Random Forest Encounter Table

For my new game, I needed a random encounter table for the forest. After much labor intensive research into the Pathfinder Bestiaries, I have come up, with what I think, is a passable table for generating random forest encounters. I present it to the interwebs for general consumption. All monsters on this list are from the Pathfinder Bestiaries 1,2,&3 Enjoy!

D100 Random Forest Encounter chart

1 – Ancient Graveyard (Undead encounters)

2 – Giant Owl CR 5

3-4 – Large Earth Elemental CR 5

5-6 – Leucrotta CR5

7-8 – Giant Stag Beetle CR4

9-10 – Gargoyle CR4

11-12 – Slicer Beetle CR4

13-14 – Forest Drake CR4

15-16 – Mandragora CR4

17-18 – Dire Ape CR3

19-20 – Assassin Vine CR3

21-22 – Medium Earth Elemental CR3

23-24 – Ettercap CR3

25-26 – Giant mantis CR3

27-28 – Giant Scorpion CR3

29-30 – Gorilla CR2

31-32 – Leopard CR2

33-34 – Giant Ant CR2

35-36 – Monitor Lizard CR2

37-38 – Worg CR2

39-40 – Krenshar CR1

41-42 – Wolf CR1

43-44 – Giant Spider CR1

45-46 – Small Earth Elemental CR1

47-48 – Badger (# App 1-6/1d6)

49-50 – Kobolds (# App 3-18/3d6)

51-53 – Tower Ruins (Necrophidius X2/CR3 each)

54-55 – Goblins (# App 2-12/2d6)

56-57 – Giant Centipede (# App 2-8/2d4)

58-59 – Fire Beetles (# App 3-6/1d4+2)

60-61 – Yellow Musk Creeper CR2

62-63 – Sasquatch CR2

64-65 – Garden Ooze CR2

66-67 – Giant Toad CR2

68-69 – Dire Badger CR2

70-71 – Dinosaur, Deinonychus {Velociraptor} CR3

72-73 – Moss Troll Cr3

74-75 – Giant Black Widow Spider CR3

76-77 – Giant Whiptail Centipede CR3

78-79 – Dire Wolf CR3

80-81 – Giant Wasp CR3

82-83 – Mimic (Campsite encounter)

84-85 – Owlbear CR4

86-87 – Tiger CR4

88-89 – Decapus CR4

90 – Giant Dragonfly CR4

91-92 – Peryton CR5

93-94 – Basilisk CR5

95-96 – Cyclops CR5

97-98 – Giant Frilled Lizrd CR5

99 – Girallon CR6

100 – Pyramid Ruins

New game

So I made it about six months, before I caved and decided to run a fantasy game. Just can't find anyone interested in playing anything but D&D. So I'm currently looking for players for a Pathfinder game I'm going to run. Here's the intro...

The Town of Ryln's Reach has asked you and your companions to investigate the rumors of a snake cult being revived in the ancient Temple of Set, a few hours outside of town. Upon your arrival you were beset by mad cultists and strange monsters. You fought bravely, and were finally ready to destroy the temple, when you found you couldn't move! A soft sinister voice came to you from behind the Altar of Set, "I am so very tired of you meddlesome do-gooders, interfering with my plans." Just then a man walks out from behind the altar. He is of slight build, with black hair, and glowing red eyes. He slowly walks towards you and says, "I believe I will let you know what it is like to be in my position, alone and besieged. He flicks his fingers and the world goes black...
When you regain your vision, you are standing at the mouth of a cave, high up on a mountain side. No town or signs of civilization to be seen. Looking inside the cave you see a skeleton lying on the floor, covered in the tattered remnants of a suit of leather armor. Scratched into the stone wall of the cave just above the skeleton is one word... BANISHED.

Geek Cred

It occurred to me this morning, while drinking my coffee, that I have recently made a whole passel of new electronic friends. Some of them I talk to directly, some have orbits that have intersected mine.

For the recent arrivals, I'm going to reveal the sordid tale of my origin...

Sherman, set the wayback machine for 1979. Whereupon you will see a wee lad of 11 years old playing some indescribable game involving running and several other activities which have become hazy over the long years. This young man arrives at a friends house, to find his friends older brother sitting on the front porch, open book on lap, tossing strange colored plastic bits about. This was my first exposure to D&D. In it's red book form. This caught my attention, I don't know why, can anyone really pin down what about D&D attracted their attention in the beginning.

Understand dear reader, I was already well on my way to geekdom. I woke up every morning at 5am to watch "Battle of the Planets" with G-Force, and the Phoenix ship. (yes I am "that" old). My parents must have thought me insane, no pre-teen boy, wakes up that early voluntarily. My dad used to have to pry me out of bed to go fishing at 7am. To continue, I had spent the summer of 1977 in the Cooper Cameo 70mm movie theater watching Star Wars, like every other boy on my block, and I had a wicked collection of action figures.

I do not clearly remember how long it was after that that I went to a friends house, Chris is the only thing I remember about him, that and he wore glasses and braces, but I do remember seeing that strange book in his room, and I asked him what it was. He went on to explain to me that this was Dungeons & Dragons, a role playing game. I believe it was at this point I said the most intelligent thing I could think of at the time, "Huh?". What did you expect, I was 11 or 12. Here is where it really begins, I made my first D&D character. I don't remember what I named him, but I do recall he was an Elf. I had Plate mail and a Battle Axe (because, Battle Axe just sounded cool). The details of my first adventure are hazy, like everything in my life at that age, however I remember most vividly ending up in a graveyard at night. While taking my nighttime stroll through said necropolis, I came to be entangled by something grasping my foot. Imagine a Basic D&D Elf, in plate mail, flailing about with a battle axe. Comedic gold nowadays, back then, I was fighting for my life. It was during this tussle, I managed to cut off my toe. I rolled a 1 *sadface*. It was then the hideous undead thing crawled out of ground and it was reveled to me to be a Wight. Sorry, I don't remember how that encounter ended but I was hopelessly hooked. I wanted to do this all the time, I wanted to live in that world, I wanted to explore, and fight monsters, and explore some more. Then I discovered Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. This is where my story differs from most others. My mother, for christmas, bought me The Dungeon Masters Guide. Most folks, when asked, will say they got the Players Handbook first. I take that as a sign of my impending doom. I was destined to become the unrepentant control freak I am today. I was destined to become a Dungeon Master, creator of worlds.

Six months after that, for my birthday, I got the Players Handbook, and the Monster Manual. I still have those same books, if it matters. Within a mile of the middle school where I was tortured for 3 years, was a store called "Hobbies". Run by a gruff gentlemen we only knew as "Al", this is where I checked in two to three times a week after school, to keep up on the latest publishings from TSR. Over the years, I became involved in Star Frontiers and Traveller, but I always come back to where it all started, D&D.

I collected the original Dragon Lance modules, brand new, as they were released. All kender must DIE!
Throughout middle school, and high school, I and my friends ran everything we could afford to buy. I had 3 main characters that survived those days. Lethric Gillenhammer, Half Elf, Ranger/Magic User. Steelgarn Swordmaster, Barbarian carrying flintlock pistols, and Eubeen Hadd, Halfling Thief, who wore Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a Girdle of Storm Giant Strength.

There you go folks, that's how it all started. My origins, as snore-fest inducing as an episode of "Grass Growing weekly", or "Let's watch Cars Rust". But now you know.

For Cthulhu fans

Dear Prof Wellington,

I do seem to remember the headlines that day. The Post Register carried a story on a spy plane shot down over china, the Lamplight Herald was carrying a story on the presidents’ latest trip to England. I had awakened at my customary hour, and was enjoying my light breakfast, not knowing what the day had in store for me.

     The usual crisp fall air was tinged with acrid smell of burning pine tar, from the latest round of forest fires in the foothills. A dusky haze settled in over the city during the night. Not very comforting, if you ask me, but I have no control over mother nature. In the forefront of my mind I was going over today’s agenda, class times, scheduled appointments with students, my latest lecture notes. Being so preoccupied I failed to notice the package next to my front door. I proceeded with my day, completely oblivious to the fact I was going to be neck deep in events I couldn't comprehend come nightfall.

     My day progressed uneventfully, and everything seemed normal. Upon my arrival home, I finally saw the package left at my door. I mealy assumed it had arrived during the day, and had been left by the postman because I wasn't home at the time. I studied the package, I attribute my failure to notice it had no postage affixed to it, to my distraction at the paper it came wrapped in. The paper was of a strange material, I had never seen before. Colored a deep blue, with small flecks of what appeared to be silver scattered across it in a  pattern that reminded me of a picture of the milky way I had seen long ago, in some forgotten text book. I had taken a fancy to the paper, so I carefully unwrapped it and set it aside for further study. The paper revealed a strange box, intricately carved with hieroglyphs, I have to this day yet to decipher. I am unsure if it was the disturbing nature of the relief carvings on the box, pictographs of strange bipedal lizardmen, sacrificing humans to some amorphous blob, or rather the unusual smell emanating from the box that filled me a feeling of dread. I was just reaching for the lid to investigate it contents and plam,plam,plam, there was a rather abrupt knocking on my door. It was a struggle to tear myself away from the box to answer the rather insistent knocking, but I did manage it. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was hesitant to pull my eyes away from the strange box.

     Peering through the peephole in my front door, revealed a tall man swathed in a full length crimson robe. His face was reminiscent of the giant statues found on Easter Island, elongated and solemn. His complexion was a ruddy brown, as if he spent his days toiling the sun. He looked up as I peered through the peep hole, almost as if he could see me. I know he couldn't have heard me approach the door, because I was in my socks, resting my feet after a hard day of tromping through the granite halls of the university. "Professor Linton, I must speak to you about a matter of some urgency." His voice boomed and echoed on my cavernous front porch. I was so startled I didn't open the door, you really can't trust anyone these days, and guys at my door at 8:30 at night, dressed in robes, doesn’t instill a feeling of well being and peace. I practically squeaked my reply, "I'm sorry I can't help you, I'm really quite busy right now. If you would like to make an appointment with my office, I can see you sometime tomorrow." I was standing at my door, eye's clamped shut, hoping beyond all hope, that he would take that rather feeble excuse and go away, when I again peered through the peephole, I was actually shocked to find the menacing stranger gone.

     I turned my attention back to the box. It was right where I left it on the dining room table, I thought I left the lid closed. The lid was now standing open, and a soft golden glow emanated from the inside. Now, I'm a professor of archaeology and anthropology, not particularly religious, nor spiritual, a bit on the superstitious side now and again, so when I see a lid to a box open, that I distinctly remember not opening, I tend to get a little worried.

     I had the creepy feeling there was someone in my house. I crept toward the dining room, being sure to pick up the fireplace poker on my way. I managed to keep enough of my wits to notice that whoever had opened my box, had also smoothed out the paper used to wrap it. It looked like it had been ironed, and the closer I got to it, the more it took on the appearance of a window laid flat on my table. The glow had suffused slightly letting the room dim, and making me nervous. I was slowly checking the corners of the room for anything out of the ordinary. After looking like a fool, sticking a fireplace poker into the dark corners of my dining room, but it did make me feel better. I checked the locks on the windows, now being completely freaked out be previous events.

     Inside the box I was surprised to find an Ahnk, carved from what looked like black soapstone gilt along the edges in glowing gold. The surface was covered in miniscule hieroglyphics undecipherable to me. I didn't even think, to this day, I'll curse myself, but I reached in and picked it up. No gloves, nothing. I could have damaged it, I just wasn't thinking, I was mesmerized. I sat there at the table staring at the wonderful piece of, what I thought was, primitive art, when I caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye. The paper which had until this time just been a curiosity, was now the focal point of my dread.

     It was discordant, disjointed, not of this earth. It boiled out of the deep recesses of the primordial fear. It was as if I were looking through a window into deep space, slowly, deliberately a  small cloud formed in the center of the paper. As it grew I began to make out appendages, pseudopods, tails, and tentacles. I had not definitive form, its very nature screamed at my senses that it was wrong, it didn't belong in any sane mans' visions. It came closer, I was convinced it could see me, it was looking for me. My fear was overwhelming, had I anywhere to run, I would have bolted. That's when I screamed and the world went black.

     I woke up this morning in a hotel, and discovered I was brought in by a very tall man in crimson robes. The box was by my bedside. I send it you Professor Wellington, along with my story, in the hopes that you will not repeat my folly, and maybe even discover the purpose to these artifacts.

In enduring friendship,

Dr. Jebadiah Linton

Cairo Museum of Antiquities

the Grand Experiment

I have been drawing up a new game world. (See the post previous to this) While thinking about origin stories for the major races, I've managed to think myself back to the origin of the gods on my new world. I've already done a world where a scientifically advanced race started, and consequently lost contact with, a colony. Didn't want to do that again. I was trying to avoid the magical gateway origin also. What I finally ended up using, was a single powerful divine being, finds the world and decides to live there. His name is Aeze (Ayes). Aeze lived contentedly for many years, but eventually became lonely. Aeze created children to live with him. 13 children did Aeze create. They are the 13 gods of Nojh, also the names of the months. Each of Aeze's children created a race in their own likeness. Now I shall busy myself with writing the separate stories of each of the gods, and how their children came to be.
It's amazing how things take on a life of their own....

Makin' it up as I go along

In the depths of my despair over not being able to fix my printer, I am going to attempt an  idea I had a few weeks ago.
I'm going to use the Pathfinder RPG system (because it is what I'm most familiar with at the moment) and start with some random character generating dice I have. The premise is this... I'll make a bunch of random characters, go find some random or generic maps, and using the kingdom building rules from Jon Brazer Enterprises, I'll set all the characters out into the randomly generated world to establish themselves. With any luck, by the time this all over, I will have created a new game world.
It's a throwback to my Wargaming roots as this will be more of a strategic solo game, than actual role playing. But I haven't been in a mood to run any games lately

The year of no fantasy

Early in January, I got a wild hair, and decided that after 25 years of running the various incarnation of the Grand Old Gentleman of RPGs, that I was going to take a year off. This meant that I wasn't going to DM any games for one year. I decided to do this so I could rediscover other genres and other game systems.
   Now just starting March, I've have rediscovered a few old friends. 1st edition Gamma World, and Star Frontiers being the most notable. Mongoose Traveller and Call of Cthulhu have been sitting, ignored, on my shelves for far too long. I've admired the Savage Worlds system, but never had a chance to run it, and I've only played in 2 games. Then, I've been eyeing my 5th edition Hero system book fondly for a while...

   I started in with Mongoose Traveller and an idea I've been toying with for a few years. Running a Traveller game in the TTA universe, my only stumbling block was finding enough players and a place to play. However, the game is written and ready to go.

   Call of Cthulhu has always held a special place in my heart ever since the high school game with the Lamploths. (walking, talking street lights. Those were the good ole days) I have the BRP version of CoC, and the D20 version. I wrote down a few quick notes last year about an urban legends campaign. Sometime in the next few months I'll be expanding on those and trying to iron out the details.

   Savage Worlds is gaining huge popularity throughout the local gaming scene. At the last Genghis Con, Savage Worlds games outnumbered all the other RPGs being played. It's an amazingly flexible system, with tons of different settings, and support from every direction. The Necropolis setting has drawn my attention, and as soon as the Horror companion is released, I'll start work on a few ideas I've had for that system.

   I recently came across  a copy of 1st edition Gamma World in my collection. I had forgotten the vast amount of leeway the earlier game systems offered. I've been tossing around a few ideas for a Gamma World game, but that will take some more research.

   A few years ago I was struck with a wicked case of nostalgia, and consequently started buying everything I could find for TSR's Star Frontiers. I really do miss that game. At one time I had a starship piloted by three Dralasites. I really want to run a game of Star Frontiers, but the local gaming community is firmly focused on either Pathfinder or D&D 4E. I still hold out a small measure of hope however.

   Overall the decision to take a break from fantasy and broaden my "genre" horizons is a bit difficult to maintain, for I do still love high fantasy games, but it will be good for me. I might find new players, and expand my skills as a story teller and game master. Only time will tell, and I've got the rest of the year to find out.