Wandering Monsters

When setting up the dungeon for the evening’s game, the GM should consult the following wandering monster charts given below. To ensure the adventurers have somewhat of a chance to survive the night, it is important not to overwhelm the party with an unbeatable foe.

Wandering monsters may be pre-selected by the GM, such as a patrol of skeletons or goblins that walks up and down the main corridor every 5 turns, or the wandering creatures can be randomly rolled on the tables. GM judgment is called for to ensure the random roll does not present the party with an enemy they could not hope to defeat; nor should it be a source of too-easy encounters that dull the suspense of the game.

For example, if your party is exploring the third level of your dungeon, you roll a d12, roll a 10, and determine that you will use the Dungeon Level 3. On that table you roll a d8, get a 4, and find that they will encounter a small group of harpies. How many? 1d3, so a d6 roll. 1-2 means 1, 3-4 means 2, and 5-6 means 3. All of these options might mean bad news for the party!

Wandering Monster Level Determination

Figure out where you are in the dungeon, then roll 1d12 to determine which wandering monster table to use.

One Level Beneath The Surface

1-8, Use Dungeon Level 1
9-11, Use Dungeon Level 2
12, Use Dungeon Level 3

Two Levels Beneath the Surface

1-7, Use Dungeon Level 1
8-9, Use Dungeon Level 2
10-11, Use Dungeon Level 3
12, Use Dungeon Level 4

Three Levels Beneath the Surface

1-6, Use Dungeon Level 1
7-8, Use Dungeon Level 2
9-10, Use Dungeon Level 3
11, Use Dungeon Level 4
12, Use Dungeon Level 5

Four Levels Beneath the Surface

1-5, Use Dungeon Level 1
6-7, Use Dungeon Level 2
8-9, Use Dungeon Level 3
10, Use Dungeon Level 4
11, Use Dungeon Level 5
12, Use Dungeon Level 6

Five Levels Beneath the Surface

1-4, Use Dungeon Level 1
5-6, Use Dungeon Level 2
7-8, Use Dungeon Level 3
9, Use Dungeon Level 4
10, Use Dungeon Level 5
11, Use Dungeon Level 6
12, Use Dungeon Level 7+

Six Levels Beneath the Surface

1-3, Use Dungeon Level 1
4-5, Use Dungeon Level 2
6-7, Use Dungeon Level 3
8-9, Use Dungeon Level 4
10, Use Dungeon Level 5
11, Use Dungeon Level 6
12, Use Dungeon Level 7+

Seven or More Levels Beneath the Surface

1-2, Use Dungeon Level 1
3-4, Use Dungeon Level 2
5-6, Use Dungeon Level 3
7-8, Use Dungeon Level 4
9-10, Use Dungeon Level 5
11, Use Dungeon Level 6
12, Use Dungeon Level 7+

Dungeon Level Tables

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Wandering Monsters