[DF] Show Us Your Random Encounter Tables

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by ClayDowling

I'm not sure what's stopping you. You have monsters. You have lined notebook paper/text editor. You pick out appropriate enemies for the terrain, and put them on the list.

What is currently missing that is preventing you from creating encounter tables? There is no shortage of monsters, and I am not aware of a shortage of text editors. Possibly vi has been embargoed where you live?

Well, thing is, I usually just build the encounters the players are going to face. This is because creating 15 different encounters, and only using 3 does not appeal to me.

[ClayDowling]

So your complaint about not being able to build encounter tables is irrelevant? Not sure why you're making it them.

[Greg 1]

If I were going to write out a system for general use, I would:

Classify creatures by Terrain (forest, underground, etc) and Type (dire animal, undead, etc)

For each Terrain, list creatures by Type. This is the master list for the GM to draw on when they feel like choosing instead of rolling the dice.

I would then provide a table for each Terrain in which 3d6 is rolled to determine what Type of creature (appropriate to that Terrain) appears.

By basing these tables on Types, it is easy to modify them to reflect the relative rarity of Types in a specific gameworld or continent. Are Undead common or rare? The table is easy to modify to suit yourself.

Then I would provide a list of creatures of that Type (that fit in that Terrain) for the GM to choose from if they didn't feel like rolling.

Only at that point would I introduce tables that named specific creatures.

I wouldn't give specific number ranges, since only the GM knows what's appropriate for the PCs.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by ClayDowling

So your complaint about not being able to build encounter tables is irrelevant? Not sure why you're making it them.

I want someone to make them for me, and and I'm willing to pay for them if they come professionally edited and laid out. Simple as that

[ULFGARD]

1 Cthullu
2 Butterfly
3 Elder Demon
4 Kitten
5 Rocks Fall, everyone DIES!!!
6 You win!

[The Bearded One]

Um, how random do my encounter tables need to be?

2: Hellhounds
3: Monstrous spiders
4: Zombie orcs
5: Zombie humans
6: Marauding orcs
7: Evil cleric with orc bodyguards
8: Evil cleric with zombie bodyguards
9: Zombie dire wolves
10: Goblin mercenaries
11: Ogres
12: Giants

I don't tend to use random encounter tables. The above is based on what encounters I've actually used in my (now on hiatus) GURPS Midnight game.

[Nymdok]

Originally Posted by Greg 1

If I were going to write out a system for general use, I would: <SNIP>

A 3d6 based encounter table based on real world creatures for standard GURPS terrains (There are only like 5 as I recall) and a standardized area would be excellent. That way they can be easily modified for use in other genres.

For example, knowing that Deer show up in the forest (say arbitrarily) on an 8 means there would be a about a 10% chance. That way I have either the option of saying Orc are as common as deer here and can plug that in, or I can say I want about a 10% chance of an orc encounter and Ill know where to plug that in as well just by substituting the word Orc for deer.

The problem of course is the encounter part of the random encounter table. How many Deer or Polar bear should show up is very party dependent.

Nymdok

[Hilary_155]

Bruno has a great point.

You do not have to use 3d6 for encounters. Not in the adding way that GURPS skills function on. By taking each dice as a single, independent group of 6 elements, you can create a matrix as large as you want.

Using just 3d6, using either different colors for each grouping or rolling them one at a time, you can get 6*6*6 results. Alternately, you can use a combination of additive d6 and independent d6. Roll one red d6 and 2d6 white and you get 6 independent 2d6 bell curves. Using the same encounter on more than once in the conglomerate, you can have practically any chance for any encounter you wish, and figure out what that encounter is very quickly.

RED_____WHITE_____ODDS_____%CHANCE

1________2________(1/36)/6____0.4630
1________3________(2/36)/6____0.9259
1________4________(3/36)/6____1.389
1________5________(4/36)/6____1.852
1________6________(5/36)/6____2.315
1________7________(6/36)/6____2.778
1________8________(5/36)/6____2.315
1________9________(4/36)/6____1.852
1_______10________(3/36)/6____1.389
1_______11________(2/36)/6____0.9259
1_______12________(1/36)/6____0.4630

... and that pattern repeats for a 2 on the RED dice, and so on.

If you place "orcs" or whatever at RED (1) WHITE (7) and at RED (2) WHITE (6) you get a 5.093% chance of meeting orcs. And you get 66 slots for encounters. That is a reasonable number. Using repeats as shown with the "orcs" you can knock that down to whatever you like.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Hilary_155

Bruno has a great point.

You do not have to use 3d6 for encounters. Not in the adding way that GURPS skills function on. By taking each dice as a single, independent group of 6 elements, you can create a matrix as large as you want.

I blush! I didn't come up with the convention - that's from Dungeon Fantasy 8: Treasure Tables. You're absolutely right that it's a very useful convention - I think there's a table in there that goes up to 4 dice.

It's a way to use multiple D6s to generate a linear distribution or a flatter bellcurve, and it gives a much wider variety of options as well.