(Re-)Stocking the Megadungeon: Random Encounters and Wandering Monsters

Random Encounters and Wandering Monsters.

These are similar to monsters in lairs, in that they account for items 2, 3, and 5 on the Goblin Punch Dungeon Checklist, but unlike laired monsters, these wanderers are unlikely to carry treasure, so in a game of XP=GP, they are merely a drain on resources or a chance to gain information.  Smart and/or cautious players/PCs will simply hide (to ambush or avoid) or retreat from approaching creatures.  

Random encounters are an excellent time to use the Monster Reactions I discussed here.  Another need, however, is encounter distance.  Just like in real life, we can see things and people at a distance, and react accordingly.  In the megadungeon, this is also possible, although the underground twisty-turny nature makes encounter distances shorter.  B/X recommends 2d6x10 feet away (B23) and that is good enough for me.

Keep in mind that a good encounter table isn't just creatures (from local lairs or not), though, but also sounds, smells, and spoor from them.  

Papers & Pencils does a good job breaking down encounter tables, in a fashion worth emulating, and I'll be using at least some of it - the parts about factions, at least.  The bits about wizards and dragons, though, seem better suited to outdoors adventures.  The Retired Adventurer has his own procedure for Wandering Monsters, which incorporates various monster spoor.

As long as I can work in sounds and smells alongside actual creatures, I think my random table of wandering monsters should work well enough to both build belief and tension.  

by Shabazik on DeviantArt

For this first dungeon level, I already have a rough idea of what is prowling about: lone meazels looking for a meal, lone bugbears up from level 2, small patrols of orcs and kobolds seeking trouble and one another, single rust monsters looking for food (and a friend), and a few other beasties with and without permanent lairs.

Rust Monsters are pretty much puppies that eat metal, and act accordingly in my world.

Noting if a creature has a lair (simply adding the words 'from room #' next to the entry) does two things: build verisimilitude and help me, the DM, know how to treat the creature(s) if they are parleyed with.  A hunger-machine is trying for food, while a patrol of orcs may talk, especially if encountered outside their territory or the PCs look strong.

Also on the table is the entry roll on the second level wandering table because on occasion, a tougher monster might have followed some stairs up.  Bugbears, ghouls, and the like.  This entry implies I have a Level 2 table ready.

2d6	Level 1 Wandering Monsters	Spoor #1	Spoor #2
2	NPC adventuring party (roll on adventurer table)	footsteps, light	chalk marks on walls, litter
3	Meazel (from lair)	humanoid bones	drag marks
4	Rust Monster	shuffling and sniffling	nonmetal fittings from last meal
5	Fire Beetles	clicking, glowing	wall fungus gone below a certain point
6	Giant snake	that snake smell	shed skin
7	Orcs (from lair)	tramp of boots, voices, drums (used to communicate)	fire light, litter and graffiti
8	Rats, Giant	squeaking, chittering	rat shit everywhere
9	Kobolds (from lair)	muffled yipping, barking	smells like wet dog
10	Stirges	buzzing	dried out rat corpses
11	Carrion Crawler	smell of rancid meat	slimy egg sacs
12	Roll on the second level wandering monster table

Some notes on spoor - for the table, these are less permanent signs of passage.  Empty rooms, monster lairs, and maybe some specials will feature the more permanent types of spoor.  

A note on nested subtables - I like them.  Here is the referenced NPC adventurer table:

d6	NPC Adventuring Party	Condition	Objective
1	C Rafe's Knaves	Exhausted, casualties	General exploration
2	C Sword and Staff	Battered, casualties	Following a map
3	N the Foaming Flagons	Battered, no casualties	Seeking way up/down
4	N the Yellow Cloaks	Has one good fight left in them	Roll on PC objective table
5	L the Silver Shields	Ready	Following a rumor
6	L the Beacons of Light	Rested and ready	Leave dungeon

Precise definitions of conditions is up to the DM.  

This adventuring party table requires 3d6 be thrown, 1 to determine the party, 1 for their condition, 1 for their objective.  Note that their condition may influence the objective to the point where a die roll for this is unnecessary.  By using the same parties (until one is wiped out entirely), the campaign grows its own rivalries and friendships, and these prior relationships (perhaps established or continued in the streets and taverns of Skara Brae) provide more opportunities to roleplay.  If never before encountered, then reaction rolls are crucial.

In fact, if your table makes use of the "I know a guy" house rule or some form of social contacts where the contacts are nebulous until one is needed and defined, one or more PCs may already be acquainted with one or more members of any given NPC party.

On occasion, a new party will need to be added and an old one removed. Especially if veteran and/or canny players realize that rival adventuring parties are hands-down the best source of magical items, and start gunning for them.  Then again, sometimes that shoe is on the other foot and the battered PCs are targeted for their magic items.

This unlucky pair has encountered a giant snake - Jim Roslof, from Dwellers of the Forbidden City

Regardless, the specifics of the six rival parties are not detailed in this post.  Suffice it to say that these parties do not consist entirely of first level NPCs, nor are they exclusively the listed alignment - they are just stacked in that direction.  

The last entry on the table implies a need to have the second, and probably third, level wandering monster tables ready before play - better safe than sorry.

All the wandering monster/random encounter tables need to have a mechanic for deciding when to roll on them.  For many games this is a set time interval.  The Angry GM suggests using triggers instead, because tracking time to this degree can be tedious.  Frankly, I rather like that idea.

Take advantage of how random encounters can help shape your game world.