In Here There Be Monsters and Tides of Dread; there is a lot of traveling on the island with lots of potential for random encounters. Now, Isle of Dread should be dangerous, and we want to emphasis the traveling part of the trip but.... random encounters are boring.
How do you keep the danger but lose the boredom? Maybe rather than just fighting a random monster, you need a set encounter to use when it is "random monster" time. An encounter that is a bit more interesting? Anybody have some of those?
You could roll up some of the random encounters ahead of time and then flesh them out, add a bit of sub plot etc. Then just drop them in when needed.
This is more or less what I do with Random encounters as I agree that just rolling randomly and then having a fight does not really have enough impact to hold my groups attention. Even here I'd go easy on the random encounters, its not like there is a shortage of things to kill in the AP. Generally better to spend game time with scripted encounters. In my experience maybe one in four combat encounters turns out to be something somewhat special and really fun. Chances of hitting the jackpot from a random encounter is pretty low so I'd mostly just avoid them.
Same here - although I rather draw them up and link them to certain locations or areas. If the players go there, things happen.
Usually I pick something that will fit the athmosphere of the location, or arather the athmosphere I want to instill.
On my Isle, that meant a bunch of dinosaurs and very dangerous plant-life. Shambling Mounds, evil trees, (templated) assassin vines and a lot of home brew stuff like dagger grass etc.
Leeches (giant and swarms both) have grown into a major nuisance and wildly despised life-form hereabouts, hehe.
Mechanically, I usually threw one or two obstacles at the group for every day of inland travelling/exploration - often enough something like an impassable terrain piece (spiderweb-filled groves, boggy ground, gulleys and downs filled with mosquito swarms etc... or something alive crossing their path.
I do something similar. I have 4 encounters pre-set up (one below the party's CR, two at and one above). I have four 'skill' encounters (swim, climb, balance etc.). Finally I add four flavor encounters, (a colorful lizard, slimy rocks, howling monkeys, a tree shaped like hyundai, etc.). Yes this in an attempt to get the lonely d12 some more action.
If they roll something twice (pirates burying treasure in the sand for example) they will see an empty encounter (a sandy beach with a deeply dug hole). I have at least one pirate encounter too. We were expecting more pirates in the ST. There will likely be more critter encounters on the island proper, but we are not their yet.
In the past I have used the d12 for the number of hours/rounds until they roll a random encounter.
Party: we break camp
Me: roll d12 (7), about an hour after lunch the smell of sulfur is gut-wretchingly strong....
Nice suggestions so far! Thanks!
A slightly related question: Can the "compleat encounter: throne of the gorrilla king" be used as a random encounter/side trek on the isle?
Except for the product description (so few lines...) I don't know the product. Has anyone some experience with this?
Hagor
In Here There Be Monsters and Tides of Dread; there is a lot of traveling on the island with lots of potential for random encounters. Now, Isle of Dread should be dangerous, and we want to emphasis the traveling part of the trip but.... random encounters are boring. How do you keep the danger but lose the boredom? Maybe rather than just fighting a random monster, you need a set encounter to use when it is "random monster" time. An encounter that is a bit more interesting? Anybody have some of those?
It's all about pre-framing random encounters. Each random encounter shouldn't be rolled at the time of the encounter, but rolled prior with a little bit of flavor thrown in at the BEGINNING of each adventure in the form of rumors..a lost item..something.
For example:
The party is on their way to the island and one old sailor talks about roving schools of Kopru around the ships, being led by one really nasty red-speared berzerk Kopru who knows a secret to the island.
When it comes to T-rex, perhaps there's a rumor of one group of T-rexeses' that have a strange marking on them..but you can't see it without getting REALLY CLOSE..if you find those T-rexeseses' you could follow them back to their lair and find a T-tt't't'reasure. Or it could be a WARNING that there will be encounters that you don't dare take-on becasue "whole bands were wiped out..no really..no, this isn't just the locals trying to scare you..this is the DM talking..you see this..you run...) ;)
Random on the spot monsters are boring. Random monsters that you've had a chance to throw in some previous flavor can be very useful. Personally, that's what I think is missing from random encounter charts..not details about the actual encounter..but the rumors beforehand that need to be seeded in the players' minds.
jh
I like the idea of just trying to make it more interesting than a straight up fight. Here are some ideas fleshed out, stealing from above:
-- The Ole' Log Over the Chasm --
A 150' deep chasm blocks the PCs route. Conveniently, a large log has fallen over the chasm and the PCs can use that to cross. The log/chasm is 120' across, balance DC 16, miss by 5 indicates a fall, Ref save DC15 to grab a branch else fall in the chasm.
To complicate matters, a group of Pteranodon (page 47) is flying in the area (Spot DC14). If anyone is visible on the log for three rounds or more (it takes 4 rounds with successful balance checks to cross the log), they draw the attention of the Thunder Flyers who will swoop in on round three for a flyby attack (another balance check if hit).
-- Beast in Need --
PCs hear the cries of an animal in trouble. If they investigate they find an Ankylosaurus whose front quarters are firmly gripped by a tendriculos. Nature PCs may want to help the poor beast which means killing the tendiculos. To complicate matters, the A's tail is still free and randomly attacks anyone within range as it swings about.
-- Quick, Everybody Hide! --
The PCs here loud sounds crashing through the trees and bellows of terror heading in their direction. A quartet of Allosaurus are pursuing a Parasaurolophus. The PCs have 4 rounds before the creatures will be in site. If the Allosaurus manage to spot the PCs, they'll break off the chase for this smaller prey.
-- Stumbling Into Trouble --
Pushing aside some brush, the PCs suddenly find themselves on the edge of a small clearing where a group of Allosaurus are feeding on a recent kill. If the PCs can move away without the animals hearing them, they can avoid a fight.
-- Ants, Ants Everywhere --
Walking along, minding their own business, the ground below the PCs give way depositing the PCs into tunnels being worked by formians. PCs battle the formian worked and a few formian guards.
This draws the attention of, and angers, the queen who sends out a taskmaster and group of warriors to hunt down the intruders.
-- Cool Enough Monsters --
Some monsters are cool enough that a straight up fight with them can be interesting. Monsters that are cool enough from the mainland random table:
Roc
1d6 Wyvern
1d6 Large Scorpion
Huge Scorpion
Bullywugs (Can reuse the ones from issue 140)
Other Cool Enough:
Swarm of 12 giant praying mantis
Trolls
Digester could sub for the dinosaur that spits?
Tendriculos (Though there seems to be a lot of grapple/swallow whole monsters)
Centipede Swarm