# Wandering monster

- Term: General term
- Date: 1974
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/wandering-monster/

> A creature met by chance rather than placed in a room, determined by rolling on a table at intervals. Wandering monsters make lingering in the dungeon dangerous; their video-game heir is the JRPG random battle.

A creature met by chance rather than placed in a room, determined by rolling on a table at intervals. Wandering monsters make lingering in the dungeon dangerous; their video-game heir is the JRPG random battle.

**Origin:** Wandering monster tables were part of original Dungeons & Dragons (1974).

## Quick answers

**What does "Wandering monster" mean?**
A creature met by chance rather than placed in a room, determined by rolling on a table at intervals. Wandering monsters make lingering in the dungeon dangerous; their video-game heir is the JRPG random battle.

**Where does the term "Wandering monster" come from?**
Wandering monster tables were part of original Dungeons & Dragons (1974).

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From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.