Fantasy Encounters, Hazards and NPCs for Ruins

A group of skittish locals are digging up a statue, under the supervision of an arrogant priest. They talk of dangers here at night.

Simple encounter tables for ruins in any fantasy setting. Tables for Ruins Encounter Prompts, Ruins Hazards & Distractions and Ruins Quick NPCs.

[Art by Henrik Karppinen]

Fantasy Ruins Encounters

Ruins encounters might be a large zombies hauling away stone, a goblin mercenary haunted by visions or friendly stone giant making repairs. There might be a magical circle of power the sound of a slamming door.

A place of forgotten secrets, past lives, sadness, where outcasts make a home and creatures make a lair. A place of goblin scouts, vagabaonds and adventurers of all kinds.

There is a fantasy ruins encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DriveThruRPG as Ruins Encounters.

10 Ruins Encounter Prompts

1d10	10 Ruins Encounter Prompts
1	A patrol of wary warriors from a nearby settlement who are having a short rest. Their highborn leader is curious about the ruins.
2	A friendly stone giant is making repairs to a structure. They are also paying respects to an ancestor who built something here (or nearby)
3	A severed hand with sigils spies on group. It is an undead familiar.
4	A powerful celestial guardian takes the form of a hermit (or an animal) and tries to warn the group away from the ruins.
5	A group of skittish locals are digging up a statue, under the supervision of an arrogant priest. They talk of dangers here at night.
6	An energetic goblin shaman has lead a few goblins here, guided by vivid visions. Accompanied by many rats, used to scout out the ruins.
7	Spectral spirits are going about daily routines as they did in life.
8	A reddish drake is possessed by a spirit of the ruins, creating a hoard of treasures and trophies scavenged from around the ruins.
9	A mule with saddlebags of useful equipment is munching on plants.
10	A few ogre zombies are taking stone from the ruins and putting them in a pile. They bear the mark of an outlawed religion.

Ruins Hazards and Distractions

1d10	There is (or are)...
1	an area of thick webs or a statue holding a magical weapon
2	a pressure plate (or tripwire) which activates a(n)... d10 (1-2. alarm 3. pit trap 4. portcullis 5. spear trap 6. net trap 7. gas trap 8. poisoned darts 9. magical barrier 10. spoken message )
3	magical circle of protection (or power); or thunder and lightning
4	a mist with whispering spirits or a roof at risk of collapse
5	there is the strong smell of ... d10 (1-2. something rotten 3. animals 4. mould 5. flowers 6. manure 7. something cooking 8. fish 9. oil 10. horses )
6	a cursed shrine guarded by spirits (or with offerings of gold)
7	lots of dust, that causes a cloud if disturbed or poisonous spores
8	sounds of ... d10 (1-2. a slamming door 3. an alarm 4. shouting 5. wind chimes 6. chanting 7. splashing 8. pipes playing 9. digging 10. moaning)
9	a talking door (or statue) which can provide a clue (or cause a curse)
10	a patch of glowing green mould or a disturbance of many bats

Quick Ruins NPCs

1d10	Descriptor	Profession	who...
1	grieving or faerie	hermit	has a pony (or fierce dog)
2	goblin or distraught	adventurer	is digging for something
3	travelling or undead	smuggler	is scared by a character
4	half-human or cursed	spy	talks about history (or revenge)
5	outcast or ratfolk	priest	haunted by visions (or a ghost)
6	lycanthrope or lucky	scout	is camped (or living) here
7	desperate or gnome	mercenary	is outcast from society
8	vampiric or diseased	necromancer	tries to get group to leave ruins
9	friendly or lizardfolk	vagabond	has no possessions (or friends)
10	dwarf or musical	scholar	serves a local villain (or ruler)

More Encounters