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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Doug McCrae" data-source="post: 7931355" data-attributes="member: 21169">Both the 1e and 2e AD&D DMGs advocate ignoring the results of wandering monster rolls on some occasions. 2e prioritises story over die rolls. Wandering monsters are a tool to control pacing and add excitement. 1e uses wandering monster rolls to punish "bad" players (so they shouldn't be used if the players are playing well) and it also wants the game to be fast-paced and exciting (tho perhaps only for "good" players).2e DMG:Should You Use Random Encounters? Variety: Random encounters introduce variety the player characters didn’t expect. The characters, exploring a dungeon, become overconfident if they only encounter monsters in chambers and rooms. Random encounters reminds them that any second could be dangerous, no matter where they are. DM Challenge: Random encounters make the game more exciting for the DM. The game has to be fun and challenging for him as well as the players. Part of the challenge for the DM is to improvise an encounter on the spot... Is This Encounter Necessary? Any time the DM feels his adventure is dragging along or that characters are getting over-confident he can declare a random encounter. Likewise if he feels that a random encounter would hurt the adventure he can ignore one that's called for. Good judgement and story considerations are more important than slavish devotion to procedure.1e DMG:The rules call for wandering monsters, but these can be not only irritating — if not deadly — but the appearance of such can actually spoil a game by interfering with an orderly expedition. You have set up an area full of clever tricks and traps, populated it with well-thought-out creature complexes, given clues about it to pique players’ interest, and the group has worked hard to supply themselves with everything by way of information and equipment they will need to face and overcome the imagined perils. They are gathered together and eager to spend an enjoyable evening playing their favorite game, with the expectation of going to a new, strange area and doing their best to triumph. They are willing to accept the hazards of the dice, be it loss of items, wounding, insanity, disease, death, as long as the process is exciting. But lo!, every time you throw the “monster die” a wandering nasty is indicated, and the party’s strength is spent trying to fight their way into the area. Spells expended, battered and wounded, the characters trek back to their base. Expectations have been dashed, and probably interest too, by random chance. Rather than spoil such an otherwise enjoyable time, omit the wandering monsters indicated by the die.</blockquote>

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