Random Encounters: What Exactly Are These Creatures Doing?

monster shaman
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Create multiplex tables to generate more interesting random encounters.

To use these tables, decide which category the chosen creature is in and roll on that table as described for it. In some cases, a creature can be in more than one category. A wyvern, for example, is both draconic and an aerial monster.

This material is largely drawn from the Heroes of Adventure Monster Compendium v3 by the Nameless Designer, released under CC by 4. This is a fantastic system that tics all my boxes for having old-school sensibilities but modern mechanics without too much character building cruft or being weirdly over-powered. I’ve combined the Hook tables across each category, removed duplicates, genericized (and Americanized) them, and made modest changes in the text. The Distance and Reaction tables are my own.

Categories

Some creatures fit into more than one category, such as wyverns, which are both draconic and aerial.

  1. Aberration: weird creatures that don’t resemble natural creatures much at all
  2. Aerial: flying monsters like griffons, giant eagles, wyverns, and manticores
  3. Animal, aerial: ordinary birds
  4. Animal, aquatic: ordinary fish, seals, whales, and such
  5. Animal, land: ordinary deer, bears, boars, and such
  6. Animal, swarming: ordinary bats, bees, ants, and such
  7. Aquatic: swimming monsters
  8. Celestial: holy creatures of good
  9. Construct: creatures constructed by spellcasters
  10. Cursed: creatures suffering a curse or disease, such as werewolves
  11. Dinosaur: prehistoric dinosaurs and reptiles, including giant crocodiles
  12. Draconic: dragons and their kin
  13. Elemental: creatures of air, earth, water, and fire as well as nature spirits
  14. Fae: creatures of the faery kingdom
  15. Humanoid: human-like monsters, such as goblins, orcs, gnolls, and bugbears
  16. Infernal: unholy creatures of the Underworld
  17. Insectoid, hive/colony: insect-like monsters like giant ants and bees
  18. Insectoid, lone: insect-like monsters, such as ankhegs and giant spiders
  19. Monstrosity: beastly monsters like dire wolves, giant rats, and yetis
  20. NPCs: civilized people that don’t eat each other: humans, elves, dwarves, etc.
  21. Ooze: amorphous creatures, like slimes and oozes
  22. Plant: plants that are animate and plant-like creatures
  23. Serpent: snake- and worm-like monsters
  24. Shadow: bizarre, half-spirit creatures of the shadow and chaos
  25. Undead, animated: zombies and skeletons
  26. Undead, corporeal: vampires, wights, ghouls, liches, and such
  27. Undead, incorporeal: ghosts, wraiths, and nature spirits

Distance

Not every encounter begins at 20 feet. Roll 2d6; add +2 for rocky hills or forest. For creatures carrying light sources in the dark, the distance should be much greater. If the result includes moving, vocalizing, eating, attacking, etc., which it is depends on the creature’s activity roll for that encounter.

2d6Dungeon/BuildingOutdoors
2Tracks or scatTracks or scat (Tracking to find it)
3Tracks or scatRemains of prey or browsed foliage (easily trailed)
4Remains of food, coldRemains of food, cold (can be sighted by a search)
5Remains of food, still warmHeard calling or fighting (Search to spot)
6Heard calling/fightingSighted in the distance, easily avoided (could be miles away in open terrain–Nature Lore or Monster Lore to identify)
7Heard moving/eating nearbySpotted in the distance, possibly avoided (100-150 yards, further in open terrain–Nature Lore or Monster Lore to identify)
8Next room or end of corridorSpotted not far away (2d4 x10 yards, further in open terrain)
9In the doorwaySeen or heard at 1d4 x40 feet
10In the doorwaySeen at 1d4 x20 feet
11Ambushed by it or nearly tripped over it2d4 x10 feet
12Ambushed by it or nearly tripped over itAmbushed by it or quite close

Reaction

There’s a broad range of reactions that creatures could have. Here are the most common.

  • Aggression: Attack.
  • Hostile: Will act threatening and is prepared to fight.
  • Threatening: Will act threatening (real or a bluff) to try avoid a fight.
  • Defensive: Will check for escape route, threaten, guard food/treasure/young.
  • Skittish: Will prefer to withdraw rather than fight if feeling threatened.
  • Indifferent: Will casually avoid and become defensive if approached.
  • Wary: Will try to determine others’ strength to decide whether to fight or flee.
  • Reserved: Will share the space but change to defensive if threatened.
  • Probing: Will approach warily to judge if friend, foe, or food.
  • Curious: Will approach neutrally to judge if friend, foe, or food.
  • Amiable: Will share the space and, if not threatened, may offer an exchange.

Heroes can influence the creature’s reaction by their approach:

  • Wary: -2 to reaction, +1 to initiative if combat results.
  • Reserved: No modifiers.
  • Amiable: +2 to reaction, -1 to initiative if combat results.

Aberration

Weird creatures that don’t resemble natural creatures much at all.

1d10, with up to +3 for more immediate danger.

  1. Tidying up the trail of destruction that leads towards its lair.
  2. Moving about in the distance.
  3. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  4. Being stalked for its rumored properties.
  5. Pursued by a group of monster hunters seeking a bounty.
  6. Defending its nest from threats.
  7. Suffering from a wound.
  8. Drawn to another of its kind; there is danger nearby.
  9. Attracted to something shiny and seeking to investigate.
  10. Feeding on a victim; it has been surprised.
  11. Hunting for food.
  12. Lying in wait, ready to ambush its prey.
  13. Stalking a creature, waiting for a chance to strike.

Reactions

2d3-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Threats/demands
  6. Curiosity/analysis
  7. Interrogation
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Aerial

Monsters that can fly (griffon, hippogriff, manticore, wyvern, etc.), as well as pegasus and giant eagle.

1d10 for evil. 1d10+2 for neutral. 1d8+4 for good.

  1. Carrying off struggling prey.
  2. Locked in combat with another flying creature.
  3. Diving on a target.
  4. Controlled by a sorcerer, following and spying upon you.
  5. Swooping overhead with others of its kind.
  6. Circling your location specifically.
  7. Getting ahead of a storm.
  8. Searching for a mate.
  9. Ridden as a steed by an NPC or other creature.
  10. Drinking from/bathing in a stream or pool.
  11. Swooping overhead in search of food.
  12. Lands nearby and to deliver a message.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Animal, aerial

Ordinary birds and such as well as bird-sized flying monsters (stirge, etc.).

1d12.

  1. Swooping overhead, squawking with others of its kind.
  2. Spotted in the sky circling your location.
  3. Swooping overhead in search of food.
  4. Searching for a mate.
  5. Getting ahead of a storm.
  6. Sitting and staring as a group.
  7. Playing in a stream or pool.
  8. Carrying off food.
  9. Swoops down to grab an object from a party member.
  10. Lands nearby and squawks.
  11. Locked in territorial combat with another of its kind.
  12. Controlled by a sorcerer, following and spying upon you.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Animal, aquatic

Ordinary fish, seals, whales, and such.

1d12.

  1. Defending its territory from intruders.
  2. Hunted by humans seeking a rumored gem inside them.
  3. Hungry and relentlessly hunting for food.
  4. Buried in sand, waiting to ambush someone.
  5. Guards a secret underwater passageway.
  6. Under the control of a wizard or druid.
  7. Circling a small weather beaten fishing vessel.
  8. Caught in the net of a fishing vessel.
  9. Lying stranded on a beach.
  10. Fleeing hunters who consider its flesh a delicacy.
  11. Swimming quickly from a larger predator.
  12. Resting lazily in a deep pool.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Confusion
  3. Retreat
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=positive interaction with other adventurers; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=frightened of adventurers)

Animal, land

Ordinary deer, bears, boars, and such.

1d20, with +2 for hostile (boars, hippos) and +4 for predators (bears, lions).

  1. Protecting its young, located in a hidden thicket.
  2. Defending young from another threat.
  3. Being driven from its territory by a monster of some force.
  4. Grunting and huffing; they are protecting something.
  5. Sniffing and searching for food.
  6. Trapped or ensnared in a hunter’s trap.
  7. Wounded and in distress from some attack.
  8. Scared by a hostile nature spirit.
  9. Drawn to a benevolent nature spirit.
  10. Bathing in a pool or stream or rolling in the dust or grass.
  11. Tasked by a druid to deliver a message.
  12. Human cursed into this form, recalling only fragments.
  13. Fleeing some other terror in the area.
  14. Resting lazily at a shady place.
  15. Drinking from/bathing in a stream or pool.
  16. Traveling and exploring, will avoid encounters.
  17. Wandering along in search of a group or a mate.
  18. On some form of instinctive pilgrimage, drawn by a power.
  19. Searching for a new home; their last was destroyed.
  20. Migrating to a new territory, driven away by something.
  21. Defending territory from outsiders.
  22. Has claimed a vital trail or waterway as its territory.
  23. Hiding, ready to ambush passing travelers.
  24. Eating the remains of an unfortunate victim.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=positive interaction with other adventurers; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=frightened of adventurers)

Animal, swarming

Normal bats and such.

1d8 with +1 for unnaturalness.

  1. A swarm is hanging undisturbed as they are approached.
  2. They fly with purpose, it is time to feed.
  3. Escaping a natural disaster.
  4. Blocking a route by sheer numbers.
  5. Flying and swirling in a chaotic pattern.
  6. Swarming a dwelling/settlement for dark reasons.
  7. They have been summoned by a dark ritual.
  8. Following a prince(ss) of darkness.
  9. Something is controlling them.

Reactions

The reaction of the swarm to the heroes depends on their purpose, as determined above.

Aquatic

Monstrous fish, octopuses, etc., as well as aquatic reptiles and dinosaurs.

1d8 with up to +4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Captured and being used to pull a ship in the water.
  2. In a territorial dispute with one of its own kind.
  3. Summoned by a wizard or druid.
  4. Lying in wait for a meal.
  5. Inhabiting cursed waters.
  6. Currently devouring a meal.
  7. Naturally occurring in this region of water.
  8. Transported and bred in this region of water.
  9. Attracted to a magical energy radiating from a ruin.
  10. Drawn to the presence of a powerful magical artifact.
  11. Acting as a guardian of underwater ancient ruins.
  12. Responding to disturbances caused by encroaching ships.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Celestial

Holy creatures of good.

1d12.

  1. Unleashed by a powerful artifact.
  2. Sensed a disturbance and arrived to cause havoc.
  3. Drawn to the location by an ancient ritual.
  4. Summoned by a malevolent sorcerer.
  5. It has been angered by mortals and seeks revenge.
  6. Trapped and requires help to escape its confinement.
  7. Seeking a powerful artifact.
  8. Looking to recruit followers to their cause.
  9. Hunting someone who is a threat to their plans.
  10. Meeting another in secret, plotting.
  11. Seeking knowledge of the ancients.
  12. Disguised as a human traveler for a special task.

Reactions

2d4-1

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats/demands
  3. Wariness
  4. Curiosity/analysis
  5. Interrogation
  6. Offer
  7. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=in need of help with a problem; 3=in need of information; 4=bored and curious; 5=holy day; 6=wants to trade)

Construct

Golems, animated statues, and such. This includes mummies, altho mummies are also corporeal undead.

1d6, with up to +6 for greater activity.

  1. Standing as a silent sentinel of the place, staring but unmoving.
  2. Guarding something specific for a master.
  3. Retreating to its current lair, its power is fading.
  4. Slowly carrying out a menial task.
  5. Silently guarding its master’s lair/tomb.
  6. Bound or chained, a result of twisted experimentation.
  7. Actively seeking some who bypassed it and raided what it guarded.
  8. Patrolling, its odd form can be heard approaching.
  9. Delivering a relic to a wizard.
  10. Commanding a legion of skeleton warriors.
  11. Rampaging, the creator’s control having weakened.
  12. Mistakenly freed and seeking revenge on its creator.

Reactions

A construct’s reaction to the heroes depends on its purpose and directives.

Cursed

Creatures living a cursed existence, such as werewolves and medusas.

1d6 for evil; 1d8 for neutral or good.

  1. Evidence of its passing or existence only.
  2. Scavenging for food.
  3. Scavenging for supplies to build their nearby nests.
  4. Fleeing from something nasty or “the change”.
  5. Fleeing a settlement, seeking a place of solitude.
  6. Kneeling, as it has had a flicker of old memories.
  7. Searching for an artifact to lift the curse.
  8. Searching for their former families, to say goodbye.

Reactions

2d4-1 for evil; 2d4 for neutral or good

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Threats/demands
  5. Interrogation
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity/analysis
  8. Request for help

Dinosaur

Prehistoric beasts of great size, like triceratops and tyrannosaurs. Note that aquatic dinosaurs can be considered aquatic monsters.

1d6, with a +3 for predators.

  1. Standing around a food source.
  2. Migrating to a new location.
  3. Fleeing a predator.
  4. Protecting its young.
  5. Competing for dominance.
  6. Drinking from/bathing in a stream or pool.
  7. Devouring prey it has caught for seized.
  8. Hunting some prey.
  9. Lying in ambush for prey.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Avoidance
  6. Wariness
  7. Apathy
  8. Curiosity

Draconic

Dragons and their giant lizard kin.

1d10, with +3 for dragons.

  1. Gathering supplies for the nest.
  2. Being pursued by a group of monster hunters.
  3. Seeking shelter; it senses a weather event.
  4. Has been driven to madness, very aggressive.
  5. Seeking a mate.
  6. Seeking a suitable place to nest.
  7. Gorging on the meat of a dead animal.
  8. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  9. Returning to its lair, it has hunted and fed this day.
  10. On the hunt for food.
  11. Marking its territory with a trail of destruction.
  12. Drawn to a chaos rift in this realm.
  13. On its last flight around the globe, in its final weeks of life.

Reactions

2d3-1 or 2d4 for greater intelligence

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Threats/demands
  6. Interrogation
  7. Curiosity/analysis
  8. Offer

Elemental

In my cosmology, elementals are nature spirits from the Ethereal plane that manifest as a specific element in semi-solid form. They may be summoned by magic or occur naturally when a rift opens between planes.

1d10, with up to +3 for greater purpose.

  1. Just a hint of its element locally where it doesn’t really belong.
  2. Disturbed and seeks vengeance against those intruders.
  3. Senses dark forces converging.
  4. Defending its sacred spirit demesne.
  5. Seeking to thwart the plans of an evil sorcerer.
  6. On a mission to purge a corrupted place or object.
  7. Drawn to a place of ancient power.
  8. Sent to aid a group of valiant heroes on their quest.
  9. Sent to impart a vision or prophecy.
  10. Searching for a powerful artifact of nature nearby.
  11. Serving as a guardian for a sacred object, person or ritual.
  12. Sent to destroy an artifact of power.
  13. Seeking assistance to address an imbalance with nature.

Why Does It Exist?

1d6.

  1. Very weak. An accident of nature without purpose.
  2. Summoned by a mage for a specific mission.
  3. Slipped thru a crack between planes during a fierce storm.
  4. Summoned by a druidic circle to combat something.
  5. Escaped from its elemental realm thru a fracture in reality.
  6. Brought over by a major magical catastrophe.

Fae

Everything from wicked hags to mischievous leprechauns to pleasant fairies.

1d8 for evil, +3 for neutral, +5 for good.

  1. Casting some petty curses at someone nearby.
  2. Performing a ritual.
  3. Mesmerizing a traveler.
  4. Hiding from someone knightly or virtuous nearby.
  5. Gathering ingredients in the wilds for alchemy.
  6. Masquerading as a “wise woman”.
  7. Drinking from/bathing in a stream or pool.
  8. Stands watch at the edge of an enchanted glade.
  9. Performing a ritual underneath an ancient tree.
  10. Dancing in a woodland clearing.
  11. Sitting among the roots of a tree, observing.
  12. Sitting on a mossy rock, playing a flute.
  13. Having an animated conversation with a woodland animal.

Reactions

2d3-1 or 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Confusion
  3. Retreat
  4. Threats/demands
  5. Paranoia
  6. Curiosity/analysis
  7. Offer/Attempt to trick
  8. Amity/feigned amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=in need of information; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=naturally friendly/phony; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Giant

Humanoid creatures of great size, including ogres and cyclopes.

1d6, with up to +4 for more immediate presence.

  1. Its bony remains have been found half-buried.
  2. Spotted in the distance migrating towards something.
  3. Seismic shakes and booming noise in the distance.
  4. Protecting a hidden treasure or artifact in the area.
  5. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  6. Roaming the wilderness in search of food and encounters.
  7. Driven by hunger, roams closer to populated settlements.
  8. Challenging another of its kind to a territorial dispute.
  9. Enslaved by an evil sorcerer or power to do its bidding.
  10. Seeking revenge after its territory has been invaded.

Reactions

2d4-1 for evil. 2d4 for greater good or neutral.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Humanoid

Creatures largely shaped like humans but monstrous man-eaters, such as goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, lizardfolk, and gnolls. This also includes harpies, altho they are also aerial monsters.

1d20, with up to +4 for more immediate presence.

  1. Smoke in the distance, something is on fire.
  2. Noise in the distance.
  3. A lone scout not far away.
  4. Preparing for some form of primal ritual.
  5. Having taken over a ruin as a lair.
  6. Returning jubilant from a raid.
  7. Wounded and fleeing from a superior force.
  8. Lurking in marshy waters, awaiting a victim.
  9. Teaching young to kill.
  10. Traveling with captives.
  11. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  12. Scouting the area on behalf of a more powerful ally.
  13. A mysterious illness has befallen them.
  14. Stuck in a bog, arms flailing.
  15. Fighting amongst themselves, some tribal dispute.
  16. Traipsing through a forest, summoned by a dark mage.
  17. Traveling towards a clan gathering.
  18. Tracking a group of travelers.
  19. Being pursued by an enemy.
  20. Approaching you cautiously, you have entered their lands.
  21. Renegades who have turned to banditry.
  22. A procession is heading towards a sacred ritual place.
  23. Undertaking an expedition to expand their territory.
  24. Lying in wait, ready to ambush their targets.

Leader’s Distinctive Appearance

1d8, with a +1 for higher intelligence.

  1. Missing a couple fingers.
  2. Missing an ear.
  3. Lame leg.
  4. Big scar.
  5. Wearing a skull as a helmet.
  6. Wearing a necklace of teeth.
  7. Wearing a gold earring.
  8. Wearing good armor.
  9. Wearing mismatched human finery.

Reactions

2d4-1.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Threats/demands
  5. Curiosity/analysis
  6. Interrogation
  7. Offer to trade

Infernal

Demons and evil creatures of dark planes.

1d20, with up to +4 for more immediate presence.

  1. A trail of devastation.
  2. Spotted in the distance.
  3. It stirs as an illusion in your nightmares.
  4. Forcing its way through a portal to the realm of humans.
  5. Sent to find portals to other realms.
  6. Holds a rift to the fiery planes of hell open for its legions.
  7. Seeks to bargain with those who wield powers.
  8. Seeks to locate and rebuild the elemental gate of fire.
  9. Summoned by a sorcerer to perform an unholy deed.
  10. Collecting souls and leaving ghosts in its wake.
  11. Guarding a powerful artifact or gateway from intruders.
  12. Taken over a nearby settlement.
  13. Tasked by its infernal master to collect something.
  14. Bound to a cursed artifact or person.
  15. Searching for an artifact of power.
  16. Seeking to bring a nearby settlement under their rule.
  17. Hunting someone who has offended them.
  18. Pursued by monster hunters.
  19. On a mission to destroy something.
  20. Hunting something or someone to fulfill a prophecy.
  21. Returning to a portal, time is running out.
  22. Sent on a mission to spy on someone.
  23. Summoned by someone seeking to bind it to servitude.
  24. Immobile and merrily feasting on something it has killed.

Reactions

2d3-1 or 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Threats/demands
  5. Curiosity/analysis
  6. Paranoia
  7. Offer/attempt to trick
  8. Amity/feigned amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=in need of information; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=wants to trade for weapons; 6=believes heroes are minions of the same master)

Insectoid, hive/colony

Insect-like monsters like giant ants and bees that live in a collective.

1d6, with up to +5 for greater status in the colony.

  1. Deserted remains of the upper colony levels.
  2. Workers digging new tunnels to expand their colony.
  3. Workers scavenging food for their queen.
  4. Soldiers guarding the tunnels near their lair.
  5. Soldiers exploring new territories.
  6. Ponderously migrating the colony to a new location.
  7. Soldiers guarding the ant queen.
  8. Queen instructing her soldiers at war with another colony.
  9. Queen in a state of readiness to lay some eggs.
  10. Queen summoning her soldiers, intruders are nearby.
  11. Queen feeding upon scraps fed by her workforce.

Reaction

The reaction of the hive to the heroes depends on the nature of the creatures encountered, as determined above.

Insectoid, lone

Ankheg, and other giant insects and insect-like monsters, including arachnids.

1d8. +4 if encountered as a wandering monster.

  1. Tending its nest. Live prey struggles weakly.
  2. Burrowing/nesting to lay its eggs.
  3. Removing debris from its lair (sticks, helmets).
  4. Guarding a hidden chamber from intruders.
  5. Summoned by a dark sorcerer for some laborious task.
  6. Recently disturbed by people mining nearby.
  7. Emerged from its slumber drawn to an artifact.
  8. Defending its territory.
  9. Feasting on a recent kill.
  10. Lurking in a high place.
  11. Driven from its hunting area, seeking sustenance.
  12. Hunting in the darkness.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Avoidance
  6. Avoidance
  7. Wariness
  8. Apathy

Monstrosity

Large, beastly predators.

1d12 for beast intelligence, with +3 for low, and up to +7 for greater intelligence.

  1. Being ridden as a steed by a humanoid.
  2. Have arrived from lands of chaos by a rift.
  3. Released from lands of chaos to cause destruction.
  4. Searching for a rift to return home.
  5. They have been drawn to a place of death.
  6. Summoned by an arcane ritual.
  7. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  8. Being pursued by a group of monster hunters.
  9. Have recently feasted upon something.
  10. Feeding upon some animal.
  11. A pack is traveling to some specific destination.
  12. Pursuing a target, their hunger must be satisfied.
  13. On the hunt for someone specific.
  14. Drawn to a convergence of chaotic powers.
  15. Searching for a powerful artifact.
  16. Will kill to hide knowledge of its presence.
  17. Seeks a lair where it can ponder the universe’s mysteries.
  18. Corrupting the minds of a nearby settlement.
  19. Wants to dominate and rule the weak-minded.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Avoidance
  6. Wariness
  7. Apathy
  8. Curiosity

NPC

Humans, elves, dwarves, and other civilized humanoids that don’t eat each other.

1d20 for evil, +3 for neutral, +6 for good.

  1. Doppelganger(s) in disguise.
  2. Preparing for a summoning ritual.
  3. One of their number is a spy (against them).
  4. Being pursued for a crime they committed.
  5. Possess stolen artifact/relic.
  6. Spies or in a secret alliance/faction.
  7. Leader is a disgraced noble.
  8. Traveling with a captive/prisoner.
  9. Following a person of interest.
  10. Having found an elven orchard.
  11. Drinking from/bathing in a stream, pool, or well.
  12. Collecting unusual objects.
  13. Seeking to trade for supplies.
  14. Working to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
  15. Scavenging for valuables at an ancient ruin.
  16. Exploring the wilds and borderlands.
  17. Returning with a wounded ally.
  18. Hiding a treasure.
  19. Delivering an important message.
  20. Hiding from something dangerous nearby.
  21. Being pursued for a crime they did not commit.
  22. Hunting a dangerous creature.
  23. Recently suffered a loss.
  24. On a personal quest.
  25. On a pilgrimage to honor something.
  26. In a good faction emblazoned on their clothing.

Reactions

2d4-1.

  1. Hostility
  2. Threats/demands
  3. Wariness
  4. Curiosity/analysis
  5. Interrogation
  6. Offer
  7. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=naturally friendly; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Ooze

Amorphous creatures, like slimes, oozes, and gels.

1d12, with up to +4 for greater viscosity.

  1. A dark liquid shimmers on the floor.
  2. Something is dripping on you from above.
  3. An assortment of equipment lies in a pool of mud.
  4. A pool of stationary muck waiting to be stepped in.
  5. Slimes are migrating towards each other to form a colony.
  6. A horribly burned and disfigured corpse lies on the ground.
  7. Waiting, lurking deep within a bog or swamp.
  8. A number of tendrils lead towards thick vegetation.
  9. You hear a bubbling and burping sound nearby.
  10. Slowly creeping and slithering towards you.
  11. Stuck at the bottom of a pit, contains something shiny.
  12. Lurking above, ready to fall, feed and absorb more flesh.
  13. Two smaller masses trying to merge together.
  14. Dragging a creature by a tendril into a slick mass.
  15. Currently trying to absorb a struggling creature.
  16. A disfigured slime-covered form shambles towards you.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Retreat
  4. Avoidance
  5. Wariness
  6. Wariness
  7. Apathy
  8. Curiosity

Plant

Plants that are animate and plant-like creatures, from grasping vines to treefolk.

1d8. +1 for more mobility.

  1. Standing motionless, indistinguishable from other plants.
  2. A mass of plants and vegetation blocking the path.
  3. Guarding a portal to the Faery Kingdom.
  4. Something moving in the bushes ahead.
  5. Absorbing/devouring a meal.
  6. Cries of combat in the distance, then all is quiet.
  7. Clearing space around itself.
  8. Restoring/corrupting a mystic grove.
  9. Moving to a better location, roots and all.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Retreat
  4. Wariness
  5. Wariness
  6. Apathy
  7. Curiosity
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Serpent

Snake- and worm-like monsters. For sea serpents, use aquatic.

1d12 for huge size, +3 for large or medium, and +6 for smaller sizes.

  1. A large, circular tunnel which leads deep within the earth.
  2. Attacking vessels or travelers between a known route.
  3. Swallowing a large animal (sheep, pig, cow).
  4. The remains of a carcass and some old teeth.
  5. Summoned by a druid or shaman with dark powers.
  6. Lying dormant deep within the earth.
  7. Creating new tunnels to aid exploration.
  8. Nesting with many leathery eggs.
  9. Fleeing from monster hunters.
  10. Burrowing deep, seeking a place for its long hibernation.
  11. Stealthily moving to ambush a target.
  12. Drawn to magic to feed off its source.
  13. Mysteriously attracted to a rare herb in the area.
  14. Curled around a large tree, watching, waiting.
  15. Awakened by some deep seismic activity.
  16. Hiding in a bog or pool, watching, waiting.
  17. Gorging and feasting on some unfortunate animals.
  18. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  19. Fleeing quickly, surprised by something else.

Reactions

2d3-1 or 2d4 for greater intelligence

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Threats/demands
  6. Curiosity/analysis
  7. Interrogation
  8. Amity (1d6: 1=in need of allies; 2=hungry and willing to bargain; 3=wounded; 4=bored and curious; 5=recently fed; 6=wants to trade for shiny things)

Shadow

Dark, magical monsters with sinister intentions from the lands of shadow and chaos.

1d12, with +2 for greater intelligence.

  1. Drinking from a stream or pool.
  2. Hunting a creature for food or sport.
  3. Drawn by the power of chaos magic.
  4. Summoned by some ritual.
  5. On the hunt to kill something specific.
  6. Commanded to secure or guard an area.
  7. Already battling some other creatures.
  8. Being tracked by a group of Holy Warriors.
  9. Returning to a rift after a successful mission.
  10. Guarding a portal to the Underworld.
  11. Summoned by dark forces to protect a forbidden temple.
  12. A cursed artifact has awakened it.
  13. A desperate soul is seeking to bargain with it.
  14. Seeking some ancient tomes in the area.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Avoidance
  6. Wariness
  7. Apathy
  8. Curiosity

Undead, animated

Principally unthinking zombies and skeletons, reanimated by magic.

1d6.

  1. Guards an evil shrine or artifact.
  2. Appears in another form blending in with the background.
  3. Leaving the scene of a despicable act.
  4. Found haunting a place of dead (tomb, graveyard).
  5. Feeding on a victim, its energy revived.
  6. Floating face down lifelessly in a pool of water.

Reaction

Their reaction to the heroes depends on the purpose for which they were animated.

Undead, corporeal

This is the soulless undead, such as vampires, ghouls, wights, and mummies, altho mummies are also constructs.

1d12, with up to +4 for greater intelligence.

  1. Bodies float face down lifelessly in the water.
  2. Part of a larger undead horde commanded by some power.
  3. Guards an evil shrine or artifact.
  4. Waiting to ambush, it needs to feed.
  5. Leaving the scene of a despicable act.
  6. Found haunting a place of dead (i.e. tombs, graveyards).
  7. Hides and intends to prey upon unsuspecting locals.
  8. Feeding on its last victim, its energy revived.
  9. Evading a group of monster hunters.
  10. Dragging the motionless form of a victim towards its lair.
  11. Stands tall, blocking your direction of travel.
  12. Chasing memories of its former life.
  13. Advancing towards someone that did him harm in life.
  14. Hides in the shadows seeking to beguile a victim.
  15. Seeks vengeance against a person who stopped its ritual.
  16. Senses an artifact that could give it solace.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence. Their specific nature influences their reaction more than the heroes’ reaction to them.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Challenge
  4. Confusion
  5. Retreat
  6. Avoidance
  7. Wariness
  8. Apathy

Undead, incorporeal

Ghosts, wraiths, and nature spirits.

1d12 for ghosts, 1d8+5 for nature spirits.

  1. Sobbing and emotional, it fails to detect the intruders.
  2. Experiencing echoes of its former life.
  3. Chasing memories of its former life.
  4. Advancing towards someone that did him harm in life.
  5. Senses an artifact that could give it solace.
  6. Found haunting a place of dead (i.e. tombs, graveyards).
  7. A spectral horse galloping away in the distance.
  8. Seeking the spirit anchor that binds it to this place.
  9. Guards a shrine or artifact.
  10. Appears in another form blending in with the background.
  11. Raises a finger and points at someone.
  12. Stands tall, blocking your direction of travel.
  13. Worshiped by low intelligence beings.

Reactions

2d4-1. 2d4 for greater intelligence. Their specific nature influences their reaction more than the heroes’ reaction to them.

  1. Immediate aggression
  2. Hostility
  3. Confusion
  4. Retreat
  5. Avoidance
  6. Wariness
  7. Apathy
  8. Request for help

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Derek Jensen

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