"Atop an exposed hilltop you see moss-covered stones of an old cairn beside other ancient stones. A large humanoid is knelt over the stones, working on them with care and attention"
Random tables for Dungeons and Dragons ruins encounters with tables for Ruins Encounters (levels 1-4, 5-10 and 11+), Beasts, Humanoids, Ruins Guardians and Undead
Ruins Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | complications
[Photo by Raph Howald on Unsplash]
Ruins Levels 1-4
| 1d8+1d12 | Ruins Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 night hag or 1 faerie dragon (any color) |
| 3 | 1 lamia or roll on Ruins Non-Combat Creature Encounters |
| 4 | 1 vine blight and 1d6+2 twig blights or roll on Plants and Fungi |
| 5 | 2d6 crawling claws or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1 ochre jelly or roll on Scavengers and Oozes |
| 7 | 1d6+1 goblins led by 1 bugbear or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d3 mimics or roll on Guardian Creatures lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 1 priest and 1d4 acolytes or roll on Ruins Humanoids |
| 10 | 1 ettercap and 1d3 giant spiders or roll on Ruins Monsters lv 1-4 |
| 11 | 2d4 giant centipedes or roll on Ruins Beasts |
| 12 | 2d6 kobolds with 1 swarm of bats or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 13 | 1 cult fanatic with 2d4 cultists or roll on Cultist Encounters |
| 14 | 1d4 specters or roll on Restless Spirits |
| 15 | 2d6 giant fire beetles or roll on Ruins Beasts |
| 16 | 1d4+1 orcs led by 1 orog or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 17 | 1 minotaur or roll on Giant Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 18 | 1d3 gargoyles or roll on Elemental Protectors |
| 19 | 1 shadow demon or roll on Fiend Encounters |
| 20 | 1 flesh golem or 1 Couatl |
Ruins Encounters
Ruins can be found anywhere in a fantasy world. A ghost town of inhabited by spirits from recent plagues, an ancient tower used in ancient experiments or the collapsed remains of a water mill built by dwarves . Encounters occur in the shadow of half-standing walls and vine-covered buildings, against scavengers, outcasts, cultists and any other creature that might call the ruins home.
There is a 5e ruins random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Ruins Encounters.
Unusual terrains - feywild | shadowfell | lower planes | elemental | jungle | roads | ruins | sea
Ruins Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Ruins Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 young black dragon or 1 alkilith (MToF) |
| 3 | 1 drow mage and 1d2 drow elite warriors or 1 mind flayer arcanist |
| 4 | 1 fomorian or 1 warlock of the fiend (VGtM) with 3d6 cultists |
| 5 | 1 oni with 1d4 ogres or 1 drow priestess of Lolth with 1d6 drow |
| 6 | 1d4 trolls or roll on Giant Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 7 | 2d6 ghouls and 1d4 ghasts or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1d6+2 hobgoblins with 1d6 bugbears and 1d6 goblins led by 1 hobgoblin captain or roll on Goblinoids lvl 5-10 |
| 9 | 1d3 stone giants or roll on Giant Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 10 | 1 wraith with 2d4 specters or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 11 | Roll on Ruins Encounters lvl 1-4 or 1 stone golem |
| 12 | 1 drider and 2d4 giant spiders or roll on Ruins Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 13 | 1 clay golem or roll on Guardian Creatures lvl 5-10 |
| 14 | 1 grick alpha with 1d8 gricks or roll on Ruins Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 15 | 1d3 orc eyes of Gruumsh with 2d4 orcs and 1d3 ogres or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 16 | 1 gray slaad or roll on Ruins Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 17 | 1d2 mind flayers with 1d6 quaggoths or 1 warlock of the Great Old One (VGtM) with 1d4 nothics |
| 18 | 1 mage with 1d3 veterans or 1 blackguard (VGtM) and 1d4 wights |
| 19 | 1d2 assassins or 1 abjurer (VGtM) with 1d3 archers (VGtM) |
| 20 | 1 behir or 1 efreeti |
Ruins Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Ruins Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 planetar or 1 empyrean |
| 3 | 2 young black dragons |
| 4 | 1 rakshasa or 1 vampire spellcaster |
| 5 | 1 adult black dragon or 1 ki-rin (VGtM) |
| 6 | 1 archmage with 1 shield guardian or 1 nagpa (MToF) |
| 7 | 1 iron golem or 1d6 stone giants led by 1 stone giant dreamwalker (VGtM) |
| 8 | 1d3 mind flayers with 2d6 ogres |
| 9 | 1d3 stone golems or 1d2 drow shadowblades (MToF) |
| 10 | 1 beholder |
| 11 | Roll on Ruins Encounters lvl 5-10 or 1 eidolon (MToF) |
| 12 | 1d4 clay golems or 1 drow arachnomancer with 1d3 driders |
| 13 | 1d4+2 stone giants or 1d3+1 nycaloths |
| 14 | 1 death tyrant or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 11+ |
| 15 | 1d2 gynosphinxes or 1d2 arcanaloths |
| 16 | 1 mummy lord or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 11+ |
| 17 | 1 androsphinx or 1 ultroloth |
| 18 | 1 death knight or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 11+ |
| 19 | 1 dao and 1d4 earth elementals |
| 20 | 1 lich or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 11+ |
Beast Encounters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Beast Encounters (levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d4 riding horsess |
| 3 | 1d4+1 apes or 1d3 black guard drakes (VGtM) |
| 4 | 1d3 swarms of poisonous snakes or 1d4 giant vultures |
| 5 | 1d6 giant bats or 1 swarm of spiders and 1d2 giant spiders |
| 6 | 1d4+1 giant wasps or 1d3 guard drakes (VGtM) |
| 7 | 2d4 giant wolf spiders or 2d4 giant badgers |
| 8 | 2d4 giant lizards or 1 swarms of centipedes and 1d4 giant centipedes |
| 9 | 1d4 swarms of insects or 1d6 mules |
| 10 | 1d4 giant spiders |
| 11 | 2d4 giant centipedes |
| 12 | 2d6 giant rats or 1d3 swarms of beetles |
| 13 | 2d6 giant fire beetles |
| 14 | 2d4 swarms of rats or 2d6 vultures |
| 15 | 1d4 death dogs or 1d4 swarms of ravens |
| 16 | 1d6 swarms of bats or 2d4 giant weasels |
| 17 | 2d6 stirges or roll on Scavengers and Oozes |
| 18 | 1d2 giant constrictor snakes or 1 swarm of wasps and 1d2 giant wasps |
| 19 | 1d2 giant scorpions or 1d4 giant owls |
| 20 | 1d2 saddled warhorses or 1 swarm of cranium rats (VGtM) |
Humanoid Encounters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Ruins Humanoids (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 cambion |
| 4 | 1 druid with... (roll on Ruins Beasts) |
| 5 | 1d4 yuan-ti purebloods or 2d4 winged kobolds |
| 6 | 1d3 hobgoblins mounted on worgs or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 7 | 1d2 spies or 1d4 half-ogres |
| 8 | 1d4 bugbears or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 1 cult fanatic with 2d4 cultists or roll on Cultist Encounters |
| 10 | 2d4 goblins led by 1 goblin boss or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 1d6 bandits led by 1 bandit captain or 1 bard (VGtM) |
| 12 | 1d3 wererats or 1d6 scouts |
| 13 | 2d6 kobolds with 1d2 giant weasels or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 14 | 1d4+1 orcs or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 15 | 1d2 doppelgangers or 1d3 ogres |
| 16 | 1 priest and 1d4 acolytes or 1 xvart warlock of Raxivort (VGtM) and 2d4 xvarts (VGtM) |
| 17 | 1d4 drow and 1d2 giant spiders or 1 darkling elder (VGtM)and 1d3 darklings (VGtM) |
| 18 | 1d4+1 jackalweres or 1d2 veterans |
| 19 | 1d2 werewolves or 1d4 gnolls and 1 gnoll pack lord |
| 20 | 1 half-red dragon veteran or 1 drow elite warrior |
Ruins Guardians (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Ruins Guardians (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 spectator or 1 iron cobra (MToF) |
| 3 | 1 flame skull or roll on Undead Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 4 | 2d4 flying swords or 1d4 bronze scouts (MToF) |
| 5 | 1 rug of smothering or 1d4 scarecrows |
| 6 | 1d3 gargoyles or roll on Elemental Protectors |
| 7 | 1d3 mimics or 1d3 guard drakes (VGtM) |
| 8 | 1 helmed horror or 1d4 stone cursed (MToF) |
| 9 | 1 ghost or roll on Restless Spirits |
| 10 | 1d2 manticores or 1d3 shadow mastiffs (VGtM) |
Ruins Guardians (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Ruins Guardians (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 efreeti or djinni |
| 3 | 1d4 flesh golems or 1 deva |
| 4 | 1 wraith with 2d4 specters or roll on Undead lvl 5-10 |
| 5 | 1 spirit naga or 2d6 gargoyles |
| 6 | 1 clay golem or 1d4+1 helmed horrors |
| 7 | 1d3 galeb duhr or 1 nycaloth |
| 8 | 1 stone golem or 1d3 oaken bolters (MToF) with 1d2 stone defenders (MToF) |
| 9 | 1 guardian naga or 1d2 canoloths (MToF) |
| 10 | 1d4 earth elementals or dao |
Undead Encounters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Undead Encounters (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 mummies or 1d2 deathlock wights (MToF) |
| 3 | 1d3 ogre zombies or 2d6 of the wretched (MToF) |
| 4 | 3d4 zombies or 1d2 minotaur skeletons |
| 5 | 2d6 crawling claws or 1d2 ghasts |
| 6 | 1d4+1 ghouls |
| 7 | 1d2 wights or 1d3 skeletons mounted on warhorse skeletons |
| 8 | 2d6 skeletons or 1 deathlock (MToF) |
| 9 | 1 flameskull or roll on Restless Spirits |
| 10 | 1 vampire spawn or 1 beholder zombie |
Undead Encounters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Undead Encounters (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 beholder zombie and 1d6 ogre zombies |
| 3 | 2d4 wights or 1 corpse flower (MToF) with 1d8+1 zombies |
| 4 | 1d4+1 mummies with 2d4 specters or 1 banshee with 2d6 shadows |
| 5 | 1d4+1 ghosts or 1d4 allips (MToF) |
| 6 | 2d6 ghouls led by 1d4 ghasts or 1 necromancer (VGtM) with... (roll on Undead Encounters lvl 1-4) |
| 7 | 1d3+1 wights with 3d6 zombies or 1 deathlock mastermind (MToF) |
| 8 | 1d2 flameskulls with 2d6 skeletons or 1d3 bodaks (VGtM) |
| 9 | 1 wraith with 2d4 specters or 1 maurezhi (MToF) with 1d8+1 ghouls |
| 10 | 1d4 vampire spawn or 1d4 revenants |
Undead Encounters (Levels 11+)
| 1d4+1d6 | Undead Encounters (Levels 11+) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 lich or 1 mind flayer lich (VGtM, variant) |
| 3 | 1 vampire with 1d4 vampire spawn or 1 devourer (VGtM) |
| 4 | 1 death tyrant |
| 5 | 1 vampire or 1d2 sword wraith commanders (MToF) with 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 6 | 1d4 wraiths with 2d4 wights or 1 eidolon (MToF) |
| 7 | 1 mummy lord or 1 boneclaw (MToF) |
| 8 | 1 vampire spellcaster or 1 skull lord (MToF) with 1d6 wights |
| 9 | 1 death knight or 1 vampire warrior |
| 10 | 1 demilich or adult blue dracolich |
More Encounters
There is a 5e ruins random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Ruins Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
