BRPG Encounter Table: Quest for Mephibosheth: Encounters in David’s Jerusalem

Nuanced Encounter Table for 2 Samuel 9

This encounter table is designed to immerse players in the historically grounded world of Jerusalem during David’s reign, where the quest revolves around King David’s search for survivors of Saul’s household, particularly Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. The players may encounter local townsfolk, envoys, hidden treasures, and remnants of conflict as they navigate this quest.

Encounters

Extremely Hurtful Encounters (1-5)

1. A band of rogue Philistines ambushes the party, led by an experienced warrior with 30 health, +5 attack, and AC 15. The party must either flee or lose 1d4 health each round until defeat.
2. The townsfolk, anxious about King David’s intentions, mistake the party for spies and throw them in a makeshift prison. They must roll a DC 15 to escape or suffer disadvantage on their next roll due to confinement stress.
3. A skirmish breaks out in the marketplace, and a stray spear causes a wound. Each character takes 1d6 damage from the chaos affecting their morale, applying a -2 penalty to Charisma checks for the next hour.
4. The party encounters a weeping woman mourning the loss of her family in the conflict. If they fail to comfort her (DC 12), she curses them, resulting in a -1 penalty to Wisdom checks until they earn her forgiveness.
5. The party overhears a false rumor that David intends to eliminate all remaining heirs of Saul, causing panic among the townsfolk. This leads to the party being viewed with suspicion, giving them disadvantage on Persuasion checks in the city.

Moderate Nuisance Encounters (6-10)

1. A wealthy merchant offers an artifact supposedly belonging to King Saul, but upon close inspection, it’s a counterfeit. The players lose half their gold in the negotiation.
2. The party is approached by a Samaritan who attempts to sell them old scrolls that would reveal King David’s lineage, but it turns out to be misinformation, causing the player to question their own knowledge.
3. A minor injury occurs when a player trips over a loose stone while searching for clues, causing 1 damage but also revealing an old coin worth 5 shekels.
4. As they search, a child mistakenly believes the party are friends of David and leads them off track. They must roll a DC 14 to regain their way and avoid losing an hour of their quest time.
5. While gathering information from travelers, one tells a tall tale that leads the party to the wrong location entirely, costing them a day of travel and yielding no results.

Somewhat Helpful Encounters (11-15)

1. The party meets an elderly man who was a close advisor to Saul. Through conversation, he grants +1 to Wisdom checks while discussing the history of the royal family.
2. A local smith offers to repair any damaged weapons for 10% of their value, enhancing their durability by adding +1 to their attack rolls until their next critical hit.
3. They find a small cache of provisions hidden in the ruins of a house, providing enough food and water for three days, recovering 1d6 health upon consumption.
4. The party encounters a traveling minstrel who sings of David’s glory and offers encouragement, granting them +1 Charisma for their next social encounter.
5. While helping a family repair their home, the players gain the community’s trust, allowing them to roll with advantage on any Charisma-related checks in that town.

Very Helpful Encounters (16-20)

1. They stumble upon a letter from Jonathan to David, reaffirming their bond. It provides insight into the royal family’s loyalty and grants +2 to all rolls related to royal affairs.
2. The party is gifted an ancient family heirloom that belonged to Saul, a jeweled brooch providing +2 to charisma checks when dealing with nobility.
3. They discover a hidden shrine dedicated to the God of Abraham, which blesses them with +1 to all rolls for the next 24 hours as long as they honor its presence.
4. An ally presents themselves as a former servant to Jonathan, offering to help the party discover the whereabouts of Mephibosheth and provide +5 on their next investigation check.
5. A wise woman shares tales of David’s kindness, boosting the party’s morale and providing +1 to their next attack rolls as they feel empowered by righteousness.

Extremely Helpful Encounters (21-25)

1. The players meet a friendly scribe who possesses knowledge of royal lineages and provides them with information on Mephibosheth’s location, granting a +2 bonus to all future investigation checks regarding Saul’s family.
2. A hidden chest near the ruins contains gold coins (worth 50 shekels) and a fine robe that grants +1 to all Charisma rolls when worn during negotiations.
3. A local priest offers blessings in exchange for the party’s service, enhancing their resolve and granting advantage on all saving throws for the next 24 hours.
4. The party finds a map detailing safe passages and hidden paths throughout the kingdom, allowing them to bypass obstacles and granting an additional +10 movement speed for their next journey.
5. After helping an injured warrior, he teaches them a valuable skill, granting the party proficiency in a weapon of their choice for the next battle.

Bible Trivia Encounter

As part of your quest, prove your knowledge of King David’s dealings with Mephibosheth.

1. What was the name of Jonathan’s son whom David sought out? (Mephibosheth)
2. Who did David want to show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake? (Mephibosheth)
3. Where did Mephibosheth live when David sent for him? (Lo-debar)
4. What did Mephibosheth say when he first appeared before David? (What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?)
5. What land did David restore to Mephibosheth? (All that belonged to Saul)

Roll 1d20. Add the number of correct answers. Final result = 1–25.

Correct Answers

• 1. Mephibosheth
• 2. Mephibosheth
• 3. Lo-debar
• 4. What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?
• 5. All that belonged to Saul