Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for Forest RPG Adventures
Fantasy Wilds Forest Fantasy Encounter Tables

Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for Forest RPG Adventures

Duncan Thomson
"A few goblins are riding giant spiders, carrying a bound beast. They are taking tribute to a gigantic spider."

Simple encounter tables for forest terrain in any fantasy setting. Tables for Forest Encounter Prompts, Forest Hazards & Distractions and Quick Forest NPCs.

Fantasy Wilds - all | trinkets | coastal encs | cold encs | desert encs | forest encs | hill encs | jungle encs | mountain encs | plains encs | swamp encs

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Fantasy Forest Encounters

Forest encounters might be forest fey celebrating in raucous fashion, a distressed tree spirit or a patrol from nearby civilisation. There might be a stampeded of herd beasts or an enchanted mist to get lost in.

A place of dim light beneath the boughs of ancient woodland, broken by glades and clearings where life thrives. A place alluring elves, outlaws, beast friends and haggard hunters.

There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Forest Encounters.

Fantasy Forest Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy Wilds Tables Bundle on DriveThru RPG

10 Forest Encounter Prompts

1d1010 Forest Encounter Prompts
1 A ranger with two wolf companions surveys the party warily. They think one of the group looks like an outlaw they are tracking.
2 Pipe music plays from a group of fey (or nobles) celebrate. They are dancing and drinking, raucous as they wait for a special guest.
3 A patrol of warriors from the nearest large settlement rests here, eating rations. They are checking on a remote outpost (or temple).
4 A few goblins are riding giant spiders, carrying a bound beast (or humanoid). They are taking tribute to a gigantic spider.
5 A winged bear (or horse) with many scars is fearful of strangers. They have a basic telepathy, showing strange ruins it escaped from.
6 A procession of woodland priests and animals carries candles, heading towards a holy place within the forest for a ritual.
7 A group of muscular hunters greets the group. They travel with a friendly boar, treating it like royalty. All of the hunters are wereboars.
8 Several shimmering hounds run ahead of mounted elves on a hunt.
9 A distraught (or deceptive) tree spirit warns the group of a great evil approaching. They ask them to awake a power at an ancient grove.
10 A forest giant has a beard of ivy and plants growing from their body. They are searching for a large barrel they left in a mushroom circle.

Forest Hazards and Distractions

1d10There is...
1 a unnerving silence or a dead body infected with a magical disease
2 something out of place here...
d10 (1-2. a bright red door 3. a glass tower 4. a stack of books
5. a tree covered in shells 6. a brick wall 7. several gnome statues
8. an illusory dragon 9. a large cactus 10. a sign advertising a tavern)
3 a stampede of herd beasts or relentless rain that can cause floods
4 a breeze whispering a message asking for aid or a falling net
5 there is the strong smell of ...
d10 (1-2. a dead body 3. fire 4. sweet smoke 5. foul magic 6. fish
7. fungal spores 8. bears 9. enchanted flowers 10. something cooking)
6 a pit covered in hides and leaves or a swarm of glowing insects
7 an illusion concealing a cave mouth (or a small settlement)
8 There are nearby sounds of a (or an)...
d10 (1-2. hunt 3. tree being felled 4. waterfall 5. argument 6. flute
7. swarm of angry insects 8. bell 9. flock of birds 10. eerie moaning)
9 an enchanted mist, easy to get lost in (or leading to another place)
10 a forest fire and smoke or several large animal traps

Quick Forest NPCs

1d10DescriptorProfessionDetail
1 elf or unpredictable herbalist playing an instrument (or game)
2 peacefiul or outraged outlaw with a pet squirrel (or snake)
3 goblin or alluring hermit using forest magic (or illusions)
4 wary or hallucinating forester trying to find a particular ruin
5 werewolf or questing minstrel felling (or hugging) a tree
6 haggard or wounded berserker sent by a spirit to find the group
7 faerie or filthy beastmaster with several wolves (or deer)
8 muscular or gnome hunter foraging for herbs or berries
9 lizardfolk or insightful witch with a glowing silver charm
10 lost or snakefolk scout who talks to animals (or trees)

More Encounters

There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Forest Encounters.

Fantasy Forest Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy Wilds Tables Bundle on DriveThru RPG

If you liked these there are Fantasy Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.