d100 = 1
A group of 2d6 orcs are attacking a village and attempting to burn it down.
D1 Forest Random Encounters
D&D 5e · 100 scenarios · Roll d100 → roll D1
A complete D&D 5e random encounter table for forest scenes. Roll a d100 to pick a set, then roll a D1 to pick a scenario within that set — 100 unique D&D encounter scenarios in total. Every scenario is system-neutral and runs on either the 2014 Player's Handbook or the 2024 D&D revision. Pair each scenario with a stat block from our D&D monsters catalogue and you have a session-ready encounter in under a minute.
How to roll this table
- When the party enters a forest, roll a d100.
- The result (1–100) is your scenario. Read it out and run with it.
The D1 Forest encounter table
d100 = 2
In front of the players is a strange sight. A giant is sitting on a log, playing with a kitten. The giant will ask the players to play with the kitten with him. He will give them each a kitten if they do so.
d100 = 3
A group of 1d4+1 dwarves are traveling through the forest, hoping to be discovered. They're members of a mining troupe that is looking for new members. They're looking for an opportunity to mine in a new location.
d100 = 4
A lone harp made of living wood plays an enchanting melody that imbues the listeners with temporary foresight or clarity but also reveals deep-seated fears.
d100 = 5
A dense wall of thorny brambles suddenly grows around the party, blocking their path. As they look for a way through, humanoid figures made of vines and thorns begin to emerge and attack.
d100 = 6
A group of peasants are searching for a lost goat.
d100 = 7
Two farmers are arguing about whether or not there are any bandits in the area. One of them seems terrified, and he keeps insisting that there are bandits everywhere. The other farmer seems skeptical and annoyed by his friend's story.
d100 = 8
A group of one hundred dwarves are marching along the road. They are singing a song about a battle that happened a long time ago. They are on their way to a funeral for a fallen comrade.
d100 = 9
Q - A group of 2d6 elves are hunting a group of deer. If the players get too close, they will attack.
d100 = 10
The players come across a small cabin. Inside, they find a man named Jesse Joe. He is an ex-slave and will tell the players that he was attacked by a creature. A small creature with sharp claws. It was the size of a large dog and had glowing yellow eyes.
d100 = 11
A tiny flying piglet named Porky thinks he’s a dragon and asks the adventurers to help him “breathe fire.” They create a makeshift magic show that ends up being adorable and entertaining.
d100 = 12
Trees with glowing, crystalline bark pulse with arcane energy. Touching them reveals hidden magical secrets but may also unleash dormant forest spirits.
d100 = 13
A fortune teller is sitting under a tree. She tells the players that they will have bad luck for a week. They will get lost in the forest and fight goblins for a week.
d100 = 14
A man is standing in the middle of the road, holding up a hand, trying to stop the players from passing him by. He tells the players that he has lost his horse and he needs help finding it. He will ask the players to help him search for it. If the players help him, they will find his horse. It will be a beautiful white stallion that looks like it is made out of pure marble. The horse is actually a magical horse that will bring great fortune to whoever rides it.
d100 = 15
The party is approached by a man who is carrying a large sack. The man is being chased by 1d8+2 Hobgoblins. The man will give the players a large sack of gold if they can help him get away from the hobgoblins.
d100 = 16
A group of 2d6 hobgoblin champions are in the forest.
d100 = 17
The players see a group of men and women gathering wood. They will ask the players if they can help them gather wood. If the players accept, they will be paid with a small amount of gold for their time. They are gathering wood to build a home for a family that has been displaced after an attack on their village by bandits.
d100 = 18
A group of bandits are riding through the forest. They are carrying sacks of potatoes and onions.
d100 = 19
A young mage is lost in the forest. He is wearing common clothes. He has a sword and a staff. He has a pouch with 1d6 gold pieces and 1d10 gems. He has a map with the location of a powerful magic item written on it. If the party finds him, he will trade the map for food, a place to sleep, a horse, or whatever the party can offer him.
d100 = 20
The party hears the distant baying of wolves. As night falls, the wolves close in, led by a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes, intending to add the adventurers to their pack.
d100 = 21
A magical riddle contest hosted by an ancient treant. Winning it earns a rare magical seed that grows instantly into whatever the player needs most.
d100 = 22
The players hear a voice from above them, telling them not to go any further or they will die. They look up and see a banshee who is laughing at them and telling them that they will all be destroyed if they continue on down the trail. The banshee seems to be stuck to the tree above her, unable to get down or up.
d100 = 23
A group of 2d6 thieves are planning on robbing a nearby rich man's house.
d100 = 24
A group of 2d8 Gnolls are walking through the forest, looking for food. They are hungry and will kill and eat anyone who gets in their way.
d100 = 25
A pair of boots. If worn, they will make the player's feet feel like they are walking on clouds. Their speed will increase, but they will only be able to walk 10 feet per round.
d100 = 26
A group of 2d6 mercenaries are camping out in the woods. They are fighting over treasure.
d100 = 27
A group of 3d6 men on horseback are going through the forest, looking for work. They are poor and will accept any work offered to them. Players can offer work or just give them some gold to get them to go away.
d100 = 28
A group of men are walking down the path. They are going on a hunting trip. They have dogs with them. The dogs are well trained, well fed and friendly.
d100 = 29
Three giant elk, with giant antlers, 1d6 each. Each antler can be made into a javelin.
d100 = 30
The ground pulses gently beneath their feet, revealing a heartbeat. The trees around the party lean down, their branches forming intricate patterns resembling a giant eye watching them.
d100 = 31
The party finds a campfire that has not been used for several days. There is a half-eaten deer carcass nearby. If they investigate, they will find it's still fresh and there are tracks around it that are not human or animal tracks.
d100 = 32
A man is sitting on a tree branch not too far off the ground. He acts like he is birding but he is really a thief who is watching for trespassers on his employer's land so that he can rob them later or kill them if necessary.
d100 = 33
A group of 1d4+2 men in chainmail armor, riding horses and carrying swords, are riding through the woods. If a player approaches they will ask what they are doing there. If the players do not answer, they will attack.
d100 = 34
Two drunk elves are walking down the road. They are singing about how the world is ending.
d100 = 35
Raging bears are on the hunt for food, and if they find players, they will attack.
d100 = 36
A magical leyline damaged by a battle. Repairing it earns powerful spells refreshing faster when standing within a forest.
d100 = 37
A group of 1d4+1 dwarves are traveling through the forest, hoping to be discovered. They're members of a mining troupe that is looking for new members. They're looking for an opportunity to mine in a new location.
d100 = 38
Two elderly gentlemen named Alfred and Henry have been on the road for a long time. They will hire the players to protect them while they travel to their family's home.
d100 = 39
A group of men are gathering firewood in the forest. They are wearing leather armor and carrying axes and shields and dogs (2d8 dogs).
d100 = 40
A group of 2d6 hunters are hunting in the forest. They are hunting for sport.
d100 = 41
A flock of silent, ravenous crows begins to follow the party. Their numbers grow disturbingly large, and they seem to be waiting for the party to make a fatal mistake.
d100 = 42
A group of men and women in full plate armor and shields are running through the forest as if they are being chased by something. They scream as they run by, and the players can see that their shields have the crest of an army from a foreign land not far from this area of the woods. They are running west to east, towards the players.
d100 = 43
The party follows a trail of unusual, glowing footprints that lead them to a glade where a celestial being is trapped by dark magical chains, pleading for assistance.
d100 = 44
Zipping through the forest you are attacked by a group of 1d4+1 hobgoblins. If the party wins, they will find a treasure chest. The chest contains 1d6 potions. The potions are magical and have a purple color. They have a powerful healing effect.
d100 = 45
A group of orcs are sitting around a campfire, eating roast horse. They will notice the players and attack.
d100 = 46
The party senses they are being watched. Before long, they are ambushed by a group of feral children who have survived alone in the forest for years and see outsiders as threats.
d100 = 47
A group of 3 dwarves are mining for gold. They are mining in a cave that is filled with the bones of dead animals. The dwarves are looking for valuables in the bones of the dead animals. The players can try to talk to the dwarves and find out where the dwarves are from and why they are mining in the forest instead of the mountains where they belong
d100 = 48
A group of 2d6 men are walking down the road. They are wearing black cloaks and carrying swords and shields. They are looking for work as mercenary thugs. Their names are Granite and Granite and they are from a small town nearby.
d100 = 49
A group of humans is hunting deer. The humans are level 1, the deer are level 3.
d100 = 50
The players are attacked by a group of bandits in the woods. They are led by one called the 'Elder'. He is a high level cleric with access to a powerful spell.
d100 = 51
The sound of a woman weeping can be heard in the distance. It sounds like it's coming from a small, abandoned house.
d100 = 52
The party finds a campfire that has not been used for several days. There is a half-eaten deer carcass nearby. If they investigate, they will find it's still fresh and there are tracks around it that are not human or animal tracks.
d100 = 53
A man is sitting on the side of the road with a broken leg. He is lost and looking for the city.
d100 = 54
The ground pulses gently beneath their feet, revealing a heartbeat. The trees around the party lean down, their branches forming intricate patterns resembling a giant eye watching them.
d100 = 55
A gentle breeze carries the aroma of memories, evoking powerful emotions that reveal hidden strengths or challenges within the party.
d100 = 56
A man is walking down the trail with a large box on his back. The box is covered in a black cloth. The man is walking very fast and looks nervous and scared. As he passes the players, he whispers, 'Do not look inside the box!' If the players look inside the box, they will see a man, dead and covered in black fur.
d100 = 57
A druid comes running through the forest, pursued by a group of one-eyed men. The men are armed with spears and shields. The druid's name is Jasper. He is a good cleric who was captured by the one-eyed men and forced to work as their slave. He'll be glad to be rescued.
d100 = 58
The party comes across a small shrine to Yeenoghu. If they approach, a giant wolf bursts out of the shrine and attacks.
d100 = 59
A group of 2d6+2 humans are hunting a deer through the forest. The deer is wounded. The humans want to kill and eat it.
d100 = 60
A man and his wife are walking down the road, arguing with each other. The man is wearing leather armor and carrying a sword and shield, while the woman is wearing a dress and doesn't appear to be armed or dangerous in any way. If the party approaches them, they will stop arguing with each other and ask the party for directions to the next town or village, as they are lost and haven't been able to find their way out of the forest yet.
d100 = 61
Whispering shadows coalesce around the campfire, telling tales of alternate timelines where the party made different choices, providing wisdom and regret in equal measure.
d100 = 62
A group of humans is hunting boar. The humans are level 1, the boar are level 3.
d100 = 63
A group of children are playing an imaginary game of tag, but they're making strange noises as they're playing their game of tag as if they were actually running away from their imaginary foes...
d100 = 64
A group of 2d4+2 hobgoblins are looking for someone to attack.
d100 = 65
A group of 2d4+2 goblins is walking down the road nearby. They are on their way to a nearby city to cause mayhem and destruction. They are drunk and singing songs about how good it feels to be wicked. They will attack any player who approaches them or even looks at them funny.
d100 = 66
A group of 3d6 orcs are attempting to break into a nearby fortress to steal gold and valuables. If they are discovered, they will fight to the death.
d100 = 67
ZM - Four green dragons attack the party! They fly right over the party and attack a nearby village!
d100 = 68
Players hear a loud roar from nearby. A huge lion comes out of the woods and attacks them.
d100 = 69
A group of 2d6 goblin scouts are in the forest.
d100 = 70
A group of 3d6 goblins are playing a game of dice.
d100 = 71
A group of 3d6 men on horseback are going through the forest, looking for work. They are poor and will accept any work offered to them. Players can offer work or just give them some gold to get them to go away.
d100 = 72
A man named Kenji is walking down the road, he looks tired, he looks hungry, and he looks like he has been traveling for days. If the players stop him, he will ask for help. He will tell them he is trying to reach the town of Red Larch. If they offer to help, he will tell them he is on a quest to find his brother - his brother has been captured by bandits. His brother's name is Shonosuke. They are on a quest to save him. He will give them a list of names of the bandits, and they will find them in an abandoned temple. Players will find the bodies of Kenji's brother in the temple, his body has been covered by moldy robes. Kenji will be upset when he finds out his brother is dead. The players can choose to tell him or not. They can also offer him a place to stay for the night and give him food and drink for free for the next two weeks or so.
d100 = 73
An overrun forest temple maintained by undying monks. Helping them renew their vows grants divine relics imbued with celestial energy.
d100 = 74
A group of 1d4+4 humans are on their way to a nearby village to warn people about an approaching human horde.
d100 = 75
The party finds themselves in the middle of a heated battle between a group of druids and a powerful necromancer who is trying to raise an army of undead using the forest's energy.
d100 = 76
The players come across a campfire with a group of 2d6+2 men around it. They are sitting around the campfire, drinking wine and singing songs. The men are actually cultists who are luring the players into their trap. They will try to get the players to join them in their drinking and singing. If the players join in, they will be poisoned.
d100 = 77
Three human bandits emerge from the forest. They are in a bad mood and are looking for a fight. They are wearing basic leather armour and each is armed with a sword and small shield.
d100 = 78
Q - A group of 2d6 humans are gathering water from a nearby stream. They are on their way to a small village nearby.
d100 = 79
Unseen hands pull at the party's gear as they walk. The forest reveals them to be pesky gremlins, which soon escalate their trickery to deadly sabotage.
d100 = 80
Troll hunting a giant.
d100 = 81
The adventurers find a snail racing track where the snails move incredibly slowly, but the excitement is palpable. The players can place bets or even enter their own snail.
d100 = 82
A group of bandits disguised as traveling merchants try to sell the party overpriced and fake goods. If the party catches on, they engage in a battle against the bandits and can loot their real, stolen goods from their wagon.
d100 = 83
A group of 2d6 hobgoblin warriors are in the forest.
d100 = 84
A group of 1d4+3 orcs attack!
d100 = 85
Players come across a small band of 2d6 kobolds who are on their way to a nearby cave to make an offering to their god. They will attack the players because they believe they are preventing their god from being worshipped.
d100 = 86
Several men are walking through the forest carrying several dead animals on their backs. They can tell you that there are strange creatures in the woods that have been attacking hunters who entered that area recently, but nothing more than that...
d100 = 87
A group of 2d4 knights on horses are riding down the trail, looking for adventures to go on...
d100 = 88
Unexpected encounter with a band of kobolds. They are looking for a lost treasure deep in the forest.
d100 = 89
A traveling merchant is walking down the road. He is carrying his wares on a donkey. He is on his way to a nearby village. He will talk to anyone who stops.
d100 = 90
A group of young women are wandering through the forest -- they appear lost -- if approached, one of them will ask for help finding her way home -- if players guide them back to their home village or anywhere else, they will attempt to seduce one of the party members (Perception Check DC 20 revealed that they are succubi and this was only a ruse to get players alone somewhere with them so they could feed)
d100 = 91
A group of faeries are having a tea party in the middle of a clearing. They invite the players to join them, but the tea is actually a powerful hallucinogen that causes them to experience vivid and sometimes terrifying illusions.
d100 = 92
A section of the forest is cloaked in perpetual darkness, even during the day. As the party enters, they are set upon by shadow creatures that thrive in the blackness, feeding on fear.
d100 = 93
You hear a strange noise nearby. It sounds like someone is sawing something in half with lots of effort, but it's not too close by at all...
d100 = 94
You see a group of halfling bandits robbing a traveling merchant. The merchant is an old man with a frail body. He is carrying a small fortune in gold. He is afraid of the bandits and will not fight back. The halflings are drunk and will kill the players if they interfere.
d100 = 95
A group of men on horses approach the party and ask if they have seen a group of elves. The men on horses are part of a group of knights and they are looking for the elves because they are wanted for a crime they did not commit.
d100 = 96
The players find a large group of 3d10+20 humans. They are armed with swords and shields. They are led by a captain named Haggis who is a 3rd level warrior with a shield and a sword.
d100 = 97
A group of 2d6 goblins are looking for horses to eat. They will attack the players if they see them.
d100 = 98
Mist. A faint mist rises from the ground.
d100 = 99
A group of bandits hiding in the bushes with weapons drawn. If players get too close, they will attack. They are not very good bandits.
d100 = 100
An overgrown magical fountain once revered by an ancient order. Restoring it dispenses a single-use potion of all healing.
Use this table with the rest of Doungim's D&D 5e toolkit
A random encounter scenario is just the start of a scene. Pair it with a creature from our D&D 5e monsters catalogue (3,000+ monsters with full stat blocks), an NPC from our pre-built D&D NPC roster, a spell from the D&D 5e spell list, and a reward from the D&D magic items catalogue — and you have a full one-page session ready to drop on your D&D 5e or 2024 party.
Other dice tiers for the forest: D4, D6, D8, D10.
Want a different setting? Browse all 41 D&D encounter locations — from arctic plains to elemental planes, every D&D 5e location has its own table on Doungim.