Following the trail of random encounters.

During a hex-crawl, make it easy for the group to track or follow the trail of random encounters. This turn random encounters into potential opportunities. (If you have tracking specialists, don't ask for tests to see if they are able to follow the trail. Instead make them roll to see if they gain a advantage over their target or give them extra info or some other edge).

Use this table if the group track, trail or pursuit who or what they have encountered.

The trail lead them to (roll a d20):

1. a secondary group of the pursued waiting in ambush (1-4 smaller size, 5 same size, 6 larger size). 
2. a secondary group of the pursued needing help (1-2 individual, 3-4 smaller size, 5 same size, 6 larger size). 
3. a secondary group of the pursued busy doing something (1-3 smaller size, 4-5 same size, 6 larger size).  
4. a former prey or victim of the pursued. (1 trapped or impaired, 2 wounded, 3 left for dead, 4-5 dead, 6 dead & looted or worse).  
5. potential allies against the pursued. (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5-6 a camp) 
6. a bigger predator that will attack both the pursued and the pursuers. 
7. a potential ally of the pursued or of the pursuers (can go both ways), (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5-6 a camp). 
8. allies of the pursued. (1 a individual, 2-4 a group, 5 a camp, 6 their lair or base camp) 
9. a trap that the pursued know about.  
10. a obstacle that the pursued can easily bypass (they may have some devices or constructions to help them), (or if no obstacle fit, the pursued group split in two directions). 
11. a cache left behind or that the pursued want to empty before the group reach them.
12. a small camp or hideout. There is a 2 chances on a d6 that some guards were left behind.
13. a important camp or watch post. There is a 4 chances on a d6 that some guards were left behind. 
14. a natural defensive position or landmark or abandoned refuge. (there is a 1 chance on a d6 that the place is not really abandoned). 
15. a forbidden place that the pursued wont enter. 
16. mystery/special. Something weird here, the pursued mysteriously died or vanished (or other weird things have happened to them).
17. the entry of a micro-dungeon. (a place potentially dangerous for both the pursued and the pursuer), (maybe the micro-dungeon link to the pursued lair).
18. a backdoor or a secret entry that lead to the pursued main lair or base camp (or to a established dungeon). 
19. the pursued lair, home or base camp. (But something is happening: 1 festivities, 2 visitors, 3 constructions or busy work, 4 internal strife, 5 a siege, 6 a calamity afflict the lair). 
20. the pursued lair, home or base camp. (A lot more of them are resting here).

When the result don't seem to be the final destination of the pursued, simply roll again on the table if the group continue to trail them. Add 3 to the result each time you roll.

If after reaching a destination that seem final, the group want to continue to look for the home of the pursued, reset the d20 modificator to zero. But the trail can be harder to follow from here.

Note that your can use the same table for when the group is fleeing from a encounter (just inverse pursued and pursuer).

Generic hex crawl map encounters.

We are filling a hex crawl map on Roludo (a Montreal gaming community forum).

I made a random encounter table to play our collective hex crawl at our next Roludothon (our local very micro convention). 

Since we want to explore the map, I guess we could check for encounters (or roll on the table) for each hex. 

roll 2d6
2: Unique location or feature of the hex (dangerous but can be helpful).
3: Encounter between two hostile predators.
4: Alpha predator (territorial) (near lair). 
5: Beta predators (hunting) (looking for prey). 
6: Pest (scavenging). 
7: Landmark or clue pointing toward a adventure location (or toward #2 & #12).
8: Humanoids travelling toward a settlement (check reaction).
9: Humanoids busy doing something (check reaction).
10: Humanoids in refuge, camp or small settlement (check reaction).
11: Humanoids needing or offering help.
12: Unique location or feature of the hex (helpful but can be dangerous).

• Unique location: a small adventuring location build around a "special" trick/feature. 
• Predators: can be natural or supernatural. 
• Alpha predators: won't chase the party, keep close to their lair. 
• Beta predators: may chase the party or stalk them to ambush them later.
• Pest: have low moral and will hesitate to attack. May chase the party if they outnumber them. May be busy scavenging something. 
• Landmark: give clue about the hex content. 
• Clues: can point to other clues or directly to the adventuring location. 
• Adventuring location: can be bigger than a unique location.  
• Humanoids: can be any negotiable sentient being. 
• Humanoids:  use the reaction test for inspiration about the nature of the encountered group. They can be bandits or worse on a bad reaction test. 
• Traveler: can be locals traveling to a local settlement or strangers traveling toward a other hex (roll a open d6 to find out how many hex away).  
• Busy: again use the reaction test for inspiration. A bad result may indict something they don't want other people to disturb or see (like burying a corpse). 
• Camp: more then one group can be present. Again use the reaction test for inspiration. A bad result may indict a conflict between the groups present.  
• Help: you may reroll on the table to find what they need or offer help for.