Hussar
Legend
Purely hypothetically.....
If there was one guy out there somewhere that didn't let the rules use them and refused to be a blind slave to random encounter tables, would you concede that this example is completely moot to this one odd person?
Actually BryonD, I'm not quite sure what you mean here.
Are you saying that no one ever used a SoD monster in a random encounter table? Or that no adventure ever bombed the party with a SoD creature without warning?
Cos, if that's what you're saying, you'd be wrong. Heck, besides the bodak assassins in Savage Tide, there is an encounter with a basilisk with no warning, and no possibility of warning either.
Reaction rolls.
The encounter with the medusa is random; so is her reaction to the PCs (perhaps modified by Charisma?). My favourite table is from B/X (I use it for my 4E game); the chance of the medusa just deciding to stone everyone without any attempt to parley is slim. More likely she'll show up with a mask and engage in dialogue.
And if the reaction is negative? After all, it's perfectly possible. I can't recall the exact table you're talking about (although I do remember it exists) but the chances for negative reactions are about the same as positive ones IIRC.
Never mind a medusa, how about a basilisk then?