D&D 4E 4E Wilderness Adventures

[Infiniti2000]

(IE the swamps of Hazzard might be level 7...)

The dreaded Swamps of Hazzard are easily navigable with the right tool.

 

[Ebylon]

Gabe/Mike Krahulik from Penny Arcade has two sets of posts about how he's running a 'sandbox' style D&D game, and his suggestions and ideas are fantastic for wilderness exploration.

You can find them here, along with other D&D tidbits. Just scroll to the bottom.

 

[Scribble]

The dreaded Swamps of Hazzard are easily navigable with the right tool.

Now right about now them Duke brothers was in a nick of trouble against ol Bullywug P Coltrain...

 

[ExploderWizard]

The dreaded Swamps of Hazzard are easily navigable with the right tool.

Don't tease your players with that at level 7, thats an EPIC item.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I made random encounter tables for various terrains (plains, forest, hills, mountains, moor, swamp, desert, coast, dungeon) - basically just a list of monster names - and I've written up a few pre-built encounters by level. I started a thread on it a week or so back but haven't built any more encounters.

My system for random encounters is: roll 1d6 once per 4 hours outdoors, on a 1 there is an encounter. If there is activity in that hex (from a nearby lair) then there's a 50% chance it will be with those creatures; otherwise, roll on the random table.

I can't remember exactly how it works in dungeons.

That's pretty close to the old AD&D version. In 1e the DM was supposed to make checks at some of 6 times per day (depending on the type of terrain) with at least 2 rolls per day (mountains) and up to 6! per day in a swamp. If the area is 'wilderness' there is a 1:10 chance of an actual encounter. Basically if you're in a swamp in the wilderness you could have a maximum of 6 encounters a day and your chance of at least one is around 50%.

The 1e encounter system from there on gets pretty complex. To simplify though it boils down to a % roll on a table, which will give you a specific type of monster. You would then go to the Monster Manual, it would tell you the number encountered, the % chance they are in their lair, and possibly other details.

Note that in 1e there are NO level graded wilderness encounters! The stock tables given in the 1e DMG do vary depending on the sort of terrain and level of inhabitation, but essentially you can meet practically anything. The DM is assumed to be responsible for creating a sensible encounter out of the results. Presumably lower level PCs will spend a lot of time hiding, fleeing, or trying to bargain their way through encounters by roll playing. Its worth noting too though that the results can be a friendly encounter, a fortress or castle, or a patrol of some sort.

Basically this type of system was designed for dealing with exploring rather unmapped territory that even the DM may not have fleshed out much. Overland wilderness exploration in the old days was a task for those with strong nerves (or a death wish). Typically this sort of adventuring was what you did when you got up around 'name' level and wanted to carve out your own little fiefdom to build your stronghold in.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Don't tease your players with that at level 7, thats an EPIC item.

It's epic, generally speaking.

Heh, get it?

 

[vic20]

It's epic, generally speaking.

Heh, get it?

Ooooh... if I were there, I hazard I'd have my dukes up by now.