Wandering a sun-scorched wasteland shouldn't just be about thirst and exhaustion—it’s about the bizarre, the ancient, and the deadly. Here is a D100 table designed for a gritty Sword & Sorcery setting (think Conan, John Carter, or Dark Sun). This blog post picks right up here from Kull era Serpent Men Relics & Treasures Table For a Sword & Sorcery Castles & Crusades rpg Campaign
I’ve grouped these into tens to make them easier to navigate.
D100 Wasteland Encounters
D100 Encounter Category Description
01-10 The Thirst & The Heat Mirages of ivory cities, salt-mummified corpses holding empty waterskins, or a "blood-cactus" that bleeds potable fluid but screams when cut.
11-20 The Scavengers Hyena-men (Gnolls) fighting over a scrap of leather, a flock of giant vultures circling the party, or a lone cannibal offering "jerked meat."
21-30 Remnants of Empire A half-buried marble hand the size of a house, a paved road that leads directly into a sinkhole, or a rusted bronze golem mindlessly sweeping sand.
31-40 Arcane Anomalies A "Glass Storm" where sand turns to shards mid-air, a zone of reversed gravity, or a ghostly legion reliving a battle from a forgotten age.
41-50 The Predators A Great Sandworm (size varies), a mating pair of Winged Apes, or a camouflaged "Pit-Trap Spider" the size of a wagon.
51-60 Nomads & Outcasts A caravan of giant lizards carrying silk, a group of exiles seeking a mythical "Green Land," or a blind hermit who trades prophecies for salt.
61-70 Witchcraft & Horror A sorcerer ritualizing over a monolith, a pile of skulls that whispers the party’s secrets, or a "Skin-Stealer" masquerading as a lost traveler.
71-80 Vaults & Ruins The entrance to a "Metal Tomb" (ancient tech), a dry well that leads to an underground jungle, or a temple dedicated to a Spider-God.
81-90 Cosmic Weirdness A crashed "Sky-Chariot" made of strange alloy, a meteorite that hums in a frequency that causes nosebleeds, or a shimmering portal to a void-dimension.
91-00 The Truly Dire An Avatar of a forgotten god, a localized sand-tsunami, or a rival adventuring party with better gear and worse intentions.
Three Standout Encounters (Detailed)
If you roll a specific number and want some "meat" on the bones, try these:
The Pillar of Salt (Roll 07): A perfectly preserved statue of a woman in ancient royal garb. If the sun hits her jewelry at noon, it reflects a beam toward a hidden valley. To take the gems is to invite a curse of perpetual thirst.
The Silt-Skiff (Roll 55): A wooden boat with wide, flat runners instead of a hull, manned by three desperate mercenaries. They aren't looking for a fight—they’re looking for someone to help them push the boat out of a "dry-patch" of quicksand.
The Obelisk of Screams (Roll 33): A black stone spire etched with runes. Any sound made within 100 yards is amplified tenfold. The party must traverse the area in total silence or risk shattering their eardrums—and attracting the blind "Sound-Hunters" lurking nearby.
Survival Mechanics (Optional)
In this setting, the environment is often the deadliest NPC. Consider applying these stakes:
Water Depletion: Every 4 hours of travel in the "Red Zone" requires 1 Liter of water or a Constitution check vs. Exhaustion.
Equipment Decay: The grit and heat give non-magical items a 1-in-10 chance of breaking during a critical fail or a grueling trek.
Pro Tip: In Sword & Sorcery, magic is rare and dangerous. If the party encounters a sorcerer in the waste, they shouldn't just be a "mob"—they should be a set-piece event that changes the landscape.
Here is a detailed sub-table for the Predators (Rolls 41-50) from the initial Wasteland list.
In the spirit of Sword & Sorcery, these creatures are designed to be "swingy"—they are dangerous but often have a specific biological weakness or a valuable part that can be harvested.
D10 Wasteland Predators Sub-Table
| Roll | Predator | Stats (Quick-Reference) | Loot / Reward |
| 1 | Pit-Trap Spider | AC: 15 | HP: 45 |
| 2 | Winged Ape | AC: 13 | HP: 38 |
| 3 | Silt-Runner Alpha | AC: 14 | HP: 22 |
| 4 | Sand-Kraken | AC: 16 | HP: 80 |
| 5 | Ghost-Jackal | AC: 12 | HP: 18 |
| 6 | Obsidian Beetle | AC: 19 | HP: 55 |
| 7 | Salt-Mummy | AC: 11 | HP: 60 |
| 8 | Glass-Wyrm | AC: 17 | HP: 35 |
| 9 | The Scourge-Cat | AC: 15 | HP: 50 |
| 10 | Great Sandworm | AC: 18 | HP: 150 |
Detailed Stat Block Example: The Pit-Trap Spider
Large Beast, Neutral Evil
Ambush Predator: The spider hides under a trapdoor made of silk and sand. It has Advantage on Stealth checks ($+8$ total) while stationary.
Lunge: If a creature steps on the trapdoor, the spider uses its reaction to pull them into the pit. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Reflex/Dexterity Save or be grappled and bitten immediately.
Poison: Target must succeed on a DC 13 Con Save or be Paralyzed for 1 minute. They can repeat the save at the end of each turn.
Unique Loot: Wasteland Oddities
If the party searches the lair of any of the above, roll 1d6 for "Odd Stuff":
Water-Compass: A rusted device that points toward the nearest source of non-poisonous water (10-mile range).
Sun-Bleached Map: Etched onto a human skull. Shows the location of a "Hidden Oasis" that only appears during a lunar eclipse.
Lotus-Dust (3 Doses): When inhaled, allows the user to speak with the spirits of the waste. Side effect: 1d4 psychic damage.
The Un-Burning Log: A piece of black wood that provides light and heat but never turns to ash.
Canteen of the Thirsty God: An iron flask that is always half-full of brackish, salty water. It won't keep you hydrated, but you’ll never die of thirst.
Sorcerer’s Finger: A mummified finger on a cord. It points toward the nearest active use of magic within 500 feet.
To capture the weird, science-fantasy grit of Sword & Sorcery, these anomalies shouldn't just be "magic spells." They are tears in reality, echoes of dead gods, or the radiation of fallen civilizations.
Since you requested a D100 table, I have categorized these by their primary effect. Roll $d100$ or choose a theme that fits the current mood of your session.
D100 Arcane Anomalies of the Waste
D100 Anomaly Type Description 01-10 Temporal Echoes The party sees themselves 10 minutes in the future; a ghost city appears at sunset and vanishes at dawn; time slows down ($1/2$ movement). 11-20 Gravity Flux Pockets of zero-G; "Heavy Sand" that restrains movement; a "Up-Fall" where sand pours toward the moon. 21-30 Psychic Residue Travelers hear the final thoughts of those who died here; "Emotional Winds" (Roll for Rage/Despair); telepathic screaming. 31-40 Elemental Warps Blue fire that freezes instead of burns; "Living Storms" that hunt by sound; rain made of hot lead or oily blood. 41-50 Dimensional Thins Shadows detach from owners; objects become 2D; "The Void-Hum" which makes non-magical metal vibrate and shatter. 51-60 Flesh Alterations Sand turns to skin; travelers grow extra eyes or lose their mouths for 1d4 hours; wounds heal instantly but leave scales. 61-70 Crystalline Growth Rapid-growing obsidian flowers; "The Glass Singing" (Sonic damage); petrification zones where the air tastes like lime. 71-80 Dead God Radiance Black light that reveals skeletons; "The Whispering Monolith"; mana-burn that drains spell slots or causes "Wild Magic" surges. 81-90 Mirage Terrors "The False Oasis" (an illusory predator); "The Horizon Loop" (walking in circles despite a straight path); phantom armies. 91-00 Catastrophic Rifts A tear into the "Far Realm"; a localized "Big Bang" (Force damage); a portal to the center of the sun. The "Deep Dive" Sub-Table (D10 Examples)
For when a player walks directly into the anomaly, roll $d10$:
The Chrono-Mist (Roll 04): A swirling silver fog. If entered, the party gains the benefit of a Long Rest in 5 minutes, but they age $1d10$ years. Loot: A rusted watch that can "Pause" one creature for 6 seconds (1 use).
The Gravity Well (Roll 15): A 30ft crater where gravity is multiplied by 10. Anyone inside is Restrained and takes $2d6$ bludgeoning damage per turn. Loot: 1d4 "Gravity Stones" (can be thrown to create a 5ft heavy zone).
The Color Out of Space (Roll 38): A patch of sand glowing a color that shouldn't exist. Plants nearby are mutated and aggressive. Stat Block: Shimmering Ooze (AC 10, HP 40, Immune to non-magical dmg, 1d10 Radiant Touch).
The Shadow-Swap (Roll 42): Your shadow takes on a life of its own and tries to strangle you. Stat Block: Shadow (As per standard Monster Manual, but has the player's equipment visuals).
The Echo Chamber (Roll 22): A canyon where every word spoken becomes a physical projectile. Whispering deals 1 damage; shouting deals $3d6$ Thunder damage to everyone in the canyon.
The Iron-Eater Clouds (Roll 35): Tiny, microscopic metallic beetles that look like a red haze. They ignore flesh but dissolve 1 point of AC from metal armor every round of exposure.
The Memory Fountain (Roll 58): A pool of liquid mercury. Drinking it restores a lost memory or grants a +1 to Intelligence, but the user forgets their own name for $1d6$ days.
The Bone-Loom (Roll 52): An area where the sand is actually ground bone. Every hour, $1d4$ Skeletons assemble themselves to "reclaim" their missing parts from the party.
The Solar Flare (Roll 91): A beam of pure celestial energy strikes a random point. Effect: $8d6$ Fire/Radiant damage. Loot: The ground turns to "Star-Glass" worth 1,000gp.
The Silence (Roll 88): A 100ft radius where no sound can exist. Magic requiring verbal components is impossible. Loot: A "Jar of Captured Screams" (breaks to cast Shatter).
Wasteland Hazard: "Mana-Sickness"
In Sword & Sorcery, exposure to these anomalies isn't just a "debuff"—it's a corruption.
The Rule of Three: If a character is hit by three different Arcane Anomalies without a "Purge" (special ritual or rare herb), they must roll on a Permanent Mutation Table.
the Permanent Mutation Table (to pay the price for arcane exposure) and the Remnants of Empire (the "dungeon-crawl" hooks of the wasteland).
The Price of Sorcery: Permanent Mutations
In Sword & Sorcery, surviving an anomaly often leaves a mark. If a character fails their "Purge" or reaches three exposures, roll 1d20:
d20 Mutation Mechanical Effect 1-2 Obsidian Skin Your skin turns brittle and black. +1 AC, but half healing from non-magical sources. 3-4 Third Eye A vertical slit opens on your forehead. +2 to Perception; -2 to Persuasion (it’s creepy). 5-6 Void-Voice Your voice sounds like grinding stones. You can cast Thaumaturgy (voice only) at will. 7-8 Crystalline Limb One arm becomes translucent glass. Unarmed strikes deal 1d6 Cold dmg; arm can shatter. 9-10 Hollow Bones You weigh half as much. +10ft movement, but Disadvantage on Strength saves. 11-12 Dust-Lungs You breathe sand as easily as air. Immune to suffocation in the waste; water hurts you. 13-14 Iron-Scent You can "smell" magic or metal within 30ft. Your nose bleeds when near high-magic. 15-16 Shadow-Bound Your shadow is always elongated and points toward the nearest ancient ruin. 17-18 Serpent's Tongue You can speak with reptiles. You must eat twice as much food to maintain body heat. 19-20 The Mark of the Outer God A glowing rune on your chest. You can "Burn" 1 point of Con to reroll any d20. D100 Remnants of Empire
These are the skeletal remains of civilizations that were "Great" when the world was young.
D100 The Ruin The Secret / Hook 01-10 Buried Ziggurat Only the tip is visible. Inside, a High Priest remains in "Stasis-Sleep" protecting a Star-Gem. 11-20 The Metal Ribs The hull of a "Sky-Ship" the size of a village. Now inhabited by Mutated Winged Apes. 21-30 Avenue of Sphinxes Miles of statues. One is not a statue—it's a Lamassu with a riddle that guards a hidden vault. 31-40 The Sun-Forge A massive lens array in a crater. It still focuses light into a beam that can melt any metal. 41-50 The Silent Library Thousands of clay tablets. Reading them grants ancient lore but costs 1d4 Sanity/Wisdom. 51-60 Aqueduct of Blood A dry stone channel. If filled with a gallon of blood, it flows "uphill" to a secret oasis. 61-70 Colossus of the Usurper A fallen 200ft statue. A tribe of Sand-Nomads has built a multi-level city inside its hollow chest. 71-80 The Ivory Gate A free-standing archway in the middle of nowhere. Stepping through at night teleports you 100 miles. 81-90 Vault of the God-King A tomb protected by Bronze Golems. Contains a "Sun-Blade" (magical shortsword). 91-00 The Spire of Stars A thin needle of black glass. It acts as a lightning rod for "Arcane Anomalies" (Roll 2x on the Anomaly table). Specific Ruin Feature: The Sun-Forge (Roll 35)
The heat here is shimmering and unnatural. The air smells of ozone and scorched copper.
The Hazard: Any creature ending its turn in the "Focus Point" (the center of the crater) takes $2d10$ Radiant damage.
The Loot: "Liquid Sunlight" (2 Flasks). Can be thrown like Alchemist's Fire but deals $3d8$ Radiant damage and blinds the target for 1 round.
The Guardian: A Clockwork Sentinel (AC 18, HP 50) that recharges its "Heat Beam" every time it stands in the Focus Point.
Wasteland Lore: Why is the world like this?
In a Sword & Sorcery campaign, the "Wasteland" isn't a natural desert; it's a wound. Use this to spice up NPC dialogue:
"The sand is the pulverized bones of the giants who fought the First Gods."
"The sun is angry because we stole its fire to forge the Great Swords."
"There is no water because the Sorcerer-Kings drank the world dry to fuel their immortality."
Gemini said
In a Sword & Sorcery wasteland, "civilization" is a loose term. The people you meet are either survivors, predators, or something far stranger. Here is the Nomads & Outcasts sub-table, detailing the factions and faces that populate the dunes.
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