My Complications Table

     I've played in quite a few games where the referee will throw a random monster at the party, and it just feels meh... Sometimes, I think to myself, "the same thing again?" Personally, that's a pretty huge problem when running DnD... or really any game. This is especially true for a hex crawl, a style of game that has a lot of randomness associated with it. A lot of times, a hex crawl just feels as though you're running through the same combat sequence over and over again. Now, I'm not saying every encounter has to be more in depth, but it does help to build verisimilitude if you had a complication or two mixed in. Sometimes, it is better to just have a regular ol fight.

     The beauty of a complication is that it shows that your world is a living breathing thing that, from time to time, interferes with itself. It's actually a simple concept that can make your encounters come to life. Sometimes, I even get surprised by the results. If anything, you can use this for inspiration to make your encounters feel more dramatic, or just be a little more compelling.

     From my experience, you get a little brain-dead by the end of the night when it comes to making interesting things on the fly. Using this table, coupled with my random monster tables, creates a believable world that my players seem to enjoy.

     The way it works is pretty simple; although, it may require you to prepare a few encounters in advance since the process itself is quite lengthy.

Step 1: Roll for your random monster; 6 Bandits

Step 2: Roll for your complication; 168 feet away, north, Running from creature

Step 3: Reroll if applicable; Troll

Step 4: Put it all together; About 160 ft away to the north, a group of 6 bandits are running away from a troll. 

Note: Try having this prepared on a notecard to give out to the lookout who spotted it. This is so they can relay what they saw to the rest of the party. They'll actually feel like they were a lookout, and not just a conduit of what the referee says.


     Granted, I wouldn't pitch it quite like this to my players the "About 160 ft away to the north, a group of 6 bandits are running away from a troll," but you get the picture. I know I could have made an encounter from the ground up, but it saves me brain power when where I need it most. I usually don't prepare for a game until the day of. When I do, I turn to these tables. This probably isn't the best way to do things, but it's the best way to do things for myself. Hopefully this helps others out as well.

     That about wraps it up, folks. I hope you guys enjoy. Below is my Complications Table. Let me know what you think!

Complications Table

1d20

1-15: 3d100 ft away

16-20: 1d100/2 ft away

1d4: 1-North, 2-East, 3-South, 4-West

1-11	Nothing unusual
12	Aligned with creature, roll again
13	Injured by creature, roll again
14	Fighting creature, roll again
15	Running from creature, roll again
16	Setting up ambush, DC 15 perception check to detect
17	eating
18	camping
19	drunk
20	Dead, roll again for tracks