Ever needed to find something in the deep of the woods? (encounter table)

[Ruslan]

The party must find a certain destination in the deep of the forest. Rather than create a detailed map of the forest with locations, I created a loose set of encounters the party may go through. So, here goes:

For each hour for searching the woods, roll 1d6. This roll has the following modifiers:


Add the highest Survival modifier of any party member
Add the highest Investigation modifier of any party member
Add +1 for each encounter successfully dealt with
Add +2 if the party has the map obtained from the Goblins (see random encounter #1)
Add +1 if the party peacefully negotiated with the Druid (see random encounter #2)
Subtract -2 if the party met with the competing adventuring party (see random encounter #3) and are using their fake map


On a result of 20 or higher, the party find their destination. Otherwise, roll 1d12 for a random encounter. All encounters
start hostile unless noted otherwise. Encounters are balanced for a 6-person 2nd level party.


Goblin hunting party (1x Goblin Boss, 8x Goblin)
Druid and his pets (1x Druid, 4x Vine Blight). Starting attitude is neutral, unless PCs damage the forest or its inhabitants.
Competing adventuring party (6x Thug). Rather than fight the party, want to thwart them. Have a fake map they will be glad to share.
Mounted tribal scouts (4x Scout, 4x Worg). Territorial, do not pursue if the party flees.
Wizard's hut. The wizard is long dead, but his servants are keeping watch (6x assorted Animated Object)
Stirge swarm attack (16x Stirge)
Wolf pack attack (10x Wolf)
Ancient graveyard (4x Specter or 1x Ghoul + 8x Zombie, equal chance of each)
Cavern of luminescent mushrooms (6x Myconid adult)
Arachnid ambush (1x Ettercap, 1x Giant Spider, 3x Giant Wolf Spider)
Skill challenge - physical (ravine, cliff, slippery rocks, raging river, etc)
Skill challenge - mental (runes, magical trap, illusions, clues, etc)





Assuming the party has someone with +4 Survival and someone with +4 Investigation, they will (very likely) find their destination after between 5 and 10 encounters.

Let me know what you think. And feel free to share your own encounter tables!

[ChildofLuthic]

I definitely like the idea behind it. It looks like way less work than trying to map something out, definitely, and the mechanics look elegant enough.

For my own forests, I'd probably have to refluff some things or rewrite them. But honestly I'm stealing the **** out of this and putting it in my DMing folder.

[MrStabby]

Are the results supposed to be with or without replacement? I.e. if you come across the druid as an encounter can he randomly come up again (and count towards your bonuses a second time for finding your objective)?

Personally I wouldn't use the random table for encounters. The success/fail aspect is fine though.

Instead I would try and work out what aspects of the forest describe it's character and then just run through them in sequence:

1) You observe a shadowy form following you at a distance through the trees - if they approach it slips away

2) Spiders

3) The shadowy form is closer - it appears to be some kind of large serpent, although it disappears in bright sunlight

4) spiders and shadows

5) A corpse found perfectly preserved but wearing clothes of a style that went out of fashion 40 years ago. On a chain round their neck is a thin silver ring with a small saphire embedded in it

6) The form following the party attacks - it retreats when it takes 50% damage

7) Evil treant/blights

8) Blights/shadows

9) a glade with a small pool in the middle of it. If the players approach the pool they are overcome by a feeling of dread. They must pass a wisdom test to approach the pool - if they reach the edge then they a banshee emerges and attacks

10) Shadows+the shadowy creature returns

and so on... Intersperse some plot or otherwise into the list. By going through in order you get to build up intensity and allow certain things to be expected to follow others. That is my preference anyway.

[Ruslan]

Are the results supposed to be with or without replacement? I.e. if you come across the druid as an encounter can he randomly come up again (and count towards your bonuses a second time for finding your objective)?
This is a fair point. If you think it doesn't make sense for an encounter to happen more than once, just add "This encounter only occurs once. If rolled a second time, reroll". Or alternatively, "if rolled a second time treat as no encounter". Whatever works.

[ChildofLuthic]

I mean some of them could happen again.

"You see those spiders again, but that map you got said you should be close. They do look familiar though."

"That druid you bonded with a while ago runs into you. He tells you that map that those adventurers have you might not be as useful as you thought."

"You come across those jerks that gave you the fake map."

[Cespenar]

All in all looks pretty slick.

Still, I'd try to add even more different ways to deal with the more generic encounters like the already existing examples (#2 and #4).

-Ancient graveyard might have a piece of unholy artifact (though useless on its own) lodged in the middle, causing the dead to rise up.
-Goblin hunting party might be bought off or scared off.
-Stirge swarm might not attack if the characters don't get close to the cow they're draining right now.
-Arachnids may fear fire.

Etc.

[MBControl]

We play in a large map, and as of yet they party has no "fast travel" options, so unfortunately there is a lot of travelling right now.

We developed a simple travel table that included encounters, new locations, and big decisions. twice a day the scout would roll a straight d20. 1-3 was an encounter, of which I prepared a table of 100. 20 for Forest, Water, Mountain, Swamp, Artic. Encounters were difficult battles with a decent reward of some type (XP, coin, loot, companion). 4-5 had the Party find a new location on the map. I had a list of 20. These locations could be marked on the map and revisited if the party wanted to move on. These were generally easy or no battle, but set up plot points for later, or even properties the party could claim for their own. On a roll of 6 a moral dilemma would be presented to a party. Again a table of twenty options. The party could fight, negotiate, save one side or the other, steal or not steal. These choices were often not difficult, and rewards ranged from great to very bad. Again, great for future stories. Creating friends and enemies.

I do replace encounters once they have been used.

[Fishyninja]

OP.....can I use this idea?

I think it is really well thought out and it can make something as mundane as travel a little more exciting!

[JellyPooga]

This list needs more Fey in it.

- A pair of Dryads, their trees entwined. Angered by the party blundering through their domain, they try to charm a couple of the party to get them to leave. If they don't, they'll happily attack, trying to drive off the intruders rather than kill. When you hit one, the other appears to suffer (permanent Warding Bond effect between them). Add Beast "allies" to suit CR.

- A Green Hag lurking in a dank cave; do the party explore? If so, they encounter a charming young Elf woman who points them in the wrong direction. She then proceeds to trail the party, invisible and traceless, spoiling their rations, extinguishing their campfires and generally making a nuisance of herself until discovered or the party succumb to despair.

- A small army of Sprites unleash an ambush; dozens of poisoned sleep arrows nettle the party from places of invisibility, dropping the weaker members of the party into a deep sleep before retreating, invisible.