As a DM I had severely ignored random encounters for far too long. I thought of them as too much "hjack n' slash"ish and as combats without reason.
Now, I realize monsters roam and creatures wander, but it wasn't until just recently that I started putting them to good use and with a touch of meaning and roleplay. Now I can't get enough of them. I've even found myself wasting time away creating random encounter charts or tables.
I was was in the hopes that if I started a thread here, we could share some ideas about random (or not so random) encounters.
1 thing that I've came up with that I rather like is the frequency of random encounters as it pertains to the PCs location.
For instance, I use the following dice in differening terrains with a roll of '1' indicating an encounter has occured...
Obviously the larger the dice, the less frequency of encounters. To me, it would seem, when sailing the high seas, there is less chance of running into something (or something running into you) than when you are in a dungeon or travelling along a roadway.
I also enhance this by time intervels inbetween checks in the following fashion...
Dungeon 1 per 1 hour
Roadway 1 per 12 hours
Wilderness 1 per 8 hours (except mountains)
Mountains 1 per 12 hours
Ocean 1 per 12 hours OR 1 per 6 hours with a d20 (above surface)
1 check per six hours on the high seas may seem a little too often, but I think it equals out when using a d20. I haven't found a good formula for the high seas as of yet, but that's what this thread is all about. ;)
Anybody have any encounter type-deal ideas to share? _________________ Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!
Actually, I was looking over the From the Ashes: Random Encounter Cards, and they plain suck. That's all there is to it.
On a roll of 80+ (percentile) for most tables it states "refer to standard encounter tables."
How much more lazy can you be? That's horrible... Make a busy DM dig out some encounter cards to roll on and then send them over to dig out some other tables for rolling high? Please...
I think I may just redo them in 2nd Ed. format, bcuz I really like how they're broken down by region. I could simply break out the proper card relative to my PCs location in the Flanaess. Love it.. _________________ Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!
I have a "Knights of the Road" encounter table. Every NPC on it(100) is a beggar or hobo. Any time a random encounter results in such, I roll on this table. Man, can some of these guys get around. _________________ I am the thought you are now thinking.
"The trees are our ancestors."----Otto Von Bismark
You need the Toolbox, by AEG. This is my single favorite DM tool. With it, you can create an adventure in a matter of minutes, or have a random encounter that is a miniadventure. It is just a series of table and adventure/encounter ideas with backup table to expand. The encounter can be three dirty orcs or a warband led by a detailed npc with traits, descriptions and tactics. It could also be an abandoned shrine good for two encounters or an ambush site. Check it out. Many game stores are selling them cheap as they are several years old and are 3.0 (there is almost no game mechanics inside, just story ideas, names, titles, descriptions, etc., so the mechanics do not matter).
Though I have never seen Toolbox, I am adverse to eTools and computers interfering with my game. So far, Farland's Mass Combat Program and Redblade for mass NPC generation are as far as I have been willing to go.
Pen and paper and dice feel better. _________________ I am the thought you are now thinking.
"The trees are our ancestors."----Otto Von Bismark
For what it's worth, I don't use random encounters at the table. I come up with them ahead of time, and treat them as if they're random. I've found that truly random things can either derail the players' train of thought, or wreak havoc with the DM's scenario.
The adventures I write actually have random tables included, but that's probably my anal retentive nature (or my dreams of being published someday). I do tell the players to let me know if they're thinking of going anywhere, so I can plan ahead.
I do the same as you, Telas. All of my "random" encounters are pre-planned when possible. I write them up on 3x5 cards and give em a shuffle, then just pull one off the top when appropriate.
As to the person who initiated this thread, I think that the frequency of your random encounters is pretty high. You mentioned that you love random encounters, so that could explain it. But I think that, at least outdoors, the chances of a random enconter should be less frequent.
It is refreshing, however, to see someone who has been DM'ing get so fired up about a part of the play that they have not fully exploited in the past. I am all jacked-up about spell creation right now. Cant believe I have ignored it for so long!
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