"Steam rises from a several pools of water. Several elephants wallow and play here, but one has collapsed on the water's edge"
Why has the elephant collapsed? Are the pools temporary or a permanent feature?
Generated from Grassland Locations and tables below. Encounter tables for Grassland Creatures (levels 1-4, 5-10, 11+), Beasts, Humanoids and Mounts & Riders.
Grassland Tables - encounters | locations | non-combat | extras | tools guide
[Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash]. Updated from original article in 2018
Grassland Levels 1-4
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1d3 pegasi |
| 3 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1d6 hobgoblins mounted on worgs |
| 4 | 2d4 orcs or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 5 | 1d4 scarecrows or roll on Grassland Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1d6 lions or 1 leucrotta (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1d2 elephants or 1d2 swarms of insects |
| 8 | 1d2 ankhegs or roll on Grassland Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 2d4 goblins and 1 bugbear or roll on Goblinoid Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 10 | 2d6 tribal warriors on riding horses or roll on Mount & Riders lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 2d6 elk or roll on Beast Encounters |
| 12 | 1d3 centaurs or roll on Humanoid Encounters |
| 13 | 3d6 hyenas and 1d2 giant hyenas or roll on Beast Encounters |
| 14 | 2d4 axe beaks or roll on Beast Encounters |
| 15 | 1d2 tigers or 2d4 bandits mounted on pteranodons |
| 16 | 1d4 gnolls on giant hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 17 | 1d3 rhinos or 1d4 bronze scouts (MToF) |
| 18 | 1d4 scouts on hippogriffs or 2d6 jackals and 1d2 jackalweres |
| 19 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen or 1d6 cockatrices |
| 20 | 1 bulette or 1 oaken bolter (MToF) |
Grassland Encounters
Grasslands could be grassy savannah, fertile plains or the endless steppes. Encounters might occur in areas of long grass, at an abandoned windmill or by a small group of isolated trees.
A place of wild beasts, mighty rivers and frequent flooding, it is home to tribes of horse-riding nomads, herds of large beasts and the monsters that feed on them.
There is a 5e grassland random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Grassland Encounters.
All terrains - arctic | coastal | desert | forest | grassland | hill | jungle | mountain | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban
Grassland Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 tyrannosaurus rexes or 1d2 howlers (MToF) |
| 3 | 1d4 manticores or 2d6 griffons |
| 4 | 1d3 air elementals or 2d4 stegasauruses (VGtM) |
| 5 | 1d4 tigers and 1d4 weretigers or 2d4 ankylosauruses |
| 6 | 4d6 gnolls lead by a gnoll pack lord or roll on Gnolls lvl 5-10 |
| 7 | 1 chimera or roll on Grassland Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1d4 ogres mounted on elephants or 2d6 aurochs (VGtM) |
| 9 | 2d4 berserkers on riding horses or roll on Mounts & Riders lvl 5-10 |
| 10 | 2d6 centaurs or roll on Grassland Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 11 | Roll on Grassland lvl 1-4 or 2d4 elephants |
| 12 | 1d4 triceratops or 1d6+1 ogres led by 1 ogre battering ram (MToF) |
| 13 | 3d6 tribal warriors lead by 2d4 scouts or 1d4 iron cobras (MToF) with 1 stone defender (MToF) |
| 14 | 2d6 orcs led by 1 orc war chief or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 15 | 1 cyclops or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 16 | 3d6 hobgoblins lead by a hobgoblin captain or roll on Goblinoid Encounters lvl 5-10 |
| 17 | 2d6+2 rhinos or 1d4+1 brontosauruses (VGtM) |
| 18 | 2d6+3 bugbears lead by a bugbear chief or 1 spring eladrin (MToF) |
| 19 | 1d4 gorgons or 1d3 hill giants and 1 mouth of Grolantor (VGtM) |
| 20 | 1 young gold dragon |
Grassland Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 adult gold dragon or 1 zaratan (MToF) |
| 3 | 2d4 gorgons |
| 4 | 2d6 gnolls and 1d4+2 gnoll fangs of Yeenoghu mounted on giant hyenas |
| 5 | 6d6 hobgoblins on riding horses lead by 1 hobgoblin warlord |
| 6 | 5d6 centaurs or 2d4 gnolls and 1 flind (VGtM) mounted on leucrottas (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1d4+2 chimeras or 1 cadaver collector (MToF) |
| 8 | 2d4 hill giants or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) led by 1d2 sword wraith commanders (MToF) |
| 9 | 3d6 elephants 2d6 gnoll flesh gnawers (VGtM) led by 1 shoosuva (VGtM) |
| 10 | 3d6 veterans mounted on warhorses |
| 11 | Roll on Grassland lvl 5-10 or 1d6+2 brontosauruses (VGtM) |
| 12 | 2d6 triceratops |
| 13 | 2d4 air elementals or 1d4 spring eladrin (MToF) |
| 14 | 3d6 phase spiders or 1d6 hill giants with 1d3 mouths of Grolantor (VGtM) |
| 15 | 2d4 weretigers and 1d6 tigers |
| 16 | 1 djinni and 1d4 air elementals or 1d2 eidolons (MToF) |
| 17 | 1d4 tyrannosaurus rexes or 1d4+1 howlers (MToF) |
| 18 | 1 cyclops with 2d4 elephants |
| 19 | 1d3 djinni |
| 20 | 2 young gold dragons or 1 elder tempest (MToF) |
Grassland Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Beasts |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 giant elk or 1 brontosaurus (VGtM) |
| 3 | 2d4 giant weasels or 1d2 griffons |
| 4 | 1d3 swarms of insects or 1d8 giant poisonous snakes |
| 5 | 2d6 boars or 1d3 giant boars |
| 6 | 1d2 elephants or 2d4 hadrosauruses (VGtM) |
| 7 | 2d4 giant wasps or 2d6+6 deer |
| 8 | 1d2 tigers or 2d6 cows (rothe, VGtM) |
| 9 | 1d3 rhinos or 2d6+2 velocirators (VGtM) |
| 10 | 1d6 lions or 1d6 pteranodons |
| 11 | 2d6 goats and 2d4 giant goats or 2d6 wolves led by 1 worg |
| 12 | 3d6 riding horses or 3d6 hyenas |
| 13 | 2d4 worgs or 1d3 aurochs (VGtM) |
| 14 | 2d4 axe beaks or 1d4 leopards (panther stats) |
| 15 | 3d6 elk or 1d2 ankylosauruses |
| 16 | 3d4 jackals or 1d6 giant wolf spiders |
| 17 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1d4 deinonychuses (VGtM) |
| 18 | 1d3 allosauruses or 1d2 giant scorpions |
| 19 | 1d4+1 giant hyenas or 2d6 flying snakes |
| 20 | 1 triceratops or 1 stegosaurus (VGtM) |
Grassland Humanoids (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Humanoids |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 veterans |
| 3 | 1 wereboar |
| 4 | 1d3 ogres or 1d4 hobgoblins and 1 ogre bolt launcher (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d6 orcs led by 1 orc eye of Gruumsh or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1d2 scouts mounted on griffons or 1 ogre battering ram (MToF) |
| 7 | 1 orog mounted on a worg or roll on Orc Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d6 jackalweres or 1d4 goblins carried by 1 ogre howdah (MToF) |
| 9 | 1d4 Commoners with 3d6 Goats or 1d2 ogre chain brutes (MToF) |
| 10 | 1d4 gnolls mounted on giant hyenas or roll on Gnoll Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 1d6+1 tribal warriors mounted on axebeaks |
| 12 | 1d3 centaurs |
| 13 | 1d6 hobgoblins mounted on worgs or roll on Goblinoid Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 14 | 2d6 bandits lead by 1 bandit chief |
| 15 | 3d4 goblins or roll on Goblinoid Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 16 | 1 druid with... (roll on Beast Encounters) or 2d4 scouts |
| 17 | 1d4 bugbears with 1 goblin or roll on Goblinoid Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 18 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen |
| 19 | 1 gnoll fang of Yeenoghu and 2d4 hyenas or roll on Gnoll Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 20 | 1 weretiger |
Grassland Monsters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Grassland Monsters (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1 air elemental |
| 3 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1d2 dryads and 1d2 sprites |
| 4 | 1d4 giant eagles or 1d4 bronze scouts (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d4 centaurs or 1 leucrotta (VGtM) |
| 6 | 1d4 scarecrows or 1d2 phase spiders |
| 7 | 1d3 pegasi or 2d4 stirges |
| 8 | 1d2 ankegs or 2d4 needle blights |
| 9 | 1d6 cockatrices or 1d2 vampiric mists (MToF) |
| 10 | 1 bulette or 1 oaken bolter (MToF) |
Grassland Monsters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Grassland Monsters Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 djinn or 1 ki-rin (MToF) |
| 3 | 1d4 gorgons |
| 4 | 1d3 galeb duhr or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 5 | 2d6 centaurs or 1 spring eladrin (MToF) |
| 6 | 1 chimera or 1d4+2 yeth hounds (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1d4 air elementals or 1 bulette |
| 8 | 1 cyclops |
| 9 | 1d2 invisible stalkers or 1d2 howlers (MToF) |
| 10 | 1 young gold dragon |
Mounts and Riders (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Mounts and Riders levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d4 gnolls on giant hyenas |
| 3 | 2d4 guards on ponies |
| 4 | 1d4 goblins and 1 goblin boss on giant wolf spiders |
| 5 | 1 knight on a warhorse |
| 6 | 1d6 tribal warriors on riding horses |
| 7 | 1 orog mounted on a dire wolf |
| 8 | 1d2 berserkers mounted on axe beaks or 1d4 goblins carried by 1 ogre howdah (MToF) |
| 9 | 1d4 hobgoblins mounted on worgs |
| 10 | 1d2 scouts on griffons |
Mounts and Riders (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Mounts and Riders levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 knight on a young gold dragon |
| 3 | 1 hobgoblin captain and 1d6 hobgoblins mounted on griffons |
| 4 | 2d6 orcs on rhinoceroses |
| 5 | 1d4 ogres mounted on elephants |
| 6 | 1 gladiator with 1d4+1 berserkers on warhorses |
| 7 | 1d6+2 veterans on allosauruses (or giant boars) |
| 8 | 2d6+2 goblins on wolves led by 1 goblin boss on a dire wolf |
| 9 | 1d3 druids mounted on triceratops |
| 10 | 1d2 bugbear chiefs on tyrannosaurus rexes |
More Encounters
For a PDF version of grassland encounters with more tables check out Grassland Encounters on DM's Guild. Or other grasslands pdfs on the guild.
These tables inspired my 5E grassland encounters generator at Chaos Gen.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
