Encounter Table Documentation & Examples

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Summary

Create comprehensive, heavily-commented example encounter tables that DMs can copy and modify. Includes inline documentation explaining every field, use cases, and customization tips.

Phase: 4 - DM Tools (Documentation)
Systems: Encounter System, Documentation

Prerequisites

• Random Encounter Table System #80 - Random Encounter Table System (MUST be completed first)

Goals

• Create 5+ example encounter tables with extensive comments
• "When to use" and "What happens" sections in YAML
• Inline explanations of every field
• Tips for DMs at bottom of files
• Multiple environment examples (wilderness, dungeon, urban, etc.)
• Copy-paste ready templates

Example Structure

# ============================================
# WILDERNESS NIGHT WATCH ENCOUNTERS
# ============================================
# Usage: /dmencounter roll wilderness_night <roll_result>
# 
# When to use:
#   - Player rolls for night watch (d20)
#   - Party camping in wilderness
#   - DM wants random night events
#
# What happens:
#   - System reads the range matching the roll
#   - Broadcasts description
#   - Spawns entities with variance
#   - Applies effects (messages, sounds, etc.)
# ============================================

id: wilderness_night_encounters
name: "Wilderness Night Watch Encounters"
dice_type: d20  # What die to roll

# ENCOUNTER TABLE
# Format: <range>: or <single_number>:
encounters:
  # Nothing happens (25% chance)
  1-5:
    description: "The night passes uneventfully"
    spawn: []  # Empty array = no spawns
    # Tip: Use this for low rolls to balance encounter frequency
    
  # Atmosphere only (25% chance)
  6-10:
    description: "Distant howling"
    spawn: []
    effects:
      - type: message
        text: "You hear wolves howling far away..."
        # Tip: Creates tension without combat
        
  # Minor combat (25% chance)
  11-15:
    description: "Wolf pack attack!"
    spawn:
      - id: wolf
        count: "1d4+1"  # Random 2-5 wolves
        location: nearby  # Within 30 blocks
        formation: scattered
        # Tip: Dice notation creates variance
    effects:
      - type: message
        text: "Hungry wolves approach!"
        
  # Boss encounter (10% chance)
  19-20:
    description: "Owlbear!"
    spawn:
      - id: owlbear
        count: 1
        custom_name: "Enraged Owlbear"
    effects:
      - type: message
        text: "A massive owlbear charges!"

# ============================================
# TIPS FOR DMs:
# ============================================
# - Adjust ranges to change encounter frequency
# - Add custom entries for unique locations
# - Use count dice for variance (1d4, 2d6, etc.)
# - Copy this file and modify for other biomes
# - Combine with Issue #88 for biome-aware tables
# ============================================

Example Files to Create

1. wilderness_night.yml - Night watch encounters
2. dungeon_exploration.yml - Dungeon crawling (d100)
3. urban_day.yml - City encounters during day
4. urban_night.yml - City encounters at night
5. forest_travel.yml - Forest travel events

Location

DMContent/
└── Encounters/
    └── examples/  # Documented examples
        ├── wilderness_night.yml
        ├── dungeon_exploration.yml
        ├── urban_day.yml
        ├── urban_night.yml
        └── forest_travel.yml

Next Steps

After completing this issue:

• DMs can reference examples when creating custom tables
• Biome-Aware Encounter Table Auto-Selection #88: Biome-Aware Encounters (builds on these examples)

Related Issues

• Random Encounter Table System #80 - Random Encounter Table System (prerequisite)
• Scenario Documentation & Examples #87 - Scenario Documentation (similar docs for scenarios)
• Biome-Aware Encounter Table Auto-Selection #88 - Biome-Aware Encounters (uses these tables)