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As the party travels through the wilderness...
- Thread starter MerricB
- Start date
Quasqueton
First Post
Skipping travel time makes baby Farlanghn cry.
I have a wilderness random encounter chart for most wilderness environments. A group can get lost -- survival skill is useful.
My standard wilderness random encounter chart is something like this:
Roll 1d6 morning, noonish, evening. 1 = encounter. Roll until there is no encounter for all three times.*
Then roll on monster chart -- usually around 8 to 12 wilderness monsters of various CRs and numbers.
* This means there can be numerous wilderness encounters in a single day. The statistics say that there will average one encounter every two days, but there have been instances of 2 or 3 in one day.
If I roll a 1 on the d6, and the party encounters a monster, I will roll again right after the encounter to see if another encounter follows immediately -- could be the monster's mate, a predator hunting the monster, or just something attracted to the sound of the fight.
Traveling through the wilderness has always been an exciting part of D&D to me. Plus it is the times that outdoorsy characters shine best -- rangers, druids, paladins on warhorses, etc.
The wilderness of my campaign world (a newly discovered continent) is cram-packed full of monsters. Folks traveling the lands can usually see many "monsters" during a day's journey, but there's only an encounter (probably dangerous/violent) when the d6 comes up 1.
Quasqueton
shilsen
Adventurer
The camera pulls back and the scene dissolves into a map of the world, while the music from "Indiana Jones" starts up and a little red line indicates where the PCs are traveling.
The travel may be interrupted by an encounter or two, but that's something I'll have planned beforehand. I never use random encounters in the sense of rolling on a table. And yes, depending on the situation and circumstances, the PCs could get lost.
The travel may be interrupted by an encounter or two, but that's something I'll have planned beforehand. I never use random encounters in the sense of rolling on a table. And yes, depending on the situation and circumstances, the PCs could get lost.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
The level of detail depends on a lot of factors, but it is never "you travel three days through the wilderness and arrive".
There is a good deal of description, and I usually let wilderness travel serve as a way to practice my improvisational chops, and the PCs decide to go investigating some aspect of the landscape I describe, I play along and see what happens.
I also usually have an outline (truth is, I make an outline for every session, I am just prepared to throw it out the window if need be) with a few set encounters in different environments that I may throw in if the party seems to be heading in that direction. . .
Oh yeah, and usually I hand out maps and let the players chart the course the best they can - so in a way they determine which encounters they are likely to have.
Halfway through Session #73 all the way through Session #77 or 78 in my "Out of the Frying Pan" story hour is just he party traveling from one place to another.
There is a good deal of description, and I usually let wilderness travel serve as a way to practice my improvisational chops, and the PCs decide to go investigating some aspect of the landscape I describe, I play along and see what happens.
I also usually have an outline (truth is, I make an outline for every session, I am just prepared to throw it out the window if need be) with a few set encounters in different environments that I may throw in if the party seems to be heading in that direction. . .
Oh yeah, and usually I hand out maps and let the players chart the course the best they can - so in a way they determine which encounters they are likely to have.
Halfway through Session #73 all the way through Session #77 or 78 in my "Out of the Frying Pan" story hour is just he party traveling from one place to another.
DragonLancer
Adventurer
If I'm going to have something happen on route then it will be written up before hand. I am not a big fan of wilderness random encounters.
Melan
Explorer
I use the Campaign Hexagon System from Judges Guild's Wilderlands of High Fantasy (although at a different scale and on smaller maps), where the PCs can freely travel around on a numbered hex map, discovering lost ruins, monster lairs, and of course being vexed by random encounters. In our latest session (ended ca. three and a half hours ago 
), the party encountered a basilisk during wilderness travel, leaving one of the thieves petrified. Afterwards, they hid from a group of 20 mounted barbarians (and were shrewd/lucky to do so, as they would surely have been carried to slavery or killed outright if they were out in the open!), and turned back to go around a hex when they saw a sinister floating tower in a narrow valley. Fun stuff.
), the party encountered a basilisk during wilderness travel, leaving one of the thieves petrified. Afterwards, they hid from a group of 20 mounted barbarians (and were shrewd/lucky to do so, as they would surely have been carried to slavery or killed outright if they were out in the open!), and turned back to go around a hex when they saw a sinister floating tower in a narrow valley. Fun stuff. Michael_R_Proteau
First Post
If I know an upcoming session is going to involve wilderness travel, part of my prep is using things like Mother of All Encoutner Tables from Necromancer Games and the terrain encounter tables in the DMG (both 1E and 3E) to prep a handful of encounters and have them ready.
As the party travels through the wilderness, I have them make checks to avoid getitng lost and I randomly check for encounters at sunrise, noon, sunset, and once for eacch watch they set overnight (usually three 4 hour watches so everyone gets 8 hours of rest). I use a d20 to check and vary what will indicate an encounter based on circumstances (anywhere from 1-4 to 1-12 depending on terrain, time of day, how muuch attention the party is drawing to themselves etc.). If a roll indicates an encoutner will occur, I choose one of the ones I had prepared and use it. Some are strange occurances (weather, sounds, odd magical effect, odd piece of terrain, a ruin, a dragon flying overhead who does not notice them, etc), some are challenges ( a monster, bandits, a pass with a fallen bridge that has to be bypassed, etc.) and some are travelers (a merchant caravan, pilgrims, a hermit, other adventurers, a watch patrol, a ranger, a druid, etc.). If they get lost, it can lead to mii adventures as they discover ruins/mini dungeon crawls, previously unknwn villages, etc.
It allows me a certain control over what kind of encounters take place so nothng will hurt the overall game, but also allows for some randomness and flexibility so that players don't get into the rut of thining everything that happens is relevant to their story or their particular adventure hook they are pursuing. I make sure I have enough encounters ready to cover the length of time they travel, and non-combat encounters can be saved and recycled for use in later treks if they don't get used in the session they are prepped for. Combat encounters that are challenging for the party's current level or specific to terrain are harder to recycle if not used, but may see some later use.
I usually add in an encounter or three along the way that is hook/story relevant as well, so they don't fall into the opposite rut and start thinking nothing that happens inthe wilderness is relevant or important.
I do find that wilderness travel becomes less relevant at higher levels as speels such as teleport, wind walk, planeshift etc. start to become available and get used cutting down on wilderness treks by the PCs. This is one aspect of higher level of play I don't like, as I like the flavor and benefits that wilderness treks bring to the game, but I am looking and trying varying means of curbing the use of those spells without being hamfisted about it.
-M
As the party travels through the wilderness, I have them make checks to avoid getitng lost and I randomly check for encounters at sunrise, noon, sunset, and once for eacch watch they set overnight (usually three 4 hour watches so everyone gets 8 hours of rest). I use a d20 to check and vary what will indicate an encounter based on circumstances (anywhere from 1-4 to 1-12 depending on terrain, time of day, how muuch attention the party is drawing to themselves etc.). If a roll indicates an encoutner will occur, I choose one of the ones I had prepared and use it. Some are strange occurances (weather, sounds, odd magical effect, odd piece of terrain, a ruin, a dragon flying overhead who does not notice them, etc), some are challenges ( a monster, bandits, a pass with a fallen bridge that has to be bypassed, etc.) and some are travelers (a merchant caravan, pilgrims, a hermit, other adventurers, a watch patrol, a ranger, a druid, etc.). If they get lost, it can lead to mii adventures as they discover ruins/mini dungeon crawls, previously unknwn villages, etc.
It allows me a certain control over what kind of encounters take place so nothng will hurt the overall game, but also allows for some randomness and flexibility so that players don't get into the rut of thining everything that happens is relevant to their story or their particular adventure hook they are pursuing. I make sure I have enough encounters ready to cover the length of time they travel, and non-combat encounters can be saved and recycled for use in later treks if they don't get used in the session they are prepped for. Combat encounters that are challenging for the party's current level or specific to terrain are harder to recycle if not used, but may see some later use.
I usually add in an encounter or three along the way that is hook/story relevant as well, so they don't fall into the opposite rut and start thinking nothing that happens inthe wilderness is relevant or important.
I do find that wilderness travel becomes less relevant at higher levels as speels such as teleport, wind walk, planeshift etc. start to become available and get used cutting down on wilderness treks by the PCs. This is one aspect of higher level of play I don't like, as I like the flavor and benefits that wilderness treks bring to the game, but I am looking and trying varying means of curbing the use of those spells without being hamfisted about it.
-M
Psion
Adventurer
Ever watch any Indiana Jones movies?
Well, not always. I sort of have in mind whether or not I want the wilderness flavor to be an important part of the scenario, or just a line on the map. Either way, I'll ask the player for their typical camping layout, and then narrate/cut to the point when something happens. No reason for days of repeating the routine. If anything.
Next week's session is across a parched desert. There will be giant scorpions. It's just a necessity.
Well, not always. I sort of have in mind whether or not I want the wilderness flavor to be an important part of the scenario, or just a line on the map. Either way, I'll ask the player for their typical camping layout, and then narrate/cut to the point when something happens. No reason for days of repeating the routine. If anything.
Next week's session is across a parched desert. There will be giant scorpions. It's just a necessity.
Well, since you're asking it would indicate you don't have anything prepped. You should probably keep it that way and just speed past it since you didn't think it was worth putting story elements in the forest. No point breaking the story's flow. It is a good opportunity though to put some non-threatening encounters like a half-orc druid, a ranger, merchant caravans, injured animal etc. and see if your party will kill a bunch of neutral innocents.
Depends on if the party are traveling through the wilderness to get to the adventure, or if traveling through the wilderness is the adventure.
In the former case I tell them how many days it took, how much money they spent, and if they picked up any interesting information or met any interesting NPCs during their voyage. I might narrate their means of travel and intermediate destinations ("you traveled by horseback three days to the city of Dunfalcon, where you caught a river barge that took you upstream for 6 days to...") but even that's not a given.
In the latter case each day starts with the players saying which direction they want to go, followed by a check to see if they go where they want or get lost, narration of each hex they pass through (usually a colorful description of the scenery and an incidental detail or two that may or may not be important -- the players can spend as much or as little time on these as they choose), wandering monster/encounter checks (frequency of checks and chance of encounter depending on terrain type, level of civilization, party size, etc.) until the party reaches a "destination hex" on the map -- a planned encounter of some sort -- or the day ends, at which point they make camp for the night, mark off appropriate supplies, perhaps have another random encounter check or two during the night, and start the whole process over in the morning.
In the former case I tell them how many days it took, how much money they spent, and if they picked up any interesting information or met any interesting NPCs during their voyage. I might narrate their means of travel and intermediate destinations ("you traveled by horseback three days to the city of Dunfalcon, where you caught a river barge that took you upstream for 6 days to...") but even that's not a given.
In the latter case each day starts with the players saying which direction they want to go, followed by a check to see if they go where they want or get lost, narration of each hex they pass through (usually a colorful description of the scenery and an incidental detail or two that may or may not be important -- the players can spend as much or as little time on these as they choose), wandering monster/encounter checks (frequency of checks and chance of encounter depending on terrain type, level of civilization, party size, etc.) until the party reaches a "destination hex" on the map -- a planned encounter of some sort -- or the day ends, at which point they make camp for the night, mark off appropriate supplies, perhaps have another random encounter check or two during the night, and start the whole process over in the morning.
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