Four human warriors riding horses skirt an old ruined farmstead and head towards you. Their leader appears to be angry and makes curt gestures at you...
Updated Grassland encounters using D&D 2024 Monster Manual. Also a D&D 2014 version. Tables for Grassland Encounters (levels 1-4, 5-10, 11+), Beasts, Humanoids, Monsters and Mounts & Riders
All terrains - arctic | coastal | desert | feywild | forest | grassland | hill | jungle | mountain | road | ruins | sea | shadowfell | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban | all dnd 2024 encs
[Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash]
Grassland Encounters
Grasslands could be grassy savannah, fertile plains or the endless steppes. Encounters might occur in areas of long grass, at an abandoned windmill or by a small group of isolated trees.
A place of wild beasts, mighty rivers and frequent flooding, it is home to tribes of horse-riding nomads, herds of large beasts and the monsters that feed on them.
There is a 5e grassland random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Grassland Encounters.
Grassland Tables - encounters (2014) | encounters (2024) | locations | non-combat | extras | tools guide
Grassland Encounters Levels 1-4
MotM = Monsters of the Multiverse
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1d3 pegasi |
| 3 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1d3 hobgoblin warriors mounted on worgs |
| 4 | 1d4+1 orc toughs or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 5 | 1d4 scarecrows or roll on Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1d6 lions or 1 leucrotta (MotM) |
| 7 | 1d2 elephants or 1d2 swarms of insects |
| 8 | 1d2 ankhegs or roll on Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 2d4 goblin minions & 1 bugbear warrior or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 10 | 2d6 warrior infantry on riding horses or roll on Riders lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 2d6 elk or roll on Beasts |
| 12 | 1d3 centaur troopers or roll on Humanoids |
| 13 | 3d6 hyenas and 1d2 giant hyenas or roll on Beasts |
| 14 | 2d4 axe beaks or 2d4 bandits on pteranodons |
| 15 | 1d2 tigers or roll on Beasts |
| 16 | 1d4 gnoll warriors on giant hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 17 | 1d3 rhinos or 1d4 bronze scouts (MotM) |
| 18 | 1d4 scouts on hippogriffs or 2d6 jackals and 1d2 jackalweres |
| 19 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen marauders or 1d6 cockatrices |
| 20 | 1 bulette or 1 oaken bolter (MotM) |
Grassland Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 5-10 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 tyrannosaurus rexes or 1d2 howlers (MotM) |
| 3 | 1 brazen gorgon or 1d3 hill giants 1 mouth of Grolantor (MotM) |
| 4 | 4d6 gnoll warriors led by a gnoll pack lord or roll on Gnolls lvl 5-10 |
| 5 | 1 thri-kreen psion and 2d4 thri-kreen marauders or 1d4 air elementals |
| 6 | 1d4+1 hippopotamuses or 2d4 stegasauruses (MotM) |
| 7 | 1 chimera or roll on Monsters lvl 5-10 |
| 8 | 1d4 ogres mounted on elephants or 2d6 aurochs (MotM) |
| 9 | 2d4 berserkers on riding horses or roll on Riders lvl 5-10 |
| 10 | 1 centaur warden & 1d6 centaur troopers or roll on Monsters 5-10 |
| 11 | Roll on Grassland lvl 1-4 or 2d4 elephants |
| 12 | 1d4 triceratops or 1d6+1 ogres led by 1 ogre battering ram (MotM) |
| 13 | 3d6 warrior infantry lead by 2d4 scouts or 1d4 iron cobras (MotM) with 1 stone defender (MotM) |
| 14 | 2d6 orc toughs led by 1 orc tough boss or roll on Orcs lvl 5-10 |
| 15 | 1 cyclops sentry or 1d4 tigers and 1d4 weretigers |
| 16 | 2d6 hobgoblin warriors on worgs or roll on Goblinoids lvl 5-10 |
| 17 | 2d6+2 rhinos or 1d4+1 brontosauruses (MotM) |
| 18 | 3d6 bugbear warriors & 1 bugbear stalker or 1 spring eladrin (MotM) |
| 19 | 1 bandit deceiver with 2d4 bandit captains or 2d4 ankylosauruses |
| 20 | 1 young gold dragon or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MotM) |
Grassland Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 adult gold dragon or 1 zaratan (MotM) |
| 3 | 1 questing knight on a griffon or 2d4 gorgons |
| 4 | 2d6 gnoll warriors and 1d3 gnoll demoniacs on giant hyenas |
| 5 | 6d6 hobgoblin warriors on riding horses lead by 1 hobgoblin warlord |
| 6 | 1d2 centaur wardens and 3d6 centaur troopers or 2d4 gnoll warriors and 1 flind (MotM) on leucrottas (MotM) |
| 7 | 1d4+2 chimeras or 1 cadaver collector (MotM) |
| 8 | 2d4 hill giants or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MotM) led by 1d2 sword wraith commanders (MotM) |
| 9 | 3d6 elephants or 2d6 gnoll flesh gnawers (MotM) led by 1 shoosuva (MotM) |
| 10 | 3d6 warrior veterans on warhorses or 1 dire worg with 2d6 worgs |
| 11 | Roll on Grassland lvl 5-10 or 1d6+2 brontosauruses (MotM) |
| 12 | 2d6 triceratops or 1 archpriest with 1d6 knights on rhinoceroses |
| 13 | 2d4 air elementals or 1d4 spring eladrin (MotM) |
| 14 | 3d6 phase spiders or 1d6 hill giants with 1d3 mouths of Grolantor (MotM) |
| 15 | 1 bandit crime lord & 2d6 bandit captains or 1d4+1 howlers (MotM) |
| 16 | 1 djinni and 1d4 air elementals or 1d2 eidolons (MotM) |
| 17 | 1d4 tyrannosaurus rexes or 2d4 weretigers and 1d6 tigers |
| 18 | 1 cyclops oracle with 2d4 elephants |
| 19 | 1 animal lord or 1d3 djinni |
| 20 | 2 young gold dragons or 1 elder tempest (MotM) |
Grassland Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Beasts (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 giant axe beak or 1 brontosaurus (MotM) |
| 3 | 2d4 giant weasels or 1 giant elk |
| 4 | 1d3 swarms of insects or 1d8 giant venomous snakes |
| 5 | 2d6 boars or 1d3 giant boars |
| 6 | 2d6 wolves led by 1 worg or 2d4 hadrosauruses (MotM) |
| 7 | 2d4 giant wasps or 2d6+6 deer |
| 8 | 1d2 tigers or 2d6 cows (rothe, MotM) |
| 9 | 1d3 rhinos or 2d6+2 velocirators (MotM) |
| 10 | 1d6 lions or 1d6 pteranodons |
| 11 | 2d6 goats and 2d4 giant goats or 1 hippopotumus |
| 12 | 3d6 riding horses or 3d6 hyenas |
| 13 | 3d6 elk or 1d3 aurochs (MotM) |
| 14 | 2d4 axe beaks or 1d4 leopards (panther) |
| 15 | 1d2 elephants or 1d2 ankylosauruses |
| 16 | 3d4 jackals or 1d6 giant wolf spiders |
| 17 | 1d4 giant vultures or 1d4 deinonychuses (MotM) |
| 18 | 1d3 allosauruses or 1d2 giant scorpions |
| 19 | 1d4+1 giant hyenas or 2d6 flying snakes |
| 20 | 1 triceratops or 1 stegosaurus (MotM) |
Grassland Humanoids (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Grassland Humanoids (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d2 warrior veterans |
| 3 | 1d6 jackalweres or 1 goblin hexer |
| 4 | 1d3 ogres or 1d4 hobgoblin warriors & 1 ogre bolt launcher (MotM) |
| 5 | 1d6 orc toughs led by 1 orc priest or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1d2 scouts mounted on griffons or 1 wereboar |
| 7 | 1 orc berserker mounted on a worg or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d6 performers or 1d4 goblin warriors on 1 ogre howdah (MotM) |
| 9 | 1d4 commoners with 3d6 goats or 1d2 ogre chain brutes (MotM) |
| 10 | 1d4 gnoll warriors mounted on giant hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | 1d6+1 warrior infantry mounted on axebeaks |
| 12 | 1d3 centaur troopers |
| 13 | 1d3 hobgoblin warriors on worgs or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 14 | 2d6 bandits led by 1 bandit chief or 1 ogre battering ram (MotM) |
| 15 | 3d4 goblin warriors or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 16 | 1 druid with... (roll on Beasts) or 2d4 scouts |
| 17 | 1d4 bugbear warriors & 1 goblin minion or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 18 | 1d4+1 thri-kreen marauders or 1 pixie wonderbringer |
| 19 | 1 gnoll fang of Yeenoghu and 2d4 hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 20 | 1 weretiger |
Grassland Monsters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Grassland Monsters (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1d4 bronze scouts (MotM) |
| 3 | 1d4 giant eagles or 1d2 dryads and 1d2 sprites |
| 4 | 2d4 worgs or 1d2 griffons |
| 5 | 1d2 ankhegs or 1 leucrotta (MotM) |
| 6 | 1d4 scarecrows or 1d2 phase spiders |
| 7 | 1d3 pegasi or 2d4 stirges |
| 8 | 1d2 swarms of stirges or 2d4 needle blights |
| 9 | 1d6 cockatrices or 1d2 vampiric mists (MotM) |
| 10 | 1d3 bulette pups or 1 oaken bolter (MotM) |
Grassland Monsters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Grassland Monsters (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 djinn or 1 ki-rin (MotM) |
| 3 | 1 brazen gorgon or 1d2 howlers (MotM) |
| 4 | 1d3 galeb duhr or 2d4 sword wraith warriors (MotM) |
| 5 | 2d6 centaur troopers or 1 spring eladrin (MotM) |
| 6 | 1 cockatrice regent and 1d6 cockatrices or 1d4+2 yeth hounds (MotM) |
| 7 | 1d4 air elementals or 1 bulette |
| 8 | 1d3 cyclops sentries or 1d4 gorgons |
| 9 | 1d2 invisible stalkers or 1 chimera |
| 10 | 1 dire worg or 1 haunting revenant |
Mounts & Riders (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Mounts and Riders (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1d4 gnoll warriors on giant hyenas |
| 3 | 2d4 guards on ponies |
| 4 | 1d4 goblin warriors and 1 goblin boss on giant wolf spiders |
| 5 | 1 knight on a warhorse |
| 6 | 1d6 warrior infantry on riding horses |
| 7 | 1 orc berserker mounted on a dire wolf |
| 8 | 1d2 berserkers mounted on axe beaks or 1d4 goblin warriors carried by 1 ogre howdah (MotM) |
| 9 | 1d4 hobgoblin warriors mounted on worgs |
| 10 | 1d2 scouts on griffons |
Mounts & Riders (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Mounts and Riders (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 knight on a young gold dragon |
| 3 | 1 hobgoblin captain and 1d6 hobgoblin warriors mounted on griffons |
| 4 | 2d6 orc scouts on rhinoceroses |
| 5 | 1d4 ogres on elephants or 1 satyr revelmaster and 1d6 satyrs on giant owls |
| 6 | 1 berserker captain with 1d4 berserkers on warhorses |
| 7 | 1d6+2 warrior veterans on allosauruses (or giant boars) |
| 8 | 2d6+2 goblin warriors on wolves led by 1 goblin boss on a dire wolf |
| 9 | 1d3 druids mounted on triceratops |
| 10 | 1d3 scout captains on giant axe beaks or 1d2 bugbear stalkers on tyrannosaurus rexes |
More Encounters
There is a 5e grassland random encounter generator at ChaosGen. And also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Grassland Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
