For this blog article, I’ll be providing you with pre-made encounters for a Dungeon Fantasy game (I hope they’ll be easy enough for you to convert to other systems if you need to).
Random or Set?
You use these encounters in two ways;
- When the party arrives at a keyed location that the GM prepared earlier
- The GM rolls for a random encounter either in the wilderness or perhaps in a dungeon
In each possible encounter entry, additional details for starting distance, terrain, mana, sanctity, weather and time of day are included in case the GM needs them. Please note that time of day and weather may not be relevant to encounters if they happen underground or while dungeon crawling (barring an unusually open-topped area of the environment that’s exposed to the sky). In that case, just ignore those elements for now, and re-use them for encounters that happen in the wilderness. Also note that all terrains but underground do not usually occur in your typical dungeon crawl.
The Mysterious Icy Ruin
This encounter occurs in the Arctic wilderness. At a medium distance ahead (21 to 100 yards, range penalty -7 to -10), the party can see a large stone structure blocking the road. The weather is normal (no effect) and it is afternoon (no darkness penalty) at the time of getting here. It was probably a gatehouse in the middle of a defunct border wall that has since all fallen into ruin. The party will need to either go around the ruin (which will delay their travel by an hour) or go through the ruined gatehouse (braving whatever hazards or evil lurk within). Oddly, the ruin is a High Mana Zone and Low Sanctity. What’s THAT about?
A Controversial Offer
The party are travelling through underground terrain in the afternoon (the weather outside is dire if that somehow becomes relevant) when they spot a bizarre scene ahead, a medium distance of 21 to 100 yards. The environment has Normal Mana and Sanctity. Two monsters are fighting each other, a Demon From Between the Star and a Bronze Spider. The Demon wants to help the party while the Bronze Spider has assumed the party is somehow malevolent (since the Elder Thing is apparently on its side) but that wariness can be overcome (a reaction roll is in order). The Bronze Spider will focus on attacking the Demon while the Demon tries to offer assistance unless the party tries to stop it. Why the Demon wants to help the heroes is something it does not disclose…
Hateful Madness
It is the afternoon when the party’s trip through the underground (the weather outside is very bad) when a deranged and hostile Toxifier makes itself known in the medium distance. Mana is Normal around here, while Sanctity is Low. The monster will attack the party without thought of self-preservation or proper battle tactics.
Who Did That?!
The party is travelling along an Island or Beach in the morning (no darkness penalty) and the weather is normal. Mana is Low along the sands, but Sanctity is Normal. Their stroll is interrupted suddenly by a Water Elemental popping out of the sea a medium distance in front of them. The Water Elemental is unfriendly to the party, as it blames them for the abrupt magical summoning that pulled them out of the aether to here (a nearby Weirdness Magnet is actually responsible, but it does not know that). It will confront the heroes, but it can be convinced that they are not responsible for the uncomfortable conjuring.
The Madman and The Minotaur
As the party makes their way underground (the weather outside is normal, the time is evening or dusk for -1 darkness, Mana and Sanctity are Normal) when they see a big commotion in the medium distance. A Minotaur (who will be wary of the party, make a reaction roll) is being attacked by a very hostile dungeon delver. The delver is a human man and a formidable fighter (consider using The Noble Knight from Adventure 1: Mirror of the Fire Demon pp.40-41 for his stats). The delver has been recently cursed with the Weirdness Magnet disadvantage and has been driven to paranoid violent mania by the constant bizarre events, he attacks the party on sight frothing at the mouth.
Centaurs Fight Club
The party stumbles into an odd improvised stronghold in the evening or dusk (-1 darkness penalty), only about 5 yards ahead of them (a short passage from the last door or turn, the range penalty is -2), while travelling underground. A gang of Centaurs (DFRPG Companion 2 pp.24-25, they number about the same as the party) have converted a ruined arena into a kind of fortified camp (they have erected barriers of piled stone blocks and wooden planks). The arena is a mostly circular space, with a 7-yard-radius. The Centaurs have a campfire going, and are enjoying a meal of puls (a sloppy thick porridge of grain, bacon and cheese all cooked together to save time) and drinking posca (a primitive sports drink mix of water, wine vinegar, honey, salt, and spices). They are in the mood for some friendly wrestling matches and non-lethal duels between each other. Make a reaction roll to see how they respond to the party’s arrival; a good result means the gang welcomes them to speculate or enjoy a quick contest. A bad roll means they either demand the party to get away from their club house or outright declare war. The arena ruin is open to the surface and sky, thanks to a large hole in the ceiling and big wide stone stairs up to the surface. This means time and weather becomes important, right now the weather is normal with no effect. Mana is Very High here (the Centaurs do not know this) but Sanctity is Normal.
Plague of Frogs
This happens when the party are travelling in the swampland wilderness at about sunrise (-1 darkness penalty). Amphibians start falling from the sky and continue to do so for 24 hours. This freaky frog-hail storm does not damage but counts as worse-than-dire weather (-3 to Survival and Tracking, though still only -75% to travel speed, -2 to ranged attacks, -3 to aimed ranged attacks) and puts all combatants on bad footing due to squished frog. Today, heroes whose disadvantages forbid harm to animals can’t travel, but those willing to eat frog needn’t forage or consume rations.
The Empire Claims This Land
The party is travelling around an island or beach in the afternoon when they spot something in the long distance (101 to 500 yards, -11 to -14 range penalty); a large ruined structure that is obviously occupied by many people. The weather is very bad (75% travel speed, -1 to ranged attacks, -2 to aimed ranged attacks). The local area has Normal Sanctity but No Mana. Coming closer, the party will see the people occupying the ruins are explorers, soldiers, scholars, survivalists, nobles and other agents of a foreign nation that is currently trying to set up a colony. They are ambivalent about the heroes but quickly become curious about their adventures and knowledge. The ruins used to be a lighthouse and fort but it was clearly wrecked by a natural disaster. The foreigners will attempt to rebuild the ruin and establish a stronghold for the imperial efforts over the course of many months to come.
Prize Fights
The party sights a mountain settlement in the medium distance in the evening or at dusk (-1 darkness). The weather is bad (50% travel speed, -1 to Survival and Tracking), so they may seek shelter. They’ll find everyone in the area is wary of them (make a reaction roll). Mana and Sanctity is Normal here. The town is a key part of a regional smuggling network and nobody wants outsiders to discover this. Around the back of the tavern-inn, hidden from the main road, a traveling fight ring has been set up by carnies with wagons. They offer a new fight and rewards every day. The fights are usually to the first hit or the knockout. Locals bet on the daily brawls. What they don’t admit to, is that the racket is illegal – not just because it’s unlicensed back-alley gambling and violent, but the carnies also use enslaved or kidnapped fighters and captured dangerous monsters for combatants. The townsfolk are in on it. If the reaction roll was particularly bad, the carnies may connive to kidnap the party for fighters.
Three Hundred and Thirty-Three 