I wanted to add another comment here to say that it's been a few months now since this video came out and I have been using these ideas to great effect. They have really spiced up my overland travel sessions. In fact, I write the terms "Terrain - Environment - Discovery" at the top of all of my notes pages so that I can keep these things in mind. I recommend them to all DMs.
same same. I have a custom table for this, and spun off anything weather related to its own table. I also tied in a "time pool" system after reading about it on the Angry GMs article on time.
Your channel is the most useful DND channel I have come across, thank you. I've watched nearly all of your videos and I love how I can put your knowledge to use in the games I run straight away. My players are loving it :) Keep up the great content
"Let's turn in our hymnals..." I burst out laughing at that one! I half expected to hear an organ to start playing the last few measures of the last line through by way of introduction ...
this is the kind of content I like the most (answering to your question somewhere else), that is to say: new ideas for using the rules that already exist, new rules, how to bring freshness to the game.
Some great ideas here -- thanks! I really liked your three types of overland encounters and I'll be using it. I think it's important that the physical world of the game setting feel almost like a character itself. I'm looking forward to your next video.
I really let my four players down when a steppe oneshot turned them into the stars of a “Four Winds” campaign. But because of this video (thank you!) over the course of those first six sessions, I made up for the boring terrain by making a few epic maps. Through knowledge of the outdoors, those maps became detail-highlighting tools, and I practiced-practiced-practiced to gain a more natural speaking voice. It also helped to practice quickly verbalizing the most salient sight-lines, colors, sounds, and *sensory details.* The end result was two sessions of downtime in a big valley, and when the players weren’t crafting or interacting with the local NPCs, they had fun with: hunting, obstacle and endurance foot races, exploration for high-end resources, and a mystery involving the unsettling deaths of a druid council. Now that I mind-map and journal to prep for sessions, I can make entire region maps and populate those with points-of-interest. I work out scale, possible travel speeds (straight-lining in the wilderness only works if you ignore difficult terrain!), and what kinds of encounters they might have. Next session will probably be a three day journey downriver. It’s got the three things every unskippable journey needs: 1) *The players are highly motivated by threats behind and around them.* Their NPCs in the flotilla are always at risk of being shot from shore, or just roped and dragged off as slaves by the enemy horde. 2: *Quick transitions and rest points,* so I and the players always have a grip on pacing. Rest points might be midday rowing, a chance to regroup with some dwarves who saved a kid, or a camp. The first camp will have a group dream sequence, to really play up the mysticism and coincidence of them becoming “The Four Winds.” The players get to roll for outcomes in their dream, and they get prophetic info and Astral psionic advice. 3: *Truly interesting points of interest.* Some are only visible from a distance, briefly, unless the players choose to leave the flotilla and go explore or hunt. The rest are in the way, and the NPCs will need help navigating... an upwards-flowing waterfall, cliffs where someone severed the canoe-portage pulleys, a shadow wood of undeath that’s corrupted most of a vast forest, and a logjam at a bend in the river. Tracking resource blocks for the NPCs (too many to hunt for in this broken land) makes for good “Timers” to keep the players from exploring *everything.* And what’s a better timer than a logjam that needs hacking, with undead swarming in extreme woodland darkness? Especially when that “logjam” includes a shadow-zombie treant or two. Most of the other undead will be animals, recent and old, but later waves will include such reinforcements as wights and outright shadows.
Holy moley your game sounds AWESOME!! 😲 Seems like you got your players invested in the world around them and found ways to make it matter! Glad I could help, but it sounds like YOU rock as a DM 😎
When I followed a link from your random encounter video, I had no idea this one was your first post! You've got such great content from day one!! Truly, I'm running the Lost Mine of Phandelver right now and am working on creating more interesting encounters along the trail and in Neverwinter Woods, and these videos have been invaluable :)
Awesome content, man. I watched this video a couple times back-to-back then felt inspired enough to write out a whole session of content that I think is some of my best yet. I really appreciate how easy it is to apply your tips to games. Keep it up!
Great videos dude. Consider reading travel journals and old National Geographic magazines for environmental encounters and hazards for your chosen terrain too.
I agree overland travel is good. Whole movies are based on overland travel, Ice Age, The Land Before Time, 1883 *series* and more. It is great for getting a feel for the environment and build the part dynamics if used correctly. I understand several people saying skip over it but I like it when done correctly.
I like colville but this was a way more satisfying video. I'm a fan of the hobbit, so I like overland travel. I'm just not the greatest at making it interesting. This video was quite helpful. Can't wait to try out these ideas in game :)
First off, well done with keeping a youtube series going. I wanted to do my own on life lessons from the tabletop, but I just dont have the time or drive. Keep up the good work. I wanted to add a concept that I think you kind of glossed over: tension. Combat has easy to quantify tension and resolution, but travel doesn't. But that means that things can often feel boring or ,on a better day, relaxed. This can be fine. But if you want it memorable, you need some tension. This can be done a few ways: supply use, time (chase scene or get there before X), dangers, etc. Once you know what the tension is, you know what the resolution will be. Can the adventurers get to the capital before they run out of supplies? Can they get to the tower before the necromancer finds the hidden artefact? Can the party survive crossing the scorching heat and quicksand of the vast desert? I have always hated the idea of random encounters. If you want something exciting to happen, have the party encounter something exciting. Perhaps they can avoid it, but thats just a solution to a problem anyway. The longer I want the journey to feel, the more encounters the party has. But thats about feel. They could be traveling a day through the infested sewers and have it seem twice as epic as a week through the peaceful grasslands. The amount of encounters is not about distance. Overall great video. I have subscribed.
Your deadly survival rules was exactly what I was looking for, my new campaign has ended up having two barbarian PCs with 20 strength so these rules should definitely help put them in their place..
Great video, I love making overland travel more meaningful, those are some solid reasons you've given there. I really like the idea of the party coming across something in the works, and if they happen to take that road again things have changed. I think Matts video mentioned that we should question the default, and see whether its right for our party, and he is just empowering people to skip overland travel and saying thats okay, and it makes sense for certain parties or certain campaigns. I don't think he is saying its bad and you should never do it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm not trying to rag on Matt, only trying to provide some real options for folks who want to use overland travel. I'm glad you liked the vid, it was my first, and (I think) they've only gotten better :)
Great first video. Ill be subscribing after this comment. Im preparing a west marches style of campaign and overland travel is a MUST. I'm combining elements from monachsfactory with your discovery system as well as an inventory slot system so i dont have to be an encumberance accountant. Thanks for providing some info that people are asking for instead of saying dont do it.
I actually want my overland travel to be an intrinsic and interactive part of gameplay. I’m trying out Forbidden Land’s mechanics with a few tweaks to travel distance vs time spent, but I’m actually considering trying to add in some of the real challenge found in Veins of the Earth’s (Scrap Princess) spelunking. As in, where there is difficult terrain, do more than roll for success; actually play it out in almost a platformer style. Make their mundane, rarely used tools actually worth the money spent on them. Then again, I’m simultaneously trying to make the characters’ focus on combat less overarching (some people might wanna be Samwise Gamgee, why not?), so maybe this is just for me...
Lately I have been relying on the design tool of primary, secondary, tertiary shapes. What are your primary details that stick out, what is secondary that adds flavor/context, what are your smallest details or overall theme of the space, like does the architecture have Fae influence or show signs of woodworm?
Realize that to keep things from becoming too busy, a composition has one or two primaries, several secondaries, and many tertiary. And their labels change depending on how far you're zoomed out. Many art ideas are more organizational techniques, I recommend the channel artofsoulburn
I like how you're organizing and trying to come up with a process for designing overland travel/encounters/areas. I love using frameworks to improve my game
Here's what I would say. Overland travel shouldn't be too dangerous, because otherwise regular people wouldn't be able to travel at all. If characters are low level, traveling with only themselves, sure they could face some dangers. Perhaps merchants travel in guarded caravans and aren't threatened as a result. If you want characters to have a harrowing journey at higher levels, you have a few options. You can reduce time. Sure, you have phantom steed, wind walk, and other spells, but you have mile after mile to cover and you may not have enough time. By the end, your resources will be drained and you can press on at the cost of being more exhausted at whatever critical thing you are racing toward. You can change the landscape to somewhere where normal people dare not tread. A place normally crossed with the aid of a massive dragon or with a legion of warriors at your backs. Or the players could be hunted and hounded by a threat that targets them in particular. My favorite is the one you recommended where you are traveling with other people. People where you want to stay with them, but don't necessarily trust them. You keep watch both for creatures emerging from the wilderness and on your traveling companions. One of the most interesting journeys I went on was carrying a terrifying relic that attracted a horde of foes.
Overland travel rocks, if the group has interest in it. Like anything else provide an opportunity for adventure. If the group wants to fade to black and blam be there it is up to the gm. Must say overland can be the best.
One small point: Eagle Totem Barbarians have: Eagle. You gain the eyesight of an eagle. You can see up to 1 mile away with no difficulty, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 100 feet away from you. Additionally, dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks. and not the Wolf. Great content in which your main point still stands. Compared to getting pack tactics like the Wolf Barbarian gets, it seems lackluster unless your PC is zooming in on stuff all the time.
eh, the player does get to choose each time they get a totem, AND I'd say it's still a useful feature for dungeon delves etc, like for examining a door from across the chamber
What is up my dude! Brand new to the channel and I’m so glad for what I’ve found! The content and suggestions rock, however, you almost lost me with the shots you took at Matt Covilles video on the same topic. I doubt you meant to be hostile but the tone really sounded that way and as a long time watcher of Matt’s videos I almost left immediately. Keep up the great work and I can’t wait to get through all of your material!
Ooooo....How about: a flash flood, a swamp/mire, a bridge over the river (bridges are great for combat encounters), a fight in the river where the rapids can move you around, a waterfall, a gorge dried up before the rainy season, irrigated fields...
Pokemon4WoT washed out lands, muddy roads, a sandbar in a sudden flood, downpour in the tall grass, attacking a cart fording high waters, wading through the waters of a broken levy in the middle of a large field battle...
You need to pan your camera out a bit. Your eyes are huge and the camera is too zoomed, so it's a bit overwhelming. You have an inviting personality, but the zoom feels like you're a close talker. You have a lot of potential if you can find your niche and come up with enough interesting topics if discussion.
I tend to do rolls on the Encounter Tables in Xanathar's. I don't always run them as combat encounters. Sometimes, I'll interpret them as a roleplaying encounter- or a skill challenge of some sort, or maybe just something to see. The randomness of those tables lets me develop new ideas and concepts in my campaign that I hadn't considered before. For example, when my players were charting the mountains and over-exerting themselves to get back to town faster - they got exhausted and also encountered a cloud giant. I decided that a cloud giant wouldn't just be randomly out in the wilderness- and on the fly made the cloud giant a sort of warden for a cloud giant General you lives in a fort up in the clouds on the far side of the mountains. The warden collected a toll of magic items (potions, scrolls, and a weapon they didn't use much), and now the party has a new foe they eventually want to take down just out of principle.
Definitely. They're seperated by level range a little- but it feels more like it could be used for "zoning". The low mountains are Level 1-4, and the high mountains are 5-7, or something to that effect. Edit: But even though there's level suggestions - they're definitely not tuned to be an exact medium-challenge encounter, or anything like that.
I just realized how little you blink in your videos. Actually, you probably blink a normal amount, but I think I'm used to most TH-camrs blinking excessively, lol.
I wanted to add another comment here to say that it's been a few months now since this video came out and I have been using these ideas to great effect. They have really spiced up my overland travel sessions. In fact, I write the terms "Terrain - Environment - Discovery" at the top of all of my notes pages so that I can keep these things in mind. I recommend them to all DMs.
same same. I have a custom table for this, and spun off anything weather related to its own table. I also tied in a "time pool" system after reading about it on the Angry GMs article on time.
Your channel is the most useful DND channel I have come across, thank you. I've watched nearly all of your videos and I love how I can put your knowledge to use in the games I run straight away. My players are loving it :) Keep up the great content
Thank you so much!!! I try really hard and it's nice to know it's appreciated :)
"Let's turn in our hymnals..."
I burst out laughing at that one! I half expected to hear an organ to start playing the last few measures of the last line through by way of introduction ...
Wow I'm so glad you gave this question the proper treatment
Let me know how using any of these tips works out for you!
this is the kind of content I like the most (answering to your question somewhere else), that is to say: new ideas for using the rules that already exist, new rules, how to bring freshness to the game.
Thanks! This was my first video, and for me it's kinda' cringe inducing to watch now. But I think the ideas are still valid!
Some great ideas here -- thanks!
I really liked your three types of overland encounters and I'll be using it. I think it's important that the physical world of the game setting feel almost like a character itself. I'm looking forward to your next video.
Great video.
I haven't considered making caves into random encounters before, so that's definitely an idea that I'm stealing.
You're an extremely underrated dnd content creator, you deserve more subs
This was my first video too, I promise they only get better!
@@ZipperonDisney I've been binging ur stuff in preparation for a new campaign I'm writing- and yeah they do get better! :^>
I really let my four players down when a steppe oneshot turned them into the stars of a “Four Winds” campaign. But because of this video (thank you!) over the course of those first six sessions, I made up for the boring terrain by making a few epic maps. Through knowledge of the outdoors, those maps became detail-highlighting tools, and I practiced-practiced-practiced to gain a more natural speaking voice. It also helped to practice quickly verbalizing the most salient sight-lines, colors, sounds, and *sensory details.* The end result was two sessions of downtime in a big valley, and when the players weren’t crafting or interacting with the local NPCs, they had fun with: hunting, obstacle and endurance foot races, exploration for high-end resources, and a mystery involving the unsettling deaths of a druid council.
Now that I mind-map and journal to prep for sessions, I can make entire region maps and populate those with points-of-interest. I work out scale, possible travel speeds (straight-lining in the wilderness only works if you ignore difficult terrain!), and what kinds of encounters they might have.
Next session will probably be a three day journey downriver. It’s got the three things every unskippable journey needs:
1) *The players are highly motivated by threats behind and around them.* Their NPCs in the flotilla are always at risk of being shot from shore, or just roped and dragged off as slaves by the enemy horde.
2: *Quick transitions and rest points,* so I and the players always have a grip on pacing. Rest points might be midday rowing, a chance to regroup with some dwarves who saved a kid, or a camp. The first camp will have a group dream sequence, to really play up the mysticism and coincidence of them becoming “The Four Winds.” The players get to roll for outcomes in their dream, and they get prophetic info and Astral psionic advice.
3: *Truly interesting points of interest.* Some are only visible from a distance, briefly, unless the players choose to leave the flotilla and go explore or hunt. The rest are in the way, and the NPCs will need help navigating... an upwards-flowing waterfall, cliffs where someone severed the canoe-portage pulleys, a shadow wood of undeath that’s corrupted most of a vast forest, and a logjam at a bend in the river.
Tracking resource blocks for the NPCs (too many to hunt for in this broken land) makes for good “Timers” to keep the players from exploring *everything.* And what’s a better timer than a logjam that needs hacking, with undead swarming in extreme woodland darkness? Especially when that “logjam” includes a shadow-zombie treant or two. Most of the other undead will be animals, recent and old, but later waves will include such reinforcements as wights and outright shadows.
Holy moley your game sounds AWESOME!! 😲 Seems like you got your players invested in the world around them and found ways to make it matter! Glad I could help, but it sounds like YOU rock as a DM 😎
@@ZipperonDisney Thank you. But it's the players. They're amazing. And now I'm more motivated than ever to record some campaign journals.
Lol first video? So packed with such inspiring ideas! Your channel is underrated.
Thank you so much!! Check out some of the more recent ones though 😁
When I followed a link from your random encounter video, I had no idea this one was your first post! You've got such great content from day one!! Truly, I'm running the Lost Mine of Phandelver right now and am working on creating more interesting encounters along the trail and in Neverwinter Woods, and these videos have been invaluable :)
Awesome! Thank you!
Awesome content, man. I watched this video a couple times back-to-back then felt inspired enough to write out a whole session of content that I think is some of my best yet. I really appreciate how easy it is to apply your tips to games. Keep it up!
Thanks so much! This was my first vid, and I promise they've only gotten better since then!
Great videos dude. Consider reading travel journals and old National Geographic magazines for environmental encounters and hazards for your chosen terrain too.
Good idea!
I agree overland travel is good. Whole movies are based on overland travel, Ice Age, The Land Before Time, 1883 *series* and more. It is great for getting a feel for the environment and build the part dynamics if used correctly. I understand several people saying skip over it but I like it when done correctly.
I really enjoyed this video (I'm behind the times obviously). Lots of useful ideas for making overland travel interesting!
Glad it was helpful! I promise I've gotten better at making vids since then ;P
I like colville but this was a way more satisfying video. I'm a fan of the hobbit, so I like overland travel. I'm just not the greatest at making it interesting. This video was quite helpful. Can't wait to try out these ideas in game :)
Glad you enjoyed it! But OMG this is my fist vid - I promise they get better :)
First off, well done with keeping a youtube series going. I wanted to do my own on life lessons from the tabletop, but I just dont have the time or drive. Keep up the good work.
I wanted to add a concept that I think you kind of glossed over: tension. Combat has easy to quantify tension and resolution, but travel doesn't. But that means that things can often feel boring or ,on a better day, relaxed. This can be fine. But if you want it memorable, you need some tension. This can be done a few ways: supply use, time (chase scene or get there before X), dangers, etc. Once you know what the tension is, you know what the resolution will be. Can the adventurers get to the capital before they run out of supplies? Can they get to the tower before the necromancer finds the hidden artefact? Can the party survive crossing the scorching heat and quicksand of the vast desert?
I have always hated the idea of random encounters. If you want something exciting to happen, have the party encounter something exciting. Perhaps they can avoid it, but thats just a solution to a problem anyway.
The longer I want the journey to feel, the more encounters the party has. But thats about feel. They could be traveling a day through the infested sewers and have it seem twice as epic as a week through the peaceful grasslands. The amount of encounters is not about distance.
Overall great video. I have subscribed.
Thanks! YT is an interesting hobby
Nicholas Klos if you know it’s a random encounter then it was probably run poorly
Your deadly survival rules was exactly what I was looking for, my new campaign has ended up having two barbarian PCs with 20 strength so these rules should definitely help put them in their place..
Ha! The death saving throws, injures and carry slots I know have been permanently adopted by other DMs hope it works out for you!
where have you been mate?! this is awesome content I will watch your videos during prep and on game day. you have to keep these videos coming!
Oh man, thanks! And this was my first one, I've gotten much better at making vids since 😁
Great video, I love making overland travel more meaningful, those are some solid reasons you've given there. I really like the idea of the party coming across something in the works, and if they happen to take that road again things have changed.
I think Matts video mentioned that we should question the default, and see whether its right for our party, and he is just empowering people to skip overland travel and saying thats okay, and it makes sense for certain parties or certain campaigns. I don't think he is saying its bad and you should never do it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm not trying to rag on Matt, only trying to provide some real options for folks who want to use overland travel.
I'm glad you liked the vid, it was my first, and (I think) they've only gotten better :)
Great first video. Ill be subscribing after this comment. Im preparing a west marches style of campaign and overland travel is a MUST. I'm combining elements from monachsfactory with your discovery system as well as an inventory slot system so i dont have to be an encumberance accountant. Thanks for providing some info that people are asking for instead of saying dont do it.
Check out this slot system I used in my last wilderness campaign: drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw4_sxykbTWcM3JrMDRlbFdUSW8/view
I actually want my overland travel to be an intrinsic and interactive part of gameplay.
I’m trying out Forbidden Land’s mechanics with a few tweaks to travel distance vs time spent, but I’m actually considering trying to add in some of the real challenge found in Veins of the Earth’s (Scrap Princess) spelunking. As in, where there is difficult terrain, do more than roll for success; actually play it out in almost a platformer style. Make their mundane, rarely used tools actually worth the money spent on them.
Then again, I’m simultaneously trying to make the characters’ focus on combat less overarching (some people might wanna be Samwise Gamgee, why not?), so maybe this is just for me...
I'm gonna have to check out Forbidden Lands - never read it but it sound interesting :)
I'm so very glad I found this channel
Oh man, the vids have only gotten better once this one, if I do say so myself ;)
Lately I have been relying on the design tool of primary, secondary, tertiary shapes. What are your primary details that stick out, what is secondary that adds flavor/context, what are your smallest details or overall theme of the space, like does the architecture have Fae influence or show signs of woodworm?
Realize that to keep things from becoming too busy, a composition has one or two primaries, several secondaries, and many tertiary. And their labels change depending on how far you're zoomed out. Many art ideas are more organizational techniques, I recommend the channel artofsoulburn
I like how you're organizing and trying to come up with a process for designing overland travel/encounters/areas. I love using frameworks to improve my game
Also, at about 8:10 it's the EAGLE who can see for a mile away.
This is his first video? Its so good.
Like every youtuber, I cringe at my earlier production value ;)
Here's what I would say. Overland travel shouldn't be too dangerous, because otherwise regular people wouldn't be able to travel at all. If characters are low level, traveling with only themselves, sure they could face some dangers. Perhaps merchants travel in guarded caravans and aren't threatened as a result. If you want characters to have a harrowing journey at higher levels, you have a few options. You can reduce time. Sure, you have phantom steed, wind walk, and other spells, but you have mile after mile to cover and you may not have enough time. By the end, your resources will be drained and you can press on at the cost of being more exhausted at whatever critical thing you are racing toward. You can change the landscape to somewhere where normal people dare not tread. A place normally crossed with the aid of a massive dragon or with a legion of warriors at your backs. Or the players could be hunted and hounded by a threat that targets them in particular. My favorite is the one you recommended where you are traveling with other people. People where you want to stay with them, but don't necessarily trust them. You keep watch both for creatures emerging from the wilderness and on your traveling companions. One of the most interesting journeys I went on was carrying a terrifying relic that attracted a horde of foes.
Overland travel rocks, if the group has interest in it. Like anything else provide an opportunity for adventure.
If the group wants to fade to black and blam be there it is up to the gm.
Must say overland can be the best.
Yeah, if the group wants to just skip, that's fine too. But there is sooooo much adventure to be had trekking across the wilds!
I freaking love overland travel. But most players don’t. So I do it only if the journey IS the adventure 😇 eat this players!
Lol "turn in our hymnals to..."
One small point: Eagle Totem Barbarians have:
Eagle. You gain the eyesight of an eagle. You can see up to 1 mile away with no difficulty, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 100 feet away from you. Additionally, dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks.
and not the Wolf. Great content in which your main point still stands. Compared to getting pack tactics like the Wolf Barbarian gets, it seems lackluster unless your PC is zooming in on stuff all the time.
eh, the player does get to choose each time they get a totem, AND I'd say it's still a useful feature for dungeon delves etc, like for examining a door from across the chamber
What is up my dude! Brand new to the channel and I’m so glad for what I’ve found! The content and suggestions rock, however, you almost lost me with the shots you took at Matt Covilles video on the same topic. I doubt you meant to be hostile but the tone really sounded that way and as a long time watcher of Matt’s videos I almost left immediately.
Keep up the great work and I can’t wait to get through all of your material!
I love this video it's very inspirational! Hey can I ask you what the awards/medals are for hanging on your wall? I do the same with my BJJ medals
Chasms. Made laugh with the hard CH.
Great video!
This was my first - I promise they get better!
fantastic video. Thanks! (sub'd-liked)
That's my first one! I promise I've gotten better since then ;)
What would be some cool terrain for a rough riverlands area
Ooooo....How about: a flash flood, a swamp/mire, a bridge over the river (bridges are great for combat encounters), a fight in the river where the rapids can move you around, a waterfall, a gorge dried up before the rainy season, irrigated fields...
Pokemon4WoT washed out lands, muddy roads, a sandbar in a sudden flood, downpour in the tall grass, attacking a cart fording high waters, wading through the waters of a broken levy in the middle of a large field battle...
You need to pan your camera out a bit. Your eyes are huge and the camera is too zoomed, so it's a bit overwhelming. You have an inviting personality, but the zoom feels like you're a close talker.
You have a lot of potential if you can find your niche and come up with enough interesting topics if discussion.
XNaturalPhenomenonX thanks for the comment. This was my first vid - I think my newer ones are getting better. Please let me know if you like those!
XNaturalPhenomenonX it is a close talker feel I’m getting
I tend to do rolls on the Encounter Tables in Xanathar's. I don't always run them as combat encounters. Sometimes, I'll interpret them as a roleplaying encounter- or a skill challenge of some sort, or maybe just something to see.
The randomness of those tables lets me develop new ideas and concepts in my campaign that I hadn't considered before. For example, when my players were charting the mountains and over-exerting themselves to get back to town faster - they got exhausted and also encountered a cloud giant.
I decided that a cloud giant wouldn't just be randomly out in the wilderness- and on the fly made the cloud giant a sort of warden for a cloud giant General you lives in a fort up in the clouds on the far side of the mountains. The warden collected a toll of magic items (potions, scrolls, and a weapon they didn't use much), and now the party has a new foe they eventually want to take down just out of principle.
Inuvash255 I really like the Xanathars tables too. They feel more like true "random" encounters because they are not necessarily balanced by level.
Definitely. They're seperated by level range a little- but it feels more like it could be used for "zoning". The low mountains are Level 1-4, and the high mountains are 5-7, or something to that effect.
Edit: But even though there's level suggestions - they're definitely not tuned to be an exact medium-challenge encounter, or anything like that.
6:14
I just realized how little you blink in your videos. Actually, you probably blink a normal amount, but I think I'm used to most TH-camrs blinking excessively, lol.