The trail weaves alongside the forest river. Sunlight filters through the canopy in golden shafts; somewhere nearby is the gentle flow of water over stones. A bird calls out for its mate. Is this forest as tranquil as it seems?
Sometimes, gamemasters (GMs) need an encounter on the fly. Other times, they just want some inspiration to get the creative process flowing. This article kicks off a new series that uses a track from the MGS library for encounter inspiration. The approach gets a lot of its influence from Ben Milton’s Knave 2e and especially Kevin Crawford’s Without Number books. It’s worth noting these are brilliant sources for both worldbuilding and adventure ideas!
How It Works
GMs just need six dice—the trusty d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and a d4—and roll them all at once. Check the rolltables and combine the results together. The tables flow from atmosphere (d4 weather, d6 forest aspects) to scene details (d10 features, d20 creatures). Narrative developments (d8 complications, d12 secrets) come last.
Of course, GMs can roll on whichever tables they need in whatever order they want. Feel free to roll more than once for more complex results or simply pick what sounds fun. There’s no need to connect everything together. Sometimes results work best as separate stories.
The featured track for this article is Forest River. For anyone interested, it’s available on the MGS store here. Alternatively, it comes as part of the 50 track album RPG Ambiences Vol. 8 which is available here. Check out the free preview—it’s track 14.
And now, for the tables!
d4 – The Weather
1. A golden hour – sunlight bathes everything in amber rays. Warmth creeps towards the heart. Colours all around seem to blend into oranges and yellows.
2. Misty steps – light fog rises from the ground. Low-lying cobwebs glisten like jewels. The fog swallows any footprints therein.
3. Overcast – a fluffy cloud blanket drifts across the sky, smothering the sun. Shadows soften and move more freely.
4. Gentle rain – soft raindrops fall from a sunny sky. As they patter off the leaf canopy, plants and trees seem to stretch towards the sky.
d6 – The Forest Itself
1. The trees listen – ancient oaks lean towards the party while old elms seem to bow. But not the young ash trees. The young ash trees turn away.
2. Echoes – noises echo from opposite directions. As the party moves, it sounds like 2-3 more people are moving with them.
3. Unnatural harvest – buds burst with vibrant colours out of season. Bountiful fruits hang heavily on branches. Insects buzz with unusual vigour.
4. Out of time – shadows are mismatched with the sun’s position. Creatures’ day-night cycles seem reversed. The party sometimes hears a soft ticking.
5. The shimmers – the air shimmers like there’s a heat wave. Sounds grow fuzzy and it smells of iron and honey.
6. Silence – only the sounds of the wind, the water, and the birds. Nothing else has permission.
d10 – Forest River Features
1. An ancient tree – roots large enough to shelter within. The bark throbs when touched.
2. A clear pool – the water perfectly reflects the sky. Disturbing it reveals a distant land.
3. Giant standing stones – intwo near-perfect circles in a glade. One stone is out of place.
4. A meadow – flowers exploding with vivid colours. Snatches of battle-songs echo in the mind.
5. Fairy circles – rings of mushrooms shiver with excitement as the party near. Spores whisper like leaf rustling.
6. A hollow – the hole in the old tree is large enough to enter. It’s icy cold inside, and the tree breathes raggedly.
7. A spring – water bubbles up out of the ground. Boiling hot, it’s trying to reach the river.
8. Marked trees – a cluster of ash trees have sigils carved into them. Two are blotted out.
9. Pebble trail – smooth onyx stones lead off the forest path into the depths of the forest. They murmur.
10. Magic circle – glyphs and a summoning circle scorch the ground in a glade. It smells of sulphur.
d20 – Creature(s) Along the Forest River
1. Stag – drinking from the river. Cannot stop. Hoof-falls sound like thunder. Scared.
2. Fox – following the party from a distance. Intelligent eyes. A shark’s smile.
3. Dryad – searching for her tree’s lost heart. No longer innocent. Vengeful.
4. Sprites – yearning to learn another game. Newfound taste for blood. Enthusiastic.
5. Blink dogs – chasing prey. The master is angry. Loyal to a fault.
6. Lost child – hunting his father. Has his mother’s look—she’s not of this world. Calm.
7. Ranger – trying to save a life. Doomed to fail—in a time loop and knows it. Panicked.
8. Hag – selling dreams and potions. Wants an heir. Sneaky, but not permitted to lie.
9. Intelligent raven – carrying a message. Cannot remember who it is for (yet). Irritated.
10. Pseudodragon – sunbathing by the river. Longs to find a mate. Lazy.
11. Two giant owls – having a staring contest. Compelled—loser turns to stone. Terrified.
12. Giant sorcerer’s ghost – mourning besides its body. Wants its head returned. Scheming.
13. Twins – travelling to the next town. “Rescue” gear from corpses—recently lucky. Cheerful.
14. Hermit – shouting at the sky. Lost an item of value to the area. Distraught.
15. Treants – taking a family stroll. Parents teaching about humanoids. Suspicious.
16. Druid – trying to perform a ritual.Requires more blood. Desperate.
17. Animal procession – marching to meet The Grey Duchess. In her debt. Resolved.
18. Giant spiders – spinning silk robes. Must meet a deadline. Starving.
19. Refugees – fleeing from bandits. Carrying wounded and jewels. Exhausted.
20. Adult green dragon – looking for 2 shamans. Unnaturally confused. Sensitive.
d8 – Forest River Complications
1. The forest is angry. It won’t let the [d20 result] succeed or leave.
2. A corrupted spirit hunts in wolf form. It stalks everyone in the area.
3. Smoke rises. A forest fire is threatening to take hold.
4. Sound disturbs the Sleeper. It permits the wind, water, and birds alone. Its vast bulk is waking from beneath the roots.
5. The Judge watches. All actions must follow the ancient laws of the forest.
6. The Unseelie Court patrols here. All must make offerings, or anger the Queen.
7. Infected rats swarm towards the [d20 result]. Where they go, the Plague Monk follows.
8. Someone owes the forest a life. The blood debt must be paid.
d12 – The Secrets
1. Resting on a dead tree stump, seeds that’ll grow into something the forest fears.
2. Half buried, bottles of dreams; they smell like copper.
3. In a severed hand, a map of a dungeon in the clouds.
4. Carved into the leg of a dead treant, a formula of unholy enchantment.
5. Lying on the ground, a child’s doll that whispers “Getting closer” in alarm.
6. Placed between tree roots, a figurine of a forest spirit. It pulses with heat.
7. Tied to a branch, pixie-sized bottles of enchanted dew.
8. In a hollow, a nest with two large eggs. One is dull silver, the other electric blue.
9. In the riverbed, a fist-sized jewel glimmers brightly. Out of water, it absorbs nearby light.
10. Nailed to a tree, a wanted poster of one of the party members. It’s dated 200 years ago.
11. In a fairy circle, a book bound in bark. It hums as night nears. Its text changes under moonlight.
12. Drying on a rack, rare herbs of healing. A very poorly camouflaged pit trap encircles it.
Example Encounter for a Forest River
Roll Results:
d4: 1 – A golden hour
d6: 2 – Echoes
d10: 1 – An ancient tree
d20: 5 – Blink dogs
d8: 8 – Someone owes the forest a life.
d12: 12 – Rare herbs of healing
My Idea for the Encounter:
Sunlight bathes everything in amber rays. Warmth creeps towards the heart. Colours all around seem to blend into oranges and yellows. Here, footsteps sound doubled. Any words they speak seem to echo from behind.
Suddenly, a man bursts out from the bushes and pushes past, swearing angrily. Moments later, a pack of three blink dogs bound into view, snapping at his heels. He makes for an ancient tree, scrambling up the trunk just in time; the dogs snap and bark, circling below. Sometimes they glance back the way they had come and whine.
The man shrieks. He is now staring at the tree and trying not to touch it. The barks and the shriek echo at the party from all directions.
The man will tell the party about the healing herbs at his camp if they help him. However, they must hurry; the dogs’ master will come soon. The master, for his part, has killed a sacred creature of the forest. He will sacrifice the man, one of the party, or, failing that, one of his dogs to appease the forest.
Tips for Using These Tables
I have some tips on getting the most out of roll tables here. However, some things I want to reinforce or add:
– Don’t discard surprises straight away. Even if the dice results are a bit strange, think of ways to combine them before re-rolling. Sometimes, unusual combinations make the most memorable stories.
– Make the tables your own. Don’t be afraid to change details. Add to them. Mix them up. I actively encourage this—GMs will know what works best for their group!
Lastly, as I mentioned, this is the first in a series of articles. If you have any suggestions for locations or tracks you would like us to focus on, let me know in the comments or on the Discord!
