That's the most beautifully succinct definition of Fantasy Geopolitics I've ever heard. Thanks for the shout-out!!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Hah!! Thank you!! I know I didn't really do the subject justice, but those videos give me a lot to think about as a cartographer!! Cheers!!
@LaceSabatons7 ай бұрын
Appreciate the shout-out. I'm glad my work has been useful for you. -Nick LS Whelan
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Heck yeah!! Blogs On Tape is such an incredible resource too!! Foundational for me!!
@LaceSabatons7 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow You are a sweetheart.
@tagg10807 ай бұрын
I use random tables for two reasons. One is when i have literally no idea what could be in an area, the other is when i know what is there but want to randomize what they encounter. A lot of books and zines have the first, but the second practically requires me to handmake it for every area. Using this table to randomize how the local factions bleed into eachother is also how is use them, thanks for the video!
@coreeclinton7 ай бұрын
Wow, this is a really well designed idea! I like how dense it is with improv seeds, and how easily it generates interesting stories and factional play. I also like how specific the motivation improv is, as opposed to something like traditional Odnd reaction tables that can feel a little underdeveloped. I'm currently putting together a faction-based hexcrawl and this looks like a really good fit for my game!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you very much! I hope this video is generative for your own process, cheers!!
@macoppy65717 ай бұрын
An astute observation.
@badlad57257 ай бұрын
This is an excellent tool! I love the ways the numerical thresholds conform to the roles of the encounters, like how the table encodes that outside factions can never be found resting in another faction's territory but will always be undertaking some kind of task there. Great design!
@badlad57257 ай бұрын
And as soon as I post this I see another nuance: if they're searching for players, the players encounter them at a significant distance, producing tension; if they have their own goals, the players blunder into the confusion and the situation has more interesting stakes than a simple scrap! This thing is going on every DM screen I own.
@AxiomDelver7 ай бұрын
oh sweet! a new video! welcome back, you were missed!
@jakoblogan7777 ай бұрын
I love thinking about randomised encounters, this wait was worth it!!!!!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Heck yeah!! I forgot to make a point of this in the video, but I think it’s important for a random table to allow for things that Don’t belong on it to show up too!
@petsdinner7 ай бұрын
Got my Monstrous and Knave 2e pdfs! Cheers Kyle!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
A Knave game prepped with Monstrous is on my list of things to do in 2024!! I gotta find some time soon!!
@Magic__77 ай бұрын
He's back ... ok everyone act cool
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Can’t keep a crow down for long! Haha
@sentientwaffle5357 ай бұрын
Welcome back! I used a 2d6 table last night and felt it was decent, but I definitely would love to hear another take on encounters!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Noted! I think this would have to change for a small dungeon, but for a large on or a mega dungeon, I’d probably keep it as is. Cheers!!
@salty-nick7 ай бұрын
I got Monstrous and it's amazing. Very creative, and a breath of fresh story-based air in the sea of predominantly mechanics-oriented monster books.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Heck yeah!! Thank you so much!!
@MrCowabungaa7 ай бұрын
The maths in this makes this triple-table-2d6 beautifully elegant. But... I am kinda bothered with the more results on the alertness/distance (or whatever one could personally use, like disposition instead of distance or something). It means that whatever you set on value 2 and value 12 would always be encountered in the same fashion. Even though those two results are less likely to happen, I'd still like there to be more variety there. Being able to take a faction leader by surprise sounds exciting! You could fix that by just rolling again for the other 2 tables?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Yep! It's just a spring board. It's supposed to be flexible. And these are just the random encounters, not the only encounters. Presumably, if the players wanted to seek out a faction leader, they wouldn't be rolling on a table at all. I think of the snake eyes situation like Darth Vader showing up in Cloud City. Darth Vader is way less cool if Han Solo spots Darth Vader in the check out line at Ace Hardware. But that's just my opinion. Haha!!
@macoppy65717 ай бұрын
Try making separate Surprise Rolls, or inverting the order of all the tables. Making the AMBUSH imply advantage to the PCs opens up more gameplay options.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Hmm, I think I would rather give players the option of setting an ambush themselves if they spot an enemy they wish to face with low guard, but to each their own.
@leviasin83797 ай бұрын
Always a good day when there's a Map Crow upload! I'm about to start a campaign which will have a lot of traveling around the same general area, and have been looking for engaging ways to fill that space. This is just perfect! Can't wait to get started writing up my own encounter tables.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Heck yeah!! Have fun!!
@rychat46877 ай бұрын
Welcome back friend!
@juneiceshark7 ай бұрын
Hi, I just started drawing city maps and found your channel. Your drawing content is amazing your voice is so calm. Also like your oc :D
@minimoose78907 ай бұрын
Woah, that's a fantastic and yet simple way to make immersive random encounters. Thanks so much, Kyle!
@spaced-cadet7 ай бұрын
As a fledgling DM/Worldbuilder/Tinkerer, this is a subject I hadn't touched on yet but it gives me a lot to think about since I will be running an exploratory, vehicle-heavy custom system at some point in the near future. First session I've ever run will be this next Sunday (The 18th of Feb) so I've been gorging on the content you've produced where possible!
@macoppy65717 ай бұрын
Powerful design. Thank @mapcrow for your generous gift. I took notes in a blue 5x5 Quad Ruled notebook. Some experimental ideas to those brave enough to follow: To maximize the narrative of the roll, read Distance before Alertness. Example: 5 Blue + 2 Red = 7 LOCAL FACTION, SIGNS & TRACES, FIGHTING SOMETHING ELSE / HIGH ALERT. The pair of Distance and Alertness tables read naturally this way for all twelve entries. Reorder Distance 6 to "SLAIN / INJURED / RETREATING". Cross off each from left to right as the party advances (easy -> hard) for increasing tension. How do the FACTIONS treat their dead and wounded? Invert the order of just Distance and Alertness (i.e. Alertness begins with RESTING and ends with SEARCHING) for maximum whimsy and goofiness (e.g. 1 Blue + 1 Red = 2 FACTION LEADER, SLAIN, RESTING, or 6 Blue + 6 Red = OUTSIDE BEAST Vampiric Mists, AMBUSH, SEARCHING FOR PCs, a.k.a rocks fall). Invert the order of ALL TABLES presented as a nod to Gygaxian philosophy of low rolls representing a bane to the subject of the roll. Surprise Roll: "the NPCs are surprised on a 1d6 roll of 1 or 2." I am arguing that the best result a party can get is 6 Blue + 6 Red = 12 FACTION LEADER Graznak, AMBUSH, SEARCHING FOR PCs when the PCs are undoubtedly looking for Graznak to murderhobo for truth, justice, and loot. Does your party have justification for a bonus to the Surprise roll? If they roll high enough, they are also given the possibility of Stealthing out of the situation. The worst result a party can get in 1 Blue + 1 Red = 2 OUTSIDE BEASTS Hook Horrors, SLAIN, RESTING, because it means something worse is out there on the loose.
@SweatBread7 ай бұрын
Quality as always, I'll have to use tables like these in 5 years when I can run a game again
@Faiselle7 ай бұрын
Baby ?
@bmckelvy57177 ай бұрын
What a terrifying intro Edit: also hell yeah the Fortress Unvanquishable
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Love that story!!
@jackmoorhead58717 ай бұрын
HE’S BACK!
@Doncergio7 ай бұрын
Damn, that is a good system for random tables!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you!! Cheers!!
@jordancabe7327 ай бұрын
It's great to see you back! I like the Fortress Unvanquishable next to the volcano, it gives me Larn Warrior of Ice and Fire vibes.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Ha!! I didn’t think of that!! What a wacky old movie!
@BannersglareTheDreamWriter7 ай бұрын
Fortress Unvanquishable is an homage to Lord Dunsany, the grandfather of modern fantasy as we know it.
@jordancabe7327 ай бұрын
@@BannersglareTheDreamWriter What is it in? I've read "The King of Elfland's Daughter" but none of his other works.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
It's in The Sword of Welleran and other Stories.
@jordancabe7327 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow Awesome! Thank you so much!
@Zweihander_RPG7 ай бұрын
Welcome back, my dude!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thanks! Good to be back! We’ll see how long it lasts.
@김승민-o6z5 ай бұрын
hey, map crow, your videos are very interesting and fun, and i would really like to see a video series of you making your own monsters that dont already exist in dnd
@TronHammer7 ай бұрын
Great to have you back, awesome first video of the year and beautiful art as always :D
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!!
@euansmith36997 ай бұрын
That's a lovely looking map.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!!
@DankDungeons7 ай бұрын
Awesome encounter system! I definitely want to try it out. Glad to see you back with a new youtube vid!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you!!
@lorekendero3 ай бұрын
Automatically liked on 0:11, 10/10.
@ChristopherSalzman7 ай бұрын
❤ glad to have you back!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thanks ole buddy!!
@jasonpfirman28817 ай бұрын
This is great and so useful ! Thanks and keep up the great work
@baydenwoodland12357 ай бұрын
Awesome idea. Inclined to borrow it.
@zzlord43097 ай бұрын
That's so awesome, What I feel can be added to this on top of that is something such as a counter saverety roll, What are the monsters doing during the random encounter, players stepping in the middle of a faction war or a monster camp site
@kmoustakas7 ай бұрын
I clicked like on the intro, good job. I've been playing since 1992 and I love hexcrawls!
@denisnadeau8657 ай бұрын
Verry interesting ! I've been using something similar : I have encounter tables by region, and 3 tables that use for every encounter: distance, situation and reactions. I feel that rolling a prompt for what is happening and seperatly roll the mood of the encountered creatures is more interesting. So I may get a fleeing creature having fun making it's pursuer mad or a ficherman angry at everything, for exemple.
@aidenb13047 ай бұрын
Good to see you back! Great video as always!
@alienhoward22707 ай бұрын
I know it has very little to do with the video, but I love the questing beast.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
So do I!! I Ben's channel had an enormous influence on my gaming and my videos!!
@baydenwoodland12355 ай бұрын
I am now populating some tables using this idea-- excitingly, I am also blending this with the categorization of combatants from your "learning combat from Baldur's Gate" video. This means I'm making sure to come up with creatures with lots of different ability sets. I am excited to finish and have this for my game.
@PossumMedic2 ай бұрын
Great episode thanks! Looking forward to some Star Borg content! 🤘
@Aikolon5 ай бұрын
Great short video 😊 Liked it
@bonkposting7 ай бұрын
This is beyond useful and practical, thank you!
@undead_mole68097 ай бұрын
Nice to see you back!
7 ай бұрын
Great video! Definitely going to try this out. I had to watch the example more than once, because you said the distance 3 is Nearby when in fact is Not far (11:04).
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Ah, I see, I got confused with those extra numbers I wrote on the sides.
@SanJacintoArtGuild7 ай бұрын
I love using encounter tables and loot tables using 2d6 and 3d6 to denote common, uncommon, rare, and unique results.
@bolicob7 ай бұрын
Sweet video
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@leilahamm85976 ай бұрын
Gaznak in his unvanquishable fortress. Nice.
@matthew_thefallen7 ай бұрын
Glad to see one of your videos again! :D
@marklindsey41127 ай бұрын
Damn Mr Martino, you made your return with an absolute banger! Having a think of how I can adapt this to our games of Cyberpunk. A city block by city block table, full of competing gangs, corpos and criminals. I think that might just work. Thanks for the inspiration!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you!! Yeah, this kind of structure would work well for any space of sufficient size, or several areas next to each other. Cheers!
@yochaigal7 ай бұрын
Thank you for pronouncing my name correctly!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
I sure tried! It’d be embarrassing after all the episodes of your podcast I’ve listened to if I got it wrong! Cheers!!
@Ech_The_Sentiant7 ай бұрын
What an awesome video! How do you feel so comfortable just straight up drawing with a just micron?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you!! I am actually embellishing over my blue pencil sketch with the micron, so I’m not going straight to micron first. Haha
@Ech_The_Sentiant7 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow Oooh. I must be blind then :/
@Hooskin7 ай бұрын
MAP CROW IS BACK !!!
@mikekelly96687 ай бұрын
I love This! I’m excited to work on my next map
@davidneuschulz34647 ай бұрын
Sooooo, for clarity's sake... correct me, here if I misunderstood something... There are five die rolls in this video. The first is extraneous to this little encounter subsystem, but is used to pick a random hex to use for the subsequent example. After that, the four key rolls for this subsystem are: (1) A roll using 2D6 to determine what category of encounter (faction, beast, npc and local/outside) to use. (2) A roll using a D6 to determine which specific encounter for the region. (3) Another roll using a D6 to determine alertness. (4) Another roll using a D6 to determine distance. I would have used two yellow D6 to determine hex. And added a green D6 so you aren't "reusing" a die. Which is okay, I guess, in practice; but I'd go without the shortcut for an example. Tiny tweaks.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Sure, whatever makes sense to you. I didn’t throw in an extra d6 because I didn’t know if I was going to roll on a beast table or not. For factions, I probably wouldn’t have a table for regular troops or leaders, I would just pick what sounded interesting to me in the moment. The 2d6 roll is rolling on the 1d6 alertness and 1d6 distance at the same time. Maybe it makes more sense to you to call that 3 different rolls, but I think of it as just one, which is how I explained it.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
I don’t know how you would use d6s to generate a random hex because it’s a 12 by 8 hexgrid. But that is kinda a different feature that is specific to that hex map in the video.
@hafle7947 ай бұрын
loved this episode! thank you
@benjaminloyd60567 ай бұрын
Howdy Mr. Crow, long time no see!
@raff34867 ай бұрын
That intro had me laughing! Go Map Crow, Go! Great video.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!! Cheers!!
@weaurufu3897 ай бұрын
I love this method! On a side note, I’ve never seen a pencil sleeve as big or comfortable looking as the yellow one you have! My hands cramp up often when I draw, so I’d love one like it. Are they easy to find, or do you have a website you buy from?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Thank you! Actually, I have a link in the description! Cheers!
@weaurufu3897 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow Wonderful! I’m sure you’ve gotten the same question multiple times before so thank you for taking the time to respond. I just found you through Bluesky
@venomstake7 ай бұрын
Papa Crow 🖤
@perkinsdearborn46936 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video. As a long-time DM, I have tended towards slow, story game-style D&D (2e, 3e, 5e) with a mixture of linear, branching, and sandbox elements. Recently, I have come across the OSR and more modern RPG's. And the "desire" to enable players to create the world in partnership with the DM. My DM style is more "DM creates everything world-related. Players only control the actions/behavior of their characters". Have you done a video on the more modern collaborative style of play, e.g. Dungeon World, Burning Wheel, MouseGuard? My experience (probably caused by my DM style) is players being passive, failing to explore or engage the world, and focused on min/max character development. I am getting wistful for a regular group of players. And I want to continue to grow as a DM. Thank you for all the content!
@mapcrow6 ай бұрын
Right on! No, ya know, I haven’t done a video on GMs collaborating with players. I tend to focus GM stuff, design, and art. But it might be a good topic idea! Cheers!!
@thedeaderer87917 ай бұрын
Awww I was hoping for that top 10 list lol 😂
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Ha! Nah nah, ain't happening!
@mooderino7 ай бұрын
I was following along fine until the part where he puts 2-7, 3-8 etc next to the 1-6 tables. Why are those there and how do you use them?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Those are the ranges of numbers that can roll that result. You don’t use them on the table, it was just a way to talk about how the table is weighted. Sorry if it was confusing. Haha
@mooderino7 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow Thanks for clearing that up, I get it now. Only 2d6 from 2 to 7 can have a 1 in the roll etc.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Yep! Now you're on the trolly!@@mooderino
@macoppy65717 ай бұрын
🤯9:24 On 2d6, only the range 2 - 7 can contain a 1 in the roll, only the range 7-12 can contain a 6 in the roll.
@Gmorktron7 ай бұрын
I love the 2d6 system and its bell curve. But i struggle with what to do with the critters after i roll them. Your secondary tables look like they would be good for that. I have been using some tables that "d4 caltrops" put together called OSE encounter activity tables. It has helped me in running the hexcrawl i DM.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Heck yeah!! So a big part of that encounter table for me is knowing what my factions are doing and why, so when they show up from the encounter roll, it's easy to spin up the scenario. Orcs are raiding and digging for buried treasure, Ganak is demanding tribute and kidnapping people to randsom, etc etc
@KingGurke987 ай бұрын
Yo, this guy from Matt's chat makes videos!
@NeonDripKitty6 ай бұрын
I miss read Encounter Table as Enchanting Table WAY too many times
@j.n.-fr5uh7 ай бұрын
when you mentioned "knave", "shadowdark", and a third thing by a guy im not gonna try to spell out, you said "links in the description", but i dont see em 😔😔
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Sorry, lost track. There were a lot of links. I've added links for Shadowdark and Cairn to the description. Sorry about that.
@renansoares2727 ай бұрын
When roll for encounters?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
If your game system has hex map travel in it, then it’ll have rules for when to roll for encounters too.
@dilsonzanardi98203 ай бұрын
Great overland encounter table! Can someone give me advide in making a localized encounter table that works in a similar fashion?
@mapcrow3 ай бұрын
Thanks! What do you assume would be different about a local table? I think you could roll on this for a dungeon just as easily. Maybe weight it more in favor of local factions and creatures, but that’s about the only change I would make.
@dilsonzanardi98203 ай бұрын
@@mapcrow yeah, the biggest change would be the probability, and maybe some Improv on distance. It is really versatile actually! Will put on my GM Screen :v
@deviousdelibird7 ай бұрын
Hey Kyle!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Hey!
@mattslaton7 ай бұрын
What Pen grips do you use?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Check the description. ;)
@shanevonknuth7 ай бұрын
What's the big gripper for? Looks like you're practicing tattooing.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Sure! Check the description! ;)
@jakoblogan7777 ай бұрын
Question, is there any way to get the physical edition of Monstrous in the UK?
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
You can preorder a copy from our Etsy, if you follow the link in the description. Just keep in mind that we don’t control the shipping cost. Haha
@jakoblogan7777 ай бұрын
Thanks! @@mapcrow
@harmen47507 ай бұрын
I would be very interested in your top 10 list of KZbinrs who can go f.. ;)
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Ha! It's just a jab at clickbait drama that has already dominated this year of DnD KZbin.
@harmen47507 ай бұрын
Hehe I know, you made me laugh out loud!
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Haha!! Yes!! @@harmen4750
@jaybakata55666 ай бұрын
What the heck is that around your writing implements?
@mapcrow6 ай бұрын
Check the description;)
@Dorian_sapiens7 ай бұрын
As much as I'd love for someone to name the names of the stinkers in the D&D youtube space, the Top Ten list format is just awful. So, I'm glad that was just a joke.
@mapcrow7 ай бұрын
Haha!! Yeah, the joke is this is just a normal video about encounter table structure instead of fomenting drama. Haha