Fantasy cities are peak D&D locations; they’re chalked full of unique characters brimming with magical potential. We have the opportunity to think “What would our cities look like if spells worked?” If you want to fill your cities even fuller with awesome monsters from throughout D&D’s history, these tables can provide you with inspiration or random encounters in these magnificent environments.
Sources
Each encounter focuses on a monster from throughout the D&D 5e library; to see what book or source they come from, you can consult the Book column. The sources unabbreviated sources are Basic Rules (BR), Monster Manual (MM), Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (MPMM), Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden (RoF), Out of the Abyss (OoA), Volo’s Guide to Monsters (VGM), and Storm King’s Thunder (SKT).
Forest Random Encounters
The following table provides random encounters for parties playing in various “tiers” of gameplay; they generally reflect encounters you can sculpt to work for tables within a level range. The Low-tier can work for levels 1-4, Mid-tier for levels 5-11, and the Upper-tier for levels 12+.
Low-Tier Adventuring Random Encounter Table
| d20 | Book | Encounter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BR | 1d6+4 rats diving ravenously after a piece of magical cheese |
| 2 | BR | A group of 1d4+3 cultists attempting a demon-summoning ritual in a dark alley |
| 3 | BR | 1d4+2 diseased giant rats crawling from the sewers seeking food |
| 4 | BR | A green kobold merchant fighting for their goods from 1d6+1 bandits |
| 5 | BR | A noble running for their life from 1d4+3 giant centipedes |
| 6 | MM | A flock of 1d4+1 kenku troublemakers mid-robbery |
| 7 | BR | 1d4+3 skeletons shambling out of a nearby graveyard |
| 8 | MM | 1d4+2 smoke mephits flaring flames in street lamps |
| 9 | BR | Two swarms of rats raining from a ceiling in a rundown tavern |
| 10 | BR | A swarm of bats flying out of a chapel at an unusual time |
| 11 | BR | 1d4+1 shadows hunting in a dark alley in a rundown portion of town |
| 12 | MPMM | A pair of skulks and a specter tormenting a church mid-reconstruction |
| 13 | BR | Two thugs and two bandits pushing around the staff of a friendly bar |
| 14 | BR | Two ghouls that fell through a breach from the Shadowfell into a mortuary |
| 15 | MPMM | A bard and their group of devoted fans performing an impromptu dance |
| 16 | BR | Two gargoyles animated suddenly and causing havoc in the city's downtown |
| 17 | BR | An unusually placed cupboard that’s a disguised hungry mimic |
| 18 | BR | A wererat ranger with its giant rat animal companion fleeing with stolen goods |
| 19 | BR | A corrupt priest and two cultist accomplices performing a sadistic ritual |
| 20 | MM | A poltergeist making a mess of a noble’s mansion |
Mid-Tier Adventuring Random Encounter Table
| d20 | Book | Encounter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BR | 1d4+1 doppelgangers mimicking nobles to lure thieves to their doom |
| 2 | MPMM | 1d6+1 giff fighting in the streets with 1d4+1 knights they don’t understand |
| 3 | BR | 1d4+3 phase spiders that have made a nest in the rafters of a warehouse |
| 4 | MPMM | 1d4+1 ghosts wailing around a body hosting a slithering tracker lying in wait |
| 5 | MM | A water weird and 1d4+2 steam mephits fighting in a popular well |
| 6 | BR | A coatl defending a home from 1d6+4 skeletons and 1d4+2 zombies |
| 7 | MPMM | A trio of deathlocks performing necromantic rituals on the city's poorest |
| 8 | MPMM | A dybbuk possessing corpses to terrify a group of good priests at a cemetery |
| 9 | BR | A succubus or incubus and their 1d4+3 bandit thralls bargaining for equipment |
| 10 | MPMM | Two adult oblexes who have secretely taken over an entire street |
| 11 | BR | 1d4+2 gladiators making a ruckus in the center of town |
| 12 | BR | Two revenants hunting the bishop that sent them on the quest that killed them |
| 13 | MPMM | A swarm of cranium rats and 1d4+2 cranium rats bursting from a laboratory |
| 14 | BR | 1d4+1 vampire spawn on a hit job for their vampire overlord |
| 15 | BR | Two shield guardians over eagerly defending their creator’s academy |
| 16 | BR | A night hag in disguise making a bargain with a noble for greater control |
| 17 | BR | An assassin hiding on a rooftop with their crossbow aimed at a merchants head |
| 18 | MPMM | A lone champion fending off waves of goblins raiding a food warehouse |
| 19 | MPMM | A necromancer wizard with two shadows and 1d6+3 zombies advancing |
| 20 | MPMM | A lone elder oblex that’s extending its control over most of the city |
Upper-Tier Adventuring Random Encounter Table
| d8 | Book | Encounter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MPMM | A pair of yagnoloths leading an invasion scouting mission in the dark |
| 2 | BR | An archmage and their protecting shield guardian and animated armor |
| 3 | BR | A rakshasa agent brokering control of a city for a demonic god |
| 4 | BR | Two vampire nobles hosting an underground macabre festival |
| 5 | MPMM | A nabassu broken free and feasting on a citie’s worth of souls |
| 6 | MPMM | A steel predator and 1d6+3 modrons attempting to assassniate an archmage |
| 7 | BR | A mind broken ancient silver dragon attacking the city it swore to defend |
| 8 | BR | A tarrasque advancing on the city to bring it to the ground |
