A robed priestess and her acolytes are newly arrived at the market. They wear dust-stained clothes and drink from a fountain. What are they here for? Do they serve a local deity?
Simple market encounters from Collected Encounters pdf.
Tables for Market Encounters (levels 1-4 & levels 5-10), Encounter Details, Market Beasts and Market Stalls.
[art from b-design]
Tables for... all terrains | caves | dungeon | farmland | market | river| sewers | sky
From Collected Encounters on DM's Guild
Market Encounters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d20 | Market Encounter Table lvl 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 1 | A family of 2d4 commoners or 1d2 nobles with 1 half-ogre |
| 2 | 1d4 spies or 1d2 gargoyle sentries |
| 3 | 1d6 mules laden with goods or roll on Market Beasts |
| 4 | 2d4 kenku or 1 illusionist (VGtM) |
| 5 | 1 cult fanatic with 2d4 cultists or 1 domesticated owlbear |
| 6 | 1d2 doppelgangers or it starts to hail |
| 7 | 1d2 veterans or roll on Warriors lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d8 saddled camels or roll on Market Beasts |
| 9 | 1 priest and 1d6 acolytes or roll on Travelers lvl 1-4 |
| 10 | 1d6 tribal warriors with 3d6 goats or 1 warlock of the archfey (VGtM) |
| 11 | There is a runaway wagon or 2d6 cows (VGtM) |
| 12 | 1d3 nobles and 1d6 guards mounted on riding horses or 1 mimic |
| 13 | 1d8 domesticated giant lizards or roll on Market Beasts |
| 14 | 1d4 thugs with 1d4 mastiffs or roll on Criminals lvl 1-4 |
| 15 | 1 knight with 1d3 commoner servants or 2d4 domesticated axe beaks |
| 16 | Novice adventurers - 1d2 acolytes, 1d2 guards, 1 kenku and 1 spy; or 1 bard (VGtM) |
| 17 | 1d3 wererats or 1d4 yuan-ti purebloods |
| 18 | 1 elephant or roll on Market Beasts |
| 19 | 1d4+2 guards led by 1 bandit captain or roll on Patrols lvl 1-4 |
| 20 | 1 mercenary half-red dragon veteran or 1 master thief (VGtM) |
Market Encounters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d20 | Market Encounter Table lvl 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 2d4 veterans or 1 githzerai enlightened (MToF) |
| 3-4 | 1 mage with 1 shield guardian or 1d2 shadow dancers (MToF) |
| 5-6 | 1 assassin with 1d6 cultists or a large fire starts |
| 7-8 | 1 clay golem with a tray or 1 master thief (VGtM) with 1d6 wererats |
| 9-10 | 1 cambion with 2d4 thugs or roll on Warriors lvl 5-10 |
| 11 | A mob starts to form around a market stall or 1 spring eladrin (VGtM) |
| 12 | 1d4 knights and 1d2 priests on warhorses or 1 deva |
| 13 | 1 oni with 1d4 doppelgangers or roll on Criminals |
| 14 | 1 stone giant or 1 conjurer (VGtM) with a cat familiar and 2d4 commoners |
| 15 | 1 young dragon (any metallic) or 1 good-aligned cloud giant |
| 16 | 1 grey slaad appearing as a gnome or roll on Travelers lvl 5-10 |
| 17 | 1 succubus / incubus with 2d4 spies or 1 diviner (VGtM) |
| 18 | 1 gladiator with 3d6 guards or roll on Patrols lvl 5-10 |
| 19 | Mercenaries - 2d6 hobgoblins with 1 hobgoblin captain or 1 genie (any type) |
| 20 | 1 human archmage or 1 disguised adult silver dragon |
Encounter Details (Levels 1-4)
Use 1d10 for beasts and non-sentient creatures.
They are... (or one is...)
| 1d20 | Market Encounter Details |
|---|---|
| 1 | scavenging |
| 2 | causing a disturbance |
| 3 | by a statue adorned with decorations |
| 4 | busy eating |
| 5 | curious about a strange smell |
| 6 | following someone (or being followed) |
| 7 | confused or wearing a costume |
| 8 | drinking from a fountain (or pond) |
| 9 | opportunistic or performing for a crowd |
| 10 | investigating a crate |
| 11 | looking at something they can't afford or drinking cider |
| 12 | preparing for a celebration or looking for work |
| 13 | keeping a watch for potential thieves (or trouble) |
| 14 | looking for a bargain or screaming at someone |
| 15 | unloading a cart or patrolling the area |
| 16 | looking for one of the characters or playing a game |
| 17 | haggling intensely or watching an entertainer |
| 18 | looking for a special gift or involved in an argument |
| 19 | about to cause trouble |
| 20 | carrying eyes if charming (or a potion of mind reading) |
Market Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d20 | Market Beasts lvl 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 1d4 draft horses or 1d4 opportunistic ravens |
| 3-4 | 1d4 boars or 2d4 domesticated axe beaks |
| 5-6 | 1d2 saddled warhorses or 1 pseudodragon |
| 7-8 | 2d4 goats with bells or 2d4 gulls (use raven stats) |
| 9-10 | 1d8 domesticated giant lizards or 1d6 ponies covered in ribbons |
| 11-12 | 2d4 rats with 1 giant rat or 1d2 guard drakes (VGtM) |
| 13-14 | 2d4 mastiffs or 1d6 riding horses |
| 15-16 | 1d6 mules laden with goods or 1 cat with 1d4 kittens |
| 17-18 | 1 domesticated owlbear or 2d6 cows (VGtM) |
| 19-20 | 1d8 camels or 1 elephant |
Market Stalls
Roll for stallholder and then what they are offering
| 1d20 | Stallholder | Offering... |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | A charismatic cult fanatic | to tell your fortune |
| 3-4 | A kindly old commoner | a variety of trinkets |
| 5-6 | quarreling tribal warrior siblings | good-quality maps |
| 7-8 | An animated kenku | advice on love and money |
| 9-10 | An inquisitive spy | interesting herbal mixtures |
| 11-12 | A nervous thug | garden ornaments |
| 13-14 | A pair of aarakocra | feather charms |
| 15-16 | An educated half-ogre | an eclectic mix of books |
| 17-18 | A talkative gnome priest | creepy wooden masks |
| 19-20 | A hooded doppelganger | tickets for a lottery |
From Collected Encounters on DM's Guild
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