"Several rough-looking humans are searching the rocks around a large distinctive cactus. A half orc shouts at them as she hacks chunks from the cacti."
Generated from the Desert Locations and tables below. Encounter Tables for Desert Creatures (levels 1-4, 5-10, 11+), Beasts, Humanoids, Monsters and Spirits.
Desert Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | enhancements
[Photo by Cody Doherty on Unsplash]. Updated from original article in 2018
Desert Levels 1-4
| 1d8+1d12 | Desert Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 blue dragon wyrmling or 1 revenant |
| 3 | 3d6 tribal warriors and 1 berserker with 5d6 camels or 1 couatl |
| 4 | 1d2 giant scorpions or 1d4 stone cursed (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d4+1 kobolds with 1d2 giant toads or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 6 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen or roll on Desert Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 7 | 1d4 gnolls and 2d4 hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d6+1 jackalweres or 1d2 leucrotta (VGtM) |
| 9 | 1 giant hyenas and 2d6 hyenas or roll on Beast Encounters |
| 10 | 1d4+1 death dogs or roll on Desert Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 3d6 camels or roll on Beast Encounters |
| 12 | 2d6 bandits led by 1 bandit captain or roll on Humanoid Encounters |
| 13 | 1d6+1 dust mephits or Desert Spirits lvl 1-4 |
| 14 | 2d6 tribal warriors on camels or roll on Humanoid Encounters |
| 15 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1 dybbuk (MToF) possessing a giant hyena |
| 16 | 1 lamia or 1d3 guard drakes (blue, VGtM) |
| 17 | 1 yuan-ti malison and 1d2 yuan-ti purebloods or roll on Yuan-ti lvl 1-4 |
| 18 | 1d4 lions or 1d4 vargouilles (VGtM) |
| 19 | 1d4+1 scouts or 2d4 firenewts (VGtM) |
| 20 | 1d2 mummies or 1 fire elemental |
Desert Encounters
The desert conjures images of sun-blasted wastes, stark canyons and sandy ridges. Encounters may take place at a well-guarded oasis, a lonely mesa, among half buried ruins or in the bed of a dried up river.
A place of death and daily struggle against the elements, it is the home of nomadic herders, desperate outcasts and the souls and remains of many who have perished.
There is a 5e desert random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Desert Encounters.
All terrains - arctic | coastal | desert | forest | grassland | hill | jungle | mountain | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban
Desert Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Desert Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 efreet or 1 roc |
| 3 | 1 young blue dragon or 1d2 of the lonely (MToF) |
| 4 | 1 fire giant with 2d4 death dogs or 1 kruthi hive lord (MToF) and 1d8 adult kruthiks (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d4 were-tigers or 1 githyanki gish (MToF) |
| 6 | 1d2 medusas or 1 warlock of the fiend (VGtM) with 1d6 berserkers |
| 7 | 1d2 yuan-ti abominations or roll on Yuan-ti lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1 guardian naga or roll on Desert Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 9 | 3d6 gnolls with 1 gnoll pack lord or roll on Gnolls lvl 5-10 |
| 10 | 1d2 lamias and 2d4 jackalweres or roll on Desert Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 11 | Roll on Desert Levels 1-4 table or 2d6+2 thri-kreen |
| 12 | 1d4 fire elementals or roll on Desert Spirits lvl 5-10 |
| 13 | 2d4+1 berserkers on camels or 1d4+1 tlincalli (VGtM) |
| 14 | 2d6 giant hyenas and 2d6 hyenas and 1 gnoll fang of Yeenoghu or 1d2 howlers (MToF) |
| 15 | 1d6+2 mummies or roll on Desert Spirits lvl 5-10 |
| 16 | 2d6 hobgoblins and 1 hobgoblin captain on camels or 1 champion (VGtM) with 4d6 guards |
| 17 | 2d4 giant scorpions or 1 necromancer (VGtM) and 1d2 spawn of kyuss (VGtM) |
| 18 | 2d6 yuan-ti malisons or 1 war priest (VGtM) with 1d4 scouts and 2d6 tribal warriors |
| 19 | 1 cyclops with 3d6 camels or 1 githzerai enlightened (MToF) |
| 20 | 1 young brass dragon or 1 gynosphinx |
Desert Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Desert Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 adult brass dragon or 1 zaratan (MToF) |
| 3 | 1 djinn and 1d4 air elementals or 1 storm giant quintessent (VGtM) |
| 4 | 2 young brass dragons or 1 retriever (MToF) |
| 5 | 1 efreet and 1d4 fire elementals or 1d3 orthons (MToF) |
| 6 | 1 androsphinx or 1 oinoloth (MToF) |
| 7 | 2d4 salamanders or 1 yuan-ti anathema (VGtM) with 1 yuan-ti pit master (VGtM) and 2d4 yuan-ti broodguards (VGtM) |
| 8 | 2d4+2 were-tigers or 1 phoenix (MToF) |
| 9 | 1d2 gynosphinxes or 1d2 eidolons (MToF) |
| 10 | 2d4 fire elementals or 2d6 berserkers with 1 champion (VGtM) and 1 war priest (VGtM) |
| 11 | Roll on Desert Levels 5-10 table or 1 yuan-ti anathema (VGtM) with 2d4 yuan-ti malisons |
| 12 | 2d6 yuan-ti malisons and 1d3 yuan-ti abominations or 1 necromancer (VGtM) with 2d6 mummies |
| 13 | 3d6 wights or 1d4+1 howlers (MToF) |
| 14 | 1 purple worm or 1 githaynki kith'rak (MToF) with 1d3 githyanki Knights |
| 15 | 2d4 air elementals or 1 skull lord (MToF) |
| 16 | 2 young blue dragons or 1 ki-rin (VGtM) |
| 17 | 1d3 guardian nagaor 1d2 boneclaws (MToF) |
| 18 | 1 adult blue dragon or 1 githyani supreme commander (MToF) with 2d4 githyanki warriors (MToF) |
| 19 | 1 mummy lord and 1d3+1 mummies or 1 nagpa (MTof) |
| 20 | 1 adult blue dracolich or 1 nightwalker (MToF) |
Desert Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Desert Beasts (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d4+1 death dogs |
| 3 | 1d6 flying snakes or 1d2 phase spiders |
| 4 | 2d4 giant wolf spiders |
| 5 | 2d6 giant fire beetles or 1d6 giant poisonous snakes |
| 6 | 3d6 hyenas led by 1 giant hyena |
| 7 | 1 giant constrictor snake |
| 8 | 1d4+1 giant hyenas |
| 9 | 1d2 giant scorpions |
| 10 | 4d6 hyenas |
| 11 | 3d6 camels |
| 12 | 2d4 giant lizards |
| 13 | 1d4 giant vultures |
| 14 | 1d4 swarms of insects |
| 15 | 1d4 lions or 1 giant vulture and 2d4 vultures |
| 16 | 2d4 mules with pack saddles |
| 17 | 1d4 giant toads |
| 18 | 1d4 giant spiders |
| 19 | 2d6 stirges |
| 20 | 1 pseudodragon |
Desert Humanoids (Levels1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Desert Humanoids (Levels1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 weretiger or 1 tlincalli (VGtM) |
| 3 | 3d6 tribal warriors and 1 berserker |
| 4 | 1d3 ogres |
| 5 | 1 druid with ... 1d2 giant hyenas (or roll on Beast Encounters) |
| 6 | 3d6 commoners with 1d4 camels |
| 7 | 1d4+1 hobgoblins |
| 8 | 1d4+1 gnolls led by 1 gnoll pack lord or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen or 1d2 maezels (MToF) |
| 10 | 2d6 tribal warriors |
| 11 | 1d4+1 scouts with 2d6 camels |
| 12 | 1d6+1 jackalweres |
| 13 | 2d4 bandits and 1 bandit captain mounted on camels |
| 14 | 1d3 yuan-ti purebloods with 1 giant constrictor snake or roll on Yuan-ti lvl 1-4 |
| 15 | 1d3 gnolls mounted on giant hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 16 | 1 lamia or 1d4 firenewts (VGtM) led by 1 firenew warlock of Imix (VGtM) |
| 17 | 2d4 kobolds with 1d4 winged kobolds or roll on Kobold Encounters |
| 18 | 2d6 guards with 1d6 mules led by 1 scout |
| 19 | 1d3 yuan-ti malisons or roll on Yuan-ti lvl 1-4 |
| 20 | 1d4 half-ogres |
Desert Monsters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Desert Monsters (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 blue dragon wyrmling |
| 3 | 1d3 ogres or 1d4+1 giant vultures |
| 4 | 1 lamia or 1d2 berbalangs (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d4+1 death dogs |
| 6 | 1d6 jackalweres |
| 7 | 1d6+1 dust mephits or roll on Desert Spirits lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d2 phase spiders or 1 adult kruthik (MToF) with 2d4 young kruthiks (VGtM) |
| 9 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen |
| 10 | 1 weretiger or 1 spawn of Kyuss (VGtM) |
Desert Monsters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Desert Monsters (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 roc or 1d2 stone golems |
| 3 | 2d4 phase spiders or 1 kruthik hive lord (MToF) and 1d8 adult kruthiks (MToF) |
| 4 | 1d3 cyclops or 1 orthon (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d2 lamias with 2d4 jackalweres or 1 rot troll (MToF) |
| 6 | 1 guardian naga or 1d4+1 tlincalli (VGtM) |
| 7 | 1d4 fire elementals or roll on Desert Spirits lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1d2 fire giants or 1d4 spawn of Kyuss (VGtM) |
| 9 | 1d2 medusas or 1 rot troll (MToF) |
| 10 | 1 gynosphinx |
Desert Spirits (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Desert Spirits (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 fire elemental or 1 revenant |
| 3 | 1d4 fire snakes or 1 dybbuk (MToF) |
| 4 | 1d4 mud mephits or 1d4 stone cursed (MToF) |
| 5 | 1d2 wights |
| 6 | 1d6+1 dust mephits |
| 7 | 2d4 skeletons or 1d4 vargouilles (VGtM) |
| 8 | 1d2 mummies or 1 ghost |
| 9 | 1 couatl or 1d3 azers |
| 10 | 1 air elemental or 1 salamander |
Desert Spirits (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Desert Spirits (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 efreet |
| 3 | 1d6+2 mummies or 1d2 howlers (MToF) |
| 4 | 1d4 revenants |
| 5 | 1d4 fire elementals or 1d4+1 dybbuks (MToF) |
| 6 | 1d4 salamanders or 1 air elemental and 2d6 dust mephits |
| 7 | 2d4 wights or 1 summer eladrin (MToF) |
| 8 | 1d4 air elementals or 1d3 of the lost (MToF) |
| 9 | 1 couatl with 2d6 flying snakes or 2d6 vargouilles (VGtM) |
| 10 | 1 djinn or 1 ki-rin (MToF) |
More Encounters
For a PDF version of desert encounters with more tables check out Desert 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.
