In B/X Dungeons & Dragons, the structure for an encounter with monsters goes like this:

1. Determine encounter distance
2. Roll to see if either side is surprised
3. Roll initiative
4. Roll 2d6 to determine Monster Reaction
5. Depending on actions of players and monsters, either transfer to
   1. Negotiation
   2. Combat
   3. Evasion and Pursuit

Similar procedures were used in other early editions, and elements of them appear in later editions as well.

Incidentally, I’m using “monsters” in the old sense, when a “monster” is anyone the character meet, friend or foe.

Let’s break down some of the aspects of this structure.

Encounter Distance

All encounters start with the monsters and party a certain distance away. For encounters in keyed areas (that is, encounters that place in areas the dungeon master has already prepared), this step is obvious from the situation. Six goblins in a twenty-foot-square room don’t have that many options about where they stand. However, for wandering monsters approaching down a corridor, this distance indicates the first time that players and monsters might become aware of each other, if not overridden by other situations.

Honestly, most of the time it is dependent on the situation. The distance to the monsters is how far it is to the corner of the corridor! But when there can be a random distance, the rules suggested rolling 2d6 and using that result in tens of feet for how far both parties started apart.

Outside, the distance depends on terrain. The 5E D&D books leave out these ranges, but it’s given on some of the DM Screens.

Distance is important because it affects evasion and pursuit, as well as giving an advantage in combat to those with long-range weapons. Varying the tactical situation leads to different results – not every party of four orcs offers the same situation.

Initiative

Initiative should be well known by all players of Dungeons & Dragons. Interestingly, it was not a concept described in the original D&D books, but by the time of AD&D and the first Basic sets, it was established.

The unusual part of this ordering is that it takes place before the attitude of the monsters is determined using Monster Reaction. This gives the possibility of the monsters would go first, and surprising the party by speaking rather than attacking!

Monster Reactions

While the DM can always choose how monsters react to the players, Classic D&D included a way to randomly determine the initial disposition of the monsters towards the player characters. This is a roll that has disappeared from the current game, which I find is a shame, as it’s a useful device.

However, the original way it was presented had a few oddities. In particular, the Charisma modifier of the party leader affected the roll, despite the roll occurring before either side had a chance to speak! (If you have a high Charisma score, your presence is obvious to all who meet you!)

Nah. Give me an initial disposition of the monsters to the players, and then only change it based on what happens next. (It is possible that this is what the rules intended to say but didn’t make clear).

How can we improve this procedure? In general, get a good idea of the desires and personalities of the different types of monsters. Dwarves in this dungeon want gold, so they begin sizing up the characters and in conversation discover whether they can get more through trade or treachery. Goblins are cowardly and attack from surprise, but otherwise flee. The kobold engineer wants to build the Greatest Trap of All Time but can’t find a rare component that lies deeper in the dungeon, so will hire the party to find it for him.

For random encounter tables, I’d rather like a related set of random goals that you can give to monsters. But, for a simple solution, the reaction roll moved things away from Combat All The Time.

The reaction table as it appeared in 1981 Basic D&D:

Negotiation

Of course, the initial reaction of the monsters to the characters isn’t always how it ends. Either the players or monsters could choose to enter a parlay. In some games I’ve played, both players and monsters choose secretly whether to fight, run, or talk simultaneously, and depending on the choice, different outcomes result.

Exactly how talking to monsters goes can very markedly. I find it helps when the DM has clear goals for the monsters – keep their lair safe, looking for good trade goods, or hoping the adventurers will defeat rival monsters.

The mechanics for determining how the monsters react during negotiations have always been very dependent on DM interpretation. Modern D&D gives Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation and Insight skills to help things along; in Classic D&D, another roll on the reaction roll table modified by charisma was about as far as it went. But in both instances, the DM’s reaction to what the players say is paramount.

Combat

This is not the place to describe how to run D&D combat. You probably know already.

However, the way that combat is entered by monsters or characters can affect surprise and give one side an advantage. If you can reward good play, that’s something to be desired.

Evasion and Pursuit

Chases are something that most versions of Dungeons & Dragons do very badly. The idea that “the faster side wins” is quite boring – and can lead to a lot of Total Party Kills. In general, you want the party to be able to run away if they have realised they’ve entered a situation when they’re outmatched.

A simple system you can use for when a party tries to escape the monsters:

• Monsters pursue characters only if they roll a hostile result on the Reaction table.
• If the pursued are faster than the pursuers, the pursued escape.
• Make a monster reaction roll each time the pursued move through a door, abandoning pursuit on a roll of No attack or better.
• If the party drop gold (for intelligent monsters) or food (for unintelligent monsters) there is a 50% chance the pursuers will abandon pursuit. The players must leave a suitable amount of food or treasure behind. An orc will not abandon pursuit for a lone copper piece!

Of course, there are other tactics the party can use to discourage pursuit, but those can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.