Terrors of the Borderlands

Sometimes adventurers wander into areas that aren't quite the wilderness and aren't quite civilized.  When this happens one needs a new wandering monster list.

Giant Ticks - disgusting. Photo Unaccredited

Borderlands Wandering Monsters - A table of wandering monsters and encounters for travel beyond the ring of towns that make up the area under control of Denethix and the Fist. These encounters don't represent the true wilderness, as incursions by the Fist and other forces of civilization prevent really dangerous creatures from gathering.

#	1D12 for Terrors of the Borderlands
1	Road Agents – 3D6 Bandits led by a F3 “Bodmew the Gross” The Bandits wear a variety of homemade armor, equivalent to chainmail, and fight with short-bows at range or longswords. 40% that the band is mounted, but Bodmew will always be mounted. Bodmew wears good quality human sized plate mail and wields an etched silvered longsword (worth 150gp). Bodmew isn't especially murderous, and the band is made up of refugees, criminals and exiles who are tough but not overtly sadistic. They are more likely to charge the PCs a “toll” to pass than to simply attack. They may be part of a larger band encamped deep in the woods, or can be replaced by a similar group of wizard's followers. (AC 5, HD 1, HP 4, #AT 1, D 1D6 or 1D8, MV (40'/80'), Save F1, ML 9) Bodmew the Gross (AC 3, HD 3, HP 14, #AT 1, +1/hit, D 1D8+1, MV (40'/80') , Save F3, ML 9).
2	Crystal Jaguar(s) – 1D3 crystalline cat beasts. Six-legged, scintillating hunters that are rumored to lair in amongst the Molybdenum tombs. Crystal jaguars bite with their over-sized jaws and exist in multiple planes or locations at once, this makes them hard to hit in melee and impossible to hit with normal missiles. They will often grab a lone victim and escape up a tree to devour their prey in peace. (AC 3, HD 5, hp 18, 27 #AT 1, +1 Hit, D 1d10, MV (80’), Save F5, ML 8; immune to normal missiles).
3	Giant Ticks – 2D4 Giant bloodsucking things of filthy, mottled, clattering chitin Each is about four feet long and a bloated three feet wide. They will drop from the trees on warm blooded creatures and on a successful strike attach themselves to their victim, draining 1D6/dmg per round until the victim is dead, the tick killed or the tick hit with a fire attack. (AC 3, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1D4 (1D6), MV (10'), Save F2, ML 12)
4	Forest Goblin Ambush – A large goblin hunting party containing 4D10 goblins, 1D4 goblin shaman and 1D6 bugbears is concealed on both sides of the road. The Goblins will throw spears while the bugbears charge, and then follow behind wielding stone axes. The shaman will stand back counter-spelling as necessary and flinging sling stones, spears or darts. Goblin/Goblin: Shaman: (AC 6, HD 1-1, HP 3, #AT 1, D1D6, MV (20'), SAVE F0, ML 7, 9 w/bugbear) Bugbear: (AC 6, HD 4, HP 16, #AT 3, D1D3/1D3/1D10, MV (40'), SAVE F3, ML 9).
5	Site of Tragedy – Something terrible happened here.  A sense of terror and old death impregnates the very air. Often there is evidence of what occurred: A burnt wagon, gnawed human bones, a smashed farmstead, shallow graves, or ancient buildings twisted by strange energies.
6	Shambling Mound – A 15' tall mass of rotted forest matter crawls slowly from the leaf mould and forms the shape of some forest beast: a bear, a wolf, a tiger a stag, a wildman or some combination of them. This forest spirit wishes become more 'real' and may only do so by draining the life from the animate. (AC 4, HD 8, HP 34, #AT 2, D2D8, MV (20'), SAVE F8, ML 12; immune to fire, lighting, death, charm, ½ damage cold, normal weapons).
7	Haunting – The same as No. “5” only the spirits of the tragedy are angry enough to attack the living, they aren't always active and won't travel far beyond the bounds of the original tragedy, usually a 200' diameter circle. The haunting will first appear as ghostly figures that reenact the last moments before their deaths or the most pertinent element of the tragedy. Spirits will battling invisible attackers, sufferer and die from unknown disease, succumb to cannibalistic impulses or waste away from starvation. After 1d4 rounds the spirits will notice the PCs as if waking and will coalesce into a single ghostly whirlwind of twisted limbs and distorted faces. This haunt will attack viciously after it is fully formed in an addition 1D4 rounds, striking with the various limbs that make up its larger mass and draining life from those struck. If the individual ghosts are attacked prior to forming the haunt it will quickly form the next round and attack the round after. Haunt: (AC 6 (magic or silver weapon to hit) HD 6, HP 22, #AT 3, D 1D6/1D6/1D6 MV (40') SAVE F5 ML 8, undead).
8	Puzzling Evidence - Harmless but puzzling evidence of a Wizard (including the Fist's) recent presence. The distant citing of a Wizard, or wizard's vehicle is easiest, but it can be anything from macabre trophies staked beside the road, to a puzzling billboard or scattered pamphlets encouraging immigrants to place themselves under a specific wizard's rule.
9	Moktar Warband – 3D10 Moktars seeking to raid and plunder civilized lands. (AC 5, HD 2, hp 9, #AT 1, D 2-8, MV (30’), Save F 2, ML 8).
10	Bounty Hunters/Tomb Plunders - 1D4 Fighters (lvls. 1-4) accompanied b y: (20%) 1D2 Clerics (lvls. 1-4); (40%) 1D4 Thieves (lvls. 1-4); 20% 1 Magic-User (lvls. 1-4) and/or (40%) 1D8 Men at arms (0-level). This is a 'rival' party of adventurers, they are likely as murderous and robbery prone as your PCs, though there is also the possibility they are a gang of well meaning naifs. They will be armed, equipped and armored appropriately to their level.
11	Wizard – A random wizard or group of Wizard's followers of the referee's choice, including the Fist.
12	Bear – A Grizzly Bear wanders over to examine the party. (AC 6, HD 5, HP 23, #AT 3, D1D3/1D3/1D6, MV (40'), SAVE F2, ML 8). The first time this encounter is rolled the bear will be an ancient and especially monstrous bear known locally as 'Redsnout Ben'. (AC 6, HD 5, HP 38, #AT 3, D 1D4/1D4/1D6, MV (40'), SAVE F3, ML 10). This bear has terrorized local hunters for years with a taste for human flesh, he stands 10' tall when upright with a horrible scarred visage. Rumor claims that Ben was once a murdering hermit somehow transformed into a bear. His distinct reddish pelt will fetch at least 100GP (Maybe more locally) and if Ben's lair can be discovered it contains a treasure of Hoard Class XXI that he has accumulated over the years.