" A few curious ponies graze among a grassy meadow, with a thatched cottage at one end. One of them is investigating a sleeping figure..."
Simple encounter tables for farmland in any fantasy setting. Tables for Combined Farmland Encounters, Farmland Encounter Details and Farmland Encounter Locations.
Fantasy Hinterlands - all | trinkets | farmland encs | hill encs | plains encs | road encs | tavern encs
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Fantasy Farmland Encounters
Farmlands are the rural villages, outlying farmsteads and rolling pastures. The hinterlands beyond the towns and cites where crops are grown and livestock raised. Fertile valleys of sheep and goats, aqueducts, granaries and orchards. Watchful dogs, farmers tending to rice and corn and shepherds keeping watch for raiders and other threats.
It's also a place of scarecrows, ruined farmsteads, dryads, duckponds, pig herds, ploughs and carts.
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Farmland Encounters.
Farmland Combined Encounters
These reference Farmland tables for Encounter Prompts, Hazards and NPCs
| 1d10 | 10 Farmland Encounter Prompts |
|---|---|
| 1 | an abandoned cart and tracks leading away or roll on Hazards |
| 2 | a few (or many) curious (or giant)... d10 (1-2. goats 3. ponies 4. geese 5. cows 6. pigs 7. donkeys 8. sheep 9. llamas 10. horses) |
| 3 | a weathered priest of agriculture driving a cart or roll on NPCs |
| 4 | several (or a pair of)... d10 (1-2. farmers 3. guards on mules 4. bandits 5. halflings 6. centaurs 7. goblins on wolves 8. travellers 9. labourers 10. drovers) |
| 5 | a group of colourful traveling wagons or roll on Enc. Descriptions |
| 6 | a few (or several)... d10 (1-2. elk 3. dogs 4. faerie spirits 5. plant spirit 6. chickens 7. ravens 8. giant rats 9. deer 10. giant weasels ) |
| 7 | a bounty notice for a group of bandits or roll on Hazards |
| 8 | a solitary... d10 (1-2. animal familiar 3. giant mole 4. cat 5. dryad 6. scarecrow 7. plough golem 8. friendly dragon 9. travelling merchant 10. satyr) |
| 9 | a singing herder with a herd of pigs (or goats); or roll on NPCs |
| 10 | a potential (or signs of a) danger, a(n)... d10 (1-2. plough beast 3. group of raiders 4. angry bull 5. local gossip 6. cockatrice 7. tax collector 8. ghost 9. land spirit 10. giant boar ) |
Farmland Encounter Details
Use 1d6 for beasts or non-sentient creatures.
| 1d10 | They are... (or one is...) |
|---|---|
| 1 | looking at you like you don't belong here or curious about strangers |
| 2 | investigating or watching) a(n) d10 (1-2. wagon 3. broken plow4. dead cow 5. fallen tree 6. sign 7. person asleep 8. strange plough 9. food basket 10. large toadstool) |
| 3 | associated with a nearby settlement (or farm); or being lazy |
| 4 | feeding on their favorite food or with their young |
| 5 | making lots of noise or watching a threat |
| 6 | marked by (or bearing symbols of) a local deity (or temple) |
| 7 | talking (or complaining) about... d10 (1-2. the weather 3. the local ruler 4. a local scandal 5. taxes 6. foreigners 7. a nearby town 8. newcomers 9. a war 10. a wedding) |
| 8 | tending to (or harvesting) crops; or accompanied by a dog |
| 9 | currently... d10 (1-2. eating 3. fishing 4. chasing beasts 5. scavenging 6. hungry 7. resting 8. performing a seasonal ritual 9. celebrating 10. building) |
| 10 | herding (or stealing) livestock; or butchering a dead animal |
Farmland Encounter Locations
| 1d10 | Area | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | a ruined farmstead (or barn) | patch of brambles ((or turnips) |
| 2 | a fertile valley or a rice paddy | an animal pen or several molehills |
| 3 | a grassy meadow or a mill | a well or patch of berries |
| 4 | a fruit (or olive) orchard | a damaged cart (or plough); |
| 5 | a muddy track or stables | a scarecrow or a thatched cottage |
| 6 | a tidy hamlet (or farmhouse) | a thorny (or tall) hedge or a sawmill |
| 7 | an aqueduct or a granary | a duckpond or a pigsty |
| 8 | a field of crops (or olives) | mound of manure (or hay); or a shed |
| 9 | a vegetable (or herb) garden | a beehive or a covered wagon |
| 10 | a fenced farmyard (or field) | a water trough or a stone shrine |
More Encounters
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Farmland Encounters.
If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.
