D&D 5E Random Encounters in 5E

[CleverNickName]

Want to know one of my favorite things about the BECM rules? Random enocounters. And do you know what has been mysteriously missing from the more recent editions of the game? Yep, random encounters.

I miss the Random Encounter Tables. In adventure modules, the RETs were the first thing I read, and the things that I flipped to the most often. When I created adventures from scratch, they were created right behind the maps. And I've shoehorned them into every 3.X game I've run. Remember "The Isle of Dread," and how some of the encounter key locations were "RANDOM ENCOUNTER: For every day the party spends within two hexes of this location, they will encounter one wandering monster from table #3. If possible, the encounter should occur in or near the monster's lair." I use that all the time.

I for one would like to see random encounters make a prominent return to the game...but I realize I might be really outnumbered on this issue. Thus, the poll.

So tell us: how do you feel about random encounters?

 

[Tom Servo]

A reluctant yes from me.

When done well they are a great bit of unexpected excitement and can even spin off into other story lines and side quests.

When it's just filler and nonsensical, ugh.

 

[CleverNickName]

When it's just filler and nonsensical, ugh.

This is my opinion on just about every rule and game element, not just random encounters. I don't mind having a large selection of creatures in the Monster Manual to choose from, but there comes a point where you have to sit back and ask yourself, "did they really need to put six different goblins in here?" But I digress.

I agree that some random encounter tables are better than others. And there is a time and a place for everything...the DM should always exercise judgment when running any encounter, random or otherwise. Wandering vampires in the middle of the day? Roll again, buddy.

 

[jodyjohnson]

I like random encounters for variety.

However, in some editions they result in meta-game considerations and in others they eat up time that I'd rather use for plot-driving encounters.

Meta-game - as in, "let's wander around until we can kill something because I'm 10xp from level 5" or "let's hole up here until we hit level 6 on random encounters".

It's like playing Rogue or Moria (early computer games based on random dungeons and random encounters) but much slower.

 

[Li Shenron]

I voted yes because I like random encounters as a player, and as a DM I like letting my players know that the wilderness are generally dangerous.

But I have to say that I don't strictly need random encounter tables, I can make my own. In fact that's what I do, for a couple of reasons: tables in the books always include monsters I dislike, and OTOH I'd like to combine monsters from different books into the same table, but books don't assume you have anything else beside the MM1 (and perhaps the campaign setting corebook).

Still, I'd be nice if the DMG or MM had tables by terrain type, at least as an example.

 

[CleverNickName]

Meta-game - as in, "let's wander around until we can kill something because I'm 10xp from level 5" or "let's hole up here until we hit level 6 on random encounters".

Wow, I've never even thought of that. I suppose that would create a wide avenue for player abuse. Has this ever happened to anyone at the game table?

That would be a risky thing to do, given some of the random encounter tables I've seen. Most random encounters are easy, sure, but usually there is at least one or two "gotcha" monsters on there that you really don't want to tangle with very often.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

[MENTION=5590]jodyjohnson[/MENTION], good takes all.

My main problem: the time they take away from the story in 3.x and 4e. Back when an encounter could be resolved in a few minutes, having 3 or 4 random encounters in a session was no big deal. Now, if the PCs run into a "level appropriate" encounter of bugbears it's a 30 - 45 minute time sink for nothing gained except a bit of XP, some resource draining, etc.

I have random encounter tables for wilderness travel that I refer to occassionally, but usually it's something more like: well, they've been in the Wood of the Fey for a couple of days, they should probably meet some faeries occassionally. So, it's less random, and more planned, but not really sure what the plan is. I think.

 

[Yora]

I vote lemon curry, because random encounter have nothing to do with the rules.

 

[CleverNickName]

I vote lemon curry, because random encounter have nothing to do with the rules.

You mean, apart from them being published in the Dungeonmaster's RULEbook? Usually under a chapter or section with "Rules" in the title? I'm only looking at the Expert RULEs here, but I'm sure it's in other books as well...

 

[Yora]

Yes, they are in the books, but they are 100% optional and don't interact with anything on the character sheets or the monster stat blocks. They are only a tool to aide the DM in deciding what situations to throw at the PCs.