of random numbers and bring that to the game with you. When consulting the list, cross over the topmost number on it and select the player based on that number.



            This solution is, for most games, over-engineered, but it has an advantage in that unlike die rolls and draws from the deck of cards, it is very subtle and allows invoking the randomness without signaling it to your players. My experience has been, though, that it's best to let the players know when you're actually choosing one of them at random in most cases --- otherwise, they can assume the choice is you being arbitrary.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$









            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
              $endgroup$
              – Kevin
              2 days ago












            • $begingroup$
              If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
              $endgroup$
              – TimLymington
              yesterday






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
              $endgroup$
              – Jack V.
              yesterday
















            38












            $begingroup$

            Dice work just fine for the most common numbers of players



            I work with probabilities a lot. Dice allow you to represent many common probabilities, but when you want to roll to pick from options, I've discovered the following "law": it stops making sense to people when you have to roll more than a single die at once. Luckily, the most common numbers of players can be chosen from using just a single die roll, or a single die roll that occasionally gets re-rolled when its result is invalid.



            If you have a single player, no need to roll.



            If you have three players, a d6 will do --- one player gets results 1-2, another 3-4 and the third one 5-6.



            Five players, roll a d10. One player gets 1-2, the next 3-4, then 5-6, then 7-8, and the final one 9-10.



            There is just a bit of math behind these two options: they work neatly because three and five are factors of six and ten, respectively. That means we can "partition" each dice's possible outcomes into that many equally probable sets, similar to how we can use "odd" and "even" to select from two options using a d6.



            Seven players is the first tricky one because it's the least prime number that's not a factor of any of the common die sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 20. This means you cannot resolve a choice between seven players with any bounded number of these die rolls with complete fairness. You can, however, use a d8 with numbers 1-7 corresponding to each of the players and 8 indicating a reroll. The chances of having to roll the die impractically many times for a single decision are minimal.



            Nine players or eleven players, similar to seven except use a d10 or d12, respectively. Since nine is divisible by three, you can also use two rolls of a d6: first divide the player into three groups of three, let the first roll decide which group you pick and the second roll which particular player from that group. The d10 method is simpler, though.



            You can of course use arbitrarily large dice to cover any amount of players using the "reroll if too high" strategy, but it can get unwieldy for larger numbers.



            Drawing from a deck of cards works for many sizes of groups



            Using a deck of cards provides a simple solution for groups small and large, without having to remember any complex roll rules. Have each player draw a card from a standard deck of 52 cards. The player who gets the highest card (or lowest, if you prefer) is chosen. Remember to have a set convention on the ordering used (aces high or low and precedence of suits).



            There's 52 cards in a normal French-style deck of cards, and each is unique, so you can choose a random player with everyone drawing a single card for groups up to 52 players. That's probably more than enough.



            Draw from a bag



            Yet another classic method: have each player write their name on a slip of paper. Put them in a box or bag, and resolve the decision by drawing one without looking. My experience is that this is quite awkward especially when table space is limited --- I appreciate the other methods' compactness. However, this method works quite well regardless of the size of the game, assuming you have a big enough box for the name slips and shuffle it well.



            Random number list, if you want to keep it secret



            If you know the amount of players you'll have in advance, you can create a list of random numbers and bring that to the game with you. When consulting the list, cross over the topmost number on it and select the player based on that number.



            This solution is, for most games, over-engineered, but it has an advantage in that unlike die rolls and draws from the deck of cards, it is very subtle and allows invoking the randomness without signaling it to your players. My experience has been, though, that it's best to let the players know when you're actually choosing one of them at random in most cases --- otherwise, they can assume the choice is you being arbitrary.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$









            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
              $endgroup$
              – Kevin
              2 days ago












            • $begingroup$
              If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
              $endgroup$
              – TimLymington
              yesterday






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
              $endgroup$
              – Jack V.
              yesterday














            38












            38








            38





            $begingroup$

            Dice work just fine for the most common numbers of players



            I work with probabilities a lot. Dice allow you to represent many common probabilities, but when you want to roll to pick from options, I've discovered the following "law": it stops making sense to people when you have to roll more than a single die at once. Luckily, the most common numbers of players can be chosen from using just a single die roll, or a single die roll that occasionally gets re-rolled when its result is invalid.



            If you have a single player, no need to roll.



            If you have three players, a d6 will do --- one player gets results 1-2, another 3-4 and the third one 5-6.



            Five players, roll a d10. One player gets 1-2, the next 3-4, then 5-6, then 7-8, and the final one 9-10.



            There is just a bit of math behind these two options: they work neatly because three and five are factors of six and ten, respectively. That means we can "partition" each dice's possible outcomes into that many equally probable sets, similar to how we can use "odd" and "even" to select from two options using a d6.



            Seven players is the first tricky one because it's the least prime number that's not a factor of any of the common die sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 20. This means you cannot resolve a choice between seven players with any bounded number of these die rolls with complete fairness. You can, however, use a d8 with numbers 1-7 corresponding to each of the players and 8 indicating a reroll. The chances of having to roll the die impractically many times for a single decision are minimal.



            Nine players or eleven players, similar to seven except use a d10 or d12, respectively. Since nine is divisible by three, you can also use two rolls of a d6: first divide the player into three groups of three, let the first roll decide which group you pick and the second roll which particular player from that group. The d10 method is simpler, though.



            You can of course use arbitrarily large dice to cover any amount of players using the "reroll if too high" strategy, but it can get unwieldy for larger numbers.



            Drawing from a deck of cards works for many sizes of groups



            Using a deck of cards provides a simple solution for groups small and large, without having to remember any complex roll rules. Have each player draw a card from a standard deck of 52 cards. The player who gets the highest card (or lowest, if you prefer) is chosen. Remember to have a set convention on the ordering used (aces high or low and precedence of suits).



            There's 52 cards in a normal French-style deck of cards, and each is unique, so you can choose a random player with everyone drawing a single card for groups up to 52 players. That's probably more than enough.



            Draw from a bag



            Yet another classic method: have each player write their name on a slip of paper. Put them in a box or bag, and resolve the decision by drawing one without looking. My experience is that this is quite awkward especially when table space is limited --- I appreciate the other methods' compactness. However, this method works quite well regardless of the size of the game, assuming you have a big enough box for the name slips and shuffle it well.



            Random number list, if you want to keep it secret



            If you know the amount of players you'll have in advance, you can create a list of random numbers and bring that to the game with you. When consulting the list, cross over the topmost number on it and select the player based on that number.



            This solution is, for most games, over-engineered, but it has an advantage in that unlike die rolls and draws from the deck of cards, it is very subtle and allows invoking the randomness without signaling it to your players. My experience has been, though, that it's best to let the players know when you're actually choosing one of them at random in most cases --- otherwise, they can assume the choice is you being arbitrary.






            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$



            Dice work just fine for the most common numbers of players



            I work with probabilities a lot. Dice allow you to represent many common probabilities, but when you want to roll to pick from options, I've discovered the following "law": it stops making sense to people when you have to roll more than a single die at once. Luckily, the most common numbers of players can be chosen from using just a single die roll, or a single die roll that occasionally gets re-rolled when its result is invalid.



            If you have a single player, no need to roll.



            If you have three players, a d6 will do --- one player gets results 1-2, another 3-4 and the third one 5-6.



            Five players, roll a d10. One player gets 1-2, the next 3-4, then 5-6, then 7-8, and the final one 9-10.



            There is just a bit of math behind these two options: they work neatly because three and five are factors of six and ten, respectively. That means we can "partition" each dice's possible outcomes into that many equally probable sets, similar to how we can use "odd" and "even" to select from two options using a d6.



            Seven players is the first tricky one because it's the least prime number that's not a factor of any of the common die sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 20. This means you cannot resolve a choice between seven players with any bounded number of these die rolls with complete fairness. You can, however, use a d8 with numbers 1-7 corresponding to each of the players and 8 indicating a reroll. The chances of having to roll the die impractically many times for a single decision are minimal.



            Nine players or eleven players, similar to seven except use a d10 or d12, respectively. Since nine is divisible by three, you can also use two rolls of a d6: first divide the player into three groups of three, let the first roll decide which group you pick and the second roll which particular player from that group. The d10 method is simpler, though.



            You can of course use arbitrarily large dice to cover any amount of players using the "reroll if too high" strategy, but it can get unwieldy for larger numbers.



            Drawing from a deck of cards works for many sizes of groups



            Using a deck of cards provides a simple solution for groups small and large, without having to remember any complex roll rules. Have each player draw a card from a standard deck of 52 cards. The player who gets the highest card (or lowest, if you prefer) is chosen. Remember to have a set convention on the ordering used (aces high or low and precedence of suits).



            There's 52 cards in a normal French-style deck of cards, and each is unique, so you can choose a random player with everyone drawing a single card for groups up to 52 players. That's probably more than enough.



            Draw from a bag



            Yet another classic method: have each player write their name on a slip of paper. Put them in a box or bag, and resolve the decision by drawing one without looking. My experience is that this is quite awkward especially when table space is limited --- I appreciate the other methods' compactness. However, this method works quite well regardless of the size of the game, assuming you have a big enough box for the name slips and shuffle it well.



            Random number list, if you want to keep it secret



            If you know the amount of players you'll have in advance, you can create a list of random numbers and bring that to the game with you. When consulting the list, cross over the topmost number on it and select the player based on that number.



            This solution is, for most games, over-engineered, but it has an advantage in that unlike die rolls and draws from the deck of cards, it is very subtle and allows invoking the randomness without signaling it to your players. My experience has been, though, that it's best to let the players know when you're actually choosing one of them at random in most cases --- otherwise, they can assume the choice is you being arbitrary.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 2 days ago

























            answered 2 days ago









            kviirikviiri

            38.3k13142216




            38.3k13142216








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
              $endgroup$
              – Kevin
              2 days ago












            • $begingroup$
              If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
              $endgroup$
              – TimLymington
              yesterday






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
              $endgroup$
              – Jack V.
              yesterday














            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
              $endgroup$
              – Kevin
              2 days ago












            • $begingroup$
              If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
              $endgroup$
              – TimLymington
              yesterday






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
              $endgroup$
              – Jack V.
              yesterday








            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
            $endgroup$
            – Kevin
            2 days ago






            $begingroup$
            Re dice: If you have four or fewer players, I suppose you could use these. Just be very sure you don't accidentally mix them in with the regular d12s, or the DM will not be happy with you ("What do you mean, you rolled a 47 on 1d12?").
            $endgroup$
            – Kevin
            2 days ago














            $begingroup$
            If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
            $endgroup$
            – TimLymington
            yesterday




            $begingroup$
            If you go with drawing from a bag, I would recommend physical items. Differently-coloured tiddlywinks (or dice of the same size) if exact fairness is more important than immersion; cheap unpainted miniatures if the reverse.
            $endgroup$
            – TimLymington
            yesterday




            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
            $endgroup$
            – Jack V.
            yesterday




            $begingroup$
            Yeah, I think this is best. It's not perfect, but this works well, is fair, and rarely makes arguments. Maybe also mention apps or websites as an alternative, if "just getting a number" outweighs "being able to see how" for some people.
            $endgroup$
            – Jack V.
            yesterday













            25












            $begingroup$

            If you have 5 players, roll a d6. If you get a 6, re-roll until you get a number other than 6. And so on, for other odd numbers. Yes, this is completely fair, if the die you're rolling is a fair die.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$









            • 1




              $begingroup$
              You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
              $endgroup$
              – Sarriesfan
              2 days ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
              $endgroup$
              – John
              yesterday


















            25












            $begingroup$

            If you have 5 players, roll a d6. If you get a 6, re-roll until you get a number other than 6. And so on, for other odd numbers. Yes, this is completely fair, if the die you're rolling is a fair die.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$









            • 1




              $begingroup$
              You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
              $endgroup$
              – Sarriesfan
              2 days ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
              $endgroup$
              – John
              yesterday
















            25












            25








            25





            $begingroup$

            If you have 5 players, roll a d6. If you get a 6, re-roll until you get a number other than 6. And so on, for other odd numbers. Yes, this is completely fair, if the die you're rolling is a fair die.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$



            If you have 5 players, roll a d6. If you get a 6, re-roll until you get a number other than 6. And so on, for other odd numbers. Yes, this is completely fair, if the die you're rolling is a fair die.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 2 days ago









            John DallmanJohn Dallman

            11.8k23363




            11.8k23363








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
              $endgroup$
              – Sarriesfan
              2 days ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
              $endgroup$
              – John
              yesterday
















            • 1




              $begingroup$
              You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
              $endgroup$
              – Sarriesfan
              2 days ago






            • 1




              $begingroup$
              This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
              $endgroup$
              – John
              yesterday










            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
            $endgroup$
            – Sarriesfan
            2 days ago




            $begingroup$
            You can also form5 players roll a d10 assigning 1-2 to one player, 3-4 to another and so on until all five have a number range that's theirs.
            $endgroup$
            – Sarriesfan
            2 days ago




            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
            $endgroup$
            – John
            yesterday






            $begingroup$
            This is actually much simpler than the accepted answer, and works with any number of player unlike that answer.
            $endgroup$
            – John
            yesterday













            8












            $begingroup$

            How I have done this over the years:



            It makes for even probabilities.




            1. For three players: roll 1d6, divide result by 2, round up.


            2. For five players: roll 1d10, divide result by 2, round up


            3. For seven players: roll 1d8, re roll any 8.



            4. For nine players: Roll 2d6 of different colors. (Let's say red and
              green, since that is what my bag is filled with)




              • Green die indicates which range of three: 1 or 2 =1-3, 3 or 4 = 4-6, 5 or 6 = 7-9.

              • You now have a "three players" situation

              • Red die indicates who in that group is chosen by using the "for three players" above.



            5. For 11 players; roll a d12, re roll 12's.



            It's really fast and intuitive once you start doing this (it's easy to do the comparison in your head). It takes longer to describe it than to do it.



            Notes:




            1. While I don't do this, @BenR suggests out that for 9 you could do it
              as you do for 7; roll a d10 and re roll 0's/10's. Since I prefer to
              roll just once; the 2d6 is one roll and the result is right
              there).



            2. While I have not done this, @Yakk suggests this for a d13 if you have
              13 players.




              • For 1d13, roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value.








            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$









            • 3




              $begingroup$
              Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
              $endgroup$
              – Ben R.
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What, no 13 players?
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday












            • $begingroup$
              @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday


















            8












            $begingroup$

            How I have done this over the years:



            It makes for even probabilities.




            1. For three players: roll 1d6, divide result by 2, round up.


            2. For five players: roll 1d10, divide result by 2, round up


            3. For seven players: roll 1d8, re roll any 8.



            4. For nine players: Roll 2d6 of different colors. (Let's say red and
              green, since that is what my bag is filled with)




              • Green die indicates which range of three: 1 or 2 =1-3, 3 or 4 = 4-6, 5 or 6 = 7-9.

              • You now have a "three players" situation

              • Red die indicates who in that group is chosen by using the "for three players" above.



            5. For 11 players; roll a d12, re roll 12's.



            It's really fast and intuitive once you start doing this (it's easy to do the comparison in your head). It takes longer to describe it than to do it.



            Notes:




            1. While I don't do this, @BenR suggests out that for 9 you could do it
              as you do for 7; roll a d10 and re roll 0's/10's. Since I prefer to
              roll just once; the 2d6 is one roll and the result is right
              there).



            2. While I have not done this, @Yakk suggests this for a d13 if you have
              13 players.




              • For 1d13, roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value.








            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$









            • 3




              $begingroup$
              Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
              $endgroup$
              – Ben R.
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What, no 13 players?
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday












            • $begingroup$
              @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday
















            8












            8








            8





            $begingroup$

            How I have done this over the years:



            It makes for even probabilities.




            1. For three players: roll 1d6, divide result by 2, round up.


            2. For five players: roll 1d10, divide result by 2, round up


            3. For seven players: roll 1d8, re roll any 8.



            4. For nine players: Roll 2d6 of different colors. (Let's say red and
              green, since that is what my bag is filled with)




              • Green die indicates which range of three: 1 or 2 =1-3, 3 or 4 = 4-6, 5 or 6 = 7-9.

              • You now have a "three players" situation

              • Red die indicates who in that group is chosen by using the "for three players" above.



            5. For 11 players; roll a d12, re roll 12's.



            It's really fast and intuitive once you start doing this (it's easy to do the comparison in your head). It takes longer to describe it than to do it.



            Notes:




            1. While I don't do this, @BenR suggests out that for 9 you could do it
              as you do for 7; roll a d10 and re roll 0's/10's. Since I prefer to
              roll just once; the 2d6 is one roll and the result is right
              there).



            2. While I have not done this, @Yakk suggests this for a d13 if you have
              13 players.




              • For 1d13, roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value.








            share|improve this answer











            $endgroup$



            How I have done this over the years:



            It makes for even probabilities.




            1. For three players: roll 1d6, divide result by 2, round up.


            2. For five players: roll 1d10, divide result by 2, round up


            3. For seven players: roll 1d8, re roll any 8.



            4. For nine players: Roll 2d6 of different colors. (Let's say red and
              green, since that is what my bag is filled with)




              • Green die indicates which range of three: 1 or 2 =1-3, 3 or 4 = 4-6, 5 or 6 = 7-9.

              • You now have a "three players" situation

              • Red die indicates who in that group is chosen by using the "for three players" above.



            5. For 11 players; roll a d12, re roll 12's.



            It's really fast and intuitive once you start doing this (it's easy to do the comparison in your head). It takes longer to describe it than to do it.



            Notes:




            1. While I don't do this, @BenR suggests out that for 9 you could do it
              as you do for 7; roll a d10 and re roll 0's/10's. Since I prefer to
              roll just once; the 2d6 is one roll and the result is right
              there).



            2. While I have not done this, @Yakk suggests this for a d13 if you have
              13 players.




              • For 1d13, roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value.









            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited yesterday

























            answered 2 days ago









            KorvinStarmastKorvinStarmast

            83.5k20258450




            83.5k20258450








            • 3




              $begingroup$
              Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
              $endgroup$
              – Ben R.
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What, no 13 players?
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday












            • $begingroup$
              @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday
















            • 3




              $begingroup$
              Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
              $endgroup$
              – Ben R.
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday








            • 1




              $begingroup$
              What, no 13 players?
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday










            • $begingroup$
              @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
              $endgroup$
              – KorvinStarmast
              yesterday












            • $begingroup$
              @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
              $endgroup$
              – Yakk
              yesterday










            3




            3




            $begingroup$
            Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
            $endgroup$
            – Ben R.
            yesterday




            $begingroup$
            Why is the nine players one so complex? Just roll a d10 and reroll 10s.
            $endgroup$
            – Ben R.
            yesterday












            $begingroup$
            @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday






            $begingroup$
            @BenR. It isn't complex; you roll two dice once, and you know who it is by looking at the two dice. As I said, it is far easier to do than to explain. I've been doing stuff like that for a long time. it's the 'for three people" with two levels.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday






            1




            1




            $begingroup$
            What, no 13 players?
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday




            $begingroup$
            What, no 13 players?
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday












            $begingroup$
            @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday






            $begingroup$
            @Yakk No, haven't run a game that big in over 30 years. On that one, use d14 and reroll 14's. ;) What's a d14? Those two six sided dice (red and green) and a d8. (There were some 1 to 14 tables in AD&D 1e DMG, page 26, gems, random chance). Roll the two d6 and the d8. Low green? Use the d8. High green? Add 8 to the d6. Easy to do, one roll.
            $endgroup$
            – KorvinStarmast
            yesterday














            $begingroup$
            @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday






            $begingroup$
            @KorvinStarmast That d14 isn't an even distribution; low numbers have 1/16 chance, high numbers 1/12 chance each. Try this: roll a red, green and blue d12. If all 3 match, use the value. If red and green match, but not blue, use 13. Otherwise, use red. Accurate within a fraction of a percent to 1/13 for each value. Or, just roll 1d8 reroll 8s; then use high-low d2 to maybe add 7. Then reroll 14s.
            $endgroup$
            – Yakk
            yesterday













            1












            $begingroup$

            The existing answers all presuppose that the GM is the one rolling for the determination, but this is not necessary. Another approach is to have each player roll a d20 and the lowest (or highest) roll is selected. In the event of a tie, the tied players roll again until a single low/high roll is achieved.



            The primary flaw in this method is that it reveals to players that you are making a random selection among them, which may or may not be an issue depending on your group conventions and the reason for the selection.



            The primary advantage of this method is that it works for any size group of players. (With an exceptionally-large group, frequent ties could become an issue, but that can be resolved by using a d100 instead of d20.)



            If you are running a system with a "luck" stat of some sort, this method can also be enhanced to take that stat into account. e.g., everyone makes opposed luck rolls, roll d20+luck if it's a numeric stat, roll (luck)d20 and take the best (or worst, if you have negative luck) if luck is bought in "levels", etc.






            share|improve this answer









            $endgroup$


















              1












              $begingroup$

              The existing answers all presuppose that the GM is the one rolling for the determination, but this is not necessary. Another approach is to have each player roll a d20 and the lowest (or highest) roll is selected. In the event of a tie, the tied players roll again until a single low/high roll is achieved.



              The primary flaw in this method is that it reveals to players that you are making a random selection among them, which may or may not be an issue depending on your group conventions and the reason for the selection.



              The primary advantage of this method is that it works for any size group of players. (With an exceptionally-large group, frequent ties could become an issue, but that can be resolved by using a d100 instead of d20.)



              If you are running a system with a "luck" stat of some sort, this method can also be enhanced to take that stat into account. e.g., everyone makes opposed luck rolls, roll d20+luck if it's a numeric stat, roll (luck)d20 and take the best (or worst, if you have negative luck) if luck is bought in "levels", etc.






              share|improve this answer









              $endgroup$
















                1












                1








                1





                $begingroup$

                The existing answers all presuppose that the GM is the one rolling for the determination, but this is not necessary. Another approach is to have each player roll a d20 and the lowest (or highest) roll is selected. In the event of a tie, the tied players roll again until a single low/high roll is achieved.



                The primary flaw in this method is that it reveals to players that you are making a random selection among them, which may or may not be an issue depending on your group conventions and the reason for the selection.



                The primary advantage of this method is that it works for any size group of players. (With an exceptionally-large group, frequent ties could become an issue, but that can be resolved by using a d100 instead of d20.)



                If you are running a system with a "luck" stat of some sort, this method can also be enhanced to take that stat into account. e.g., everyone makes opposed luck rolls, roll d20+luck if it's a numeric stat, roll (luck)d20 and take the best (or worst, if you have negative luck) if luck is bought in "levels", etc.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$



                The existing answers all presuppose that the GM is the one rolling for the determination, but this is not necessary. Another approach is to have each player roll a d20 and the lowest (or highest) roll is selected. In the event of a tie, the tied players roll again until a single low/high roll is achieved.



                The primary flaw in this method is that it reveals to players that you are making a random selection among them, which may or may not be an issue depending on your group conventions and the reason for the selection.



                The primary advantage of this method is that it works for any size group of players. (With an exceptionally-large group, frequent ties could become an issue, but that can be resolved by using a d100 instead of d20.)



                If you are running a system with a "luck" stat of some sort, this method can also be enhanced to take that stat into account. e.g., everyone makes opposed luck rolls, roll d20+luck if it's a numeric stat, roll (luck)d20 and take the best (or worst, if you have negative luck) if luck is bought in "levels", etc.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 18 hours ago









                Dave SherohmanDave Sherohman

                6,12811429




                6,12811429






























                    draft saved

                    draft discarded




















































                    Thanks for contributing an answer to Role-playing Games Stack Exchange!


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid



                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                    Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function () {
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2frpg.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f144731%2fhow-can-the-dm-most-simply-and-fairly-choose-1-out-of-an-odd-number-of-players-t%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                    }
                    );

                    Post as a guest















                    Required, but never shown





















































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown

































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown







                    Popular posts from this blog

                    VNC viewer RFB protocol error: bad desktop size 0x0I Cannot Type the Key 'd' (lowercase) in VNC Viewer...

                    Tribunal Administrativo e Fiscal de Mirandela Referências Menu de...

                    looking for continuous Screen Capture for retroactivly reproducing errors, timeback machineRolling desktop...