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.
10 Sewers Encounter Prompts
| 1d10 | 10 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
| 1d10 | There 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
| 1d10 | Descriptor | Profession | who... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
If you liked these there are Fantasy Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
