"A few enterprising bullywugs have made a map of the swamp on boarhide. Offer it in exchange for food or other non-coin valuables."
Tables for Non-Combat Encounters, Quick NPCs and Hazards & Obstacles for Swamp. Result is from Swamp Non-Combat Encounters.
Non-combat by terrain - arctic | coastal | desert | forest | grassland | hill | mountain | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban
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Swamp Non-Combat, NPCs & Hazards
All sorts of life can be found wandering, possibly lost, in the swamp. Barter potions with green hags and help intelligent crocodiles solve a conundrum. Meet NPCs from a optimistic warrior curious about life outside the swamp to a deluded hermit who seeks wisdom among the snails. Deal with quicksand, mould and flammable gas.
There is a 5e Swamp random encounter generator at ChaosGen. For a PDF version of swamp encounters with more tables check out Swamp Encounters on DM's Guild.
Swamp Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | enhancements
Swamp Non-Combat Encounters
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Non-Combat Encounters |
|---|---|
| 2 | A giant toad adopts the party, following for food and out of curiosity |
| 3 | A dryad is in love with a shambling mound that ignores their attention. Asks the group to help get its attention |
| 4 | A few enterprising orcs are building small but sturdy boats. Offer to sell or build one for the group. |
| 5 | A stone giant is trying hard to train a giant toad to fetch boulders |
| 6 | A saddled allosaurus is stuck in mud and straining to escape it. |
| 7 | Several acolytes are out here on a holy self-improvement exercise. They appear to be lacking in survival skills, gear or sense. |
| 8 | An owlbear with gills (swim 30 ft) is happily wallowing in mud |
| 9 | A green hag is offering three for one on a variety of potions (or herbal remedies). Will barter coin, items, pets and favors. |
| 10 | A few tribal warriors are harvesting brightly colored frogs and toads. |
| 11 | A helpful will-o'-wisp offers to guide them and light their way |
| 12 | Several lizardfolk are making an experimental stew and offer a taste |
| 13 | Two intelligent crocodiles (Int 12, History +3) are arguing in Draconic about nearby ruins and what civilisation they are from. |
| 14 | A few enterprising bullywugs have made a map of the swamp on boarhide. Offer it in exchange for food or other non-coin valuables. |
| 15 | A troll artist is crafting a statue from reeds and aks for some help |
| 16 | A noble with a guard is in a rowboat. They bought land in the swamp and are now having first look at it. Hopeful it is a good buy. |
| 17 | A treant is trying to find a way to deliver a message to a local ruler |
| 18 | A few veterans ask about area. The are hunting beasts for trophies. |
| 19 | an adult black dragon under a geas guide others through the swamp |
| 20 | A storm giant is bathing as part of a mud spa treatment |
Swamp Quick NPCs
| 1d4+1d6 | Swamp Quick NPCs |
|---|---|
| 2 | Yutha is a vain berserker in tight-fitting leathers. They love orcish drinking songs but hate mud. They have many cousins in the region |
| 3 | Angrath is a nervous priest with orange clothing and a coracle. They love swamp-themed jokes and frequently try them out on trees. |
| 4 | Ssarth is an alert lizardfolk shaman with several baskets of reeds. They try to teach anyone they meet a game involving reeds. |
| 5 | Cumpen is a mischievous scout with long leather gloves. They build a variety of watercraft and hold several unpopular views |
| 6 | Gorev is an optimistic tribal warrior carrying two colorful snakes. They are curious about life beyond the swamp and offer services as a guide |
| 7 | Marastyr is a deluded cult fantatic with nets and containers. They live as a hermit and hunt snails, looking among them for a higher power |
| 8 | Qiao is a careless spy (Survival +2) with burnt arms. They are growing mushrooms and have heard about one of the characters from a friend |
| 9 | Quaggl is a polite kuo-toa monitor (Speaks Common) wearing many amulets. They collect holy symbols and want a place to call home. |
| 10 | Xenia is a talkative assassin with an assortment of crossbows. They are harvesting poisons and are having dreams of local ruins |
Swamp Hazards and Obstacles
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Hazards and Obstacles |
|---|---|
| 2 | A sunken bronze statue which can cause a curse (or geas) |
| 3 | A ruined shrine that is a Shadowfell crossing |
| 4 | Area of poisonous fungal spores or flash floods |
| 5 | An area of thick webs (DMG pg 105) |
| 6 | Harmless but noisy beasts alarmed by party. Attract attention of other creatures if nothing done |
| 7 | A patch of Brown (or Yellow) Mold (DMG pg 105) |
| 8 | Heavy rain (Heavy Precipitation - DMG pg 110) |
| 9 | Flammable (or choking) swamp gas or strange lights moving nearby |
| 10 | Several beasts (or corpses) infected with disease (DMG pg 257) |
| 11 | An area of quicksand (DMG pg 110) with a panicking beast |
| 12 | A heavy (or ghostly) mist descends around party |
| 13 | A bush with glowing poisonous berries or insects (or rats) carrying sewer plague (DMG pg 257) |
| 14 | Large amounts of harmless insects. Disturbing causes light or heavy obscurement. |
| 15 | An area of razorvine (DMG pg 110) submerged in water |
| 16 | A falling net trap (DMG pg 122) or waters infested with leeches |
| 17 | An area of noxious (or flammable) mist (treat as stinking cloud) |
| 18 | One or more tar pits (similar to quicksand but flammable) or a thunderstorm |
| 19 | A tangled briar (or bubbling green pool) that acts as a Shadowfell (or Feywild) crossing |
| 20 | Several shriekers that attract other creatures |
More Encounters
There is a 5e Swamp random encounter generator at ChaosGen. For a PDF version of swamp encounters with more tables check out Swamp Encounters on DM's Guild.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
