In the old days, you couldn’t get a pre-made module that didn’t have at least one random encounter chart, usually several.  In 4^th edition, the trend seems to be heading the opposite direction.

I think that a solid understanding of what a random encounter does will help you decide how to include them into your game, if at all.

First the Cons

• They generally serve no purpose for the story.
• They cause fluctuations in XP and treasure.  Usually the party gets XP but no treasure.  Too much of this sort of thing makes for game imbalances.
• They cause Party Wipe.  All too often the random nature of the encounter produces something too powerful at the wrong time.
• They use up party resources which can lead to either Party Wipe, character death, or game imbalances because the party’s single use resources (potions & scrolls) are used up before their time.
• If used in conjunction with random treasures, you can (and often do) get too much treasure or totally useless treasure.

 Then the Pros

• You don’t have to plan ahead for them, so it can save you time.
• They fill session time when the party decides to go somewhere you hadn’t planned on.
• They can be used to boost XP if the party has more treasure than their level suggests they need.
• They can be used to kill off annoying characters.
• They can be used to boost treasure if the party doesn’t have enough.

 In general I never use truly random encounters.  I ignore the tables.  However I do use pseudo-random encounters all the time.  I make up a few extra encounters when planning for a session.  These are always the same level as the dungeon encounters I expect (or hope) the PC’s will find, and either have equivalent treasure or no treasure. 

Here are the situations I use them for.

• The PC’s are heading to the dungeon and will eventually get to the dungeon, but not this session, and they need a combat to get them moving.  In this case I will remove the first dungeon encounter from the campaign.  If there was a treasure with that encounter I will usually leave it in the dungeon to be found next session (though there is nothing to stop you from handing it out now).
• The PC’s will never reach the dungeon and the dungeon encounters I have prepared simply make no sense whatsoever where they are now.  For example, the only dungeon encounter I have left is a gelatinous cube and they are in a forest.  See more on encounter swapping here.
• Somebody pissed me off and I’m in a vindictive mood.  So I hit them with an extra encounter while they are trying to rest and gang up on the jerk who took a bite out of my chocolate cupcake.

You can find more information about this technique on my encounter swapping article.

 Hope these ideas help, and as always have fun!

Welcome back to Dungeons and Dragons Corner.

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This encounter is designed as a level 8 encounter as a tough challenge for a 5^th level party.  The treasure listed with the encounter card is for a level 5 party.  You could easily substitute in a treasure packet of any level appropriate for your party.  The encounter, of course is generic enough to be dropped into any campaign, or used as a random encounter.

The orcs here are led by their leader Hard Fang, an old, scarred orc who has trained his followers in the use of the trident.  Hard Fang has spent years developing his gang, and favors hit and run tactics.  Because of his vast experience, Hard Fang has learned patience, and to wear his enemies down.  His followers, however, are prone to fits of rage and sometimes ignore his commands.

Hard Fang has no problem using muscle from any race, and has brought a pair of gnolls into his group. 

The setup for this encounter involves an ambush for unwary prey.  Everyone in the group is familiar with the terrain and they try to remain mobile, engaging their foes only from superior positions.  The melee combatants do their best to draw the enemies into a position where they can be fired upon easily.

• Hard Fang Orc Chieftain (700 xp) level 8 elite brute
• 3 Orc Forkman (200 xp) level 5 brutes
• 2  Gnoll Huntmasters (200 xp) level 5 artillery

You can download the encounter card here.  You can find all of the associated cards on the downloads page.  And if you need more information about how to use encounter cards, there is an article here.

I suggest using the blades camp map from Faiths of Eberron, available from the Wizards of the Coast, though you should definitely choose a map of your liking.

Hard Fang will have blocked off at least one of the entrances to try to force any enemies into the area to the west where he can use cover for his archers. 

Hope this provides some inspiration.

As always, enjoy the game!

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Telling the story in a role-playing setting is tricky business.  When you pick up a book, you understand that the author is in complete control.  You will go where she takes you and have no control over any of the action or characters.

The DM/Player relationship is not the same as an Author/Reader relationship.  Some of the same principles apply, and some are completely different.

The elements of a good story include (but are not limited to):

• An interesting plot
• Memorable, multi-dimensional characters
• Interactions between those characters

 We’ll get to plot in a minute.

By definition Dungeons and Dragons and pretty much any other role-playing game will have characters.  If the people you play with are as much fun as the people I play with then those characters will be memorable.

But the players are only a handful of characters in a rich world that can have dozens even millions of characters.  As a DM you have to make those characters memorable.  This means giving them personality and depth.  Does that innkeeper just automatically bring what is ordered or does he do it with a snarl?  Is he racist against elves?  Is he in love with dragonborn?  Does that shopkeeper always talk that way or are those allergies?  Why does she keep a vase of violets on the counter?

Once the characters are interesting, they have to interact with the players.  This interaction can be physical, verbal, emotional, etc.  Don’t be afraid to spend time dialoguing with the players in-persona.  Don’t be afraid to avoid a combat altogether so that the cowardly goblins can back out of a combat.  If everyone the bad guys all jump to the attack and the good guys all act as money-changers the game can grow stale quickly.

The players will remember the story element of that goblin who talked his way out of a fight long after they kill his buddies.

Finally, a word on plot.  Plot is far less important in a role-playing setting than in a novel or short story.  If you have interesting characters and interesting interactions, the thinnest of plot lines will engage your group for hours.  In fact, some of the least memorable and least interesting sessions happen when the DM tries to bury the players in the plot rather than letting them grow into the story.

Have a great game!

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