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A random encounter exists backwards and forwards in time. Today I rolled a series of random encounters as my PCs went seeking the Lost Elk Temple. The first encounter was some Wolves, the PCs had a very high Survival check so I changed it to a non-combat encounter. They discovered some wolf tracks leading into the forest.
The party makes camp, so I ramp up the atmosphere by adding wolf howls over the night.
The next day the party headed into the forest, they fully explored their first hex (looking for monsters to slay mind you). So I rolled a Tatzlwyrm encounter. Decided that since they were in Area C, a Tatzlwyrm in a bear trap would make an interesting tactical encounter (injured and chained to a tree, it would have limited movement).
Two characters approached it, and offered to free it. Using their mighty thews, the PCs freed the Tatzlwyrm. Someone realised: "Hey we could have questioned it about the location of the temple."
So what followed was a chase scene. The party kept up pretty well with the injured Tatzlwyrm (though the priest tripped and injured himself falling over unseen root. The dwarven cavalier caught up in one round on Horseback (Low Obstacle check but RIDICULOUSLY high Movement Check). Having cut off the Tatzlwyrm from escape, they attempted to bribe it with healing, the creature would have none of it. It leapt at the throat of the cleric. The party quickly dispatched it.
Then stabilized it. Then healed it.
Then interrogated it for information about the temple (it gave the location). Unsure of what to do with the Tatzlwyrm, the new fighter slaughtered it.
The characters met up with Tyg-Titter-Tut and Perlivash, got them boozed up and grabbed as much info as they could.
The river was overflowing with recent rains and the party decided to cross at the empty bandit camp rather than head straight to the temple. On the way there I rolled a werewolf encounter. It was daytime (and remembering the earlier wolf encounter) I decided to do something a little different.
"In the middle of the rushing river a man holds on to a rock for dear life."
The party spent some time with rope, failed swim checks and a couple of strength checks to eventually pull the man out.
Me: "He's shivering, but glad to be alive."
Doc (Dwarf Cavalier): "Is he one of the bandits we exiled. Wait, easy way to check, I look on his back for a brand."
Me: "You see no brand, but there is a vicious bite wound that appears to have scarred over."
Inquisitor's eyes widen, Cleric soon follows the idea. He hands the man some clothes to surreptitiously use his "Lore Keeper" ability (clever). His score is enough to know the man is an afflicted lycanthrope, beyond the point of curing.
All of a sudden that first night of wolves makes sense.
Poor guy just thought he had a BIG bachelor party.
Awesome creative DMing.
That is a great example of how to do random encounters. Just because you have to roll on the table doesn't mean it's an automatic combat.
Nicely done!
My virtual (Fantasy Grounds) dice like my party for some reason and have so far only had one random encounter for some 30-40+ rolls, so I'm leaning towards just deciding on some encounters in various hexes.
Poor Tatzlwyrm... If they let it go once, why didn't they just do it again?
Anyway, very nicely done handling the random encounters. I will have to keep this in mind when doing my random encounters.
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Poor Tatzlwyrm... If they let it go once, why didn't they just do it again?
Anyway, very nicely done handling the random encounters. I will have to keep this in mind when doing my random encounters.
I'm running this campaign with 12 players, so sometimes the teams are not as cohesive a one would expect. Half the party wanted to let the 'wyrm go, the cleric wanted revenge (the Tatz brought him to -1 hp). The cavalier and inquisitor wanted to let it go. The summoner didn't care, the bard was for letting it go (it attacked because it was cornered) and while the party were discussing this, the fighter leaped from the fallen log he had run up during the chase and landed on the Tatz sword first.
This is the second time that somebody has done killed a prisoner without the permission of the party.
They've realized they are going to have to make laws to govern themselves before they can govern the Stolen Lands.
I like the recurring themes that are coming up.
I'm running this campaign with 12 players...
Ouch!
I'm running this campaign with 12 players
Suddenly the haggard and worn-out look of your avatar makes sense ;)
I'm running this campaign with 12 players,
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
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It's not so bad. I split the party into two groups of 6, each is given a Quest (usually using a wanted poster or NPC). Group splits itself up depending on interest/availability and i run each group on alternate weeks. Once both quests close i open up two new quests, the party mixes and matches again. Party roles in my kingmaker toolbox takes the onus off me to keep track of what leads the players find interesting. As to the conflict, the party is trying to resolve that now.