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Worlds of Design: The Lost Art of Running Away
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<blockquote data-quote="Lord Rasputin" data-source="post: 8065309" data-attributes="member: 8410"><p>Let me look through my sundry OD&D/AD&D adventures:</p><p>A1: These did not have level as a component for random encounters at all, neither for which table to use, nor for how many encountered.</p><p>A2: Likewise.</p><p>A3: Likewise.</p><p>A4: As best I can tell, there were no random encounters in this adventure.</p><p>B1: There is no level component for wandering monsters at all; there's only one table, which makes sense since there's only one level. The adventure is a little odd as it's a training adventure, and there are lists of possible monsters and treasure for stocking. The advice on p. 2 actually mentions fleeing:</p><p></p><p>B2: Mostly, there are no wandering monsters in this adventure, with the Goblin Lair (D, p. 16) being an exception. There, there is one option, which is a goblin patrol, always of 6.</p><p>B3: I'm working from the original version which Wizards had on its a few years ago; I don't have the other version. Regardless, wandering monsters are keyed to dungeon level, not character level.</p><p>Caverns of Thracia: The greatest of them all, this also had random encounters keyed to level of the dungeon, not to level of the characters.</p><p>D1: This not only did not have random encounters not keyed to level, they were keyed to size of the passage and side of the caverns.</p><p>D2: See above, except the shrine had only one table.</p><p>D3: Same as the last two. The vault has different random encounters for each terrain type, more like a wilderness adventure, but without the chance of stumbling on a lair, which makes sense in a published adventure. The stronghold has different random encounters on the main thoroughfare than the side streets.</p><p>Dark Tower: Again, random encounters are by level of the tower, not level of the adventurers.</p><p>G1: Random encounters are by location, not by character level.</p><p>G2: Random encounters are by location, in this case dungeon level, not by character level. Like the two Jennell Jaquays adventures above, this is exactly as the DMG has it, without the chance of encountering a monster from a different level's chart.</p><p>G3: Exactly as G2.</p><p>Q1: Wandering monsters are by level of the web, so like the DMG, with web level substituting for dungeon level. Beyond the gate, they are by location, like a wilderness table, without a lair chance.</p><p>S1: No wandering monsters, by design. There's almost no monsters, actually. You can die without them.</p><p>S2: Only one wandering monster table for the whole adventure, which does not scale by level.</p><p>S3: Wandering monsters are by level and do not scale for number or level of characters. For such an unorthodox adventure, this one hems very near to DMG norms.</p><p>S4: Outside the caverns, the monsters conform to standard wilderness adventures, with no lair chance. Inside the caverns, there are no wandering monsters.</p><p>T1: Like the DMG: level of the ruins, number encountered does not scale by level or number of characters.</p><p>T2-4: Outside Nulb are wilderness encounters (again, no lair chance). Otherwise, by dungeon level.</p><p>X1: As this is a wilderness adventure, the wandering monster tables are by location. Unlike most of the other wilderness adventures, this one has some advice about lairs, which it needs since B/X has no lair chance.</p><p>X2: Like many other dungeon adventures, this one is by location in the castle; level isn't important. Averoigne has a wandering monster table specific to the plane.</p><p></p><p>I looked at 24 adventures, and not not obscure ones, either. The A-series and S-series got published as hardcovers a few years ago, and GDQ and T1-4 got super adventure books at the time. One of B1 or B2 came with the Basic Set; X1 came with the Expert Set. <em>Not a single adventure's wandering monster table conforms to being character level-based</em>. You're 0-for-24; you'd be sent down to the minors for that.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lord Rasputin, post: 8065309, member: 8410"] Let me look through my sundry OD&D/AD&D adventures: A1: These did not have level as a component for random encounters at all, neither for which table to use, nor for how many encountered. A2: Likewise. A3: Likewise. A4: As best I can tell, there were no random encounters in this adventure. B1: There is no level component for wandering monsters at all; there's only one table, which makes sense since there's only one level. The adventure is a little odd as it's a training adventure, and there are lists of possible monsters and treasure for stocking. The advice on p. 2 actually mentions fleeing: B2: Mostly, there are no wandering monsters in this adventure, with the Goblin Lair (D, p. 16) being an exception. There, there is one option, which is a goblin patrol, always of 6. B3: I'm working from the original version which Wizards had on its a few years ago; I don't have the other version. Regardless, wandering monsters are keyed to dungeon level, not character level. Caverns of Thracia: The greatest of them all, this also had random encounters keyed to level of the dungeon, not to level of the characters. D1: This not only did not have random encounters not keyed to level, they were keyed to size of the passage and side of the caverns. D2: See above, except the shrine had only one table. D3: Same as the last two. The vault has different random encounters for each terrain type, more like a wilderness adventure, but without the chance of stumbling on a lair, which makes sense in a published adventure. The stronghold has different random encounters on the main thoroughfare than the side streets. Dark Tower: Again, random encounters are by level of the tower, not level of the adventurers. G1: Random encounters are by location, not by character level. G2: Random encounters are by location, in this case dungeon level, not by character level. Like the two Jennell Jaquays adventures above, this is exactly as the DMG has it, without the chance of encountering a monster from a different level's chart. G3: Exactly as G2. Q1: Wandering monsters are by level of the web, so like the DMG, with web level substituting for dungeon level. Beyond the gate, they are by location, like a wilderness table, without a lair chance. S1: No wandering monsters, by design. There's almost no monsters, actually. You can die without them. S2: Only one wandering monster table for the whole adventure, which does not scale by level. S3: Wandering monsters are by level and do not scale for number or level of characters. For such an unorthodox adventure, this one hems very near to DMG norms. S4: Outside the caverns, the monsters conform to standard wilderness adventures, with no lair chance. Inside the caverns, there are no wandering monsters. T1: Like the DMG: level of the ruins, number encountered does not scale by level or number of characters. T2-4: Outside Nulb are wilderness encounters (again, no lair chance). Otherwise, by dungeon level. X1: As this is a wilderness adventure, the wandering monster tables are by location. Unlike most of the other wilderness adventures, this one has some advice about lairs, which it needs since B/X has no lair chance. X2: Like many other dungeon adventures, this one is by location in the castle; level isn't important. Averoigne has a wandering monster table specific to the plane. I looked at 24 adventures, and not not obscure ones, either. The A-series and S-series got published as hardcovers a few years ago, and GDQ and T1-4 got super adventure books at the time. One of B1 or B2 came with the Basic Set; X1 came with the Expert Set. [I]Not a single adventure's wandering monster table conforms to being character level-based[/I]. You're 0-for-24; you'd be sent down to the minors for that. [/QUOTE]
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