Strange Dungeon Encounters [d20]
Dungeons are not only filled with traps and monsters—they also gather strays, secrets, and strange echoes of the surface world. This table provides twenty modular encounters to break up combat and keep exploration vivid. Some offer small rewards, others danger, and a few may only unsettle. Roll below, or use the analog table.
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d20 Strange Encounters
| d20 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Candle Hermit — A filthy old man crouches over a guttering candle stub, mumbling half-truths about “keys in the dark.” He offers to trade riddles for scraps of food. If shown kindness, he gifts a bent bronze key (fits a random future lock). |
| 2 | Goblin Choir — Three goblins, pale and nervous, practice choral songs in a hidden corner. They panic when discovered, offering a pouch of copper coins to be left alone. If attacked, they shriek in unison, summoning echoes that disorient intruders (disadvantage on next action). |
| 3 | The Snail Scholar — A man-sized snail with a childlike voice asks clumsy questions in Common. It offers directions deeper into the dungeon, though some are nonsensical. If protected, it leaves a trail of glowing slime that wards off minor vermin. |
| 4 | Abandoned Camp — A collapsed bedroll, half-eaten rations, and a cracked lantern lie in a corner. Searching uncovers a small pouch with 15 gp and a vial of pungent oil (burns bright even underwater, lasts 10 minutes). |
| 5 | Carrion Feast — A pack of 1d4 giant rats gnaw on a half-eaten corpse. If disturbed, they attack. Searching the corpse reveals a silver ring etched with crescent moons (worth 25 gp). |
| 6 | The Whisper Fungus — A patch of pale mushrooms whispers when stepped near. The voices mimic loved ones or give cryptic hints. Disturbing them causes a spore cloud (Fortitude save DC 13 or hallucinate for 1 minute). |
| 7 | Rusted Knight — A suit of rust-eaten armor slumps in a chair. If touched, the helm swivels and the knight rises, fighting as a weak skeleton. Upon defeat, the armor collapses to dust, leaving a single flawless steel dagger. |
| 8 | The Weeping Statue — A cracked idol leaks clear water like tears. Drinking from the basin heals 1d6 hp once per person, but a faint curse lingers: for the next hour, the drinker’s shadow whispers softly. |
| 9 | Spider Cradle — Webbing coats the ceiling; inside hangs a cocooned body. Cutting it open releases a choking swarm of tiny spiders. Among the remains is a gold locket with a painted portrait inside. |
| 10 | Bone Dice — A set of carved knucklebones clatters suddenly across the floor. If rolled, they always show snake eyes. Carrying them grants advantage on one luck-based check, after which they crumble to dust. |
| 11 | Hollow Echo — Footsteps echo louder than your own. A spectral figure mirrors the party’s movement at a distance. If engaged, it vanishes, leaving behind a pouch of 30 silver coins. |
| 12 | The Lantern Seller — A gaunt figure with too-wide eyes offers strange lanterns for sale: one sheds light but muffles sound, another glows only in the presence of lies. If attacked, the seller evaporates into moths, leaving behind one lantern. |
| 13 | Ghoul Feast — A lone ghoul gnaws noisily on bones. It attacks if disturbed, but the bones are mixed with coins (12 gp). A cracked leather pouch nearby holds a minor healing salve (restores 1d4 hp). |
| 14 | The Singing Key — A small iron key hums faintly on the ground. Picking it up causes all metal nearby to ring like chimes. The key unlocks one future door or chest, then vanishes. |
| 15 | Chained Prisoner — A delirious prisoner rattles iron chains, begging release. Freeing them reveals they are an illusion; the chains fall to the floor, leaving behind 20 gp and a silver dagger etched with runes. |
| 16 | Ooze in a Jar — A shelf holds sealed jars; one sloshes with green jelly. If opened, a small ooze escapes and tries to engulf a victim (1d6 acid damage/round). Defeating it leaves behind a crystallized chunk worth 10 gp. |
| 17 | Shadow Hound — A black hound made of smoke prowls silently. If struck with magic or light, it yelps and vanishes, leaving behind a charred iron collar. Worn, the collar grants night-vision for 1 hour. |
| 18 | The Forgotten Altar — Dusty offerings lie before an altar. Rifling through them reveals 1d4 small trinkets (buttons, teeth, coins) and one unique charm: a copper brooch that always feels warm to the touch. |
| 19 | Skeleton Crew — Two skeletons patrol mindlessly. If destroyed, their bones reform into a harmless skeletal bird that perches on a torch sconce. Following it leads to a hidden stash of 40 gp. |
| 20 | Orb of Murmurs — A cracked crystal sphere whispers incessantly when touched. If carried, once per day it grants a hint about the dungeon. Too much handling causes headaches (1d4 psychic damage). |