B2 Wilderness Exploration support

[howandwhy99]

I know some play styles balance abilities assuming a delve adventure format, meaning characters typically traverse via wilderness between town (believed safety) and a dungeon (believed danger). In order to support the longer, exploration phase of adventuring I thought some of the elements missing from B2 might be useful.

These are not reprints, but are pretty close. Feel free to use them only if you desire wilderness exploration and don't have the actual materials on hand.


Click for larger size. From a nice place called The Isomage's House

Notice: This map is could be a "Player Map" as the numbered locations have been left off. DMs may wish to add their own new Wilderness Locations by extrapolating from the material already provided in the play test documents. Please do not list the original adventure elements here.

Wandering Monster Territories: Divide up as you see fit from the map above. Grasslands as 1. Forest as 2. Swamp as 3. Or by elevation. Roads may be treated separate for ambushing and traveling encounters.

Wandering Monster Checks: Roll as desired. E.G. Every 4 hours Day time, Every 3 hours Night time. 1 in 8 odds each time. Note: Tables below do not include sleep cycles. They are similar to the suggested elements from the original adventure.

One Level Below Ground = Wilderness level 1

[U][B]Wandering Monsters	Die[/B][/U]
Kobold patrol (3d4)	1
Goblin patrol (2d4)	2
Human patrol (1d4)	3
Orc patrol (1d4+1)	4
Skeletons (1d6)		5 (50%)
Zombies (1d4)		5 (50%)
Halfling Rogues (1d4+1)	6
Dwarf Fighters (1d4)	7
Stirges (1d4+1)		8
Orc patrol (1d4)	9
Dwarves (1d4+1)		10 (use from room 40)
Elves (1d6)		11 (use from room 40)
Gelatinous Cube		12

Two Levels Below Ground = Wilderness level 2

[U][B]Wandering Monsters	Die[/B][/U]
Orc band (5d4)		1
Hobgoblin patrol (2d4)	2
Gnoll party (1d4)	3
Zombies (2d4)		4
Halfling Rogues (1d4+1) 5 (+1 Elf Wizard)
Skeletons (1d4)		6
Dwarf Fighters (1d4)	7 (+1 Dwarf Cleric)
2 Orc Patrols (2d4)	8
Dwarf Family (4d4)	9 (use from room 40)
Elven Troupe (3d4)	10 (use from room 40)
Giant Centipedes (2d4)	11
Owlbear 		12

 

[jadrax]

Nice!

 

[Gilladian]

Thanks! I've yoinked!

 

[GX.Sigma]

This is awesome, and I totally appreciate the work put into this (and I'll totally steal those wandering monster tables).

My only question is: why would the party go exploring the wilderness when there is a clearly marked path that leads straight to the caves, which is where they know the adventure is?

 

[howandwhy99]

My only question is: why would the party go exploring the wilderness when there is a clearly marked path that leads straight to the caves, which is where they know the adventure is?

1. They don't know the caves are there.
2. Most caves are covered by foliage to hide them, others by line of sight from the road, so finding them isn't easy.
3. Attacks probably shut down travel along the road, which could be a possible adventure hook.
4. If the party continually uses the road, expect ambushes along it as reprisals for their incursions.
5. Sometimes it just makes sense to arrive from another direction.
6. Wilderness exploration is fun.

EDIT: I left off Wandering Monster Table 3 as the almost everything was left out of the play test documents and were probably too difficult for even 3rd level PCs anyways.