Random Challenge Level

[LostSoul]

What do you guys think of this distribution?

This is meant for hex crawling. The idea is that you figure out the level of the "area" - the dungeon, the Moon Hills, the Gardbury Downs, the Cairngorm Peaks, etc. Then you make a roll on another table to figure out if there's anything of note in the hex. Once you have that, you make a roll on the following table to figure out what level this feature is.

The point of it is, I guess, to provide players with information about the level of risk a certain area has so they can make informed choices about what they want to do.

Here's the table:

Area				Feature Level
Lvl	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	1-10	11-15	16-17	18-19	20	-	-	-	-
2	1-2	3-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20	-	-	-
3	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20	-	-
4	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-20	20	-
5	-	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20

Area				Feature Level
Lvl	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
6	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20	-	-
7	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20	-
8	-	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-19	20
9	-	-	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-17	18-20
10	-	-	-	-	1	2-3	4-12	13-15	16-20

Does that distribution look good? Should there be a chance for features of much higher level? Should the chance for lower-level features be greater?


Here's an example of how it works.

Let's say I've set the Gardbury Downs as level 3. I roll to see what's in the hex; I get "Ruins". I roll 1d20 (a 15) and check the chart; I get level 4. The ruins are set to level 4.

After rolling on my Ruins table, I get a 10,000 year old scorched plain dotted with dragon bones and broken weapons. The contents are Monster, Trick, and Something Strange - all of which are level 4.

I don't have my Monster By Level table worked out yet, so I'll just make it up: Monster: A Human Mage has made a small lair in the rib cage of an ancient fallen dragon and is using it to complete his mad studies. He has bound 4 Fire Bats (XP 975, level 4) to serve him. The mage has 145 gp worth of alchemical reagents and 25 sp.

Trick: The dragon's heart has shrivelled into a small lump of coal which can be used to communicate with the dragon, though there is a chance it will devour the user's soul (attack +7 vs Will, 3d10+4 psychic damage, characters killed by this attack are gone forever) when used. Communicating with the dragon is just like Consult Mystic Sages, though no component cost is required and can be used by a character of any level.

Something Strange: Strange purple toads live in a stagnant pool here; if licked, the character is attacked (+7 vs Fort, Hit: 3d6+4 poison and psychic damage and ongoing poison 5. First failed save: the character is stunned (save ends). Second failed save: the character falls into a catatonic trance for 2d6 hours (no save). Effect: the character gains a +2 power bonus to Will defense for 1d6 hours).

 

[erf_beto]

The way I see it, the table could be simplified.

Something like: starting from Hex A, moving towards Hex B, the challenge level of B is the same as A plus a simple modifier...

 d20  Modifier
--------------
  1      -2     
 2-3     -1
 4-12    +0
13-15    +1
17-18    +2
19-20    +3

Is this right?

Anyway, I like your tables and ideas. Hope you'll share them with us soon.

 

[LostSoul]

You're right!

 d20  Modifier
--------------
  1	-2     
 2-3	-1
 4-12	+0
13-15	+1
16-17	+2
18-19	+3
  20	+4

I wonder if that's the distribution I want... maybe a little on the higher end, like this:

 d20  Modifier
--------------
  1	-2     
 2-3	-1
 4-11	+0
12-15	+1
16-17	+2
18-19	+3
  20	+4

 

[keterys]

I need to do some work for when one of my campaign resumes in month or two, and I just presented them with a huge area of hexes to explore and delve or avoid and such (as a change, since they'd been stuck in a particular dungeon for five levels), and I think you've got a good idea going here. Would love to see some of your other ideas, of course.

 

[LostSoul]

I'll let you know when I'm finished! I still have a lot of work to do.

A lot of it is based on converting Kellri's Old School Encounters Reference to 4e.

One thing I'm trying to work on is some sort of sub-game that deals with building up settlements and towns. I'm not sure exactly how I want it to work yet, though.

Here is an example of a Lair (one of the possible options when you're rolling to see what's in a Hex):

------------------------------------ GNOLLS ------------------------------------
Groups			# Appearing: 4-7 (1d4+3), Level 6 random encounter
Every 5 gnolls		1 deathpledged/marauder, 2 huntmasters, 2 claw fighters
			+ 2 hyenas
Every 20 gnolls		+ fang of yeenoghu

01-50	Raiding Party	# Appearing: 20-30 (1d3x5+15)
			+ 2d6 hyenas
51-00	Slavers		# Appearing: 6-9 (1d4+5), Level 8 random encounter
			+ 2d6 slaves

Lairs 			# Appearing: 20-200 (20d10)
(01-85) Underground 	+ Gnoll demonic scourge +5d4 Gnoll gorgers
			+200% young (packrunners)
(86-00) Ruins 		+ demonic scourge +5d4 Gnoll gorgers
Non-Combatants 		+200% young (packrunners)
Guardians 		35% 	+1d3 Trolls
			10%	+1d8 Witherlings
			5%	+1d4 Cacklefiend Hyenas
Slaves 			+1 per 10 gnolls 
			50% 	1d4 slave champions
Allies			+1d6 Evistro
			+2d6 Dretches
			+1d8 Gnaw Demons

Slave Champions
1d6	Type
1 	Dragonborn Soldier
2	Half-Orc Scarthane
3	Human Javelin Dancer
4	Half-Elf Bandit Captain
5	Tiefling Heretic
6	Dwarf Hammerer

I have a bunch of other ones like this (bandits, cults, other humanoids). For almost all of them I have to change the "#Appearing" with a smaller range based on level (ie. 20 gnolls might be a level 8 Lair, and 200 might be a level 12 Lair), so that you figure out what level the lair is first and then how many gnolls hang out there.

Another note: One of the rules is that, if a PC is 4 or more levels higher than the bad guy, you treat him as a minion (with +4 to atk/def). This means those level 2 human bandits can hang around in the game for a while longer.

 

[eriktheguy]

Wow, this looks like something you should throw on a computer to do quickly and in bulk.