Dungeon Dudes’ Random Encounter System

Ask one or all players to roll either a 1d6 or 1d20…

• Once per hour of general exploration or travel…

• During any period of indecisive discussion or idleness in a hostile area…
• When travelling from one location to another…
• When resting in a dangerous location…

There is an encounter when any player rolls a 1 (alternatively, unfavorable conditions for the next
encounter)
Roll a six, and no ones… favourable outcomes or circumstances on the next encounter.
Roll a one and a six… Mixed results; the situation changes. The party has to come up with a new plan.
Roll no ones and no sixes... The situation doesn’t change. Nothing happens.
Multiple ones are rolled… an additional complication or problem occurs (i.e. extra reinforcements)
Every player rolls a one… Within reason, what’s the worst that can happen? It happens!

Odds of Rolling a One:

1d6
1 player… 17%
2 players… 30%
3 players… 42%
4 players… 52%

1d20
1 player… 5%
2 players… 10%
3 players… 15%
4 players… 19%
5 players… 22%
6 players… 26%

Increase the risk by adding yourself to the pool.

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What’s going on?
When you roll up a random encounter, ask:

○ Who are the creatures?

○ Where did they come from?
○ What are the creatures doing?
○ How do the creatures react to the PCs?

Encounter Catalysts

1. Actively hostile; looking for prey, victims, or loot.

2. Patrolling the area; their lair is nearby.
3. Scavenging for supplies; more interested in trading than fighting.
4. Trying to stay hidden; one of them is wounded.
5. Stopped to rest, eat, or make camp; defensive location.
6. Engaged in labour activities (crafting, harvesting, porting); focused on the task at hand.
7. Conducting a meeting; making a plan of action for their next raid/ scheme.
8. Performing a ritual or ceremony (magical, religious, or cultural)
9. Trying to set an ambush or trap, but for someone else.
10. Celebrating; a special occasion or victory.

Wilderness Locations [1d10]

1. A brook along a winding forest path

2. Near a ruined farmhouse and overgrown fields
3. A broken down old wagon by the side of the road
4. A long-abandoned well at the top of a nettle-covered hill
5. A circle of ancient standing stones covered in elvish runes
6. A rocky escarpment near a small river
7. A dusty trail along the edge of a lake or marsh
8. A long-abandoned encampment for a small warband
9. Remains of a tower which stood atop a small crag.
10. A small dock near the banks of a wide river

Urban Locations [1d8]

1. A deserted alleyway filled with trash, access point to the sewers.

2. A street crowded with wagons, vendor’s stalls, and livestock.
3. An open plaza or park around a small monument, fountain, or well.
4. A courtyard leading up to a civic building or temple.
5. A row of bustling taverns.
6. Seedy tenement buildings and ramshackle shacks.
7. Several workshops surrounded by warehouses.
8. Bridges over a canal near a large estate.

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