Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for Sewers RPG Adventures
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Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for Sewers RPG Adventures

Duncan Thomson
A wary repair crew are working on something and have a guard with them. They have a route back to surface and know a second way up

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

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[Art by Henrik Karppinen]

Fantasy Sewer Encounters

Sewers encounters might a patrol of sewer guards, ratfolk with their spies, or a lost cat with a silver collar. There might be rising water levels or a slime that corrodes metal.

A place of potential dangers just below the surface of a fantasy city, dominated by the polluted waters and hidden secrets. A place of renegade tricksters, ratfolk, smugglers and diseased hermits.

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

Fantasy Sewer Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy City Tables Bundle on DriveThru RPG

10 Sewers Encounter Prompts

1d1010 Sewers Encounter Prompts
1 A crime boss and several thugs are waiting to meet someone for an important deal. They aren't entirely sure who they are waiting for.
2 A hungry gigantic centipede makes a clacking noise, and can be driven off by making a similar noise, making it think a rival is near.
3 Several well-armed misfits are on patrol, working for city authorities.
4 A group of refugees (or urchins) live here in tents and makeshift homes, in a desperate situation. Will try to trade junk or information.
5 Several ratlike humanoids are accompanied by rat spies, talking loudly with a powerful ancient ghost current events in the city.
6 A swarm of glowing beetles are eating corpses in distinctive uniforms
7 A wary repair crew are working on something and have a guard with them. They have a route back to surface and know a second way up
8 A distinctive cat is disheveled and lost, with a silver name collar.
9 A group of froglike (or fungal) humanoids wants to trade with group, have valuable herbs (or gems) but place no value on precious metal.
10 A line of robed figures carry a body. Will ask group for a pass phrase.

Sewers Hazards and Distractions

1d10There is (or are)...
1 a swarm of curious fireflies (or crabs); or a wave of sewage
2 something on the wall is (or are)...
d10 (1-2. graffiti 3. a sign up to a tavern 4. murals
5. engraved map of area 6. a list of names 7. a coin slot
8. an iron box 9. advertisement for a gambling den 10. a riddle)
3 rising water levels or protective glyphs that warn and then harm
4 grasping vines or bodies infected with burrowing grubs
5 slime (or fungi) on the wall which ...
d10 (1-2. is bright green 3. drains heat 4. is telepathic
5. corrodes metal 6. glows when creatures are near 7. is edible
8. absorbs light 9. has eyes 10. controls host creatures )
6 a risk of a collapse or a toxic cloud
7 an area of flammable gas or an area of magical darkness
8 sounds of ...
d10 (1-2. running steps 3. screaming 4. laughter 5. rushing water
6. metallic grinding 7. splashes 8. a door slamming 9. a bell 10. growls)
9 a slippery floor and a pool of acid or a disturbance of many bats
10 a trap that triggers an alarm (or several darts); or a blast of cold air

Quick Sewers NPCs

1d10DescriptorProfessionwho...
1 goblin or desperate smuggler is searching for stairs (or a ruin)
2 lost or shapechanging hermit is mapping the area or in a boat
3 ratling or hooded guard has a bounty on their head
4 renegade or ghostly vagabond has a pet spider (or slime)
5 dwarf or despairing thief recognises a character
6 paranoid or merfolk cultist leads several thugs (or wererats)
7 frogfolk or singing trickster fills jars with sewage (or ooze)
8 diseased or possessed warlock is marked by a forbidden god
9 undead or wary fence can turn into a rat (or bat)
10 drunk or vampiric spy carries a large box (or body)

More Encounters

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

Fantasy Sewer Encounters on DriveThru RPG Fantasy City 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.