RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLES AS ADVENTURE RAM: Adding “Memory” To Encounter Checks

artist: Stefan Poag

What if we design the random encounter table to function as computer RAM- to store short-term information/change without having to dig into the module or track on another sheet? This is a space for innovation given that the random encounter table is one of the three most DM-referenced tables in an adventure outside of the dungeon map and the room keys. 

Now let me back up a minute to explain how this arose. A dungeon I am working is a wizard’s home in a barrow that was subjected to a magical explosion. Some areas of the dungeon are cracked and falling, especially the entrance, which is cracked, slumped and in danger of collapse. Traditional ways of handling this might be:

1. The entrance is a trap. Rocks fall, hireling (or PC) dies- too cheap, too sudden

2. The entrance can collapse right when PCs enter the first room of the dungeon- eh, too haunted house

3. The entrance collapses after the first exit from the dungeon- too delayed requires remembering

Then I thought, “What if the entrance collapse is an event on the random encounter table?” That seems to have potential because it permanently changes the dungeon, but I don’t know it will occur. But this could also still invoke #2. Okay, so let’s put a countdown clock on the random encounter table. I can just check off circles until the entrance collapses until then its a free breather for the PCs. Again, the dungeon changes which is interesting, but I’m not having to track it or review it in the next session prep outside of what I’m already looking at at during play. Here’s a basic example:

BASIC (RAM)DOM ENCOUNTER TABLE: Crypt of the Orc Hole Level 1

1. 1d6+2 Skeleton Orcs

2. 1d6 Zombie Grave Makers

3. 1d6 Hobgoblin Desecrators

4. 2d8 Stirge Throat Lovers

5. 2d4 Robber Fly Defilers

6. Unstable Entrance in Rm #1 (_)(_)(collapse!)

But then I started to wonder if there was a place for factional activity, patrols, and/or other permanent states that operate in a local area (the dungeon). Or permanent events that impact during the shorter time frame the dungeon is played that are natural extensions of play and player choice? 

Let me explore this idea first before considering this “RAM” idea in light of the overloaded encounter die (i.e. “dungeon weather”) and faction turns which are two other popular ways of tracking change for dungeon campaigns. I will revamp the table above by adding another change in the dungeon (black) and adding a factional event in two places (gold):

EXPERT (RAM)DOM ENCOUNTER TABLE: Crypt of the Orc Hole Level 1

1. 1d6+2 Skeleton Orcs

2. 1d6 Zombie Grave Makers

3. 4 Hobgoblin Desecrators continue to loot crypts, increase #, & gain treasure:
   (_)+1, +150gp (_)+2, +300gp (_) +3, +600gp (_) leave Crypt

4. 2d8 Stirge Throat Lovers

5. 2d4 Robber Fly Defilers

6. Unstable Entrance in Rm #1 (_)(_)(collapse!)

7. Leaning Statue of Ishtar Rm #15 (_)(_)(falls! Bridge to Room #23)

8. 2d4 Kobold Sappers, mercenaries (_)(_)(_) creates additional hallways trap

Alright, so we have a more dynamic encounter table, but entries are a little ambiguous. Is the intent that a check-mark occurs AND an encounter in the case of factions (#3 & #8)? And does nothing happen on a roll of a dungeon event (#6 & #7)? Let’s move these events into the “Random Encounter Check” procedure in lieu of the precise “Random Encounter Table”. I don’t think you are really creating any more work for yourself and it is simple enough to have a column or sheet listing both. Rarely are random encounter tables so extensive they might preclude a modified check procedure. Here is our example reformatted a third time:

COMPANION (RAM)DOM ENCOUNTER TABLE: Crypt of the Orc Hole Level 1

Encounter Check

1. Encounter!

2. Spoor…

3. Hobgoblin Desecrators loot crypts: (_)+1, +150gp (_)+2, +300gp (_) +3, +600gp (_) leave Crypt

4. Kobold Sappers place additional hallway trap: (_)(_)(_)(_)Eat 3rd Breakfast in Room #7

5. Unstable Entrance in Rm #1 (_)(_)(collapse!)

6. Leaning Statue of Ishtar Rm #15 (_)(_)(falls! Bridge to Room #23)

Random Encounter Table

1. 1d6+2 Skeleton Orcs

2. 1d6 Zombie Grave Makers

3. 1d6 Hobgoblin Desecrators

4. 2d8 Stirge Throat Lovers

5. 2d4 Robber Fly Defilers

6. 1d6 Kobold Sappers

So how does this fit in the scene alongside of the overloaded encounter die, underclock, and overclock? In terms of the overloaded encounter die, the “COMPANION” table above quite similar, but the entries are endowed with “memory”. For instance, I could easily put “weather” events in there too: “SLIME BLOOMS: Green slime appears in the hallway outside the current room (_)(_)(_)”. For the overclock, there is a 6 x 6 grid that James uses to denote when a random encounter occurs, so one could easily place a mark for each faction or event in unused squares. Finally, in terms of the underclock, a “3” in this method causes a spoor or clue, similarly another number could be keyed to events so that when rolled or passed, a check is made on some event and the underclock ticks down.

What if I’m already using faction turns? Isn’t this the same thing? Faction turns are mostly an in-between session activity that is used to track campaign factions' operations on a world level. I view the mechanism here as more “faction actions”. Its a way to have different factions, here I mean relative to the dungeon and irrespective of the world, do things as the players are moving about. Returning to the central premise, it requires a memory of what the players are doing to employ effectively or generate real-time feed back. A more explicit example that could be added to the “COMPANION” table above could be: “* Special: Replace +2 with +4 to Skeleton Orcs if PC break 3 crypts open (_)(_)(_)”

In summary, I am not advocating here that designing the encounter tables with memory is superior to other methods of encounter table design, but more as an interesting alternative strategy. By endowing a table with memory I believe it can help increase the dynamism in a dungeon as well as provide feedback to players resulting from their actions inside the dungeon. This inturn helps create opportunity for more meaningful choices- the fuel for old-school play. As a reviewer pointed out, the method here provides an opportunity for story while other methods focus more on the “right now, in front of you”.

THE TROPICS OF CANCER: A Gygax 75 Minute Challenge

Preamble

Recently, I wanted to create a low-prep, dungeon-focused, easy-to-grok campaign to run online with my friends and family who've been asking to play some D&D. This is because my local Nightwick Abbey campaign, Where Hell Comes to Prey, is on hold due to one of the players having a new baby. But also because I've got an itch to play some OD&D versus my normal BX tendencies.

I was bouncing an idea off Gus L. of a strange island with weird dungeon entrances that has an active port ruled by an island lord sending out adventurers (I think in part because I rewatching Duneon Meshi).  I comment that perhaps it would be best for me to build this out by doing a 2025 Gygax 75 Challenge which I did back in 2022 yielding V'COSA. But Gus suggested a good twist: Instead of doing a section in a week, do a section in 1 hour, then revise later.

Why spend weeks doing something when you can do it in minutes? I find this especially attractive because often I've had RPG ideas grind to a halt because too much energy is poured in worrying about details the players might not (ever) see. 

The Gygax 75 (Minute) Challenge: The First 75 Minutes

Obtain a Notebook & Pick a System

I decided to use Google Docs because that would be easiest to share with people. In terms of system, I started to go with Delving Deeper or use some straight OD&D. But I settled for White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game. The simple reason being that if the campaign really got going it would be simple to send to everyone.

Bullet-point Pitch

• Selenia is an island that appeared ages ago on all the maps across the Atlantean Archipelago, regardless of age. This new land caused a rush of settlement from the low ranks of Atlantean nobility and higher ranks of the Atlantean guild class. For 100 years, the island was powerful, but calamity struck and the island was wiped clean by typhoons and earthquakes.

• Galleon is a city built by the descendants of gladiators, oarsmen, artisans, pirates, foreign dignitaries, and slaves who arrived on deserted Selenia not by choice but via a wrecked pleasure ship commissioned for Hecuba, the last citrinic queen. From its battered hull, ruined by a scylla which was defeated, the city of Galleon has arisen. The city has established itself as a distant, but resourceful and lucrative port in the Saphhire Sea through trading, privateering, and fishing

The palace ship of Hecuba

• Galleon is not alone, for another city was founded in the island’s interior from those who sought to escape their lot in life by the freedom the wreck brought- This is the Silent City. They are guided by the Amber Muse, a self-described voice of the island’s former queen Circe who studied the Atlantean ruins that dot the island. While smaller than Galleon, the city is made strong by the sorcery taught to the founders by the Muse. And like Galleon, the Silent City also has its share of distant travelers: lotus-nectared dreamers, traders from Leng, and a colony of cats from Ulthur.

• However, the sea has not remained neutral, and despite Galleon’s fleet and the Silent City’s sorcery, something is slipping forth from the dark waves and oceans of dream to wreak havoc. Bodies are left in displays of public augury, nightmares of a dark, cold, crushing benthic hell roll into Galleon in waves, and rumors speak of strange heirs born to the noble families

• This is an OD&D campaign set in a swords & sorcery realm where player classes are reinterpreted through a Greek-inspired lens in a low-metal, benthic-encoded world: gladiators (fighters), pirates (thieves), sorcerers (magic-users), augurites (clerics) of either the foreign, terrestrial god AZLN (sun, harvest, order, growth) or the cult of Circe (moon, sea, sky, chaos), or washed shore as sea-born (as elf)

 Sources of Inspiration

• In Brief: Clash of the Titans + Tortuga + Dagon
• TV/Film: Clash of the Titans & a little bit of Dungeon Meshi (and a bit of Black Flag)
• Writing: The essay The Putrescent Principle by Jonathan Newell & the Appendix N The Eldritch Roots of Dungeons and Dragons by Peter Bebergel
• Art: Nicole Duennebier & of the many famous paintings of myth
• Other OD&D Games: Hagfish Hall from Alice of Dungeon Dolls, Through Ultan’s Door by Ben L., Tomb Robbers of The Crystal Frontier by Gus L., "Classic" Nightwick by Miranda Elkins
• Misc: Curiosity Cabinets

Mood Board

Nicole Duennebier

‪

The prophet of Azln the Lion of Light defeats the scylla

Various Arenarii (as Fighter)

Circe, the first after the fall of the Atlaneans

I have completed all 5 parts in the past week so I'll be posting each 75 minute effort in the coming days.

NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People Session 112

 

If these horrid halls of Nightwick Abbey call to you, then please join Miranda Elkins' Patreon! 

I am so behind on my posting of Session 112 that my contralateral scribe has already beaten me to posting session 113 -Shame! Shame! Shame!

Blossom (Rogue 6)
Mayfly (Magician 6)
Liminal Space (Changeling 5)
Thekla (Magician 5)
Krupe (Cleric 5)
Poppy (Fighter 5)
Persnickety (Changling 1)
Zintra (Fighter 1)

AT THE MEDUSA'S HEAD...

The party decides that the best course of action this week is to (1) further out attempts to map Level 3, (2) destroy the King of Death, and (3) find more pieces of the gold skull (well at least Mayfly wants to do this).

...DOWN IN THE ABBEY...

• Twister: The party becomes disoriented after the Abbey has mysteriously rearranged itself, however, the stumbling around leads to the discovery of a barrel of sinfully good wine!
• Dubious Consultation: Mayfly pulls out the golden skull kept on his person and asks directions to the rest of its body parts; a direction is set, but the party decides to face off against Great Kind Death first
• A Will Not of His Own: This refusal to prioritize the golden skull's needs results in it possessing Mayfly, who proceeds to take the party on a chase through the dungeon and right across a pit trap! The fall injures Poppy and Liminal. The fall also kills Persnickity (RIP)
• Did I Miss Anything?: The party does recover another piece of the golden skeleton and all of a suddenly Mayfly snaps to... awkward...
• Hail to the King: With the Abbey taken its pound of flesh, the party eventually finds the throne room of Great King Death
• Flatfooted: Two lost initiatives put the party at a disadvantage, but the brave first-rank of Poppy and Liminal hold strong against the rending hands of the Blind Dead!
• FIREBALL x 2!: A third round brings renewed vigor as both magicians are able to cast fireball for a combined 47 points of damage; incinerating the Blind Dead and shattering the King

...RETURN TO TOWN

• Win Prizes: The PC are able to relieve the king of his very magical sword (yikes at almost behind hit by it), magical ring, and ~2000 sp in silver and goods (plus the wine)
• Each party member gains 1118XP each!

GERTRUDE & HER MAN-EATERS: Makings of Another Nightwick Villian

 

Gmork, Herald of the Nothing
But has a nice wolf-head with green cat eyes so this is how I think of the villains below

In a previous post, I discussed how I create variation in groups of cultists, and in another one, villains. Currently, there is one faction the party is most involved with, having unknowingly rescued their leader in a fit of charity. Once in the Abbey, the party realized it might have been better let the law of the land settle out. But at least they have a friend in Gertrude- sorta.

Gertrude & Her Man-Eaters

The party ran into Gertrude as a combination of "encounter: cultist", "surprised", and "reaction: indifferent". In this encounter, the party, perhaps feeling mighty with a new magic sword, told her to step out of the way or risk death. Such a command didn't sit well, so I rolled another reaction check, which came up "extort"- she demanded their gold skull. That started a fight and ended with the party handing over the gold skull and the corpses of two hirelings that were consumed. Yum.

Gertrude...

Here is what the basic cultist stats start as to demonstrate how I am reskinning and modifying this faction:
AC 9 [10], HD 1 (4hp), Att 1 x weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 19 [0], MV 120’ (40’), SV D13 W14 P15 B16 S17 (NH), ML 9 (12 with leader), AL Chaotic, XP 10, NA 2d6 (3d8), TT U

To the party, I described her as growing physically larger with a too broad grin from ear to ear. At this point, I don't want to quite make her a werewolf, but something that could eat a man. This change has resulted from her time in the Abbey and partaking in profane rites. I want to broadcast her ferocity so here's an opportunity borrow set of abilities from a great, but little used monster... the BX giant shrew.

Gertrude AC 13 (bloody shroud), HD 2+1 (10hp), Att 2x bite (1d6 ea.), THAC0 18[+1], MV 180' 60', SV F2, ML 9, AL Chaotic

• Ferocity: Always win initiative in the round of their first attack. +1 to initiative in the round of their second attack. Roll separate initiative.
• Climbing: Skilled climbers can jump up to 5’.
• Perceptive: Perceive their surroundings up to 60’. Unaffected by lack of light. If unable to hear (e.g. silence, 15’ radius): AC reduced to 8 [11], -4 penalty to attacks.
• Treasure: Bloody shroud (cursed) is a small token of the Baroness' favor +1 AC, but PC will be forced to carouse during downtime to satiate a craving they can't explain; A long necklace strand of gold teeth punctuated by some encrusted with small gems (600sp)

As per a previous post, I also increased the treasure that she carries by simply using the Level 1 Unguarded Treasure table- quick and easy.

...& Her Man-Eaters

1-3 hp Cult Nightkin (range, special) AC 10 cowled in white robes; a swarm of bats cling to their bare chests underneath their robes; they swarm around MU and clerics in particular; otherwise, attack with daggers (1d4 dmg)
4-6 hp Blood Cultists (melee, dmg) AC 10 cowled with blood-streaked white robes; attack with battle axes (1d8 dmg)

7-8 hp "Wolves" (melee, dmg) AC 12 covered in leather of human skin; ferocious attack (+1 to-hit) with a bite (1d6 dmg)

Wants & Gives and use of a faction turn

No NPC or faction is complete without listing what they want and what they will give. I've decided to give Among Cats and Books faction turn a spin with the cult to see if I like it. The "wants" are obvious using this system; the "resources" could also be "gives".

Cult Resources

• Friendly with the Butcher
• Facilitate an audience with the Baroness
• Loan out her Man-Eaters
• [Can teach 1st level spells via skull]

Cult Goals

1. Become the favorite of the Baroness
2. Revenge on the Bogdani village that persecuted her
3. [Find pieces of the gold skeleton]

Cult Missions (currently occupying the cult)

Roll 1d6, 1-3 no advancement; 4-5 one task advancement; 6 two task advancements. If a task stalls twice in a row, a setback has occurred (maybe roll on the regional events table to determine the nature of the setback)

• Goal 1 Mission: Rid the Abbey of Deermen (0000)
• Task A: Scout all Deermen locations (00)
• Task B: Find Deermen Shrine (00)
• Goal 3 Mission: Search for a Piece of the Gold Skeleton (0000)
• Task A: Send a scout party into the gardens (00)
• Task B: Obtain a Lost Soul (00)

PRAISE THE DRAGON OF THE PIT: Building An Encounter On The Fly

The shrine as seen by the players

This past weekend I ran session 27th of Where Hell Comes to Prey, my home campaign set in Miranda Elkin's Nightwick Abbey. This "100-minute megadungeon" session centered on the party attempting to destroy a rumored profane shrine that had appeared in the Fog-bound Forest. I want to talk about building this encounter to cement this procedure in my head, but also because I think there is a paucity of posts demonstrating how to tie it all together when DMing. How does one use all the tips and tricks in concert like a conductor to create an adventure symphony? 

This post covers: (1) random events as a seed, (2A) variation on basic enemies, (2B) set piece and adding a "clock" to a challenge, and (3) shrine as NPC or how to extend utility beyond destroy this "bad thing".

1. RANDOM EVENTS AS A SEED: The Shrine

I've started using a regional events table as method of making the world breathe and walk independently of the players' actions. The big yearly event was "volcano" and for this month it resulted in changes in the Abbey as a new demon emerged (Session 26). For this month "shrine" was rolled.

Aside: At this point, the game is on in 20 minutes and I've gotten little done on the shrine portion after reviewing session 26, generating hirelings, writing down other rumors, and restocking.

Okay, so I've done shrines before, but I wanted not to make this one passive. Let's make it an active threat instead and connect it to the emerging new cult in Nightwick. So "shrine" has become "a shrine to the Dragon of the Pit" with the themes of never-ending hunger, fire, sacrifice, and domination. I wanted the shrine to represent the new cult's rapid reach to the outside world, especially with the still active volcano in the Nameless Mountains. What’s the connection between dragons and hell? From inplacesdeep:

The Infinite Layers of the Pit are made of the different chambers of the Dragon of Hell's infernal gut. Most chambers have their own individual lord of hell, with some chambers or even whole organs belonging to a great prince or president. The chambers tend to be themed, but beyond these broad strokes it is difficult to describe the Pit as it is the essence of chaos contained

2A. VARIATION ON BASIC ENEMIES 

To "active" in this case, means something that is a threat to the players versus a "passive" shrine which would just be offering a sacrifice and gaining a boon/bane. The easiest way to make a shrine "active" might simply be to have it surrounded by crazed cultists. Meh. The PCs certainly encountered that before. The players have seen that before. If there is not a cult to defend the shrine, why has it hung around? Why hasn't the local population of woodsmen not destroyed it yet. 

I decided that was because the shrine itself was alive and could defend itself with the bodies of its sacrificial victims.

Aside: By this time the game was already in motion. Players were starting to focus on the shrine instead of their previous attempt to infiltrate the Abbey and deal with an undead judge.

To make the shrine a "monster" I used a combination of three different previous posts covering reskinning, layering, and "punnett squares". Since the shrine's elements are charred skeletal sacrifices and fire, its easy enough to borrow from Nightwick's Blind Dead and Children of Stone.

The Blind Dead are an average of 5hp, damage as weapon (1d8), and have typical skeletal immunities from slashing and piercing. While the Children of Stone have an interesting breath weapon. Perfect, let's just smush these two together:

Shrine to the Dragon of the Pit: A profane totem carved in the shape of a phallic wurm sitting on top of a pyre and glowing with an internal fire that seemingly causes knots in the wood to blink and flare as if living eyes; around the base are chained 3 charred skeletal figures.

Shrine Sacrifices: Those sacrificed or who die in the presence of the shrine become its guardians; AC 12, HD 1+1, HP 5, Atk 1 breath of embers (15' cone), Dmg 1d6 save for half; Sacrifices must stay within 30ft of the shrine itself.

The shrine as seen by the players

When the party arrived at the shine itself. They spent a couple of turns investigating the shrine leading to the death of a hireling who was supposed to throw some holy water on it, but missed, awoke the shrine, and immediately got a face full of hot embers. But they learned something!

It was after this investigation turn, I decided that the guardians of the shrine were contained to a 30ft radius area around the shrine. Why? (1) Because I didn't want it to feel like a zombie spawn point. And I wanted to potentially be able to convert the shrine into a usable location should PC perhaps want to align with the shrine or use it for some purpose. (2) Related to this is that "Hell Always Wants to Make a Deal" and so has to be present to do so. If the shrine becomes too regionally aggressive it certainly is a target for attack and destruction. We have a set piece with a radius. 

Why don't the players just stand right outside the range and plink away at it? It's a good strategy and exactly what my players decided to do, however, they were slightly under-prepared and tried to throw rocks and use slings to destroy the skeletons. If given infinite time this would be successful. But that is boring.

The coursing fire inside the shrine flares tearing the top off in a gout of flame and smoke, in your ash-stung eyes, visions of thundering hooves of skeletal horses appear, but as you frantically clear your vision no sign of the corpse cavalier appears- yet...

So, I decided to add a "clock" to this encounter. Why? Entering into steady-state situations where success is possible if the party only waits long enough is boring. It is not what characterizes good adventure to me which is more composed of cunning plans, stunning victories, and harrowing escapes. 

The visions of the dire horseman presented a gamble to the players: can your "safe" plan work quick enough before this horseman arrives? The players' answer was "hell no" and they bounced after destroying a few skeletons of risen companions.

3 SHRINE AS NPC OR EXTENDING UTILITY BEYOND DESTROYING THIS "BAD THING"

At one point, the players decided to use an extra PC to try and talk with the shrine. Unfortunately, this PC was killed by the shrine because they had not come with an offering and the 2d6 reaction roll was quite poor. However, this action did make me thing about what is the shrine giving to the people that built it.

I needed a "give" to help the shrine become more like an NPC. Why? If the shrine can be fought, talked to, and plays a continuing role in the region when left alone turns an encounter thrown together in ~20 mins into a potentially long-lived piece of worldbuilding. That is a fantastic creative economy. And its creates a dimensionality to the “thing” and enhances its believability because it doesn’t or no longer exists simply as a PC obstacle. Multidimensional existence is important for creating a realistic, fantastical world instead of a colorful video game setting.

The Give: On first offering, gain 1 "sin" (takes up 1 equipment slot)

• Daily Prayer: Hot Temper as Resist Cold
• Silver Offering (200sp): Eye of Avarice as Locate Object
• Flesh Offering (1 heart): Stomach of Fire as Magic Missle  

So there you have it. How I threw together a set piece encounter in ~20 minutes using existing stat blocks that has expanded to become a notable piece of world-building that ties back to the setting and factions.