[D&D 4e] Need suggestions for random encounter table (Dark Sun)

[KillianHawkeye]

Okay everyone, I've just begun DMing a 4E Dark Sun campaign, and I decided to play up the danger of traveling across the wastes by crafting a good, old-fashioned random encounter table!

Anyway, to help narrow down the contenders ('cause I'm liable to include just about everything if I do it myself), I'm asking for suggestions for what should be on it. It can be anything from wandering monsters to groups of humanoid bandits to extreme weather to friendly (or not so friendly) NPCs. Since I am thinking of making subtables for some of the various terrain types, please note if the creature or phenomenon is restricted to a certain area. Please also include the source book (page number not required).


Examples:

Bulette (Monster Manual) - pretty much anywhere but dust sinks
Cockatrice (Monster Manual 2) - grasslands, mud flats, or rocky badlands
Grimlocks (Monster Manual) - only underground
The Dragon (DS Creature Catalog) - anywhere and everywhere
etc.



(Note that rolling a particular monster doesn't mean my players will necessarily fight that creature. I'm not putting them up against the Dragon just because I roll 00. In that case, they'd just see it flying in the distance or something. But since Athas is a dangerous place, I want my players to know that they CAN meet something they're not prepared to deal with.)

Thanks!

[dsmiles]

Belgoi? Did they bring those back for 4e Darksun? They were pretty awesome.
How about packs of feral, cannibal halflings?
Silt Striders?

Siltstorms? Heat Lightning? Lightning is pretty common in deserts.

[KillianHawkeye]

Yeah, Belgoi are in the Creature Catalog. That is one creepy looking dude!

[mobdrazhar]

Enviromental effects are always something good to put into it for DS as it means they will have to prepare for the world turnig against them and not just the creatures.

[KillianHawkeye]

So nobody wants to help me? I need specific suggestions.

[dsmiles]

I don't have Dark Sun, and gave everything I knew from 2e. Sorry.
How about The Walker in the Wastes?
Personally, I like the packs of feral, cannibal halflings, just like in 2e.

[kc0bbq]

Unless you intend to be a little loose with canon I'd avoid using The Dragon at even a 1% rate. He doesn't get out much, he's got stuff to do. When you want a big flying thing to keep PCs in their place, sand rays are good enough.

Desert flavored giants are good choices, you can refluff anything from the MMs if you don't see one you like in the DS creature book. Lots of opportunites for drakes (and if you want an epic fight with a drake, take the intelligence off a D&D dragon and refluff it slightly). Heck, using the guidelines from the end of the creature book for refluffing existing D&D monsters you should be enough to fill a table a few times over.

Anything can be made insect- or lizard-like, or just plain awesome.

[KillianHawkeye]

Unless you intend to be a little loose with canon I'd avoid using The Dragon at even a 1% rate. He doesn't get out much, he's got stuff to do. When you want a big flying thing to keep PCs in their place, sand rays are good enough.

I'm not really familiar with any canon that isn't included in the RPG books. I haven't read the novels, and I haven't played Dark Sun in 2E. I was under the impression that the Dragon appears periodically to get his payment of slaves from the city-states. Creature Catalog notes that when he is encountered outside his home city, he usually never bothers to bring minions along.

And yes, I know I can refluff creatures to fit into the desert climate. The point of this thread is to get help (with specific suggestions) so I don't have to do it all myself. Because I am busy making characters for half the group and typing up a list of each character's powers so they don't have to look them up in the book every time we get into combat.

If I have to do the whole thing myself, I will, but I was hoping to at least get to a starting point with a little help from the playground.

[dsmiles]

Or Belgoi. If they're half as creepy as in 2e, they'll keep your players busy for a while.

[KillianHawkeye]

Or Belgoi. If they're half as creepy as in 2e, they'll keep your players busy for a while.

Yes......... you already mentioned them.

Anything else?

[dsmiles]

Walker in the Wastes?
Silt Striders?
Sand Rays?
Sand Storms?
Lightning Storms?
Renegade Templars?
Defilers?
Elven Raiders?
Mul Bandits?

[Zen Monkey]

Elven nomads
A Mul slave revolt at a stone quarry
Thri-Kreen
A giant antlion sand trap

[Loren]

Stoney Barrens
die roll creature
2 Gai
3 Bulette
4 Roc
5 Genie, dao
6 Ankheg
7 Wyvern
8 Basilisk, lesser
9 Spider, huge
10 Gith
11 ettercap/ behir
12 Centipede, giant
13 Beatle, boring
14 Baazrag
15 Tembo
16 Braxat
17 Bat, huge
18 Ettin
19 Basilisk, greater
20 ant. swarm

Sandy Wastes
2 Genie, djinn
3 Basilisk, dracolisk
4 spotted lion
5 lizard, miotaur
6 wasp
7 snake, giant constrictor
8 snake, constrictor
9 sandling
10 elves/git
11 kank
12 scorpion, huge
13 slaves
14 inix
15 anakore
16 jozhal
17 spider, phase
18 centipede, megalo-
19 yuan-ti
20 dragonne

[KillianHawkeye]

Alright, this looks like a good start. Thanks everyone.

[Kaun]

Escaped Slaves
Merchant caravans
Tri Keen Raiding party