Think They Heard Us? Attention Dice

6/30/2026

Old thoughts on a subsystem for stealth with a bit more nuance. 

Dungeon Crawling should be scary. It's dark, supernatural, teeming with potential enemies, and unknown. 1 in 6 chance for random encounters captures this fine but doesn't account for escalation. Here's two unnecessarily complex takes on simulating your players infiltrating a hostile space. 

Let’s Contextualize these two subsystems: They exist in a dungeon crawl (dungeons are anywhere hostile where movement is limited and stealth is smart)

Moving slowly and quietly is free, it costs you time, rations, torches. You roll this Attention Die/Pool when: 

• Players rest or take a fast action action (10 minutes vs safer, standard 30 minute actions) in a room. 

• Every movement turn when choosing to move quickly 

  • Players save torches and food but run a higher risk of discovery 

• Players make noise

  • Combat (every other round if you feel generous) 

  • On failures during skill checks

  • When choosing to destroy things

    • Breaking doors down, smashing crates, smashing walls

The Attention Dice

Start at d4. Increase die every roll over half die max

Green d4

1-4 is nothing, all clear

Yellow d8,d12

5-9: minor attention, signs of danger. Roll on your encounter table and telegraph that potential encounter

10-12: danger is close, telegraphed encounter next turn, players get initiative.

Red d20

13-18: Immediate encounter. Roll for distance, attitude, and distance. And of course, Initiative! 

19:  Ambush from the random encounter table

20: Immediate boss encounter/Elite ambush. Maybe players stumble into the boss lair, maybe they are tracked down and roll vs surprise.

Fleeing enemy = color increase. If you’re already at Red, then roll 2d20 and keep the higher dice, consequences next round. 

Scout fail - +1d (roll an additional die, take the higher result)

Resting without setting watch or a failed roll: +1d

Long rest - +2d. No sleeping in dungeons without extreme risk

If you know ball, you can see where I borrowed from Blades in the Dark here! 

Circle back next week as we talk about the second incarnation of this subsystem that steals from Grimwilds!