D&D Tomb of Annihilation

(Jeff_L) #1

Appendix B:Random Encounters


RandomencounterscanoccurinPortNyanzaru,inthewilds
ofChult,andinOmu.Suchencountersaddmysteryand
atmospheretotheadventure,evenastheyincreasetensionby
winnowingawayattheparty’sresources.Randomencounters
arebestusedwheneverthere’salullinthegamesessionor
whenyourplayersseemrestless.Nomorethanoneortwoper
sessionisrecommended,sinceoverusingrandomencounters
canbogdowntheadventureandcausetheplayerstolose
trackofthestory.


PortNyanzaruEncounters


PortNyanzaruhasalotgoingonevenwithoutrandom
encounters,butifthecharactersspendtimeexploringthecity,
afewrandomincidentscanhelpbringthatexperiencetolife.
Rollad 20 threetimesperdayofgametime,checkingfor
encounterseachmorning,afternoon,andeveningornight.An
encounteroccursonarollof 16 orhigher.Rollad 20 and
checkthePortNyanzaruEncounterstabletodeterminewhat
thecharactersencounter,orsimplychooseanencounteryou
like.


d 20 Encounter
1 Aparrotpoopsonarandomcharacter’s
head.
2 Neartheharbor,anankylosaurusthat
towsboatsthroughthewarehousecanals
goesonarampageandmustbecalmed,
restrained,orkilled.
3 Amerchantshouts,“Stop!Thief!”asa
furtiveyoungster(commoner)rushespast
thecharacters.Ifthethiefiscaught,the
gratefulmerchantcanintroducecharacters
toamerchantprinceorprovidethemone
otherfavor.
4 Adrunkforeignsailor(unarmored
veteran)isloudlytryingtopickafightwith
threelocalcommoners,whoareclearlyno
matchforthelout.Ifthecharacters
intervene,thegratefullocalsbecomea
reliablesourceofinformationaboutPort
Nyanzaru,butthesailorandhisshipmates
ambushthecharacterselsewhereinthecity
lateron.
5 Abeggar(commoner)grabsacharacter
bythearmandshouts,“Theancientone
beneaththeForbiddenCitygivesbirthtoa
terriblenewgod!Thesnake-menknow!They
know!”Thenhestumblesawayintothe
crowd.Passersbytelltheadventurersto
ignorethebeggar,andthathispredictions
arewrongmostofthetime.
6 Alarmhornsdeclarethatundeadare
attackingMalar’sThroat.Mercenarieskeep
themonstersoutofthecityproper,but
peoplearetrappedinthetempleofTymora
andbesiegedby 2 d 6 zombiesand 2 d 6
skeletonsledbyaghoul.Ifthecharacters

defeattheundead,thetemplerewardsthem
with 5 gallonsoftejandapotionofhealing.
7 Shoutsof“Lookout!”giveacharactera
briefwarningasawaterbarrel,building
stone,orotherheavyweightcrashesdown.
ThecharactermustsucceedonaDC 12
Dexteritysavingthroworbestruck,taking 14
( 4 d 6 )bludgeoningdamage.Anycharacter
whosucceedsonaDC 15 Wisdom
(Perception)checkspotsadisguisedyuan-ti
purebloodslinkingawayfromthescene.
8 Atabaximinstrel(seeappendixD)asks
oneofthecharactersforagoldpieceto
stakeherforgambling,promisingtopayit
back.Ifthecharacteragrees,thetabaxi
makesgoodonherpromisethenextday,
returningapouchcontaining 10 gp.
9 Athief(spy)triestopickthepocketof
oneofthecharacters.
10 ThecharactersrunintoVolothamp
"Volo"Geddarm(seeappendixD),whois
deliveringacopyofhisnewbooktooneof
thecity’smerchantprinces.Thereisa 50
percentchancethatVoloisdrunk.
11 - 20 ThecharactersmeetanNPCwithaside
quest(see“SideQuests,”page 16 ).

WildernessEncounters


Whilethecharactersareexploringorcampinginthe
wilderness,rollad 20 threetimesperdayofgametime,
checkingforencounterseachmorning,afternoon,andevening
ornight.Anencounteroccursonarollof 16 orhigher.Roll
percentilediceandchecktheWildernessEncounterstablefor
theterrainappropriatetowherethecharactersare.After
determiningwhatthecharactersencounter,youcanusethe
informationpresentedlaterinthisappendixtobringthe
encountertolife.
ThemapsofChulthaveregionsmarkedasundead
territory(lesserorgreater).TheWildernessEncounterstable
hasseparatecolumnsyoushouldusewhendetermining
encountersintheseundead-infestedregions,orinregions
withnoundead.
Ifyourplayerstireofrandomencounters,makesuch
encounterslesscommonbyhavingthemoccuronarollof 18
orhigher,oronly 20 .Youcanalsolettheplayersnarratetheir
waythroughavoidingeasyencounters,oryoucanincreasethe
difficultyofeasyencounterstokeepthemexciting.Onewayto
makeanencountermorechallengingistohaveittriggera
secondrandomencounter.Forexample,afightwithgoblins
mightattractanearbypackofghoulsordinosaurs.Youcan
alsoshortenencountersbyhavingmonstersfleewhenthey
losethetacticaladvantageormostoftheirhitpoints.
Randomencountersaren’ttailoredtocharactersofa
particularlevel.Ifthecharactersencounterhostilecreatures
beyondtheirabilitytodefeat,givethemopportunitiestorun,
hide,negotiate,orotherwiseavoidcertaindeath.Youcanalso
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