Looking for idea for Barbarian Raiders encounter.

[Yenrak]

In the campaign I am DMing, the characters are passing through an unsettled area dominated by roving barbarians. I'm looking for suggestions, including suggestions of published work, for running a barbarian raid on the caravan.

The party is traveling up the Northern Means from Luskan to Icewind Dale. The Black Raven Uthgardt regularly attack caravans on the road. But a life of "noble savage" banditry isn't a suicide pact. Clearly, the barbarians will have their tactics worked out, attempting to inflict maximum intimidation at minimum risk. And, I would think, they wouldn't demand all of the goods carried. That would raise the stakes too high.

Any suggestions on how to play this would be more than welcome. I'd love to download any content available from DriveThruRPG. Or historical insights into how caravan raids worked in various places (the silk road, the road to Jerusalem, the roads through the American West) at various times.

 

[Sadras]

You could set up a sign planted in the middle of the road demanding a specified tribute to be left behind (two full crates or whatever). Not adhering to the road tax would of course bear repercussions so the sign would have a threat insinuating as such.

If the caravan ignored the road tax then I would have the barbarian bandits target the livestock (horses/oxen/mules) from a fair distance and from cover. That is all the bandits would have to do before slinking away.

Have the PCs and NPCs now need to drag and carry the inventory over great distances or better yet leave the inventory behind. If they carry the stuff then you have the bandits plague them at night, just enough to interrupt sleep. Lack of sleep coupled with the daytime activities (dragging/carrying inventory) should start to trigger exhaustion levels. Fun times.

At their prey's weakest and using the terrain at an advantage, have the barbarians come in demanding a 50% tax on the goods. Any resistance should result in a quick death.

Remember delays on the Northern Means would mean delays overall and perhaps even force the merchant/caravan train to return, especially if weather is a factor. The Ten Trail closes when winter hits, nothing gets in, nothing gets out from the Ten Towns.

EDIT: The use of make-shift barricades also provides the bandits opportunities to strike when the defending force is preoccupied and out of position.

 

[Draegn]

From an ambush the barbarians could fell trees and time release them using ropes to fall onto one or more of the wagons. With broken wagons the party would be forced to leave behind a number of goods for the barbarians to pick through at their leisure.

 

[aco175]

I could see some sort of NPC interaction where a lone barbarian comes out to meet with the wagon master to get his bribe for leaving the caravan alone. It could be more of a normal price of doing business which would normally be paid, but this time the barbarians want more. The reason is that one of the tribes is being held prisoner themselves by a BBEG and the demand for tribute is greater. If the PCs can intervene and deal with the other threat, then business can go back to normal or even the PCs can be made friends of the barbarians and no 'tax' is needed to travel through their lands.

 

[Quickleaf]

In the campaign I am DMing, the characters are passing through an unsettled area dominated by roving barbarians. I'm looking for suggestions, including suggestions of published work, for running a barbarian raid on the caravan.

The party is traveling up the Northern Means from Luskan to Icewind Dale. The Black Raven Uthgardt regularly attack caravans on the road. But a life of "noble savage" banditry isn't a suicide pact. Clearly, the barbarians will have their tactics worked out, attempting to inflict maximum intimidation at minimum risk. And, I would think, they wouldn't demand all of the goods carried. That would raise the stakes too high.

Any suggestions on how to play this would be more than welcome. I'd love to download any content available from DriveThruRPG. Or historical insights into how caravan raids worked in various places (the silk road, the road to Jerusalem, the roads through the American West) at various times.

I read on the wiki that the windswept trail cuts through snowy lands with few trees, hills, or shelter, and during heavy snows the trail practically disappears.

Maybe the Black Raven Uthgardt would create false trails leading up to / after heavy snowfalls? Follow a false trail too far and you end up walking into a barbarian ambush. Their scout ravens would relay information on caravans moving off the main trail.

I imagine they might identify tree wells, carefully cutting away the upper part of tree so that the stump would be buried in the next snowfall, leaving the dangerous tree well concealed beneath a thin layer of snow.