Wilderness Encounters¶

What this is¶

Wilderness Encounters dispatches and plays out an encounter that has interrupted travel. It identifies who or what is present (patrol, lair sighting, or random creatures), stages the meeting, and runs the encounter through to resolution.

Invoked by: a positive encounter check during Travel, or DM judgment.
Invokes: Lair Encounters (on an uncontrolled-hex lair roll); a faction template (for patrols); Encounter Staging; Combat, Chases, and Morale Checks as the encounter calls for them.
Returns to: the invoking procedure (usually Travel), once the encounter resolves.

The encounter check¶

An encounter check is a single 1d20. A roll of 18 or higher is positive (an encounter happens).

Encounter checks are typically made:

Every 4 hours during wilderness travel (6 per day).
Each dungeon turn during dungeon exploration.
Whenever the DM judges that the situation warrants one.

Step 1: Determine what is encountered¶

Identify whether the current hex is controlled (by a faction with active patrols) or uncontrolled.

Controlled hex¶

Roll 1d4.

On a 1, the encounter is with a patrol belonging to the faction that controls the area. The patrol is normally one core formation from the controlling faction's template. Proceed to Step 2.
On a 2 or higher, roll on the random encounter table for the current terrain: Table: Random Encounters — Controlled. Proceed to Step 2.

Uncontrolled hex¶

Roll 1d20.

On a 1, the expedition has come upon a lair. Invoke Lair Encounters; when it returns, this procedure ends and control returns to Travel. The lair sighting does not play out as an encounter. If the party later engages the inhabitants, that engagement begins a new encounter under DM judgment.
On a 2 or higher, roll on the random encounter table for the current terrain: Table: Random Encounters — Uncontrolled. Proceed to Step 2.

(Random encounter tables forthcoming.)

Step 2: Stage the encounter¶

Invoke Encounter Staging (Wilderness column). This produces distance, grounds, reaction, and surprise — the conditions the encounter begins in.

Step 3: Play the encounter¶

Run the Basic Game Loop at encounter pace. The DM describes the situation; the players declare actions; the DM adjudicates. Each loop covers seconds to minutes of game time.

Escalations as the situation calls for them:

If violence breaks out, invoke Combat. When combat resolves, control returns here.
If one side wants to break contact, invoke Chases.
If a creature or group is pressed past their breaking point, invoke a Morale Check.

Step 4: Resolve¶

The encounter ends when any of the following is true:

Both sides part on a non-violent outcome.
One side flees or evades the other.
One side is defeated, surrenders, or is captured in combat.
The DM judges the encounter resolved.

Return to Travel.