When I said the pace here would be casual, I didn’t mean “updates every few months” casual. Despite the best intentions, life – or in this case, death – sometimes has other plans.
Now that I’m getting back on track… where was I? Right, the wandering monster mechanic as the dungeon’s turn in light of the party’s turns.
What if the typical “1 in 6 chance of a wandering monster” was based on a chart like this?
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wandering monster. Consult the appropriate table. |
| 2 | Reset. A roving monster or cleverly constructed device resets a previously disabled trap. |
| 3 | Visitor. Something has taken an interest in the dungeon; consult the wandering monster table for the external area. The passing monster will linger at the entrance for 1d6 hours. Nothing happens if rolled again in the same session. |
| 4 | Monster fight. The party hears distant monsters engaging in (1-4) nonlethal (5-6) deadly combat for 3 rounds. |
| 5 | Locks. A roving monster or cleverly constructed device locks a previously unlocked door or unlocks a door previously locked. |
| 6 | Nothing happens. |
The basic wandering monster still shows up, but it also serves as a simple way to make small changes emphasizing the dungeon as an active environment.
