Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for City Streets Adventures
Fantasy City Fantasy Encounter Tables System Neutral Tables

Fantasy Encounters, Hazards & NPCs for City Streets Adventures

Duncan Thomson
A disheveled merchant has a few loaded mules and a lone guard dog. They need someone to escort them to a dangerous part of the city.

Simple encounter tables for city streets in any fantasy setting. Tables for City Street Encounter Prompts, Street Hazards & Distractions and Quick City Streets NPCs.

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

[Art by Bob Greyvenstein]

Fantasy City Street Encounters

City streets encounters might a musician entertaining a crowd, guards taking an interest in things or cloaked figures in animal masks. There might be heavy stinking fog or a fire at risk of spreading.

A place of everyday folk and bustling crowds, which changes at nights or down side alleys out of sight from most. A place of artisans and traders, stooped priests and desperate rogues.

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

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

10 City Street Encounter Prompts

1d1010 City Street Encounter Prompts
1 A talkative group of artists are sketching local landmarks. One of them, wearing a colourful hat, asks to sketch the group.
2 A rider is slumped over a lurching pony, with a bulging bag of papers.
3 A long-haired acolyte is loudly making proclamations of doom. One thing they say matches with a vivid dream a character recently had.
4 A carriage pulled by horses has a uniformed driver carries someone important. A gloved hand beckons for one a character to approach.
5 A few cloaked figures in animal masks are yelling and carry lit torches.
6 A disheveled merchant has a few loaded mules and a lone guard dog. They need someone to escort them to a dangerous part of the city.
7 A pair of well-dressed visitors are lost and holding a map. They have large bags and are attracting a lot of attention from the locals.
8 A squad of guards lead by a mage is moving everyone off the street.
9 A pair of young nobles are escorted by a few bodyguards. They seek entertainment, loudly making bets and commenting on passersby.
10 Several urchins hand out leaflets. There is a gathering that evening at a ruin, with entertainment, free food nd a very special guest.

City Street Hazards and Distractions

1d10There is (or are)...
1 a religious procession or a thick mist descends
2 a crowd watching...
d10 (1-2. a fight 3. a lively bard 4. an impressive illusion 5. a ceremony
6. fireworks 7. an animal 8. protesters 9. puppets 10. an execution)
3 a building at risk of collapse or a heavy hailstorm
4 heavy stinking fog or a hungry unruly mob
5 there is the strong smell of ...
d10 (1-2. sewage 3. something tasty 4. dead bodies 5. fish 6. pigs
7. rotten food 8. perfume 9. cooking meat 10. flowers)
6 something smashes, falling from above or a stampede of animals
7 an approaching out of control wagon or a talking statue
8 sounds of ...
d10 (1-2. someone in distress 3. breaking glass 4. an alarm 5. music
6. a crowd 7. a good party 8. an explosion 9. thunder 10. many birds)
9 a fire at risk of spreading or an annoying, persistent street vendor
10 a brawl that spills out into street or a sudden quake

Quick City Streets NPCs

1d10DescriptorProfessionwho...
1 stooped or wererat thug loves gambling (or giving advice)
2 halfling or dramatic entertainer with a fine red hat (or one eye)
3 fidgety or beast-kin artisan with a proposal for the group
4 dwarf or desperate adventurer part of local faction (or temple)
5 smart or gnome priest rival (or ex-lover) of a character
6 elf or apprentice trader following someone or sketching
7 ecstatic or possessed local guide has lost everything (or a pet)
8 goblinoid or mounted rogue with their partner (or a guard)
9 carousing or demonic noble carrying a package (or message)
10 changeling or loud mercenary in formal (or ragged) clothes

More Encounters

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

Fantasy City Street 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.