100 Travel Encounters for 5e DND

Coming up with unique and interesting travel encounters for 5e DND (and other fine roleplaying systems) doesn’t need to be difficult. To help, I’ve come up with a D100 random encounter table for players that are traveling through your world. Feel free to use these in your fantasy tabletop RPG campaign.

100 Random Travel Encounters 5e

1. Players spot a small horse, with a small saddle and markings of the local lord. The horse is wounded, but will try to attack players, thinking they are the enemies. He will run if attacked, but is worth 70 gold if they can heal him.
2. A group of soldiers are riding through the area. If the players interact with them, they will be able to tell that they are looking for a group of bandits in the area. They will offer food and water to the players if they need it.
3. A group of farmers are working in the field. They will offer players food and water if they need it.
4. A group of women are sitting outside a building. If the players interact with them, they will be able to tell that they are working for a local wizard, and he has been kidnapping children, turning them into lizards, and returning them to their parents, who are distraught. If players can find the wizard and stop him, they can save the children, who will want to join their party.
5. A small child is wandering down the road. If players approach him, he will ask for help finding his mommy and daddy. If players help him, he will lead them to his parents, who have been turned into lizards by a local wizard and will give them information about him in return for saving them and turning them back into humans.
6. A group of women are sitting outside a building. If the players interact with them, they will be able to tell that they are waiting for a woodcutter who was working nearby, but has not returned. If players investigate, they will find that he was captured by a group of goblins nearby.
7. A group of fishermen are sitting by a small pond, fishing, drinking ale and laughing at each other’s jokes. If players approach them, they will offer them ale and food if they need it.
8. A group of farmers are working in the field. They will offer players food and water if they need it.
9. A group of hunters are sitting around a campfire, cooking their morning meal and telling stories about their hunts and kills. If players approach them, they will offer them food and drink if they need it.
10. A merchant is traveling through the area with his beautiful daughter and his donkey cart filled with his goods. He will offer the party anything he has for sale if they talk to him – even things he doesn’t have – but the merchant is an honest man who wants to make a living while doing what he loves – traveling and meeting new people – so he will deal fairly with the party if they deal fairly with him.
11. Wagon slams into the side of the road. The driver is a mid-aged woman. She is missing her left arm, and she has a broken leg. She needs help getting back on the road. She has a handsome reward for helping her.
12. A man is in the road. He is dressed in the clothing of a king. The man has been robbed of his shoes, his crown, and his gold. He needs help getting back to his kingdom. He has a handsome reward if the party helps him get back to his kingdom.
13. A man is standing in the road. He is dressed in rags. He has 1d6+1 rat pups in a small cage. He is trying to sell them to passersby.

14. A woman is standing in the road. Her name is Brunhilda. She is beautiful, but she is also very old and very ugly. She has been cursed by an evil wizard and she asks for help getting rid of the curse.
15. A man is standing in the road with his horse. The man’s horse is lame. The man is a merchant from a nearby city, and he needs a new horse but he does not have the money to buy a new horse.
16. A group of seven men sit around a campfire on the side of the road. The men are dressed in rags, but they are armed with swords, shields, and helmets. The men are soldiers who have been banished from their homeland and they are looking for work.
17. A woman is standing in the road screaming at people as they pass by her. The woman’s name is Brunhilda, and she is beautiful but she is also very old and very ugly.
18. A man is standing in the road with a small cage filled with 1d6+1 rats. He is trying to sell them to passersby or he is trying to feed them to the caged rats if no one buys them from him.
19. A group of seven men sit around a campfire on the side of the road. The men are dressed in rags, but they are armed with swords, shields, and helmets. The men are soldiers who have been banished from their homeland and they are looking for work. They are willing to join up with your party if you will help them get back home or if you will help them get revenge on the people who banished them from their homeland or they will ask you for money if you have any on you or they will attack you if you do not do anything to help them.
20. Four men sit around a campfire on the side of the road far from any town or village or city or temple or church or graveyard or any other place where anyone would bother them for any reason at all because this area is deserted except for this one place where these four men sit around this campfire on this side of this road far from any town or village or city or temple or church or graveyard or any other place where anyone would bother them for any reason at all because this area is deserted except for this one place where these four men sit around this campfire on this side of this road…
21. Vines growing around a skeleton
22. An abandoned wagon with a dead horse still tied to it
23. Two goblins arguing over a map
24. A man and his horse camped out on the side of the road. They are lost. They will ask for directions to the nearest town.
25. A group of 2d6 men and women carrying a coffin between them. They will ask if anyone is willing to help them bury their friend. If no one is willing to help, they will bury him by the side of the road and continue on their way.
26. A pair of young lovers, out for a picnic. A young couple, out for a picnic. It is a lovely day and they are enjoying it by the side of the road. If disturbed, they will ask if you would like to join them for lunch. They have plenty.
27. A gang of 2d6 bandits are looking for a good place to set up camp for the night. They will demand gold from anyone who has it.
28. A group of 2d4 men and women are on their way to a wedding. They are carrying gifts between them. If you approach, they will demand to know if you are going to the wedding as well. If you say yes, they will invite you to join them, if not, they will threaten you and continue on their way.
29. A group of 2d6 men and women are on their way to a funeral. They are carrying gifts between them. If you approach, they will demand to know if you are going to the funeral as well. If you say yes, they will invite you to join them, if not, they will threaten you and continue on their way.
30. A group of 2d6 men and women are on their way to a wedding. They are not happy.
31. A group of 2d6 orcs are walking down the road. They are looking for food and supplies. They will attack the players if they feel threatened.
32. A group of 2d6 humans are walking down the road. They are looking for work. They will attack the players if they feel threatened.
33. A man approaches the players and tells them that he is looking for work. He is carrying a small box. He offers to hire on as a guide for 20 gold pieces per day. His name is Roland and he has a bad leg from an injury. He can’t walk that fast, but he knows where there’s lots of treasure.
34. Two elderly women approach the players and ask for help. They tell the players that they have been robbed by two men named Bob and Bill. The two women have been robbed of 10 silver pieces and 5 gold pieces each. The two men have also taken their horses, carriages and everything else they owned.
35. A group of 2d6 goblins are walking down the road looking for food and supplies. They will attack anyone they see.
36. A group of 2d6 kobolds are running down the road away from something. They are babbling in their native tongue.
37. Two elderly men approach the players and ask for help. They tell the players that they have been robbed by two men named Bob and Bill. The two men have been robbed of 10 silver pieces and 5 gold pieces each. The two men have also taken their horses, carriages and everything else they owned.
38. A woman approaches the players and asks for help. She tells the players that she has been robbed by two men named Bob and Bill. The two men have been robbed of 10 silver pieces and 5 gold pieces each. The two men have also taken her horse, carriage and everything else she owned.
39. A man approaches the players and asks for help. He tells the players that he has been robbed by two men named Bob and Bill. The two men have been robbed of 10 silver pieces and 5 gold pieces each. The two men have also taken his horse, carriage and everything else he owned.
40. A group of 2d4 halflings are walking down the road looking for work. They are carrying axes, picks, shovels and various other tools of their trade. They will hire on as common laborers for 1 silver piece per day plus meals, room and board!
41. A group of 2d6+2 soldiers are marching down the road. They are on their way to a nearby village. The soldiers are part of a nearby army. They are escorting supplies to the village.
42. A man is sitting on a barrel. He is selling apples. He has a small basket of apples next to him. The apples are very good. They cost 1 silver per apple.
43. A man is sitting on a barrel. He is selling broken weapons.
44. A woman is walking down the road. She is lost and she is trying to find her way home. She is lost and she has been walking for three days now and has not found her way home yet.
45. A man is walking down the road. He is lost and he is trying to find his way home. He is lost and has been walking for three days now and has not found his way home yet.
46. A group of 2d4 men are walking down the road. They are on their way to a nearby village. The men are part of a nearby army that is patrolling the roads to keep them safe from bandits and thieves.
47. A man is sitting on a barrel. He is drinking ale. He will be on his third barrel before he leaves.
48. A group of 2d4 men are walking down the road. They are on their way to a nearby village. The men are part of a nearby army that is patrolling the roads to keep them safe from bandits and thieves.
49. A group of 2d4 soldiers are marching down the road. They are on their way to a nearby village. The soldiers are part of a nearby army that is patrolling the roads to keep them safe from bandits and thieves.
50. A group of 2d4 merchants are marching down the road. They are on their way to a nearby village. The merchants are not very trustworthy.

51. Qynguls attack the party. They are carrying food, supplies, and weapons. There are 20 of them.
52. A group of pilgrims dressed in red robes are walking down the road. They are carrying a large statue of a god. The statue is adorned with gold and jewels. The pilgrims are on their way to the nearby temple.
53. A group of peasants are walking down the road. They are carrying food and supplies to the nearby city.
54. A group of halflings are walking down the road. They are carrying food and beer to the nearby village.
55. A group of hunters dressed in green cloaks with yellow hoods walk down the road. They are carrying bows, arrows, and meat.
56. A group of hunters dressed in green cloaks with yellow hoods walk down the road. They are carrying bows, arrows, and furs.
57. A group of gnomes dressed in brown robes walk down the road. They are carrying tools, nails, and wood. They’re on their way to the nearby village to build a house for themselves.
58. A group of horsemen dressed in red cloaks ride down the road. They are carrying swords, shields, and armor to the nearby city to sell for money to buy supplies for their village.
59. A group of horsemen dressed in red cloaks ride down the road. They are carrying swords, shields, and armor to the nearby city to sell for money to buy supplies for the king’s army.
60. A group of merchants dressed in blue cloaks with yellow stripes ride down the road. They are carrying spices, food, and supplies to sell at the market in the nearby city to make money to buy more supplies for their journey back to their home village because they’re traveling all around the world to sell their goods at different markets so they make more money than everyone else because they’re smart business people who know how to make money off of everyone else’s hard work
61. KAAAAA! A pack of wolves attack the players out of nowhere. They are hungry and angry and will attack the players first.
62. A group of 1d4+3 former soldiers are traveling the road, looking for a new place to settle down in. They have left their home kingdom.
63. A man named Maugh is on the road, looking for work. He’s a strong man and is willing to carry the party’s gear for a few coins.
64. A man named Entik is on the road, looking for work. He’s a wizard and is willing to cast a spell or two if the players can afford it.
65. A man named Gorc is on the road, looking for work. He’s a warrior and is willing to fight for the party for a few coins.
66. A group of 1d4+3 soldiers are patrolling the road, looking for bandits or criminals.
67. A group of 1d4+3 men are sitting around a campfire, singing songs and drinking ale. They don’t mind if the players join in.
68. Two old men named Gramps and Gramps are sitting on top of a nearby hill, watching you pass by. They’re watching for strangers or troublemakers. If they see any, they’ll holler down at you.
69. Three gnome women named Momma, Ma, and Mango are walking down the road with a cart full of turnips and other root vegetables. They’re headed to the local shire to sell their harvest at market day.
70. A group of 1d4+3 hunters are riding horses through this area, looking for game or bandits or other troublemakers.
71. Yonder, a band of evil adventurers are traveling through the forest. They are led by a cruel, cruel warrior. He is looking for a lost treasure.
72. A group of traveling bards are on their way to a local tavern. They will sing and tell stories. They will perform some music as well.
73. A group of bandits have set up camp in an abandoned stone building. They are resting and preparing to attack a nearby village.
74. A group of elves are traveling through the forest. They are on their way to a nearby city. They will trade with PCs if they have something the elves want or need.
75. A group of thieves are hiding in the bushes. They are hiding and waiting for a wealthy merchant to pass by on the road.
76. A group of 2d6+2 hobgoblins are hiding in the bushes, waiting for a lone traveler to pass by on the road.
77. A group of 2d6 orcs are riding horses and riding along the road, looking for travelers to rob and kill.
78. A lone old man is walking along the road ahead of the party. He is carrying a sack and has a stick in his hand, using it as a cane to walk with. He is headed towards a nearby town and will talk to players if they talk to him and offer him help getting there, introducing them to an NPC that will be important later in the campaign when the party goes to that town to do something there and can seek out this old man who will help them because they helped him when he was traveling along the road to that town while carrying his sack of goodies along with his walking stick that he uses to help him walk along the dusty roads while he’s traveling from place to place hoping to find work and make a profit before he dies and goes to meet his maker in the afterlife.
79. A group of 2d6+2 thieves are hiding in the bushes, waiting for a lone traveler or merchant to pass by on the road so they can ambush them, rob them, and kill them for their possessions which they will sell to a local fence who lives in a nearby city where the thieves live and work, most likely for less than what they’re worth because no one wants to deal with them because they’re dangerous, evil people who will do anything to get what they want even if it means killing someone who gets in their way…
80. A group of 2d6 elven rangers are hunting in the forest, looking for game to hunt for food or clothing or equipment or weapons or anything else that they can use since they’re elves and live in the forest and need everything they can get since they’re stuck living in the forest since they’re elven rangers who hunt in elven forests which means that they have nowhere else to go since they’re elves who live in elven forests…
81. Unexpected Rainstorm – A rainstorm comes out of nowhere and lasts for 1d6 hours. During the rain, any creature not covered by an umbrella must make a Constitution saving throw to avoid losing 1d4 hit points during the rain.
82. The Smell of Blood – As you travel down a road, you smell the faint smell of blood in the air. You see a bloody trail leading off the road. It leads deeper into the woods.
83. An Old Tale – An old man sitting on a bench tells your group an old tale about a nearby dungeon. He says that the dungeon is full of treasure. He says that it is a dangerous place and you should not go near it. He says that there is a dragon in it. If a player asks if he has seen the dragon, he will never answer the question for fear it will curse him.
84. A Broken Sign – A signpost has been broken in half by some strong force or creature. The two pieces still stand, but the post has been snapped in two.
85. An Old Campfire – A campfire burns here. It has not been used for a few days. If players investigate, they find some old bones that were cooked by someone a few days ago.
86. Dusty Tracks – Tracks of an animal lead off the road to the west and then come back onto the road again after a few yards. The tracks are very dusty and have been left by someone or something that has been in this area for quite a while.
87. Abandoned Campsite – An abandoned campsite is here. It has been abandoned for quite some time and is now covered in dust and cobwebs. The campfire here has not been used for months and the remains of several small animals are scattered around the site.
88. A Strange Tree – A strange tree grows nearby. It is very tall and has bark that is like stone but it is a tree. The tree seems to be enchanted or magical in some way because it seems to glow faintly and hums quietly with its own strange power which seems to be affecting everything around it for a few yards.
89. A Strange Cow – A strange cow lows nearby. It is pale in colour and seems to be made of stone or marble but it is alive and its eyes glow blue with some strange power that you cannot identify or understand but it seems to be demonic in origin or power.
90. Nothing Seems Out of Place – Nothing out of the ordinary seems to be happening nearby, but something feels off or wrong about this place.
91. 2d8 hobgoblins riding giant dogs, led by a hobgoblin captain. They are hunting for food and will attack if they see anyone.
92. The party sees a group of 5 wild men, who are actually cultists trying to summon a demon. They are not very good at it and the party will be able
93. A group of 4 men and women playing a card game and drinking. They are not very good at it and the party will be able to take their money without a fight.
94. A group of 2d4 male and female leonin are gathering firewood. They will let the party take as much as they want without a fight.
95. The party sees a group of 10 men and women, gathering water from a well. They will ask the party to help them and give them a reward if they do so.
96. A group of 5 men and women are gathering water from a well. They will challenge the party to a fight if they try to take any water without helping them first.
97. The party sees a group of 5 men and women, gathering food from a field. They will attack anyone who tries to take food from the field without helping them first.
98. The party sees a group of 4 men and women, gathering food from a field. They are farmers and will tell the party to leave the field if they try to take any food without helping them first.
99. 5 gnolls on foot, led by a gnoll warrior.
100. A group of 4 men and women gather wood for a fire. They will ask the party for help and give them a reward if they do so

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