" Several bandits stands in a glade of tree stumps looking at the bone shrine there and the worrying tracks around it..."
Simple encounter tables for forest terrain in any fantasy setting. Tables for Combined Forest Encounters, Forest Encounter Details and Forest Encounter Locations.
Fantasy Wilds - all | trinkets | coastal encs | cold encs | desert encs | forest encs | hill encs | jungle encs | mountain encs | plains encs | swamp encs
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Fantasy Forest Encounters
Forest encounters feature many familiar creatures such as bears, bees, wasps and centaurs. But there may also be sentient plants, unpredictable fey, spider-riding goblins or a hunting party.
They might be looking at a cage in the trees, hacking through foliage or covered in moss.
The encounter could be at a cliff with vines, lake with an island or a treetop village.
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Forest Encounters.
10 Forest Encounter Prompts
These reference Forest tables for Encounter Prompts, Hazards and NPCs
| 1d10 | 10 Forest Encounter Prompts |
|---|---|
| 1 | a mass of thick webs with something shiny within; or roll on Hazards |
| 2 | a solitary (or giant)... d10 (1-2. bear 3. panther 4. ape 5. poisonous (or constrictor) snake 6. badger 7. swarm of bees 8. lizard 9. owl 10. weasel ) |
| 3 | a sad minstrel, composing a song about bees; or roll on Forest NPCs |
| 4 | several (or a pair of)... d10 (1-2. hunters 3. goblins 4. lizardfolk 5. were-creatures 6. pixies 7. forest ogres 8. sentient plants 9. bandits 10. satyrs) |
| 5 | frightened scouts fleeing from a spirit; or roll on Unique Encounters |
| 6 | a few (or many)... d10 (1-2. elk 3. wolves 4. ponies 5. giant frogs 6. giant spiders 7. boars 8. giant wasps 9. hyenas 10. giant bats ) |
| 7 | a grove of enchanted plants emitting blue spores or roll on Hazards |
| 8 | a reclusive or inquisitive d10 (1-2. centaur 3. unicorn 4. dryad 5. tree spirit 6. forest drake 7. faerie dragon 8. quickling 9. nymph 10. will-o'-wisp) |
| 9 | an angry, ragged woodcutter, lost for a week; or roll on Forest NPCs |
| 10 | a potential (or signs of a) danger, a(n)... d10 (1-2. treant 3. forest dragon 4. plant monster 5. vine elemental 6. hunting party 7. giant elk 8. werebear 9. insect swarm 10. tiger ) |
Forest Encounter Details
Use 1d6 for beasts or non-sentient creatures.
| 1d10 | They are... (or one is...) |
|---|---|
| 1 | stalking (or being stalked by) something or harassed by insects |
| 2 | looking at something in the trees, a (or an) ... d10 (1-2. treehouse 3. large nest 4. wooden sign 5. spirit 6. cage 7. platform 8. bulging sack 9. glowing light 10. rope bridge) |
| 3 | hiding from (or watching) a threat;; or adapted to life in the trees |
| 4 | playing with leaves (or glowing mushrooms)or covered in moss |
| 5 | more dangerous than they seem or swimming in water |
| 6 | hunting for (or eating) food; or trapped in a pit (or mud) |
| 7 | hacking through foliage or on a hunt |
| 8 | studying some tracks; or dancing and singing |
| 9 | searching (or foraging) for ... d10 (1-2. mushrooms 3. rare herbs 4. flowers 5. a sacred cave 6. eggs 7. a particular animal 8. a special moss 9. an oracle 10. ruins) |
| 10 | making something in the trees (or from wood); or following a guide |
Forest Encounter Locations
| 1d10 | Area | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | a glade of tree stumps (or fungi) | A tall statue propped up by a tree |
| 2 | a cliff of vines or a sparkling pool | a mushroom (or stone) circle |
| 3 | a treetop village or a fruit orchard | a bramble cage or a frog pond |
| 4 | a massive fallen tree (or obelisk) | large spiderwebs or a beehive |
| 5 | a lake with an island (or waterfall) | a noisy (or dead) beast in a hole |
| 6 | a clearing of red berries (or tents) | a game trail or a thorny archway |
| 7 | entwined trees or hot springs | an old hut or a large tree hollow |
| 8 | a tree (or stone steps) over a river | a stone path or pile of firewood) |
| 9 | an overgrown cave mouth (or pit) | a patch of long grass (or ferns) |
| 10 | a hedge (or maze) of thorns | a bone shrine or a dead animal |
More Encounters
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Forest Encounters.
If you liked these there are Fantasy Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
