"A rescue giant seahorse is looking for help for trapped ally. It carries bags with useful items such as rope, potions and tool."
Tables for Non-Combat Encounters, Quick NPCs and Hazards & Obstacles for Underwater. Result is from Underwater Non-Combat Encounters.
Non-combat by terrain - arctic | coastal | desert | forest | grassland | hill | mountain | swamp | underdark | underwater | urban
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Underwater Non-Combat, NPCs & Hazards
Merfolk, talking crabs and water spirits await in the depths. Young merfolk might be curious about the world beyond the sea or a sea priest might be leading an underwater ritual. Meet NPCs from a berserker who has fallen in love with a sea creature to a merrow with a pipe of bubbles and gifts to hand out. Deal with inky clouds, inquisitive seahorses and strong underwater currents.
There is a 5e Underwater random encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Underwater Encounters.
Underwater Encounter Tables - creatures | locations | non-combat | enhancements
Underwater Non-Combat Encounters
| 1d8+1d12 | Underwater Non-Combat Encounters |
|---|---|
| 2 | An empyrean in on a sightseeing tour of various underwater ruins |
| 3 | A spirit naga (swim 40 ft.) asks many probing questions. Has things from the surface to trade |
| 4 | Several kuo-toa lost from the Underdark are bewildered by the sea |
| 5 | A storm giant is gathering donations to help a good cause |
| 6 | A few acolytes and a priest doing a ritual in old underwater temple |
| 7 | An awakened giant octopus (int 10) wants a long conversation |
| 8 | A deva is trying out different beast forms in the water |
| 9 | A druid (can turn into a killer whale) looks for others of their kind |
| 10 | A few cultists (with water breathing) have been sent to find a wreck (or kraken) |
| 11 | A group of young merfolk want to learn of places beyond the sea |
| 12 | A sea sprite (swim 40 ft.) is after allies to help protect the area |
| 13 | A rescue giant seahorse is looking for help for trapped ally. It carries bags with useful items such as rope, potions and tools. |
| 14 | A dryad of a large underwater plant asks for some music or a tale |
| 15 | A pair of talking giant crabs (int 10) ask for advice on styles of shell and different homes. Have a variety of large colorful shells nearby. |
| 16 | A malenti (sahuagin that looks like an aquatic elf) is looking to start a new life. They ask about opportunities on the surface. |
| 17 | Among a shipwreck skeleton crew work as if they were alive |
| 18 | A clay golem is dragging a large net something along the seabed |
| 19 | A whale (or shark) turns out to be an adult gold dragon scholar who asks many questions about their lives and adventures. |
| 20 | A gnome mage and their veteran assistant are operating an apparatus of Kwalish. They are searching for an undersea alchemist. |
Underwater Quick NPCs
| 1d4+1d6 | Underwater Quick NPCs |
|---|---|
| 2 | Gorev is a heartbroken archmage with a collection of ornate rings. They are unable to hide emotions and having a hiatus away from civilisation. Their attention has been taken up by a local magical site. |
| 3 | Keranios is a grim lizardfolk pearl diver with an affectionate pet seahorse. They talk about a group of druidic whales who rule the seas. |
| 4 | Xappan gaunt merrow with an pipe that blows bubbles. They talk about the importance of giving and have a gift for one of the group. |
| 5 | Sariel is an old scout with a pair of glowing goggles. They are concerned only with the present and have a sea anemone collection |
| 6 | Arannis unhappy sea elf priest with flowing blue hair. They seek information about an artifact and have a rivalry with a merfolk mage |
| 7 | Alhandra is a crafty druid with several whale tattoos. They are accompanied by sea urchins are like talking to creatures of the sea |
| 8 | Katernin is a joking berserker with an assortment of ivory charms and strange armor. They have fallen in love with an inhabitant of the sea. |
| 9 | Vezera is a philosophical sea hag wearing mismatched clothes from the surface. They love talking for hours and make beautiful poetry. |
| 10 | Raam is a smug veteran with a runed spear and a pegleg. They are scared of the undersea world but hope to salvage an undersea wreck. |
Underwater Hazards and Obstacles
| 1d8+1d12 | Underwater Hazards and Obstacles |
|---|---|
| 2 | Area of dead magic (treat as antimagic field) |
| 3 | Maelstrom (25% chance portal to Plane of Water) |
| 4 | Area of frigid water (DMG page 110) with chunks of ice on seabed |
| 5 | Cloud of murky toxic water (poison damage or poisoned condition) |
| 6 | A siren's call for help from a sea cave mouth |
| 7 | Underwater current that pulls down into underwater ravine |
| 8 | Cloud of inky blackness (25% chance portal to the Shadowfell) |
| 9 | A bubble (or pocket) of air, floating or stationary |
| 10 | Strong underwater current that might carry creatures away |
| 11 | A phantom ship that sails underwater or bloated corpses infected with disease |
| 12 | An area of sharp, jagged seaweed (treat as razorvine, DMG page 110) |
| 13 | A swarm of inquisitive sea-horses |
| 14 | A mass of animated seaweed (like entangle spell) |
| 15 | A periodic booming noise from a sea cave or trench |
| 16 | A bright beacon, possibly a distress call or celebration |
| 17 | Underwater steam vent or a weird mass of seaweed that acts as Brown Mold (DMG pg 105) |
| 18 | A sonic beacon, possibly a distress call or warning |
| 19 | A mass of rotting bodies, floating or chained together |
| 20 | A dark vortex that pulls creatures in, portal to another plane |
More Encounters
There is a 5e Underwater random encounter generator at ChaosGen. There is also a pdf of these and more tables at the DM's Guild as Underwater Encounters.
If you liked these there are D&D Generators at Chaos Gen, a monthly random tools Newsletter and an instagram of Random Tables.
