Among the bones of fallen warriors and rusted weapons you see a dark figures stood around a prominent tombstone. What appears to be a wreath of flowers is stained by and putrid black liquid being poured from a flask...
From a roll of 14 on "Sites of the Dead" table below
Horror Tables & Tools - encounters | one-shots | dark fantasy guide
D&D Horror Encounters
D&D is it's own brand of fantasy, and but horror elements can be seen in Ravenloft and many creatures taken from myth and folklore.
The encounter tables here focus on lower levels (1-4) as this is where it's easiest to bring in elements of mystery and fear.
Haunted House - this might be a mansions, ruined temple or abandoned fortresses.
Sites of the Dead - Graveyards, battlefields, tombs, catacombs, memorial gardens.
Dark Cults - The cults can be combined with other tables such as base in a mansion or the woods.
Gloomy Woods - Places of eternal twilight, wolf howls, malevolent fey and dangerous strangers.
Lonely Road - Along this road lies ruined inns, unfriendly villages, families of nomadic travelers and refugees from disaster.
A pdf of these tables and more is at the DM's Guild as Spooky Encounter Tables, including mid-level (5-10) tables and others expanding each of the 5 themes here.
Haunted House (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Haunted House |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 Vampire Spawn |
| 3 | 1 Ghost |
| 4 | 1d2 Ogres (chopping up bodies) |
| 5 | 1d3 Animated Armors |
| 6 | 1d4 Ghouls |
| 7 | 1d3 Gargoyles |
| 8 | 1 Berserker (with a wild look in their eyes) |
| 9 | 1d3 Mimics (disguised as furniture) |
| 10 | 2d6 Giant Rats |
| 11 | 1 Doppelganger (dressed as a butler) |
| 12 | 2d4 Bandits led by 1 Bandit Captain (taking refuge here) |
| 13 | 1 Rug of Smothering |
| 14 | 1 Poltergeist |
| 15 | 2d4 Flying Swords |
| 16 | 2d4 Goblins (using a warren of secret passages) |
| 17 | 1d3 Imps |
| 18 | 1d3 Ghasts |
| 19 | 1 Helmed Horror |
| 20 | 1 Flesh Golem |
Sites of the Dead (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Sites of the Dead |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 Wraith (they regard themselves as the owner of the area and give intruders a chance to leave) |
| 3 | 1 Priest with 1d4+1 Skeletons (the priest has animate dead prepared instead of dispel magic) |
| 4 | 1d4 Giant Vultures |
| 5 | 1 Werewolf (appears as a priest or caretaker) |
| 6 | 2d4 Skeletons |
| 7 | 1 Priest and 1d4 Acolytes (they are performing a funeral) |
| 8 | 1 Ghost |
| 9 | 1 Priest and 1d4 mourners |
| 10 | 1d4+1 Swarms of Ravens |
| 11 | 1d4+1 Thugs (robbing graves for bodies or burial goods) |
| 12 | 2d4 Commoners with 1d4 Mastiffs (mourning lost relatives) |
| 13 | 1d4 Ghouls (they have just dug up a recently buried coffin or body) |
| 14 | 1 Cult Fanatic and 1d4+1 Cultists or roll on Cultists (performing a dark ritual) |
| 15 | 2d4 Zombies (only been dead for a week or two) |
| 16 | 1 Veteran and 1d3 Guards (claim to be vampire hunters) |
| 17 | 1d3 Wights |
| 18 | 1d2 Mimics (disguised as tombstones) |
| 19 | 1 Bone Naga |
| 20 | 1 Revenant |
Evil Cults (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Evil Cults Levels |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 Half-ogres with 1d4 Cultists and 1d2 Acolytes |
| 3 | 1d4 Acolytes with 1 Priest and 2d4 Zombies |
| 4 | 1d2 Cult Fanatics with 1d6 Tribal Warriors |
| 5 | 1d4 Cultist with... 1d2 Grells |
| 6 | 1 Cult Fanatic with 1d4 Skeletons in hooded robes |
| 7 | 1d4 Bandits with 1d4 Kuo-toa and 1 Giant Frog |
| 8 | 1d4 Cultists and 1d4 Kenku |
| 9 | 1d3 Spies and 2d4 Commoners |
| 10 | 2d4 Bandits with 1 Priest and 1d4 Commoners |
| 11 | 1 Cult Fanatic with 2d4 Cultists |
| 12 | 2d4 Acolytes with.... 1 Spy |
| 13 | 1d2 Cult Fanatics with 2d6 Commoners |
| 14 | 1d4+1 Acolytes with... 1d3 Intellect Devourers |
| 15 | 1d2 Thugs and 2d4 Cultists |
| 16 | 2d4 Guards and 1d4 Acolytes |
| 17 | 1d2 Yuan-ti Purebloods with 1d4+1 Commoners each carrying a Giant Poisonous Snake |
| 18 | 1d6 Bandits and 1d4 Kenku led by 1 Scout |
| 19 | 1d6 Cultists with... 1 Succubu / Incubus |
| 20 | 1 Bandit Captain with 2d4 Cultists and 1 Slaad Tadpole |
Gloomy Woods (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Gloomy Woods |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 Shambling Mound |
| 3 | 1d2 Werewolves |
| 4 | 1 Banshee |
| 5 | 1d2 Druids with 1 Giant Goat (preparing to sacrifice the goat) |
| 6 | 1 Ettercap and 1d3 Giant Spiders |
| 7 | 1d3 Gricks |
| 8 | 1d6 Goblins on Wolves |
| 9 | 2d4 Twig Blights and 1 Vine Blight |
| 10 | 1d2 Owlbears |
| 11 | 1d2 Phase Spiders |
| 12 | 2d4 Giant Bats |
| 13 | 1d2 Satyrs and 1d3 Dire Wolves (on a hunt) |
| 14 | 1d4+1 Giant Spiders |
| 15 | 1d4+1 Worgs |
| 16 | 1d3 Will-o'-wisps |
| 17 | 1 Werebear (carrying a very large bloodied axe) |
| 18 | 1d3 Harpies |
| 19 | 1d3 Apes |
| 20 | 1d2 Yetis (snow is falling) |
Lonely Road (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Lonely Road |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 Nightmares or 1d3 Perytons |
| 3 | A coach pulled by 1d3+1 Warhorse Skeletons with 1d3 Ghouls on board |
| 4 | 1 Shadow Demon (it haunts a crossroads or other meeting place) |
| 5 | 2d4 Tribal Warriors led by 1 Cult Fanatic (the leader is an oracle seeking ways avert their visions of doom) |
| 6 | 2d6+12 Commoners led by 1d3 Thugs (they have formed into an angry mob) |
| 7 | 1 Green Hag (they are telling fortunes on the roadside) |
| 8 | 1d3 Scarecrows mounted on Skeletal Horses |
| 9 | 1 Knight with 1 Guard squire (they are trying desperately to get to shelter before nightfall) |
| 10 | Funeral procession of 1 Priest, 1d4 Acolytes and 2d4 Commoners |
| 11 | 2d4 Guards led by 1 Scout (they have a horse with 1d3 dead companions and are afraid something is following them) |
| 12 | 1d4+1 Scouts (they are witch hunters) |
| 13 | 2d4 Tribal Warriors and 1 Druid (they are drumming and performing a tribal dance) |
| 14 | 1d3 Swarms of Insects |
| 15 | 1 Will-'o-Wisp and 1d3 Bullywugs |
| 16 | 1 Wight mounted on a Warhorse (the wight is headless but has normal stats) |
| 17 | 1d4 Dire Wolves |
| 18 | 2d4 Giant Goats (they stare at those who pass by, one of them is possessed by a spirit) |
| 19 | 1d6 Bandits and 1d4 Kenku led by 1 Scout or roll on Cultists |
| 20 | 1 Troll (it guards a bridge or other crossing place and demands tribute in souls or blood) |
More Encounters
A pdf of these tables and more is at the DM's Guild as Spooky Encounter Tables, including mid-level (5-10) tables and others expanding each of the 5 themes here.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.