Good Encounter Tables
Chaotician Writer of Mastodon asked, if zany encounter tables are boring , what makes a good encounter table? ' Return to White Plume Mountain ' makes a good encounter table, because:
- It's fast,
- grounded,
- repeatable, and
- it develops.
White Plume Wandering Monster Table
The first set is rolled Outside the mountain. The second column shows encounters Inside. The last shows the mountain's Nucleus.
| O | I | N | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -- | -- | Rogue Grolls (2d6) |
| 2 | -- | -- | Meenlocks (1d4+1) |
| 3 | -- | -- | Bog Mummies (1d4) |
| 4 | 1 | -- | Gnome Guards (1d4+2) |
| 5 | 2 | -- | Subsumed Gnomes (3d6) |
| 6 | 3 | -- | Big Ogres (1d4) |
| -- | 4 | 1 | Elevated Ghoul (1) |
| -- | 5 | 2 | Fungus Hulks (1d4) |
| -- | 6 | 3 | Bloodwight (1) |
| -- | -- | 4 | Burning Golems (1d42) |
| -- | -- | 5 | Mold Wyrm (1) |
| -- | -- | 6 | Skin Puppets (2d10) |
I'm going roll for encounters, just to see what comes up.
Day 1 (
4): The party think they hear something roaming in the dark. In the morning, they find little gnomish foot-prints as they continue towards the Ringland settlemenet.
It's Fast
Seeing '1-6' in this table, you might think 'that's a D6 roll', but no. It's a D20 (rolled every 4 hours, i.e. 6 times a day). If you don't hit a result on the table, there is no encounter. This saves you rolling once (to check if an encounter occurs) and again to check which encounter occurs. It's twice as fast, and that's not nothing when you're neck-deep in shenanigans.
Day 2 (no encounters): The PCs hire a mercenary in Ringland, and journey to the mountain.
Day 3 (no encounters): Making a deal with the wizard Keraptis, they agree to search for the magical trident. But first, they sleep.
But Could be Faster
Rolling six times per day is a faff. I'd prefer to roll 2D20 three times per day. That leaves the possibility of getting two encounters at once.
It's Grounded
'1D4+2 gnomes' out of context is pointless, but these aren't any '1D4+2 gnomes', they're the gnomes from the great mountain, who serve Keraptis. We know what they're doing, because the module explains that Keraptis wants to find his magical trident.
Day 4 (
6): Four ogres - servants of Keraptis - make noise all night as they put on their armour and discuss plans, then depart to go North.
This works in both directions. When you encounter 'Meenlocks', it introduces the little insectoid creature, foreshadowing their lair at Castle Mukos. And after Castle Mukos, the players understand Meenlocks in terms of the broader context of the plains around White Plume Mountain.
The grand context of the mountain changes everything.
It's Repeatable
Keraptis has ogre servants, so we know what they're doing too - searching for that trident.
Day 4 (
4): As they exit the mountain, to search Castle Mukos, six gnomes greet them, then enter the mountain.Day 4 (
6): They cross the stinking river by evening. Just before dusk, and find a single ogre - the last survivor from the earlier mission. He looks badly wounded, but only knows enough Common to say 'old woman'.
No need to wonder what those gnomes are up to: if the PCs have made an alliance with Keraptis, they'll be on good terms. The encounter isn't 'an encounter', it just serves to remind the PCs of who calls the shots around here.
And when the ogre encounter repeats (but with fewer ogres), it immediately suggest that these are the same ogres who went to hunt for that trident, and now return bruised and battered after an encounter with the 'Witch of the Fens'.
It Develops
Development demands repetition.
Day 5 (
1): The troupe return, and sleep in the rebel base (where they learn that this is not the real Keraptis). Before they can wake, five of the false Keraptis' gnome followers attack.
Alliances
If the gnomes spot the PCs, they will know that the PCs have sided with the rebels. From then on, encounters with the gnomes will become hostile. This development requires repeated encounters, so the small table really helps.
Connections through the Descent
As the PCs enter the mountain, three encounters leave, and three more possibilities join. It's similar enough to still feel like a related area, but provides novelty.
The Elevated Ghoul Heralds Expansion
This creature is unique. Once killed, the GM replaces it with gnomes. These might be gnomes from the Rebels, or from the one Keraptis who still has standard gnomes in his retinue. Depending on how the adventure has gone so far, a false Keraptis expands into the lower reaches, or the Rebels descend.