" An artist is making a scene, haggling intensely with a elf toymaker, selling scary wooden masks."
Simple encounter tables for swamps in any fantasy setting. Tables for Combined Market Encounters, Market Encounter Details and Market Stalls.
Fantasy City - all | trinkets | cemetery encs | market encs | port encs | ruins encs | sewer encs | street encs | tavern encs | crowds
Fantasy Hinterlands - all | trinkets | farmland encs | hill encs | market encs | plains encs | road encs | tavern encs
[photo by Tijs van Leur on Unsplash]
Fantasy Market Encounters
A busy city market in a plaza, a village fair, a night market with a sinister edge or a weekly town market with many farmers in attendance. Markets are places of intrigue and carousing, as well a places to buy and sell all manner of things. A street trader selling spicy food is causing a disturbance, an angry noble approaches a character, looking for a special gift; and several labourers are watching a singing due.
Among the stalls are a happy seller in a costume offering painted tiles, and a pair of quarrelling siblings offering private mentoring.
A place of entertainers, bargains, shoppers, rumours, games, carts and vendors.
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Market Encounters.
Market Combined Encounters
These reference Market tables for Encounter Prompts, Hazards and NPCs
| 1d10 | Market Combined Encounters | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | a last call for two volunteers for an eating contest or roll on Hazards | |
| 2 | a street trader selling ... d10 (1-2. pies 3. small paintings 4. something illegal 5. alcoholic drinks 6. flowers 7. fortunes told 8. potent potions 9. spicy food 10. puppies) | |
| 3 | a lone adventurer, here to resupply and hear rumours or roll on NPCs | |
| 4 | several (or a pair of)... d10 (1-2. labourers 3. nonhumans 4. pilgrims 5. vagabonds 6. entertainers 7. nomads 8. warriors 9. apprentices 10. servants) | |
| 5 | two rival traders, exchanging angry insults or roll on Enc. Descriptions | |
| 6 | a few (or many)... d10 (1-2. watchful guards 3. loaded mules 4. bargain hunters 5. dogs 6. acolytes 7. cows 8. elders playing a game 9. urchins 10. pack beasts) | |
| 7 | a fleeting hailstorm, forcing everyone to seek cover or roll on Hazards | |
| 8 | a shopper making a scene (or approaching a character), a(n) ... d10 (1-2. local guide 3. angry noble 4. ex-lover 5. prostitute 6. vagabond 7. captain 8. fence 9. artist 10. dysfunctional family) | |
| 9 | an old herder with five goats, curious about everyone or roll on NPCs | |
| 10 | a potential (or signs of a) danger, a(n)... d10 (1-2. pickpocket 3. tax collector 4. unbelievable bargain 5. spy for enemy of group 6. con artist 7. bounty hunter 8. group of adventurers 9. pair of thieving birds 10. gang of thugs) |
Market Encounter Details
Use 1d6 for beasts or non-sentient creatures.
| 1d10 | They are... (or one is...) |
|---|---|
| 1 | causing (or about to cause) a disturbance or wearing a costume |
| 2 | watching entertainment, a(n)... d10 (1-2. pair of musician 3. puppet show 4. magician 5. mock fight 6. dancing animal 7. minstrel 8. singing duo 9. contortionist 10. jester ) |
| 3 | eating something messy (or smelly); or extremely agitated |
| 4 | investigating a(n)... d10 (1-2. fountain 3. decorated statue 4. large tent 5. preacher 6. body 7. pile of waste 8. odd smell 9. unattended stall 10. wagon) |
| 5 | following someone (or being followed); or playing a game |
| 6 | currently ... d10 (1-2. haggling intensely 3. confused 4. scavenging 5. protesting 6. recruiting 7. hungry 8. celebrating 9. gambling 10. arguing ) |
| 7 | looking for one of the characters or putting up decorations |
| 8 | looking for ... d10 (1-2. work 3. poisons and herbs 4. a special gift 5. something tasty 6. a good time 7. a luxury treat 8. a bargain 9. a thief 10. a cure) |
| 9 | asking people to join in a game or unloading a cart |
| 10 | with ... d10 (1-2. a guard dog 3. a mule 4. family members 5. a pampered dog 6. a horse 7. a herd of livestock 8. a goat 9. a pet bird 10. a cat) |
Market Stalls
| 1d10 | Stallholder(s), a(n)... | selling... |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | talkative carpenter (or artist) | scary wooden masks or luxury coffins |
| 2 | pair of quarreling siblings | stolen goods or jars of strange liquids |
| 3 | elf (or dwarf) toymaker | clockwork animals or handmade dolls |
| 4 | nervous nonhuman trader | many spices or a selection of trinkets |
| 5 | scarred witch (or alchemist) | arcane curiosities or herbal remedies |
| 6 | happy seller in a costume | exotic pets and food or vintage wines |
| 7 | moody smith and partner | finely crafted tools (or weapons) |
| 8 | intense priest with long hair | private mentoring or false relics |
| 9 | reptilian trader and assistants | painted tiles or unusual potted plants |
| 10 | veteran one-armed warrior | chests and locks or lucky charms |
More Encounters
There is a fantasy encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Market 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.
