Encounters at Sea

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)