The open seas provide endless opportunities for adventure. This section supplies you with a variety of random tables, perfect for detailing the challenges awaiting your characters on and beneath the waves.
Random Encounters
For each day of a voyage, in addition to checking for hazards, roll a d20. On a 19 or 20, the ship has a random encounter. If you roll both a hazard and a random encounter, the ship experiences both. They might occur simultaneously or in an order of your choice.
The levels given on the following tables allow you to sculpt what dangers the characters face. The low-level table is useful for when a ship travels in safe waters, while the higher-level ones are suited for primeval waters, far from well-trafficked sea lanes. The tables also allow for encounters with other ships and the discovery of mysterious, uncharted islands. Additional tables for further detailing such encounters are included later in this appendix.
Open Water Encounters (Levels 1–4)
| d100 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–03 | 3d6 quippers |
| 04–08 | 1 swarm of quippers |
| 09–12 | 3d10 dolphins (see appendix C) |
| 13–14 | 1 giant octopus |
| 15–16 | 1d4 killer whales |
| 17–18 | 1d6 merfolk |
| 19–20 | 1d6 giant sea horses |
| 21–24 | 1d8 giant crabs |
| 25–28 | 1d4 reef sharks |
| 29 | 1 hunter shark |
| 30–34 | 1d4 sahuagin |
| 35–37 | 1d4 koalinth (see appendix C) |
| 38–40 | A rank 1 whirlpool connected to the Elemental Plane of Water (see "Whirlpools") |
| 41–45 | 1d4 locathahs (see appendix C) |
| 46–51 | 1d3 harpies |
| 52–54 | 2 merrow |
| 55–57 | 1 sahuagin priestess and 1d4 sahuagin |
| 58–59 | 1 koalinth sergeant and 2d4 koalinth (see appendix C for both) |
| 60–62 | 1 plesiosaurus |
| 63–64 | 1d3 sea hags |
| 65–67 | 1d4 blood hawks |
| 68–70 | 1 sahuagin champion (see appendix C) |
| 71–74 | 1 giant shark |
| 75 | 1 young bronze dragon |
| 76–00 | A ship (generated at random) |
Open Water Encounters (Levels 5–10)
| d100 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–03 | 1 giant shark |
| 04–07 | 1d4 swarms of quippers |
| 08–11 | 1d10 killer whales |
| 12–17 | 3d6 merfolk |
| 18–25 | 1 sahuagin high priestess and 1 sahuagin wave shaper (see appendix C for both) |
| 26–30 | 2d8 giant crabs |
| 31–35 | 2d4 reef sharks |
| 36–38 | 1d4 hunter sharks |
| 39–40 | 1d4 water elementals |
| 41 | A rank 2 whirlpool connected to the Elemental Plane of Water (see "Whirlpools") |
| 42–45 | 2d4 locathahs (see appendix C) |
| 46–47 | 1 harpy matriarch (see appendix C) and 1d4 harpies |
| 48–49 | 2d4 merrow |
| 50–52 | 1 sahuagin baron and 1d4 sahuagin |
| 53–57 | 1 koalinth sergeant and 2d4 koalinth (see appendix C for both) |
| 58–59 | 2d8 giant crabs |
| 60–61 | 1d4 plesiosauruses |
| 62–63 | A coven of 3 sea hags |
| 64–65 | 1d4 sahuagin blademasters (see appendix C) |
| 66–69 | 1 hydra |
| 70–71 | 1 marid |
| 72 | 1 storm giant |
| 73 | 1 adult bronze dragon |
| 74 | 1 dragon turtle |
| 75–90 | A ship (generated at random) |
| 91–00 | A mysterious island (generated at random) |
Open Water Encounters (Levels 11–20)
| d100 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–03 | 1 storm giant |
| 04–07 | 2d6 giant sharks |
| 08–11 | 1 marid |
| 12–18 | 1 sahuagin high priestess and 2d4 sahuagin champions (see appendix C for both) |
| 19–25 | 1 sahuagin baron and 1d4 sahuagin blademasters (see appendix C) |
| 26–28 | 3d6 reef sharks |
| 29–32 | 2d6 hunter sharks |
| 33–39 | A rank 3 whirlpool connected to the Elemental Plane of Water (see "Whirlpools") |
| 40–43 | A rank 4 whirlpool connected to the Elemental Plane of Water (see "Whirlpools") |
| 44–45 | 1d3 hydras |
| 46–48 | 1d4 koalinth sergeant (see appendix C) and 3d10 koalinth (see appendix C) |
| 49–50 | 2d4 plesiosauruses |
| 51–53 | 3d6 merrow |
| 54–57 | 1 harpy matriarch (see appendix C) and 2d8 harpies |
| 58–60 | A coven of 3 sea hags |
| 61–63 | 1 dragon turtle |
| 64 | 1 ancient bronze dragon |
| 65–75 | A ship (generated at random) |
| 76–00 | A mysterious island (generated at random) |