Coastal Locations for D&D 5e Encounters

"At the mouth of a foul-smelling estuary stands an eroded watchtower. At low tide ruins and wrecks are visible in the waters. "

Tables for Wilderness, Semi-Civilised and Unusual Coastal locations. Result is from Coastal Unusual Locations.

[Photo by Luke Smyth on Unsplash]

Coastal Encounter Locations

Coastal terrain is the meeting of land and sea, windswept beaches, high cliffs, rocky ledges and sheltered coves. Salt breezes encounter seaweed-filled rock pools, sand dunes, sea stacks and steep paths.

There is a 5e Coastal random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And a separate tool for encounter locations including Coastal.

There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Coastal Encounters.

Coastal Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | enhancements

Coastal Wilderness Locations

d8+d12	Coastal Wilderness Locations
2	An impressive sea stack surrounded by moving seaweed (nearby is a shrine to a power of the moon)
3	A muddy beach with a spring (there is a rotting whale corpse)
4	A sea stack near a large palm tree. (a fog is forming)
5	An sea cave entrance overgrown with bright seaweed (there is a battered coracle)
6	An area of dry seaweed with a pile of colored pebbles (heavy rain is falling)
7	A pile of large rocks on a pebble beach (there is a briny smell covering the area)
8	An area of tidal pools covered in seashells (nearby is a sea cave entrance)
9	Several large rocks in an area of deep mud (close by is a patch of spiky seaweed)
10	An area of shifting sand dunes (there is a strong wind from the south-east)
11	A sandstone cliff with a few tidal cave entrances (there is a makeshift tent)
12	An island of trees off a beach of wet sand (there is a battered rowboat)
13	A beach of fish-filled rock pools (close to an area of mud flats)
14	A rocky beach with a unstable limestone cliff (there is a gorgeous view)
15	A few cave entrances by a sea stack (a storm is approaching)
16	A beach with patches of edible seaweed and a deep sinkhole (nearby is a tall waterfall)
17	A pile of dead seaweed by a muddy hole (there is a large mass of ants approaching)
18	An impressive sea stack beside jagged cliffs (the area is associated with a family of griffons)
19	A pebble beach in a half-circle cove (nearby is a patch of pinkish berries)
20	A formation of low dunes studded with large seashells (nearby is a hidden cave entrance)

Coastal Semi-Civilised Locations

1d8+1d12	Coastal Semi-Civilised Locations
2	A circle of standing stones with a haunted grave (there are the bones of a cyclops)
3	A half-built jetty beside a sheltered mansion (tales associated it with a dangerous mage)
4	A large quarry and a sheltered statue (close to a ferry over a flooded river)
5	A shrine to a power of death on a beach of sharp pebbles (someone is shouting for help nearby)
6	A wooden hut half-buried in sand (there are goblinoid tracks that look recent)
7	A patch of green flowers by a sand bank boats (nearby is a narrow cave entrance)
8	A large metal statue of a local ruler looking out to sea (there is an overturned fishing boat)
9	A fading campfire beside a wooden path leading up a steep slope . (nearby is a sea cave entrance)
10	A ruined citadel on a sandy beach (there is a sign warning of dangerous magic)
11	An jetty with several boats. There is a small beast pen (someone has left several buckets)
12	A long sandy beach with palm trees and a shipwreck (close by is an ancient line of statues)
13	A whitewashed lighthouse beside a beach covered in wrecks (there is a covered canoe)
14	A debris-strewn beach with a large hut on stilts (there is a brisk wind from the west)
15	A seaweed-covered beach with several stone walls (the smell of dead fish covers the area)
16	A ford through a fish-filled river and a line of rotting boats (a fog covers the area)
17	An intricate mosaic on a rock surrounded by fens (there is a rainbow)
18	There is a shipwreck on a sandbank off a rocky beach (nearby is a polluted waterfall)
19	A seaweed-covered rock near a shrine to a sea deity (there are the corpses of many gulls)
20	An unstable wooden (or rope) bridge across a powerful river (there is a placard offering a quest)

Coastal Unusual Locations

1d8+1d12	Coastal Unusual Locations
2	An ancient giant golem stands immobile beside a steep cliff. A festival is held here every 2 years. A washing line is tied to its legs.
3	A gigantic crab has an island on its back. It is home to lurid pulsating seaweed, peculiar objects and a humming mechanism.
4	Wyrm's Cascade. Majestic waters tumble from red cliffs. Locals say a dragon died here, its spirit a poltergeist that guards the area.
5	A permanent rainbow marks where a valley ends at a sheltered cove. Drifting around area is a floating monastery with many birds.
6	A mountain of purple stone stands in an expanse of mudflats. It is sacred to a power of strength and purple pebbles are scattered here.
7	An island surrounded by mist is defined by a single impressive tree. There is a half-built academy here and signs of an older ruin.
8	The Caged Peak. A volcano that belches smoke is watched over by sea druids. Carved obsidian tablets here are said to bind its spirit.
9	A fish-filled lagoon and nearby sea are home to crabs of all shapes and sizes. Someone has built a hut by a large shipwreck.
10	At the mouth of a foul-smelling estuary stands an eroded watchtower. At low tide ruins and wrecks are visible in the waters.
11	Steps lead up a rise to an ugly lighthouse. An ancient danger is said to be trapped in caves below. Strange moans are heard at high tide.
12	The Seahorse Door. An archway of stone juts out into the sea. Steps lead to a viewing platform above it and seahorses gather every dusk.
13	Steep dunes obscure a titanic skeleton. A family of blue dragons lair here at times and treasures hunters often seek riches in the sand.
14	A decorated monument stands at the base of a silvery waterfall. An ornate pier juts out to sea with several boats tied to it.
15	Jagged rocks are disguised by a mirage arcana of a sheltered cove. There is a recent shipwreck covered in fiendish motifs.
16	Ark of the Gambler. A barge adorned with shells flies many flags. Watched by a powerful hag, games of chance are played nightly.
17	A mansion overlooks a sheltered cove. Shrines to earth are found on nearby cliffs and beaches, with writing talking of tentacled things.
18	A waterwheel is worked by sea spirits. There is a dam across a river and mist gathers through the day before clearing at dusk.
19	A hamlet sits above a rocky beach, named after a hero who died here long ago. A rare seaweed grows in the numerous rockpools.
20	The Wandering Temple. An iceberg floats by the shore, sustained by a planar portal. A citadel here acts as a temple to a deity of travel.

More Encounters and Locations