Micro Rules: Overload your Encounter Die in a Slightly Different Way Than Has Heretofore Been Proposed (For Overland Travel and Dungeons)
Use a d20. Consult the below table.
- "Party Ambushed" is self explanatory for malign creatures. If ambiguous, a close inspection or the party caught while vulnerable. If a friendly or allied faction, they and the party collide suddenly, perhaps in a way that would lead to fratricide.
- "Encounter" indicates contact with a monster is immanent and practically unavoidable.
- "Sign" provides evidence of a monster: Tracks, spoor, telling growls heard at distance. These can aid in tracking the monster. Contact is avoidable.
- "Chance to Ambush Monster" indicates the monster is at hand and in a vulnerable position, or signs indicate the monster is close at hand and unaware.
| OVERLAND ENCOUNTER CHECK d20 | Subtle Party | Regular Party | Loud Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party Ambushed | 1 | 1 | 1-2 |
| Party Ambushed & Wx | - | 2 | 3 |
| Encounter | 2-5 | 3-6 | 4-8 |
| Sign | 6-8 | 7-8 | 9 |
| No Encounter | 9-16 | 9-17 | 10 |
| No Encounter & Wx | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Chance to Ambush Monster | 18-19 | 19 | - |
| Chance to Ambush Monster & Wx | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Further thoughts:
- Adjudicate party subtlety or loudness to taste.
- "Wx" indicates a roll on the weather tape / weather hex flower / weather table overland. In a dungeon, it indicates a special effect.
- When traveling overland, I advocate placing encounter dice along the intended route up to next planned decision point and rolling simultaneously. The party can potentially fast forward days ahead to next decision point, encounter, weather change, or point of interest with the intervening time being narrated and incidental encounters being given rapid fire.