An endless stream of random encounters

[NotActuallyTim]

The Stone Face

The party finds a rock carved to look like human face. It's about 8 inches tall and 6 inches wide all around. Furthermore, it's surprisingly light, and easy to carry.

Should the party take the rock with them, it will begin to sing after about 1d6 days of contact. It's song is cheerful and wordless, more like lighthearted whistling than anything else. However, if it is ever brought into contact with blood, the face will contort with anger, and sing in a deep voice in an unknown language, with rage evident in it's tone.

Translating the song will reveal the story of an ancient warrior who hunted throughout the region the stone was found in, and the warriors people, who battled the other tribes for food and hide. The nameless warrior lost their people in battle to a magic spell, and slew the tribe whose priest cast said spell. The song ends saying that the spirit of the warrior was honored by the other tribes of the region, who know that the warriors spirit still hunts throughout the lands, and will grant access to the warriors spear to any who prove themselves worthy on difficult hunt.

 

[Imaculata]

The cursed monk

The party encounters a strange statue of a monk out in the wilderness. It looks extremely life-like, but the statue is divided into various puzzle pieces that are all moved out of their correct position, and some pieces are lying on the ground. Reassembling the statue is not as easy as it seems, because some puzzle pieces can only be inserted in the right order. If the players want to attempt to put him back together, this requires an Intelligence check DC 18. If they succeed, the statue is reassembled correctly, and the monk immediately becomes his old self again.

He'll explain that he was turned into a puzzle by a devious Sphinx, when he couldn't answer the riddle posed to him by the creature. He'll gladly join the party if they like his company.

 

[BoldItalic]

Bear With Me

A Brown Bear wanders up to the party in a friendly fashion and starts talking to you in common. "Hey guys," it says, "Have you got anything to eat? I'm starving."

Whether you feed the bear or not, it will attach itself permanently to a random member of the party and may prove useful in all manner of ways but it will constantly chat about food. Nothing else interests it, just food. It will go on and on about memorable food it has eaten in the past and food it dreams of eating in the future. If you feed it the equivalent of a day's rations it will be satisfied for an hour, but then it will start up again talking about food.

The compensation is that bear has the Natural Explorer (Forest) ability equivalent to a 1st-level Ranger.

 

[akr71]

The Sniveling Goblin
As the party approaches a bend in the road/track/trail they hear a howling, whining voice. If anyone speaks goblin, they recognize the language right away and they hear someone cursing, crying and whining. Rounding the bend, the party finds a pathetic looking goblin shackled and chained to a tree. He/she has been badly beaten and whipped.

Struggling with the chains, the goblin does not notice the party until they are close - about 15 or 20 feet from him/her. The goblin knows enough common to communicate with the party. Once the goblin notices the adventurers, it begs and pleads to be set free - it is quite a pathetic display. If asked the goblin will say that he/she was wrongly accused of treachery by its clan and left here to die. This is partly true - the goblin did steal from the clan and was caught 'red-handed' - a moderately difficult Insight check will reveal that the goblin is with-holding something.

Oh, and the the goblin is also being used as bait. There are several large bear traps set not far from the tree which a Passive Perception 15 should reveal (reduce that to 10 if there is an Active check). The goblin is getting quite hungry by this point and does not mention the traps, hoping for an easy meal, should one of the adventurers be unfortunate enough to step in it.

 

[Imaculata]

The termite hills

The players stumble upon a large colony of termites, who have constructed tall spires. The players notice some skeletons and their belongings in garbage piles among the spires. The termites are vermin swarms, who can react aggressively to the footsteps of invaders. The players can make an Intelligence (Nature) check DC 10 to determine this hazard. But if they pass a Dexterity (Stealth) check DC 14, they can pass quietly and unharmed.

If the players try to search the garbage piles however, they'll have to succeed at a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check DC 14 for each pile, or the termites will attack. They can find various common adventure items, such as 2d20 gold, potions, weapons, and maybe a magical item.

They can also choose to go around the spires, but due to difficult terrain this adds another hour of travel time.

The whispering swamp

The party arrives at a fog covered swamp. Small bubbles of air rise up from the depths of the swamp, and the remains of various wagons can be seen, half submerged in the water. Dead trees hang over the water, with dead water plants draped across their tendril-like branches. On the water the party can see will-o-wisps in various colors. The will-o-wisps are not hostile at first, and merely try to lure the players into the swamp, by whispering things to them.

"Our lady welcomes you, weary traveler.."

"You must meet the lady of the lake..."

"Follow us, and be welcome..."

But if the players wander into the swamp they'll eventually get hopelessly stuck. The swamp acts as an Entangle spell. Underwater plants wrap around their feet, and the mud sucks them deeper and deeper, until they can barely move forward or backward. This is when a horrid hag attacks them. The will-o-wips can be added to this fight as back up for the hag, to raise the difficulty.

Overlook rock

The party spots a massive stone head of an idol, at the top of a cliff. The statue warns the players not to come any closer with a booming voice, or he will destroy them. If the players continue anyway, the statue will fire some fireballs from its eye sockets, which deliberately miss (it is only a warning after all). As soon as the party gets behind the statue though, it is no longer able to see them, or fire at them.

The party can attempt to climb up the cliff with a Strength (Athletics) check DC 14. The statue is actually the home of a crazy wizard, who just wants to be left alone. He has constructed his house inside the statue, hoping that it would scare people away. The players may be able to get the wizard to help them, by passing a Charisma (persuasion) check DC 12.

The undead ferryman

The party arrives at a treacherous river, lake or swamp. From the distance a dark hooded figure in a ferry approaches. Upon closer inspection, he is a skeleton dressed in a tattered black cloak.

"Thou seeketh passage? What will thy payyy... wanderer?"

The undead ferryman holds out his skeletal hand, awaiting payment by each player and npc who wants to cross. If the players are generous, he will take them across swiftly, and without trouble. But if they are feeling cheap, he might take them on a treacherous ride, and drop them off quite far from their intended destination.

He'll also remark to anyone who is cheap: "Thou gets what thou payeth forrr... wanderer..."
Or if they are generous: "Thou art committed to thine journeyyy... wanderer."

 

[Lidgar]

The Old Shack
An old, decrepit shack sit under a gnarled oak tree. Encircling the shack at regular intervals and at a distance of 50 feet are several four foot tall wooden stakes, each impaled with a humanoid skull.

If the party approaches the shack, they hear someone inside humming an unfamiliar tune, interspersed with a soft coughing (Perception DC 10).

If the party opens the door, they find the shack is empty. Inside is a rocking chair and a small table. On the table is a bowl of soup, a cup of tea, and a tea kettle. The tea and soup are hot.

Eating the soup may cause the PC to drop unconscious for 1d4 days (DC 15 Constitution check) (50% chance) or increase their movement speed by 10 feet for 1d4 days (50% chance).

Drinking the tea heals the PC 2d4+4 hp (50%) or sickens the PC for 1d4 hours (DC 15 Constitution check) (50% chance).

There is enough tea and soup for four characters (each) to try.

There is also a trap door in the floor. It is up to the DM to decide what the PC's find, but could lead to extra-dimensional spaces, or even to a certain legendary witch's hut...

 

[NotActuallyTim]

The Tree

The party finds a tree. It's oak and it seems fairly boring.

Later, they find the tree again. In a different area entirely.

No matter where they go, the tree is there. Waiting for them. Why?

 

[BoldItalic]

Puddle Weirds

You are travelling over uneven, stony ground. It is raining heavily and the rainwater is collecting in puddles. The puddles range in size from small (1ft across and 1 inch deep) to large (10ft cross and 2ft deep). You can splash through the puddles without movement penalty or you can detour around them. Taking the detour counts as difficult terrain.

Each puddle is inhabited by a Puddle Weird. Stats as Water Weird (MM p.299) but with HP, Attack and Damage (and therefore CR) scaled up or down to suit party level and size of puddle. A Puddle Weird will attack anyone who steps into its puddle but is otherwise neutral.

Puddle Weirds have a collective knowledge of meteorology and, if communicated with, will forecast the weather accurately for up to a week ahead over a 10 mile radius.

 

[waxtransient]

Brim, a tattoo covered, neutral good centaur, hails an adventuring party as they settle around their evening campfire for supper. He informs them that he is a former adventurer who still has a penchant for valuable loot but got tired of shaking off otyugh poison.

In exchange for enough of the party's unwanted magic items, Brim is willing to spend a day or two tattooing the party members with enchanted ink. He offers the following tattoos, perhaps, and more:

A heart over the character's chest that allows them to roll their hit dice twice when increasing max hp when leveling up and choose the higher result.

Various weapons on the fingers and/or a shield on the back of the hand or palm that allows the player to summon a stowed weapon or shield to their hand once per turn without using an action or free object interaction.

For the truly stout-hearted, Brim offers stylized eyes tattooed on the inside of the eyelids to give advantage on checks and saves to see through illusions and resist enchantment spells, or a mug inked into the inside of the lip that grants immunity to ingested poisons.

 

[akr71]

"Entertainers!"
The road you are following joins with another at a "Y" intersection. A group of travelling entertainers happens to be arriving at the intersection at nearly the same time and heading in the same direction as you are. The band of entertainers is comprised of jugglers, minstrels and mimes who treat the adventurers as a captive audience. The minstrels think that they are extraordinarily clever and witty, making up songs about the size of the adventurers' nose or something similar. The jugglers are skilled, but continuously in the way and the mimes, well, they are mimes...

The Drunk Diplomat
While having a meal in a tavern, a well dressed, but visibly drunk individual stumbles up to the party. A successful Perception check (DC 10) indicates that one of the party noticed this individual passed out/slumbering at a table earlier. "I have been robbed! Bandits laywayed me, err waywayed, err bandits stole my horse and all my stuff. I am on a mission of utmosht importance for Lord Daskule. Pleashe, you must deliver this message to the palace!" He thrusts a sealed letter into one of the adventurer's hands. It is sealed with wax - a successful Int (History) (DC 15) check will reveal the seal to be from someone of some importance or station. The Diplomat then passes out again and does not wake for 1d4 hours.