* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : creating random encounters Started at 09-28-03 06:30 PM by realmaster Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=106663 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : realmaster Date : 09-28-03 06:30 PM Thread Title : creating random encounters Hi, my DM and I have different ideas on creating random encounters for our game. I would like your opinions on how some of you judge how many creatures and how powerful the creatures are. My group consists of a 6th level fighting-monk, 5th level ranger and a 4th/5th level magic user thief. We also have some NPC’s with us but I don’t know if you count those in the factors of a random encounter. Any help you can give me on this would be great. :confused: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Stormcrow Date : 09-29-03 08:08 PM Judging encounter strength is more art than science. You learn from experience. Generally, a good encounter would have monsters with total hit dice roughly equal to the total hit dice of the party. For each special offensive or defensive ability or magic item of the monsters, I'd suggest bumping their hit dice total up by one. Because we're talking about random encounters, these numbers can vary a lot. Wandering monsters are an addition, a extra bit for the party to deal with as they go on with their adventuring. Random encounters should never be the most exciting part of an adventure. Thus, since characters should be free to avoid them as much as they want, they can be as powerful, or as weak, as you want. You want to put fire-breathing dragons on your wilderness encounter table? Fine. The characters aren't obligated to fight the things if they're not up to it. If the DM forces you to encounter a wandering monster, it's not really a random encounter, now is it? David Stardate 3745.3 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : realmaster Date : 09-30-03 05:04 PM Originally posted by Stormcrow Generally, a good encounter would have monsters with total hit dice roughly equal to the total hit dice of the party. For each special offensive or defensive ability or magic item of the monsters, I'd suggest bumping their hit dice total up by one. So the macicuser/thief counts as a 9th or 5th or 4th? For each special offensive or defensive ability or magic item of the monsters, I'd suggest bumping their hit dice total up by one when you say monsters don't you mean players? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : Stormcrow Date : 09-30-03 06:34 PM No, I meant monsters. Balance the monsters' hit dice and abilities with the players' levels (count hit dice plusses, e.g. 3+1, as the next level higher). Six orcs balance six party levels. Skeletons have 1 hit die each, but since they have a special defense (one-half damage from sharp and/or edged weapons), count them as two each. Make three skeletons equal to six party levels. If you think that's too generous to the players, count them as one and a half each, so four or five skeletons would balance against six party levels. Typically, count multi-class demi-humans, and humans with more than two classes, as one over their highest level. Thus, your 4th/5th magic-user/thief would count as a 6th level character. This is just a rule of thumb, not necessarily an equivalence. You might make triple-classed characters equal to their best class plus two, though I haven't looked at the numbers for that. Again, this is all just a suggested rule of thumb for random encounters. Don't necessarily build set encounters this way! And since characters should usually have the option of avoiding the random encounter, feel free to vary these strengths as much as you like. David Stardate 3747.9 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : realmaster Date : 09-30-03 07:02 PM Avoiding once in a while is good idea. Ok, now I know what you meant :). The reason I wanted to get some opinions is because the DMG doesn't give an easy understandable way of creating these or giving a ratio of HD vs HD. I appreciate this, if I run into anything else I'll get back to this thread. :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : dogstar Date : 10-01-03 10:53 AM Wandering Monsters are a strange game beast, doomed to endlessly explore corridors and rooms at random, ignoring the residents, before being chopped into pieces by intruders.... Personally I only use them when things start to stagnate, and then simply use creatures from a missed or likely missed encounter, who are poking around to see why the neighbours have missed lunch (or similar). Its hard to imagine that a gelantous cube spends years in the dungeon wandering around, but leaves those kobalds alive in room 2, prefering to snack on the occasional PC! I remember the old wandering monster tables, classic, but destined to remain in their era. Work better out of doors (hint with wilderness encounters, never pull punches on the table - thats the danger of the great outdoors, theres no knowing what is kicking about). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : Thailfi Date : 10-01-03 02:10 PM Ah, I am harkening back to the early 80s when a bunch of 14 year olds got together and would roll random encounters out of the back of the DMs guide. DM: Okay, I just rolled this random encounter. You come upon 12 fire giants. They rush you. Players: But we are second level. We run. DM: They are faster than you. They catch you. Players: We surrender. DM: Hmm. Their reaction to you is bad, they squash you. Roll new characters. 1 hour later Player: Okay we have our first level characters ready. DM: Okay, let us see what your first random encounter is. My roll says you run into 9 trolls..... It didn't even occur to us until much later to fudge these encounters so the characters had a chance. Have you ever seen the random encounter chart for water adventures? By our calculations 100% of all water journeys over two weeks long ended with the entire crew being devourer by sea monsters. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.