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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grumbleputty" data-source="post: 7289893" data-attributes="member: 31985">I realized I've been getting off track and writing whole adventure seeds rather than simple encounters, which I think this thread was intended for. Still, I came up with a couple more during my morning commute, so here they are. From here on, I'll try to get back on the encounter track....The LotteryThe party comes upon a small settlement deep in the wilderness just in time to witness a grim ceremony. The youths of the village are solemnly placing their names in a bag, while the town elders look on sadly. At the arrival of the adventurers, the townsfolk perk up. They are drawing lots to determine whose 3 sons or daughters will be offered up this year to appease the terrible dragon that lives in the caves nearby. But surely these brave heroes can slay the beast and end this scourge, right?The hitch is, there is no dragon. It's all a scheme put together by the mayor and a couple of the town's elders, who have staged the site of several dragon attacks over the years. The youths that have been given over to appease the dragon are actually meeting some other terrible fate in the caves.If the party considers fighting the dragon, the mayor will at first try to discourage them ("if you fail, it is these townsfolk who will pay the price"), but if they insist he will offer the services of his best lieutenants- who will betray the party as soon as they enter the "dragon"'s cave.The TestThe party emerges into a clearing and is startled by a terrible sight- two peasants cower in the field, as an immense monster (choose something well beyond the party's normal abilities) looms over them. This is an illusion, cast by an elderly but powerful  good-aligned archmage who might potentially want to aid the party in their current quest. He's using the illusion to judge the party's bravery and sense of justice: if they leap into action immediately despite the obvious risk, the archmage will be impressed by their heroism. If they hesitate, the illusory peasants and monster will all turn to the party and shower them with a series of elaborate insults before disappearing, and the archmage will look elsewhere for heroes.The Dubious AirshipAlong the road in some remote location, the party is startled to find a bizarre airship hovering above them, with a friendly-seeming fellow hailing them from overhead. The pilot and creator of the craft cheerfully asks for directions to his destination, which may or may not be along the party's path. If the party helps him, he may reappear later in the adventure at a fortuitous time, or he may offer them a ride aboard his creation.  It is also possible that the ship is not as airworthy as it seems, and could lead to a side-adventure when goes wildly off course and crashes.The ParadeAfter completing a particularly heroic adventure, the grateful townsfolk decide to host a parade in the party's honor. Riding horses at the end of a long procession of dancers, musician and actors performing skits demonstrating the party's heroics against illusionary foes, the party is showered with garlands and praise from the grateful people. Naturally, that's when the big bad strikes. Watch me pull a Boggle out of my HatLooting a sack belonging to a defeated foe, the party is shocked when a long, wiry hand reaches out of the bag, steals something of value from the player, and disappears back into the bag. it turns out the bag is a variation on a Bag of Holding, but in this case the bag opens into a manor-sized pocket dimension staffed by a very temperamental boggle. The normal protocol is to ask politely for what you'd like before opening the bag, then offer the Boggle some food or money when opening the sack. Since the player presumably failed to follow instructions, the Boggle is now angry. The player(s) will need to go into the bag and either defeat the Boggle or make amends.</blockquote>

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