Maze Rats 101: The GM Tool I Can't Live Without
This is my number one go-to GM resource. Always the first thing in my bag. I’ve had it close to me ever since I found it. And it’s dirt cheap.
What Is Maze Rats?
Maze Rats is a game by Ben Milton (Questing Beast). The game itself is only two pages. We’re not talking about the game today. We’re talking about the tables - and why they’re the most useful GM tool I own.
How The Tables Work
The book uses 6x6 tables. Roll two dice, read the result. Simple. But what makes it powerful is combination.
Roll on the Physical Effect table: “Shapeshifting” Roll on the Ethereal Form table: “Beacon”
Now figure out what “Shapeshifting Beacon” means as a spell. Work with your players. Something unique emerges every time.
These tables feed into each other. Bold words reference other tables. Animal legs? Roll on the animal table. Four-five gives you rabbit legs. That’s an interesting curse.
Monster Creation
Combine two creatures. Octopus + Wasp = a flying creature with tentacles that grabs people and pulls them into a beak.
Think about that mechanically: it tries to grab and lift players 10 feet up. If it dies mid-air, they take falling damage. One combination, dozens of tactical implications.
But it goes further. There are tables for monster features, traits, abilities, tactics, and personalities. You can create layered, memorable creatures in minutes.
Or take a standard goblin and add features. Scaled goblin. Goblin with a stinger. Goblins with a particular tactic they always use. Standard monsters become unique.
NPC Creation
Ever struggle making NPCs? Not anymore.
Tables for names, backgrounds, assets, goals, missions, appearances, reputations, flaws, and relationships.
I created this character on a plane ride:
A musician called Daramus Wexley. Very charming. Huge debts. He wants to acquire an onyx bowl he was defrauded of. He’ll employ you to steal it from the mayor’s mansion. He’ll provide a map including the safe combination. You can keep everything else in the safe.
A few rolls. An entire session’s mission. Something interesting and specific.
Treasure and Magic Items
This is probably my favourite section.
Roll a basic item: Glass Eye. Add material: Ivory Glass Eye. Add magic effect: Excruciating.
Result: An ivory glass eye that when worn, causes excruciating pain to anyone you stare at for d6 rounds. On a roll of 1, it affects you instead.
An item that could be a game-changer in battle, but players won’t overuse it because of the risk. Created in seconds.
How We Used It At The Table
In our open table game, players rolled their own treasure at the end of each session. They’d reach into the bag of loot and physically roll dice to see what they found.
“Roll d20. Over 16? There’s a magic item.”
Then they’d roll on these tables. We’d work out together what they found. Players looked forward to that moment more than anything. It was like a lottery.
Cities, Wilds, and Dungeons
Tables for creating towns: shops, taverns, factions, goals. I rolled up a small coastal town that worships a dead pirate called Redmond Co Pepper. There’s a college of piracy. The exports club is hunted for heresy because they believe in trading instead of pirating.
Unique setting. Random rolls. Minutes to create.
There’s a whole section for wilderness, and Baron Rock has done a video showing how to use these tables to create entire hex crawls.
GM Advice
The GM advice section is excellent. Simple, clear, and aligned with OSR philosophy. Great guidance for sessions, prep, world building, and running games.
Bottom Line
Maze Rats is $4.99. Ben Milton released it under Creative Commons, so you can find the tables online too. But the book is worth owning.
I use this more than any other GM resource. It’s not about generating random content - it’s about sparking ideas. The tables give you just enough to get your brain filling in the gaps.
Get it. Maze Rats on DriveThruRPG