A patrol of eight human warriors come over the brow of a nearby hill. Two stop to refill waterskins from a stream while their leader approaches and asks if you've seen any goblins riding wolves...
Updated Hill encounters using D&D 2024 Monster Manual. Also a D&D 2014 version. Tables for Hill Encounters (levels 1-4, 5-0, 11+), Beasts, Humanoids, Monsters and Giants
Encs by terrain - arctic | coastal | desert | feywild | forest | grassland | hill | jungle | mountain | road | ruins | sea | shadowfell | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban | all dnd 2024 encs
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Hill Encounters
Hill terrain covers a range between farmed valleys, rugged moors and mountain foothills. Encounters can occur among mossy rocks, by a stone circle or in an abandoned hill fortress
Often between mountains and plains, civilisation and the wilds, they are the home of vigilant sentries, monstrous raiders and beasts domestic or wild.
There is a 5e Hill random encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Hill Encounters.
Hill Tables - encounters (2014) | encounters (2024) | locations | non-combat | extras | all hills posts
Hill Encounters Levels 1-4
MotM = Monsters of the Multiverse
| 1d8+1d12 | Hills Levels 1-4 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1 oaken bolter (MotM) |
| 3 | 1d4 giant eagles or 1d3 shadow mastiffs (MotM) |
| 4 | 1d3 pegasi or 1 iron cobra (MotM) |
| 5 | 1d4 berserkers or 1 yeth hound (MotM) |
| 6 | 1d3 orc toughs with 1 ogre or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 7 | 1d3 perytons or 1d4 bronze scouts (MotM) |
| 8 | 4d6 kobold warriors or roll on Kobolds lvl 1-4 |
| 9 | 2d6 bandits led by 1 bandit captain or 1d4+1 hippogriffs |
| 10 | 1d3 griffons or roll on Monsters lvl 1-4 |
| 11 | Patrol of 3d6 warrior infantry or roll on Humanoids |
| 12 | 2d6 goats and 1d6 giant goats or roll on Beasts |
| 13 | 2d6 goblin warriors led by a goblin boss or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 14 | 1d2 brown bears or roll on Beasts |
| 15 | 1d4 hobgoblin warriors with 1 giant vulture or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 16 | 1 ettin or roll on Giants lvl 1-4 |
| 17 | 2d6 wolves or 2d6 stirges |
| 18 | 1 gnoll fang of Yeenoghu and 1d4+1 hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 19 | 1d2 harpies or 1d2 phase spiders |
| 20 | 1d3 druids and 1d3 scouts or 1 bulette |
Hills Levels 5-10
| 1d8+1d12 | Hills Levels 5-10 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 young copper dragon or 1d3 werebears | |
| 3 | 1 brazen gorgon or 2d4 yeth hounds (MotM) | |
| 4 | 1d3 stone giants or roll on Giants lvl 5-10 | |
| 5 | 2d6 hippogriffs or 2d6 firenewts (MotM) on giant striders (MotM) and 1 firenewt warlock of Imix (MotM) | |
| 6 | 1d4+1 hill giants or roll on Giants lvl 5-10 | |
| 7 | 1d3 wyverns or 1d3 stone defenders (MotM) guarding 1 mage | |
| 8 | 1 hobgoblin captain and 1d6 hobgoblin warriors mounted on griffons or roll on Goblinoids lvl 5-10 | |
| 9 | 4d6 giant goats or 1d3 hill giants and 1 mouth of Grolantor (MotM) | |
| 10 | 4d6 guards led by 1d3 warrior veterans or 1d2 berserkers on wyverns | |
| 11 | Roll on Hill Encounters lvl 1-4 or 1 stone giant dreamwalker (MotM) | |
| 12 | 1d4 galeb duhr or roll on Monsters lvl 5-10 | |
| 13 | 1d4 trolls or 1 warlock of the great old one (MotM) with 2d4 scouts | |
| 14 | 1 bulette or roll on Monsters lvl 5-10 | |
| 15 | 3d6 orc toughs led by 1d3 orc tough bosses or roll on Orcs lvl 5-10 | |
| 16 | 1 cyclops sentry with 3d6 goats or 2d4 shadow mastiffs (MotM) led by 1 shadow mastiff alpha (MotM) | |
| 17 | 1 bandit deceiver, 1d4 bandit captains & 2d6 bandits or 1 chimera | |
| 18 | 3d6 pegasi or 1d2 howlers (MotM) | |
| 19 | 2d4 perytons or 2d4 redcaps (MotM) | |
| 20 | 1 young red dragon or 2d4 neogi (MotM) and 1 neogi master (MotM) with 1 charmed cyclops sentry |
Hills Levels 11+
| 1d8+1d12 | Hills Levels 11+ |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2 young red dragons or 1 elder tempest (MotM) |
| 3 | 2d6 warrior veterans mounted on pegasi or 1 zaratan (MotM) |
| 4 | 1 adult red dragon or 1d4 stone giants and 1d3 hill giants |
| 5 | 1 bandit crime lord, 1 mage & 2d4 bandit captains or 1d6 stone giants led by 1 stone giant dreamwalker (MotM) |
| 6 | 1 brazen gorgon and 1d4 gorgons or 1 questing knight on a wyvern |
| 7 | 2d4+2 hill giants or 2 cyclops sentries with 4d6 giant goats |
| 8 | 2d6 werewolves and 2d6 dire wolves or 1d6 howlers (MotM) |
| 9 | 2d4 stone giants or 1 gray render (MotM) bonded with 1 druid |
| 10 | 2d4 wyverns or 2d4 hill giants and 2 mouths of Grolantor (MotM) |
| 11 | Roll on Hill Encouters lvl 5-10 or 1 archpriest and 1d4 knights |
| 12 | 1 warrior commander with 2d4 warrior veterans on patrol |
| 13 | 3d6 galeb duhr or 2d6 ogres and 2d4 ogre bolt launchers (MotM) |
| 14 | 1 cyclops oracle with 1d4 cyclops sentries or 1 dire troll (MotM) |
| 15 | 2d4+2 trolls or 2d4 hobgoblin warriors and 1 hobgoblin devastator (MotM) on griffons led by 1 hobgoblin warlord on a chimera |
| 16 | 1d2 dire worgs with 4d6 worgs or 1d6 trolls with 1 dire troll (MotM) |
| 17 | 2d4 revenants or 1 gray render (MotM) bonded with 1 mage |
| 18 | 1 roc or a coven of 3 annis hags (MotM) with 1d4 trolls |
| 19 | 1 adult copper dragon or 2d4 werebears |
| 20 | 2 young copper dragons or 1 colossus |
Hill Beasts (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Hill Beasts (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 giant elk or 1d2 quetzacoaltus (MotM) |
| 3 | 1d4 dire wolves or 2d4 giant wolf spiders |
| 4 | 2d6 baboons |
| 5 | 1d6 swarms of ravens |
| 6 | 1d4 swarms of insects or 2d4 wolves led by 1 dire wolf |
| 7 | 1d8 blood hawks or 2d4 giant goats |
| 8 | 1d4 lions or 1d4 giant hyenas |
| 9 | 4d6 goats or 2d4 axe beaks |
| 10 | 2d6 mastiffs |
| 11 | 2d4 giant weasels or 1d3 aurochs (MotM) |
| 12 | 1d8 boars or 2d6 hyenas |
| 13 | 2d6 wolves or 2d6 elk |
| 14 | 1d3 giant boars |
| 15 | 1d2 brown bears |
| 16 | 1d3 panthers or 1d4 deinonychuses (MotM) |
| 17 | 1d6 swarms of bats |
| 18 | 2d4 mules |
| 19 | 1d6 venomous snakes or 2d6 stirges |
| 20 | 1d4 giant eagles or 2d4 giant owls |
Hill Humanoids (Levels 1-4)
| 1d8+1d12 | Hill Humanoids (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 werebear or 1 troll |
| 3 | 1d4 ogrillon ogres or 1d2 redcaps (MotM) |
| 4 | 1d2 warrior veterans or 2d6 xvarts (MotM) led by 1 xvart warlock of Raxivort (MotM) |
| 5 | 2d4 hobgoblin warriors with 1 dire wolf or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 6 | 1 druid with... (roll on Beasts) |
| 7 | 1d4+1 orc scouts or roll on Orcs lvl 1-4 |
| 8 | 1d2 scout captains or 1 goblin hexer with 1d4 goblin minions |
| 9 | 2d6 goblin warriors led by a goblin boss or roll on Goblinoids lvl 1-4 |
| 10 | 2d6 warrior infantry led by 1 berserker |
| 11 | 1d3 ogres or 2d4 guards led by 1 warrior veteran |
| 12 | 2d4 commoners with a cart and 1d3 mules |
| 13 | 2d6 kobold warriors & 1d6 winged kobolds or roll on Kobolds lvl 1-4 |
| 14 | 2d6 bandits led by 1 bandit captain or 2d6 guards and 1 scout |
| 15 | 1d6 gnoll warriors with 2d4 hyenas or roll on Gnolls lvl 1-4 |
| 16 | 1d4+1 scouts or 2d6 boggles (MotM) |
| 17 | 1 ettin or 1d3 firenewts (MotM) mounted on giant striders (MotM) |
| 18 | 1d4 berserkers or 1d3 meazels (MotM) |
| 19 | 1 green hag or 1 werewolf |
| 20 | 1 hill giant or 1d4 firenewts led by 1 firenewt warlock of Imix (MotM) |
Hill Monsters (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Hill Monsters (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 gorgon or 1 oaken bolter (MotM) |
| 3 | 1d4 giant eagles or 2d4 neogi hatchlings (MotM) with 1 neogi (MotM) |
| 4 | 1d3 perytons or 1d4 bronze scouts (MotM) |
| 5 | 1d2 phase spiders or 1d3 bulette pups |
| 6 | 1d6 hippogriffs or 1 ettin |
| 7 | 1d3 ogres or 1d3 shadow mastiffs (MotM) |
| 8 | 1d3 griffons or 1 iron cobra (MotM) |
| 9 | 2d6 stirges or 1d2 harpies |
| 10 | 1 earth elemental or 1 bulette |
Hill Monsters (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Hill Monsters (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2d4 perytons |
| 3 | 1d4 trolls or 2d4 shadow mastiffs (MotM) led by 1 shadow mastiff alpha (MotM) |
| 4 | 1d4 hill giants or 1d2 howlers (MotM) |
| 5 | 1 dire worg or 1d2 stone defenders (MotM) & 1d3 oaken bolters (MotM) |
| 6 | 1d3 wyverns or 1 bulette and 2d4 bulette pups |
| 7 | 2d4 griffons or 1d2 tree blights |
| 8 | 1d4 galeb duhr or 1 chimera |
| 9 | 2d6 hippogriffs or 2d4 yeth hounds (MotM) |
| 10 | 1 brazen gorgon or 1d4 gorgons |
Giants (Levels 1-4)
| 1d4+1d6 | Giants (Levels 1-4) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 hill giant or 1 ogre howdah (MotM) carrying 1d4 goblin warriors |
| 3 | 1 ogre with 1d2 ogrillon ogres |
| 4 | 1 ettin with 3d6 goats or 1d2 ogre chain brutes (MotM) |
| 5 | 1d4 ogrillon ogres or 1d2 ogres led by 1 ogre bolt launcher (MotM) |
| 6 | 1d3 ogres or 1 ogre battering ram (MotM) |
| 7 | 1 ettin or 1 ogre howdah (MotM) carrying 1d4 gnome guards |
| 8 | 1 ogre with... (roll on Beasts); |
| 9 | 1d2 ogrillon ogres protecting... (roll on Humanoids) |
| 10 | 1 troll |
Giants (Levels 5-10)
| 1d4+1d6 | Giants (Levels 5-10) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 cyclops oracle or 1 mouth of Grolantor (MotM) and 1d4 trolls |
| 3 | 1d6+1 ogres led by 1 hill giant or 1d2 mouths of Grolantor (MotM) with 1d2 hill giants and 1d3 ogres |
| 4 | 1 cyclops sentry & 2d4 giant goats or 1 annis hag (MotM) & 1d2 trolls |
| 5 | 1d3 stone giants or 1d4+1 ogres with 1d4 ogre bolt launchers (MotM) led by 1 ogre battering ram (MotM) |
| 6 | 1d4+1 trolls or 1d4 hill giants and 1 mouth of Grolantor (MotM) |
| 7 | 2d4 ogres led by 1d2 frost giants or 1 stone giant dreamwalker (MotM) |
| 8 | 1d4+1 hill giants or 2d6 ogres led by 1d2 ogre chain brutes (MotM) |
| 9 | 1d6 ogres and 1d4 ettins or 1 annis hag (MotM) with 1d4 ogres |
| 10 | 1d4 hill giants and 1d6 ogrillon ogres or 1d2 hill giants and 2d4 worgs |
More Encounters
There is a 5e Hill random encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Hill Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
