D100 Coastal Beach Encounters for DND

I’ve got a list of 100 unique and interesting coastal beach encounters for your fantasy tabletop RPG campaign. At the end of the list, I’ve got some tips to make your TTRPG experience even better, so stay tuned. First off, here’s my random table of beach encounters near the coast!

Coastal Beach Encounters

1. Nereid (Aquatic) The sea shimmers with an otherworldly green for a moment, and then a young woman with a fishtail emerges from the water. She will tell anyone who will listen about the tragedy of the sunken city of Zan Zan.
2. Two fishermen approach, seeking food and rest. They are so hungry they will accept any food, and will even accept water. If offered ale, they will down it in one gulp then tell all they know.
3. A man named Harbald wanders the beach, looking for a lost treasure. He is raving mad and will attack any who stand in his way.
4. Two women named Berit and Gerda are looking for Berit’s husband, who went to sea and never returned. They will accept help in finding their man, or help in finding a new life.
5. A man named Bodric, who calls himself a sea captain, is looking for crew. He’s willing to take on anyone who can pay his price and will not ask too many questions about the crew’s ability.
6. A man named Ferdik is trying to talk a group of fishermen into joining him on a voyage to rescue his son, who went to sea and never returned. His story is heartbreaking, and he truly believes his son is still alive.
7. A man named Greymalkin is wandering the beach, looking for driftwood and anything else he can sell. He will buy anything he thinks he can sell at a profit and will trade almost anything for food and ale.
8. A man named Rolf is walking the beach, looking for anything he can sell or trade. He will buy anything he thinks he can sell or trade for profit later on.
9. A man named Madsen is walking the beach, looking for anything he can find or steal. He will sneak up on anyone and attack if it seems like there’s something worth taking or stealing.
10. A woman named Maddy is looking for anything she can find or steal. She will sneak up on anyone and attack if it seems like there’s something worth taking or stealing. (See more Sneak Attack 5e ideas!)
11. Raging sea. A storm has driven a ship onto the beach. There are survivors.
12. A small merchant ship has run aground. The ship is intact and there are no survivors.
13. A small boat has run aground. There are 2d6+2 survivors. They are members of a local cult and they want to convert the players to their religion.
14. A large merchant ship has run aground. The ship is intact and there are no survivors.
15. A small fishing boat has run aground. There are 2d6+2 survivors. The fishermen are willing to sell their catch for a reasonable price.
16. The players see a whale breaching.
17. The players hear a loud crash. They see a large sack being dragged across the beach by several octopi. The octopi are fighting over the sack which is full of gold coins.
18. The players hear a loud crash. They see a large sack being dragged across the beach by several octopi. The octopi are fighting over the sack which is full of gems.
19. A group of 4d6+4 men are working on a large wooden statue of a powerful god. They are part of a cult that believes they will be blessed when the statue is completed.
20. The players see a group of men wearing dark robes. They are carrying a large wooden box. They are part of a cult that believes they will be blessed when they bury their box in the beach sand.
21. Hordes of giant crabs are crawling up the shore, looking for food.
22. A group of drunk pirates are celebrating their last night of freedom before they are captured by the Navy.
23. A group of drunk pirates are celebrating their last night of freedom before they head to their deaths at the hands of a powerful kraken.
24. A group of pirates are having an argument about what to do with the silver they found on a ship.
25. A pirate is walking along the shore, looking for buried treasure. He is so drunk he does not notice the players until they talk to him. He will tell them that he has been walking for days, but he still has not found anything.
26. A group of pirates are having an argument about what to do with their prisoners.
27. A group of pirates are having an argument about what to do with the ship they captured.
28. A group of pirates are having an argument about whether to kill the prisoners they have or sell them as slaves.
29. A group of pirates are having an argument about whether or not to torture the prisoners they have or sell them as slaves.
30. A wizard is walking along the shore, looking for a place away from everyone else where he can cast his spells without being disturbed.
31. A group of 10 drunken, but well-armed men stagger down the beach, singing to themselves. They are looking for the local tavern.
32. A group of 3 local farmers are walking down the beach. They are talking about their bad crops.
33. A group of 2 local farmers are walking down the beach. They are talking about their good crops.
34. A dwarven merchant named Grumdurk is walking down the beach. He is carrying a large chest. He is looking for someone to transport it to another city. He is looking for a cheap price.
35. A group of 6 elven wizards are walking down the beach. They are looking for a place to practice their magic in secret.
36. A group of 3 human warriors are walking down the beach. They are looking for work.
37. A group of 4 human bandits are hiding in the bushes. They are waiting to ambush anyone who walks by.
38. A group of 3 human Knights are walking down the beach. They are looking for criminals to arrest.
39. A group of 2 gnomish bards are walking down the beach. They are singing about a local legend that happened nearby.
40. A group of 3 human wizards are walking down the beach. They are looking for books in a nearby library.
41. Picking up of a sea chest by a ship’s captain and his crew. A group of 5-6 pirates are fighting over the chest.
42. A group of 3-5 pirates are on the beach, burying treasure. They are drunk and have some of the treasure on their person.
43. A group of 4-5 pirates are walking the beach, looking for treasure. They are drunk.
44. Seeing a merchant from a nearby city walking the beach, looking for treasure. He has a small entourage with him.
45. There is an old man sitting on the beach, singing about the sea and hoping for a ship to come in. He is actually an illusion created by a band of pirates hoping to attract prey.
46. A group of 3-5 pirates are sitting around a campfire, laughing at their latest haul. They will try to steal whatever they can get their hands on.
47. A group of 3-5 pirates are waiting for a ship to come in. They are sitting on the beach, drinking, gambling, and trying to seduce the local women.
48. A lone pirate is sitting on the beach, waiting for a ship to come in. He has been stranded for a while and is desperate for food and water.
49. A group of 3-4 pirates are walking the beach, looking for prey. They are armed to the teeth.
50. A group of 3-4 pirates are walking the beach, looking for a good place to bury their treasure. They are drunk and will try to steal anything they can get their hands on.
51. A group of fishermen are performing an odd ritual. If the players approach, they will attack. They are cultists of Ol’ Scratch, the demon lord of the damned.
52. A crashed ship is on the beach. If players investigate, they will find a group of pirates who are still alive. They are eating the ship’s cargo.
53. A group of lost travelers are looking for the way home. They are carrying a strange item that they found while lost.
54. A group of men are celebrating their coming of age. If players approach, they will attack. They are robbers and are looking for an opportunity to rob nearby villagers.
55. A group of hunters are searching for food for their village. If players approach, they will attack.
56. A man is standing on the beach looking at the sea. He will tell players that his ship was damaged at sea. He will ask for help and offer a gift if they help him.
57. A group of fishermen are casting their nets into the sea. They will tell the players that they have caught nothing today. If players investigate, they will find foul creatures hiding in their nets.
58. A group of fishermen are trying to catch a shark. If players approach, they will ask them to help them fight the shark.
59. A group of drunken revelers are stumbling along the beach. They will attack the players if they are attacked first.
60. A group of farmers are searching for a lost cow.
61. Dunes and dunes of salt. 1d4 rocs attack.
62. Three old fishermen are trying to catch some fish, but the salt-water keeps washing their catch back out to sea.
63. A group of drunk dwarven miners are scavenging for gems on the beach. They are half-starved.
64. A group of human merchants are hauling a wagon filled with crates of salt and spices. They have been on the road for three months.
65. A large turtle shell, washed up on the beach.
66. A group of elven druids are trying to protect a baby sea turtle that has gotten lost from its nest.
67. A group of half-elf hunters are out hunting sea birds. They are carrying their catch on their shoulders.
68. A group of half-orc fishermen are fishing off the coast in a small boat. If they see the players, they will yell at them to go away because they are trying to catch a big fish and don’t want to be disturbed.
69. A group of drunk humans are singing songs about local heroes and heroines. They are trying to get the players to join in on their songs.
70. A group of gnomes are arguing about the best way to catch fish.
71.  Vultures are circling overhead, waiting for a shipwreck.
72. A ship has run aground. The ship’s cargo is scattered on the beach.
73. A group of 1d4+4 escaped convicts are hiding in the dunes.
74. A group of 1d4+4 royal guards are searching for the escaped convicts.
75. A group of 1d4+4 merchants are selling their goods on the beach.
76. A magical portal has been set up on the beach. It’s emitting an eerie red glow and has a sign reading ‘enter at your own risk.’
77. A group of 1d4+4 bards are trying to impress people with their music and talent.
78. A group of 1d4+4 merchants are selling their goods on the beach. They have a small stall set up and are selling their goods at a discounted price because they need to make room for new goods coming in from their ship at sea.
79. A group of 1d4+4 cultists are sacrificing a chicken to their dark god.
80. A group of 1d4+4 soldiers are practicing their swordplay on the beach.
81. Bored fishermen are telling stories about dangerous sea creatures.
82. Two old women are gossiping about a nearby village. They don’t know the players are listening.
83. A group of local men are celebrating. They are drunk and singing. They don’t notice the players unless they try to interfere with their party.
84. You see a group of men waving their swords in the air, yelling and screaming. They don’t notice the players unless they try to interfere.
85. A man is sitting on the beach, staring out at the water. If players talk to him, he will tell them a story about how he got lost at sea and was rescued by merfolk.
86. A group of men are standing around a small fire, talking about merfolk. They don’t know the players are listening.
87. A group of people passing by stumble upon a chest full of merfolk treasure. They start fighting over it until they notice the players.
88. A man is standing on a rock, yelling at some merfolk who are swimming nearby. He doesn’t notice the players unless they try to interfere.
89. A man is sitting on a rock, looking out at the ocean. He is thinking about his dead wife and singing a sad sea chanty. He doesn’t notice the players unless they try to interfere with his thinking time.
90. Three fishermen are sitting on a rock, talking about their day at sea. They don’t notice the players unless they try to interfere with their fishing.
91. Lava Eel swims by. It has a glowing blue collar made out of glass, but it doesn’t look like it’s attached to anything.
92. A group of 4d6 skeletons are playing cards. They are drunk, and they are arguing about what they are going to do with their winnings.
93. A man named Sam is sitting on the beach. He is looking for his dog. He thinks that his dog was washed out to sea. He is drunk, and he is not going to let anyone into his life story.
94. A group of 2d6+2 ogres are sitting on the beach. They are eating the cooked remains of their last meal.
95. A large bird swoops down and snatches a fish out of the water before flying off towards its nest high up in the cliffs.
96. A group of 2d6 guards stand at attention, protecting a large copper chest that’s chained to the ground.
97. A group of soldiers are sitting around a fire on the beach. They are singing songs about a local hero named ‘Duke’.
98. A group of 5d4+5 goblins sit around a campfire, cooking a pile of dead rats over the fire. They are too drunk and busy to notice the players until they get too close and start trying to kill them.
99. A group of 2d4+2 giant crabs skitter across the beach, heading for the water.
100. A large horse walks along the beach, looking for something to eat. It’s rider was lost at sea, and it’s looking for food to sustain itself while it waits for its rider to be found and returned to it. The horse has been enchanted to be able to speak Common.

Even More Beach and Coastal Encounters

Want even more coastal beach encounters? Head over to Random Encounters AI to find thousands of additional random encounters for your fantasy campaign. The site is powered by GPT-3 from OpenAI, and I think it just might surprise you.