Quick Encounter Rooms... would you use this?

[weem]

Have a minute to give an opinion?

Rather than try to describe what I was thinking about doing, I quickly put one together. Here is a link... check it out if you have a minute and let me know...

Screenshot - http://www.lastlands.com/upload/screen.jpg

So, the questions are...

1/ Would you use something like this? (It would be free)

2/ If you wouldn't, do you imagine others would?

3/ Do you have any suggestions as to what could be added that would be useful?


I was basically going for a (very) stripped down dungeon delve idea. I present a room with blank counters and you (anyone) could decide what those counters are. The PDF would have multiple pages/rooms setup in this fashion.

Thanks guys n gals

 

[Omnifarious Grey]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Make more

Awesome looking so far and probably very useful if there would be a lot of these to choose from.

 

[Mentat55]

Awesome, I really like this!

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Perhaps add hazards/traps or challenging/difficult terrain -- no stats, but unlike the monsters, add a name. Then the DM plugs something in.

 

[erf_beto]

*looks around for spies*

Are you going through my stuff?
I've been trying to come up with the right format to do just that!
So, of course, make more so I can be lazy again...

Seriously, my idea was making a couple of big cards (1/4 of A4) for sort of a random dungeon delve thing (well, not just dungeon, wilderness too). Each card would show an encounter area, with no monsters, just dungeon dressing and Features of the Area (stuff like difficult terrain, what grants cover, how deep is the pit, where to roll Athletics, etc). I even thought about leaving the drawing out of the card and building the thing on the go (there are a lot of ways you can build a ruined hall with pillars, altars and rubble).

Well, the card thing is just an idea. A PDF with a lot of options/pages would already be great - and have more space for DM notes.

Anyway. Aside from adding the challenging terrain and hazards information, and having a blank space for DM notes, I have nothing to add. Perhaps a Printer-Friendly version... just saying.

 

[weem]

@Mentat55
Difficult terrain was definitely going to be included - I wasn't sure about putting things like traps in without stats, but that could be cool - I could give generic names perhaps, like "blade trap", or "pit trap", etc as mentioned, thanks for the feedback.

@erf_beto
As far as printer friendly version, I assume this means black and white, or were there other considerations?

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I was thinking about doing one location for every monster in the MM, but I'm not so sure about that anymore and I think I would be simply going with 'random' rooms etc as shown in the screenshot - that way it is more open for whatever. Of course, even if I did so, they could still be used for anything, but I'm thinking it's best to not do that as it might be a turn off for a given room.

Any more ideas, feedback, suggestions?

 

[PrecociousApprentice]

I like stripped down black and white. Add the terrain features including traps and we are good. Leave out the little bubbles for monsters. If you need to add things for a key, add room names.

Otherwise, looks great. Waiting for more.

 

[weem]

I like stripped down black and white. Add the terrain features including traps and we are good. Leave out the little bubbles for monsters. If you need to add things for a key, add room names.

Otherwise, looks great. Waiting for more.

When you say "leave out the little bubbles for monsters" do you mean from the map on the right, or the lines on the left? both?

And a key with room names... you like letters in the map like A, B, C with corresponding names on the left and some lines after each for notes? Or perhaps room names written right into the map?

Thanks for the feedback - looking forward to more!

 

[Rechan]

I can definitely see the usefulness of these, albeit I wouldn't use them.

Although, pre-made encounter areas with Features of the Area, with awesome set pieces/intriguing terrain/etc? ABSOLUTELY.

I think area features that are unique and intriguing, and encounter areas that are exciting (see here) are lacking. I would be jazzed to see a few set pieces done.

(WOO, my 7,000th post!)

 

[keterys]

I'm less concerned for the monster parts, but encounter maps with terrain/hazard suggestions absolutely... and suggestions for # of monsters and positioning I guess are good, too, but less critical.

 

[weem]

Ok, here is an updated version of the screenshot (may have to click to enlarge)...

Again, this is just a sample, not an actual encounter room - I have added what hazards could look like as well as difficult terrain. Please let me know if this is something you could see yourself using if you had a number of them to choose from (and they would be free of course)!