Many times in a DM's gaming career has it been required to make some kind of check to surprise the character party during play. But was it really a surprise when you begin rolling dice for no apparent reason. The players know ahead of time that something is about to happen, maybe not exactly what, but it was no surprise.

How can you as a DM defeat the early warning signs that dice rolls give (even when concealed behind a DM's screen)? The solution to the problem is a home crafted spinner. With a little time and a few materials you can create a workable spinner with which to generate your random numbers, and not openly alert the players of impending danger.

You will need the following materials:

• Chipboard (brown cardboard stuffon the back of a legal pad)
• Tape
• popsicle stick
• plastic slip cover
• large paperclip
• durable paper (bristol board is good)
• pen & pencil
• protractor or compass
• craft knife

STEP ONE. The Paper Clip

Take the paper clip and bend the center loop to a 90° angle. Fold the raised end ¼ inch from the bottom or double the width of the popsicle stick when placed flat on the table. Extend both loop arms 45° from the parallel side.

STEP TWO. The Spinner Top

Using the paper, pencil, and protractor (or compass) draw a 6" diamater circle in the center of the page.

Mark the center of the circle 3" from the side. From the centerpoint mark every 1/ 2". Do this four times, one every 1/4 of the circle. Connect the dots until you have six uniform circles.

Starting at the center circle, segment the circles into 4,6,8,10,12,20 sections. Number each section within each circle for d4,d6,d8,d10,d12, and d20.

STEP THREE: The Pointer

Using the craft knife, cut the popsicle one inch from the base at a gradual angle. Do this on both sides to get a tapered point. Carefully use the craft knife, make a small hole in the center of the stick one inch from the bottom. The hole should be large enough for the paperclip to fit and move freely.

STEP FOUR: Putting it all Together

Tape the finished spinner top to the cardboard backing. Then tape the plastic cover over the spinnertop, attaching it to the cardboard backing. Using your craftknife, make a small hole in the center point of the spinnertop. Once the hole is made maneuver the paperclip (large end first) through the hole. Take care not to rip the spinnertop and plastic cover. Once through the large end of the paperclip should rest flush to the board. Tape the paperclip so it cannot turn. Finally work the finished pointer over the upper bent portion, and down, so it rests on the slip cover.

A final note: the spinner can be made for any random number generation. Simply format the spinner face to match the number range required.

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
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