A monster or effect typically specifies the amount of damage it deals. In some cases, though, you need to determine damage on the fly. The Improvising Damage table gives you suggestions for when you do so.
Attributes
Unorganized
Dice
Examples
1d10
Burned by coals, hit by a falling bookcase, pricked by a poison needle
2d10
Being struck by lightning, stumbling into a fire pit
4d10
Hit by falling rubble in a collapsing tunnel, stumbling into a vat of acid
10d10
Crushed by compacting walls, hit by whirling steel blades, wading through a lava stream
18d10
Being submerged in lava, being hit by a crashing flying fortress
24d10
Tumbling into a vortex of fire on the Elemental Plane of Fire, being crushed in the jaws of a godlike creature or a moon-sized monster
.
Setback
1st-4th
1d10
5th-10th
2d10
11-16th
4d10
17-20th
10d10
.
Dangerous
1st-4th
2d10
5th-10th
4d10
11th-16th
10d10
17th-20th
18d10
.
Deadly
1st-4th
4d10
5th-10th
10d10
11th-16th
18d10
17th-20th
24d10