Enhanced Encounter Tables [Updated]

Encounters for all types of D&D and ways to enhance them.

They mirror the encounter generator over at ChaosGen.com.

Terrain Encounter Tables

Below is a table for the activity or state of creatures in an encounter.

And then encounters for low, mid and high level by terrain. Most also have a location table...

These are enhanced by tables for Encounter Complications and a Reason to be There.

Encounter tables for all the terrains are in pdf format on DM's Guild in the the Terrain Encounter Bundle.

Tables of 1d8+1d12 or 2d10

The tables presented here are generated using 1d8+1d12, a table described in the Dungeons and Dragons 5E Dungeon Master's Guide (page 86). It gives you five most common values (8-12) and rarer results higher and lower in the table.

You could equally use 2d10 for a range of 2-20 which makes "11" the most common result.

Use these tables as is, as a base for your own tables or just for inspiration.

Encounter Activity or State

This table is used in the 5E Random Encounters generator at ChaosGen.com.

Use it to see what state a random encounter or planned encounter are in.

1d8+1d12	The creatures encountered are...
2	investigating a dead body
3	panicked
4	having fun
5	following a trail
6	waiting for something or someone
7	eating
8	chasing or being chased by something
9	relaxing
10	stalking or being stalked by something
11	foraging for food, plants or herbs
12	searching the area
13	resting
14	wounded
15	making a lot of noise
16	fatigued
17	cleaning or washing themselves
18	waiting in ambush or hiding
19	fleeing something nearby
20	investigating a cave entrance

What Do You Think?

Are you a fan of random tables? What other tables would you like to see?

Leave a comment here or find me on twitter @duncanthom

Enhanced PDF versions of all of these are available on DM's Guild with tables for locations, beasts, humanoids, hazards and other extras.