Random Travel Encounters Table DND 5e

I’ve put together a random travel encounters table for DND 5e, Pathfinder, and other fine tabletop roleplaying systems. At the end of the list, I’ve got some info on some RPG tools I built that are powered by GPT-3 from OpenAI, an advanced neural net language model that does pretty decent content! First, here’s the list of random encounters while traveling in a fantasy world. Enjoy!

Random Travel Encounters Table 5e+

1. Vulture flying overhead. A dead dragon is lying in the middle of the road.
2. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for treasure under the road.
3. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for treasure under the road. They will ask the players to help them dig.
4. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for treasure under the road. They will attack anyone who gets too close.
5. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for treasure under the road. They will attack anyone who gets too close. They will not fight to their deaths because they know that the other diggers will bury them when they die, but they will fight to their limits to try to get a few hits in on any opponents who get too close to them.
6. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for treasure under the road. They will ask the players to help them dig. They will pay 1d4 x 10 gold pieces per hour worked.
7. A group of men are digging a hole in the middle of the road. They are looking for a lost treasure.
8. Two men are fighting over a woman. They will not notice the players while they fight.
9. A group of 2d6 men are gambling on the side of the road. They will attack anyone who disturbs them while they gamble.
10. A group of 2d6 men are gambling on the side of the road. They will attack anyone who disturbs them while they gamble.
11. Unexpectedly, a group of 3d6 Halflings approach the party. If the party attacks the Halflings, they will retaliate and a battle will ensue. If the party ignores them, they will run off after shouting insults at the party.
12. The party hears loud singing and yelling. A group of 3d6 Dwarves pass by, singing and drinking. They are on their way to a nearby town to celebrate a wedding, and if given beer, they will tell a story of how they saved the town from an outbreak of zombies and were rewarded with a sack full of gold.
13. An exiled wizard named Zolander is wandering by, rambling about a treasure he hid. He is high on magic mushrooms.
14. A merchant caravan of 2d4+4 wagons is passing through, escorted by 1d4+4 guards. They are carrying trade goods and are on their way to the next city, if the party attacks them the guards will fight to the death.
15. A dusty old man with a staff passes by. He is carrying a sack with him and seems on his way to a nearby town. If the party asks him about the sack, he will say it’s full of magic potions and he’s on his way to sell them at the local magic shop.
16. A group of 2d6 Druids are traveling in single file through the forest. They are on their way to a nearby town to protest an evil cult’s plans to sacrifice a baby to their dark god. If the Druids are not stopped, they will try to rescue the baby from being sacrificed by throwing thunderstones at the cultists’ feet, stunning them, before trying to flee with it on their horses.
17. The party sees two horsemen riding towards them on horseback. They are merchants, and they have 2d6+3 wagons full of trade goods and money. If asked, they will tell the party they have a job for them, and will pay them handsomely if they help them with a task. The task is actually hunting down and killing their ex-business partners, who cheated them out of their business and took all of their money.
18. A lone horseman is riding up to them on a horse, who then demands to know why they’re in his way. He’s an outlaw named Stampede Smith, who ambushes and robs merchants, who pass through this road to him and his gang’s base camp at the nearby abandoned castle. He and his gang will retreat if vastly outnumbered, otherwise he’ll attack and try to retreat through the forest.
19. The party sees a mysterious woman wearing a black cloak and she’s walking, as if she’s lost. If the party approaches, she’ll ask for directions to a nearby castle’s tower. If the party asks her who she is, she’ll say that she’s the wife of the lord of that castle and was kidnapped by an evil vampire lord and his minions! She will also ask for help rescuing her daughter from the vampires, if asked about her. She knows nothing about where she is or what’s going on.
20. The party hears a strange sound in the distance. The sound of moaning, mixed with wailing and crying. As they go closer to investigate, they find a group of 2d6+3 refugees from a nearby kingdom, who have been traveling for days through the forest, carrying their children and elderly on their backs while running from an evil army of undead monsters! They tell them that they’re on their way to a nearby city to seek refuge.
21. Nasty ol’ storm approaches! Ahead, a group of escaped criminals from the local prison are trying to get across the bridge. Unfortunately, the guards are chasing them. The party will have to decide whether to help the criminals or help the guards.
22. A group of 2d6+2 thugs is trying to mug people on the road. They’re very inept and drunk.
23. A group of 2d6 guards is going from house to house, asking for a local woman named ‘Lisbeth’. The party can deny knowledge of her location. The guards are looking for her for her husband. Her husband has gone mad with worry over her and is trying to get his guards to find her.
24. A group of 2d6 guards is going from house to house, asking for a local woman named ‘Lisbeth’. The party can deny knowledge of her location. The guards are looking for her for the local earl. The earl has gone mad with worry over her and is trying to get his guards to find her.
25. A group of 1d20+10 hobgoblins are trying to capture a group of 1d20+10 elves.
26. A group of 1d20+20 hobgoblins are trying to capture a group of 1d20+20 humans.
27. A group of 2d4+4 hobgoblins is attacking a group of 2d4+4 halflings.
28. A group of 1d20+10 hobgoblins is attacking a group of 1d20+10 humans. The humans are trying to get inside the nearest dwelling to get away from the hobgoblins.
29. A group of 2d4+4 hobgoblins is attacking a group of 2d4+4 humans. The humans are trying to get inside the nearest dwelling to get away from the hobgoblins. A second group of hobgoblins is nearby, watching and waiting and getting ready to attack. They can join in the attack if the players don’t help the humans.
30. A group of 2d6 women are gossiping about a man named ‘Karl’. They claim that he’s been seeing a woman named ‘Lisbeth’.
31. Questers encounter a caravan of halflings returning from a trade run to a nearby city. They are transporting a large cage of birds, which are singing loudly. The cage is covered in a tarp. The cage contains a dozen singing birds, but on closer inspection, the birds are undead birds in a cage. The halflings are taking them to a local temple to be used in a ceremony.
32. A group of four men and women are walking along the road, heading to a nearby city. They are carrying large sacks over their shoulders, and they look tired. A close look at their bags reveal that they are carrying sacks of sand, and there is a large amount of it in each bag.
33. A man is walking along the roadside, heading away from the player’s location. He is carrying a large sack, and it looks heavy. He is walking with a limp, and he looks tired. As players approach him, he looks up at them and asks them for directions to the nearest city. He is trying to get back home after being mugged in a city, and he is lost.
34. A group of about a dozen halflings are walking along the roadside, heading away from the players location. They are carrying large sacks over their shoulders, and the sacks are filled with grain-looking material. The sacks are extremely heavy and the halflings are barely able to walk in the direction they’re headed.
35. A man and woman emerge from the trees by the roadside and ask players for directions to a nearby village. They are lost.
36. A horse and cart are stuck in the middle of the road. The passengers inside the cart are yelling at the driver to get the cart unstuck.
37. A man is walking by the roadside, singing to himself as he walks along. He looks up at players and asks them if they want to buy any mushrooms he has in his bag. He then looks down at his bag and shakes it, making rattling sounds.
38. A group of men and women are walking along the road, heading to a nearby city. They are carrying large sacks over their shoulders, and they look tired. A close look at their bags reveal that they are carrying sacks of grain, and there is a large amount of it in each bag.
39. As players approach a field by the roadside, they see that it has been turned into a makeshift graveyard for animals. There are about 10 dead horses and 2 dead dogs in the field. There are about 5 men and women standing around talking about the accident as they dig holes for the animals to be buried in.
40. A group of about a dozen halflings are walking along the roadside, heading to a nearby city. They are carrying large sacks over their shoulders, and the sacks are filled with grain-looking material. The sacks are extremely heavy and the halflings are barely able to walk in the direction they’re headed.
41. Yawning Portal Inn – A group of wizard apprentices are practicing their spells by shooting at targets on the top of the signpost. They will fire at anyone who glances up at the sign. The apprentices’ spells are potent and will do 1d6 points of damage if they hit. They will insist that they did nothing wrong and they were attacked first.
42. An elderly couple is arguing with a man dressed as a wizard. The couple believes that the wizard is not a real wizard, and he is using magic tricks to cheat them out of their money. If the players approach, the couple will tell them to arrest the imposter wizard and save them from being robbed.
43. A group of 2d6+10 adventurers are looking for horses to hire. If they find horses at all, they will be upset because they are not as good as they hoped to find. They will want at least twice the price of normal horses, but they are willing to pay for good mounts.
44. A group of 2d4+4 adventurers are looking for a place to rest for the night. They do not care where they stay, so long as it is not a place that is haunted or cursed, or that gives them bad dreams.
45. A cleric of a god of retribution is looking for a place to stay for the night. He will ask any adventurers if they have done anything wrong in the past. If they have, he will insist on casting a spell on them to remove their sins from their souls. The spell he casts is actually a powerful curse that will kill anyone who does not have at least 2 points in their intelligence stat.
46. A group of 2d4+4 merchants is looking for places to buy and sell goods for a good profit. They will ask about any found items, making offers on them and offering to buy whatever the players do not want or need.
47. A group of 2d4+4 pilgrims from a faraway land is looking for a place to pray and make offerings to their god at an altar. They will be frustrated because they cannot find an altar dedicated to their god anywhere nearby, and they will ask any adventurers if they know where an altar can be found nearby.
48. A group of 3d6 dwarves are looking for an underground tomb where they can bury a recently deceased dwarven hero who has passed away recently. They are looking to find his tomb because they do not know where else they can bury him, and they do not want him to be devoured by vermin or other carrion creatures.
49. A group of 1d4+4 half-elves are looking for a place to rest for the night. They will ask about any nearby dungeons or other dangerous areas, and if there are any, the players can tell them about them and recommend that they avoid them or seek out others to help them clear them of monsters first before attempting to explore or clear them themselves.
50. A group of 2d4+4 humans from a nearby city are looking for a place to rest for the night and find some entertainment in the form of games of chance or idle entertainment that does not cost much money at all. They will be disappointed with what little entertainment can be found in this area unless there’s a tavern nearby or something along those lines nearby that offers some form of cheap entertainment to weary travelers.
51. Tattered, ragged forms of what were once humans shamble across the road. They attack anyone who comes near. They are actually the undead, turned into zombies by a nearby necromancer.
52. A small child runs up to the players, begging for help. He is being chased by a wolf. The wolf is actually a werewolf, who is looking for fresh meat. The child’s name is Tommy, and he has run away from home.
53. A group of 1d4+2 men and women are walking along the road. They are singing a bawdy song and are drunk.
54. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the growing problem of bandits in the area.
55. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the recent string of murders in the area. They say that they think a werewolf is responsible.
56. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the recent string of bad luck that has befallen the local villages. They say that they think it’s caused by a nearby seaport, which is known for its corruption and evil practices.
57. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the local village getting a new priest. They say that they hope he’s good, because the last one wasn’t too popular with the townsfolk.
58. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the recent wedding that took place in the local village. They say that it was a beautiful ceremony and that the couple is very happy together.
59. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about the recent birth of a baby in the local village. They say that it’s a healthy boy and that his parents are very happy about it.
60. A group of men and women are walking along the road, talking about a recent festival that was held in the local village. They say that it was a nice festival and that they’re glad it’s over so they can get back to their normal lives.
61. Vandals are camped out on the side of the road. They are drunk and celebrating the death of their king.
62. A group of elven rangers are hunting a group of rogue basilisks that escaped from a nearby wizard’s tower.
63. A group of drunk revelers are walking down the road, singing and laughing. They are high on a drug made of spider venom and opium.
64. A nobleman is walking down the road, carrying a large chest full of gold. He is trying to get back home to his wife before she finds out about his mistress.
65. A group of armed men are searching for a group of missing children. They think the children were taken by giant bugs.
66. A group of mid-level wizards are traveling down the road, practicing their magic. They are looking for a place to set up their own wizard’s tower.
67. A group of wealthy merchants are traveling down the road, carrying expensive cargo. They are protected by a group of mercenaries.
68. A group of drunken revelers are walking down the road, singing and laughing. They are high on a drug made of spider venom and opium.
69. A group of farmers are walking down the road, talking about their crops and weather.
70. A group of farmers are walking down the road, talking about their crops and weather.
71. Yaun-Teh the Old is a half-orc who lives in a small hut on the coastal road. He is part of a cult that worships a demon lord named Demogorgon. Yaun-Teh will offer to protect caravans traveling along the coastal road for a small fee.
72. A group of 3d6 hobgoblins are patrolling the coastal road.
73. A group of 2d6 goblins are hunting along the coast. They are walking along the coastal road.
74. A group of 2d6+2 humans are practicing drills along the coastal road. They are part of a mercenary band that is looking for work.
75. A group of 2d4+4 men and women are on their way to a nearby city for commerce. They are carrying crates full of wood and grain. They are traveling along the coastal road.
76. A group of 2d4+4 men and women are on their way to a nearby city for commerce. They are carrying crates full of cloth and wine. They are traveling along the coastal road.
77. A group of 3d4+4 men and women are on their way to a nearby city for commerce. They are carrying crates full of herbs and spices. They are traveling along the coastal road.
78. A group of 3d4+4 men and women are on their way to a nearby city for commerce. They are carrying crates full of rare spices and cloth. They are traveling along the coastal road.
79. A man named Davor is walking down the coastal road. He is carrying a small box full of jewelry and valuable gems. He is on his way to a nearby city to sell his wares.
80. A caravan is traveling along the coastal road. It is transporting a shipment of grain and wood to a nearby city.
81. Outhouses on the side of the road have been painted with eyes. A pair of old women sitting in rocking chairs are watching you.
82. A singing group of young girls approach the players. They will ask you to join them. If you do, they will attack you with bladed weapons.
83. A man is walking along the road carrying a large box. He is lost. He will ask for directions to the nearest city. He is a conman and will try to trick people into giving him money.
84. A group of men are walking along the road carrying sacks of grain. They are lost. They will ask you to help them find their way back home. They are thieves and will try to steal from the party if they can get away with it.
85. A group of women are walking along the road carrying baskets of eggs. They are lost. They will ask you to help them find their way back home. They are thieves and will try to steal from the party if they can get away with it.
86. A man is sitting next to the road playing a lute. He is blind and is hoping to make some money by performing for passersby.
87. A man is walking along the road carrying a large cage with a bird inside of it. He is lost. He will ask for directions to the nearest city. He is a conman and will try to trick people into giving him money by saying that he will release the bird if people don’t pay him.
88. A woman is walking along the road carrying a large sack filled with grain. She is lost. She will ask for directions to the nearest city. She is a thief and will try to steal from the party if she can get away with it.
89. A group of men are walking along the road carrying sacks of grain. They are lost. They will ask you to help them find their way back home. They are thieves and will try to steal from the party if they can get away with it.
90. A group of women are walking along the road carrying baskets of eggs. They are lost. They will ask you to help them find their way back home. They are thieves and will try to steal from the party if they can get away with it.
91. Lighthouse. A group of 1d4+2 old men are standing with a group of 2d6+2 old women. They are wearing robes and are waving their hands like they are casting spells. They are actually trying to signal the lighthouse to turn on.
92. The road comes to a small cliff. A group of 1d4+2 old men are standing with a group of 2d6+2 old women. They are wearing robes and are waving their hands like they are casting spells. They are actually trying to signal the lighthouse to turn on.
93. A group of 1d4+2 warriors are standing next to a campfire. They are talking about how they were attacked by wolves. They were actually attacked by werewolves.
94. A group of 2d4+2 warriors are standing next to a campfire. They are talking about how they were attacked by wolves. They were actually attacked by werewolves.
95. Three women are sitting on a rock wall. One of them is clearly an elf, but the other two look like humans. They are actually elves who have been turned into humans by a powerful curse and they are trying to find a cure.
96. A group of 2d4+2 old women are sitting in a circle, singing a song about a battle that happened 100 years ago. They are actually witches who are trying to bring back the dead so they can use their bones for magic.
97. Two men are standing on a cliff, looking at the ocean through a telescope. They are actually pirates that are looking for ships to attack…
98. A group of 1d4+2 thieves are hiding in the bushes, waiting to rob anyone who comes by.
99. A man is sitting on the side of the road, hacking at a piece of wood with an axe. He is actually trying to make a magic staff…
100. The party sees a lone woman standing on the side of the road, looking lost and frightened. She is actually a werewolf in human form and she is going to attack!

More Random Travel Encounter Tables for 5e DND

Want even more? Check out Random Encounters AI and LitRPG Adventures, two websites I built to generate RPG content with AI.