Outside of the main house, in the overgrown stables there are some discarded clothes. There is a strange scratching sound coming from nearby...
Simple encounter tables for haunted houses in horror or fantasy. Tables for Quick NPCs, Haunted House Outdoor Area and Hazards & Distractions
Spooky Fantasy - all | trinkets | haunted houses | tomb encs
Fantasy City - all | trinkets | cemetery encs | market encs | port encs | ruins encs | sewer encs | street encs | tavern encs | crowds
[art by Henrik Karppinen]
Haunted House Encounters
A haunted house encounter a loud knocking, a possessed hermit who is expecting guests, an irritable gardener by a dying tree or the smell of perfume. There might be continuous rain, a pile of bones or recently disturbed ground.
A place of secrets, spiders, cadaverous servants and decay. A demonic caretaker hiding a tattoo, a confusing mosaic, a charming antiquarian who talks of a tragedy.
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Haunted House Encounters.
Quick Haunted House NPCs
| 1d10 | Descriptor | Profession | who... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | wounded or spectral | charlatan | is in formal clothes (or black robes) |
| 2 | cadaverous or sick | antiquarian | has an odd laugh (or book of spells) |
| 3 | masked or nocturnal | exorcist | is expecting guests (or a friend) |
| 4 | undying or hungry | servant | knows a characters name (or face) |
| 5 | outcast or crying | aristocrat | talks of a tragedy (or relative) |
| 6 | charming or elderly | doctor | asks group to leave (or help them) |
| 7 | possessed or jinxed | hermit | can turn into a beast (or spirit) |
| 8 | raving or murderous | investigator | is hunting a fugitive (or monster) |
| 9 | lonely or demonic | caretaker | has an unnerving pet (or servant) |
| 10 | mute or half-human | warlock | hides a occult tattoo (or collar) |
10 Haunted House Outdoors
Overgrown gardens, ruined outbuildings and eerie trees.
| 1d10 | outdoor feature, a(n)... | with... |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | crumbling monument (or tomb) | an irritable gardener or ancient fey |
| 2 | lonely outhouse (or greenhouse) | a gravestone with a familiar name |
| 3 | confusing maze (or mosaic) | vigilante locals (or meddling youths) |
| 4 | herb (or winter) garden; or lawn | mist of muttering faces (or fireflies) |
| 5 | ornamental gazebo (or fountain) | dirty smugglers or an axe-murderer |
| 6 | dilapidated coach (or wagon) | recently disturbed ground |
| 7 | huge (or dying) tree; or a kennel | a witch (or roll on NPCs) living here |
| 8 | deep well (or hole); or iron fence | a pile of bones or discarded clothes |
| 9 | overgrown stable (or statue) | a drunk vagabond or a skittish ghoul |
| 10 | small cottage (or orchard); | animated garden tools doing work |
Haunted House Hazards and Distractions
| 1d10 | There is (or are)... |
|---|---|
| 1 | a glowing talisman (or puppet); or a loud knocking from somewhere |
| 2 | a discovery (or clue), a(n)... d10 (1-2. large key 3. a hurried message 4. muddy trail 5. grim secret 6. diary 7. dead pet 8. hidden compartment 9. sacrifice 10. contract) |
| 3 | signs someone was here recently or something trapped in a mirror |
| 4 | an unseen danger, the risk of... d10 (1-2. a collapse 3. possession 4. enchantment 5. an eldritch portal 6. an abduction 7. a gruesome trap 8. a curse 9. disease 10. visions) |
| 5 | a muttering (or talkative) skull; or pleading whispers hard to pinpoint |
| 6 | an atmosphere due to ... d10 (1-2. a storm 3. many bats 4. an unusual moon 5. howling winds 6. continuous rain 7. candles 8. spiders 9. eerie music 10. thick mist) |
| 7 | a disappearing (or bloodstained) door; or a wandering weeping ghost |
| 8 | there is the strong smell of ... d10 (1-2 decay 3. incense 4. something foul 5. sulphur 6. death 7. garlic 8. mould 9. perfume 10. urine) |
| 9 | occult (or protective) circle; or a tiny face that bargains for its freedom |
| 10 | sounds of ... d10 (1-2. scratching 3. a trapped animal 4. rattling chains 5. tapping 6. footsteps 7. rats 8. a slamming door 9. utterances 10. creaking) |
More Encounters
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Haunted House Encounters.
If you liked these there are Fantasy Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
