Non-Combat Events on the road

Romus · Dec 13, 2003

I have a game tonight and I'm trying to come up with some good ideas for non-combat events along the road. Any good ideas?

MerakSpielman · Dec 13, 2003

Meet a wandering pilgrim/cleric/other penniless holy man. He asks for a scrap of food.

Party reaction:

nothing - -1 to all rolls for the next 4 combats.
give scrap of food (50xp)
give good meal (100xp)
give 10gp or less (50xp)
give between 11-100gp (100xp)
escort to destination acting as guards (200xp)
escort, and the destination is over a week's journey away (500xp)

Liolel · Dec 13, 2003

Is this a trade road?

If so a caravan comes down the road and the merchants stop to try to peddle there wares to the pcs. The group might decide to try joining the caravan for safe travel, or you might make it a caravan full of exotic items from far away lands that you don't have any planned uses for and leave it up to the pcs to find a use for them.

Also another classic that works on any road. Travelers, this always raises a lot of questions, who are they? Are they friendly? Why are they traveling? Makes nice roleplaying encounters especially if you give the travelers an interesting quirk.

Or the road passes over a river and the bridge has been washed out in a recent rainstorm. Maybe the pc's swim across or use magic to fly across. Or will they look for a ford. And if they do will they look up or down river. If they find one can they find the road again?

Hope these get your mind thinking.

Raflar · Dec 13, 2003

Liolel said:
Or the road passes over a river and the bridge has been washed out in a recent rainstorm. Maybe the pc's swim across or use magic to fly across. Or will they look for a ford. And if they do will they look up or down river. If they find one can they find the road again?

To add to this, have a family with a wagon on one side of the river and they are trying to get across. The river is too strong and the wagon very full. (Could be refugees from a neighbouring kingdom or just ol' fashion settlers heading "west")

MerakSpielman · Dec 13, 2003

Here's a funny one:

Have the PCs see a wooden box on the side of the road with a slot on top. A sign on the front of the box reads "I am a brigand. Please deposit all your money in the slot or I will attack you. Have a nice day."

The box is not magical and has no way of attacking or harming the PCs.

The box is locked with a DC20 lock. It contains a small amount of money (~50cp).

Nobody in the vicinity will admit to setting up the box or knowing anything about anybody who did.

Ankh-Morpork Guard · Dec 13, 2003

MerakSpielman said:
Here's a funny one:

Have the PCs see a wooden box on the side of the road with a slot on top. A sign on the front of the box reads "I am a brigand. Please deposit all your money in the slot or I will attack you. Have a nice day."

The box is not magical and has no way of attacking or harming the PCs.

The box is locked with a DC20 lock. It contains a small amount of money (~50cp).

Nobody in the vicinity will admit to setting up the box or knowing anything about anybody who did.

*yoink!* I'm using that in my game tommorrow!

Dr. Niles Crane · Dec 13, 2003

Traveling merchants or performers could have a small fair or market set up for an afternoon: perhaps villagers from nearby settlements, farms or towns know the traveling merchants always come at the same time of the month, season or year, so it's a good place to socialize, gossip, etc. Might be a good place for the party to use their "Gather Information" and social skills, or just roleplay. Perhaps a pickpocket pays the party a visit, they see an old ally or enemy as a merchant guard, or pick up a lead on an interesting side-trek style adventure?

BSF · Dec 13, 2003

A travelling pot & pan salesman. If the PC's are friendly, he will be happy to travel with them as long as he is able. He will try to sell them his wares. Alas, pots and pans are probably not that interesting to adventurers. However, they are cheap - compared to weapons and magic.

The wackiness that is my players decided to buy a cauldron from the poor guy. Then, they took all their gold and dumped it into the cauldron to see if they could fill it. Poor salesman had never seen that much wealth in one place.

MerakSpielman · Dec 13, 2003

I'm trying to think of wandering people that could be encountered from stories and movies...

The best one I can think of so far is the barber from Man of la Mancha. You can sing his song:

"Oh, I'm just a merry barber and I go my merry way!
With my basin and my razor I can always earn my pay!
If I cut you while I'm shaving it will cut you to the quick,
But you can use me as a doctor 'cause I also heal the sick!"

He wears a brass shaving basin on his head. This basin, unbeknownst to him, is magical (with Undetectable Aura on it) and is the legandary Golden Helmet of Mambrino, which can give a Lawful Good character DR 5/- for 5 rounds a day if the command phrase is sung, "Thou and I now, 'ere I die now, will make golden history!"