Building Spark Tables
Oh, Spark Tables my beloved. Ever since I saw one for the first time, they've been my asset of choice for inspiration when prepping a game. They're so simple, so quick to use, and so vast in what they can generate that it feels a waste to set them aside.
...
But how do you make one?
Yeah, because, if you're not taking one from a pre-existing setting book, you need to write one out yourself, which can be a daunting task if you don't know where to start. Making one is also an excellent creative exercise, that can help you think about what it is that truly makes your setting unique.
Step 1: Setup.
Before you start writing a table down, you naturally must know what you're writing about. So, whether you're writing the table for your own setting or to aid you in prepping a game in an established one, write down the core of the setting's theming, followed by a few bullet points with the most important elements. For the example I'll be building here, I'll be using a... haunted swampland.
HAUNTED SWAMPLAND
- Water
- Algae
- Trees
- Nighttime
- Bugs
- Witches
- Spirits
Step 2: Develop.
For each of the listed bullet point entries, write down two-to-five words which you associate with that concept. Just the first things that jump to your mind.
HAUNTED SWAMPLAND
- Water
- Fish
- Pond
- River
- Rapids
- Swamp Grass
- Reeds
- Algae
- Flytrap
- Tree
- Nest
- Hollow
- Squirrel
- Nighttime
- Moon
- Owl
- Wolf
- Eyes
- Bugs
- Parasite
- Frog
- Carcass
- Witch
- Potion
- Cat
- Bats
- Runes
- Mushrooms
- Ghost
- Haunting
- Hallucination
- Apparition
Step 3: Repeat
For every sub-entry you wrote, repeat Step 2, writing down two or three sub entries, if they come to mind. You might want to repeat it two or more times, depending on how big you want the final spark table to be (I try to shoot between d12 for smaller, more focused endeavors and d20 for large locations, but I've seen d50 or even d100 tables around).
HAUNTED SWAMPLAND
- Water
- Fish
- Fisherman
- Harpoon
- Octopus
- Tentacles
- Fisherman
- Pond
- Boat
- Ferry
- Shipwreck
- Boat
- River
- Bridge
- Riverbank
- Rapids
- Whirlpool
- Trash Heap
- Fish
- Swamp Grass
- Reeds
- Wind
- Snake
- Algae
- Kelp
- Moss
- Microbes
- Infection
- Flytrap
- Reeds
- Tree
- Log
- Nest
- Eggs
- Birdsong
- Hollow
- Cave
- Squirrel
- Nighttime
- Moon
- Moonlight
- Ritual
- Owl
- Feathers
- Talons
- Wolf
- Hunt
- Eyes
- Moon
- Bugs
- Worm
- Parasite
- Frog
- Slime
- Carcass
- Skeleton
- Scavenger
- Witch
- Potion
- Iridescent
- Cauldron
- Fire
- Bubbling
- Cat
- Bats
- Screeching
- Swarm
- Runes
- Mushrooms
- Toxic
- Decomposition
- Potion
- Ghost
- Haunting
- Undead
- Hallucination
- Apparition
- Haunting
Oh god, I wish there was a nicer way to lay this out.
As you can see, the associations you make need only make sense in your head. For example, I associated "trash heap" to "rapids" because in the city where I live, the rapids of the river collect all the waste that gets thrown in the water, which just sits there tumbling in the current.
Step 4: Sort and Compile.
Now you're ready to fill out the table. Look through your finished list and transcribe the entries you like the most; when it's an actual thing you can find, put it in the Noun column, while if it's something else, put it in the Attribute column. Wherever possible, give priority to the entries you wrote last.
d20 | Attribute | Noun |
---|---|---|
1 | Windy | Fisherman |
2 | Mossy | Harpoon |
3 | Infected | Ferry |
4 | Winding | Shipwreck |
5 | Singing | Bridge |
6 | Hollow | Trash Heap |
7 | Hallucinatory | Flytrap |
8 | Feathered | Log |
9 | Hunting | Egg |
10 | Singing | Cave |
11 | Parasitic | Talons |
12 | Slimy | Eye |
13 | Skeletal | Frog |
14 | Iridescent | Scavenger |
15 | Bubbling | Witch |
16 | Ritual | Swarm |
17 | Toxic | Runes |
18 | Decomposing | Cauldron |
19 | Haunted | Fire |
20 | Undead | Worm |
Enjoy!
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