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Advanced Random Encounter Tricks

by Mike on 25 November 2024

Here are some useful tricks for getting the most out of random encounter tables.

Roll Twice

Roll twice on a random encounter table and mix the results together. Maybe the characters find two groups fighting each other. Maybe they find one who just wiped out another. Maybe the two groups are allies. Mixing two groups together adds significant and meaningful complications to what otherwise might be a single boring encounter.

Mix Multiple Tables

Roll on different types of random tables to mix themes, monuments, locations, effects, conditions, and descriptions. Use these other tables to add layers to the encounter and make it unique among all other encounters.

Roll To See What Came Before

Often we do nothing if our roll doesn't trigger a random encounter at the moment. Instead, roll for an encounter that happened earlier. Mixing this trick with the first tip means you might find one group that clashed with another and lost. The first group moved on after destroying the second. Do the characters keep going forward? Do they hunt down the victors? There's lots of agency in stumbling into a situation that already took place.

Add Monuments

When rolling for random encounters during travel or in the wilderness, add an interesting backdrop by rolling for a monument. An old obelisk, weatherworn statue, or a carrion pit gives the scene a clear feeling of place. Add layers to your monument by rolling on origins, effects, conditions, and other tables.

Create and Roll On Your Faction List

Build a custom list of factions for your campaign including gods, historical figures, icons, shady organizations, and any other significant faction. When you roll for an encounter or want to flesh out a monument, roll on this faction list to add the faction's flavor to the rest of the encounter. This list adds relevant history and backstory to the world one encounter at a time.

Attitude

Roll a die to determine the attitude of the creatures you rolled up for an encounter. The lower the roll, the more friendly they are. The higher the roll, the more hostile they behave. Not every encounter needs to be a battle.

Distance

Roll a die to determine how close or far the characters notice the inhabitants. The lower the roll, the closer they are.

Activity

What sort of activities might the creatures in an encounter be engaged with? If you can find a table of potential activities for a creature, you can roll on that table. The Level Up Advanced 5e Monstrous Menagerie includes monster activities for every standard 5e monster, for example. If you don't have a table, roll a die. The lower the roll, the more peaceful or benign the activity. The higher the roll, the more frantic, dangerous, or strange the activity might be.

The Oracle Die

When you're not sure about something in your game, throw a die and build ideas off of the result. Oracle dice in other systems usually tie to a table of outcomes but you can roll the die and see what it inspires. I like the idea that the lower the roll, the less extreme something is. The higher the roll, the more extreme it is. This roll works for weather, attitudes, activities, and so on. When in doubt, roll a die. If you want some awesome and free oracle tables, check out Ironsworn.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Handling Morality in RPGs and The Valley of Blood – Dragon Empire Prep Session 3.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

Patreon Questions and Answers

Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

RPG Tips

Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

Set up locations and inhabitants separately. Let inhabitants move around depending on what happens.
Let the actions of the characters drive the story — not your initial big idea.
Go with the rule of cool. If it sounds cool, work to help it happen.
Start with what makes sense in the world. Adjust towards what’s the most fun in the game.
Write down NPC names.
Write down where your session ended.
Think about each character during prep. What do they want? What story hooks do they have? What monsters do they like fighting? What magic items do they look forward to?

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