Random Encounters: Elizabethan London

The Virgin Queen is on the throne, Drake harries the Spanish at sea, and Walsingham counters their plots at home. Somehow, England is becoming a superpower, and London is at the heart of it all. In the narrow, filthy streets, noblemen rub elbows with footpads, while spies and poets drink together in the taverns. You can run into anyone in Queen Elizabeth's London. 

ENCOUNTERS IN ELIZABETHAN LONDON

(Roll 1d20 when moving about the city, 1d10 when stationary.)

1. Roll twice and Combine
2. Plot Advancing Encounter: Someone or something related to whatever brought you to London.
3. Barber: He's going door-to-door offering his services. These include a smooth shave, boils lanced, all the latest gossip, and possibly some throat-cutting if your enemies have paid him well.
4. Dogs: A pack of 2d6 feral dogs, and something has riled them up.
5. Drunken Sailors: They've blown all their pay on cheap wine, and now they're out on the street looking for (1) women, (2) more wine, or money to acquire (1) and (2).
6. Mountebank: He's selling magical charms and remedies, served up with an impressive line of patter.
7. Nobleman: Roll 1d6. On a 1-2 this is a gentleman incognito, his costly clothing hidden under a drab cloak. On a 3-4 it's a pair of noblemen out for an evening's entertainment. On a 5-6 it's a great lord and his entourage on horseback.
8. Spy: Roll 1d6. On a 1-3, this is one of Sir Francis Walsingham's counterintelligence agents. On a 4-5 it's a Spanish operative, and on a 6 it's a French spy. Any spy will have a cover identity, of course.
9. Tempest: More than the usual London drizzle; this is heavy rain and wind fit to knock down chimney-pots. Only a fool would be out on the streets in such weather.
10. Thieves: 1d6 men armed with cudgels, who want your valuables. If you have any important documents they want those, too.
11. Angry Mob: Somehow a rumor got started that you're a Spanish spy, or maybe a Jesuit, or possibly a witch. Maybe all three. Anyway, there's 2d6 times 10 people chasing you with mayhem in mind, and more joining all the time.
12. Bailiff: You have unpaid debts, and this man has come to detain you until they are paid. You can come along quietly, or his 1d6 followers armed with clubs will rough you up.
13. Bridewell: Once a royal palace, now used to house vagrants, debtors, and "disorderly women." The place is in terrible shape and looks like an awful firetrap. It's a big building full of odd additions and temporary construction, so anyone could stay hidden here for days.
14. Cattle: A herd of beef on the hoof, being driven to Smithfield for slaughter and sale. You'll have to wait for them to pass, which will take ten minutes at least, or risk cutting through the herd.
15. Den of Thieves: This tavern is a notorious haven for highwaymen, footpads, bandits, and pirates. Anyone who looks suspicious or well-off will get a hostile reception.
16. Fire! A house is ablaze, and the flames are starting to threaten nearby structures. There may be people trapped inside — and a large crowd is gathering in the street.
17. Player: A young fellow up from the provinces, who is a decent actor and a promising writer. He'll get involved in any goings-on if there's a chance of profit.
18. St. Paul's Cathedral: Not the one built by Wren, this is a vast medieval Gothic church. It's a center of trade and culture as well as faith: the city's booksellers have taken over the churchyard, and other vendors cluster around the doors.
19. Strangers: 1d6 men and women with strange accents (and barbarous grammar), who seem oddly obsessed with Court politics and the theatrical world. Their clothing is new and perfectly clean, and they all have perfect teeth. Are they spies? If assailed they can defend themselves with pepper spray and tasers.
20. Tracks/Aftermath: Roll again to see what you find traces of (in the case of specific buildings, you find tracks leading in that direction).

SITUATIONS IN ELIZABETHAN LONDON

(Roll 1d6, then use the table above to determine the identities of A and B.)

1. A desires B
2. A wants to capture B
3. A wants B dead
4. A wants to go somewhere
5. A wants to solve a mystery
6. A wants an object.