Random Encounters | Running The Game

[@Tfrne]

Sometimes when I watch these, I turn off the lights, turn on some loud music, take a round of shots and put the video at half speed and it feels like Matt is talking to me at a house party about D&D.

[@GretSeat]

Tfrne what the fuck

[@StrangeFolk520]

Holy mother of god, I haven't laughed that hard at a youtube comment in a long time. Five star post, would go to a house party with Matt again.

[@AvonofTalamh]

I just found this. I did this. 50 Cent and Matt Colville are now my favorite Wednesday night activity.

[@josephdaneker8093]

was already drunk so i thought fuck it and did it myself. its pretty good mate

[@joshuamagee7707]

He sounds so drunk at half speed.

[@iodred]

The word exists! "Anemoia - _n._ The nostalgia for a time you've never known."

[@cl0udbear]

That's not a word in any dictionary.

[@buboetherat]

How about, "retro-nostalgia"? if anemoia doesn't work for you?

[@ZombieBookClub]

Maybe it would be something like "Nostalgia Appropriation"

[@ThomasValadez-tv]

"Hipster - n. One who has nostalgia for a time they've never known."

[@sum1onsteam451]

That is not a reputable dictionary, we're talking merriam-webster, bro

[@cooldead]

Just so you know. Your videos work. I am looking for a group to DM for now.

[@the-0-endless376]

Did you find one?

[@questionsayer]

@@the-0-endless376 imma say he’s still looking

[@Espartano692]

Q

[@Espartano692]

Q

[@ArshikaTowers]

Had a group sleeping in the wilderness, and I rolled a dice and decided; it was time for them to meet somebody. They had one person keeping watch, which rolled low on his perception check. I described how this watch was completely boring, and he started to feel his eyes close. When one of them woke up, there was an Adult Green Dragon just laying there watching them. There was a sudden panic before the Green Dragon finally spoke, in a soothing feminine voice she said, "Sleeping on watch is a good way to get eaten little ones." There was a deep conversation about nature, life and death, and finally the dragon just flew away content with the conversation. The dragon, at the end, let it slip that she had cast sleep on the one on watch which is why he fell asleep. It was an interesting random encounter that didn't require any fighting.

[@silvertheelf]

...that’s no green dragon I read about, all mine are vicious manipulators.

[@christianpoulsen4164]

Sounds more like what a Silver dragon would do. I really love the encounter idea though really cool

[@richmcgee434]

Lesson: Dragons are capricious, especially when they're not hungry, not guarding their lair, and have the edge over potential foes. And really, even if all your green dragons are "vicious manipulators" they aren't going to very good at that if they always act that way openly. Want to lull a low-level party into complaisance about how dangerous you are so you can murder and rob them later when they've leveled up and gotten loot worth stealing? Do this kind of thing.

[@theframe100]

@@silvertheelf Maybe the Green Dragon had a reason for wanting them alive?

[@evanwelsh7225]

For some reason in reading this I had a jump scare when I read adult green dragon... But I really liked it

[@AdellRedwinters]

One point others have probably brought up by now, but one thing about random encounters is that they don't need to be COMBAT encounters. a Random Encounter can be as random as you'd like. What I've done is write a list of encounters, some of which are monsters yes, but others that are like "a bunch of petrified soldiers" or, "an overturned traders cart" or just straight up "you bump into Franklin, the npc cleric you've met a few quests ago, making his way back to town." Other times, the encounter is just an environmental encounter like quicksand or gross swampland that is filthy and diseased. By having your encounters branch out from just "monsters monsters monsters" it makes the world feel that much more alive and real.

[@jerry247]

I like having a drill down set of tables with a couple of non combat encounters on the first one.

[@AdellRedwinters]

Yeah I still try to keep the odds in the players favor that they won't encounter something, but I like to split a single list into potential combat and non-combats in the area they are traveling. Usually categorized by Hostile, Neutral, and Helpful

[@ghostfather1390]

I absolutely agree that an "encounter" does not automatically mean "combat encounter", or even necessarily an encounter with a living creature. it could be something as simple as finding some trash from someone who had come by before the party that may provide a clue, or a red herring to lead them astray. it is my belief that in D&D "Chekov's Gun" does not apply (please google it if you do not know what it is. I am certain Matt and any other writers out there are quite familiar with the premise). be well

[@soulhunteru12]

This is quite brilliant! I really need to look into a table of "general encounters", even if they aren't with any monsters or living creatures. I know the DM screen has a "something happens" table", but it's too vague.

[@ghostfather1390]

soulhunteru12 I think that while it is perfectly acceptable to use premade, provided tables, it will go a long way towards personalizing your campaign to make up your own. What mobs you choose to use, and Not use, and what type and style of non combat encounters you utilize, will make your campaign into Your Campaign.

[@SterlingWestfall]

There used to be a random mundane encounter generator, which I loved. Once, there was a polar bear and her two cubs. The barbarian in party assumed the encounter had a purpose or else I wouldn't have rolled it, which I let him assume that. He proceeded to attack. Meanwhile the druid and a few others took offence to the random attack on a wild animal and refused to help. The barbarian almost died from a mundane encounter due to a divide in the party and only survived because I was having the wounded mother retreat once the cubs made it out of sight of the party. Other random rollers I love are weather, mundane loot and pickpocket. donjon hosts some of these and I think used to host them all, but no longer all of them.

[@IcePhysicsGaming]

Sounds like something that would happen between a Druid and a Barbarian.

[@johntracyr]

also worth noting, random encounters don't have to be combative. Perhaps it's a natural hazard like a large geode. at the center is a mysterious large crystal but it could collapse. or maybe an npc that you introduce over and over randomly.

[@alexp.4270]

I enjoy having random encounters be a mix of good and bad. It makes players eager and anxious to see what it is they will come across.

[@indrabehar3585]

Agreed. And even if a random encounter does involve a monster, it doesn't always have to attack the PC's. They could happen to spot it being hostile towards hapless NPCs, which gives the players an opportunity to use nonviolent means (like persuasion or trickery) to defuse the situation.

[@robertdguthrie]

I might be imagining it, but I thought some random encounter charts included non-combat encounters. Literally "encounter with a _____" that didn't necessarily benefit players, but didn't force them to fight either. I'm inclined to include my own %d chart that includes "during travel, come across rotting rope bridge over impassible canyon" or such-like. Maybe meeting a rival party who is trying to beat them to their destination and foil their plans, who put traps and summoned monsters in their path….

[@hedgehogwillable]

the wandering man: praise to Arstotzka.

[@Madhattersinjeans]

Yeah it could even be a physical barrier the players have to get past, like a set of boulders blocking a path on a mountain or a flooded area in a forest or a large ravine.

[@RighBread]

I KNOW that this is an old video, but another idea that I like is not having all encounters be bad. Maybe there's a chance the party will come across a wounded adventurer that rewards them if helped. Maybe there's a Goblin fleeing for his life, and if caught and interrogated he gives up information about a big monster that attacked his tribe up ahead. Maybe there's a loud shriek that echoes suddenly through the night, waking everyone up and putting them on edge, but nothing ever comes of it. Having every single encounter just be another combat can get pretty dull, regardless of how challenging it is. It's nice to mix things up and include something other than "hungry monster" or "jerkwad bandit" on the list.

[@OldSchoolGM94]

In old school D&D most encounters where not outright hostile. When you roll a random encounter before 3.x the next things you rolled where distance, suprise and reactions. 2d6 modified by charisma where 7 was neutral and 12 was they offer to be allies/pay tribute/etc meant that at least half of encounters where social encounters. Rolling 12 orcs who then got a 9 reaction means they may be wary of you but they may trade with you in some way. Maybe for a few rations or handful of gold they will draw you a rough map of an unexplored area of a dungeon or tell you where a dangerous beast is.

[@OldSchoolGM94]

Even when you get under 7 you may encounter 12 orcs and they will demand your gold or tell you to leave the area or die. Only on a 2 (a 1:36 chance) did those intelligent creatures immediately draw swords and charge you. This of course is subject to DM perogative. The orcs may be guards with hard rules to drive out all intruders but how they go about that doesn't need to be endless fights to the death.

[@PatrickOMulligan]

Dragon Age origins had these, including a competing group of adventures.

[@deveus1]

I misread the title of this series as "Ruining The Game" literally every time i see it.

[@Wishram321]

I keep misreading "I misread..." as "I misread..." Even though I know what it says.

[@ethanbotterill2743]

So do I, so do I

[@PS-bc5qt]

Thanks....I CAN'T UNSEE IT.

[@oz_jones]

3 black puddings definitely would ruin the day of our pcs. So... kinda close?

[@treeross]

@@Wishram321 wait till you start misreading "misreading" as "misreading" instead of misreading, because you misread misread. Im glad we can read read as read.

[@rubenmunoz2912]

Man, I'm barely starting to play and throw myself as DM for my friends for the lack of people who knows how to play. And all this videos are just amazing! Really love what you do here. Thank you, for real

[@SurrealBeliefs]

I absolutely use encounters on the overland travel map and I find them integral to making the world feel alive. Our session one was preempted with a focus on traveling to the first town they were tasked to visiting. Instead of a sorted list of check marks to hit, I have an assortment of potential events that can happen which are dependent on time of day, what landmark is close by and so on. Each one has various things that can happen and they're voluntary -- which is great when you have a curious group. In the first event, there were undead individuals in a chapel carrying on a ritual in their afterlife. Instead of fighting them, the party used their knowledge of religious matters to help them complete the ritual and rest. A later one was a dilapidated older tower they took rest in, they found some evidence of who may have built it and clues that others were close by (in addition to finding a magical chamber pot but that's an aside). At a bridge passing a gorge, they were accosted by large spiders and spelunked into the gorge to find their nest, finding some valuables and clues of what may have killed the chapel members. Later they heard an explosion and the smoke, finding a small cave with smoke streaming from it. They went in and found some evidence that those who survived the explosion went to the town. All of this set up the tone of the adventure, it lent them knowledge of the setting and made them feel a part of the world. I think of it akin to Lord of the Rings in that the journey is just as important as the end result.

[@fightinghare5297]

i follow and love your channel would you ever consider posting your dnd stuff?

[@Nokugan]

In a way, I am not surprised of seeing you here, but I still did not expect to see your name in the comments! :)

[@oz_jones]

That first encounter is so sweet.

[@priestesslucy]

Love love love this kind of exploration vibe where interesting stuff happens that isn't just a string of fights. I find modern D&D feels like it's turned into a combat simulator, with so many expected battle encounters to wear down resources in the DMG. The ~4 encounters expected in 3rd edition was already too much imo, but now 5E wants 6? Lol

[@us3s]

Am I too late for the giveaway?

[@boniakarlo]

Ditto ( Kappa )

[@spoopypants4959]

Sounds exciting. I'm in!

[@TwinSteel]

Nah, I’m signing up too 😄

[@jayb9388]

sign me up

[@Federe76]

Oh, no.

[@kramerfortuna7228]

I usually keep my "random" encounters to a minimum, since I try to keep the story moving (my group doesn't have the time for long sessions). I put random in quotes, because there's not really anything random about the way I do it. I'll plan a variety of optional encounters before the session, and I'll throw them at my players if I feel like it.

[@SharpTern]

Someone who loves the under-appreciated d12 as much as I do! All my random effect, result, and encounter tables are d12 based because it might be the only time that die is rolled all night, and I love the shape and feel of the d12.

[@bradleypatterson5384]

In ICRPG it's just called "Ultimate" as in "you roll Ultimate!"

[@robertportersc]

Our mage was named Malizar. The "random" encounters happened for frequently on his watch we called him Malizar the Monster Magnet.

[@Chocomint_Queen]

For the beginning of my DM "career", I always shied away from random encounters, because it felt like, well, random, no bearing on the narrative. But lately, with my current group of players (who're all new to the game), I've been making some use of them, not really for any real reason, just because I wanted to get back to the "roots" of the game, so to speak, and I can't believe I've gone without them for so long. They're the perfect counter to the infamous "15 minute adventuring day", and they help my players learn about things like making a hidden camp and keeping watches. I let the second-hand disdain some DMs have for the old ways rub off on me while I was new, and I let it deprive me of useful tools and fun adventures for _far_ too long. I'm so glad for your video series! (And, you know, I didn't know Pitons could be used for hammering doors shut, I'll have to share that one with them, they'll love it!)

[@Red_Fudo]

I just binge watched/listened all the playlist (except the twich world building stuff). All the advices you gave are super useful and the campaigns you're running sounds so cool -the moment when the new Count has been nominated was epic- that you almost made me eager to play D&D again. Keep on doing this great work so i can stop being a GM too and go back to make a character sheet please and thank you from Italy Matt.

[@mattsteinberg2083]

I also just binged watched everything (except the twitch stuff since its rather long). Does Matt have a known video schedule at this point? Like Monday DM tips / Wednesday Dungeon Diary / Sat twitch stream?

[@Graelcase]

He's currently on vacation and joining his two campaigns so its hectic. But he's going to stream his game tomorrow at 8 pm pacific.

[@yugarinoato182]

I don't think I have commented in KZbin before. Thank you for taking all this time to create videos that are so helpful. I am a picking back up being a DM after a 3 year game break. My confidence in running has been pretty low. but each tidbit of information you share helps remind me that I can do this. Thank you again.

[@Calebgoblin]

I somehow knew he was gonna say "Wyvern" as soon as he mentioned the random encounter in the forest. I feel like we have a special connection

[@matthewgallaway3675]

or Wyvern is just a good choice. great minds and all that.

[@JupiKitten]

oh wow... When I was a kid, my very first experience of D&D was this box that my dad had given me that he'd played with when he was young. I was super excited about it, and dived right into it. Dad pretty much left me and my brother to our own devices with it. I was the DM, my brother played a fighter, and we invited the kid next door to join us who decided to play a wizard (I think he played a wizard anyway). We played in the garage and probably got lots of stuff wrong, but overall had a blast. The next day the kid's father showed up at our house, red faced and seething at my dad about how he couldn't believe he'd allowed us to play a game about Satan worship. My father got into it with him, but in the interest of peace with the neighbors he threw away the entire game. It still breaks my heart that that happened, and it wasn't until I was living on my own many years later that I had another chance to play, this time third edition. To this day I never knew what edition it was that my dad had given to me. At the time I was really young and had no idea I needed to pay attention to that at all. I do know Outdoor Survival was included with it, I very distinctly remember that cover and that map. After all I poured for hours at a time over it and all the other materials trying to work out how to DM for the very first time. Thank you Matt for posting about this, its something I'd almost forgotten about, but had always bothered me not knowing which edition it was.

[@loganoates6683]

Kat Horton Satan worship? Yeah, it's as much Satan worship as Narnia, or Lord of the Rings!

[@McDonaldWilliamT]

Logan Oates late to reply, but as sad as it sounds, there really are people who believe that crap. Case in point there's actually a Chick Track, basically an evangelical mini comic made by a man who's sanity when he was alive was... shall we say... questionable. The 'track' in question basically 'proved' that D&D and other such fantasy tabletop games were a 'gateway drug' to satanic rituals and such. To the point where it makes one wonder just 'what' the individuals behind them, let alone those who believe such tripe, are smoking.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Religion poisons everything.

[@eddiemate]

If D&D is a gateway to Satan worshipping... *puts on fake horns* I welcome our new overlord. It’s worth it.

[@laurdesz9050]

if people ever try to say dnd is what made me view satan as not too bad then I'll just be sad that theyre overlooking all the other perfectly good reasons I'm empathizing with satan.

[@akhlives2385]

Absolutely love the Abbott and Costello input. One of my favorite bits of word play right there.

[@shikileaks]

The vampire generation with "Why is the vampire here?" is actually exactly what inspired Ravenloft and the module we now call Curse of Strahd. The original authors of Ravenloft saw a vampire that had basically just been rolled from a table, thought that his being there was dumb and lacked sufficient explanation, and actually built an entire AD&D adventure around it. Super cool example.

[@kwadracik]

It is amazing to see this channel grow, having randomly stumbled upon it when the first video dropped.

[@pieterpuk7684]

I like to differentiate random encounters depending on the way players carry themselves in a dungeon. If they are stealthy, clean up bodies etc. theres a better chance of the random encounter being a single enemy looking for the latrine. Are they being rambunctious and obvious, or have they been spotted before and forced/allowed an enemy to retreat... Then the encounter might include things like a search and destroy party using a bloodhound and including a variety of more specialised enemies that are (at least in the mind of the enemies) up to the task of killing the invaders. They often include a character that calls for backup, making cleaning up camp and moving a necessity after winning the encounter.

[@bjornseine2342]

I'm at Uni atm, but wanted to comment to enter and to say that I'm planning on having a number of custom encounters prepared, that I can then pull out semi-randomly when I need them. This method obviously has the disadvantage that it's a lot of work, but it has enough benefits to validate it imo. For example, you can make sure the encounters are relevant. There is a war between Orcs and Goblins going on? You might stumble into a small Orc patroll that is getting overwhelmed by goblins. "Random" encounters like this can seriously improve the gameplay by adding atmosphere; you won't walk through a war-torn Kingdom without ever encountering a single soldier.

[@tizzekarlsson]

Sounds like something very similar to that I do. I just don't finish them but have the details of them open so I don't shoehorn the encounters into narrow use.

[@Yora21]

I always like to have a few locations prepared, like caves, bandit camps, ambush sites, and so on. Just the location without inhabitants. When a wilderness encounter happens and one of those locations might be a good stage for it, I can pick one and put the randomly rolled creatures in it. When I used it, I create a new one for the next time. But you can actually reuse locations too. When you have the same cave but inhabited by completely different creatures that are living in different rooms its like a completely new location.

[@The_MightyJingles]

I'm going to go with "notstalgia".

[@cartercopeland1956]

Dang Jingles plays Dungeons and Dragons?

[@refugeguy777]

Hail, our Gnome Overlord! Have the salt mines run dry?

[@FlatOnHisFace]

@@Dehalove Look again, my dude. You missed it.

[@Enbaros]

Last week I had my first session as a DM (and my 10th session as a RPG player in general), and you have been invaluable in the good time we all had. Thanks for your videos! I've seen them all now and catched up, so I'm eager for more!

[@slagondrayer447]

I made a post-apoc random encounter game as my first attempt at GMing, my players HATED it. It was all numbers. I loved it.

[@mkhpsyco]

Sorry, I'm pausing the video in the middle because I really like your idea of a 12 sided die for random wilderness encounters. I think I may steal that, but instead, I'd have them roll and if it was a 1 or a 12, just because I like the feel of that. 1 being the more dangerous one, and 12 being them coming across something with the small chance of avoiding the issue. I'd then decide on how the 1 is dangerous, it could be that th enemies get a surprise round, or they're just bigger in numbers. The 12 may still have the same amount of guys, but they may get a surprise round if they handle it correctly. Dunno, this sounds like an interesting Idea that I may try implementing in my first DM group that I'm starting in a month.

[@brandonb1681]

My older brother back in the 80's would DM games for his friends and let me watch. They mostly played stoned out of their minds. My brother would add an illness component to the adventures. One night he told a human fighter, after said fighter drank stream water, that he had to make a saving throw for Diarrhea. That was it. Game over due to the laughs. They never took themselves too serious. It was fun to watch.

[@burnthecatalyst6311]

"Nostalgia for an era we don't belong to..." >Com Truise shirt my man

[@bookplate]

i thought the exact same thing

[@MARSHOMEWORLD]

"It's action, reaction...random interaction. So who's afraid of a little abstraction?" This episode got me a bit nostalgic for ye olde wandering monster charts. As for nostalgic feelings for an era we haven't experienced first hand; how about "Missedtalgia"? Best I could conjure up at 2 AM

[@JohnDoe-mj6cc]

I love the roll the bones reference, but.. Why?

[@tomwillems1637]

I just started as a player and more recently as a DM and I stumbled across your videos. They are super! I love this one about random encounters, it does make the world feel more alive. Thank you for sharing your experience/ knowlegde!

[@julianwenzel5926]

Although I've only started playing DnD less than a year ago, I had already set in my mind the way the game worked and the way I thought it should work. But it seems to me that every time I watch a video of yours I find my opinion of the game(both playing and DMing) changes and I want to thank you for that. You've been an inspiration and I feel as though all campaigns I participate in have improved, even if it's just for me, and I want to thank you for that.

[@samhartwig9191]

So you mentioned Critical Role a couple of times a while back and I decided 'what the heck' and started watching about 3 weeks ago. I caught up last Friday. It has actually changed my entire perspective on D&D and its now, to me, become a full time hobby and not just another game to play when my friends are over. Seeing Critical Role and watching this channel has, between the two, inspired me to start my first campaign as a Dungeon Master - and I just wanted to say thanks because that's all on you for getting me hooked :) Also, I've been thinking about who I should be playing with for my first campaign as DM and wouldn't mind some advice. I have a regular group I play with often where I am not the DM, as well as a group of friends who haven't played before but are very keen to learn. I think that playing with both is probably not the best option as theyre each about 4-5 people, and Im not confident I can handle that much confusion. I have a good grasp of the rules but as I haven't DMed before I figure its probably best for at least my first session or two to be with the new players, so we can sorta learn together as I develop my own way of doing things. Does that make sense? Or should I play with people who already know the rules to get me started.

[@jayne775]

Sam Hartwig p

[@toddunet6940]

Critical Role and Matt Colville are doing God's work by turning people into DM. I'll run the first game of my first real campaign in three days, so excited ! Thank you so much Matt and Matt, internet's best DM

[@tea_time_t]

I didn't understand hex maps at all until watching your videos, and that got me to remake the map for my current campaign into a hex style. It makes figuring out how far the party is from anything a whole lot easier. Thank you for these awesome videos!

[@jdwatson7588]

The picture of Elric keeps changing. Silly things you notice.

[@mcolville]

The blade sword is the champion's sword The word of the sword is the champion's law The blade of the sword has the blood of the sun. The hilt of the sword and the hand are one.

[@eXXot0ster]

You're the best Matt

[@mcolville]

No YOU'RE the best!

[@Einkill]

No, no, no, YOU'RE The best!

[@ayyohwinning]

We insist that you're the best

[@violethyena6895]

So, I'm 16 videos into watching all these helpful DM tips and I really appreciate them so far. I've played other table tops, Shadowrun and some home-brewed pathfinder. I DM'd for Shadowrun ears ago once and I enjoyed it, so these videos are really helping me think up new ideas for my first time DMing for D&D. thank you for sharing your 30 years of experience!

[@jonnylee5000]

Nostalgia for a time period you're not a part of: Hipster "What version of Dungeons and Dragons am I playing? Yeah you've probably ever heard of it..." XD Just subbed and look forward to gorge watching everything.

[@dawica]

"Nostalgia for an era that you weren't a part of" The dictionary of obscure sorrows calls that "Anemoia"

[@dramaticrodent541]

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows sounds like a cool magic item for a Warlock. :)

[@deadend3001]

Andddd ripped. Thanks. ;)

[@EpifanesEuergetes]

The title piqued my interest so I googled it and found the site. I love it. Thank you for mentioning it.

[@ironman21389]

Going through all your old videos again because I just love these. I use the random encounter tables to build adventures and side quests for my group. I built a cyclops adventure on an island with two different factions. One group just wants to live in peace on the island while the other has been working with some pirates to take over as a base of operations to plunder trade routes. The hook was that a trading guild owner was trying to get the attention of the city's magistrate as the party was leaving the tavern in the morning. His ships have been attacked for the past few weeks and the city has done nothing to protect the seas. It's up to the party to determine what side they want to be on in this conflict. I'm very excited to see where it leads. Great videos!

[@unclebrizz1053]

I agree. Invent that word.

[@shardahartley4328]

Anemoia: Nostalgia for a time you have never known

[@Ki113r210]

Sehnsucht i believe is the word you are looking for.

[@shardahartley4328]

Sehnsucht: yearning, wistful longing. It works, but I think Matt wanted something more specific to fill lexical gap. Even Anemoia is not perfect for what he seemed to be referring to.

[@dylandoyle493]

Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows has a video on it.

[@Lodane]

Dict of Obscure Sorrows, Anemoia: Nostalgia For A Time You've Never Known

[@AvonaStar]

Eddie Izzard shoutouts get my respect! :)

[@antytrend]

You are my #1 source for D&D. I tell my players I run a Colvillian game and if they want to understand my game to watch your videos.

[@Si-Horrocks]

Nostalgia for an era you didn't belong to = Not-Stalgia

[@markgarrett7428]

I legitimately cheered and scared my dog when the Eddie izzard clip came on

[@TristanSalazar]

Speaking as someone of a similar gamer generation to you (started playing in the 80s), I really appreciate some of the shout-outs to old-school gaming updated for a new age. You've inspired me to use random encounters again!

[@TheSophor]

The "problem" I have with random encounters is the map. I can only play online with roll 20 and I usually make relatively detailed maps tailored to the encounter ... a similar problem is tokens, it's sometimes tricky to find good pictures ad hoc, but as you said, I coul^d just lie to my players ^^

[@mcolville]

+Sophor but there are tons of great tools online for making tokens for virtual table tops and tons of great battle mats!

[@JonMorph101]

Sorry, but could you give some examples? I also DM on roll20 and would really appreciate it.

[@samueldjames]

Maybe, because random encounters don't last that long in terms of how many turns they take, just don't use a map; you could use the "theater of the mind" option. Also, I think this heightens the tension of being out in the wilderness as you don't know what else could be out there and jump in the middle of the fight. Darkness can be more scary if not depicted on a map, you know?

[@DummyUrD]

dont forget you also do not NEED a map :)

[@piotrnowak9753]

Brute force approach is to get a token for every monster in MM. You can also roll the encounters before session and prepare tokens ahead of time. The actual roll that determines IF random encounter is going to happen is done during play, but you as a DM have a list of encounters "prepared earlier" so to speak. If you don't get to use it this session, no harm done, you can re-use it next time random encounters happen (if you want you can prepare handful of encounters and pic a random one from that). This method might be helpful even when you play offline, since you have the time to figure out a story behind that Stone Golem wandering the hills instead of being forced to improvise it. Or it saves you from looking up Monster Manual during play because you can't remember what the obscure beast you rolled up is.

[@7Drummy]

Every video I watch of yours I wonder If your players watch these videos?

[@michaelnorman4476]

Eddie Izzard is my favorite comedian and Dressed to Kill is my favorite in his series. Thank you for referencing him😀

[@NordiSchmordi]

i created my own pen and paper and the main dice is the d12 :)

[@atoner2]

Saudade, may be the name for the type of nostalgia that you experience. Like being love with cities you’ve never been to and people you’ve never met.

[@ilfurlano1228]

That is not what Saudade means, but nice try.

[@pmdweb]

yep... Saudade is another thing... its a brazilian word for the kind of feeling that makes you sick when u dont see a realy loved one in a long time... it's just kind of different of "to miss"

[@adwayman19]

Shared this channel with two new DMs - well, a DM and an ST - in about as many days. I told both to make the Catastrophic Failure episode one of the first three they watch; still my favorite by far.

[@SkyNinja759]

0:16 "Kek, the Dwarven war priest." I bet he serves the memelords, _PRAISE_ _KEK!_

[@DTux5249]

SkyNinja759 OH PRAISE THE LORD

[@WarsmithThanatos]

Shadilay!

[@ChimakaGames]

Just because of that i liked this video, KEK!

[@dominicorlando884]

Kek is a God he serves no man

[@Bluecho4]

Screw Kek. *HAIL SOBEK!*

[@The1wsx10]

what happens if your players watch this video, then know about the fake hard/easy charts? edit: you should also do 2d6 instead of 1d12, that way 12 is literally a less common "harder" role

[@haggisllama2630]

1wsx10 well, it’s a minuscule amount. Also what about having to roll 12d12 vs 24d6? Never mind the bonus is increased exponentially

[@MK-13337]

@@haggisllama2630 rolling 12 on a 2d6 is three times less likely than on a d12

[@mattmigdali9322]

Matt, as a relative newcomer to DnD, and to DMing, these videos are great. I love you fast cadence and your enthusiasm for what you speak about. I used your first adventure in the knights old temple that was overrun by goblins and used your pointers when dealing with setting up my adventures as a whole. Thanks for all you do for the community!

[@stattick2824]

0:50 "They hear heavy footprints." lol

[@oz_jones]

The ranger found some dank pipe tobacco.

[@dungeonmaster9499]

Mr Coleville, you have given me a moral dilemma. Mr Mercer has been my favorite DM since I discovered critical role, and now I find I have feelings for you. Your style and narrative abilities are making me feel as if i were betraying him....this is a good thing. I know you two are very very busy, but I would like to throw an idea out there. I would pay good money to see you two co-dm a game. I have always been curious about doing this, it seems like it could be alot of fun, but I haven't the foggiest idea how to do it. You two together would be amazing and highly informative. No pressure, just wanted to plant the see. ;)

[@michaelgrogan3472]

I just binged watched the whole channel and just couldn't stop watching. You are giving a lot of great info in a really compelling way. Thanks for taking the time and keep it coming.

[@crinna]

Sehnsucht "The experience is one of intense longing… the sense of want is acute and even painful, yet the mere wanting is felt to be somehow a delight… even when there is no hope of possible satisfaction, [the longing, itself] continues to be prized, and even to be preferred to anything else in the world"…. •C S Lewis•

[@youflubytuber6317]

Skyrim is a great example of how to do random encounters

[@fyr3st0rm35]

I can imagine how that would go. 'A giant runs up to you, and before you realize what has happened the giant hits you once and not only are you dead but your corpse flies straight up forever.' I'm sure the party would love not getting the dead party member's stuff.

[@toddunet6940]

I actually agree because there is a good mix of combat encounter, rp encounter and possible combat. Like sure the old orc fighting sabercats and the hunter looking for the thief gets repetitive, but it could make for great DnD encounters imo

[@nickglenn1097]

I've spent the last two days binging on this series and I'll admit that I'm a bit disappointed to have finally caught up. I'm a new DM who just ran their first game with a bunch of players who have never even seen a die with more than six sides before. Your videos are packed with great advice and have given me many ideas for my campaign. Keep up the great work!

[@stanleylee5358]

Nostalgia for an era you've never been a part of: "hipsteria"

[@rhueoflandorin]

have you ever screwed with your players after a nasty battle and they try and rest: like "roll to see if you stay awake during watch." -critical fail- ---dm rolls dice behind screen. Okay, everybody roll initiative!!!!! ....JK!!!

[@Scyrner]

Just want to say, I'm really enjoying seeing a fresh take on DMing. I've been running various games and systems for a few years, but I'm basically the only DM in my friend group, so it's nice seeing a run down of how someone else does it. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@jeffwagnaar8857]

Do you ever include non-combatants (wandering merchants, pilgrims, etc) to your Random Encounters?

[@ofanichan]

"a word for nostalgia that you weren't a part of" we have that, it's called "i was born in the wrong generation" Filthy Frank made a video about it.

[@thenuejon]

I just found your channel a few days ago from the suggested videos on the front page. I've already watched everything in the running the game Playlist (I've been sick, so I've had a lot of free time). Thanks for all of your hard work!

[@showalk]

top kek

[@laurabrown2982]

"Cast-away-nostalgia"?

[@Hylander27]

Wilson!

[@medievalkite]

Just stumbled across your channel a couple days ago and LOVE your D&D videos. My husband and I have often talked about how to make games better for our players (or to be better players), and I feel like a lot of these videos will help me understand how to do that. Great stuff :D Can't wait to see more.

[@willreading4958]

Hehe Kek

[@ninjagumpi]

So I put him to 0.5 speed and it was much better

[@Meeko1010100112]

Mr.Dizzle 1.25 squad, roll up!

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

0.75 is perfect for me.

[@thesuperjacobshow8151]

2x is a nice challenge...

[@oz_jones]

go 2x or go home, baby

[@Leo979]

This series continues to be all killer, no filler. And for that, I am most grateful. Definitely gonna check out that URL.

[@MattersOfFact23]

Thanks Matt - I've been wanting to include random encounters for a while but have always struggled with how to implement them. This has really helped me figure out want I want from them and given me ideas on how to make then work for me.

[@JustJerry342]

Wow! Matthew, you are absolutely incredible! I am so grateful for all these videos! Such an awesome resource. I am about a year old DM, You've totally changed my games. Thanks so much

[@mrsaxofloat8037]

3 years later and this is still an awesome series! Thanks for the awesome videos! I can't wait to run my own games

[@jacobdefassio5021]

I am so glad I came upon your channel! It has got me and my friend to build our own world for our D&D group to have of our own, built by us and expanded on weekly by us!! Hopefully we can get the use of that Hexographer and other tools!!!

[@HowBarbaric]

Thank you for everything, Matt! I'm preparing to finally run my own game this month, in large part to the confidence you've instilled in me to run the game.

[@WilliamSchwartz84]

I just started running a homebrew campaign this past week and it's the first time I've DM'd in almost 20 years (early high school). Your videos have been fundamental to how I've approached some of the material - especially designing plot lines and explaining alignment to my players. Random encounters are definitely something I intend to integrate as the game progresses, and plan to run a modified version of Against the Cult of the Reptile God in a few weeks. Thank you for all the great suggestions and sharing your experience!

[@incarnum13]

i don't think i have ever subscribed to a channel so fast. thank you for immersing me in a campaign i was not even apart of.

[@Bambidextrous1020]

If no one else tells you today, I applaud your delivery. I hear slow down a lot, and it's frustrating trying to explain speaking at the speed of thought. Some of us just have gears that turn fast and momentum is a good thing. I feed hard from the questions you pose and it only encourages my need to find a group. Thank you and have a day of wonderous happenstances. *salute*

[@maurofitermannmoreira7953]

Just watched the whole playlist in a few days. This wasn't only very informative, but also very entertaining! Thanks Matt

[@chfeu1303]

Thank you very much for all these videos. I can't DM as much as I want these days and listening to your channel while working is a great albeit temporary consolation prize.

[@lausenteternidad]

I would french kiss your brain. I love the little moments where how you think and improvise things, like the stone golem part

[@gatorbot]

Your depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for D&D makes your informative videos fun to watch. Keep up the great work!

[@thereluctanthireling]

Random encounters are something that I have never generally used outside of the ones I had preplanned, I guess making them not random, but your videos and shows like the West Marches have steered me back to using these to throw more chaos at my players.

[@kevinlarmer4621]

Just finished the Running the Game Playlist and really enjoying it. Already a DM but I like to keep my head ticking on it away from the table and this is my favorite thing for that so far. Getting my SO to start a Discworld game (of which she has read nearly every book) and got her to start watching this too! I think its helping her a lot. Now time to watch some Lets Plays of As Above, So Below. GL with the channel, Matt, and keep up the good fight!

[@coscat]

You brought up an awesome point that I've always wondered about; the fact that there is a large variety of monsters in all the monster manuals, but most are not relevant to the campaign at hand. I love the idea of using the creatures that are underutilized for random encounters. Also thanks for the links. So far every site you've pointed out has led me to gaining more knowledge about DMing.

[@CRich2484]

So, I just spent the bulk of my vacation binge watching this series. As a new/aspiring DM, I want to thank you for all of the inspiration and encouragement. I feel a lot more confident about my next session (third ever) as a DM. Looking forward to your episode about how you take a pre-made adventure and tweak it to make it your own!

[@ZeMalta]

I love creating tables of wild random encounter but I use to make a resume of monsters I want to use cuz I choose them in the go. Great work, Matt ! I'm loving every single video !

[@brettb8448]

Matt - this entire channel has been SO much fun. I'm feeling more inspired about my D&D gaming after these than I have been in years. Thank you!

[@AlozarLorandul]

Your videos have really inspired me to get a DnD group together. I know the people, just have to figure out a good time to do it. I've wanted to play DnD for years now, specifically seeing myself as a DM, and I think that your videos have really helped me with the learning process. Hopefully I'll soon be able to gather my party and start our adventures, thanks to your help.

[@ourkarate]

Very useful! Thank you! We have recently started playing MERP/Rolemaster again after about a 10 year break. I appreciate your series and the thoughts, tips and resources!

[@grifball117]

Your videos have helped me become more confident as a DM. It made me realize how good I am at improv and DMing in general. I'm currently running a sandbox game based in the Dales, which the players are enjoying.

[@BradleyLewisKY]

Thanks for your videos. I just started DM'ing for my friends and its all our first time playing. I've learned a lot from your videos and I enjoy the info and tools you share.

[@Arixzone]

watching this series has been so helpful and encouraging. I love your insight and your tips. I recently ran a oneshot and it was my very first time DMing, everyone had a blast and I just wanna thank you! For giving me the confidence to try and for being so accessible, easy to understand and encouraging!

[@andmfl]

Thanks for all this Matt. Loving it all. Big fan of seeing how you run games and the Q&A's are a great idea. Literally binge watched all your videos when I first found you and now I am so excited every day to check my subscriptions to see if you have uploaded another video. We need more of you Matt! Hello from Australia. Can't wait to see your big group play a session.

[@Alexander-fx4kl]

These videos have been absolute help while I'm learning how to run D&D. thanks again for all the time you're putting into these