Archive
Using These Free DnD Encounters
To use this archive of free DnD encounters, select your party’s level range from the menu below. You can view all DnD encounters in that range, or narrow your search with tags. Click through a few encounter posts to see the common tags we use.
Some encounters use custom stat blocks, but others link to stat blocks on the free resources at D&D Beyond. You won’t need a D&D Beyond subscription to run any of these encounters.
Not sure what you’re looking at? Read more about what we do or the way we play the game.
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The Slumbering Forest
When the forest starts to wake, the group can try to put it back to sleep…or chop it down.
Old Man River
How I planned a social encounter, a combat encounter, and a puzzle encounter from the same set of goals and circumstances.
A King’s Banquet
When the party is invited to a fine banquet with a king, they’ll need to make a good impression with the royal court.
Threads of Fate
How I got a spy, a possessed warrior, a hedge mage, and a monster hunter on the same track towards the content I had already prepped… instead of off the rails.
All Who Wander
The party becomes completely lost in a labyrinth—can they escape the danger that lies ahead while navigating their way to safety?
Lost in the Woods
Sometimes you need to isolate the party from the rest of the world to set up an interesting encounter. Here’s how I’d do that without it feeling like “railroading”.
First Steps
A 1st-Level Encounter you can drop into your game for a strong start based on player goals.
Run For Your Life
Replace the recommended chase rules from the DMG with a simple skill challenge to add more excitement and less boredom to your chases, pursuits, and races!
Storming the Castle
A massive siege could be in favor or to the detriment of the party. Which side are they on?
Read Between the Lines
An ancient script hides secrets the party needs. Will they be able to crack the code and unravel the mystery of the message?