Caravans / 3 Days to Kill

[cmthedm]

I'm starting a new campaign, and trying to have several adventure options available for the characters at first.

One option is signing on as caravan guards (yawn, I know) which will segue them into the adventure "3 Days to Kill." My question for all you fountains of creativity is: How many interesting encounters for a caravan can you come up with?

Here are a few I've thought of:

- Tough, evil-seeming bounty hunters come to collect someone travelling in the caravan. The person they're looking for turns out to be a nasty piece of work himself.

- Among the caravanners is a sleazy bard who is charming everyone in sight to cater to his every whim

-Someone in the caravan provokes a hostile reaction from a passing group of soldiers, or is doing something that is attracting a particular kind of monster

Further suggestions?

Oh, and one other thing: Any tips or feedback from anyone who has run 3 days to kill?

 

[dshai527]

Some ideas I might go with besides the good ones you already have...

1) Someone in the caravan is smuggling goods or spices (a poison merchant perhaps)

2) Someone has captured a "pet" and the mother comes looking for it... (along the monster lines you were thinking)

3) A merchant's daughter disappears / runs off.... any sort of mini quest can come from this.... goblin prints, a cave, a hole,

4) A murder happens and the party must act as judge and jury....maybe even look for clues

5) a shapeshifter has stolen into the group....all kinds of fun here or see #4

6) a disease breaks out amoung the caravan and a cure must be found....or they pass through a small village where a disease has broken out (lycantropy or undead zombies)

7) The caravan is actually a front for a magic relic that is being transpoted to another temple or a decoy for the real transport....evil things or rival priests attack

I hope these help you and good luck, if you need more just yell and I'll really put my thinking cap on, or break out the smurfs

 

[Hand of Evil]

Crossing a river. Changes to this flash flood has taken out the ford/bridge? Someone is now charging toll? Ambush?

Marriage. During a stop or even on the trip someone dishonors a someone else, now the price has to be paid! Add to this, the duel, lover vs. lover. Also, keep away from me, where someone is love sick with someone and will not stay away.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Oh, moral issues! After a few days travel the caravan meets up with some raiders and buys SLAVES, which they are going to sale along the way!

Could adjust this by having the slaves as a different race, Lizard or orc.

 

[Bihor]

-A kid cross their path and he's amnesic. He is really a yougn god runing away from a cult.

- A big dragon pass over them and the horses goes in a stampede, so the PCs must catch them.