Tcian Sumere: Encounter Table & Rules

Random encounters make dungeons a more tense place, discourage dawdling, and can force players to make tough decisions. The rules below also mean that the dungeon gets more dangerous the longer the party lingers!

When to Check for an Encounter

I roll a d10 to check for an encounter every time the party stops for 10 minutes or longer, eg to cast a ritual spell (they get to cast their first ritual for free, no roll required). I check for encounters twice during a short rest; consider halving this if you have short rest classes (eg warlocks) in the party. I don't let my party take a long rest inside the dungeon.

There is a 10% chance that an encounter occurs. If no encounter occurs, the chance of an encounter occuring on subsequent checks increases by 10%, to a maximum of 50%. This probability is cumulative, i.e. 10% on your first roll, 20% on your second, and so on). Keep track of the encounter probability as the game progresses - I just have a 10 in one corner of the page that counts down.

The party might make an effort to conceal itself, eg through stealth, magic, or simply hiding somewhere seldom-visited like the top of TS's observation tower. If they do this, you could reward the party by not rolling to check for encounters, or perhaps giving the roll "disadvantage": roll 2d10, with an encounter only occurring if both rolls are high enough.

Encounter Table

Roll 1d8.

1 - 1d6+1 ghosts*

2 - 2d4 spectres

3 - 2d8 zombies

4 - 3d4 shadows

5 - 1d2 wraiths

6 - 1 bodak

7 - 3 will-o-wisps

8 -  1d4+2 minotaur skeletons

*Note that ghosts' Horrifying Visage makes encounter number 1 a very dangerous encounter if the party is composed of humans, half-elves, gith, or any other short-lived race.