d100 = 1
Several guards are playing dice. They will stop and yell at the players for disrupting their game. They will then invite them to join in.
D1 Fortress Random Encounters
D&D 5e · 100 scenarios · Roll d100 → roll D1
A complete D&D 5e random encounter table for fortress 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 fortress, roll a d100.
- The result (1–100) is your scenario. Read it out and run with it.
The D1 Fortress encounter table
d100 = 2
The castle fool tumbles and dances to entertain guests.
d100 = 3
A magistrate writes up a new edict in his office.
d100 = 4
The players see a group of men who are carrying a large chest between them. They are heading towards a nearby room. The men will say 'We can't let anyone know about this' if anyone approaches them. They then quickly rush into the room and lock the door behind them. If the players investigate, they'll find that the men were carrying a chest full of gold coins into the room.
d100 = 5
A group of 2d6+3 mid-level warriors are practicing their swordsmanship and spearsmanship. They are led by a noble named Sir Langton, who is looking for volunteers for a quest to rescue his brother who has been captured by a troll. If players do not want to be captured by the troll, Sir Langton will give them a letter of introduction to the Lord of the castle.
d100 = 6
A chamber filled with giant spiders and a massive web. The players must navigate through the web and either fight or negotiate with the spiders to continue on their journey.
d100 = 7
The players come across a group of thieves trying to break into the fortress's treasury. They seem to be struggling and could use some assistance. But can the players trust them, or are they just trying to set up a trap?
d100 = 8
Finding a strange shard, players discover it opens a planar portal. They must demonstrate their knowledge of different planes and handle the extradimensional threat that spills forth.
d100 = 9
The players come across a room filled with different portals, each one leading to a different dimension. As they step through the portals, they find themselves in alternate versions of the fortress, each one with its own unique challenges and dangers.
d100 = 10
Two guards gossip about the latest rumors.
d100 = 11
A minstrel is tuning his lute and practicing a new song.
d100 = 12
A courier hands a sealed letter to the lord.
d100 = 13
The fortress is being invaded by a swarm of giant, enchanted rats who are stealing food and other supplies. The players must navigate through the maze-like tunnels underneath the fortress and find the source of the enchantment in order to stop the invasion.
d100 = 14
Two scribes argue over the correct spelling of a word in the library.
d100 = 15
A group of treasure hunters have entered the fortress before you and have triggered a deadly trap. Can you save them before it's too late?
d100 = 16
A group of wandering barbarians have set up camp just outside the fortress, claiming the land as their own. Will the players negotiate a peaceful agreement or drive them out with force?
d100 = 17
They encounter a room where the walls are mirrors detailing significant historical betrayals. Each reflection is a piece of a puzzle; correctly piecing them together unveils a dark truth about a powerful enchantment sealing off other rooms.
d100 = 18
A cat chases a mouse across the courtyard.
d100 = 19
A group of 5 men wearing black robes with hoods pulled up over their heads are walking down the hallway, talking about finding a new place to set up shop after being kicked out of their guild for performing dark magic.
d100 = 20
A room filled with enchanted objects that come to life and attack the players when they enter. The players must quickly figure out how to deactivate the objects before being overwhelmed.
d100 = 21
A group of 2d6 soldiers are each holding a baby in their arms and are trying to play the harp. They are very drunk and will attack the players if they disturb their drunken song-playing.
d100 = 22
The room is full of cages. Each cage contains a bird with a note attached to it. The notes say, 'Feed me!'
d100 = 23
A group of orcs are huddled together in a circle, chanting and performing a ritual. The players can choose to interrupt them and fight, or sneak by and potentially use the distracted orcs to their advantage.
d100 = 24
Bound in a magical circle, the specter of an ancient court jester trades dangerous secrets for hilarious tales. Amusement causes them to reveal hidden passages where kings hid treasures from rivals.
d100 = 25
A solitary chamber holds a freakish contraption, at the helm of which sits Dr. Alvaris, a mad scientist. He seeks assistance with a risky experiment that could either grant great power or catastrophic failure.
d100 = 26
The party finds the remains of a man on the floor in a room near the stairs. His throat has been slashed and his stomach has been ripped open. Someone has gone through his pockets and has removed all of his valuables.
d100 = 27
A party member notices the words 'Don't trust the necromancer' written on one of the walls in blood. A few feet above it, there is another message of 'The necromancer will betray you!' written in blood on another wall.
d100 = 28
An ornate mirror room shows the players' reflections acting independently and offering false wisdom. If a reflection is broken, the player must succeed on a Wisdom save or lose part of their mind to the mirror’s dimension.
d100 = 29
A monstrous creature, a basilisk, has turned many previous adventurers to stone. Players must avoid the creature's gaze and use their combat tactics to defeat or bypass the creature to continue their journey.
d100 = 30
They stumble upon enchanted chess pieces that reveal land seizures from various wars. The pieces move on their terms, acting out winning strategies from history’s great generals; winning against them earns insight into tactical lore.
d100 = 31
A commander's quarters where the spirit of a battle-hardened general offers strategic wisdom in exchange for honoring his legacy. Diplomacy here yields valuable military tactics.
d100 = 32
A bard is recounting tales from distant lands to a rapt audience.
d100 = 33
A steward is checking an inventory of wines in the cellar.
d100 = 34
As you explore the dungeons, you come across a group of kobolds who are being held prisoner. They beg for your help in escaping and promise to lead you to a hidden treasure in return. Will you trust them?
d100 = 35
A group of robed wizards are chanting and preparing for a spell - if disturbed, they will attack the party.
d100 = 36
A distant horn signals an approaching party’s arrival.
d100 = 37
A group of guardsmen are walking down the hallway, headed somewhere else. They will ignore the players unless attacked.
d100 = 38
A bard is recounting tales from distant lands to a rapt audience.
d100 = 39
A gardener rakes leaves into neat piles.
d100 = 40
Grubb: a tiny, grub-like creature that appears to be a worm or a caterpillar. It has a red body and six short legs. It is moving very slowly across the floor and is no threat.
d100 = 41
The players hear a man screaming. The man is a prisoner being tortured in the dungeon by the local lord.
d100 = 42
A group of 4d6 goblins are trying to sneak into the fortress through the main gate. They will attack party if they see them.
d100 = 43
In a grand hall, a feast is laid out with sumptuous food and drink, but the hall is eerily silent. If the players consume anything, they find themselves trapped in a time loop until they can solve a puzzle to break the spell.
d100 = 44
A group of children are sneaking across the hall, clearly up to some mischief.
d100 = 45
In a deserted chapel, the party finds Sister Miriam, a nun who has taken a vow of silence. She uses written notes to communicate and provides the group with holy water and a map detailing forbidden zones within the fortress.
d100 = 46
A guard yawns and stretches at his post.
d100 = 47
A minstrel is tuning his lute and practicing a new song.
d100 = 48
The nobles of the city have been throwing their garbage into the moat, affecting the cleanliness and smell of it. A local druid has been talking to the players about this and trying to convince them to convince the nobles to stop throwing their garbage into the moat. The druid has decided to take matters into his own hands and will try to destroy the fort by making the moat overflow with garbage.
d100 = 49
A farmer is delivering fresh produce from the nearby village.
d100 = 50
Griddler's Chamber: a large chamber filled with 1d4+2 large, round plants that have stems and vines and hollow, circular leaves. When a high level character touches one of these plants, he is sucked inside, and the plant pulls some of his former body parts into it. If a low level character comes close to a plant and touches it, it throws him up into the air and will attempt to grab onto him. Its hollow leaves grab onto the character, and it draws his body inside of it, digesting him slowly.
d100 = 51
A group of orcs are challenging everyone who attempts to enter the fortress to single combat.
d100 = 52
A young boy practices archery with a makeshift bow and arrow.
d100 = 53
The players discover a hidden chamber containing a secret cult. The cult leader is considering an alliance with a dark entity. Persuasive diplomacy might redirect their focus to a more benevolent cause.
d100 = 54
A group of 2d6 adventurers are trying to convince a group of 2d6 villagers to help them defeat a nearby dragon.
d100 = 55
A group of bullywugs are hiding under the water in the room. They see the PCs, and try to pretend they aren't there.
d100 = 56
A guard dozes off briefly at his post.
d100 = 57
A group of 2d6+2 thugs are making fun of an older man who is walking by. If players question them about it, they will say, 'He's just an old drunk.' They are lying, though, and the man is actually a sage who is looking for an ancient temple in the area. He's trying to find out where the Oldest Dungeon is before anyone else does because he believes he knows how to open it.
d100 = 58
A weapons cache includes a cursed quiver of arrows. If used, the quiver’s curse slowly turns the wielder into a mindless guardian.
d100 = 59
Griddler's Chamber: a large chamber filled with 1d4+2 large, round plants that have stems and vines and hollow, circular leaves. When a high level character touches one of these plants, he is sucked inside, and the plant pulls some of his former body parts into it. If a low level character comes close to a plant and touches it, it throws him up into the air and will attempt to grab onto him. Its hollow leaves grab onto the character, and it draws his body inside of it, digesting him slowly.
d100 = 60
A powerful illusion enchantment fakes the presence of a dangerous dragon. Players need to use insight into illusions to dispel the creature or understand the false nature of threats inside.
d100 = 61
The adventurers reach a room with wall carvings celebrating a series of historical inventions. Manipulating the carvings triggers mechanisms sprouting relics, guarded by the jealous ghosts of the inventors who died seeking recognition.
d100 = 62
Four soldiers are sitting at a table playing cards.
d100 = 63
A group of men dressed as swordsmen walk down the road. They are arguing about their swordsmanship and about how well they can wield their swords.
d100 = 64
As the players venture deeper into the fortress, they come across a room filled with various torture devices and instruments. A sinister figure, believed to be a mad torturer, is sitting in a chair and sharpening his tools. He pays no attention to the players, but they must decide if they want to confront him and potentially put an end to his cruelty, or avoid him and continue on their quest.
d100 = 65
A nearby building is on fire. If the building is entered, it will be an abandoned house that was set on fire by a local troublemaker. If a player tries to put out the fire, the troublemaker will step in and stop them. They want the building to burn down because they want to buy the land cheap afterwards.
d100 = 66
The party finds a room with a bunch of old armor, swords, and shields lying around in it.
d100 = 67
You find a servant carrying a large stack of firewood to the kitchens.
d100 = 68
A servant is carrying a stack of clean linens to the guest quarters.
d100 = 69
The party finds a group of 2d6 men, who are looking for hide and skin of a nearby dragon for their own purposes.
d100 = 70
The players find an enchanted tapestry that changes scenes depicting fortress events. Entering the scene through the tapestry requires them to solve a past dilemma to ensure their actual timeline remains unchanged.
d100 = 71
A hidden garden filled with poisonous plants and flowers is tended by a sinister dryad. If defeated or helped, the players find potent herbal medicines among the dangerous flora.
d100 = 72
A group of meddlesome fairies has infiltrated the fortress and is causing chaos for the inhabitants. The players must catch them and make a deal with their queen to stop their shenanigans.
d100 = 73
A young noble reads a book by the fire.
d100 = 74
An elderly couple is trying to sell a small piece of land to the players. The land is actually a very bad piece of land and is far from any source of water or good soil or anything like that, but they will act like they're doing the players a huge favor by selling it to them and will not take no for an answer.
d100 = 75
All around you, the walls of the fortress are covered in intricate and ancient runes. Suddenly, the runes start glowing and a deep voice booms out, "Who dares to disturb my slumber? Answer me truthfully, or face my wrath!" The players must figure out a way to answer the voice without lying. If they succeed, a secret passage will open, leading to a hidden treasure room.
d100 = 76
Players hear a woman shouting, 'No! Stay away! I have a family!'
d100 = 77
A tired cook kneads dough for fresh bread.
d100 = 78
The party hears a man screaming, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'
d100 = 79
Shadowy archives describe binding forgotten gods. Creatures bound to these gods' souls roam this chamber, compelled by the curses of their banished patrons, obstructing access to forbidden knowledge.
d100 = 80
A pair of noble children run past, giggling and playing a game of tag.
d100 = 81
In a laboratory filled with bubbling potions, they find Amara, an alchemist seeking to create the Philosopher’s Stone. She will share her alchemical secrets for assistance in gathering rare ingredients.
d100 = 82
A group of 2d6+3 thieves have been caught trying to steal from the castle and have been put in the dungeon until they can be hanged. They have just broken out of the dungeon and have no gear except the clothes on their back and the clothes on their backs are no longer wearable due to their recent escape attempt
d100 = 83
The old council room, filled with spectral advisors, debates forgotten policies. Interaction unveils extensive statecraft knowledge, ideal for structuring new realms founded on ancient principles.
d100 = 84
The dungeon has a beast with false treasure hoards. The true treasure is inside but is improbably accessible unless deducing cryptic guarding patterns.
d100 = 85
The party finds a group of 2d4 men, who are looking for hide and skin of a nearby dragon for their own purposes. A group of men are standing around talking about how they have to fight off an attack by an army of humans, elves, etc. led by a powerful human general named X, who has a reputation for being ruthless and fierce in battle even though he is a kind man in his camp and to his staff members and close friends and family.
d100 = 86
A large crowd has gathered around a mysterious cloaked figure who claims to be a powerful wizard. They are presenting a magic show, promising to perform incredible feats for a small fee. Is the figure really a wizard or just a skilled con artist?
d100 = 87
The players stumble upon a vast chamber with Taryn, a dragon shapeshifter who has lost control of his transformations. Taryn offers powerful draconic spells if they help him regain control by locating his lost heirloom.
d100 = 88
An ornate mirror room shows the players' reflections acting independently and offering false wisdom. If a reflection is broken, the player must succeed on a Wisdom save or lose part of their mind to the mirror’s dimension.
d100 = 89
Bats the size of small dogs are flying in the room. They are feeding on corpses. There are also giant rats running around the room. The smell of death is heavy in the air.
d100 = 90
A group of 2d6+2 thugs are drunk and fighting each other. One of them has a serious wound from fighting. The other thugs are trying to stop the fight.
d100 = 91
The players are transported to a parallel world where the castle is ruled by an evil tyrant. They must find a way to overthrow the tyrant and return to their own reality.
d100 = 92
The players discover a hidden underground cavern filled with valuable minerals and gems. But as they start mining, they realize they are not alone and must defend themselves against a tribe of hostile gnomes who also want the treasures.
d100 = 93
A man is seen walking down the hall, mumbling to himself. A player has to follow him and find out where he's going, or he could lead them to a dangerous place.
d100 = 94
An eerie hallway is filled with statues of past heroes. One statue speaks, revealing it's under a curse. The players could break this curse through negotiation, earning loyalty from a grateful warrior.
d100 = 95
The players see a group of men and women sitting around a table, laughing. They are not paying any attention to each other and would not notice if someone tried to sneak past them. They are drunk and laughing at each other's bad jokes. They are members of the Cult of the Drunken God, who worship an ancient god of wine through drunken revelry and song.
d100 = 96
The players discover Thalia, a witch who maintains a sanctuary for magical creatures within the fortress. She provides them with familiars if they assist in protecting her sanctuary from dark forces.
d100 = 97
As the party explores a dimly lit corridor, they encounter a somber figure in shadowy robes, an Archivist named Xanthus. He offers a cryptic warning about a curse lying dormant within these fortress walls. Xanthus knows much but only speaks in riddles.
d100 = 98
A group of 2d4+2 elves is standing guard by a door. They held off a group of goblins for the last three days but are running low on food, water and ammo.
d100 = 99
As the party walks through a hallway, they suddenly feel a strange sensation as the walls begin to shift and close in around them. They must race against time to find the lever that will stop the trap before they are crushed.
d100 = 100
The players enter a seemingly empty room, but as they walk through, they trigger a magical spell that transforms the room into a giant labyrinth. They must navigate through the constantly shifting walls and find the exit before they are trapped forever.
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 fortress: 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.