I'm DMing for a bunch of Tourists!

[Jürgen Hubert]

Not that I'm actually complaining.

I'm currently DMing a Forgotten Realms campaign. The party currently consists of:

- A human ranger1/cleric2 of Oghma,
- an aasimar druid2 of Selune,
- an elan psychic warrior1/psion2,
- and an NPC kobold with unspecified abilities they rescued from a cave and who has mostly served as comic relief whenever I remembered him.

Yet again, the ranger/cleric, who has the most drive in the party, has persuaded the others to travel deep into the wilderness and see some interesting places - just because they are there.

Their rough travel route they plan to follow after just looking at a map is as follows:

- Silverymoon (this is where they are now)
- The Moonwood
- The Mouth of Song
- The Spine of the World
- Tholvarr
- The Endless Ice Sea

Now, theorethically, going up there at mere third level is tantamount to suicide, with all the orcs, giants, and worse up there (and they already suspect that some half-fiendish wyrmling green dragons are lurking in the southern Moonwood). But personally, I like this style of GMing - the PCs tell me where they want to go, and arrange it so that "interesting things" happen to them on the way.

Ideally, the other PCs should say to the ranger/cleric at least once during the trip: "This is all your fault!" - but once it is over, someone should also be able to say: "This was fun - let's do it again!"

So, what possible "interesting things" could happen to them? The more devious, the better!

 

[Frostmarrow]

They could be attacked by a bunch of orcs!

 

[Vecna]

Not an expert of FR geography, so maybe these ideas are completly wrong
What about:

- swamp: mosquitoes, leeches...
- shelter in a dire bear cave during a storm
- rope bridge breaks, leaving half party across a very deep chasm
- satyrs rave party

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

They could be attacked by a bunch of orcs!

Orcs in themselves are boring - they have been done again and again. Yes, there are plenty of orcs up there, and they probably will be attacked by orcs at some point.

But I want to know how to make this encounter memorable!

 

[Turjan]

Orcs in themselves are boring - they have been done again and again. Yes, there are plenty of orcs up there, and they probably will be attacked by orcs at some point.

But I want to know how to make this encounter memorable!

Tourists? Then they need to meet an orcish tourist guide. For 10 gp per day he shows them the best viewpoints, the local half-fiendish wyrmling green dragon (don't feed!), the local barrows (which he has not seen from inside yet), and maybe his family (one way or the other )...

 

[Turanil]

Orcs in themselves are boring - they have been done again and again. Yes, there are plenty of orcs up there, and they probably will be attacked by orcs at some point.

But I want to know how to make this encounter memorable!

Suppose the PCs are ambushed by a large troop of orcs, several of them being at least 3rd level. So the PCs stand no chance against them. However, they are not slain but captured. Then, it appears that the orcs are curious about the PCs more than willing to immediately kill them (they don't know about humans, elves, etc., only about other orcs). PCs now learn that these orcs are at war with another orc tribe [Use UA barbarian totem variants, each tribe having its own totem]. So the orcs ask the PCs (after the latter obtain being spared from being eaten in succeeding some Bluff or Diplomacy checks!) to work for them. So then, PCs could try escape but will likewise likewise been captured by the other orc tribe and suffer the same fate. So they become sorts of double agents, and must perform some mission on behalf of each of the two confronting orc tribes, etc. This could lead in some way to the PCs making the two orc tribes exterminate each other (with survivors swearing avenging themselves of the PCs and tracking them down), or to reconcile them in the face of a greater threat (and earning their good will).

 

[smetzger]

Suppose the PCs are ambushed by a large troop of orcs, several of them being at least 3rd level. So the PCs stand no chance against them. However, they are not slain but captured.

Don't be so sure about them not standing a chance. They have a Druid. One entangle can ruin the orcs day pretty good.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Give the orcs a druid

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

One thing that I should mention is that the party in general does like to use words rather than violence as "Plan A".

Which, of course, can get them into into trouble as well...

 

[ph34r]

- satyrs rave party

I've now house ruled Satyrs to have a +10 modifier to glowsticking!