"There is a sea monster which is curious rather than hostile."
Tables for Terrain Details, Minor Treasures and Encounter Complications for Sea Encounters. Result is from Sea Encounter Complications.
Enhancements by terrain - feywild | road | sea | shadowfell
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Sea Encounter Enhancements
What makes this sea encounter different?
Maybe the crate of chickens floats in the water or a fishing boat is adrift. Maybe there is a wagon stacked with barrels or stepping stones over a stream. A creature might have a chest of fancy clothes or a feather that turns into a swan boat. There might be singing from below the waves or sahuagin lurking nearby.
There is a 5e random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Sea Encounters.
Sea Tables - creatures | ships | locations | non-combat | enchanements | generators
Sea Encounter Terrain Details
Terrain items to add to a sea encounter
| 1d8+1d12 | Sea Encounter Terrain Details |
|---|---|
| 2 | A patch of moving seaweed |
| 3 | A sandbank |
| 4 | A floating wooden statue of a deity |
| 5 | A crate with several chickens |
| 6 | A fishing boat |
| 7 | A floating marker with the distances to two cities |
| 8 | Many bits of driftwood |
| 9 | An abandoned raft |
| 10 | A floating marker warning of dangerous waters |
| 11 | Several barrels tied together |
| 12 | A large wooden table or a canoe |
| 13 | A mass of seaweed |
| 14 | A coracle |
| 15 | A piece of ship |
| 16 | A dead whale |
| 17 | A boat of bloated corpses |
| 18 | A floating platform attached to an anchor |
| 19 | A permanent major image of a small island |
| 20 | An abandoned keelboat |
Sea Encounter Minor Treasures
| 1d20 | Sea Encounter Minor Treasures |
|---|---|
| 2 | A spyglass |
| 3 | Bead of Force or Potion of Storm Giant Strength |
| 4 | A figurine of a silver dolphin with a rider. It floats in water. Worth 600 gp. |
| 5 | Potion of Flying or Dust of Dryness |
| 6 | A map with several islands marked on, alongside cryptic notes about buried treasure, guardians and sea monsters. |
| 7 | Quaal's Feather Token - Fan or Potion of Gaseous Form |
| 8 | An anchor of bronze in perfect condition. It is decorated with images of sea creatures and dwarven runes. Worth 150 gp |
| 9 | Scroll of Protection - Elementals or Beasts |
| 10 | Artisan's tools (navigator's tools or cartographer's tools) or cast off armor (XGtE) |
| 11 | 1d4 Potions of Water Breathing or Pole of Angling (XGtE) |
| 12 | A flask of alchemist's fire |
| 13 | Spell Scroll of water walk (or control water) |
| 14 | A cage with 3d6 parrots or Rope of Mending (XGtE) |
| 15 | Quaal's Feather Token - Anchor (or Swan Boat) or Oil of Slipperiness |
| 16 | A chest of fancy clothes worth 1d6 x 100 gp. or Wand of Pyrotechnics (XGtE) |
| 17 | Spell Scroll of conjure water elemental (or tsunami) |
| 18 | A crate with a variety of brightly colored children's toys that float. |
| 19 | Elemental Gem (air or water) |
| 20 | A pouch with an ornate eyepatch and three eyes made of gold, silver and pearl. The patch can hold one fake eye. Worth 1250 gp |
Sea Encounter Complications
| 1d8+1d12 | Sea Encounter Complications |
|---|---|
| 2 | There is a hallucinatory terrain (or mirage arcana) of an island (or concealing an island) |
| 3 | There is a sea monster which is curious rather than hostile (roll again on appropriate Sea Monster table) |
| 4 | There is a temple to a sea deity here, protected by hallow (or forbiddance) |
| 5 | There is a warship in sight (or roll on Ship Encounters) |
| 6 | There is a group of sahuagin lurking nearby (or roll on Sahuagin Encounters) |
| 7 | There is a permanent major image of a small island or roll on Sea Hazards and Obstacles |
| 8 | There is a prisoner in the encounter or a lone traveler nearby. Roll on Quick Sea NPCs |
| 9 | There is a dead whale or roll on Sea Location Details |
| 10 | There are giant seahorses here (or nearby) as pets (or guards). For alternatives roll on Sea Beasts |
| 11 | There is a merchant ship in trouble (or roll on Ship Encounters) |
| 12 | There is a capsized rowing boat here |
| 13 | There are strong winds (DMG pg 110) or roll on Sea Hazards and Obstacles |
| 14 | The creatures are carrying a magic item (or it is stowed nearby). Roll on Magic Items - Sea |
| 15 | Singing can be heard from underwater or roll on Sea Hazards & Obstacles |
| 16 | There are flyers circling overhead (roll again on appropriate Aerial Encounters table) |
| 17 | A thunderstorm is approaching or roll on Sea Hazards and Obstacles |
| 18 | Nearby is an empyrean (or pick from Sea Encounters Level 11+) those encountered try not to disturb. |
| 19 | There is a hidden item (or cache) here. A potion of flying or roll on Minor Sea Treasures |
| 20 | There is an elemental portal here to a plane of water (or air) |
More Encounter Tables
There is a 5e random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Sea Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.