PCs travelling with a caravan through the desert; ideas please

[johnsemlak]

The PCs in my session tomorrow will be travelling has hired guards with a caravan across a lethel desert.

Any ideas of interesting encounters to throw at them? I'd like to throw 1-2 diversions that aren't connected with the plot.

The caravan itself doesn't have much to do with the storyline, but one of the guards is an agent of the enemy.

On a side note, can someone tell me where to find the effects of travelling in the desert?

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Broken wagon wheels are a Beeyotch!

But seriously, the caravan will have to be attacked or it wouldn't be right . I remember a game I played in where we were crossing Anuaroch (sp?) in the FR and were set upon by a "swarm" of Thri-Kreen. It was memorable and we managed to survive. Of course there are all sorts of monsters in the desert, I'd use those that lie underground and have tremorsense...

 

[Thanee]

I once used some nasty undead giant scorpions and a necromancer who controlled them.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bendris Noulg]

As a random encounter, I've always liked Dust Diggers (Tome of Horrors or Creature Catalogue).

Possible side trek: PCs find a young child being chased by some kind of pack critter (cyote, jackles, what ever fits the setting). Kill/chase off the critters, return child to nomad villaige (or adopt, based on NPC backstory and PC whim).

A Cistern Fiend (2E Dark Sun critter, check Athas.org for possible coversion, or, alternately, use the Lau from Nyambe) might have moved-in to one of the oasis along the caravan route; Kill it or no water for the next leg of the journey.

Heat rules are in the DMG (Chapter 3). AEG's Wilds has some stuff on deserts in it, IIRC (not on hand), but basic things you want to remember is that heavy armor is a bad thing (overheating, metal armor can burn). Sand in armor and clothing is also a pain in the arse... Well, yes, as a matter of fact, it is just that, isn't it? Everywhere else as well.

Also, what "kind" of desert is it? If at all Egyptian in flavor, there are a lot of critters in Necopolis (Necromancer).

 

[psyronin]

Do they have enough water (and no lame Create Water spells)? In a campaign I was running I had a sandstorm erase tracks, rearrange the landscape, and blot out the sun for a couple of days resulting in a serious penalty to the Survival check for the party to stay on their original course.

 

[Tetsubo]

A desert caravan isn't going to have wagons. They would use camels exclusively. Who are the caravan masters? Any chance for some cultural conflict?

Ideas:

Sandworms, Giant Trap Door Spiders, Rocs, Hippogryphs looking for camels, Djin, ghosts of former caravans, undead (mummies are best), earth elementals, buried ruins, scorpions of course, raiders looking for water and supplies, vermin (real world ones), poisoned wells, mirages, an object out of place (boat, desk, piano, etc) and the ever popular Dust Devils.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Do they have enough water (and no lame Create Water spells)?

Actually, caravans rarely work that way; they follow a course that will take them from one water source to the next, possibly trading with non-hostile nomads and villaiges along the way. "Deep crossings" are rare and usually only occur when something extremely valuable or important needs to get from Point A to Point Z in much less time than it would normally if passing through B thru Y (usually a large amount of wealth or a promised bride). In such cases, the caravans are usually much larger for the sake of carrying extra water and salt as well as more heavily guarded.

With create water, it's not so much a question of if the PCs have it as it is how many of the NPCs have it? 3-5 PCs lost in the desert gain a lot from create water, but only a high level caster can create enough for a sizable caravan without seriously depleating her spell slots in the process (which would then impact available spell power during encounters). So if the only source of water is a single low or mid-level caster amongst the PCs, than water remains a problem.

 

[Elf Witch]

In the first 3.0 game we played we crossed a desert as cavern guards. The DM threw a lot of stuff at us first of all the desert was caused by bad magic gone astray so create water did not work. We had to deal with nomads who attacked us. There was an evil wizard in the cavern who for his own reasons killed the naviagator and her assistant so we ended up off course with a murder mystery to solve.

There were magical sandstorms and problems from heat. Giant scorpions you name it we fought it.

There are a lot of things you can do to give challenges to your players in crossing the desert. The enviroment alone gives a lot of obstucles that have to be overcome.

 

[Chupacabra]

Eight quickie ideas for some caravan encounters:

1. An Etherial Filtcher snatches something important from the caravan and needs to be tracked down.
2. A non-critter encounter event: sandstorm (or even a freak rain storm) threatens the caravan. The PC's must react quickly to help save the caravan goods from being blown (or washed) away.
3. Ye olde bandit attack.
4. A powerful sphinx sets up on the last oasis within 2 days travel: his riddle(s) must be answered before anyone is allowed to take a drink.
5. The caravan crosses paths with a gang of cultists who are transporting sacrificial victims to its hidden lair for a nefarious ceremony.
6. The caravan's animals take sick after being bitten by a strange swarm of flying insects. Maybe the hermit druid that is said to live nearby has an cure (or maybe, he is the cause of the disease in the first place)?
7. In the distance can be seen a cloud of dust: a band of desert orcs (Unearthed Arcana) is marching against a village. Should the caravan divert its course to warn the village?
8. A shift of the sands reveals the entryway to a minor tomb. Stealing any of the treasures (including some nice magic items) within activates a curse which causes the caravan to wander lost in the desert, coming back to the tomb time and again as if the caravan is going in a circle. Only until all of the loot is placed back into the tomb will the curse be lifted. Should even a single coin be retained by the PC's or a lowly guard, the curse remains and the caravan will be doomed to wander the trackless desert until supplies run out.

All off the top of my head. Good luck and let us know what you finally decide to spring on your PC's. Have fun!

 

[Crothian]

Probably a little more then you are looking for, but there's a good pdf all about a desert society. It is called the parched tome and it does a really good job of defining a culture of desert ddwellars.

http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=Crothian&product=TPT