Frustrated searching (for encounters)

[Ry]

All I want is a big stack of good wilderness encounters for the heroic tier.

(good means with a map, and some terrain that isn't just flat plain or equivalent)
[sblock=Frustrations, if you care]I can't find them at WotC (paging through Dungeon mags articles that don't tell you level until you're in the .pdf, with mostly underground encounters, frustrating) and when I look at RPGNow all I get is a bunch of new classes and magic items. Google gives me a bunch of blogs talking about encounters, not encounters themselves. [/sblock]
I would pay for this if I could! Someone, please come and take my money! Or just show me some free ones so I can praise you and give you internet fame!

 

[Roger]

Here's one free one that I think is kinda good:

Roadside Keep



Cheers,
Roger

 

[Ry]

If I'd asked this question 2 years ago, I would have had dozens of products to choose from with prepared stat blocks and encounters. Also, nonlinear modules like Lost City of Barakus.

So I'm not blind, it's just that Wizards' relationship with 3rd party publishers/fans has gotten this bad?

 

[darjr]

Living Forgotten Realms Adventures

At the bottom you'll find a list of pdf's that list the RPGA adventures. Each with a short summary of what they are about and what level they are meant for.

Many of them are city based adventures or have some encounters in city.

edit: Well... guess I read wilderness and heard city... there are also a lot of wilderness encounters in the lot as well.

 

[Sir Robilar]

I know your frustration!

What I would absolutely LOVE to have for 4E is a conversion of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy Setting, complete with Encounter maps. Or just something similar with lots of freeform wilderness exploration.

 

[Hjorimir]

Irrespective of 3PP relationship with WotC for 4e material, I wonder if there is as much of a market for this kind of product with 4e in the first place. Creating an encounter for 3.x was considerably more work than what is needed for 4e. You can create an encouter in about 5 minutes (that includes time to sketch a rough map) if you already have an idea for the monsters you'd like to have the party face.

 

[Asmor]

(paging through Dungeon mags articles that don't tell you level until you're in the .pdf, with mostly underground encounters, frustrating

Can't help you with the setting, but I've got a tiddlywiki that will help you find all of the adventures of a particular level. Here's a direct link to the heroic tier adventures.

http://asmor.com/tw/ddi.html#[[01-10%3A%20Heroic]]

(sorry, I can't make it a real link because the forum software doesn't interpret the brackets correctly and I can't find a way around that)

 

[Asmor]

Irrespective of 3PP relationship with WotC for 4e material, I wonder if there is as much of a market for this kind of product with 4e in the first place. Creating an encounter for 3.x was considerably more work than what is needed for 4e. You can create an encouter in about 5 minutes (that includes time to sketch a rough map) if you already have an idea for the monsters you'd like to have the party face.

You're probably right, but I can think of two issues.

First, I just plain suck at coming up with maps. It's one of my major failings as a DM. Even with preparation, I can never come up with good ways to use the environment, and usually just end up making the equivalent of a big room with some static window dressing. So in this regard, I really love pre-made maps.

The second issue is that I just really love the idea of rolling on a random encounter table. But then I'm a total slut for random tables of all sorts.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

If I'd asked this question 2 years ago, I would have had dozens of products to choose from with prepared stat blocks and encounters. Also, nonlinear modules like Lost City of Barakus.

So I'm not blind, it's just that Wizards' relationship with 3rd party publishers/fans has gotten this bad?

Why don't you just use those old products and drop in one of the encounter groups from the MM? Or make your own with the encountrer builder. It is ridiculously easy.

 

[Hjorimir]

You're probably right, but I can think of two issues.

First, I just plain suck at coming up with maps. It's one of my major failings as a DM. Even with preparation, I can never come up with good ways to use the environment, and usually just end up making the equivalent of a big room with some static window dressing. So in this regard, I really love pre-made maps.

The second issue is that I just really love the idea of rolling on a random encounter table. But then I'm a total slut for random tables of all sorts.

He-he, Asmor is a slut.

Oh I'm sure there would be some market, but I'm just not convinced there would be enough of that market to justify the products.