Harder random encounters?

Is it possible to force TOEE to allow harder more numerous random encounters? After level 5 they start getting boring. I'm at level 15 now and usually skip them entirely. Ideally they should change based on level, and I'm betting that's damn near impossible to hack with what little you have. I dunno, I'd like to run into a few etins, a dragon, more hill giants, opposing adventurers, whatever.

I am entertained when summoning a huge earth elemental in the middle of a couple dozen hobgoblins and bugbears. But I want challenge!

 

They do change based on level, somewhat, at the higher levels it becomes a bit of a challenge since the game is already saturated with encounters and XP, and the cap was originally Level 10. By 15th level I am usually just finishing the game myself. Everyone plays differently so if you need more of a challenge just open the console and spawn yourself a Balor or something.

 

I have been working on just that in smalls ways from time to time. In 5.0.0 they are a little more challenging than they used to be. Given enough time with it I have a plan to do just what you are suggesting, but eventually you will outgrow them as well.

 

one way to make them harder is to make shit PCs with crap stats and bad feat choices

 

Dragons? When did we get dragons and what type. This is getting good.

 

I've spotted one later in the game..... and shhhhshh. No ruining surprises for people, so i'm not telling you where or what type

 

I'm of two minds on this issue myself. I agree that thumping hobgoblins and lizard men loses it's thrill around sixth level at the latest, and appreciate harder encounters.

At the same time realize that these are random or "wandering" encounters, and are what anyone, not just your party, would run into were they in that place at that time. Imagine Meleny the novice druid or the woodcutter who is afraid of spiders traveling that road.

That's why in PnP modules there are different encounter tables for different areas, and usualy related to the level of the dungeon that you are on. On the first level of a dungeon, or in a wilderness area that corresponds in danger level to dungeon level 1, you encounter first level monsters. On the fifth level of a dungeon the DM is consulting wandering monster table 5, and you are running into some stiff opposition.

If you want more challanging encounters, rest in the lower dungeon levels, not in the Deklo Wood. That's the quick fix.

 

That's the whole debate about the tailored and status quo encounters... realism requires status quo encounters, 'playability' requires tailored encounters. I think that in a pnp game a mix of both is required to keep things spiced up... at the same time, I don't know if it would be possible to implement a 'two tiered' random encounter table... in the first tier is the usual encounter table with the common monsters, etc. There would be a, say, 10-20% chance of a tougher, tailored encounter, ant higher levels....

For instance, in the pnp module, it is stated that if the identity of those who kill Lareth is known, an assassin will be dispatched to eliminate them (in my campaign this was a major role-playing opportunity, as the assassin joined the party, killed some members, was spared after convincing them that he was cursed with double personality, and came back to harass them a coouple of times later...). There are other instance in which it is stated that reinforcements for the temple are constantly being recruited. There would be nothing against the party running into the occasional beefed-up band of hobgoblins, ogres or an evil alignment wandering party of adventurers... some reputations or the completion of some quests could be tied to such encounters, pretty much as the Mark of Revenge works, but with a randomness as to the moment the encounter will happen. An example. If someone kills Jaroo, you could allow a chance that while travelling overland a band of druidic hitmen would try to punish the offenders.

Another interesting twist would be to consider using some of the higher level NPCs from the Temple in 'foreshadowing encounters'. You run into Senschock and a bunch of his hirelings as he returns from a trip... senschok blasts the party with a coiuple of spells then teleports away... this works even better with Falrinth and his assistant...

But I really have no idea of how this could be implemented in practice, and how hard it could be...

 

The random encounters in the game already had a party level based element to start with. You would never encounter trolls until after the party was third level. As I mentioned earlier, I have already started added increased difficulty in random encounters the higher level the party gets. These early steps are present in 5.0.0.

I'm taking it slowly though, because random_encounter.py is fairly complex, and there is a lot going on underneath that bit of Python code that I can't see but must be careful to keep everything compatible with. If I don't it breaks the game and you can't sleep safely anywhere. I am working on it.

 

Allyx if I remember correctly spilled the beans once on the location on one dragon. I'm just wondering how they managed to rig up dragons since there were none in the original game.

 

These guys crafted a dragon out of nothing! Seriously, just like they added new types of armor and weapons. You want a pistol? They made one of those too.

It's too bad we can't get Atari to license TOEE to the Circle of Eight.

 

I don't know why folks are surprised by this...it is Dungeons & DRAGONS, after all...