Wilderness Encounters on the AT

One of the things I noticed early on hiking the trail is that you spend a lot of time looking down, watching where you put your feet. Aside from the few really flat and gravel covered sections, the ground on the AT is scattered with rocks, uneven, and in spots muddy, which can make for treacherous footing. A little twist of the ankle, or a stubbed toe hurts, and can slow you down. Just stumbling on a loose rock with a pack on your back can throw you to the ground.

Remembering to look up and around is something that you find you have to remind yourself to do.

What does this have to do with encounters? It strongly impacts the distance at which the encounter happens!

This is a list of creatures I encountered on the trail:

• Human, AT Thru-Hiker
• Human, AT Lifer
• Human, AT Section Hiker
• Human, AT Day Hiker
• Human, AT Volunteer
• Human, Law Enforcement
• Snake, Large Black
• Snake, Ribbon
• Turtle (not mutant or ninja that I could tell)
• Deer
• Squirrels
• Chipmunks
• Goat, wild
• Birds (various)
• Bugs (various)

The various human encounters, when they didn’t happen at a shelter, usually happened at a distance of 5-15 yards.

Both snake encounters happened at 1-2 yards

The (non-human) mammalian encounters and the bird encounters ranged from about 2-15 yards.

Yes, that's a wild goat

Bug encounters usually happened at 0-1 yards.

Encounter distance in the Rules Cyclopedia is based entirely on light levels. I had good light the entire time, but the 4d6x10 yards range is ridiculous in the woods. Sure, in a field, or a grassy plain or something open like that, but there is no way I was spotting anyone at anything even half way approaching 240 yards away unless it was a marching band or something else similarly loud.

Might be a teenage turtle

While I don’t think I’ve ever used the encounter distance chart, since I usually base it on what’s happening directly at the table, but if I did, I would take the result as the maximum distance the PC’s would spot the counter on a featureless plain, and then start knocking it down to a more reasonable distance based on the terrain. I’d also be more likely to impose a penalty on surprise checks in situations where the footing is uneven.

Creatures Not Encountered:

• Bears
• Snake, Poisonous
• Mountain Men
• Cats, wild
• Boars (generally only found further to the south)
• Moose (generally only found further to the north)

Room of Keys

This small narrow chamber has 2 doors: the one you entered, and the one directly across from you. Its stone, with a bench running the length of the room. The far wall with the door sparkles in the light. Hundreds of keys hang from individual hooks. When one key is taken from the wall, the rest disappear. All keys will open the locked door, but they will all open it to a different location. When used the key will disappear and the door will re-lock. The next day the keys will reappear.

1. Beach house on the moon
2. Dungeon entrance
3. Barsoom
4. Random room in the dungeon
5. Feywild
6. Shadowfell
7. Sigil
8. Dragon’s den
9. Random room in the dungeon
10. Roman Bathhouse
11. Home of the gods (olympus?)
12. Court of the Goblin King
13. Random room in another dungeon
14. Baba Yaga’s hut
15. Random room in the dungeon
16. Dreamland
17. Ankh-Morpork
18. Random room in the dungeon
19. Janitor’s closet
20. Space station (DS9, Death Star, ISS, etc.)

Inspired by a wall in Sofi's Crepes in Baltimore.

Never-ending stairs

Following up on my last post about stairs in the dungeon, here’s something you can add to your next dungeon.

Never-ending stairs
This staircase spirals or switchbacks over and over without ever coming to an end or another door. The longer anyone spends on the stairs, the greater the chance of encountering the following:

1. Dead body obviously violently killed (ancient bones, fresh, self)
2. Non-sequential chalk numbers written on the wall
3. Stair Stalker
4. Demon (mad, scared, desperate to escape?)
5. Vampiric Mist
6. Insect Swarm
7. Doorway (Illusionary, painted on, fake)
8. Magic Mouth (doom, hopeful beckoning, mad rambling, cries for help)
9. Light/hot air/sulfur smell/ from the depths
10. Hastily dropped and spilled pack
11. Mad/catatonic individual
12. Mummified fairy pinned to the wall
13. Voices from below
14. Sound of running footsteps coming up the stairs
15. A single organ, removed with surgical precision
16. Journal detailing the mad ramblings of someone stuck on the stairs.
17. Perfectly normal kitten/puppy
18. Broken circle of salt
19. Circle of black glass, reflective on one side, dull on the other
20. Lightless void, stairs continue on...

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Inspired by SCP-087

How to Steal the Space Shuttle: A Step by Step Guide

It's a little late, but in case you wanted to steal a space shuttle, there is a detailed plan on how to do it over on Jalopnik.

How to Steal the Space Shuttle: A Step by Step Guide

A perfect little scenario for a modern James Bond/GI Joe style game.

Mysterious Switch

From a hotel window, or across a very busy intersection you notice an old homeless man standing on a milk crate, ranting about something. He’s holding an illegible cardboard sign scribbled in sharpie. As you watch, a black SUV pulls up next to the old man, and 2 men in black suits and sunglasses jump out. A third MiB pulls an old man out of the car. The original is shoved into the car by the first 2 MiB, while the replacement is pushed up onto the milk crate and handed the sign. The suited men all get back into the SUV, and pull away out of sight.

If questioned he will claim that:
1. He was held in a secret government facility while a clone/android/shapeshifter took his place. They tried to wipe his memory, but he remembers!
2. The agents shoved him through the car, but didn’t replace him.
3. He’s a time travel subject, and they needed to get his younger self to send him to the past to complete the circle.
4. Don’t know what they’re talking about, but will make something up for a donation.
5. Is actually a government agent who’s replacing an alien.
6. Is a replacement/upgrade android, and the old one is being brought back to Eureka for study.

Random Encounters: Beyoncé

"It lives in the woods just outside of town. You wouldn't believe the rumors about the thing. Some say that there's a talking mouse that controls it, and that's why it seems to act intelligently. Another tale I've heard is that it tracked a thief to his hideout, kicked in the door, and in a high metalic voice said 'knock knock motherfucker' before pecking the living crap out of him." The beastman paused to bite another chunk out of the roasted crow.

"And that is why I'm here. I want to capture it, and see what makes it work." The rat-faced warlock pointed out, poking the camp fire with the end of his staff.

"But how do we trap it?"

"Well, if there is a thing controlling it from the inside, I have a curse that will freeze its joints. If not, I have a spiderweb spell that will probably hold it, at least for a little bit."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"That's what you and your friends are for. We'll build a pit, and lure it in. Simple as that." The warlock tossed a polished blue stone to the creature. "Don't worry, you'll be highly rewarded for the risks you and your tribe will take."

Beyoncé
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 7+1**
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 Peck + Special
Damage: 3d6
No. Appearing: 1 (1)
Save As:
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Intelligence: 5
Alignment: Lawful
XP Value:

Monster Type: Construct (Unique)

Wandering the edges of the woods near a cluster of small villages is an animated metal chicken, known to the local residents as Beyoncé. No one knows how Beyoncé was named, but it has been known to the villagers for many many years. It has protected them from marauding bands of humanoids and wild monsters. Beyoncé has been hunted numerous times by warlocks looking for the secret of its apparent intelligence, but between its natural cunning, and a nest of hornets that has made its home inside its belly (4HD Insect Swarm), none have succeeded.

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Beyoncé is a 5-foot tall metal chicken owned by The Bloggess, originally introduced here. This post was inspired by this more recent update about Beyoncé.