Random Encounters

[TheChozyn]

I'm about to run the Kingmaker and am wondering how other GMs have handled the amount of random encounters that will pop up on this one.

I'm currently working through the Random encounter tables and making 20 of each type (treasure included) so I don't have to stall the game with creating encounters and treasure.

I'm trying to work some Non-Combat encounters too. Seeing a shambling mound migrating across the hills from a distance, or scaring away a hunters catch(which could be a good way to introduce an NPC, or replacement char)

[thenovalord]

TheChozyn wrote:

I'm about to run the Kingmaker and am wondering how other GMs have handled the amount of random encounters that will pop up on this one.

I'm currently working through the Random encounter tables and making 20 of each type (treasure included) so I don't have to stall the game with creating encounters and treasure.

I'm trying to work some Non-Combat encounters too. Seeing a shambling mound migrating across the hills from a distance, or scaring away a hunters catch(which could be a good way to introduce an NPC, or replacement char)

yep lots of non combat enounters

chance to have outdoor skills shine
i think about a third of all the RE i hvae rolled have been a fight
chance to socilaise with the locals and get a feel of area
about a third of fighty RE should have treasure (according to the PF rules and my reading)

this forum is full of threads about spicing up encounters

sometimes the players come with good ideas too, so just run with what they say is around the corner

have fun
its a great AP

[TheChozyn]

Here's my first completed 20 for KM1 Greenbelt - Forest. I rolled each encounter and then came up with the various scenarios and treasure. This way it's all ready to go without stopping the game for loot.

Encounter Xp(Ttl) Treasure Notes
1. 1 Brush Thylacine 600 None Day sleeper - Night Active - Will not attack unless attacked first

2. 1 Hunter 135 Gear (Pg12 Same as bandit) The PCs scare off the hunter's deer. Initial attitude unfriendly. Award Xp if the PCs assist. (Possible NPC for Kingdom)

3. 1 Slurk 600 None Driven out of cave by Owlbear. Angry.

4. 1 Shambling Mound 2400 1036 GP Currently feeding on an Owlbear. Will only attack if attacked.

5. 4 Trolls 6400 466gp, Star Ruby (1100gp), Amethyst (110gp), Onyx (30gp), Potion of Blur Troll hunting party, carrying an elk apiece, will not attack a group of equal size or larger without provocation. Smaller sized groups will get attacked.

6. 2 Bandits 270 Gear (Pg12 Same as bandit) If the bandits are outnumbered they will pretend to be hunters or trappers. Inviting the PCs to share camp for the night, or travel with them. The Bandits will attempt to rob the PCs or kill them in the night.

7. 1 Will-o’-wisp 2400 None The Will-o'-wisp is currently enjoying the slow suffering of a small deer caught in a bear trap. Glowing a merry red.

8. 1 Slurk 600 None In a small cave, non-aggressive unless attacked. Will try to scare away PCs.

9. 1 Grig 400 None The Grig will watch the party while they are in the hex, helping if they prove themselves to the grig, aiding foes if they seem evil. If the party manage to engage the grig in conversation they can learn about the current hex

10. 2 Bandits 270 Gear (Pg12 Same as bandit) If the bandits are outnumbered they will pretend to be hunters or trappers. Inviting the PCs to share camp for the night, or travel with them. The Bandits will attempt to rob the PCs or kill them in the night.

11. 1 Wolf 400 None Daytime: runs across the party and tries to flee, fight if surrounded. Night: will attempt to take out a horse or sentry.

12. 1 Brush Thylacine 600 None Starving will attack at day or night

13. 1 Grizzly Bear 1200 None Will chase PCs out of territory, will only kill if threatened.

14. 1 Grig 400 None The Grig will watch the party while they are in the hex, helping if they prove themselves to the grig, aiding foes if they seem evil. If the party manage to engage the grig in conversation they can learn about the current hex

15. 1 Worg 600 None Daytime: runs across the party and tries to flee, fight if surrounded. Stalks the party until night. Night: will attempt to take out a horse or sentry.

16. 1 Tatzlwyrm 600 3447cp Attacks on sight

17. 1 Owlbear 1200 None Attacks on sight

18. 1 trolls 1600 None Troll will attack on sight. Young and full of himself.

19. 1 boar 600 None Attacks on sight

20. 1 Grigs 400 None The Grig will watch the party while they are in the hex, pranking them as long as they stay in the area.

[Golbez57]

This is also my sticky area as our game start approaches. Specifically, I'm having trouble with encounter maps. I've prepared maps in advance of games for the past few years and it has been the single greatest thing that's helped our sessions keep momentum.

I've been hand-drawing them from reference maps. Trouble is, I found very few generic wilderness-style maps in my Dungeon mag collection (going back to 2001 or so).

I don't have the budget to invest hundreds in WotC map tiles or Paizo Flip-Mats.

Any ideas?

[MisterSlanky]

I have never liked random encounters, as a player or GM, but I understand their importance in the Kingmaker campaign (since it winds up being a source of XP and gives the campaign world some additional feel). The main problem I have with them is that they always feel tacked on and incomplete. Maybe some of you are better at developing interesting encounters on the fly, but I personally just don't like it.

What I do is give the illusion of a random encounter. I'll spend quite a bit of time before the campaign starts to generate around 5-10 "good" random encounters complete with terrain, creatures, treasure, and other goodies to make things more interesting. I'll also vary things up a bit by not making all random encounters "bad". Then when the players hit a point where they roll for one, I'll pull from my pregenerated batch. By doing this little bit of prep work, I wind up giving the players something a bit more interesting, level appropriate, and flavorful than the standard "you walk into a clearing with three trolls" kind of encounter.

[Major__Tom]

Slanky - I agree with your method. So far my PCs are about two thirds of the way through the Greenlands - well into Rivers run Red. Of course they all either took Pioneer (to get the free horse), or tromped on the horses from the bandits. So their movement rate is such that they can explore most of the hexes in one day. With a 3 in 20 chance of wandering monster encounters, I think they've had a total of about 8 encounters, half of them fights. So I'll be shocked if they clear a dozen for the whole map.
To get 20 encounters ready for each terrain type seems a bit over the top, especially since the CRs of the encounters are supposed to increase between 1st and 2nd module. If you have the time, I guess there's nothing wrong with it, but I'd rather use the time preparing the pre-planned encounters out.
Also, I try to use a bit of judgement with the monsters. After dealing with the grig and the faerie dragon in the first module, the next WM roll was a grig. I quickly substituted an ambush by a bunch of bandits, so they could kill something (they were ready to, after the grig). If they've just had a tough fight (by tough, I mean one that took an hour and a half, not one that almost killed them all), I will sub a roleplaying encounter instead of another combat.

[NeoFax]

Golbez57 wrote:

This is also my sticky area as our game start approaches. Specifically, I'm having trouble with encounter maps. I've prepared maps in advance of games for the past few years and it has been the single greatest thing that's helped our sessions keep momentum.

I've been hand-drawing them from reference maps. Trouble is, I found very few generic wilderness-style maps in my Dungeon mag collection (going back to 2001 or so).

I don't have the budget to invest hundreds in WotC map tiles or Paizo Flip-Mats.

Any ideas?

Check out PyMapper.

[thenovalord]

ite easy to come up with lots of RE ideas, but keeping them fresh on the same old battlemat isnt

we know all pay £1 each per session as 'subs'.

this has enabled us to buy lots of flipmats/map packs