Random Event (Not encounter!) List/Generator

[Nad]

Hello all,

Did a search on this as Random Encounter List, Random Encounter Generator, same with events and a few others and didn't find anything.

We've introduced a laptop for our gaming table and I LOVE IT as a DM. I would really recommend it out there to anyone who has one but thinks its just not that useful.

One of the things I'd like to do, is give my brain a rest on randomly generating things that happen during long periods of travel. I really hate when you travel from A to B and you're "THERE" after 11 days.

In my games I don't have random encounters, I plan even those but on days without a fight, I just throw some flavor in describing what the terrain was like, if they found anything and then ask them what out of their supplies they're cooking for the evening.

What I'm trying to do currently is make an Excel spreadsheet that will randomly give me terrain "events" in one column - things like rock formations, ruined buildings, cracks in the ground, etc - anything that has to do specifically with the terrain.

Then also provide random events such as an old campfire spot, a skeleton, an abandoned wagon etc - non-combat encounters. Some of them can be powerful but I'd like most to just be flavor and a chance for characters to interact with each other. Then I add a description outline.

Finally, the same as both but for foraging.

Here is an example of each one:

Terrain Event
Large sized boulders, provides cover for 4 humanoids.

Random Event
Ruined Aqueduct
The ruins of a large structure rest on the ground. Forming a large pile of mostly cracked clay bricks from pre-fall times and mixed in with handfuls of powdered cement mortar, the only thing discernable from the mess is that it was a large pylon of some type.

Forage Event
Large mud tubes surround a bubbeling, sulfurous eruption from the ground. In the tubes are fleshy, worm like creatures that appear edible.



What I need your help with is making this list MUCH longer. I don't want things to repeat often and have considering saving a copy and deleting each event as I go through the list but I can always just re-generate an event or modify it. What I'd really like to do is find lists of terrain events, random events and foraging events to add in to mine or I'll be happy to make one and share it from suggestions.

Thanks for reading!

-Dan/Nad

[Fixer]

Trees twisted together in an unusual fashion.

Fairy Circle (ring of mushrooms).

Tree with two long, extending branches (that looks like a treant, but is just a normal tree).

Squirrels in the trees staring at the characters as they pass. (Number of squirrels based on how creepy you want them.)

A piece of old armor, or a broken weapon, lying by the side of the road.

A piece of glass shaped like an *X* apparently discarded.

[Myshlaevsky]

Upon reading your post, what immediately sprung into my mind were out-of-place artifacts. Things like the Baigong Pipes, Klerksdorp Spheres or Wolfsegg Iron might be interesting, though I do wonder how curious people in a high-magic, low-technology world would be about them. I'd avoid something like the Baghdad Battery lest my players see its presence as permission to try and metagame the Industrial Revolution into the setting.

Completely apart from the above, some thoughts I had while writing this were:

• The bones of a whale, dire turtle or other giant sea creature found far inland.

• A magma pipe or vent, whether empty or steaming below the surface.

• Post-volcanic structures like eroded trenches, agglomerate masses or solid volcanic necks (they look like rough stone towers).

• The ruins of an ancient, possibly magical museum.

• The ruins of an ancient, possibly magical library. This should be littered with foreign and indecipherable papers.

• The rotting corpse of a spy. Whatever cause of death you want.

• Wreckage from a wagon hold-up or crash.

• A mass incursion of some invasive plant or slow-moving lifeform, like barnacles or snails, into a stagnant pool.

• A pervasive mist that seems to flicker with strange faces and lights.

• An abandoned tavern or inn.

• An ancient and towering tree, carved with messages that date back hundreds of years - just stuff like "G.B. <3's T.H.", "Thad M. was here".

• A faerie barrow inside a withered hill, seemingly abandoned. The PC's feel watched while inside.

[Nad]

Thank you both! Those are amazing ideas. If anyone else wants to contribute I promise to give you lots of and post the Excel sheet when I finish!

[Myshlaevsky]

*snip* ...and post the Excel sheet when I finish!

That would be pretty sweet actually. I'll post again with some more when I have time.

[Shademan]

random event:
You come across a pair of smelly underpants...

[Deme]

This sounds neat ^^ I'll contribute in. These are kind of mundane -- it was just what came to mind.

• A small river (with depth and speed depending on DM's choice of mood) with a quaint little bridge broken above it. Beneath the broken bridge is the sound of croaking frogs.
• A large section of lava-rock, in which there are a number of pools, colored strangely by the algea growing along the sides. The larger pools have exotic fish, from strange regions
• The forest around the party (can be replaced with other landscape) gives way to a great crevice in the ground, surrounded by ash. There doesn't seem to be anything living here now, though.
• While on the road the party meets a gnome merchant, who'll be willing to show them his wares (what his wares are depends on the DM)
• The party runs across a single, giant, world-tree style apple tree
• The party finds a damaged portrait of a beautiful woman, lying on the side of the road
• They encounter a pair of lovers, chatting sweet and mushy stuff.

[alexi]

ok these may be on the strange and wondrous side.

• A small grove of pine trees with softly glowing pine cones
• In a large clearing in the forest (could be other terrain as well) a wheat field, with an apparently abandoned cart and scythes. If the scythes are touched they will spring to work gathering hey. The scythes do not radiate magic and will cease to work if brought beyond the clearing.
• A pair of old women shouting at each other. If the players get their attention both women collapse into a mass of crickets who then scatter.
• A rag merchant, not only is the merchant selling discarded rags but he is in fact made of rags.
• Off to one side of the road the party hears accordion music. If they investigate they find a small glade and a tea party. The clearings floor is covered with exquisite rugs on top of which is a fine wooden table and fine wooden chairs. The table top is covered with pastries, tea cups and a tea pot. The accordion music is provided by a large (size of an upright piano) wind-up music box. The pastries are fresh the tea is hot yet there is no one around.
• Walking down a path the party hears a tinkling noise from above, there are wind chimes in the trees.
• A small storm cloud passes over head for a minute or 2 the party is showered with frogs, reeds and swamp water.

[alexi]

• At a crossroads the party finds a gibbet, posted to the gibbet is a notice that tomorrow there will be a fiddling contest at the crossroads.
• A pair of antlers, if a character holds them up to his forehead he will be turned into a buck until remove curse is cast upon him. At which time he will resume his human shape, but the antlers will be no where to be found.
• On the side of the path is a large pool lined with quartz cobbles. There are steps leading down into the pool, next to the steps is a stone lock box with an inscription that reads "bathing 5 coppers."
• Off to the side of the path is a well maintained well, complete with a little cupola painted red. If a player drinks from the well that night while he sleeps his sex will change. The players may trek back to the well and have another drink to return their gender to normal
• The party hears loud boisterous singing, two voices both off key struggling through a verse of the ever popular "I wish I was a merry milk maid". Turning the corner the party finds a very drunk ogre being taught the song by a very drunk knight in shining armour. If asked the knight will respond that he had set off to defeat an ogre who was terrorizing the countryside, but he didn't realize what a fine chap the ogre was...

[Shademan]

the players come across a anthill with intelligent ants currently preparing to lay siege (with siege engines and everything) to a local hive of (bees, wasps, termites, other ants etc etc.)

roll 1d4. then choose one random player. this player makes a spot check DC10 and if he/she succeed he/she finds one of the following: 1) a copper piece, 2) a silver piece, 3) a gold piece, 4) a platinum piece.

the players come across a bridge with a troll, demanding a toll. the thing is that he have all the documentation and ownership over the bridge so he is in his full right to demand the toll. heck, he even pay taxes!

[Nad]

These are fantastic! Thank you so much!

I'm going to edit some of these for my own campaign purposes and keep them off of my list because they're too random but I'll include them in the one large list that I post for this thread.

Here are my favorites:

Deme:
The party finds a damaged portrait of a beautiful woman, lying on the side of the road.

-I love that it's this awesome art object just laying there. I may even try to bait the players by having a hand out with a printed portrait or something. In the end it's just a portrait though... maybe someone will pay to have it repaired! :)

Alexi:
In a large clearing in the forest (could be other terrain as well) a wheat field, with an apparently abandoned cart and scythes. If the scythes are touched they will spring to work gathering hey. The scythes do not radiate magic and will cease to work if brought beyond the clearing.

-I love the mystery and can see them interacting and trying to figure it out why this is there. I can also see one of my players taking a scythe as a souvenier!

Shademan:
roll 1d4. then choose one random player. this player makes a spot check DC10 and if he/she succeed he/she finds one of the following: 1) a copper piece, 2) a silver piece, 3) a gold piece, 4) a platinum piece.

-This is SO simple but it's just such a great event! There are misplaced coins all over OUR worlds and when you find money, don't you always tell your friends? "Hey, I found a $20 bill on the ground!" It's about the same thing. Maybe it will turn into a player's lucky coin?


Thanks for the ideas all if you have more please feel free to throw them in, they're much appreciated!

[Crafty Cultist]

Just a few things off the top of my head:

a wagon with a broken wheel

a roadside grave

a broken bridge

a building under construction

a statue

[Myshlaevsky]

I was going to say more here but a lot of cool stuff has already been posted, and nothing really comes to mind now. Everything I can think of (A dead body hanging from a gibbet, a picture of the landscape visible, except with stormy mountains which do not exist painted in) is a spin-off of some other poster's listed ideas. Looking forward to seeing the sheet!

[Random832]

a statue

The head of the Statue of Liberty.

[Strawman]

A covered bridge that spins one a minute.

A tower that has been knocked over. It now lies perfectly intact, though horizontal. It would be interesting to try and explore it.

Several horses walking around on their hind legs.

An out of control gnomish tank.

A town that throws plates out their windows all at once. They do this whenever anyone sneezes.

An ugly nymph who does not know she is ugly.

[Shademan]

so... are we gonna put these in a table? like... so that we can roll on it?