Edge of the Spider Woods - Encounters, Locations, Beasts and NPCs

"1d3 awakened trees who ask lots of questions of those approaching the woods. They are allied with a druid there. "

An encounter from the Edge of the Woods Encounters random table.

[Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash]

Spider Woods - Outer Woods Tables

The tables of the outer woods detail encounters, locations, beasts, and npcs.

The Spider Woods is an Adventure Site using random tables in a forest rife with eight-legged web-spinners. Use, adapt or steal anything that is useful for your games. Suitable for sandbox games, one shots, side quests or world building.

The themes of Druids [Dd], Drow [Dw], Fungi [Fu] and Goblins [Go] can be supported using the Spider Woods Each table has entries supporting them.

There is a 5e random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as the Spider Woods.

Spider Woods tables - intro | outer woods | inner woods

Edge of the Woods Encounters

This might be near the woods or on the edge of them.

For only non-combat encounters roll 1d4, for only level 1 roll 1d8, or 1d12 for only levels 1-2.

1d20	Edge of the Woods Encounters
1	2d4 tribal warriors felling valuable trees and keeping watch for danger.
2	Dworic Stoutsmith is a dwarf scout foraging fungi of the woods. [Fu]
3	1d3 awakened trees who ask lots of questions of those approaching the woods. They are allied with a druid there. [Dd]
4	Rowan Greycastle is a commoner merchant with 2d4 guards and a wagon pulled by 2 mules. Trading with inhabitants of the woods.
5	1d4 cultists with 1 guard from a nearby town, curious about the woods.
6	1d3 swarms of insects (beetles or spiders). or roll on Beasts
7	1 violet faerie dragon that often takes the form of a large blue spider.
8	1d4 swarms of ravens followed by a mist (treat as light obscurement).
9	Wen is a spindly trapper (berserker stats) in friendly contact with druids of the woods. [Dd]
10	Tamar is a crazed hermit (acolyte stats) who claims to be a spider druid.
11	1d3 giant spiders feasting on a goat or roll on Beasts
12	1d4+1 goblins on giant wolf spiders patrol edge of their territory. [Go]
13	1 displacer beast from the Shadowfell.
14	2d4 kobolds with 1d2 giant toads. Afraid of woods but hunting spiders.
15	2d4 fungi-covered needle blights block path to the woods. [Fu]
16	1 goblin druid on a giant spider checking on a nest of spiders. [Go] [Dd]
17	1d6 local guards led by a veteran on patrol. Suspicious and unfriendly.
18	1d3 centaurs that try to warn characters from entering the woods.
19	1 unicorn that senses evil in the Woods. or roll on Inner Woods Encounters
20	Unhan is a drow elite warrior who watches for intruders. [Dw]

Outer Locations of the Woods

Sites near to the woods, on the edge or slightly inside..

1d20	Outer Locations of the Woods
1-2	Breeding Grounds. A thicket above a mass of webbing, tunnels, shrubs and webbing inhabited by spiders. Food often left outside nearby hut.
3-4	Abandoned Lookout. Two trees entwined together with a wooden platform high-up. Garish painted totems cover the trees. [Go]
5-6	Old Grove. A verdant area of shrubs and flowers with no spiders. There is an overgrown shrine to nature here.
7-8	Memory Crag. A stone slab with several holes is supported by large rocks. It is carved with sayings about nature in various languages. [Dd]
9-10	Tree Spring. A fallen giant of a tree is covered in purple fungi and spiders. A spring emerges nearby, with water same color as the fungi.
11-12	Web Sculpture. The likeness of an antlered humanoid has been created from webbing. A few half-finished sculptures are nearby.
13-14	Deep Cave. Glowing edible mushrooms line a small cave network. Dark elf poetry marks walls and a collapse blocks a way down [Dw]
15-16	Crumbling Tower. Stepping stones lead to ruins on an island in a stream. Large webs hang between trees on the island and shoreline.
17-18	Log Graveyard. Mushrooms grow on a few log piles. A humanoid skeleton holding an axe lies on each pile, covered in a slimy fungi [Fu]
19-20	Ivy Ridge. A waterfall tumbles down an ivy-covered cliff. Walkways of spider webbing lead from the cliff to nearby trees.

Beasts of the Woods

These might be offered as a quest reward, to help out the group, as part payment or at a reasonable price from a local.

1d20	Beasts of the Woods
1-2	1d2 vials of drow poison, labelled in Undercommon [Dw]
3-4	A local guide (roll on NPCs) who has friends among the goblins [Go]
5-6	A pouch of dried fungi that act as 1d4 vials of antitoxin [Fu]
7-8	A spell scroll of speak with plants (or wall of fire) [Dd]
9-10	1d4 potions of climbing; or roll on Treasures of the Woods.
11-12	1d3 arrows of plant slaying [Fu]
13-14	A +1 sickle that glows when spiders (of Medium size or larger) are within 100 ft. It used to belong to a druid in the woods [Dd]
15-16	A damaged map of the forest marked on a giant beetle shell. It is marked with symbols of spiders, caves and fungi [Dw]
17-18	A giant wolf spider (or giant spider) suitable as a companion, guard or mount that answers to commands in Goblin [Go]
19	A book detailing spiders of the woods, including some preserved bodies within it's pages.
20	2d4 lengths of 50 ft. silk rope

NPCs Connected to the Woods

Use these to give quests, as allies, rivals or alternative encounters.

1d20	NPCs Connected to the Woods
1-2	Eida is a conversational scout with a silk scarf that moves on its own. They are a trapper who knows the area well.
3-4	Madislak is an clumsy spy (speaks Goblin) with a spider-shaped birthmark. They are curious about sources of spider poison [Go]
5-6	Olivia Greenleaf is a halfling commoner scholar with piercing eyes and a pet boar. She has started documenting fungi of the woods [Fu]
7-8	Adran is a renegade drow with a bright clothing. They like several caves near the woods and trade with a few locals [Dw]
9-10	Arnuanna is a gaunt druid missing several fingers with dirty hair. She is desperate to clear a debt to a powerful creature nearby [Dd]
11-12	Random is an old mage (animate dead replaces fireball) with a fine cloak and skull amulets. He offers a bounty for giant spider bodies.
13-14	Mara Helder is a tall human noble with a bright shield ans an awakened fungi companion. They seek to clear the woods of spiders. [Fu]
15-16	Odorr is a scared goblin boss with badly-fitting clothes. They have been outcast from their tribe and seek a way to return in glory [Go]
17-18	Mordal is a striking tiefling acolyte with facial piercings. Spiders fascinate him and he learned Undercommon to speak with drow [Dw]
19-20	Rathkran is a cheerful dragonborn (lizardfolk druid stats) with an eye patch. They breed spiders and are curious about the woods [Dd]