Hello /tg/
Let's brainstorm some ideas for random encounters/locations in the wilderness.
Don't need no combat related ones, we all have a bestiary to choose from, let's try to come out with original things to create good scene settings.
Also, let's try to keep it low fantasy-low magic, there's still the chance to build up high on that after.
I'll start with some forest related ones.
- Waystone of token ancient civilization, touching it gives images of the surrounding land.
- Remains of a summoning circle, hinting at a ritual going down some [time] ago.
- Roadside memorial or grave marker, an excuse for fluff exposition
- An abandoned camp. Could be loot in there, or not. Could be signs of what happened and who was there, or not.
- a group of hunters throwing a roadside party, celebrating the youngest's first successful hunt
- a horse coming down the road, all barded and maybe with personal effects on, but without any rider
- a bruised traveller who got robbed, and trying to get help or a ride to the nearest town. May be a bandit, or not.
- remnants of a big fight that happened, broken bodies and weapons. Maybe no bodies.
- young child wandering around. Maybe he is lost, maybe he went off to join the army, maybe he wanted to go to the city, maybe he is running from abusive parents.
- small roadshrine of god of the wilds, or of a traveller god. May give the party blessings, depending on your height of fantasy or your GM cruelty.
- two elves having sex in a clearing, very embarassed to have the adventurers walk in on them
- a cottage inhabited by an old woman, who is said to have strange abilities. The party initially can't tell whether she's helpful or sinister.
- obligatory druidic shrine, a good sign or a bad sign depending on your setting. May have druids praying there or be long abandoned.
- a dryad, asking for a fee to let the party pass through - she won't have anything of material value, she'd much rather prefer a song, or a poem, or a memory.
- fresh human corpses, with missing parts.
- a mass grave, wether a new one or an ancient one.
- an old man looking for directions, seeming very friendly, and very thankful of the party whether helped or not, hugs, shaking hands and so on. He is trying to pickpocket them, and if discovered will run fast revealing a much younger age.
- a man is blocking a bridge over a river. He was told to defend it by the gods in dreams, and won't let the characters pass. Fight him, reason with him, or just wade through the river.
- the carcass of a big deer is getting eaten by some hungry wolves. They will defend the kill if the party comes too close.
- smell of smoke and a glint of orange in the distance catch the party's attention. They have only moments to decide what to do before a wild fire engulfs the whole area.
...am I alone in here?
bump
The party discovers a group of people in the middle of a ceremony. Is it a funeral or a wedding? Either way they don't seem welcome.
- a magical spring that heals your wounds if you drink from it - directly. Can be found only if you're lost.
- a weapon, secreted away in the forest and guarded by a powerful monster, waiting to be wielded by the worthy
- the tracks of something really really big
- hunter's traps laying around. PCs may or may not get their legs stuck in them.
I know you guys have plenty around, share!
A caravan sits abandoned on the road side. Inspection reveals it has been there for sometime, the goods untouched, if a bit damaged from rain. If the players tarry whatever caused the original inhabitants to so quickly abandon their livelihood emerges from the tree line.
>>44191959
>BEES!
>and some wasps
- encounter with a large predator, after it is slain the party discovers it had a cub, that they can raise as a pet
- stumble upon a minor deity/demon of the [forest], who will grant a [forest]-related wish if the party do his bidding.
- a swarm of laborers/engineers are building up a bridge/tower/alehouse/something
- a single goblin/kobold/akin is lost, fed up, and really just wants to go home
BAMP
Share your random encounters/locations table folks, or tell us of a particularly worth remembering random encounter.
Page 10 bump
the ground collapses beneath he party. it's a small mine that got shallower than it expected in that area
>>44191780
>>44191959
>>44195208love you guys <3
last desperate bump.
The party walks down a path with a sheer cliff on one side and a thick forest on another. In front of them lays a set of tracks leading directly from the cliff to the forest.
This is some good shit. I have a big text file I've been compiling from a bunch of different sources as a reference for a roguelike I'm writing. I'll add everything which seems appropriate.
Woah, really, barely any response?
>a pack of hungry, but tame dogs accosts the party. Will not attack if given food, and if followed/tracked afterwards may lead to a sacked settlement/camp.
>a site of a recent battle with some bandits. Everything of value seems to be gone.
>a wizard asking for directions after a botched teleport spell.
>followers of a deity no-one in the party recognises. Peaceful, but subtly sinister.
>an old, partially collapsed and very long fence in the middle of the forest.
>>44198477
I've been reading these and was waiting to finish before posting something myself. Good stuff, though. Here's a contribution of my own.
An upset child trying to get a cat down from a tree. The cat seems smug, with the gleam of intelligence in its eyes.
The child is actually a warlock, originally an adult. The cat is the warlock's fey patron or familiar, and turned the warlock into a child to teach him/her a lesson in humility by turning him/her into a child.
With teary eyes, the warlock begs the party to help, promising them reward of a magical trinket. The cat tells the party not to intervene, lest they invoke the wrath of the fey.
>>44198105
Please do, everything will be appreciated.
>>44198580
Nice one! This will keep my group occupied for at least 5 hours trying to weight pros and cons.
The remnants of a massive skeleton. It's probably been laying there for decades and is unrecognizable at this point. No one in the party can think of anything indigenous which is this large. (e.g. elephant-sized in a very low fantasy setting)
The party follows an old trail deep into the wilderness. After days of travel without encountering another human, they find an unscratched, highly polished hand-mirror lying in the middle of the path.
>>44198477
> barely any response
I know right? Must be a busy day for quest threads. Or maybe I need to post a more visible op image next time.
Great ideas btw, these are real quality!
While traveling in one direction down a path, the party sees a corpse lying in a ditch by the side of the road. If they take pity on it and bury it, when they travel back down that path later, they find that the grave has been dug up and the corpse has been dumped back into the ditch. (Up to you whether or not there is obvious evidence of human activity in the area, but I think it's more effective/interesting if this is completely non-magical).
(Another neat variant: corpses which shift in position when the party returns to an area. Particularly if they had been using one of them as a landmark for navigation.)
A group of three men walking in the other direction down the road. Two of them are tall, muscular men with scratches on their armor and maybe a scar or two on their visible skin. The third is thin-wristed teenager in expensive-looking clothing/armor. A particularly observant party member might notice that he has put his armor on incorrectly and did a poor job of tying the knots that hold his saddlebags.
If asked, the teenager will go on at length about adventures the three have had, monsters slain, and treasure found. The other two men look tired and uninterested.
(The subtext being that this is some rich brat who wanted to go adventuring. Daddy bought him a pair of tough bodyguards who have been doing all the heavy lifting. Maybe they abandon him later. Maybe you run into his dad later. Maybe you find a bunch of dungeons have already been cleaned out by these guys before you got there.)
A boar with a part of a hunting spear still stuck in its back. (Maybe someone is missing that spear. Maybe it means the boar is mean enough to have already killed someone. Maybe this happens after someone lost their only weapon.)
A thick mist rolls in, obscuring everything more than a dozen meters ahead of the party.
>what appears to be a logging site far away from any other signs of civilisation. Trees obviously cut down with axes and saws, various protective charms around the area, but no sign of actual humans anywhere.
>a recently cleared out dungeon. Some traps may still be working, and small mundane scavengers have moved in, but there's no danger or gain to be found.
>an incomplete and abandoned wooden hut.
>a gully littered with bones of local wildlife.
A homely-looking cottage housing two friendly middle-aged sisters. They say that they supply herbal medicines to a local apothecary and offer to sell the party a love potion.
(If the party doesn't push any further, it will end there. The love potion doesn't work. But these two sisters are using the money they gain from these sales to fund a series of cruel experiments. There are two partially dissolved human corpses in their basement.)
>two nobles are about to have a duel. Their seconds would both rather they resolved their differences peacefully, and may ask the party to intervene or interrupt it.
>chicken tracks that would suggest a single bird about fifteen feet tall and several thousand pounds.
>several holes that look like holes left after removing stumps, and positioned almost like footprints.
>a map of the local area engraved on a huge stone slab that's set into the ground. May be inaccurate or terribly outdated.
In the distance, a series of deep, distant *THUMB* sounds can be heard. Dense
tree cover obscures the party's view. Over the next hour the sound moves
further and further away.
It begins to rain.
>>44190276
A large knight moves into the parties view and collapses on the ground. He is near dead but you can hear him whisper "run"
A teamster driving a cart laden with two heavy millstones, a delivery to a new mill close to the nearest town. It's very slow going.
An old woman living in a run-down shack. She has about two dozen cats living on the premises. If someone looks closely at one of her bookshelves, they will notice some very high level spellbooks.
A pair of wretched lepers, making their way to a shrine with a blessed spring.
A man in yellow with a red cape is on the beaten path. His bald head gleams with the sun and his red gloves seem to drip with danger. Behind him is a small mercenary band the party recognizes. as an allie.
wat do
A tree falls and pins a party member. As the rest of the party try to extricate their comrade, they are surrounded by natives.
An ugly troll (or other common, unrefined creature) asks the party to help him woo his beloved gro'ag-nak, the fairest troll in all the lands. She is, of course, not easily swayed.
>upon receiving some renown from a recently completed quest, a lone swordsmans approaches the most melee-oriented member of your party and challenges him/her to a (friendly?) duel
>the swordsman could be a reasonable challenge, or it could be a fool to be dealt with as you see fit
A group of knights escorting a wheeled cage down the path in the opposite direction. Many of them are wounded and they are carrying a few corpses back in one of their carts. Inside the cage is a short woman. She is blindfolded and gagged.
An abandoned campsite. Most of the useful materials have been taken away, but there are still embers in the campfire and there are still some active protective wards.
>>44199090
>Maybe you find a bunch of dungeons have already been cleaned out by these guys before you got there
>No signs of evil or ill intent to be found in the dungeons
>The group has mistakenly (or purposely) been clearing out the camps of peaceful wanderers under the assumption they were villains
>An unusual and unnatural shadow forms from seamingly nowhere infront of the players.
Could be an illusion caused by bored pixie, could be a magical guard to lure people away from a part of the forest; could be the magical remenants of an eldritch society.
>Trees rotten yellow found near a barren and melted glassland; the central point still glowing a pale sickly colour.
Could be signs of a plague cult, could be the "birthmark" of a demonic entity, could be wizard testing grounds; could curse all players that stray too close to turn to werewolves.
>A herd of deer with unusual horns start circling the group before leaving.
Could be evil deer, could be a random herd acting funny; could be illusiinary beasts.
A young woman, her clothing torn runs out of the bushes imploring you to protect her!
>>44204773
Oh, I like that twist!
The party has taken to hunting for food. They come across a group of deer. One of them is larger than the others and has a shiny golden coat.
Shit, I love this sort of thing.
>You find a humanoid figure that seems to be sleeping under a tree. However, he's covered in vines and overgrowth.
>You find a crude sign saying "Keep Out! Goblin Own 'Ere" followed by some rather obscene yet effective diagrams.
>You meet a weary Elf who was separated from her party during an attack. She asks if you can find it in your heart to give her safe passage back to her village.
A villager trapped in a circle surrounded by paper wards. She claims she was put there by a local witch and that she will die if she steps outside the circle or if the wards are destroyed. Any party member familiar with such things will recognize that these wards are completely fake, but will have a difficult time convincing the woman of this.
---
A group of hunters on the trail of a cougar the size of a warhorse. It has killed some local livestock and frightened villagers, but by all accounts it gets timid around humans and hasn't hurt any people yet.
---
You see a terrified-looking man huddled on a small ledge in the middle of a sheer cliff. It's not obvious how he managed to get up there, but it's clear has has no idea how to get down.
---
The party comes across a set of tracks leading off the road. If followed, these lead to the camp of a group of soldiers. In the center of the camp are two badly beaten men tied to poles.
---
The party is traveling through a mountain pass above the snowline. While trudging through the snow, they bump into a body buried under the snow. Further investigation reveals three other bodies. It appears that a overhanging serac collapsed and killed them.
You look further down the path. You can see several identical seracs lining either side.
The party is navigating a dense forest. You've long since left the common paths and progress can only be made by hacking through the dense underbrush. Eventually they come across a man casually sitting on a tree trunk. He asks for a toll for safe passage through the forest. They refuse and continue on their way. Three hours later, they come across the same man sitting on an identical-looking tree truck. He asks for a toll a second time.
If the woods have roads or trails or something...
>Adventurers find a couple building an inn for travelers
>They seem incapable of communication beyond a few simple phrases, and their voices are guttural and strange
>Close inspection reveals extensive bruising around their necks, arms, and other places
>They're actually wendigos, body snatchers, who came up with a plot to get more bodies for their wendigo buddies
Wendigos scare me deeply. I find it more engrossing from a narrative perspective if their true form is kept mysterious and unknowable.
The party is traveling down a narrow path with a wagon (maybe there's a muddy ditch on the side, maybe there's a cliff). The path is barely wide enough to fit their wagon and their wheels have had to be re-aligned periodically. Coming in the opposite direction is another group with their own wagon.
A wanted poster showing the face of a party member. No one is sure why yet.
>>44213377
Oh shit. No. Fuck no. No no no. No!
>another group of adventurers going on some quest of their own. Friendly and willing to share a campfire and night watches. Hopefully they didn't bring their dickass thief with them.
>if there's a war nearby: deserters from either (or both!) side. Generally want to avoid any conflict, but can be desperate.
>a local hunter butchering an elk. You may as well take some of the meat, or it'll just go to waste.
An aged ruined fence with two signs hanging from it, blocking off a large open field. The first has proper writing, reading "Caution: Bull", while the second looks more hand-drawn and reading, "Only enter if you can cross the field in 30 seconds. The Bull can do it in 29." Attempting to enter/cross the clearing will attract the bull to attack. It's a very mean bull and isn't fond of people entering it's field.
The Party comes across a travelling peddler, The peddler has a limited inventory and slightly higher prices if they choose to buy things from the peddler, If the PCs escort the peddler to his destination the peddler gives them 50gp Worth of supplies for their trouble and a 10% Discount on the rest of his wares
>>44190276
I'm liking all of these! Stealing as many as possible for future games.
I'd volunteer some of my own, but I've yet to read the whole thread.
>Oracular snails, will tell fortunes for beer; they can't actually tell humans apart, though, so all the advice you receive is intended for someone else.
>God-touched madman gibbering about the bones of the earth and eyes of the sky, working occasional random miracles. Flash cult of Xd20 desperate peasants follow him, hoping for a beneficial miracle and trying to turn his ravings into a coherent theology; there's been one doctrinal schism already.
>A primitive hot-air balloon, piloted by an apprentice sky-wizard, has come down and become entangled in the tops of the trees. The wizard was attacked by some flying beast, and has no spells left; he will probably be grateful if you get him down.
>Herd of skeletal, fire-blackened deer. Unpredictable, numerous, and hot to the touch.
>Goblins or other appropriate hapless-minion race, surprisingly well-armored and riding small, ill-tempered donkeys confront party and demand tolls to pass through "the royal forest", aping customs of the local knighthood.
>Lair of mad mycologist; wild variety of drug-shrooms grow to waist-height in a small cave charged with druidic magics. Unless the party is very deferential and acts appropriately awed by his genius when he starts ranting, the mycologist will attack them with spore-bombs; never the same effects twice.
>+1 magic weapon sticks out of the rock where time and water have worn a deep gouge; bulb-like grip quite obviously designed for non-humanoid hand-equivalents. Despite passage of truly immense amounts of time, still in as good condition as the day it was forged.
A large and intelligent hawk or eagle lands in the center of camp. It doesn't appear to speak, but it clearly wants something and will hassle and accost party members to get it
Deep in the wilderness the party encounters a large gathering of bandits and other outlaws and roguish types from the region, holding a mass and festival in the name of Cithtir the Subtle, patron of criminals.
A fat orc in fancy clothing and a stupid hat on a horse, accompanied by timid porters that he loudly abuses and a large number of heavily armored orcish cavalrymen. He he is heard to say very rude things about the party as they pass.
Some friendly pilgrims on the rode walk alongside the party for a ways. They're mostly painfully mundane, but one of them is rather clearly cursed or possessed by something, and is intent to seek the removal of this evil at their destination.
A paladin from a fabled but reclusive order of knightly priests. He is willing to speak to the party, but is paranoid and on-edge, giving vague warnings and commands and refusing to reveal his purpose. He seems to be hunting something, and to believe some third force is pursuing him.
the arguing ghosts of two bearded clerics, still sitting on a log by the roadside.
>>44217958
>Oracular snails, will tell fortunes for beer; they can't actually tell humans apart, though, so all the advice you receive is intended for someone else.
My nigger and fellow fan of Digger
bempo
- A traveling circus stopped in town boasts a dwarven strongman who claims to be unbeatable in unarmed combat
-The party chances upon an elderly pair illegally growing dope in the forest, locked in an escalating feud with rival dope farmers nearby
-The forest is overrun by massive hogs who are disrupting the ecosystem and molesting local farmers
-A lord asks you to clear goblins out of a mine on his property. The party discovers that the goblins are in the lord's employ, and that they were hired so that the lord would not have to pay the goblins
-In an abandoned campsite, they find a nondescript ring that when put on transforms the wearer into a deranged, blue hulk. Maybe the ring was planted by the BBEG?
>>44219172
definitely using that fancy fat orc setup
>A ragtag group of bandits menacingly approach the party, only instead of demanding tolls, they attack immediately, stating how they "never should have come here". When weak, they beg for mercy only to attack seconds later, and they don't seem to respond to communications, appearing disturbingly stilted and mechanical in manner.
a large circular meadow is ringed by obelisks covered in dwarven runes, in the center stands the largest obelisk that is covered from the peak to beneath the ground with the dwarven rune for 'No"
crashed very near the central obelisk is a sailing ship, though there is no large bodies of water for many miles in any direction. the ship is revealed to originate from the elemental plane of air and with proper repair and enchanting can be made to fly again.
The only hitch is the obelisks all produce a powerful anti magic field
A well trodden path leads to a narrow gorge in the mountainside, and then to a narrow stony valley. Littered here are the bones of generations of elephants, suddenly a stringed instrument starts to play, and the skeletons of elephants start to rise up!
-A gauntlet of lethal traps and ambushes set by a lone wounded orc whose raiding party abandoned him.
-Two high-ranking clergymen of rival gods attempting to pass each other on a narrow path above the marshes. Neither will back down for the other, and their retainers are getting itchy sword hands.
-A young half-elf hiding halfway up a tree by the roadside, with several zombies clawing at the base. A novice necromancer, his attempt at raising some minions backfired when he forgot the part of the ritual that stipulates their obedience to the summoner. Trapped up the tree for two days now, he's very embarrassed and just wants to forget the whole thing.
-Several small clusters of saplings, wrapped around each other to form the vague shapes of men and women. They all look like they're fleeing from the same direction.
>>44222776
>molesting local farmers
I really hope you mean molesting local FARMS, not actual farmers...
To contribute:
- An oddly neat clearing amongst the tall trees sits nothing but grass for a 30m radius, in the middle standing upright is some sort of pedestal. Gently floating inches above this pedestal is a mechanical, shining, sphere which seems to lure and attract nearby sentient creatures. Closer inspection reveals discarded weapons, clothes, armor, keepsakes, camping tools, long worn sitting in the sun and rain, at the foot of the pedestal. Once you approach, the sphere releases an overwhelming sound not unlike a large bell. In the distance, you hear a loud roar, getting closer, and fast...
>>44227244
That's less of a random encounter and more of a hook for an entire adventure!
Also, I know you're referencing SOMETHING, but I can't think what...
>>44228029
Not him, but with enough mojo you can build a whole adventure out of a random encounter
Pic from another thread to keep contributing, should be Traveller.
>>44198580
fuck, 10/10 will use
The party encounter a mustached monkey on a rock holding a book. If they talk to him or try to touch him, he moves out of their reach and tells them he's trying to read.
The party finds a copper sword in the ground. A gnome runs up to them, doffing his cap and huffing and puffing and promising all sorts of sums of gold in exchange for the slightly bent sword. The point is to try and convince the players it's important even when it's actually just a horrible sword, and force them to weigh the rewards the gnome is offering with their own desires.
The party comes across a quiet border outpost, with a single wooden tower and palisade with a dozing guard. He wakes up as they approach, and if they share some food or water with him, he gives a helpful warning about some dangers up ahead.
A female elf runs up to the nearest male member of the party and jumps on him, loudly calling him her lover - and calling on him to defend her as a pair of angry looking male elves come around the corner with blades drawn.
A wizard in gaudy blue and purple robes with yellow edging offers to teach them a spell if they tell him which of the two hats he has would look best on him - an orange one with a peacock feather, or a wide-brimmed red hat with a blue jewel in its off-white band. Either choice gets them a spell, and his outfit changes to match the hat once he puts it on.
>>44200185
A sea of rats running down the road, followed by a rat about the size of a dog. That dog sized rat asks directions to the nearest village. The rat is actually a common merchant and exterminator of pests travelling about the land, but the party shouldn't know that.
Drunken paladins start calling you evil and drunkenly start smiting everything around them.
Naked wizard chases his now sentient robes. The robes ask you to help it escape.
Five female dwarves run the party over/almost over with a wagon, apologize and continue. Then another wagon filled with five male dwarves come after that and ask directions for the women. The male dwarves are visibly angry and have whips in hand.
>>44228029
Sorry anon, I thought the encounter up all on my own, so barring some subconcious memory of something I can't recall filtering through into my thoughts, this is mine and I made it.
Very skeptical it could be a hook for entire adventure, though the encounter itself is a lot more detailed than what I posted. I just stripped it to it's bare minimum to fit the thread theme better.
>>44228396
>elf jumps on me
>I already drew my dagger when I saw this crazy chick running at full sprint towards me
>Dagger slips neatly into her chest with the momentum of her jump
Can't be too careful with DM's who try to thrust context on players, these days. Oh, and crazy elf chicks. Beware the crazy elf chicks.
To contribute:
-The day is dimming, and sure enough, the party scout finds an excellent camping spot that happens to be set out right next to a towering statue of rippling chunk of a man perhaps 7ft tall, wielding a great mace, clad in thick leathers and mouth open, as if in defiant scream. If you have any history/knowledge checks, you might recall that this is an anonymous monument to a very old warlord named Nerath, who made it his quest to conquer criminal factions through the land and turn them into a menacing force of his own will, only to die in battle when honour-bound companies closed in on his operation. It is said he died in this very spot, and nobody knows who made the statue with such an striking likeness.
As the party lay down to sleep, the eyes of Nerath begin to glow a faint blue. A subtle chip of stone can be heard cracking. He's beginning to move...
A slightly overgrown and disused road leading to a small mansion. Stripped of most valuables and furnishings, but not otherwise damaged beyond a few years' usual wear.
A small party of pilgrims, transporting a holy relic of minor significance.
A traveller's corpse. In addition to usual supplies, has a single magical item - cursed and most likely the cause of death.
A tiny cave with some wild animal cubs inside, but no adults.
shameless bump
- A trail of candies, high quality and not from the local region. It doesn't lead anywhere, and doesn't end.
- A single, brightly colored tree. Anything in proximity slowly loses all color that doesn't match the tree.
- A curious stone formation in the shape of a very, very large hand or face. Large enough that the rest of the body would be the size of local towns and cities.
- Two trees that have grown together. If you look through from the east the forest you see theough the tree is new spring blooms, from the west it is turning fall.
- A mangled young dragon body strikes the ground at high speed. It lays, unmoving, not 10 feet from your party. When you look up, another dragon high in the sky is flying away. Clearly the result of chromatic conflicts in the dragon world.
-A group of large trolls/ogres/manbeasts cooking up an equally large stew. They're simple-minded but happily willing to share with the party so long as they don't immediately attack. It's up to the GM to decide whether or not the meat is human or animal.
>a lone man riding a merchant's wagon
>the man is an illusion and the actual merchant is the talking wagon
Faerie fire leading the party away from the path and into some kind of difficult and dangerous terrain - quicksand etc.
A roughly hewn, bloodstained gravestone. The inscription says they sheltered a friendless stranger, and met their death. It also says they will be avenged.
A grunt that worked for the BBEG has deserted and begs the party for supplies, perhaps in exchange for information.
You notice a figure standing in the waters of the sacred pool. He is urinating in it.
