Wilderness Encounters in ADOM

Introduction

Wilderness encounters can be dangerous, since in the wilderness you mostly encounter monsters in large groups, and there is nowhere to hide so it's easy to get surrounded. However, if you can manage to kill the monsters, they are a useful source of experience, weapon skills or spell effectivity, equipment, and corpses to eat (this last is particularly important if your character lacks the Survival skill). Here are a few general tips on wilderness encounters.

Get to know the types of encounters your character can handle and the types he/she must flee from. I'll point out a few particularly dangerous encounters later on in this spoiler. It's better to flee from a dangerous encounter as soon as possible, because if you get surrounded, you may not be able to.

Being surrounded is also bad for your fighting ability, especially if you don't have the Courage skill yet. If you're close to being surrounded, back off in Coward mode. In fact, it's a good idea to stay in Coward mode except when you're attacking a monster physically. A little tip from the manual: if you're very badly wounded (1/3 of maximum HP or less) and in Coward mode, you can run away faster (you're fleeing in panic).

Magic users have the advantage over fighters that they can kill many monsters with one bolt spell. Since they often don't have many HP and are weak in melee combat, they should probably stay in Coward mode and rely on their spells. Sometimes they should back off to give their power a chance to regenerate or line up more monsters for a bolt spell.

This spoiler is under construction. If you can add to or correct the information about minimum level requirements for encounters and the types of wilderness area where they can occur, or if you have any other corrections, please email me.

Tables of Encounters

Monsters which a level 1 character can encounter in the forest, on the plains or in the hills.
Encounter Minimum level Where found Notes

Group of roving raiders 1 Hills, forest, plains It's okay to run away from them. You'll still have the chance of meeting them again, until you kill the raider lord. However, they disappear when you reach experience level 6, or if you're a troll, when you obtain 5000 experience points.

Hill orc patrol 1 Hills

Outlaw band 1 Hills

Pack of wolves 1 Hills

Wandering wizard 1 Hills He is a summoner.

Group of bandits 1 Forest

Huge grizzly bear 1 Forest

Orcish patrol 1 Forest

Wandering brown bear 1 Forest

Hobgoblin patrol 1 Plains

Large jackal pack 1 Plains May contain one or two jackalweres. Kill them first if you can.

Pack of wild dogs 1 Plains

Roving barbarian group 1 Plains This is a dangerous encounter because the barbarians shoot arrows.

Monsters which a level 1 character can encounter in the forest, on the plains or in the hills.
Encounter	Minimum level	Where found	Notes
Group of roving raiders	1	Hills, forest, plains	It's okay to run away from them. You'll still have the chance of meeting them again, until you kill the raider lord. However, they disappear when you reach experience level 6, or if you're a troll, when you obtain 5000 experience points.
Hill orc patrol	1	Hills
Outlaw band	1	Hills
Pack of wolves	1	Hills
Wandering wizard	1	Hills	He is a summoner.
Group of bandits	1	Forest
Huge grizzly bear	1	Forest
Orcish patrol	1	Forest
Wandering brown bear	1	Forest
Hobgoblin patrol	1	Plains
Large jackal pack	1	Plains	May contain one or two jackalweres. Kill them first if you can.
Pack of wild dogs	1	Plains
Roving barbarian group	1	Plains	This is a dangerous encounter because the barbarians shoot arrows.

Monsters which a level 1 character can encounter, but only in the swamps or on the road. Several of these encounters are more difficult than those in the previous table.
Encounter Minimum level Where found Notes

Horde of huge frogs 1 Swamp

Horde of lizard men 1 Swamp

Lone hydra 1 Swamp Run away! Hydras use poison, and it takes a lot of bolts to kill one, so you can't rely on zapping it before it can touch you.

Group of lost souls 1 Swamp, road Take care - ghuls can paralyse you and wights can drain your Toughness.

Group of outlaws 1 Road

Lone necromancer 1 Road Summons ghuls who can paralyse you.

Pilgrimage of chaos monks 1 Road They're fast and they corrupt you, but they're easy to kill with bolt spells.
Skeleton patrol 1 Road

Monsters which a level 1 character can encounter, but only in the swamps or on the road. Several of these encounters are more difficult than those in the previous table.
Encounter	Minimum level	Where found	Notes
Horde of huge frogs	1	Swamp
Horde of lizard men	1	Swamp
Lone hydra	1	Swamp	Run away! Hydras use poison, and it takes a lot of bolts to kill one, so you can't rely on zapping it before it can touch you.
Group of lost souls	1	Swamp, road	Take care - ghuls can paralyse you and wights can drain your Toughness.
Group of outlaws	1	Road
Lone necromancer	1	Road	Summons ghuls who can paralyse you.
Pilgrimage of chaos monks	1	Road	They're fast and they corrupt you, but they're easy to kill with bolt spells.
Skeleton patrol	1	Road

Encounters which have a minimum level requirement.
Encounter Minimum level Where found Notes

Giant boar 15 Forest

Group of horribly deformed beings 25 Forest, plains

Herd of rust monsters 30 Forest, swamp

Lone knight surrounded by an aura of hate and fear 26 Forest, plains

Wandering giant 15 Forest

Entourage of chaos knights 30 Forest, mountains, plains, swamp

Horrible Dorn Beast 15 Plains If you don't have free action, run.

Wild air elemental 15 Plains

Quickling raiding party 30 Plains, forest

Ogre army 28 Plains, hills, forest

Party of assassins 16 Hills

Lone black dragon 15 Swamp

Gnoll warband 24 Road, mountains

Cave bear 17 Mountains

Gnoll war party Mountains

Lone red dragon 21 Mountains

Black unicorn

Dark hooded figure 30 Swamp, plains, mountains, forest

Horde of plague bearers 16 Swamp

Hunting party of hill giants 18 Hills

Lone corruptor 33 Forest

Lone stone giant 17 Mountains

Pack of cave lions 18 Mountains

Warband of stone giants

Encounter	Minimum level	Where found	Notes
Giant boar	15	Forest
Group of horribly deformed beings	25	Forest, plains
Herd of rust monsters	30	Forest, swamp
Lone knight surrounded by an aura of hate and fear	26	Forest, plains
Wandering giant	15	Forest
Entourage of chaos knights	30	Forest, mountains, plains, swamp
Horrible Dorn Beast	15	Plains	If you don't have free action, run.
Wild air elemental	15	Plains
Quickling raiding party	30	Plains, forest
Ogre army	28	Plains, hills, forest
Party of assassins	16	Hills
Lone black dragon	15	Swamp
Gnoll warband	24	Road, mountains
Cave bear	17	Mountains
Gnoll war party		Mountains
Lone red dragon	21	Mountains
Black unicorn
Dark hooded figure	30	Swamp, plains, mountains, forest
Horde of plague bearers	16	Swamp
Hunting party of hill giants	18	Hills
Lone corruptor	33	Forest
Lone stone giant	17	Mountains
Pack of cave lions	18	Mountains
Warband of stone giants