Ruins Encounter Tables for DnD 5e

"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.

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