Fantasy Encounters, Hazards and NPCs for Ruins
Fantasy Dungeon Fantasy City Ruins

Fantasy Encounters, Hazards and NPCs for Ruins

Duncan Thomson
A group of skittish locals are digging up a statue, under the supervision of an arrogant priest. They talk of dangers here at night.

Simple encounter tables for ruins in any fantasy setting. Tables for Ruins Encounter Prompts, Ruins Hazards & Distractions and Ruins Quick NPCs.

Fantasy City - all | trinkets | cemetery encs | market encs | port encs | ruins encs | sewer encs | street encs | tavern encs | crowds

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[Art by Henrik Karppinen]

Fantasy Ruins Encounters

Ruins encounters might be a large zombies hauling away stone, a goblin mercenary haunted by visions or friendly stone giant making repairs. There might be a magical circle of power the sound of a slamming door.

A place of forgotten secrets, past lives, sadness, where outcasts make a home and creatures make a lair. A place of goblin scouts, vagabaonds and adventurers of all kinds.

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

Fantasy Ruins Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy Dungeon Tables Bundle on DriveThru RPG

10 Ruins Encounter Prompts

1d1010 Ruins Encounter Prompts
1 A patrol of wary warriors from a nearby settlement who are having a short rest. Their highborn leader is curious about the ruins.
2 A friendly stone giant is making repairs to a structure. They are also paying respects to an ancestor who built something here (or nearby)
3 A severed hand with sigils spies on group. It is an undead familiar.
4 A powerful celestial guardian takes the form of a hermit (or an animal) and tries to warn the group away from the ruins.
5 A group of skittish locals are digging up a statue, under the supervision of an arrogant priest. They talk of dangers here at night.
6 An energetic goblin shaman has lead a few goblins here, guided by vivid visions. Accompanied by many rats, used to scout out the ruins.
7 Spectral spirits are going about daily routines as they did in life.
8 A reddish drake is possessed by a spirit of the ruins, creating a hoard of treasures and trophies scavenged from around the ruins.
9 A mule with saddlebags of useful equipment is munching on plants.
10 A few ogre zombies are taking stone from the ruins and putting them in a pile. They bear the mark of an outlawed religion.

Ruins Hazards and Distractions

1d10There is (or are)...
1 an area of thick webs or a statue holding a magical weapon
2 a pressure plate (or tripwire) which activates a(n)...
d10 (1-2. alarm 3. pit trap 4. portcullis 5. spear trap 6. net trap
7. gas trap 8. poisoned darts 9. magical barrier 10. spoken message )
3 magical circle of protection (or power); or thunder and lightning
4 a mist with whispering spirits or a roof at risk of collapse
5 there is the strong smell of ...
d10 (1-2. something rotten 3. animals 4. mould 5. flowers 6. manure
7. something cooking 8. fish 9. oil 10. horses )
6 a cursed shrine guarded by spirits (or with offerings of gold)
7 lots of dust, that causes a cloud if disturbed or poisonous spores
8 sounds of ...
d10 (1-2. a slamming door 3. an alarm 4. shouting 5. wind chimes
6. chanting 7. splashing 8. pipes playing 9. digging 10. moaning)
9 a talking door (or statue) which can provide a clue (or cause a curse)
10 a patch of glowing green mould or a disturbance of many bats

Quick Ruins NPCs

1d10DescriptorProfessionwho...
1 grieving or faerie hermit has a pony (or fierce dog)
2 goblin or distraught adventurer is digging for something
3 travelling or undead smuggler is scared by a character
4 half-human or cursed spy talks about history (or revenge)
5 outcast or ratfolk priest haunted by visions (or a ghost)
6 lycanthrope or lucky scout is camped (or living) here
7 desperate or gnome mercenary is outcast from society
8 vampiric or diseased necromancer tries to get group to leave ruins
9 friendly or lizardfolk vagabond has no possessions (or friends)
10 dwarf or musical scholar serves a local villain (or ruler)

More Encounters

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

Fantasy Ruins Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy Dungeon Tables Bundle on DriveThru RPG

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