100 Combat Encounter Prompts

Ambush on a rope bridge — The bridge starts snapping mid-fight.

Defend the healer — While waves of undead push through a graveyard.

Assassins in a masquerade ball — Partygoers panic and create chaos.

Fight atop a moving train — Each round, obstacles zip past.

Bandits in a foggy swamp — Visibility drops to 10 feet.

Ritual in progress — Stop the cult before the final chant.

Storm-swept cliffside battle — Wind may knock someone off the edge.

Cave fight with stalactites — Knock them loose to change the terrain.

Arena match with magical traps — Crowd demands flair over efficiency.

Battle inside a crumbling ruin — Roll each round for cave-ins.

Fire in the tavern — Fight while trying to save innocents.

Treant in a burning forest — Fire hurts the enemies and you.

Chase and fight on rooftops — Miss a jump and fall prone.

Flooded catacombs — Water rises one foot per round.

Crystal cave with reflective walls — Mirror images cause confusion.

Fight on floating platforms — Each round, platforms rearrange.

Enemy uses invisibility and hit-and-run — Sound is your best tool.

Animated furniture attacks in a mansion — It’s not just the mimic.

Battle during a sandstorm — Range attacks suffer greatly.

Enemy tries to escape via portal — Stop them before it stabilizes.

Fight in a spinning observatory — Gravity changes each turn.

Protect the fleeing villagers — Enemies aim for civilians.

Fight underwater — Movement and spells are limited.

Enemies riding flying mounts — You’re stuck on the ground.

Ship-to-ship combat — Fire spreads, boards creak, ropes swing.

Hostage standoff — Kill the wrong enemy, hostages die.

Snowy mountain pass — Ice sheets crack when stepped on.

Enemies with explosives — They’re not afraid to go down with you.

Maze of hedges — Enemies can disappear and strike later.

Possessed townsfolk — Non-lethal force encouraged.

Goblin tinkerer with gadgets — Terrain includes hazards and traps.

Enemy hides behind illusion — Attacks seem to come from nowhere.

Giant spider webbed terrain — Movement is restricted.

Fight in a market — Crates, stalls, and civilians everywhere.

Lightning storm battlefield — Metallic gear attracts strikes.

Haunted library — Poltergeists throw books and shelves.

Enemy controls gravity — Objects fall sideways or float.

Battle in a magical elevator — Goes up/down floors mid-fight.

Fight atop a collapsing glacier — Ice breaks apart over time.

Enemy uses clones — One is real, the rest explode.

Combat during eclipse — Dark magic grows stronger each round.

Bridge puzzle fight — Need to align platforms while fighting.

Fog-filled battlefield with alarms — Alert more enemies if not careful.

Treasure room trap — Fight while avoiding pressure plates.

Exploding terrain — Fireballs randomly erupt each turn.

Fight during a royal banquet — Keep the nobles safe.

Tower spiral staircase fight — Limited movement, long drops.

Enemy sets fires and retreats — Area denial is the tactic.

Combat in a dream realm — Rules shift every round.

Enemies teleport around randomly — No one is safe or stationary.

Battle on a dam — Break it and the area floods.

Mimics among treasure chests — Real enemies hide in plain sight.

Fight on a turning gear platform — Fall into lava or machinery.

Fight in a lightning-charged ruin — Pillars surge every few turns.

Enemies use fear-based attacks — Must pass saves to act effectively.

Volcanic vent field — Hot spots erupt at random.

Battle while escorting a fragile object — If it breaks, mission fails.

Enemies call reinforcements with horns — Silence them quickly.

Combat inside a magical dome — Spells behave unpredictably.

Enemy uses charm magic on allies — Turned party members become threats.

Fight inside a teleportation hub — Step on a rune, vanish.

Enemy lures you into quicksand — Movement becomes life-or-death.

Battle on giant lily pads in a swamp — Pads shift and sink.

Enemy rides a siege beast — Target rider or monster?

Cursed ground weakens healing — Fight through attrition.

Enemy wears explosive runes — Hurt them, they explode.

Battle in a shifting maze — Every round the layout changes.

Enemy uses illusions of party members — Decipher friend from fake.

A child runs through the fight — Hitting them is catastrophic.

Fight on a magic elevator — Stops at random floors mid-battle.

Enemies destroy bridges mid-fight — Separate the party.

Battle on a glacier being hunted by something below — Ice cracks where blood lands.

Enemies are undead immune to normal weapons — Improvise or run.

Fight in a dry grass field — Any fire could spread fast.

Enemies hide inside animated statues — Statue or foe?

Ghosts can only be harmed by specific items — Retrieve them mid-fight.

Enemy summons terrain hazards — Walls, pits, or spikes form.

Fight on airships — Jumping between them is risky.

Lava chamber with rising platforms — Ground becomes lava.

Fight in a hall of shifting mirrors — Visibility is distorted.

Enemies trigger landslides — Stay mobile or get buried.

Battle inside a whale’s stomach — Acid, motion, and air problems.

Fight while hanging from chains — Movement is limited, vertical.

Enemies detonate magical traps — Avoid or suffer strange effects.

Haunted battlefield — The dead rise unless laid to rest.

Fight in the wreckage of a sky temple — Falling debris every round.

Enemies open dimensional tears — Suck you or allies in.

Fight in a clocktower — Gears and pendulums threaten all.

Arena with shifting walls and traps — Layout changes constantly.

Combat in a cave with echo magic — Spells repeat randomly.

Enemies attack while party is drunk/poisoned — Disadvantage or confusion.

Enemy turns terrain into lava or spikes — Safe zones shrink.

Fight on a raft going down rapids — Movement, balance, and attacks all harder.

Enemies target magical lights — Each one lost dims the field.

Battle in a dimension of silence — No verbal spells or coordination.

Enemies disguise themselves as allies — Can’t trust appearances.

Enemy tries to convert you mid-fight — Save or be turned.

Battle on a staircase of light — Miss a step, fall into void.

Fight inside a puzzle room — Solving puzzle disables traps.

Enemies regenerate unless killed in a specific way — Learn quickly or die slowly.