Sample file RPG Random Encounter Collection

Credits Foreword Author, Designer, Layout, and Cover Design: Luke I host weekly live streams where the participants and Hart I create RPG resources for game masters and players Editor: Danni Arriaga to use in their own games. I do this as my way of giving back to the RPG community and helping others Artwork: Adobe Stock in their games. This Random Encounter Collection you have in your Contacting the Author hands now is a compilation of four random encounter Email: [email protected] tables we created over the course of four live streams. My hope is that you will find the random encounters it Twitter & Instagram: @TheDMLair contains interesting and useful for your own games. I also want to express my sincere appreciation for Game Master Resources all the participants in my live streams who helped Patreon – My patrons get a monthly PDF stuffed full brainstorm ideas for this resource. I feel the entire of DM resources such as magic items, new monsters, RPG community owes them a debt of gratitude for and even entire fifth edition adventures! their enthusiastic efforts. Thank you! YouTube - My weekly YouTube videos contain practical information and resources that game What You'll Find Here masters can use at their tables. Here you’ll find four random encounter tables, each Twitch - My live streams are a great place to ask me one designed for a specific tier of play. any specific questions you may have. What, no art? Yep, that’s right. Artwork costs money Website - Looking for free 5e adventures and other to commission, and I’m offering this resource free of game master resources—such as NPCs, magic items, charge. If you’re looking for fancy artwork and other puzzles, and traps—to use in your games? Look no frills, this resource probably isn’t for you. further! However, if you’re looking for useful random Discord - Join a growing community of game masters encounter tables, read on. and players committed to helping each other run awesome games.

Legal Stuff Random Encounter Collection, Copyright © 2020, Luke Hart, The DM Lair, LLC v 1.0a Copyright 2000, , LLC. System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors , Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on originalSample material by E. and . file

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Level 1-4 Random Encounters 31-32 1d3 duergar are blending into their surroundings, waiting to ambush prey that d100 Encounter happens by. The PCs might just be that 1-2 1d4+1 gnolls are chasing a fox when the prey. PCs run across them 33-34 The PCs come across two adult red dragons 3-4 1d3 scarecrows are lurking inside a field of fighting in the distance, having a territory tall grass that the players pass through dispute. 5-6 1d8+2 grung are harvesting herbs, and the 35-36 The party finds a roadside shrine to the god players walk into their territory of travel. On it is an offering of food and a few coins. If the PCs take anything from the 7-8 A goblin is stuck in a pit trap. It has a bag of shrine, they have “bad luck” for the day. gold and looks rather tired and sad. 37-38 They encounter an attacking a 9-10 1d2 redcaps are tracking the PCs from small caravan of four wealthy nobles with behind with the intent of attacking them 1d6+2 guards. If the PCs help defeat the when they camp at night owlbear, the nobles give them a medal 11-12 ​1d8+2 winged kobolds are in trees or near worth 50 gp that gives them street cred in the ceiling waiting for their simple pit any nearby city. trap to be sprung, and then ambush the 39-40 PC’s encounter a patrol of 1d4+1 hostile characters hobgoblins. Killing them might bring the 13-14 1d2 quasits transformed into either toads, rest of the hobgoblin hoard down on the giant centipedes, or bats are planning on PC’s. ambushing something and watch as the 41-42 Patches of poisonous plants grow in a PCs near. field of plants that look very similar. The 15-16 An adult black dragon flies overhead but plants can be used as an ingredient to make doesn’t appear to notice the characters – potions of poison. If touched, the player(s) unless they do something stupid. must succeed a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1d4 hours. 17-18 A trail of 1d4+1 pixies leads the party to an injured dryad who throws a few attacks 43-44 A well-known serial killer (use the spy stat their way out of panic at first. If the PCs block) who broke out of prison passes by attack back, the pixies aid the dryad. the party wearing a hooded cloak trying to disguise himself. The man is acting very 19-20 1d4 harpies start stalking the adventures, thinking they’ll be easy prey oddly. If apprehended, the PCs could earn a lot of money. The PCs recognize the serial 21-22 2d6 bandits are waiting along the road. killer on a successful DC 14 Intelligence They demand a 25 gp payment from the (Investigation) check. characters to pass; otherwise, they attack. 45-46 A traveling merchant (thug) in a wagon 23-24 An acolyte con artist wants to gamble with drops a rug as they pass by the PCs. It’s the adventurers. She’s down on her luck actually a rug of smothering, and the and needs to pay for a mistake she made to merchant is actually a highway robber gain entry back into her religious order. preying on good-nature people that try to 25-26 The party comes across 3 wolves hunting a return the rug to him. deer. They can either watch nature take its 47-48 A random skeleton walks by carrying a mop. course or save the victim. It asks the PCs to buy it a drink at the next 27-28 1 troll is very hungry. It speaks Common village. and demands food from the party. If they 49-50 A trail of small oddly realistic animal parts give the troll food, it leaves them alone. is scattered about the ground. Should the 29-30 A band of 1d6+2 goblins are looking for party make too much noise, they hear a dead dragons to use their scales to make squawk and see 1d4 cockatrices emerging shields. The goblins are not hostile and ask from a hole nearby. Samplethe PCs if they have any leads. 51-52 A skeleton riding onfile a skeleton horse, that only appears at night.

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53-54 A succubus disguised as a regular woman 81-82 A drunken paladin (knight) riding a horse is roadside by a broken cart. She gets their walks past the PCs. He is rude to them and help fixing the wagon, and attempts to will provoke them. If they attack him and he charm one of the PCs and give him a kiss escapes, the party will be attacked two days (draining kiss). later by a group of 1d4+1 paladins (knights). 55-56 The PCs encounter a bear stuck in a 83-84 There is a plate of food on a table in the hunter’s trap. middle of the road. That’s it. 57-58 A traveling chef is passing through a town 85-86 Two hooded figures are leading a third and is looking for adventurers to search for bound figure along the road. If questioned, exotic creatures and herbs. The rarer the they claim the person is a captured criminal. animal or herb, the more the chef will pay. The two hooded figures are actually 1 cult 59-60 2d6 twig blights are running from a fire fanatic and 1 cultist taking an innocent elemental that is trying to burn them up. If person to be sacrificed. the PCs do not interfere, the blights and fire 87-88 A dryad runs by, chased by a woodsman elemental just pass them by. (berserker) swinging his axe. If the PCs 61-62 A druid is in a field hosting a planting/ help the dryad, she rewards them with farming class to promote the care of nature some treasure. Same goes if they help the to a group of . woodsman. 63-64 1d4+2 firenewt warriors have taken over 89-90 A satyr offers to show the party a magical the blacksmith shop and taken shelter in wonder, for a price. If they go there, there the forge’s fire, fighting anyone who tries to are 1d4+1 additional satyrs waiting to jump come in them. The satyrs are drunks that just ran out of wine. 65-66 2d6 lepers (commoners) driven from a nearby city ambush the party, seeking food 91-92 The PCs meet a friendly, medium-sized, young dire wolf that is famished. Feeding 67-68 3 blink dogs are locked into battle with it and making a successful DC 12 Wisdom a two doppelgangers. If the PCs help the (Animal Handling) check gains the group a blinks dogs win, they will show them the new friend. location of a hidden treasure. 93-94 An oni and a hag are in the middle of the 69-70 There is an illusionary camp with a warm road, discussing who is prettier. They ask fire, a pile of food, and supplies that can the party to help settle the problem. trick/charm players to come close. If they do, 1d3 quicklings attacks the PCs. 95-96 An ancient gold dragon approaches the party disguised as a noblewoman. She jests 71-72 The party is being stalked by 1d6+2 wolves. with the party for a while before moving If the party succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom on. If provoked, she will perform a show of (Perception) check, they notice the wolves. strength to intimidate the party. Otherwise, when the wolves attack, they gain surprise. 97-98 A cage containing a flail snail has fallen off a caravan and is attacking the caravan 73-74 1d4+1 scouts ambush the PC’s. Looting workers who come to close to it. The their bodies uncovers some gold and a note workers will ask the PCs to help them get saying someone has put a bounty on the the cage back in the wagon, rewarding them PCs’ heads. if they help. 75-76 2d4 boggles raid the PC’s camp at night, 99-100 1d4+1 well-designed and expensive swords attempting to steal bed sheets and dirty lay on the ground and no one is nearby. The clothes to make their own beds back home swords were animated by a servant of the 77-78 A knight on a warhorse wielding a lance God of Mischief and left in the road by his claims the party are dragons in disguise and followers. The swords are flying swords and charges them down. will attack any who come near. 79-80 A plague doctor is dumping a cart of dead Samplebodies into a freshly dug hole in the ground, file and is preparing to burn them. If asked, the doctor will tell the PCs that the outbreak seems to be a new disease.

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Level 5-10 Random Encounters 23-24 You find a small toy bear lying in the road in a town. The owner is a small child. If you d100 Encounter find the child and return the bear, the child’s 1-2 1d4+1 statues (helmed horrors) surround mother gives you a silver coin reward. a fountain filled with gold. If a player tries 25-26 An adult green dragon swoops down in to take the gold, the statues animate and front of the party. He demands a tribute to attack. his hoard in order to leave them alive. If the 3-4 The group encounters 1d4 wyverns party declines, he will fight. attacking a merchant caravan. The 27-28 The party hears cries for help. If they merchants reward handsomely if the PCs investigate, they find a captured woman help them. harried by 1d6+2 spine devils. If the party 5-6 There is a pile of tattered parchments in the engages the devils, the woman reveals road. They are actually handbills, chewed herself to be a succubus who’d laid an up by Horses and Goats, that advertise a ambush for them. local theater group. 29-30 A group of farmers approach the PCs and 7-8 A pack of 1d6+2 centaurs approach the ask them to help find their herd of goats, players and request they stop hunting in promising a good reward. The PCs can find their woods. The centaurs are convinced the goats in a field. If they enter the field, that the PCs are responsible for this. they are attacked by 2d6 ankhegs. 9-10 The party encounters a small circle in 31-32 A dragon died, leaving a huge horde of the ground devoid of plant life, black and treasure nearby. Now, two groups of scorched. In the center of the circle is a clay treasure hunters are fighting each other pot. Entering the circle causes a wraith and over the treasure at the mouth of the dragon 2d6 specters to emerge from the pot and lair. Each group is composed of 1d6+1 attack. veterans. 11-12 There is an area covered with shrubbery. If 33-34 The group finds a baby owlbear being the party does not pass through carefully, attacked by 2d6 wolves. they step on an awakened shrub, who is 35-36 A nightmare comes running down the road, buddies with an awakened tree which that drawing a black carriage behind it. It stops attacks the party to defend the shrub’s in front of the PCs, and from the inside the honor. carriage a harsh voice says, “Do you want to 13-14 A pack of 2d4+2 drakes run across the path buy something?” It belongs to a chain devil in-front of the PCs. If the PCs are spotted or merchant who is selling magic items that intervene, they are attacked. are all cursed. However, the devil doesn’t tell the party about the curses on them. If 15-16 A cave filled with potatoes. A young the PCs attack, the nightmare joins in to remorhaz guards them. help the devil. The devil keeps all his wears 17-18 ​A wagon is ahead of the party on a cliffside hidden away in a Tiny Chest spell where when out of nowhere a troll throws a only he can access them. boulder at it, causing it to dangle off the cliff. 37-38 A kleptomaniac (bandit) is found beaten by Upon investigation, the party finds 1d4+1 the side of the road. If the players help him, trolls moving to attack the wagon. they discover later that they are missing 19-20 The PCs come across a shining sword in items. They can attempt to recover the the middle of a large flower bed. If they items by tracking him down and getting touch the sword, a group of 1d6+1 yellow them back. musk creepers and 1d6+1 yellow musk 39-40 While walking through town, 1d4+2 zombies rise up out of the flower bed and children surround the players, admiring attack. their cool armor and weapons. They are 21-22 A group of 1d4 giant goats are eating a actually thieves (bandits) trying to Sampleseveral corpses lying by the road. pickpocket them. file

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