10/30/2024

I released Episode #3 on my YouTube channel today. This episode explains how to use a random table to generate an encounter that can be dropped into a campaign. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/acHx31W2DWQ

I selected a d666 random table from my Shadows of the Sundered Throne Shadowdark campaign and used it to generate a Schrondinger’s Scenario that can be placed in a folder and pulled out later.

I use the QuickStart rules for Shadowdark that are available for free at The Arcane Library’s website: https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/pages/shadowdark

These scenarios are nice since they give the DM a more flushed-out encounter from the beginning. The DM will still have to improvise parts of the encounter but a lot of the heavy lifting is already done and this keeps the game moving. Nothing makes a game feel like it is dragging like the DM having to stop to look up tables.

Here is the Goblin Encounter:

Feel free to download the file and drop it into your folder of future encounters!

I like having the merchants included. If the party knows a local merchant, you could add them instead but having generic merchants, including some basic description of personality, helps with names, motivations, etc.

Something I didn’t touch on in the video is treasure. I like to include an idea of the treasure from the encounter on the sheet. In this case, there are Rations and a couple of rolls on the Treasure 0-3 chart.

Keep on gaming!