Avoid Encounter (sage ability)
Avoid encounter is an expert-status sage ability, in the study of Scouting, that allows the character to avoid, and direct others to avoid, a wandering monster in the vicinity. The skilled character must make a wisdom check to succeed at this effort. The check is made after the DM announces that a wandering monster encounter is about to take place.
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Specific knowledge of the monster being avoided is NOT provided — unless the character also has sage knowledge of reptiles, birds, beasts, mammals and such like, upon which they can draw in order to detect odours, evidence of spoor, tracks and so on.
Avoidance
If the character wishes not to encounter the monster, then an effort must be made to circumvent and avoid the creature's vaguely-known location. This will take 1-4 hours, as rolled by the DM. During this time, the party is assumed to have moved off the road, finding some sort of path that later leads them back to the road. It's assumed the party remains aware of the road's location, and that they are simply moving parallel to it in a manner that avoids the encounter. After the time loss, the party simply travels on with nothing peculiar occurring.
Engaging
On the other hand, if the character and the party choose to actively engage the monster, because of their foreknowledge they cannot be surprised. It's also assumed that the monster, almost certainly intending to ambush the party, won't be surprised either. Therefore, when the encounter occurs, only initiative need be rolled between the combatants.
