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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 5, 2022 12:16:52 GMT -6
I'm going to be running a more long form OD&D Science Fantasy campaign, and I've been playing around with the random encounter tables. I rolled on the "Clear" section of the Wilderness, and I rolled six random encounters on the charts in The U&WA. I just wanted to see how dangerous things could be. Holy cow.
Encounter 1: Patriarch (8th Level Cleric) with 9 retainers.
Encounter 2: 19 Werewolves.
Encounter 3: Superhero (8th Level Fighter) with 5 retainers.
Encounter 4: 3 Balrogs
Encounter 5: Evil High Priest with 4 retainers.
Encounter 6: 11 Apes (may assumed to be giant or carnivorous).
So be careful out there folks!
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 5, 2022 12:18:55 GMT -6
This makes clear the need for varied encounter reactions. Who knows? Maybe the Evil High Priest will be friendly.  |
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Post by sirclarence on Jul 6, 2022 0:45:31 GMT -6
Three balrogs wandering about in the wild? You better come up with a good story for that!  |
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Post by Quantomoo2 on Jul 6, 2022 6:29:30 GMT -6
All I can say is make sure everyone is familiar with the rules for wilderness evasion, because those look right scary!
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Post by jamesmishler on Jul 6, 2022 9:59:19 GMT -6
Ages ago at Gen Con I attended a seminar given by the guys behind The Companions. It was called, "You turn the corner and you encounter six Balrogs!" It was all about creating a realistic setting using their Islandia setting as an example.
I still have my notes from that seminar. It had a major influence on my wilderness designs.
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Post by tetramorph on Jul 6, 2022 14:00:44 GMT -6
This makes clear the need for varied encounter reactions. Who knows? Maybe the Evil High Priest will be friendly. :) Yes, this is really important. When I announce a random encounter, the players often groan. I remind them that many encounters are good. They may find a unicorn. Or a flerd of griffons. Or hippogriffs. They may run into an army -- of elves who would love to recruit their aid in freeing their fairy princess from some evil kidnapper. That patriarch are probably going to be pretty helpful with knowledge. He/she may even be able to give them fair warning about the EHP and balrogs so that the characters can hide/survive. Maybe the patriarch will even stick around to help. Maybe the superhero has come to meet the patriarch to lend aid. Maybe they are asking for their help because they are being chased! What you have rolled up looks like fun times for all from my POV. Fight on! |
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bobjester0e
Level 4 Theurgist
DDO, DCC, or more Lost City map work? Oh, the hardship of making adult decisions! ;)
Posts: 182 
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Post by bobjester0e on Jul 7, 2022 9:10:38 GMT -6
Those 3 balrogs are on their way to decimate the nearby keep controlled by a Lawful Lord, and loosely allied with the EHP even though they're on separate missions.
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noteef
Level 3 Conjurer
Posts: 52
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Post by noteef on Jul 7, 2022 10:11:00 GMT -6
Really shows the power of the random tables for that stretch/hex of wilderness. So many different options and ways to proceed with those results.
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Post by retrorob on Jul 7, 2022 16:45:13 GMT -6
Random Reactions, Surprise and Evasion/Pursuit rules are crucial for the Wilderness Encounter mechanics. My players often declare that they try to avoid all encounters. And if they can't evade, there is always a reaction roll. At the end they fight only if they haven't been able to evade, the reaction was negative and they got caught by the pursuit. Here is where the movement & distance rules come in. This game turns deadly and simply boring if there will be a fight every time PC encounter something into the wild. Live to fight another day, they say.
With that being said, I truly regret that Gary removed the original Wilderness Encounters from THE OUTDOOR SURVIVAL game. I mean, all these natural hazards, lose food, lose water and so on.
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Post by tombowings on Jul 8, 2022 0:00:35 GMT -6
You can always add them back in. Eventually, I'll need get around to looking at OUTDOOR SURVIVAL. I've been getting the impression that it's a more valuable resource than CHAINMAIL in some ways.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jul 8, 2022 3:16:51 GMT -6
Eventually, I'll need get around to looking at OUTDOOR SURVIVAL. I've been getting the impression that it's a more valuable resource than CHAINMAIL in some ways. Yes; you'll want to look at it. No; OS is a very narrow, specific input compared to CM's broad influence. |
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Post by rsdean on Jul 10, 2022 3:53:31 GMT -6
Ages ago at Gen Con I attended a seminar given by the guys behind The Companions. It was called, "You turn the corner and you encounter six Balrogs!" It was all about creating a realistic setting using their Islandia setting as an example. I still have my notes from that seminar. It had a major influence on my wilderness designs. I attended at least one seminar with those guys; must have been Origins ‘84 or so. They could definitely put on a talk. I ended up on a long path digging into economic and agricultural history after that, although not much of it has found its way back into my gaming… |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2022 8:49:31 GMT -6
Those 3 balrogs are on their way to decimate the nearby keep controlled by a Lawful Lord, and loosely allied with the EHP even though they're on separate missions. Or maybe they got summoned by accident or got lost in a dungeon on another plane and stepped on a teleportation circle by accident. Maybe they're not even up to no good but they're lost, confused and angry. |
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flightcommander
Level 6 Magician
"I become drunk as circumstances dictate."
Posts: 370
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Post by flightcommander on Jul 10, 2022 22:39:48 GMT -6
Flerd is the word That you heard Our friend use For a conclave of griffons 🎶 |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2022 6:05:55 GMT -6
Those winged wretches should griff-0FF my lawn.
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Post by dicebro on Jul 11, 2022 20:03:54 GMT -6
The Balrogs are new in town and thought they’d host a friendly little BBQ.
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skars
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 407
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Post by skars on Aug 1, 2022 19:12:17 GMT -6
3 Balrogs wander into a bar...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2022 14:08:12 GMT -6
3 Balrogs wander into a bar... They feel pretty confident until three Wizards stroll in. |
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Post by Porphyre on Aug 4, 2022 13:59:25 GMT -6
Three balrogs wandering about in the wild? You better come up with a good story for that! Looks like a Middle-Earth campaign set in the First Age ... |
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Post by doublejig2 on Aug 4, 2022 15:05:42 GMT -6
The first balrog says to the second one, "You're not Gothmog"!
The second ones say, "We've got elves to slay!"
The third says, "The boss isn't here. What's the Hurin?"
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2022 7:57:54 GMT -6
Three balrogs wandering about in the wild? You better come up with a good story for that! Looks like a Middle-Earth campaign set in the First Age ... "Pardon me, young man, do you know where Gondolin is located perchance? Young man? Where are you going? He ran away..." |
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Post by Mordorandor on Oct 17, 2022 11:19:03 GMT -6
I'm going to be running a more long form OD&D Science Fantasy campaign, and I've been playing around with the random encounter tables. I rolled on the "Clear" section of the Wilderness, and I rolled six random encounters on the charts in The U&WA. I just wanted to see how dangerous things could be. Holy cow. Encounter 1: Patriarch (8th Level Cleric) with 9 retainers. Encounter 2: 19 Werewolves. Encounter 3: Superhero (8th Level Fighter) with 5 retainers. Encounter 4: 3 Balrogs Encounter 5: Evil High Priest with 4 retainers. Encounter 6: 11 Apes (may assumed to be giant or carnivorous). So be careful out there folks! A feature of Wilderness play being an add-on to the game, after/once players had enough dungeon adventures and wanted to know "what's over those hills over there," so it was higher level players who went out into the Wilderness. Absolutely +1 on ensuring players understand the style of Wilderness play vs Underworld play. |
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