"As you approach the fly-covered ferry over a sluggish river, a gaunt figure jumps in the river and starts to swim away. You make out several more pale figures fearfully watching you from the jetty and boat."
What has made then skittish? are they ghouls or other creatures?
Swamp Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | enhancements
[Photo by James Haw on Unsplash] Updated from original article in 2018
Swamp Levels 1-4
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 giant crocodile or 1 catoblepas (VGtM) |
| 3 | 1d3 scouts with 1d3 giant lizards or 1d4+1 vegepygmies (VGtM) led by 1 vegepygmy chief (VGtM) |
| 4 | 2d4 mud mephits or 2d4 oblex spawn (MToF) |
| 5 | 1 ochre jelly or roll on Swamp Monsters |
| 6 | 3d6 tribal warriors or roll on Swamp Humanoids |
| 7 | 1 green hag or roll on Swamp Spirits lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d3 vine blights and 2d4 twig blights or roll on Swamp Monsters |
| 9 | 1d2 will-o'-wisps or roll on Swamp Spirits lvl 1-4 |
| 10 | 2d6 bullywugs or roll on Swamp Humanoids |
| 11 | 1d4 giant toads or roll on Swamp Beasts |
| 12 | 2d4 lizardfolk or roll on Lizardfolk Encounters |
| 13 | 1d4 swarms of insects or roll on Swamp Beasts |
| 14 | 1d4+1 kobolds with 2d4 giant toads or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 15 | 1d6 crocodiles or roll on Swamp Beasts |
| 16 | 1d2 yuan-ti malisons or roll on Yuan-ti lvl 1-4 |
| 17 | 1d6 giant poisonous snakes or roll on Swamp Beasts |
| 18 | 1d2 wights or 1d4+1 vargouilles (VGtM) |
| 19 | 1d4 orcs led by 1 orc eye of Gruumsh or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 20 | 1 shambling mound or 1 black dragon hatchling |
Swamp Encounters
Encounters in the swamp often involve muddy waters, tangled vines and foggy fens. They might occur by a hut on stilts, a sludge-covered island or a pool of quicksand.
The mists of the swamp hide many things, from the ruins of civilisations to shifting currents. Frogs and reptiles of all kind are found here, living alongside lizardfolk and snake-like abominations.
There is a 5e swamp random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Swamp Encounters.
All terrains - arctic | coastal | desert | forest | grassland | hill | jungle | mountain | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban
Swamp Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 young black dragon or 1 elder oblex (MToF) |
| 3 | 1 wraith with 1d2 wights and 1d4 specters or 1 adult oblex (MToF) with 2d4 oblex spawn (MToF) |
| 4 | 1d3 giant crocodiles or 1 green hag with 1d4+1 catoblepases (VGtM) |
| 5 | 3d6 lizardfolk led by a lizard king / queen or 1 maurezhi (MToF) and 2d6 ghouls |
| 6 | 1d4 trolls or warlock of the archfey (VGtM) with 2d4 redcaps (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1d4 shambling mounds or roll on Swamp Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1 giant crocodile and 1d4+1 crocodiles or 1d2 rot trolls (MToF) |
| 9 | 2d6 lizardfolk with 2d4 giant lizards or 1d2 catoblepases (VGtM) |
| 10 | 1d2 hydras or roll on Swamp Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 11 | Roll on Swamp Levels 1-4 table or 1 froghemoth (VGtM) |
| 12 | 1 water elemental & 2d6 mud mephits or roll on Sw. Spirits lvl 5-10 |
| 13 | 1d3 yuan-ti malisons & 1 yuan-ti abomination or roll on Yuan-ti 5-10 |
| 14 | 1 druid with 2d6 giant toads or 1 corpse flower (MToF) with 1d10 zombies |
| 15 | 2d6 ghouls led by 1d4+1 ghasts or roll on Swamp Spirits lvl 5-10 |
| 16 | 4d6 tribal warriors led by 1d4+1 scouts or 2d4 vegepygmies (VGtM) with 2d4 thornies (VGtM) led by 1d3 vegepygmy chiefs (VGtM) |
| 17 | 3d6 orcs with 1 orc warchief or roll on Orcs lvl 5-10 |
| 18 | 1d3 revenants or 1d2 bodaks (VGtM) |
| 19 | 1 yuan-ti abomination or 1 froghemoth (VGtM) with 2d6 bullywugs |
| 20 | A coven of 3 green hags or 1 spirit troll (MToF) |
Swamp Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 marid and 1d3 water elementals or 1 nightwalker (MToF) |
| 3 | 2 young black dragons or 1 wastrilith (MToF) |
| 4 | 6d6 lizardfolk with 1d3 lizardfolk shaman and 1 lizard king / queen |
| 5 | 1 adult black dragon or 1 skull lord (MToF) |
| 6 | 2d6 wights led by 1 Revenant or 2d4 bodaks (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1 young black dragon with 1d6 giant crocodiles or 1 nabassu (MToF) |
| 8 | 1d4+4 trolls or 1 archdruid with... (roll on Beast Encounters) |
| 9 | 1d3+1 yuan-ti abominations and 2d4 yuan-ti purebloods |
| 10 | 3d6+10 lizardfolk with 1d4+1 trolls |
| 11 | Roll on Swamp Levels 5-10 table or 1 sword wraith commander (MToF) with 1d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 12 | 2d4 giant crocodiles or 1 archdruid (VGtM) |
| 13 | 2d6+10 orcs led by 1 orc warchief and 2d4 orogs |
| 14 | 2d4 water elementals or 1 elder oblex (MToF) with 1d4 adult oblexes (MToF) |
| 15 | 2d6 yuan-ti malisons led by 1 yuan-ti abomination or 1 nagpa (MToF) |
| 16 | 1d4 hydras or 1 yuan-ti anathema (VGtM) and 1d6 yuan-ti malisons |
| 17 | 1d4+1 druids with 1d3+1 shambling mounds or 1 star spawn seer (MToF) with 4d6 star spawn grue (MToF) |
| 18 | 1 young black dragon with 1 lizard king / queen and 3d6 lizardfolk |
| 19 | 1d2 yuan-ti abominations and 2d4 swarms of snakes |
| 20 | 2d4 will-o'-wisps with a coven of 3 green hags |
Swamp Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Beasts Levels 1-4 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 giant crocodile | |
| 3 | 1d3 plesiousauruses | |
| 4 | 1d6 giant wasps or 1 flail snail (VGtM) | |
| 5 | 2d6 water buffalo (giant goat stats) or 1d3 giant poisonous snakes and 1d3 swarms of poisonous snakes | |
| 6 | 1d4 giant spiders or 1d3 swarms of quippers | |
| 7 | 2d4 giant frogs or 2d4 hadrosauruses (VGtM) | |
| 8 | 1 giant constrictor snake or 2d4 giant fire beetles | |
| 9 | 1d6 crocodiles or 1d2 panthers | |
| 10 | 1d6 giant poisonous snakes or 2d4 freshwater giant crabs | |
| 11 | 1d4 giant toads or 1d3 quippers | |
| 12 | 1d4 swarms of insects or 1d3 swamp ox (VGtM) | |
| 13 | 1d6 giant lizards or 2d6 stirges | |
| 14 | 1d3 swarms of poisonous snakes or 1d3 guard drakes (black, VGtM) | |
| 15 | 1d3 giant boars or 2d4 dimetrodons (VGtM) | |
| 16 | 2d4 swarms of rats or 1d3 swarms of rot grubs (VGtM) | |
| 17 | 2d6 giant rats | or 1d3 hawks |
| 18 | 2d4 swarms of ravens or 1d3 brown bears | |
| 19 | 2d4 boars or 2d4 giant rats and 1d3 swarms of rats | |
| 20 | 1 shambling mound |
Swamp Humanoids (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Swamp Humanoids Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 troll or 1 redcap (VGtM) |
| 3 | 1 druid and 1d4 scouts or 1 warlock of the archfey (VGtM) |
| 4 | 1 green hag with... (roll on Beast Encounters) |
| 5 | 1d4 lizardfolk with 1d4 giant lizards or roll on Lizardfolk Encounters |
| 6 | 2d4 bullywugs with 1d4 giant frogs or 2d4 skulks (MToF) |
| 7 | 1 lizardfolk shaman with... (roll on Beast Encounters) |
| 8 | 1 green hag |
| 9 | 1d4+2 lizardfolk or roll on Lizardfolk Encounters |
| 10 | 2d6 bullywugs or 1d3 meenlocks (VGtM) |
| 11 | 3d6 tribal warriors or 2d4 tribal warriors with 1 guard drake (black, VGtM) |
| 12 | 3d4 kobolds or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 13 | 1 druid |
| 14 | 1d4 orcs led by 1 orog or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 15 | 2d4 winged kobolds or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 16 | 1d6 scouts or 1d4+1 meazels (MToF) or 2d4 darklings (VGtM) |
| 17 | 1 orc eye of gruumsh with 1d3 orcs or roll on Orc lvl 1-4 |
| 18 | 1d4+1 yuan-ti purebloods or roll on Yuan-ti Encounters lvl 1-4 |
| 19 | 1d3 ogres or 1d4 darklings (VGtM) led by 1 darkling elder (VGtM) |
| 20 | 1d2 yuan-ti malisons or roll on Yuan-ti Encounters lvl 1-4 |
Swamp Monsters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Swamp Monsters Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 shambling mound or 1d2 merrow |
| 3 | 1 black pudding or 2d4 oblex spawn (MToF) |
| 4 | 1 chuul or 1d2 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 5 | 1 ochre jelly or 1d4+1 vegepygmies (VGtM) with 1d2 thornies (VGtM) |
| 6 | 1d3 vine blights and 2d4 twig blights or 1d2 vampire mists (MToF) |
| 7 | 1d2 will-o'-wisps or 1d3 shadow mastiffs (VGtM) |
| 8 | 2d4 needle blights or 1d3 imps |
| 9 | 1d3 gray oozes or 1d2 displacer beasts |
| 10 | 1 troll or 1 vegepygmy chief (VGtM) and 1d4 vegepygmies (VGtM) |
Swamp Monsters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Swamp Monsters Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 treant or 1 elder oblex (MToF) |
| 3 | 1d6 chuuls or 2d4 shadow mastiffs (VGtM) led by 1 shadow mastiff alpha (VGtM) |
| 4 | 1 spirit naga or 1d4 adult oblexes (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d4 shambling mounds or 1 venom trolls (MToF) with 1d2 trolls |
| 6 | 1d2 hydras |
| 7 | 1d4 trolls or 1 corpse flower (MToF) with 1d10 zombies |
| 8 | 1d4+2 gricks and 1 grick alpha or 1d3 catoblepases (VGtM) |
| 9 | 1d4 ettercaps and 1d4 phase spiders |
| 10 | 1 aboleth |
Swamp Spirits (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Swamp Spirits Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 night hag or 1 revenant |
| 3 | 1d4+1 ghouls or 1d4 specters |
| 4 | 2d4 mud mephits or 2d4 of the wretched (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d2 will-o'-wisps or 2d6 skeletons |
| 6 | 1 green hag or 1d2 vampire mists (MToF) |
| 7 | 1d2 wights or 1d2 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 8 | 1 water weird or 1 ghost |
| 9 | 3d4 zombies or 1d3 ghasts |
| 10 | 1 water elemental or 1 allip (MToF) |
Swamp Spirits (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Swamp Spirits Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | A coven of 3 hags (mix of green, night and sea) |
| 3 | 1d3 wights with 3d4 zombies or 1d2 of the lost (MToF) |
| 4 | 1d4 revenants or 1d2 bodaks (VGtM) |
| 5 | 2d6 ghouls led by 1d4+1 ghasts or 2d4 vampiric mists (MToF) |
| 6 | 1 water elemental and 2d6 mud mephits or 1d4 ghosts |
| 7 | 1 green hag and 2d4 will-o-wisps or 2d4 shadow mastiffs (VGtM) led by 1 shadow mastiff alpha (VGtM) |
| 8 | 1d4 water elementals or 1 sword wraith commander (MToF) with 1d4 sword wraith warriors (MToF) |
| 9 | 1 wraith and 2d4 specters or 1 spirit troll (MToF) |
| 10 | 1 marid or 1d4 allips |
More Encounters
There is a 5e swamp random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Swamp Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
