So much more than bats, rats, and spiders lurks beneath the surface of the world. Present your players with a plethora of challenges with this week’s Dungeon Tables as we delve into darkness. Whether exploring caves near the surface or trekking off deep into the Underworld, the table below provides foes in a wide spread of difficulties, so some results may be easy while others deadly. Feel free to use as inspiration or tweak, modify, and supplement to your heart’s content. Happy spelunking!
UNDERWORLD
| 2d20 | Encounter |
| 2 | A rogue pale screamer (see Tome of Beasts 2), pulling itself from a slow-moving subterranean river. |
| 3 | 1d4 + 2 basilisks are roused from their slumber by the encroaching party. |
| 4 | A dark lake stretches out across a portion of the cave, and 2d4 cavefish zombies (see Tome of Beasts 2) lurch and slide from the water to attack the party. |
| 5 | An ichneumon (see Creature Codex), surrounded by the bones of the cave dragon it devoured. |
| 6 | A humanoid figure moves in the shadows, darting around corners, letting the party catch glimpses of it but not enough to see it clearly. If the party follows it, the figure (a drow under the effects of ophio spores) lures them to a cluster of ophio fungi (see Tome of Beasts 2). |
| 7 | A gibbering mouther followed by a swarm of 2d4 + 4 stirges. |
| 8 | 2d4 derro guards (75%) or 2d4 derro guards and a derro explorer (25%) (see Tome of Beasts 2. |
| 9 | 2d4 cavelight mosses (see Tome of Beasts), glowing softly in the darkness. |
| 10 | 1d4 + 2 pestilence swarms (see Tome of Beasts 2), awakened if anyone in the party is carrying a light source. |
| 11 | 1d4 echo demons (see Creature Codex) in the darkness of a large, empty cave. |
| 12 | A behir, darting out of the shadows at the unsuspecting party. |
| 13 | 2d4 + 3 crimson shamblers (see Tome of Beasts 2), leaving puddles of crimson slime in their wake. |
| 14 | A seemingly empty cave is strewn with desiccated corpses. A ghostwalk spider (see Tome of Beasts 2) waits within. |
| 15 | A hungry xorn on the hunt for precious metals and gemstones. |
| 16 | A boot grabber (see Creature Codex), lurking beneath 1d4 + 3 darkmantles hanging from the ceiling like stalactites. |
| 17 | A thick, black goo drips down the wall—a black pudding waiting for a curious adventurer to get too close. |
| 18 | 1d6 deep trolls (see Tome of Beasts 2) in a hunting party. |
| 19 | A swarm of 2d4 ghoul bats (see Tome of Beasts 2), shrieking through the darkness. |
| 20 | 1d4 + 3 gricks, waiting for the party to get too close. |
| 21 | A cave dragon wyrmling (25%) or a young cave dragon (75%) (see Tome of Beasts), in the company of a band of 1d4 + 1 derro guards (see Tome of Beasts 2). |
| 22 | When the party is resting, 1d4 bilbies (see Tome of Beasts 2) approach and rummage through their packs and belongings. The bilbies are primarily on the hunt for food but will swipe other items if in a hurry (if they are spotted and flee, for instance), only to abandon the items later when they realize they are not edible. |
| 23 | An ettercap herding 5d10 spiders.The spiders will attack in waves of 10 and continue to attack until the ettercap is killed, at which time they flee into the cracks and crevices of the cave. |
| 24 | A herd of 3d4 cave goats (see Tome of Beasts 2), unbothered by the party’s presence. |
| 25 | A roper, patient and waiting. |
| 26 | Several strange pathways of slick, mucus-like slime appear and lead down a tunnel. If the party investigates, the slime trails lead to a cluster of 2d4 strobing fungi (see Tome of Beasts 2), perched on a ledge. A subterranean lake 40 feet below is filled with 3d6 quippers and 1d4 swarms of quippers. |
| 27 | 3d4 swarms of bats in the company of a giant vampire bat (50%) or a giant albino bat (50%) (see Creature Codex). |
| 28 | A migrating swarm of 4d4 pixie’s umbrellas (see Tome of Beasts 2). |
| 29 | A somberweave (see Tome of Beasts 2), lairing in a small cave. |
| 30 | A bubbling tar pit obstructs much of the cave or tunnel, with skulls and other bones rising to the surface of the tar ooze (see Tome of Beasts 2) within. If the party gets within 5 feet of the pit or if they manage to pass by it without inspecting it, the ooze attacks. |
| 31 | 2 drow in the company of a drider. |
| 32 | A vast tunnel sprawls before the party, almost unbearably hot and filled with glittering crystals. It is the lair of a crystalline monolith (see Tome of Beasts 2). |
| 33 | 2d4 + 2 night scorpions (see Tome of Beasts), skittering through the darkness. |
| 34 | A woe siphon (see Tome of Beasts 2), silently stalking the party. |
| 35 | A deathweaver (see Tome of Beasts 2) with 1d4 + 3 web zombies (see deathweaverentry) amidst the corpses in its lair. |
| 36 | A kaveph (see Tome of Beasts 2)with a sema (see Tome of Beasts 2)perched on its shoulder. |
| 37 | 3d4 kallikantzaros (see Creature Codex), their saws sharp and ready. |
| 38 | A deep drake (see Tome of Beasts), clinging to the ceiling. |
| 39 | A mineral ooze (see Tome of Beasts 2), sparkling prettily in the light of 2d4 lantern beetles (see Tome of Beasts 2). |
| 40 | A cloaker, trailing after the party, waiting for an opportunity to pick off a straggler or injured member. |
Another great list!
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