Suggestions for a caravan campaign?

[BigCat]

Hi folks -

I'm going to be starting a caravan-themed campaign soon and I'm looking for some adventure ideas. I have the overall story arc figured out but I find myself lacking inspiration for adventures. Any ideas? Each session will need to have some significant action as well as trade/negotiation stuff. I figure the caravan can only get hit by brigands so many times before it gets dull. Thanks for any help!

 

[Tonguez]

I once ran a non-DnD game where PCs were guards of a caravan travelling from Anziko (North Africa) across the great desert to eventually reach the Yuan Empire (China).

The caravan carried gold, salt and ivory and a diplomatic mission which involved the amabasador escorting a group of 'chosen youths' who were to be taken to the Yuan Empire to be trained in the Imperial Academy of Ti'en.

Besides brigands the PCs had to contend with homesick youths decidng to break off and go home, a witch doctor who objected to the Caravan traversing his lands, encounters with a travelling circus, religious zealots and a runaway princess.Religious Feast Days were also important and two adventures arose as a direct result of the caravan stopping to participate in a religious festival

As they entered different lands they had to negotiate passage, and at the different cities they might be welcomed and had the option of establishing Trade Rights, Diplomatic negoations (with the ambassador) or general relaxation.

Also remember that a large caravan (of the sort I used) is really a moving village and the need to hunt and gather food, find water and shelter each night is important (espcially in a world fill of monsters)

For inspiration look up the Pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca, and that of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem...

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

For an in depth look at a short caravan route, you should check out:

http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=5695

It's only $4.99 (though it's also only 8 pages). Still, in my opinion it's well worth a look and it will give you several ideas.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Don't forget weather and terrain! Avalanch! Flash flood! Oh my!

 

[Crothian]

You need to get Silk Road by Expeditious Retreat Press. It is a RPG book that shows how to do a caravan type adventure and campaigns with great information on the historical Silk road. It is a very well done book.

 

[Whimsical]

The caravan should encounter obstacles to overcome. A destroyed bridge. An enormous tree that has fallen across the road. They should also deal with varying environments. Rain, Snow, Wind, all of those environmental effects listed in the DMG.

They should encounter a faerie holiday. When the caravan stops to camp for the day, several faerie invite those in attendance to their festival. There will be pleanty of exquisite food and fine wines.

If you have access to the DMG II, there is several "locaction encounters" detailed, including a fey ring.

 

[Dan Bell]

For an in depth look at a short caravan route, you should check out:

http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=5695

It's only $4.99 (though it's also only 8 pages). Still, in my opinion it's well worth a look and it will give you several ideas.

Seconded! (I'm biased though since I helped contribute to the above article.)

I also think reading this free download would help.

(While it deals with a noble’s journey, some of it is usable for a caravan adventure.)

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

http://www.tv.com/wagon-train/show/521/summary.html

 

[BV210]

Oh my! I've been developing/running a caravan-based campaing (simply titled "Caravan") since the days of 2e. It is a Forgotten Realms set campaign where the caravan will travel from Waterdeep to Kara-Tur and back. Since, as you correctly state, that getting hit by brigands would get dull after a while, I set mine up where the PCs are "caravan runners." In that capacity, they would travel to areas that the main caravan couldn't get to. I gloss over the trading/bartering part, but have been able to input a bunch of adventures along the way.

I had a thread a few months ago laying out the first few chapters (28 planned!) but I can't find it so I'll recap.

Chapter 1: Waterdeep
- Heroes' Rest (my creation, PCs form as a party and get a small adventure under their belt before the caravan departs and runs afoul of the Zhentarim - the start of a long and beautiful friendship)

Chapter 2: The Road North
- Welcome to the Kryptome (Dun 52)
- By Kraken (my creation, run afoul of the Kraken Society in Yartar)

Chapter 3: The Interior
- The Whistling Skeleton (Drag 200)
- The Matchmakers (Dun 7)
- Shut In (Dun 128 - the party got horribly off track in "The Matchmakers" and I had to use this little gem to straighten things out)
- Midnight Snacks (Orpsus from FR "Book of Lairs")
- Cave In (my creation, the party's first foray into the Underdark)
- Keeper of the Balance (my creation - dealt with crazed druid in Firepeak Mtns)
- Grakhirt's Lair (Dun 1)

Chapter 4: Welcome to Iriaebor
- A Day at the Faire (based on article in Drag 118)
- For the Price of a Rose (foray into the planes - from PS Boxed Set)
- The Eternal Boundary (PS Adventure)

Chapter 5: To the Inner Sea
- Honor Lost, Honor Regained (Dun 48)
- Raid on Teziir (Pirates of the Inner Sea)
- The Oracle at Sumbar (Dun 48)

Chapter 6: Into the Elven Wood
- Two for the Road (Dun 49)
- Raid on Essembra (from "Raid on Bormeum" in the DL Taladas boxed set)
- Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor
- Till Death Do Us Part (Dun 29)
- Commando (my creation - PCs rescue a Harper from the prison in Hillsfar)

I've slowly been converting to 3.5 and just about have Chapters 1-14 done. If you want to know more, I'll be happy to expound more.

 

[Gilladian]

I ran a brief campaign for low level newbies with a caravan theme. One thing they really enjoyed was the NPC kid who tagged after them everywhere they went, whining about how he wanted to be a hero like they were. Getting him out of trouble several times was good at 1st-2nd level.

The caravan was traveling across war-torn countryside for a large portion of the campaign, so the PCs explored burnt-out villages, got to attack an orc lair, rescued refugees, and ran into raiding bands. Once they went on a long side-trek to find a dragon's scale for a cure to a disease affecting the caravan master's only daughter. Or something similar.