Random Slum Encounters

Pure city-adventure gold, from Beyond the Black Gate (here)


You never know what you'll run into (or what may run into you) during a trip to the seedy side of town. Roll on the table below to see what occurs!Random Table: Slum Encounters (d100)

1. A trio of young pickpockets. They are members of an immense gang that will torment the party for months if a member is harmed.2. A haggard, bearded man preaches doom outside an alehouse.3. The princess of a fallen noble house now despondently sell her favors as a common streetwalker.4. Two old women kick and mock an obese old veteran with no legs.5. A dog runs past with an emerald necklace around its neck. A screaming little man chases it.6. A ruffian hangs from a rope off a balcony, slowly strangling and pleading with passersby for succor.7. Something unnatural moves in the murky waters of a large puddle in the road.8. Bat-like creatures with glowing purple antennae swoop down at passersby.9. A slovenly woman stands in a doorway, waving you in. Two ruffians lurk inside.10. A black cat runs out of an alley, crosses your path, and disappears into another alley.11. An overturned cart blocks the road, a foot deep in mud and rotting cabbages. An elderly farmer stands beside it and weeps while the locals jeer him.12. Four men are beating a drunken fop in an alley.13. A roadside grill offers strange dog-sized insects cooked over charcoal.14. A drunken woman runs shrieking out of a stable.15. Five men in matching floppy red hats walk arrogantly down the avenue, shoving everyone out of their path with stout wooden cudgels.16. A man in a wizardly-looking robe and pointed hat offers you a selection of charms and amulets.17. A woman in a transparent silk shift with rotting teeth tries to pull you into her tenement, whispering rough suggestions in your ear.18. A single, lush pine has grown 14' tall in the muck of an alleyway.19. A man rolls a barrel of ale down the street, whistling a familiar tune.20. A vulture perches over the doorway of an alehouse.21. A row of seven lepers plead for alms.22. A physician works frantically in the street on a man who has been stabbed while onlookers stand around them and whisper.23. An unnatural darkness hangs over the mouth of an alley, and a cold breezes issues from out of it.24. A high-pitched scream is heard from the topmost floor of a nearby tenement.25. A group of musicians marches down the street, loudly playing revolutionary tunes while a dwarf scampers along behind them collecting tips in a hat.26. A line of laborers passes crates into a warehouse.27. A fortune teller squats at the side of the street, stacking small bones atop one another.28. Two muscular men wrestle in a square while onlookers place bets.29. A elderly woman sells handmade books of poetry.30. A human-looking creature with black eyes growls at you.31. A man pulls a cart filled with fresh fish. He offers you a bargain to buy the lot.32. A tremendous stench of blood wafts up from a sewer grate.33. A maddened horse plunges into a screaming crowd, hooves flailing.34. A vendor offers delicious skewers of meat and vegetables.35. A sad-looking maiden sells flowers for a pittance.36. A group of scruffy men gather around a hookah, while the owner invites new customers to join in.37. A pale woman in black robes walks past with her chin high, scattering white flowers petals behind her from a basket as she goes.38. An impossibly tall and thin man performs contortions for tips.39. A man hawks peeks at the growling creature within a covered cage.40. A buxom woman pulls a cart with a keg of ale, offering to fill tankards for a copper piece.41. Two merry prostitutes skip down the street hand in hand, flirting with passersby.42. A married couple bicker loudly from an upstairs window while the children cry.43. A pair of heavily armed men stand to either side of a doorway, glaring at passersby.44. A dark-skinned man leads a midget rhinoceros down the avenue.45. A man plays a set of bongo drums in a nook while a half dozen intoxicated revelers dance wildly.46. A line of cultists sway down the street, chanting and waving incense burners on chains.47. A solitary soldier leans drunkenly against a wall, his helmet slipping down over his eyes.48. Exotic music and feminine laughter comes from an anonymous building.49. A thin-mustached man stands beside the door of a lotus-den, nodding at prospective customers.50. Three old veterans enter a bathhouse, chatting and smoking pipes.51. A gang of children torment a sickly looking goat.52. A tall old woman attempts to sell you her slave, a young man with one arm.53. A hooded man watches you intently from a second floor window.54. A green-skinned man performs feats of strength for a crowd of sighing washer-women.55. An airship passes by far overhead. Children run out into the street excitedly to watch it go.56. A pair of thin, blue-robed women sing religious hymns and hand out cheap prayer booklets.57. A small group of young men and women rush excitedly down the avenue, passing a bottle and giggling.58. Two toughs chase a young ruffian into a blind alley.59. Flames burst out of a pair of store front windows. Everyone starts running and screaming.60. An ageless looking man with amber eyes and pointed ears plucks the strings of a harp while a trio of gangsters stand mesmerized.61. A unit of the city guard trot down the street in haste, armor jangling with every step. They disappear around a corner up ahead while onlookers whisper to each other.62. A squealing pig races through the throng, chased by a screaming female dwarf.63. A deep rumble shakes the ground, and black smoke rises into the air from somewhere up ahead.64. Two men walk apart with upraised rapiers - a duel is about to begin!65. A tear-streaked young woman begs you to rescue her from this hellhole.66. A building nearby sags, and then collapses! People run screaming for cover as choking dust fills the air.67. A clown makes rude gestures at you as a crowd gathers to laugh.68. An enraged harlot chases a man from her hovel, shrieking and beating him with a stuffed weasel.69. A turbaned man charms snakes from a basket with his flute.70. A man standing near you gasps and falls to ground, dead, a crossbow bolt jutting from his back.71. A fat man kicks a cowering stable boy, accusing him of theft.72. Cultists throw books and scrolls onto a raging bonfire in the middle of the street.73. A boy herds a flock of chickens down the street, ever wary for dogs and thieves.74. A city official walks into a brothel with a pair of guards.75. A group of northmen chant and sing loudly in an alehouse, pounding the tables with their tankards as they profess their admiration for a particular preserved meat product.76. A woman in silk garments hawks costume jewelry.77. A well-dressed gentleman negotiates with a mushroom vendor.78. A man tends three barrels of hot water, selling baths for two coppers.79. An old woman wearing a tiara sells fruit and small wire sculptures from her stall.80. A worn-out looking prostitute loudly disparages your manhood to a crowd of onlookers if you refuse her favors.81. A wild-eyed man carries on a lively, though one-sided, conversation with his mule.82. A clanging sound comes from a nearby sewer grate.83. A raven follows you down the street, fluttering from rooftop to rooftop, as if spying on you.84. A red-faced man with a small gang of angry followers points at you and screams "there he is, get him!"85. A beautiful and fey fairy-like maiden lies dying in an alleyway.86. A middle-aged woman rushes out of her hostel to you, pleading for forgiveness.87. A duelist eyes you contemptuously as he sharpens his rapier.88. A priest leads a defeated looking group of chained slaves past you and into a grim temple.89. A chimney sweeper hangs by one hand from an eave above you, howling for assistance.90. A criminal in stocks loudly proclaims his innocence in between clods of filth.91. A bruised and battered looking prostitute collapses in front of you. A strange red jewel rolls out of her hand...92. A muttering man in a black robe inscribes a magic circle in the filth of the road with a curvy silver dagger.93. An armored bully swaggers through the crowds looking for a fight.94. A wailing maiden flees past you, pursued by laughing ruffians.95. A barroom brawl spills out into the streets.96. Two rival gangs face off in the middle of the street.97. A jolly group of pointy-hatted goblins walk out of a brothel, laughing and shoving each other.98. A teary-eyed woman pushes her son at you, pleading for you to take him on as apprentice.99. A dozen sultry young priestesses, with coal-dark eyes and intoxicating perfume, dance through the crowd inviting all to the fertility rites at midnight tonight.100. The road in front of you collapses into a tentacle-filled sinkhole!