Wandering Encounters in the Badlands

After dealing with the goblin ambush, the adventurers abandon further pursuit. The day was getting long, the heat was brutal, and they were all parched with thirst, so they return to Irongate Keep. In a bold move, the party decides to start their second foray into the Badlands at night, when the heat would not impede them. 

They depart the Keep the following evening, just as the gates shut for the night. As they head out, the guards on the wall stare in disbelief. The Captain-of-the-Gate gives them a stern warning: "The drawbridge will not be lowered again until dawn, so whatever happens to you is on your heads. May the gods have mercy on you this night..."

Setting out down the canyon under the darkening sky, they soon become surrounded by a deep gloom. Their torches seem feeble and pathetic under the night's ebon pall, and the ridgelines now loom over them like walls of utter blackness. The air quickly grows cooler, then cold, and the howls of coyotes begin to echo through the canyons. 

The going is slow and difficult, and the party has virtually no visibility to potential threats or obstacles. Thero, the elf ranger, leads the way just outside the ring of torchlight, but even his night vision is limited to just a few dozen yards, eliminating much of the range advantage of his longbow. Ban the bard second-guesses their decision, but Smitty the fighter is determined to mitigate the sun's relentless effect on their travels.

Without warning, the party is beset by a half-dozen skeletons dressed in the remnants of archaic wicker armor and wielding corroded bronze scimitars. The skeletons scramble toward them from a nearby rock terrace, scrabbling down the scree slope like rattling avatars of death. Quickly gaining their composure, the party reacts to the surprise attack and manages to defeat the skeletons without serious injury to themselves. Still, it was an important lesson that random threats can emerge suddenly in the Badlands—especially in the darkness.

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I'm a big fan of wandering encounters. 

Interestingly, B2 Keep on the Borderlands doesn't include a wandering encounters table for the Wilderness Area, nor does it give any guidance for using the tables in the rules booklet (which are explicitly for dungeon levels "below ground"). In the module's text, Gary Gygax created a curious sub-system for possible encounters if the party camps overnight within a specified number of squares from a numbered area on the map—a system which isn't used in any other adventure module, as far as I'm aware—but that's it. There aren't wandering encounters in the Caves of Chaos, either.

The omission can be easily explained by B2's relatively limited wilderness region and the Caves' layout of segregated lairs; or, perhaps, by Gary's desire to simplify the novice DM's transition into the role of managing an adventure (although there are wandering monster tables in B2's predecessor—B1 In Search of the Unknown—which is much more of a "training" module).

B2's iconic cover image by Jim Roslof. After David Sutherland's
blue-tinted red dragon on the box cover, this was the second D&D image
my 13-yo brain ever saw. It still holds tremendous power over me.

Nevertheless, I almost always include wandering encounters in my adventures unless the scenario renders them unnecessary. As DM, I have so much control over the proceedings (other than the dice rolls) that I find it thrilling to surrender control over "what happens next" by rolling random encounter checks. (I feel the same about rolling magic items randomly.) 

In fact, the skeleton encounter above led the party to explore the ridgeline from which these ancient skeletons attacked, and that exploration in turn created a whole series of unplanned adventures that transformed a lowly Lurid Lair (L1) into a Major Encounter area I later dubbed "The Dead Pines." (I'll include all this material in future posts, because it ended up having a major impact on the campaign.)

I created the following wandering encounter table and descriptions for the Badlands.

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MECHANICS

A 24-hour adventuring day is split into six, 4-hour blocks of time called "watches," with the first watch occurring from 7 AM (dawn) to 11 AM. A check for wandering encounters is made once per watch, with additional checks made whenever the following occurs...

• The party transitions from one terrain type to another (this can happen multiple times during a single watch, even if the party only enters and exits one hex of different terrain);

• The party comes within (3) hexes of a Major Encounter area (lettered location)*;

• The party comes within (2) hexes of a Minor Encounter area (numbered location)* that is a creature lair; or

• The party comes within (1) hex of, and/or enters a Lurid Lair (L# location).*

            *In these cases, the encounter will be with a creature or creatures related to the marked location.

During the day, an encounter occurs on a 17-20 (in canyons, pine thickets, or bogs) or 19–20 (in the ridges); at night, the target number is reduced by 2 (15-20 in canyons, et al; 17-20 in the ridges). When a creature encounter is indicated, determine how many creatures are encountered by rolling the number of d3s indicated in brackets immediately after the encounter title. 

Exploding d3s

Most encounter details involve rolling a specified number of d3s. Typically, a d3 is rolled by rolling 1d6: 1-2 = '1'; 3-4 = '2'; and 5-6 = '3'. Whenever a '6' results on the die, roll it again and add another 1d3 creatures to the encounter. Repeat until no more '6's occur on the dice. If any other die is indicated in the encounter description, it does not explode in this manner.

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ENCOUNTER TABLE

 

d66	1: Hazard	2: Beast	3: Beast	4: Humanoid	5: Monster	6: Discovery
1	Boulder	Bear	Camel	Cultists	Ankheg	Cave
2	Cul-de-sac	Cougar	Horse	Dwarf	Manticore	Curiosity
3	Deadfall	Coyote	Lizard	Men	Needler	Deposit
4	Gully Wash	Scorpion	Mule	Men	Stirge	Ruins
5	Rockslide	Viper	Ram	Ogre	Tumbler	Spring
6	Sinkhole	Vulture	Spider	Tribal	Undead	Trail

 

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ENCOUNTER DESCRIPTIONS

Ankheg. [1d3] As standard ankheg, The Keep pays 5 guilders per set of ankheg mandibles; the Vizier pays 50 guilders for an ankheg's acid bladder.

Bear. [1d3] As standard cave bear; 1-in-6 are giant cave bears. The Keep pays 5 guilders per bear pelt; the Trader pays 3 guilders for each bear paw or set of claws.

Boulder. A large rock breaks loose from a nearby cliff wall and tumbles into the canyon, forcing a DC 12 Perception check to avoid Surprise. The boulder has +10 to Initiative; anyone who beats it and is not surprised may move out of the way on their turn. Anyone in the path of the boulder when it moves through must make a DEX save vs. DC 10+1d6 or be struck for (1d4)d6 bludgeoning damage (surprised creatures have disadvantage on the save).

Camel. [1d3] As standard camel. The Trader pays 10 guilders for every camel returned to the keep.

Cave. A suitable shelter for a Camp Rest is discovered. The cave is [1d6]: 1-4 = empty; 5-6 = occupied by a creature (roll as encounter [1d6]: 1-3 = Beast; 4-6 = Humanoid; 6 = Monster).

Cougar. [1d3] As standard lion; 1-in-6 are giant cougars (as saber-toothed tiger). The Keep pays 5 guilders per cougar pelt.

Coyote. [4d3] As wild dog. The Keep pays 1 guilder per coyote pelt.

Cul-de-sac. The party inadvertently follows a route that ends suddenly with no way forward. They lose 1d3 hours of travel backtracking and incur an additional encounter check. A druid, ranger, or guide, or anyone proficient in the Survival skill, can make a DC 10+1d6 WIS check to recognize the lay of the land and get the party back on track without any lost time spent backtracking (although an additional encounter check is still rolled).

Cultists. This band of humanoid thralls roams the canyons looking to kill the men of the Keep and capture more humanoids to enslave as new thralls. Treat as standard Tribal Humanoid encounter (see below), except these humanoids serve the cult’s interests and will fight to the death (no Morale checks). All cultist humanoids carry normal treasure, but are branded on the face/head with the cult's sigil. (I'll describe the Cult of Khoss in a future post.)

Curiosity. The party spots something interesting along their path [1d6]:

1. A hidden cache of loot: Roll random treasure hoard.

2. A recent killing: Roll two random encounters, re-rolling any Hazard or Discovery results. All members of the first encounter were slain by the second and their remains are here. The killing occurred 0–2 hours ago.

3. A cairn covering the skeleton of an unfortunate adventurer, along with a magical treasure [1d4]: 1 = cleric (a holy phial that provides +1 to Save DC when turning undead); 2 = fighter (+1 armor/shield or weapon); 3 = rogue (quiet shoes that provide +1 to Stealth checks); 4 = wizard (1d3 scrolls of random 1st-3rd-level spells). This result will only be encountered once.
   

4. A menhir, a carved totem stone depicting various beasts, monsters, and petty gods, and covered with petroglyphs. Touching it... [1d6]: 1 = teleports everyone within 20 ft. 6d3 miles in a random direction; 2 = summons 2d3 specters of ancient orcs; 3 = heals everyone within 30 ft. for 4d8 hp (or grants 15 temporary hp to a creature with full hp); 4 = bestows curse on the first character touching it; 5 = allows the first character touching it to commune (as spell) with a forgotten godling; 6 = blesses everyone within 30 ft. for the next 1d3 days.
   

5. A bleached skeleton of a gigantic creature, long dead... [1d6]: 1 = cloud giant; 2 = thunder lizard; 3 = serpent; 4 = sand worm; 5 = roc; 6 = blue dragon; (1-in-6 chance it animates if disturbed).
   

6. A cryptic message carved into the rock: "I'm heading south from here...meet me at the third campsite." This result will only be encountered once.

Deadfall. A rock shelf gives way as the party traverses it, forcing a DC 12 Perception check to avoid Surprise. The deadfall has +10 to Initiative; anyone who beats it and is not surprised may avoid falling. Anyone on the shelf when it collapses must make a DEX save vs. DC 10+1d6 or suffer a (1d3)x10 ft. fall for bludgeoning damage (surprised creatures have disadvantage on the save).

Deposit. A rockslide has revealed a tracer of ore [1d10]: 1-4 = copper; 5-7 = iron; 8-9 = silver; 10 = gold. The tracer yields a (1d3 x 1d3 x 1d3) ft. area of ore-laden rock; i.e., base 1-27 cu. ft., although this volume can rapidly expand with exploding d3s. (See Prospecting rules for details on smelting and extracting metal from rock.) NOTE: My prospecting rules are derived from the tables in Judges Guild's Ready Ref Sheets (1978) and will be detailed in a future post regarding Campaign Downtime.

Dwarf. [1d3] These prospectors (as commoners) are... [1d6]: 1-3 = heading to/from the Keep; 4-5 digging away at a rock shelf; or 6 = panning for gold and silver in a trickling creek bed. If they spot the party first, the dwarves will attempt to hide; if not, they will be suspicious of the party and demand they keep their distance (unless a dwarf character is present). Dwarves typically carry 4d6 pennies, 3d6 bits, and 2d6 guilders; 1-in-3 dwarves also carries a bag of silver or gold nuggets (worth 1d6/4d6 guilders, resp.), gold dust (worth 1d6 guilders), and/or 1d3 gems (worth 10d6 guilders each). Each dwarf also has 0-2 equipment-laden camels, mules, and/or ponies.

Gully Wash. A distant heavy rain storm has sent a flood of water roaring down the canyon. The deadly torrent appears suddenly and lasts for 1d4+1 minutes, forcing a DC 12 Perception check to avoid Surprise. The torrent has +10 to Initiative; anyone who beats it and is not surprised may attempt to climb to higher ground with a DC 12 Athletics check before it overtakes them. Anyone caught in the wash must roll their choice of STR or DEX save vs. DC 10+1d6 (surprised creatures have disadvantage on the initial save only; additional saves are made as normal).

• Success = The character may try to climb to higher ground with an Athletics check vs. the same DC as above due to the powerful torrent.

• Fail = The character is swept 100 ft. away and takes (1d4)d6 bludgeoning (or half with a DEX save vs. the same DC).

• Repeat this process for each minute of the gully wash’s duration.

Horse. [2d3] Treat these wild horses as standard beasts of burden... [1d6]: 1-4 = draft horse; 5-6 = riding horse. The Trader pays base 25 guilders for every draft horse and 35 guilders for every riding horse returned to the Keep.

Lizard. These encounters are with... [1d6]: 1 = [2d3] lizardmen (these are unrelated to the lizardmen in Minor Encounter area 7); 2-4 = [1d3] giant lizards; 5-6 = [2d3] raptors (as standard deinonychus).

Manticore. [1d3+1] As standard manticore. These vicious creatures nest atop the ridges and attack their prey from the air. Their difficult-to-reach nests often hold various loot. Sometimes, a manticore egg can be found (the Vizier would pay handsomely for one).

Men. These encounters are with human... [1d6]: 1 = raiders; 2-3 = hunters; 4-5 = prospectors; 6 = mercenaries.

• Raiders. [2d3] As standard bandit. These desert raiders attack without mercy (see Minor Encounter area 10).

• Hunters. [1d3] As standard scout. These men will try to remain hidden from the party. If successful, they will shadow the party for 1d6 hours (and might assist in any encounters the characters have during that time).

• Prospectors. [1d3] As Dwarf encounter above (but with half the loot).

• Mercenaries. [1d3+2] These hired adventurers scour the hills looking for threats and collecting bounties for the Keep. Two-thirds of any group encountered are with men-at-arms (as bandits), with the remainder being scouts. There is a 1-in-6 chance for an acolyte to replace one of the scouts (the chance increases by +1 for every (5) mercenaries encountered). Mercenaries can be trouble for the party, or possibly good sources of information about the immediate area.

Mule. [1d3] As standard mule. The Trader pays 4 guilders for every wild mule returned to the keep.

Needler. [2d3] As standard needle blight. These aggressive cacti blend in with canyon scrub and attack by firing volleys of sharp needles. Enough fresh water can be found in the hollow cavity of a needler’s body to fill a waterskin. The Vizier pays 3 guilders per needler heart pod.

Ogre. [1d3] These massive hill brutes lumber around looking for food and will attack immediately. Ogres carry a bag of "loot" (much of which is garbage). The Keep pays 10 guilders per pair of ogre tusks. Ogres encountered in this way are "free-roaming" and not affiliated with the cultists.

Ram. [1d3] As standard mountain goat; 1-in-6 are giant rams (as giant goat). The Trader pays 10 guilders for every live ram returned to the Keep.

Rockslide. Boulders and loose stones fall from the ridgeline, forcing a DC 12 Perception check to avoid Surprise. The rockslide has +10 to Initiative; anyone who beats it and isn’t surprised can avoid the avalanche.Anyone caught in the rockslide’s path takes [1d6]d6 bludgeoning damage, or half with a DEX save vs. DC 10+1d6. In addition, the party loses one hour of time getting around the slide debris.

Ruins. The party spots the remains of ancient structures nestled among the canyon walls. Not much can be determined from the crumbling walls and jumbled stones, but the site is... [1d6]: 1 = haunted (roll Undead encounter); 2 = occupied (roll Humanoid encounter); 3 = abandoned (but suitable for a Camp Rest); 4 = a beast's lair (roll Beast encounter); 5 = a monster's lair (roll Monster encounter); 6 = hides a treasure.

Scorpion. These dangerous arachnids skitter across the rocky ridges in search of prey. Encounter is with [1d6]: 1 = [1d3] scorpion swarms; 2-4 = [1] scorpion (attacks a random character; DC 15 Perception check to notice it before it stings); 5-6 = [2d3] giant scorpions. The Keep’s Doctor pays 5 guilders per giant scorpion poison sac (stinger).

Sinkhole. A pit in the ground opens suddenly beneath the party’s feet, forcing a DC 12 Perception check to avoid Surprise. A random character serves as the center point of the sinkhole, which is [1d6]x10 ft. in diameter. The sinkhole has +10 to Initiative; anyone who beats it and is not surprised can move safely off the area on their turn. Anyone standing on the sinkhole’s area when it collapses falls 10 ft. times the hole’s diameter / 2 (e.g., a 40-ft. diam. sinkhole is 20 ft. deep). Anyone falling in takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft. fallen. The sinkhole opens into [1d6]: 1 = a monster’s lair (roll encounter); 2 = a wellspring of fresh water; 3-5 = a closed pit; 6 = a valuable mineral find or treasure cave.

Spider. These encounters are with [1d6]: 1 = [1d3] spider swarms; 2-4 = [1d3] huge spiders; 5-6 = [1d3] giant spiders. The Keep's Doctor pays 1 guilder for a giant spider's poison sac; the Vizier also pays 1 guilder for a giant spider's web glands (or half these amounts for a huge spider).

Spring. Fresh water bubbles to the surface here, allowing the party to refill their waterskins. While in this area, roll an additional wandering encounter check.

Stirge. [4d3] These swarming creatures lurk in the cracks and crevices of the ridge, emerging at night to feed. The Keep pays 3 bits per stirge beak.

Tribal Humanoids. A war-band of evil marauders roams the canyons looking for food and enemies—one of many such groups that infest the Badlands. Determine humanoid type [1d6]:

1. Bugbears. [2d3] These encounters are with standard bugbears. Every group of (4) bugbears also includes a bugbear hunter; every group of (8) also includes a bugbear brute. Marauding bugbears are primitive and typically don't carry any loot. The Keep pays 5 guilders for a bugbear scalp.

2. Gnolls. [3d3] These encounters are with standard gnolls ("betas"). Every pack of (4) betas also includes a gnoll hunter; every pack of (8) includes a gnoll flesh-ripper. Gnolls aren’t concerned with money and carry no loot. The Keep pays 3 guilders for a gnoll ear.

3. Goblins. [3d3] These encounters are with standard goblins ("peons"). Every group of (5) peons includes a goblin tough; groups of 10 or more are accompanied by a leader type [1d6]: 1-4 = hobgoblin taskmaster (see below); 5-6 = goblin boss. If encountered during the day, the goblins emerge from a nearby “hole” and attack. The hole might be a single cave or a small lair. At night, the band prowls about stealthily. Peons and toughs typically carry 2d6 pennies, 1d6 bits, and 0-2 guilders each. Bosses carry double loot and have a 1-in-6 chance to carry 1d3 gems worth (1d6)x10 guilders each. The Keep pays 5 bits per goblin ear.

4. Hobgoblins. [2d3] These encounters are with standard hobgoblins ("regulars"). Every group of (4) regulars also includes a hobgoblin taskmaster; every group of 10 or more is led by a hobgoblin elite. Regulars carry 2d6 bits and 1d6 guilders each; taskmasters have double loot and a 1-in-6 chance to carry 1d3 gems worth (2d6)x10 guilders each. Elites carry triple loot and have a 1-in-3 chance to carry gems. The Keep pays 1 guilder per hobgoblin ear.

5. Kobolds. [6d3] These encounters are with blue kobolds ("runts") who serve the blue dragon at Major Encounter area D. Every group of (6) runts also includes a kobold rake. Every group of (10) or more is accompanied by a kobold shaman. Runts carry 2d3 pennies and 1d3 bits; rakes and shamans carry double loot, while shamans also carry 1d3 guilders and 0-2 gems worth (1d6)x10 guilders each. The Keep pays 2 bits for each kobold ear.

6. Orcs. [3d3] These encounters are with standard orcs ("grunts"). Every group of (4) grunts also includes an orog; every group of 10 or more is led by an orc boss. Grunts and orogs carry 2d6 bits and 1d6 guilders each; bosses carry double loot and have a 1-in-6 chance to carry 1d3 gems worth (2d10)x10 guilders each. The Keep pays 1 guilder per orc ear. NOTE: There are two types of orcs encountered in the Badlands [1d6]: 1-4 = Red Orcs (from the Red Desert far to the south) and green-skinned Mountain Orcs (from the Giant Hills to the east).
   

Tumbler. [2d3] These tumbleweed-like plant creatures strike their prey and wrap tightly around a creature, choking it to death and then draining its blood. Treat as a medium-sized assassin vine with AC 10, 15 hp, and Speed 40.

Undead. Such encounters only occur at night; if rolled during the day, roll again. At night, the encounter is with[1d6]: 1-3 = [1d3+1] skeletons; 4-5 = [1d3+1] zombies; 6 = [1d3] ghouls. The necromancers of the cult of Khoss have been animating these foul creatures and setting them loose in the land to cause fear and mayhem. Roll on the Humanoid encounter table to determine what species the original creatures were in life. They have the same equipment and loot as the source creature.

Viper. [1] As standard poisonous snake; 1-in-6 are giant poisonous snakes. This nasty serpent tries to get a surprise attack against a random character. The Keep pays 5 bits per snakeskin; the Keep’s Doctor will also pay 2 guilders for a snake's poison glands (or head).

Vulture. [3d3] As standard vulture; 1-in-6 are giant vultures. These carrion birds typically wheel above a party waiting for a character to fall to 0 hp, at which point they descend to feast on the unconscious/dead creature. If the encounter is with giant vultures that outnumber party members by 3:1 or more, the aggressive birds will attack the characters outright.

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