Wilderness Toolbox

The wilderness presents a vast range of opportunities for adventure, not just as far as setting and locations go, but also in terms of hazards one might encounter, creatures to be faced, and natives or travelers also venturing through such areas. The following charts should help GMs add additional details to their adventures in the wilds, whether suggesting discoveries to make along the road, or serving as a reminder to mention the weather.

Table 7–56: Things Found on the Roadside

d%	Item or Location
1–3	An abandoned cartwheel
4–6	A holy man meditating at a roadside shrine
7–9	A newly constructed traveler’s waystation
10–12	A caravan of gypsies waiting for a birth
13–15	A statue of a two-headed goat
16–18	A covered well
19–21	A squashed hedgehog
22–24	A hermit’s cave
25–27	A teahouse
28–30	An abandoned barn
31–33	The remnants of a campfire
34–36	A dead sheep
37–39	An old road, now overgrown and abandoned
40–42	A footpath leading away
43–45	A tumbled-down rock wall
46–48	A tree adorned in prayer flags
49–51	An oak tree split by lightning
52–54	The ruins of a croft
55–57	A standing stone
58–60	A tiny roadside tavern
61–63	An old blind woman begging for alms
64–66	A coin
67–69	Signs of a fight
70–71	A totem depicting foxes and wolves chasing owls
72–73	A boarded-up mineshaft
74–75	An overgrown graveyard
76–77	A broken, rusty halberd
78–79	A scarecrow
80–81	Three dead foxes strung up in a tree
82–83	A mangy old dog
84–85	The carcass of a giant, picked clean by vultures
86–87	An abandoned child
88–89	A gallows with a dead victim
90–91	A coaching inn
92–93	The corpse of a criminal in a hanging cage
94–95	A road repair gang
96–97	A pile of flagstones waiting to be laid
98–99	A milestone
100	A huge footprint

Table 7–57: Types of Weather

d%	Weather
1–2	Balmy: mild and pleasant weather
3–4	Blizzard: a dense snowstorm
5–6	Bluster: strong wind
7–8	Breeze: light wind
9–10	Calm: no wind
11–12	Chill: unpleasantly cold
13–14	Cool: moderately cold
15–16	Cyclone: violent, destructive storm
17–18	Damp: moisture in the air
19–20	Deluge: sudden heavy rainfall
21–22	Dew: condensation forming just above the ground
23–24	Downpour: heavy rainfall
25–26	Draft: current of air
27–28	Drizzle: fine rain
29–30	Drought: continuous dry weather
31–32	Dust storm: severe windstorm lifting dust and sand
33–34	Fair: pleasant weather
35–36	Fog: thick mist or cloud
37–38	Freezing rain: rain that freezes when it lands
39–40	Frigid: intensely cold
41–42	Frost: frozen dew
43–44	Gale: strong wind
45–46	Hail: pellets of frozen rain
47–48	Haze: condensing ground vapor caused by heat
49–50	Heat wave: prolonged period of warm weather
51–52	Humid: warm, moist air
53–54	Hurricane: windstorm moving around a central point
55–56	Mild: moderately warm weather without rain
57–58	Mist: water vapor in the air
59–60	Monsoon: heavy, prolonged seasonal rain
61–62	Muggy: damp, warm, oppressive weather
63–64	Overcast: heavy cloud cover
65–66	Pea soup: thick yellow fog
67–68	Rain shower: short period of rainfall
69–70	Rainfall: prolonged period of rain
71–72	Sleet: ice pellets mixed with rain or snow
73–74	Smog: smoky fog
75–76	Snow flurry: short period of light snow
77–78	Snowstorm: prolonged heavy snow
79–80	Squall: sudden, localized storm
81–82	Storm: violet wind and rain
83–84	Sunny: bright, clear weather
85–86	Temperate: without extremes of warm or cold
87–88	Thunderstorm: storm with thunder and lightning
89–90	Tornado: destructive, rotating windstorm
91–92	Tropical storm: cyclonic storm from the tropics
93–94	Typhoon: violent cyclonic storm
95–96	Warm: moderately hot temperature
97–98	Whirlwind: violent wind moving in a circular motion
99–100	Whiteout: heavy snow, causing visibility problems

Table 7–58: Scenic Spots

d%	Location
1–2	A tumbling waterfall cascades into a deep pond
3–4	A bent willow tree provides shelter
5–6	A ruined bridge carved with dancing angels
7–8	A quaint wishing-well
9–10	A limestone gorge filled with ancient trees
11–12	A lone tree upon a moor
13–14	Mighty stones have weathered into incredible shapes
15–16	Carved millstones lie abandoned in a flower meadow
17–18	A stone outcropping that looks like a dragon
19–20	The ruins of a once-majestic manor house
21–22	A crumbling hillside
23–24	A farmed valley with lush grass
25–26	The still waters of a pool reflect an ancient dolmen
27–28	A natural tower of broken, weathered stone
29–30	Sunlight suddenly strikes the purple heather
31–32	The sun picks out the hillside in a blaze of color
33–34	A ruined croft with the chimney still intact
35–36	A crumbling gatepost leading to a ruined croft
37–38	A cobbled track worn smooth with age
39–40	A standing stone in a hollow
41–42	Curious weathered stones tumble down the hillside
43–44	An old ruined chapel wreathed in ivy
45–46	A shallow cave with a moss-covered floor
47–48	A stone trough filled with flowers, overlooking a lake
49–50	An old stone bridge with a small religious shrine
51–52	A cairn with a wide panorama of the countryside
53–54	A weathered flagstone path leads to a rustic barn
55–56	A ruined tower surrounded by heather
57–58	Ancient trees gather on a small knoll
59–60	A fine bridge over a cool swimming hole
61–62	A stone circle in a forest clearing
63–64	An empty old burial cairn on the edge of a hillside
65–66	A forest clearing bathed in sunshine
67–68	An abandoned house by a river
69–70	A ruined mill surrounded by cascading waterfalls
71–72	A mighty oak towers over the path
73–74	A village pond with ducks and dragonflies
75–76	A holly bush with a ruined house within
77–78	A statue of a man with a cloak of flowers
79–80	A meadow filled with buttercups
81–82	An old graveyard at the foot of a cliff
83–84	A flagged ford across a river
85–86	An outcrop of rock that looks like an owl
87–88	Three intertwined apple trees
89–90	A curious rocky tor rising from a small copse of trees
91–92	A pond clogged with watercress and lilies
93–94	A green lane surrounded by ancient sycamore trees
95–96	A natural seat under a cliff, draped with kudzu
97–98	Bright red berries swing from the arch of a tree
99–100	A hollow holds three graves, surrounded by ivy

Table 7–59: Terrain Types

d%	Terrain
1–2	Antarctic: southerly area of extreme cold
3–4	Arctic: northerly area of intense cold
5–6	Basin: tract of land drained by a river
7–8	Beach: shoreline along a body of water
9–10	Bog: wet ground made up of decayed vegetation
11–12	Butte: isolated hill with steep sides
13–14	Caldera: cauldron-like bowl caused by a volcano
15–16	Canyon: deep gorge or ravine with steep sides
17–18	Cave: small subterranean opening
19–20	Cavern: large subterranean chamber
21–22	Cliff: steep-sided rock formation
23–24	Coast: tidal shore
25–26	Crater lake: lake formed in crater of a volcano
27–28	Desert: arid, barren land
29–30	Dunes: hills of sand in deserts
31–32	Farmland: agricultural land, often enclosed
33–34	Fen: low marshy or flooded area of land
35–36	Forest, coniferous: chiefly evergreen forest
37–38	Forest, deciduous: forest of trees that shed leaves
39–40	Glacier: slow-moving mass or river of ice
41–42	Hills: landforms that rise above the surrounding land
43–44	Icecap: permanent covering of thick ice
45–46	Isthmus: narrow strip of land connecting two areas
47–48	Jungle: land overgrown with vegetation
49–50	Knoll: small natural hill
51–52	Lake: large, inland body of water
53–54	Limestone upland: exposed limestone outcrop on hill
55–56	Meadow: land that periodically floods
57–58	Mesa: elevated area of flat land
59–60	Mire: swampy ground
61–62	Moors: upland landmass usually covered in heather
63–64	Mountain: prominent landmass of exposed rock
65–66	Mountain, high: mountain with permanent glaciers
67–68	Mountain pass: saddle point between mountains
69–70	Ocean: large body of water
71–72	Oxbow lake: U-shaped body of water
73–74	Peninsula: point of land almost surrounded by water
75–76	Plains: level tract of land
77–78	Plateau: elevated tract of relatively flat land
79–80	Ravine: small valley
81–82	Ridge: a continuous elevated crest
83–84	River: large watercourse
85–86	Scree: broken rock fragments at a mountain’s base
87–88	Stream: small watercourse
89–90	Subterranean: below the surface, usually caverns
91–92	Swamp: wet, spongy ground
93–94	Tundra: vast, treeless region in arctic or antarctic area
95–96	Valley: long depression or hollow between hills
97–98	Volcanic: region with volcanic activity
99–100	Wetlands: wet, soggy, seasonally waterlogged area

Table 7–60: Beach/Coast

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–3	2d4 lizards	1/2	Bestiary 131
4–8	1d6 merfolk	1	Bestiary 204
9–11	1d4 poison frogs	1	Bestiary 135
12–17	1d4 eagles	1	Bestiary 118
18–22	1 monitor lizard	2	Bestiary 194
23–29	1d8 hawks	2	Bestiary 131
30–34	1d8 shipmates	3	see page 294
35–40	1 pteranodon	3	Bestiary 85
41–43	1d4 giant frogs	3	Bestiary 135
44–47	1 giant eagle	3	Bestiary 118
48–51	1 crab swarm	4	Bestiary 50
52–57	1 sea hag	4	Bestiary 243
58–64	1d6 giant crabs	5	Bestiary 50
65–67	1 giant frilled lizard	5	Bestiary 194
68–69	1 cyclops	5	Bestiary 52
70–71	1d6 skum	5	Bestiary 253
72–74	1d4 griffons	6	Bestiary 168
75–79	1d8 sahuagin	6	Bestiary 239
80–82	1d4 giant stag beetles	6	Bestiary 33
83–85	1d6 harpies	7	Bestiary 172
86–89	1 giant octopus	8	Bestiary 219
90–94	1 first mate	8	see page 295
95–98	1 roc	9	Bestiary 236
99–100	1 pirate captain	11	see page 281

Table 7–61: Eldritch Forest

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–5	1 pseudodragon	1	Bestiary 229
6–9	1 werewolf	2	Bestiary 198
10–12	1 yellow musk creeper	2	Bestiary 285
13–17	1 assassin vine	3	Bestiary 22
18–21	1 ettercap	3	Bestiary 129
22–24	1 giant mantis	3	Bestiary 200
25–31	1 owlbear	4	Bestiary 224
32–34	1 hydra	4	Bestiary 178
35–39	1d4 worgs	4	Bestiary 280
40–45	1 basilisk	5	Bestiary 29
46–51	1d4 dryads	5	Bestiary 116
52–56	1d4 unicorns	5	Bestiary 269
57–59	1d6 centaurs	6	Bestiary 42
60–61	1 girallon	6	Bestiary 154
62–67	1d4 half-celestial unicorns	6	Bestiary 169
68–70	1d4 satyrs	6	Bestiary 241
71–73	1 shambling mound	6	Bestiary 246
74–75	1 dire bear	7	Bestiary 31
76–81	1 nymph	7	Bestiary 217
82–85	2d4 pegasi	7	Bestiary 225
86–90	1d6 pixies	7	Bestiary 228
91–95	1 treant	8	Bestiary 266
96–98	1 gorgon	8	Bestiary 165
99–100	1 couatl	10	Bestiary 49

Table 7–62: Oasis

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–5	1 giant leech	2	Bestiary 187
6–8	1 monitor lizard	2	Bestiary 194
9–12	1d4 vagabonds	3	see page 291
13–18	1d4 cheetahs	4	Bestiary 40
19–22	1 mimic	4	Bestiary 205
23–30	1d6 wanderers	5	see page 290
31–35	1 traveling merchant	5	see page 285
36–39	1d4 Medium water elementals 5		Bestiary 126
40–42	2d4 hyenas	5	Bestiary 179
43–44	1d4 giant scorpions	5	Bestiary 242
45–46	1d6 aurochs	5	Bestiary 174
47	1 lamia	6	Bestiary 186
48–53	1d6 lions	6	Bestiary 193
54–56	2d6 gnolls	6	Bestiary 155
57–63	1 chuul	7	Bestiary 46
64–68	1 stegosaurus	7	Bestiary 85
69–72	1 medusa	7	Bestiary 201
73–75	1 brass dragon (young)	7	Bestiary 102
76–80	1d6 bison	7	Bestiary 174
81–82	1d6 mummies	8	Bestiary 210
83–87	1 sphinx	8	Bestiary 257
88–93	1d4 elephants	9	Bestiary 128
94–96	1 clay golem	10	Bestiary 159
97–100	1 rakshasa	10	Bestiary 231

Table 7–63: Polar

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–4	1d6 owls	1	Bestiary 132
5–10	1 ice mephit	3	Bestiary 202
11–13	1 dire wolverine	4	Bestiary 279
14–18	1 polar bear (advanced bear)	5	Bestiary 31, 294
19–22	1 ice golem	5	Bestiary 161
23–25	1d4 yetis	6	Bestiary 287
26–33	2d6 wolves	6	Bestiary 278
34–36	1 cyrohydra	6	Bestiary 178
37–38	1 white dragon (young)	6	Bestiary 100
39–42	1 remorhaz	7	Bestiary 233
43–49	1d8 dire wolves	7	Bestiary 278
50–55	1d4 woolly rhinoceroses	8	Bestiary 235
56–57	1d8 frost wights	8	Bestiary 276
58–61	1 dire tiger	8	Bestiary 265
62–64	1d6 monster hunters	8	see page 257
65–69	1d4 beast masters	8	see page 263
70–73	1 frost giant	9	Bestiary 149
74–78	2d6 winter wolves	10	Bestiary 280
79–86	1d6 vikings	10	see page 281
87–91	1d6 frost giants	12	Bestiary 149
92–95	1d6 mastodons	12	Bestiary 128
96–97	1 silver dragon (adult)	14	Bestiary 110
98–99	1 white dragon (ancient)	15	Bestiary 100
100	1 ice linnorm	17	Bestiary 191

Table 7–64: Sky

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–4	1d4 eagles	1	Bestiary 118
5–6	1d6 owls	1	Bestiary 132
7–9	2d6 hawks	3	Bestiary 131
10–14	1d12 ravens	3	Bestiary 133
15–20	1 wasp swarm	3	Bestiary 275
21–25	1 half-celestial unicorn	4	Bestiary 169
26–29	2d6 stirges	4	Bestiary 260
30–35	1d4 pteranodons	5	Bestiary 85
36–40	1d4 giant wasps	5	Bestiary 275
41–45	1 manticore	5	Bestiary 199
46–49	1d6 cockatrices	6	Bestiary 48
50–52	1d4 gargoyles	6	Bestiary 137
53–58	1d4 griffons	6	Bestiary 168
59–65	1d8 giant eagles	7	Bestiary 118
66–70	1 huge air elemental	7	Bestiary 120
71–74	1 dracolisk	7	Bestiary 170
75–80	1d6 harpies	7	Bestiary 172
81–85	2d4 pegasi	7	Bestiary 225
86–88	1 green dragon (young)	8	Bestiary 96
89–92	1 roc	9	Bestiary 236
93–95	1d6 wyverns	9	Bestiary 282
96–97	1 couatl	10	Bestiary 49
98–99	1 gold dragon (young)	11	Bestiary 108
100	1 phoenix	15	Bestiary 227

Table 7–65: Temperate Plains

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–3	1d8 cats	1	Bestiary 131
4–7	1 venomous snake	1	Bestiary 255
8–12	1 bat swarm	2	Bestiary 30
13–16	1 ankheg	3	Bestiary 15
17–21	1 cockatrice	3	Bestiary 48
22–26	2d6 goblins	3	Bestiary 156
27–28	2d4 ponies	3	Bestiary 177
29–32	1d6 horses	4	Bestiary 177
33–37	1d4 giant ants	4	Bestiary 16
38–40	1d4 ghouls and 1 ghast	4	Bestiary 146
41–44	1d4 dire bats	4	Bestiary 30
45–50	1d6 aurochs	5	Bestiary 174
51–52	1d4 centaur	5	Bestiary 42
53–57	1d4 pegasi	5	Bestiary 225
58–60	2d4 wolves	5	Bestiary 278
61–67	1d4 bison	6	Bestiary 174
68–71	1d6 giant scorpions	6	Bestiary 242
72–78	1d8 worgs	6	Bestiary 280
79–84	2d6 gnolls	6	Bestiary 155
85–89	1d6 rhinoceroses	7	Bestiary 235
90–93	1 dire tiger	8	Bestiary 265
94–96	1 gorgon	8	Bestiary 165
97–98	1 mastadon	9	Bestiary 128
99–100	1 guardian naga	10	Bestiary 212

Table 7–66: Volcano

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–4	2d6 duergar	3	Bestiary 117
5–9	1 basilisk	5	Bestiary 29
10–15	1 pyrohydra	6	Bestiary 178
16–20	1 half-fiend minotaur	6	Bestiary 171
21–23	1 wyvern	6	Bestiary 282
24–26	1 chimera	7	Bestiary 44
27–28	1d4 cyclopes	7	Bestiary 52
29–33	1d4 manticores	7	Bestiary 199
34–38	2d6 shocker lizards	7	Bestiary 248
39–41	2d4 yeth hounds	7	Bestiary 286
42–46	1 behir	8	Bestiary 34
47–52	1 copper dragon (young)	8	Bestiary 106
53–55	1d6 giant frilled lizards	8	Bestiary 194
56–60	1d6 salamanders	9	Bestiary 240
61–63	1 tyrannosaurus	9	Bestiary 86
64–68	1 roc	9	Bestiary 236
69–75	1 red dragon (young)	10	Bestiary 98
76–80	1 elder fire elemental	11	Bestiary 125
81–84	1d4 greater earth elementals	11	Bestiary 123
85–90	1d6 fire giants	13	Bestiary 148
91	1 storm giant	13	Bestiary 152
92–96	1 red dragon (adult)	14	Bestiary 98
97–98	1 phoenix	15	Bestiary 227
99–100	1 red dragon (ancient)	19	Bestiary 99

Table 7–67: Wasteland

d%	Encounter	Avg. CR	Source
1–3	1d4 wights	5	Bestiary 276
4–8	2d4 dire bats	6	Bestiary 30
9–13	1d4 centipede swarms	6	Bestiary 43
14–16	2d4 ghasts	6	Bestiary 146
17–19	1d4 minotaurs	6	Bestiary 206
20–24	1 spectre	7	Bestiary 256
25–30	2d4 rust monsters	7	Bestiary 238
31–36	1 nabasu	8	Bestiary 64
37–41	1 erinyes	8	Bestiary 75
42–45	1d8 gargoyles	8	Bestiary 137
46–48	1d4 half-fiend minotaurs	8	Bestiary 171
49–51	1d8 harpies	8	Bestiary 172
52–54	1d6 wraiths	8	Bestiary 281
55–60	1 mohrg	8	Bestiary 208
61–65	1d6 mummies	8	Bestiary 210
66–70	1d6 ghosts	10	Bestiary 145
71–74	1d4 dark nagas	10	Bestiary 211
75–78	1d6 vrocks	12	Bestiary 69
79–81	1 lich	12	Bestiary 188
82–88	1d6 spirit nagas	12	Bestiary 213
89–93	1 purple worm	12	Bestiary 230
94–96	1d4 hezrous	13	Bestiary 62
97–99	1d6 devourers	14	Bestiary 82
100	1 shoggoth	19	Bestiary 249