Many alarms and a few surprises
Let’s say the party is getting close to a goblin den but they don’t know it. How would you telegraph that to them?
By having them find a scouting part of 2d4+2 goblins?
Okay… how else?
And how would you demonstrate the size and power of this den? Is it a fledging collection of gobbos or the dominant power in these parts?
Will the den be a living system, populated with intelligent beings who want to live? Or is it just a series of battles pulled from a random encounter table?
How will you show (not tell - show!) them that clever thinking could deal with this threat. As well as clearing it out, they could poison them, drive them off, win them over…
Players make an impact on the world. So should their enemies - yes, including the lowly goblin. The presence of actual goblins shouldn’t be the only clue that there’s a den nearby. Even tracks and spent arrows, while a nice touch, aren’t the full story.
Any monster will subtly shape its environments.
Savvy players should learn to spot them - noticing the difference between small dens and large ones. And goblins versus kobolds.
That’s easy when the world has enough detail.
Some GMs might think I’m asking a lot from them here.
Others will see the appeal of what I’m saying but not know how to do it well.
And still others will already do this to an extent, but know they can always do more.
Enter: Footprints, my guide for GMs on how to populate their worlds, not just scatter monsters on them.
It describes a range of different enemy types and how each will change the world around them. It even shows how weaker versions of these enemies will impact their surroundings differently from powerful ones.
I had so much fun writing it, which is a good sign. After all, reading something is more enjoyable than writing it.
You can get your hands on it here: