" Several curious pilgrims travel with a wagon, resting beside in a roadside shrine in a fruit orchard ..."
Simple encounter tables for swamps in any fantasy setting. Tables for Combined Raod Encounters, Road Encounter Details and Road Encounter Locations.
Fantasy Hinterlands - all | trinkets | farmland encs | hill encs | plains encs | road encs | tavern encs
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Fantasy Road and Trail Encounters
Twisting trails, busy highways and dusty roads link adventurers to much of the world, carrying locals and travellers, wagons and traders. A few patrolling warriors by a ruined inn are talking about worrying news, a tax collector is studying a map at a crossroads with a cage or a trader with laden pack lizards met in a wooded area has just started a journey.
A place of mercenaries, carts, refugees, repairs, campsites, signs, horses and wanderers.
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Road and Trail Encounters.
Road and Trail Combined Encounters
These reference Road and Trail tables for Encounter Prompts, Hazards and NPCs
| 1d10 | Road and Trail Combined Encounters |
|---|---|
| 1 | a burning wagon with a corpse and recent tracks or roll on Hazards |
| 2 | a herder (or trader) with friendly (or laden) ... d10 (1-2. oxen 3. elephants (or goats) 4. mules 5. pack lizards (or dogs) 6. horses 7. pigs 8. flightless birds (or sheep) 9. camels 10. ponies) |
| 3 | a pushy local guide, offering all kinds of tips and advice or roll on NPCs |
| 4 | several (or a wagon of)... d10 (1-2. locals 3. mounted guards 4. nonhumans 5 refugees 6. mercenaries 7. labourers 8. entertainers 9. soldiers 10. pilgrims ) |
| 5 | a procession of acolytes, heading to a ruin or roll on Enc. Descriptions |
| 6 | a few (or many)... d10 (1-2. outriders 3. scavenging birds 4. vagabonds 5. centaurs 6. thieves 7. curious fey 8. patrolling warriors 9. feral dogs 10. bandits) |
| 7 | a vivid sign warning that trespassers will be eaten or roll on Hazards |
| 8 | a wandering (or fugitive)... d10 (1-2. minstrel 3. knight and squire 4. family with wagons 5. pedlar 6. circus 7. seer 8. mercenary 9. pair of scoundrels 10. nomad band) |
| 9 | a brash bounty hunter, hunting a friend of a character or roll on NPCs |
| 10 | a potential (or signs of a) danger, a(n)... d10 (1-2. outlaw band 3. wolf pack 4. shapechanger 5. flying predator 6. patrol 7. ogre for hire 8.hungry beast 9. tax collector 10. con artist) |
Road and Trail Encounter Details
Use 1d4 for beasts or non-sentient creatures.
| 1d10 | They are... (or one is...) |
|---|---|
| 1 | allied with (or part of) a local town (or faction); or guarding something |
| 2 | wary of (or curious about) ... d10 (1-2. a corpse 3. a sleeping monster 4. circling birds 5. an illusion 6. a spirit 7. weird fog 8. a flying creature 9. a cage 10. a palanquin) |
| 3 | chasing (or being chased by) something; or infected with disease |
| 4 | currently... d10 (1-2. waiting for someone 3. afraid 4. being noisy 5. injured 6. starving 7. digging 8. resting 9. drinking water 10. eating ) |
| 5 | with (or investigating) a wagon (or cart) or patrolling for threats |
| 6 | starting (or ending) a journey or spying on someone else |
| 7 | talking about (or want to ask about)... d10 (1-2. a nearby landmark 3. odd weather 4. a local celebrity 5. war 6. politics 7. love problems 8. the road ahead 9. food 10. worrying news |
| 8 | working on the road (or a building); or searching for the group |
| 9 | beside the road, ... d10 (1-2. performing a ceremony 3. celebrating 4. playing a game 5. creating art 6. making repairs 7. gathering firewood 8. studying a map 9. talking to locals 10. intoxicated ) |
| 10 | making (or breaking) camp or herding domesticated beasts |
Road Encounter Locations
| 1d10 | Area, a(n)... | Feature, a(n)... |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | steep slope or circle of tents | roadside shrine or wanted poster |
| 2 | old bridge (or ferry) over a river | overgrown pond or bush of berries |
| 3 | wooded area or edge of a lake | prepared campsite or wooden hut |
| 4 | ruined inn (or hamlet); or orchard | boundary marker or stone bench |
| 5 | long drop (or fence) on one side | pile of stones (or logs); or signpost |
| 6 | crossroads with a cage (or statue) | deep trench (or well); or campfire |
| 7 | side path into a cliff (or forest) | overturned vehicle or high fence |
| 8 | stone wall (or barn); or a ford | thorny hedge or cave entrance |
| 9 | field of crops or empty mansion | stripy (or torn) tent or animal pen |
| 10 | fenced farm (or watchtower) | stack of wagon wheels (or barrels) |
More Encounters
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Road and Trail Encounters.
If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.
