Bommyknocker Press

Write Encounters in Networks

Food web

This year I'm planning a project that will require a lot of encounter tables, maybe 45 of them. I want to be moving pretty fast with these. Here are 2 tools I'm using to keep the workload down:

Tool 1: Writing short encounter tables Tool 2: Writing encounter tables in networks

Short Encounter Tables by including Neighbouring Locations

This is a refinement of Nick LS Whelan's encounter table structure.

Nick reserves the most extreme edges of the 2d6 probability distribution for dragons and wizards, and the central probability hump for recurring NPCs. His encounter table looks like this:

  1. Dragon
  6. Recurring NPC
  11. Wizard

Great. I'm writing a ton of these encounter tables. 8 entries is a lot easier than 11.

BUT IT'S STILL TOO MANY. I really only want to be writing 6 encounters for each location. 6 is a nice number; if you don't want to use my wacky 2d6 encounter table now you can roll a flat 1d6 and be on your way.

Here's the refinement: reserve 3 & 11 on the encounter table for encounters from neighbouring locations. This ties each location into its neighbours and provides the opportunity for unexpected encounters. Now our encounter table looks like this.

  1. Dragon
  2. Neighbouring encounter (reroll)
  6. Recurring NPC
  10. Neighbouring encounter (reroll)
  11. Wizard

On the outside chance you roll another 3 or 11, go one location further away and roll again. Now you have a critter really wandering far afield.

Writing Encounter Tables in Networks

Last year I published a blogpost on writing encounters in pairs as a tool to ideate encounter tables faster. Let's push this idea further.

There are two benefits to this: first, it will provide even more scaffolding to speed up the writing process. Second, it will make the region feel cohesive, and give GMs tools to show relationships between the various creatures inhabiting a region.

Best of all, we now have a list of just 6 slots to fill in on our encounter tables so we can use 6-sided randomness to help us.

Tools: paper; several colours of pen (crayon); a d6; a deck of cards (optional).

Method: 0/ Choose your location. Assign themes to the location (see Bandit Blood Swamp for an example). We do this first so that our brains can percolate as a picture of a network begins to emerge through the rest of the process.

1/ Draw a hexagon with corners numbered 1-6. Step 1

2/ For each corner, roll the d6 and draw a line to the rolled corner. Draw an arrow in the direction of travel. Step 2

3/ Interpret your lines.

4/ (Optional) Assign statblocks. By now you may be looking at your relationship map with clear ideas of what creatures will be filling out your encounter tables. Great. Skip to step 5 and write them up.
If you're still in need of ideas, look at the Universal Encounter Table and start to assign statblocks that make sense to the relationships. For instance, take the following relationships: (1) predates on (2) predates on (3). You might assign the statblocks:\

If nothing jumps out at you, draw a card and pick randomly. You will get some strange combinations, potentially very weak-statted creatures at the top of the food chain. Perhaps an elephant at the bottom. Chances are, you're working in fantasy or sci-fi - I trust you to make it work.

5/ Write it up. Write stats or use the Just Use Bears method. Tactics, personalities and abilities will differentiate creatures from one another. Cairn keeps statblocks to 3 dot points or less; practice concision.

Bonus thought: relationship lines will intersect on your network hexes. For each intersection, come up with a location that could support both relationships. Seed these locations into your biomes - the landscape in your games will feel more grounded because of it.

Thanks for reading!

Next time, I'll be creating an encounter network with this method and posting it up.

#design #encounters #statblocks #tables