In which we un-randomize random encounters

 at least during "travel."

Here's how we've BEEN playing it:  drawing from Uncharted Journeys and a few other sources all cobbled together I have the players roll a d20 and a d6.  The d20 determines the encounter and the d6 determines when it happens.  

There are roughly a dozen TYPES of RE during travel.  Rest related.  Food related.  Bumps in the road.  Caravans.  Travelers in trouble.  Bandits.  Monsters.  A few others.  And what I've BEEN doing is ...winging it.  But you can only have so many muddy sink holes, last adventurers and greedy bandits.  

UJ uses a very mechanic heavy approach.  Party members assume "rolls" on the trip.  Depending on the type of encounter a given roll makes a skill check that then determines how the party rolls to respond to the encounter.  Party rolls.  Results applied.  Move on down the road.  Game-able n stuff but not terribly "satisfying" during the session.   I've tried prepping a 4e style skill challenge but those are difficult to spin out spur of the moment.  So I need to come up with something "different."  After 50 years of a game there just ISN'T much different.

One of my players suggested "give us two minutes to come up with a solution and THEN adjudicate it."  Which is nice for player buy-in and participation.  So here's what I'm going to do this week.  As part of my prep I'm going to design THREE RE's for each general type (thus putting a dagger in the heart of the "random" part.)  I'll incorporate the UJ method and layer in some 4e skill challenge stuff.  It'll be more detailed and granular than it needs to be BUT - it's what my table has asked for and once the initial chart is designed I'll only need to replace those that are used.  Some weeks there will be NONE!  

More lonely fun.

In which we review another product

 No session this week.  We were s'posed to get Biblical Destruction type weather.  Didn't happen.  But

rather than having my party (one of which was oot anyway) drive through Revelations we cancelled.  And then the weather didn't happen.  

But I DID have something worthy of comment and I'm trying to get a bit more regular around here so there's this.  I'm not a fan of the dScryb product.  I don't really feel the need for someone else to give me box texts for stuff.  Interesting idea and likely fills a niche (as evidenced by its continued existence) but not for me.  Then they added MORE stuff I don't really need.  Maps.  Ability to REQUEST descriptions and maps.  Then they went and did it.  They added a sound library.  I tinkered but it was never to the point that for ME it was going to replace Syrinscape or Soundpad.  And then they added "Opus."  And several of the youtubers I watch did promos. And a free 30 day trial was offered.  So I wandered by again.  Signed up for it.  Spent a little time with it and confirmed my priors and forgot about it.  Until the bill came for the FULL YEAR at the TOP TIER!   

I IMMEDIATELY email the company to beg and plead to have the charge backed off.  This was less than 15 minutes after the charge went on.  Within another 15 minutes I'd heard back from the FOUNDER of the company!  The charge had been backed off immediately but he also wanted to open up a dialogue.  What didn't I like, etc.  He walked me through some stuff, gave me another 2 weeks free, answered questions and carried on an email correspondence for about ten days.  And won me over.  Helped along by BobWorldBuilder's video.  After another two weeks of conquering the learning curve (realizing how to build playlists and blocks and stuff .... figuring out that the sound effects were likely useless) I agreed to sign up.  

Reviewed the pricing.  I'm taking the "Composer" option as it provides JUST the sound stuff, which is all I really need.  The BIGGEST reason I'm paying for it over free Soundpad is the personal service from the freakin' FOUNDER .... and the fact that it has perhaps a crap-ton more options.  That might also be the biggest hurdle here.  Too many choices can be as big an issue as not enough but we'll see.  I've put together two blocks to use next week and will likely assemble one or two more.  And I'll be back with an after-action report.  But for now?  Not bad.