D&D help...

[Sarlon]

So I've got my group about to set on a rather good paying "job" but in game time it will take them 2 weeks to get there. going from early fall weather, into mid way up a major mountain range. where winter will be well established at that point.

They are escorting 8 large heavily laden carts to a dwarven settlement in said mountains. Mostly through plains along well used roads. Mountain roads will be passable if they can get there on time. They have a 4 day window basically where any delay longer then that will cause the weather in the mountains to become increasingly worse as winter starts setting in.

Players will only be responsible for keeping the wagons safe, from attackers, they won't be the only guards on the job. Personal body guards for the carters, the wagon train leader and his family, plus a few additional people in charge of caring for the animals when the wagons stop, as well as cooking. All in all, 40 people besides the group, 8 large wagons, pulled by 4 ox style animals favored by heavy carters (not used for light weight stuff.)

So where I need help...

I'd like to throw some challenges at them, nothing so mind boggling as it would detract from their mission with such a tight time frame. they are being paid a lot of gold (10,000 GP upon safe entrance to the dwarven settlement.) I plan on keeping them up in the hills for a time after this so thats not the problem.

I need some ideas to keep things interesting along the road. 2 weeks is a long journey, they'll be skirting the desert to the east where the halfling tribes of the world tend to be from, and plan on at least one encounter with them. But for the most part they will be passing through well traveled plains into wooded foothills and last 3 days of the journey rocky mountains with possible early snowfall.

Suggestions?

[Barracuda]

Halfling rogues could sneak up on the column at night and steal something the party would have to go get back, for one. Maybe a gang of pickpockets and rogue outcasts from halfling society?

[EricKei]

Or just , ya know, Kender -- if your setting allows for them Good idea, it could serve as an effective way to delay the party getting to a sheltered area.

They're headed to dwarf territory, the pay is immense (at least, for a low level run), there is plenty of other security about -- assuming none of them plan to turn on the clients...This is something big and important to warrant all of that; or, at least, it might be effective to make the players think that (via local rumors - no way something like this gets setup overnight and unnoticed). Makes me wonder exactly what or whom they are there to guard.

As for encounters...Well, I hear giant tribes like icy cold mountains. Perhaps a rival clan of dwarves who want the *whatever* for themselves could show up. Perhaps the goods are stolen/people include criminals, and the local law enforcement found out. A run-in with a pissed-off paladin and his retinue could make for an interesting encounter (whether they're *right* or not).

[DaDairyDruid]

Broken wheels/axles
animals take ill
someone breaks a leg and can't be moved
bridge gets washed out

[Kittish]

If snowfall is a possibility in the mountains, is rain/snow/sleet a possibility on the plains and in the hills? Would that turn the roads to bogs?

The road/trail gets uncomfortably close to a wizard duel (who and why? maybe that becomes a hook for a later adventure) that's been going on for a day or two. They'd see it well in advance over open plains. Going around will cost them a couple of days, going through isn't likely to be real healthy to try. Fallout from the duel could make for some interesting random encounters (summoned beasties, untriggered spell traps, inquisitive halflings watching the fireworks....).

[Seshat]

... someone dies of dysentery ...


But yes, for the mundane, axles break, animals get sick, people get sick, food goes sour - or was poorly packed to start with. Unexpected roadblocks of all sorts from Druid's washed out bridge to rockfalls to fallen giant trees to a dead dragon that happens to have fallen across the road.

Or a spill of toxic magical waste. Or toxic non-magical waste. Or the load your carters are carrying spills.

How many different communities does this wagon train cross? How many have border guards? How many guards are on the take, demanding bribes? Even if the wagon train's standard folks have pre-set bribe amounts and the guide handles that, does a corrupt border guard (or group of guards) try to shake down the adventurers?
Nice broadsword you got, mate. Shame if somefin ... 'appened to it.

What about other traveller scams? Check out the 'travel scams' warnings on any website, and transfer anything from the cabbie on the take to the street gambling scams into your setting.

A settlement - or even a major town - across the main route becomes impassible due to an epidemic: the whole town is blocked off, and the wagons have to detour.

A planned stop to take on water is foiled due to the water source being fouled - or being dry.

Encounter with anything from mischevous sprites to unicorns to sage old wizards to crazy forest hermits (with no magic at all, they just behave like an eccentric wizard).

[Sarlon]

seshat....you are an evil evil evil evil.....wonderful man(?)

I'm using those.

[wolfie]

Nothing for this trip, but something to keep in mind for higher-level adventures:

Is the society where this takes place one where electrum is not a coinage metal (i.e. you have CP, SP, GP, and PP, but no EP)? If so, after they defeat a black dragon, in its hoard they find a large number of gold coins (no silver or copper), some "normal" (roundish blobs - medieval coins weren't perfect like modern ones) from various countries, and some odd-shaped (square, or pierced) but only from distant lands. The hoard could also have some PP, some loose gems, and some jewelry (but always with gold or platinum settings, no silver settings) After trading in the odd-shaped ones at a moneychanger's shop (helps if it's in a strongly LG society), they get a visit in the middle of the night (takes a while for the moneychanger to discover that the coins have a thin coating of pure gold over an electrum core) from the local constabulary, and are brought up on charges of forgery. They've got some 'splainin to do.

What happened: one reason for a society to not use electrum as a coinage metal is that it's susceptible to depletion gilding. Foregn lands might use other measures to keep people from turning EP into counterfeit GP (square or pierced "blanks" used in the coining process). The odd-shaped "gold pieces" were actually depletion gilded through long exposure to the dragon's acid (CP and SP in the hoard were dissolved through the same means - gold and platinum are resistant to the acid). The party, never having encountered EP before, assumed that they were merely odd-shaped GP. Definitely an opportunity for roleplaying - can they explain the circumstances of their finding these coins well enough to get acquitted? If they can, the resolution of their case should involve repaying the moneylender for the difference between the assumed (pure gold by weight) and true bullion values of the coins, and being required to immediately sell to the Crown any remaining gilded EP at the true bullion value (i.e. get any remaining "counterfeit" coins out of circulation).

[Sapphire Silk]

Hmm. I'm going to go against convention wisdom in D&D encounters here.

My old group in Maryland called random encounters "Wandering Damage."

My philosophy is that no encounter should be without a purpose or potential to advance the plot of the story. Random damage isn't challenging, it just pisses off the players and makes it more difficult than it needs to be.

If you really want to challenge the players on this part of the trip, instead of having it be a "and two weeks later" part of the journey, have them contend with the weather and road conditions.

Delays could be very serious; they could get snowed in and have to come up with a plan to get the cargo to its destination without the carts, say with sleds. Make it realistic: do some research on how well draft animals travel, how far in a day, basic engineering.

Use the trip to challenge their problem solving. Let it be dangerous, but not so dangerous that they can't get to the meat of the real adventure when they get to where they're going.

If you have a player who's not so good at battle, but good at other kinds of puzzles or challenges, this could be his moment to shine. He'll love you for it and call you a genius DM.

[Sarlon]

the players on horses wouldn't take 2 weeks to get there. a return trip (weather permitting) would take 4 days.

The length of time is you're moving a lot of stuff with a lot of people, and animals.

Some other ideas for my ranger type...sores develop on the carting beasts from new harnesses.

These creatures are sure footed, they have heavy barrel chests with large capacities, 6 not long but not short and stubby legs, and the males measure 6 feet at the withers.

[Seshat]

Woman. And thank you, and you're welcome.

And Sapphire Silk is absolutely correct: every encounter needs backstory. The backstory doesn't have to be much, and it can be something you come up with on the fly; but without it, it's Random Annoying Damage.


Harness sores from an ill-fitting harness is a good idea. Why is the harness ill-fitting? Is it just because there's a new animal handler who doesn't know how to fit it properly yet? Or is it sabotage by a competitor? Or an enemy of the dwarves?

Fallen tree. Just age? Lightning strike - natural? Lightning strike - this is the site of a magical battle a few days ago? Is there an illness of trees? Is there an illness of dryads? Is something attacking the local dryad population?

Epidemic. Natural? Poor hygiene? Why is the hygiene poor? Or is it sabotage? When they come back, will they discover the city population halved, and struggling with the aftermath of an epidemic?
Will someone accuse the priest/paladin/wizard of being a heartless uncaring bastard? Might the druid have been able to save the city if he'd only cast a water purification spell on the (then) single cholera-infected well?

.... and so on.

Heck, you don't have to know the backstory at the time, even. Make a note of the event, and give it backstory after the gaming session. Tie it into the ongoing plot, or make it a red herring, or make it a side plot, or make it 'just a thing that happened' (eg, tree died of old age, fell across the road. Nothing special.).

[dalesys]

They could run into the old coot who lived at Fish Springs, UT in the days of the first transcontinental "highway"... (1910's-1920's)

The road/trail meandered like a contour line along the base of the hills. They could see (desert air) that it was 15-20 miles around the rim or 3-4 miles across the flat...

Across the flat they'd go!

Salt crust over muck... (see Donner Party: Great Salt Lake Desert)
Traveler's guide advised building a signal fire if in the Fish Springs area.

Old coot would hitch his team to the flivver, drag it back to the trail and demand $20. (about 1,000 2014 dollars) If they squawked, he'd drag it back in and that was another $20.

Rinse, lather and repeat until the customer became rational.

Argabarga would be proud.

(Perhaps a team of mammoths?)

[Mytical]

There is no such thing as a random encounter. Let me explain. Every 'random encounter' has a reason for it built right in to the mechanics of the game. Encounter rogues? They are probably waiting for an easier and/or richer mark. They just happen to have spotted your group first, and you looked like easy pickings. A group of 'x creatures' .. ran out of their normal habitat by something bigger and badder, food ran scarce, etc. In other words .. there is always an 'easy' reason why you have said random encounter. However, these are the 'easy' explanations.. come up with others to challenge yourself.

Now there are good reasons for some random encounters.. take a trip to a town. Can be pretty boring stuff. Sell old stuff, buy new stuff, find quest, rinse and repeat. Not every town is going to have an infestation of dwarven pigmies that eat metal after all.

Imagine all the sights and sounds of a town back then. Small towns.. farmer Johnson is moving his cattle to market, and they stubbornly block the adventurers way .. and are not about to move. Could be something as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.. OR farmer Johnson could be a scout for a local gang of ruffians.. he scouts the groups numbers .. and sends information back to them.

Local tax collector has gone corrupt, and is charging people way more then he should. Those unable to pay he is seizing their lands, goods, etc .. and selling them on the black market.

Beatup woman (or man). Spouse decided to sell their daughter into slavery, and when this person tried to stop it.. they were beaten.

Life was hard back in these days.. anything can happen.

Now as for what could occupy their attention .. I have something devious in mind.

Shadowy forms have been following them, caught just out of the corner of an eye. A narrow pass is coming up, a perfect spot for an ambush. Highwaymen are going to rob the caravan. If the figures are NOT seen (bad spot checks or what have you) and eliminated.. it will be a big battle.. at a disadvantage (the rogues will have height and ranged weapons). IF they are caught.. at least the group will be ready for them.

[Geek King]

Here's one I like to spring on groups in wilderness areas:

Dam It!

Take the giant- or gargantuan- template and apply it to a family of beavers. The huge beavers have built their dam about a mile downstream from the only ford across a river for dozens of miles, leading to the river to back up over the banks, and making the ford too deep to use. Now let the party use their heads to figure out a solution.

Note that the riverbed past the dam would be much lower in water, but very, very muddy. Attempting to even walk across the area without precautions will lead to characters sinking up to the waist , or horses to get mired in the muck.

This one is mainly for the roleplaying, as the beavers aren't particularly vicious, but may defend the dam and den they've built at GM's discretion. Also really fun if there is a druid in the party.

[Barracuda]

Another idea would be when they're in the forested lands, they have trouble from a druid or group of druids trying to keep outsiders out of the forest and shut down the road. Maybe they first get attacked by dire animals and then other misfortunes as well, with signs of an intelligence behind it?