What Random Events have you came across? I'm talking about the scripted interactions you can have with NPCs out in the wilderness. I know the following have happened to me in my 120~ hours playtime.

-A thief runs up to you asking you to hold an item he stole from a hunter. A seemingly common random encounter.
-A skooma dealer offers to sell you some of the good stuff.
-Two children running up to me selling dwemer cogs and the location of a local dwemer ruin.
-Some aspiring mage trying to use a staff of zombies. You have the option of buying it off him or persuading him to give it to you.
-Thalmor escorting a prisoner. Pretty common.
-Imperials escorting a Stormcloak prisoner.
-Hunters hunting. Also came upon a semi-naked female hunter relaxing in a pond.
-A dark brotherhood assassin trying to kill me, for unknown reasons.
-Hired thugs sent to kill me for thefts I've done.
-Three bandits claiming to be from the Imperial Legion who try to extort a bribe from me.
-Highwaymen, like in Oblivion, who ask you for money or they will attack.

Is that it? Or are there more out there I missed?

Also, it seems certain events seem to happen more than the others. Some of them (Thalmor, thieves, etc.) have happened multiple times, while others (DB assassin, children, etc) have only happened to me once.

Members of the companions roam the countryside beating things up too.

- I was attacked by Thalmor assassins - they had a bounty with my name on it and everything!

- A couple of times I have run into two sword-wielding dudes accosting this Redguard woman, but it turns out she's not the one they're looking for. Anybody know what this is about?

the prima guide has an extremely large list of the world random encounters that you can find, however some only occur in certain holds ( you find thalmor escorts in stormcloak territory for example) One very cool encounter ive had a couple of times is "old" orc waiting to die in good fight which has yet to come (he is surrounded by 2 sabre cat corpses) you can talk to him and get a some good insight to lore of the orcs and if your strong enought give him the death he awaits for.

Three People (with a Guard) going to the Marriage in Solitude.

Also that thief is shortly accompanied by a guy hunting him down if you wait around in the same area the thief approached you in. He asks you if you've seen him or not.

I've also run into mercenaries that say they're on their way to take care of some location for someone and you can convince them to give you the location they're going to.

Also....hmmm maybe this was just 2 at once and it messed up but I've run into bandits trying to rob a high-ranking mage (may have just been due to my lvl at the time that they were so high).

I've also run into a wandering bard a lot, same for the Companions, I run into them quite a bit.

-A madwoman who asks you to use the Wabbajack on her. Doing so turns her into a rabbit, every time.

-A Fire Mage locked in deadly combat with a Frost Mage.

-An Old Orc who wants you to give him a "good death."

-M'Aiq the Liar

-A wandering Bard who will sing a song for 25 gold and can somehow turn into a ghost when attacked.

Not that it directly affects the player, but I've come across two wizards fighting to the death in the wilderness a few times. (often ice mage vs fire mage, lol)

Edit: ninja'd

I had a female villager come running asking me to help treat her horse or pack animal or something. To my surprise she led me straight to an ambush, was completely caught unaware and died, haha. Lost a good 20 minutes of gaming due to getting reverted to my last save. BITTCH!!!

I had a random mage labeled Student ask me to teach him how to properly use a Ward because he wanted to join the college...

Dragons trying to kill me....

Also I saw Alduin Resurrect a dragon randomly in the wilderness.....I shot at Alduin but he was still immortal I guess and I did no damage to him.

Rules are rules, spoiler section.

It very much does directly affect the player if you get between them. XD

Ran into a bandit trying to mug a peddler, when I killed the bandit the peddler thanked me for saving him.

Farmers taking painted cattle as offering to the giants.

Random race-named NPC troublemakers [the ones that call you milk drinker]

Noble and his bodyguard.

Random people partying and giving away drinks.

*ahem* The Traveling Merchants Guild of Tamriel wishes you to know that they they consider use of the term "peddler" to be both derogatory and offensive.

Ha same thing happened to me only it was a man pretending to be a merchant. He even had a ruined cart and spilled supplies all around him. Naturally I believer him... until I took an arrow to the knee.

Also, a woman ran to me asking for directions to the nearest town (What was a little strange because we were close to Winterhold and I could only send her to Riften), she apparently was kidnapped by bandits and mark their camp at your map.

had the thief one happen to me. after giving me the shield the thief ran for 5 feet then crouched in the middle of the road, and the guard couldnt find him even after i told the guard where he was. watched the guard run big circle around me for about 10 mins then he just stood there staring at me so i killed them both for their stupidity.

Traveling bards... happened to me twice...

Not sure if said yet but Thalmor assassins

I've also seen some novice mages practicing on each other... first time they just practiced until one of them fell... second time they actually ended up killing each other... i didn't even touch them... they both died from fire damage...

The Dude with the Painted Cow who is planning on negotiating with the Giants. Hilarity ensues.


That guy... I ran into him on my first epic journey trying to get to Ivarsted and High Hrothgar. I knew the second I said yes, I was a svcker born. I was maybe level 11, I got my ass handed to me, that was a nasty ambush.

Hunter ran up to me today to ask if I had anything that could help her - she was a victim of a vampire and wanted something to fix it before she turned. Gave her a cure disease potion, she gave me 100 gold....

If you have a bottle of mead on you, you can give it to the partier and he'll give you a random trinket.

It might have to be "good" mead though. Not sure. I've been keeping a bottle of Black-Briar and Honningbrew on me in case I run into these guys again.


This encounter is actually static - it's also kinda glitchy - you can ignore the guy at the crossroads, go to the old watchtower, kill all the "guards" there (most of whom won't even fight back) and then go back and let the guy at the crossroads lead you into the non-ambush ambush.

That's a potentially really nasty encounter, as the roadside guy seems to have leveled bow/arrows on him.

I have about 80 hours into this game and I have only seen half this stuff!

Oh, not really a random encounter as such.... but there's the hunter at Moss Mother Cavern who needs a healing potion or spell (REALLY needs it - you don't have it, he dies....) Clear the cavern for him after healing him and he gives you a nice dagger.


Mostly if you don't "wander the roads and wilds" you WON'T see any of it....

Same for me, now that i stick more to roads ive seen more of those encounters.

Anyone know whats the Trigger for the Thalmor or DB Assasin? Had hired Thugs attack me but never Assasins.

I've never noticed an actual trigger. All my toons just go about their business and all of them wind up with both sorts of assassins eventually.