Saturday, July 20, 2013

More on WWI RPG Campaigns: Outdoor Terrain Encounter Tables

Okay, so I've been putting some more ideas together for WWI gaming.  Here are some encounter tables for cross-country travel.  These are meant to be rolled roughly once per square mile, but you can adjust the encounter frequency as you like.  Conceptually the countryside is supposed to be relatively uninhabited, at least by the living.  The encounters are generally more flavorful than murderous, because actual combat encounters should be planned with the characters in mind.  Some require additional rolls for the chance of something happening using keywords and this chart:
Chance Category    d12
Occasionally            12
Possibly                  10+
Probably                  7+
Usually                     4+

Cross-country Encounters for Old School Trench (1d12)

1. Open Fields
- Barbed wire thicket (huge), possibly haunted
- Military graveyard (huge), usually haunted
- 1d12 wandering soldier(s) blinded by gas

2. Forest
- blasted and cratered, possibly haunted
- shelled but standing
- intact and serene

3. Village
- blasted and cratered, probably haunted
- shelled but standing
- intact, but abandoned

4. River/Canal (1/6 chance a bridge is in sight)
- shallow/mud flats
- very deep
- tainted (roll as Drifting Poison Gas encounter)

5. Trenches
- abandoned, possibly supply items
- haunted, probably supply items
- heavily shell-cratered, probably haunted

6. Enemy Observation balloon
- has sniper, shoots if makes Awareness roll vs. party's Cunning
- has telephone to artillery, calls in rounds if makes Awareness roll vs. party's Cunning
- empty, probably haunted

7. Tanks (armored cars)
- abandoned, possibly supply items, repairable (Cunning or Commitment test & 1d10 hours)
- burned out, probably  haunted
- active, friendly (lost, on mission, hijacked and pursued)
- active, enemy
- active, haunted
- active, mutant creatures

8. Random artillery/mortar fire
- shells
- gas (roll on Drifting Gas encounter)
- smoke

9. Aircraft
1-9: Fighter
- enemy, probably strafing attack
- enemy, possibly bombing attack
- friendly, drops message or supplies

10-12: Zeppelin
- friendly; usually brings supplies, reinforcements, orders
- enemy; possibly strafes or bombs
- haunted

10. Animal (1d12)
1-4: Messenger dog arrives
- brings orders
- brings map
- brings supplies (each character has a "probable" chance of one item small enough for it to carry)

5-8: Messenger pigeon arrives
- brings orders
- brings map
- brings short note from friend/family

9-12: Lost pack animal (each character has a "usually" chance of three items small enough for it to carry)
- mule/horse
- camel
- elephant

11. Drifting Poison Gas
- choking
- corrosive
- mutagenic (1/6 chance is haunted and sentient)

12. Unexploded Bomb (Daring or Cunning test to disarm)
- ticking
- leaking gas
- sparking fuze




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