Wizards!

I may have mentioned before that I want to revamp my Random Encounter table for the Ironguard Campaign (despite it being on indefinite hiatus), modeled on what is going on here at Papers and Pencils.

2d6	Encounter
2	Dragon!
3	Weird
4	Weird
5	Weird Place
6	Build Place
7	Recurring Characters
8	Build Place
9	Weird Place
10	Weird
11	Weird
12	Wizard!

I'm a fan of Weird encounters, be they from books I've read, other blogs, or my own fevered imagination.  Anything that gives a player pause is good.  

To make the above work, I'll be making using of nested subtables, because I like nested subtables. I failed the search check for my notes on these four wizards, so was forced to build them from scratch.  Here are four, their modes of travel, and their majordomos. 

1d4	Wizard!
1	traveling in a carriage (with apprentice and choice retainers) made from the animated skeleton of a Mastadon trudging along; retinue consists of various undead.  Majordomo is a well-mannered ghoul in decaying finery.  They'd love to invite you to dinner!
2	traveling on roc-back (with apprentice and choice retainers), with retinue of flying monkeys (use gargoyles for stats).  Majordomo is larger flying monkey in a red velvet vest and matching Fez.  The Fez grants the ability to speak and understand all languages heard.
3	traveling in a large floating bubble (with apprentice and choice retainers in their own, smaller bubbles) seemingly drifting on the wind.  Dozens of smaller bubbles float among the larger ones.  Majordomo is a bubble golem, coalescing out of many bubbles joining together into a rough humanoid shape.
4	traveling in a palanquin carried by 8 large, headless, humanoids.   Majordomo is a large floating head sporting a monocle.

When it comes to naming wizards, I dip into history.  So far, no one has noticed, or if they have, they don't mention it.

Yes, all the Wizards! are traveling to and from somewhere, on one inscrutable purpose or another.  

d8	Purpose
1	Returning home from another mission; d6 1-3 celebratory mood of success, 4-6 dour mood of defeat.  PCs either get an invitation to party or are attacked out of frustration.
2	To investigate rumors or following a map; may trade information with PCs.
3	To make war upon a neighbor; mercenaries are welcome.
4	On a pilgrimage to a holy site; faithful are welcome to join, unbelievers are coldly turned away, heretics are destroyed utterly.
5	To fulfill a vow, oath, or other promise to provide aid of some sort; unhappy to be doing so, but promises must be kept.  Will gladly let the PCs serve in its stead.
6	Off to the city, on a supply run and some well-deserved r&r; whether or not they will be welcomed is another question.
7	Gathering ingredients/specimens for research; PCs may provide needed item through trade or mere existence.
8	Exploring for its own sake.  Will gladly trade information and tales and a feast with PCs.  In the morning, when PCs awake, it will be as if nothing happened.

Once the hexmap is finalized, home and destination hex numbers can be assigned, but until then, these Wizards! are adrift in time and space (which probably doesn't bother them all that much).

Bonus Wizard!: traveling on the back of a gigantic millipede, with apprentice and retinue also on board.  If necessary, different sections of millipede break away into six-legged mounts, each with its own rider.  Major domo rides at the rear and breaks off to come address PCs; he is just a normal-looking human, with vibrant purple skin and a pair of antennae.