Morwen's Encounter Generator

Encounter Generator

The PawScript Encounter Generator is a randomization feature that creates weighted creature encounters for tabletop-style gameplay. It produces a list of encounters based on probability weights, then calculates dynamic challenge ratings from group size, creature type variants, and elemental affinities. The final list is automatically sorted by challenge rating for balanced progression / easier reading.

Configuration

Definition

• Name: Encounter Config
• Type: YAML
• Initial Value: see basic configuration sample below / complex example at the end of the page
• Visibility: Hidden from Player and AI

Structure

The generator uses a YAML configuration with this hierarchy:

Top-Level Settings

encounter_list_size

: Number of encounters to generate (default: 0)

include_naming

: Boolean - Include creature names in output

include_type_naming

: Boolean - Prefix names with type (e.g., "evolved goblin")

include_details

: Boolean - Include descriptive text

Encounter Definitions

Each entry in the encounters list requires:

• creature - Base creature name (string)
• disposition - Behavioral description (string)
• probability - Selection weight, 0-1 (at least one must be 1)
• details - Optional flavor text (string)
• groups - Array of possible group sizes with base challenge ratings
• types - Array of type variants with CR modifiers
• affinities - Array of elemental traits with CR modifiers

Challenge Rating Calculation

Final CR = group.challenge_rating + (group.size × (type.challenge_rating + affinity.challenge_rating))

This formula allows for dynamic scaling where larger groups, stronger types, or powerful affinities create appropriately challenging encounters.

Basic Configuration Example

encounter_list_size: 10
include_naming: true
include_type_naming: true
include_details: true

encounters:
  - creature: goblin
    disposition: aggressive
    details: Small opportunistic humanoids
    probability: 1
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 1
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 3
    types:
      - name: weak
        challenge_rating: -0.5
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: evolved
        challenge_rating: 1
    affinities:
      - name: fire
        challenge_rating: 1
        details: Glowing red eyes

  - creature: wolf
    disposition: territorial
    probability: 0.8
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 2
      - size: 4
        challenge_rating: 8
    types:
      - name: dire
        challenge_rating: 1
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0

Tracked Item Setup

Create a tracked item to store generated encounters:

• Name: Encounter List
• Type: YAML
• Initial Value: empty
• Visibility: optional, depending on specific usage
• Description: Generated encounters sorted by challenge rating

Encounter Entry Fields

Each generated encounter contains:

• name - Formatted creature name (if naming enabled)
• creature - Base creature type
• group_size - Number of creatures
• disposition - Creature behavior
• type - Selected type variant
• affinity - Selected elemental affinity
• challenge_rating - Calculated difficulty
• details - Combined description (if details enabled)

Example Generated Entry

- name: evolved goblin (3)
  creature: goblin
  group_size: 3
  disposition: aggressive
  type: evolved
  affinity: fire
  challenge_rating: 8
  details: Small opportunistic humanoids, the fire affinity shows in glowing red eyes

Usage in Game

Get a random entry: <<$encounter_list.random()>>

Access individual encounters: <<$encounter_list.item(n)>>

Include the whole list: <<$encounter_list>>

List of encounters with a challenge rating less than 3: <<$encounter_list.where(challenge_rating < 3)>>

To give the lowest-CR encounter higher selection probability: <<list(list($encounter_list.item(1), $encounter_list.last($encounter_list.count() -1)).random()).flatten().random()>>

This expression implements weighted randomness where the first entry (always the lowest-CR encounter due to sorting) has a 50% selection chance, while all remaining encounters share the other 50% equally. Useful for ensuring easier encounters appear more frequently.

Script Implementation

# Encounter Generator Script
# Generates randomized encounters from encounter_config
# CR = group.base_CR + (group.size × (type.CR + affinity.CR))

$encounter_list = list()
set $list_size = try($encounter_config.encounter_list_size, 0)

for each $index in range($list_size)
  set $probability_list = $encounter_config.encounters.where(probability > random())
  set $encounter = $probability_list.item(random_between(1, $probability_list.count()))
  set $group = $encounter.groups.item(random_between(1, $encounter.groups.count()))
  set $type = $encounter.types.item(random_between(1, $encounter.types.count()))
  set $affinity = $encounter.affinities.item(random_between(1, $encounter.affinities.count()))

  set $cr = $group.challenge_rating + $group.size * ($type.challenge_rating + $affinity.challenge_rating)
  set $encounter_entry = record()

  if $encounter_config.include_naming
    set $name = $encounter.creature & ' (' & $group.size & ')'
    if $encounter_config.include_type_naming and $type.name != ''
      $name = $type.name & ' ' & $name
    $encounter_entry.name = $name

  if $encounter_config.include_details
    set $details = try($encounter.details & ', ', '')
    $details = $details & try($type.details & ', ', '')
    $details = $details & try($affinity.details, '')
    $encounter_entry.details = $details

  $encounter_entry.creature = $encounter.creature
  $encounter_entry.group_size = $group.size
  $encounter_entry.disposition = $encounter.disposition
  $encounter_entry.type = $type.name
  $encounter_entry.affinity = $affinity.name
  $encounter_entry.challenge_rating = $cr
  $encounter_list.append($encounter_entry)

if $encounter_list.count() > 0
  $encounter_list = $encounter_list.sort_by(challenge_rating)

Full Commented Configuration

# Encounter Generator Configuration
# This configuration defines the pool of possible encounters and their generation parameters

# Top-level settings
encounter_list_size: 10      # Number of encounters to generate in each list
include_naming: true         # Include creature names in output (e.g., "goblin (3)")
include_type_naming: true    # Include type prefixes when available (e.g., "evolved goblin (3)")
include_details: true        # Include descriptive text for creatures, types, and affinities

# Encounter definitions
# NOTE: At least one creature MUST have probability: 1 to ensure selection
encounters:

  # ===== COMMON CREATURES =====
  # Base creatures with higher probability

  - creature: goblin
    disposition: aggressive
    details: Goblins are smaller humanoids that are very opportunistic, aggressive towards anything weaker and fearful towards anything they perceive as stronger or dangerous
    probability: 1
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 1
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 2
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 4
      - size: 4
        challenge_rating: 6
    types:
      - name: weak
        challenge_rating: -0.5
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: evolved
        challenge_rating: 1
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: fire
        challenge_rating: 2
        details: the fire affinity shows in glowing red eyes and boiling hot blood

  - creature: orc
    disposition: enslaving
    details: Orcs are powerful humanoids with green to brown skin and large tusks, they prefer enslaving to killing, and see a loss as dishonorable
    probability: 0.3
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 3
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 6
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 10
    types:
      - name: weak
        challenge_rating: -1
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: evolved
        challenge_rating: 1
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: slime
    disposition: aggressive
    probability: 1
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 1
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 3
    types:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: oozing
        challenge_rating: 1
        details: oozing slimes can cover a much larger area
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: poison
        challenge_rating: 1
      - name: corrosive
        challenge_rating: 1
      - name: fire
        challenge_rating: 2
      - name: ice
        challenge_rating: 2
      - name: lightning
        challenge_rating: 2

  - creature: elemental
    disposition: aggressive
    probability: 0.4
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 5
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 10
    types:
      - name: minor
        challenge_rating: -1
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: greater
        challenge_rating: 2
      - name: ancient
        challenge_rating: 5
    affinities:
      - name: 'air'
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: 'earth'
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: 'water'
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: 'wood'
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: wolf
    disposition: aggressive
    probability: 0.8
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 2
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 4
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 7
      - size: 4
        challenge_rating: 10
    types:
      - name: weak
        challenge_rating: -0.5
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: dire
        challenge_rating: 1
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0

  # ===== MYTHICAL CREATURES =====

  - creature: fairy
    disposition: playful
    details: Fairies are diminutive humanoids with insectoid wings, their magic is focused on trickery, fate and illusion
    probability: 0.25
    groups:
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 6
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 8
    types:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: dark
        challenge_rating: 2
    affinities:
      - name: magic
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: satyr
    disposition: hedonistic
    probability: 0.25
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 5
    types:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: drunk
        challenge_rating: -1
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: dryad
    disposition: curious and defensive
    probability: 0.25
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 10
    types:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: corrupted
        challenge_rating: 4
    affinities:
      - name: nature
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: nymph
    disposition: curious and playful
    probability: 0.25
    groups:
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 4
      - size: 3
        challenge_rating: 6
      - size: 4
        challenge_rating: 8
    types:
      - name: forest
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: water
        challenge_rating: 0
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0

  - creature: myconoid
    disposition: parasitic
    probability: 0.4
    groups:
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 4
      - size: 2
        challenge_rating: 8
      - size: 1
        challenge_rating: 4
      - size: 4
        challenge_rating: 16
    types:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: spore-releasing
        challenge_rating: 1
      - name: giant
        challenge_rating: 2
    affinities:
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: ''
        challenge_rating: 0
      - name: poison
        challenge_rating: 1