The Game Master's Book of Wilderness Encounters - by Douglas Sun (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book provides GMs with hundreds of detailed random encounters for 10 environmental zones covering every major wilderness area, from tundra to deserts and everywhere in between.

Book Synopsis

The Game Master's Book of Wilderness Encounters examines the subject of random encounters and gives GMs a more thorough idea of what might happen when a party bumps into something--or someone--unexpected.

Inside, readers will find 10 core sections, each devoted to a different type of wilderness terrain, from mountains and deserts to grasslands, tundra and everything in between. After a brief discussion of the terrain type, each chapter launches into a series of tables and sub-tables outlining possible encounters. They cover most of the creatures included in core rulebooks, from familiar wild animals and exotic monsters to a variety of humanoids, both friend and foe, plus challenging natural hazards. In turn, each entry discusses how the encountered creatures react, how many are present (including scaling guidelines for different party levels) and what treasure might be gained from the experience.

In addition to the more than 600 random table entries, readers will find 10 all-new monsters--one for each environmental zone--plus three one-shot adventures that put the tables into play. The Game Master's Book of Wilderness Encounters offers GMs a deep dive into an under-explored aspect of RPGs. Even experienced GMs will find food for thought and fresh ideas about how to make a party's journey from A to B far more exciting and fun.

About the Author

Douglas Sun is a writer and game designer. He has developed and/or authored over 30 tabletop roleplaying game products, including books for Decipher's Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings and AEG's d20 mega-setting book, The World's Largest City. He was line developer of The Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game. One of his books, The Emerald Empire, was nominated for an Origins Award and remains one of the game's best-selling books. He is currently writing adventure/location modules compatible and roleplaying game rules supplements compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and Pathfinder. In his oh-so-copious free time, he blogs about games and other forms of geekery at "I Think We've Been Playing It Wrong."