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 Slips, Trips
& Flying Turnips:
Combat Random Events
 

Random Event Tables For

Combat Encounters:
Urban, Dungeon & Wilderness

by PAUL BIMLER
 
 
CREDITS:    
All  text  by  Paul  Bimler  
Art  sourced  from  DM’s  Guild  Creator  Resources,  William  McAusland  
 

 
 
 
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 COMBAT IS MESSY!

COMBAT IS MESSY!
The idea that we enter combat in a vacuum is preposterous; life is always happening around us.
What is presented below is a small selection of tables that contain random, rollable events. The DM
will choose how to use these. How I personally use them is that at the start of every round I make a
hidden d100 roll to myself. If the result is 90 or above (or 95), I consider implementing a random
occurence. And generally, it will take a different form every time, adapting to the circumstances /
monsters that are being encountered.
Some of these events have the potential to lead to sidequests, introducing NPCs… any number of
things.
Keep in mind that these are meant as suggestions…. as DM you might feel that the direction given
in the text is unfair, so adapt as you see fit. Think of these as possible directions, ways to spark ideas.
And if you don’t like what you get, roll again!

DECIDING WHEN TO USE RANDOM EVENTS

You could use these tables for one encounter within your whole game session, or several, leaving the
rest of the encounters pretty straight forward. If you’re rolling for random events in every
encounter, players might start to tire of that, and the events will lose their appeal. The idea is to
break up the monotony of combat, not to bombard the PCs with craziness.
My advice would be to use these sparingly, just to add a little colour here and there. You should also
track down some critical hit / fail tables (there’s some great ones around) to add further spice to your
encounters.
 URBAN EVENTS (Town / Village)

TABLE ONE - Standard Distractions. (D8)

1. A peasant lobs a turnip at your head.
2. As you move forward to attack, a child grabs your ankle. Spend 10 ft. of movement dealing
with it.
3. One of your enemies trips on a stone (free attack?)
4. Someone yells, putting the enemy off. Next attack at disadvantage due to them being so
enraged!
5. A random arrow, seemingly out of nowhere, strikes the enemy / you.
6. Someone throws something at an enemy
7. A horse bolts through the street, and you all need to get out of the way. Reroll initiative
8. A vent spews scalding steam. Anyone in the way takes 1d4 fire damage.

TABLE TWO - Natural Disruptions (D10)

1. Earthquake tremor. Dex check, DC 13. Those who fail become prone.
2. A crack of thunder overhead gives everyone a start.
3. The ground gives way and a sinkhole opens / chasm opens between you and your enemy, or
just nearby, creating some difficult terrain.
4. A rut in the ground, and one of your enemies gets a foot stuck in it.
5. A strange, but ultimately harmless mist descends over the battle area. DM’s call on effects.
6. A dog runs through the fight, tripping one of you up. Roll a d4 to determine who: 1-3 one of
the guards, 4 is you.
7. A bird divebombs you / your enemy, screeching its head off. Disadvantage on your next
attack if your turn, if your enemy’s turn, then advantage on their attack.
8. Fire breaks out in a nearby barrel / tree / bush.
9. It starts raining heavily. Any fire is put out.
10. A sudden gust of wind blows one of your enemies forward, making them stumble slightly.
Disadvantage on their next attack as they recover themselves.

TABLE THREE - Slightly Humorous (D10)

1. If standing near houses, a tenant above empties their stool bucket right into the middle of the
encounter area.
2. You gain an audience! Several humanoids appear nearby and one starts taking wagers on
who will win the fight.
3. A group of street performers appears nearby and start providing a lively soundtrack to the
combat.
4. A nearby hobgoblin wakes up. You didn’t notice him before but he is hungover and very
grumpy, and begins fighting regardless of the danger.
5. A drunk falls over prone in the midst of the battle, right in front of one of your enemies
6. One of your opponents has an accident in their pants. The smell permeates the area, but they
don’t seem to mind! Constitution check, anyone who fails takes a -1 penalty to attacks for that
round.
7. Wardrobe malfunction - Cloak gets tangled in a weapon.
8. A peaceful cleric comes upon the fight and starts telling everyone to just “calm down a bit…
surely we can talk this through?”
 9. A noxious smell reaches your nose, so bad that everyone has to make a constitution check to
see whether they vomit. DC11. Whoever loses has disadvantage on their next attack, and
attacks on them have advantage.
10. A drunk passing magician starts hurling spells randomly into the fray as he laughs his head
off.

TABLE FOUR - Miscellaneous A (D8)

1. An animal runs across your path, tripping you or the enemy up.
2. An arrow from a sniper goes whistling towards you from an unseen location. +4 to hit with
advantage.
3. Weapon gets dropped. No bonus action available to that character.
4. Sweat drips into your eye. -1 from next attack roll.
5. Piece of furniture / rock / bottle / random item thrown at one of the combatants by someone
unseen
6. A wild dog strays into the fight and starts savaging the biggest creature.
7. A passerby gets in the way of one of your opponents and is shoved hard into a stall. The stall
is broken into pieces and the merchant is furious, yelling at you. He begins throwing objects
at all involved in the fray.
8. A cart overturns nearby, spilling watermelons all over the road. Everyone roll dex check,
DC9. A failed check means you fall over and are prone.

TABLE FIVE - Miscellaneous B (D8)

1. The city guard appears and starts to try and break up the ruckus.
2. Taking advantage of the situation, a street urchin or pickpocket robs a player of the DM’s
choice. DC 15 wisdom check to notice. Do they do something about it, possibly spend an
action?
3. A pursuit runs through the area of combat - one or more creatures being pursued by other
creatures. They ignore the combat and keep running!
4. A swipe of a weapon happens to cut open someone’s coin purse. 3d100 gold spills out all over
the floor!
5. A crying child wanders into the midst of the battle, unaware of what is going on, yelling
“Mummy! Mummy!” One of your enemies (the furthest one away) is about to strike it…
6. A merchants cart is overturned and watermelons go rolling everywhere. Dex check or you
become prone.
7. A bystander pushes you hard in the back. If this places the PC in melee range of an enemy
that enemy gets advantage on their attack if it is their turn next.
8. Another fight breaks out nearby, temporarily distracting your opponent. +1 to your next
attack roll on that opponent.
 DUNGEON EVENTS

TABLE A: Misadventure (D10)

1. One of your enemies trips on a stone. Spends 10 ft. of movement getting back to their feet, or
takes a -2 penalty if they are about to attack.
2. A rut in the ground, and one of your enemies gets a foot stuck in it.
3. Wardrobe malfunction - Cloak gets tangled in a weapon.
4. Weapon gets dropped. No bonus action available to that character.
5. Sweat drips into your eye. -1 from next attack roll.
6. One of your opponents has an accident in their pants.
7. One of the combatants slips on a mossy stone. Count number of combatants in initiative order
and make an appropriate dice roll to decide who. Dex save, DC 10. If they fail they become
prone.
8. A swipe of a weapon happens to cut open an opponent’s coin purse. 3d100 gold spills out all
over the floor!
9. Something one of the combatants says displeases the deity of the dungeon, triggering an old
article of lore relating to the dungeon. A ancient curse is reawakened, and a door to the
hellish planes opened! Suddenly, vrocks, dretches, quasits, even perhaps a nalfeshnee, come
flooding through this gate and attack all combatants!
10. As combatants tousle, one of them stumbles over a natural feature or piece of furniture, rock
pedestal or raised cobble - anything appropriate for the situation.

TABLE B: Natural and Other Events (D10)

1. Earthquake tremor. Dex check, DC 13. Those who fail become prone.
2. A vent or magma pipe vents steam.
3. There is a loud crack from nearby - you are unsure what caused it.
4. A strange, but ultimately harmless mist descends over the battle area. DM’s call on effects.
5. The dungeon is sitting on top of a volcano. Suddenly, from beneath their feet the players feel
an intense heat. Perhaps magma begins seeping through holes in the walls… whatever the
case, it looks as though this dungeon is about to blow its lid!
6. The ground gives way and a sinkhole opens / chasm opens between you and your enemy, or
just nearby, creating some difficult terrain.
7. Trap triggered.
8. Unseen Spell glyph triggered. Magic Missile / Fireball.
9. Strangely, the floor begins to tilt violently, as if controlled by some unseen mechanism!
10. A Shadow Demon suddenly appears, summoned by an unseen ritual in a nearby room.
TABLE C: NPCS and Other Creatures (D12)
1. An NPC appears and begins watching, smoking a pipe.
2. A noxious smell reaches your nose, so bad that everyone has to make a constitution check to
see whether they vomit. DC11. Whoever loses has disadvantage on their next attack, and
attacks on them have advantage.
3. A nearby hobgoblin wakes up. You didn’t notice him before but he is hungover and very
grumpy, and begins fighting regardless of the danger.
4. The players witness a nearby secret door open. A humanoid enters the room, looks at the
combat taking place, and promptly retreats in fear, the door closing behind them.
5. An NPC appears and begins assisting the PCs in their battle.
6. A pursuit runs through the area of combat - one or more creatures being pursued by other
creatures. They ignore the combat and keep running!
7. You gain an audience! Several humanoids appear nearby and one starts taking wagers on
who will win the fight.
8. It suddenly becomes clear that the ground you are standing on is an earth elemental (or
mimic!) Disturbed from its sleep, it rears up, sending all combatants tumbling to the ground.
You must either band together to fight it, or get the hell out of there!
9. All the action has caused some poorly supported large chunks of masonry to fall from the
roof! DM decides where, and characters have to make a DC 14 dex save or take 4d6
bludgeoning damage from the topping stonework.
10. A wizard who lives in this dungeon is scrying the entire battle. He uses a powerful auditory
illusion spell to start commentating the battle in a large, booming voice, saying all sorts of
strange things, such as: “A hit! A palpable hit!” Or: “It’s not looking good for the righteous
cleric now! It appears his God has deserted him!” Or: “By the looks of things, these kobolds
are well-trained battle pooches! Every dog will have his day!”
11. A section of wall or floor takes a hit from a missed attack and stones fly out. Water comes
gushing through, either from a ruptured section of plumbing or a hidden / underground
stream. The entire area starts to become flooded, gradually filling with water.
12. A section of wall falls away, revealing a hidden alcove containing… a casket? A cursed idol?
Anything really.
 WILDERNESS EVENTS

TABLE ONE: Natural Events (D10)

1. The ground gives way and a sinkhole opens / chasm opens between you and your enemy, or
just nearby, creating a space that needs to be jumped (athletics check).
2. Earthquake tremor. Dex check, DC 13. Those who fail become prone.
3. A large piece of rock breaks off a nearby cliff, or a boulder rolls through the area.
4. Fire breaks out in a nearby barrel / tree / bush.
5. It starts raining heavily. Any fire is put out. DM ruling on slippery weapons / vision
obscured etc.
6. A strong gust of wind is passing through. Leaves / piece of rubbish / pair of underpants gets
blown through and possibly hits someone in the face, obscuring their vision for a moment.
7. A sudden gust of wind blows one of your enemies forward, making them stumble slightly.
Disadvantage on their next attack as they recover themselves.
8. Lightning strikes the ground, emitting an ear-splitting crack! It may also strike one or more
combatants.
9. A landslide happens and the combatants must get out of the way of a huge amount of mud,
branches, boulders etc. rushing towards them at terrific speed.
10. A meteor crashes through the trees, flying through the combat area, gouging a huge trench
in the ground and starting a fire!

TABLE TWO: Forest Dwellers (D10)

1. A large wild animal bolts through the encounter area, and you all need to get out of the way.
Reroll initiative, or perception check (those failing get knocked over).
2. A small animal runs across your path, tripping you or the enemy up
3. Hungry dire vultures start making swooping attacks, impatient for someone to be dead.
4. A swarm of harmless insects comes upon the combat and begins buzzing around the heads of
all combatants, causing a huge bother, flying into eyes, mouths etc. (These could also be
stinging insects). They are attracted by the smell of blood. Every time someone is wounded
they land on that person and potentially distract them. (Wisdom save to ignore distraction?)
5. A monkey swings down and steals someone’s weapon! Die roll to determine who.
6. A pursuit runs through the area of combat - one or more creatures being pursued by other
creatures. They ignore the combat and keep running!
7. You gain an audience! Several humanoids appear nearby and one starts taking wagers on
who will win the fight.
8. A bird divebombs you / your enemy, screeching its head off. Disadvantage on your next
attack if your turn, if your enemy’s turn, then advantage on their attack.
9. Nearby trees turn out to be treants who are very grumpy at having their peaceful forest
disturbed. One or more treants enter the fray, looking to squash all combatants under their
woody feet.
10. A nearby tribe of humanoids is disturbed by the noise and comes to investigate / spectate.
TABLE THREE: NPCs / Humorous (D6)
1. A cart (or other vehicle) passes very quickly and one of your combatants / your party is
dragged onto it. Rescue or kidnapping?
2. Wardrobe malfunction - Cloak gets tangled in a weapon.
3. Weapon gets dropped. No bonus action available to that character.
4. Sweat drips into your eye. -1 from next attack roll.
5. One of your opponents has an accident in their pants. The smell permeates the area, but they
don’t seem to mind! Constitution check, anyone who fails takes a -1 penalty to attacks for that
round.
6. An incredibly powerful wizard, who lives nearby, appears and roars “SILENCE! I am
completing a ritual, and you are disturbing my concentration.” If combatants continue
regardless, the wizard animates their own weapons to turn against them!
CREATING MORE RANDOM EVENTS
As I was compiling these tables (and I’m constantly adding to them) it seemed that Urban and
Wilderness events were far easier to create than Dungeon events. I considered why that might be,
and my judgment was that there are more variables in those two locations. This led me to list the
variables / factors that are in place within a dungeon, which made me realize that this is a powerful
way to come up with more events. What you need to do is consider all the different factors that
make up each setting, and then start to toy with these factors.
Here is a list of some of the different factors / variables that might make up a dungeon:

• cobble
• monsters
• traps
• architecture (poor construction?)
• the dungeon boss
• natural events like earthquakes
• streams
• prisoners
• natural wildlife
• citizens of the dungeon (harmless creatures who've just sort of come to be there?)
• Lore of the dungeon / ancient curses
• NPCs
• And whatever else you can think of!

Looking at that list, we can choose one and think, ok, natural events. Perhaps the whole dungeon is
sitting on top of a volcano, which suddenly decides to erupt!

For wilderness, we have a similar list:

• The earth
• The weather
• Monsters
• Trees
• Boulders
• Nearby residents
• Natural events
• Rivers
• Natural wildlife
• Lore of the Land
• NPCs

This list is about the same, but the abundance of natural features and wildlife outdoors gives us a lot
of possibilities in terms of randomness.
For Urban, we have another list of variables:

• Cobble
• Traffic
• Architecture
• Weather
• City guard / constabulary
• Peasants / bystanders
• Children
• Nearby residents
• Natural events
• Animals
• Monsters on the loose!
• NPCs

You get the idea. List the factors in your setting, and then think about how you could play with
those to create new and interesting random events.