Random Number God

English

Alternative forms

• random number god

Etymology

Back-formed from the initialism RNG.

Noun

Random Number God (plural Random Number Gods)

1. (roguelikes, humorous) The pseudorandom number generator used by a roguelike game's engine.
   • 1998, Chris Kern, Rules (was Re: Angband Rule Number One!), rec.games.roguelike.angband, Usenet

     Rule #1 of Angband is this: NEVER forget that you are a but a pathetic slave to the entity that is the Random Number God. The RNG will laugh in your face and taunt you in many ways. No matter how you may try to evade it or con it, it knows your deepest desires. You cannot hide from the RNG's mind what you are attempting to scum for. It can see your character sheet and find out what resists you are missing. It knows many insidious ways to inflict harm upon your psyche and drive you to emotional turmoil. The RNG is a marionette, and you are the slavering puppet. You will cry in relief when he gives you an artifact and then wail in despair while the RNG laughs at your pitiful failures. You CANNOT escape the horror.

   • 1999, Brandon Pitman, Re: [Z] Death by act of Random Number God, rec.games.roguelike.angband, Usenet
   • 2002, Eric Bock, “[//groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.roguelike.angband/_qvVM1p0X3g/SErWi_gNGxAJ [Zce] [YACD] Deception and temptation by the Random Number God]”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband (Usenet):

     Here's my current character, after a brief bout with a graveyard at 2400', and the tempting given me by the Random Number God to try to clear it, despite the certain death offered by closely encountering it.

   • 2002, John Hansen, Re: Random funny moments., rec.games.roguelike.nethack, Usenet

     The Random Number God at work again, I see.

Related terms

• RNGesus

Further reading

• Eric S[teven] Raymond, editor (2003 December 29), “Random Number God”, in The Jargon File, version 4.4.7.