The Deep Forest is dangerous, and some of that danger seeps over to the Road. Most people who travel on the road band together into caravans for protection.
The Leather Road is the boundary between the normal and the fantastic in Highland; some of that reputation may be uncalled for (caravans do, in fact, use the Leather Road regularly), but when you’re traveling it with only two or three companions for company, those noises in the night will recall all the stories your parents told you to keep you on the farm.
When traveling on the Leather Road, encounters occur 20% of the time every 24 hours.
Encounters: Main Table
| 01-40 | Civilized Peoples | 40% |
| 41-71 | Natural Encounters | 31% |
| 72-91 | Animals | 20% |
| 92-96 | Humanoid Creatures | 5% |
| 97-00 | Fantastic Creatures | 4% |
Civilized Peoples
| 01-40 | Caravan (d20+10) | 40% |
| 41-60 | Merchant (d6) | 20% |
| 61-79 | Traveler (d6) | 19% |
| 80-93 | Brigands (d4) | 14% |
| 94-98 | Inn and village (d60+4) | 5% |
| 99-00 | Masquerades | 2% |
Masquerades
| 01-40 | Werewolf (1) | 40% |
| 56-80 | Apparitions (d6) | 25% |
| 41-55 | Vampire (1) | 15% |
| 81-94 | Phantasms (d2) | 14% |
| 95-00 | Deities (1d2) | 6% |
Most masquerade encounters will be with a creature acting human; deities may act as just about any creature or thing. The characters may never know they met a werewolf, dryad, phantasm, or god. Such encounters are unlikely to result in combat, but may set up a later adventure when the characters discover that their acquaintance (perhaps by then a friend) has a secret.
Humanoid Creatures
| 01-60 | Goblins (1d20) | 60% |
| 61-90 | Orcs (1d2) | 30% |
| 91-00 | Yeti (1d3) | 10% |
Goblins are 25% likely to have Orc leaders.
Natural Encounters
| 01-26 | light storm (d80 hours) | 26% |
| 27-41 | unbridged stream | 15% |
| 42-54 | swarm/flock | 13% |
| 55-66 | extra hot/cold (d6 days) | 12% |
| 67-76 | heavy storm (d20 hours) | 10% |
| 82-89 | fog (2d12 yards visibility) | 8% |
| 77-81 | bridge over stream | 5% |
| 94-96 | remains of travelers | 3% |
| 90-91 | ghost village | 2% |
| 92-93 | unmarked tomb | 2% |
| 97-98 | part of animal skeleton | 2% |
| 99-00 | human skeleton | 2% |
Encounters: Animals
| 01-11 | Deer (d20) | 11% |
| 12-20 | Wolves (1d8) | 9% |
| 21-29 | Squirrels (d20) | 9% |
| 30-36 | Stags (d3) | 7% |
| 37-42 | Owls (d4) | 6% |
| 43-47 | Badgers (d4) | 5% |
| 48-52 | Dogs (d4) | 5% |
| 53-57 | Rats (d20) | 5% |
| 58-62 | Skunks (d6) | 5% |
| 63-67 | Snakes | 5% |
| 68-71 | Black Widows (d8) | 4% |
| 72-74 | Horses (d6) | 3% |
| 75-77 | Bats (d40) | 3% |
| 78-80 | Ravens (d6) | 3% |
| 81-82 | Bull (1) | 2% |
| 83-84 | Cattle (d20) | 2% |
| 85-86 | Wolverines (1d2) | 2% |
| 87-88 | Eagles (d3) | 2% |
| 89-90 | Goats (2d10) | 2% |
| 91-92 | Rams (d3) | 2% |
| 93-94 | Weasels (d2) | 2% |
| 95-96 | Leopard (1) | 2% |
| 97-98 | Wildcats (d3) | 2% |
| 99 | Bear (1) | 1% |
| 00 | Pheasants (d20) | 1% |
Encounters: Snakes
| 01-51 | Garter snakes (d6) | 51% |
| 52-71 | Blue Racers (d4) | 20% |
| 72-85 | Water snakes (d20) | 14% |
| 86-94 | Copperheads (d8) | 9% |
| 95-99 | Rattlesnakes (d4) | 5% |
| 00 | Huge snake (1) | 1% |
Copperheads, water snakes, and rattlers are standard poisonous snakes.
Fantastic Creatures
| 01-20 | Large Spiders (d3) | 20% |
| 21-36 | Apparitions (d100) | 16% |
| 37-47 | Pegasi (d2) | 11% |
| 48-57 | Gryphon (1) | 10% |
| 58-67 | Brownies (d20) | 10% |
| 68-76 | Unicorns (d3) | 9% |
| 77-83 | Pixies (d20) | 7% |
| 84-89 | Deep Forest Fantastic Creature | 6% |
| 90-95 | Poltergeist (1) | 6% |
| 96-97 | Dryad (1) | 2% |
| 98-00 | Ghouls (d4) | 3% |
Most animal-like fantastic creatures will hardly notice the characters; those that eat livestock might descend upon the characters’ packmounts if they have any, but unless the characters do something stupid to attract the attention of, say, a gryphon, these fantastic encounters will be marvels to tell about having seen when they return home. Undead encounters will occur in an appropriate location: phantasms or poltergeists in abandoned homes, ghouls in a cemetery.
