Random Tables, Tools and Titles for Horror

Eldritch random tables, horror solo rpgs and all other manner of spooky tools and titles.

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Starting Points

Titles with random tables for all types of horror, modern to fantasy.

Horror adventures cover stories of urban fantasy with vampire, investigators of Call of Cthulhu, and classics such as full moons, the evil that comes at night and cheesy horror films.

Themes associated with horror include night, spirits, the undead, fear, the unknown, elder gods and our inner doubts

There is a full guide for Dark Fantasy Titles.

Jan 2026: Added Gamebooks; Feb 2025: Added Space Fantasy section; June 2024: Added more titles; May 2024: separated out Dark Fantasy; Oct 2023: Added Solo and Dark Fantasy Sections, plus new titles.

Major Titles

Some PDFs are much larger and comprehensive.

A bit different is Sidequest Decks: Lovecraftian/Paranormal from Inkwell Ideas, 55 cards with maps and adventure ideas.
Grinning Skull has a Horror Mega-bundle with lots of d100 titles. It also has a smaller Strange and Weird Stuff Bundle with 8 d100 titles.
The Book of Random Tables: Eldritch from dicegeeks has 24 d100 tables for Lovecraftian-themed games such as Call of Cthulu. It is complemented by The Great Book of Random Tables: World Between Wars for settings in 1920s and 1930s
For system-neutral group or solo goodness, Larcenous Designs has The GamesMaster's Apprentice: Horror Deck. A deck of 60 cards with prompts, dice rolls, npc traits, names and more for solo inspiration. There is also the GameMaster's Apprentice: Weird Horror.
Silent Legions from Sine Nomine Publishing is a toolkit of random tables and advice for running modern investigative horror. Compatible with the free Stars Without Numbers game.

Solo Titles

Horror is easier to get the atmosphere right if you're playing alone. Space horror seems to have good solo options too.

If you want to play a vampire, then journalling game Thousand Year Old Vampire from The Hutchingsonian Presents-PlaGMaDA is the game for you!
For something a little different, Escape from Pumpkin World the PocketMod RPG from Doppelganger Publishing
For a free solo adventure using Call of Cthulu, Chaosium has Alone Against the Flames, set in the 1920s.
Alone Against Fear from Ganesha Games sees you plying a variation of Four Against Darkness, exploring a town invaded by monsters, trying to close Severn Gates of Hell on Earth.
The Solo Investigator's Handbook from 5E Solo Gamebooks has advice, systems and tables for playing Call of Cthulhu solo.

Horror Gamebooks

Solo gamebooks are a great option for horror on your own...

Alone Against Nyarlathotep by Lee Wade is a Call of Cthulhu gamebook. Lots of North Yorkshire and creepy seaside towns and villages to explore.
The Darkness Over Arkham from Aconyte Books is written by Jonathan Green, with you caught up in the rivalry between different cultists in Arkham.
The Tavern on Gallows Hill is by James A. Hirons, published by Savage Realms Press. It features carnivorous mushrooms, an undead clown and Baba Yaga.
In Dracula: Curse of the Vampire from Jonathan Green you are making your version of the classic tale.
The Demon & Detectives series from Demons & Dungeoneers Gamebooks are set in the roaring twenties, choosing from 6 pre-made characters and investigating various troubles. Forbidden Rituals is one title, set in New York.

Free and Pay What You Want Options

If you like pdfs and random tables then there are some options. And where you find one you might find more...

For cthulu-related monsters try Lovecraftian Title Generator from Azukail Games, with 3 tables to combine
Never Engine has 100 Spooky Yet Mundane Dungeon Encounters
47 Villainous Cults, Orders and Guilds to Thwart Your Heroes from Blackstone Entertainment has organisations for your horror adventures.
English Eerie: Rural Horror Storytelling Game for One Player from Trollish Delver Games is a pay-what-you-want journalling game with five scenarios.
Never Engine has the Pay What You Want Weird Shit Generator (Fantasy)

Dark Fantasy

Dark fantasy is a particular niche within horror, catering to grimdark, ravenloft, and other horrors. There is a full Guide for Dark Fantasy Titles.

The Dread Thingonomicon from Raging Swan Press is a collection of 400+ pages of fantasy dread-themed lists.
From Chaos Factory Books there is the Teratogenicon, a tome for generating dark fantasy monsters. They also have Dark Fantasy Characters and 100 Magic Weapons (Dark Fantasy)
For adventure ideas, Atelier Clandestin has 200 Dark Fantasy Odd Situations with a couple of lines to each for inspiration.
For a deck of dark fantasy hooks try Sidequest Decks: Horror Fantasy from Inkwell Ideas.
By Cassi Mothwin is Tangled Blessings: 1-2 Player Magic Academy Horror, where you can play as either a solo journalling or 2-player rpg in a spooky magical acadamy. Powered by tarot cards.

Space Horror

Horror and space seem to go well together!

The Wretched from Loot the Room is a different type of horror. Set in a spaceship where you are the last survivor. But a hostile lifeform is onboard with you. Others in the series include Go Alone and The Assassin.
From Blackoath Entertainment is Across a Thousand Dead Worlds, space horror salvaging and exploring to coordinates of unknown sites, where dangers and treasures, aliens and death await.
For space horror, the Galaxy Builder Decks: Spooky Set from Journey Mountain Studios gives planets to explore and populate

More Titles

Last are...

The Book of Random Tables: 1920s-1930s from dicegeeks isn't really horror based, but many Cthulu games take place in that period...
Heinrich's Call of Cthulhu Guide to Carcosa from Chaosium, by Heinrich D. Moor is a horror gamebook or solo adventure. It's a replayable campaign where you can investigate Dim Carcosa.
For filling places with odd things, Skirmisher Publishing has 100 Oddities for a Creepy House and 100 Oddities for a Graveyard.
100 Cursed Places for all Horror RPGs from Grinning Skull Design Studios.
1d100 Plus Haunting Events from Lore Wise Games is a list of 100 unique ghost activity events for your spooky game.

Random Generators

Generators are free tools with ideas and content for tabletop rpgs.

Characters

For characters try a Horror Creep or Monster Person from springhole.net. Or Halloween Costume Ideas and Evil Clown Names at Fantasy Name Generators. There's the general Evil Name at 7th Sanctum, or try something more Cthulu or Lovecraftian sounding. Or the Horror Text Generator gives horror-themed gibberish for general inspiration.

Haunted Places and Undead

Haunted places are important too. Chartopia has Reasons to Haunt a Place and Creepy Places. Springhole.net has a Haunted House where monsters might linger. There is also a full Ghost generator

Fantasy Name Generators gives Graveyard Names, Ghost Town descriptions, Ghost Names and Curse Names.

And you can generate a model of your perfect Mansion from watabou

Vampires and Other Monsters

Vampires are found across genres, often found in cities. We have gens for Vampire Names and Clan Names at Fantasy Name Generators. For werewolves lurking in the wilds try Werewolf Name and Werewolf Packs. Or how about naming a Demon and having a Demon Description to go with it

At springhole.net, discover How Your Character Became a Vampire. Plus a detailed Character-Driven Vampire and there is a Goth Sounding Vampire Name Generator. Plus the star of Halloween, the Jack O'Lantern

At Chartopia there's a list of a 100 Demons Lords. Plusat dndspeak, 100 Eldritch Horrors to be behind all the conspiracies.

Witches and Mad Scientists

Start with a Witch Name from Fantasy Name Generators, or maybe a Necromancer Name. Then they might be part of a Coven or Cabal. For an alternative take try Mad Scientists in their Laboratory

You might interrupt their Dark Ritual from 7th Sanctum. Or weird Experiments.

Finishing Up

This will get updated in the future, but leave a comment with other titles if you have one to share.

If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.