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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 6580908" data-attributes="member: 386"><p>I use wandering monsters as a way to give time a cost in the attempt to make time a real resource that players can use. The time cost isn't in the fight or conflict itself, it comes down to wandering monsters draining resources. Those resources are usually HP and therefore healing surges; less often daily powers. The "refresh rate" of daily powers is slightly different between classes - martial characters carouse to get all of them back, wizards get one True Spell (daily spell) per six hours of uninterrupted study, clerics meditate with drugs - which also cost a fair amount of GP - over six hours per Miracle (daily prayer) or lead NPCs in a public display of faith that takes at least six hours. Warlocks don't need to take time, they instead alienate themselves from the settlements everyone relies upon. (Warlocks are currently unbalanced, though.) Healing Surges come back at a rate of 1 full day of rest, doing nothing or little else.</p><p></p><p>NPCs are active during this time, typically growing in strength unless the PCs successfully weaken them.</p><p></p><p>Wandering monsters encounters can impact the game in other ways - a recent result with uncertain, cautious, and wary dwarves led into a skill challenge that saw the PCs gain some new allies. The dwarves told the PCs (and thus the players) about a nearby dungeon's history - since I try to tie wandering monsters to other hexes/features of the map - and they gave the PCs a needed place to rest after a tough fight with a large group of gnolls. This kind of encounter isn't specific to wandering monsters, though.</p><p></p><p>If/when I get into urban campaigns I think "wandering monster" checks will cover a lot more ground.</p><p></p><p>I use random checks because: 1. I doesn't take very much time to roll on a table and get a result (a minute, maybe) and 2. the frequency of encounters will seriously affect the amount of time the PCs have to spend. This requires the DM to make very difficult judgement calls about things the DM shouldn't care about (PC success, basically). Letting the system handle this makes it easier on the DM to run the game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 6580908, member: 386"] I use wandering monsters as a way to give time a cost in the attempt to make time a real resource that players can use. The time cost isn't in the fight or conflict itself, it comes down to wandering monsters draining resources. Those resources are usually HP and therefore healing surges; less often daily powers. The "refresh rate" of daily powers is slightly different between classes - martial characters carouse to get all of them back, wizards get one True Spell (daily spell) per six hours of uninterrupted study, clerics meditate with drugs - which also cost a fair amount of GP - over six hours per Miracle (daily prayer) or lead NPCs in a public display of faith that takes at least six hours. Warlocks don't need to take time, they instead alienate themselves from the settlements everyone relies upon. (Warlocks are currently unbalanced, though.) Healing Surges come back at a rate of 1 full day of rest, doing nothing or little else. NPCs are active during this time, typically growing in strength unless the PCs successfully weaken them. Wandering monsters encounters can impact the game in other ways - a recent result with uncertain, cautious, and wary dwarves led into a skill challenge that saw the PCs gain some new allies. The dwarves told the PCs (and thus the players) about a nearby dungeon's history - since I try to tie wandering monsters to other hexes/features of the map - and they gave the PCs a needed place to rest after a tough fight with a large group of gnolls. This kind of encounter isn't specific to wandering monsters, though. If/when I get into urban campaigns I think "wandering monster" checks will cover a lot more ground. I use random checks because: 1. I doesn't take very much time to roll on a table and get a result (a minute, maybe) and 2. the frequency of encounters will seriously affect the amount of time the PCs have to spend. This requires the DM to make very difficult judgement calls about things the DM shouldn't care about (PC success, basically). Letting the system handle this makes it easier on the DM to run the game. [/QUOTE]
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