i am working on a campain and have been comeing up with some encounters but seem to be hiting a wall. i am looking for ideas or fill-ins to put in between the encounters. if you have anything please post. it can be small stuff or big stuff. for example ( the party comes across 2 dwarfs arguing in a boat.) should they help or just keep going? Things like this is what i am talking about.
1. On the side of the road, an old man in a tattered robe stands by a broken and weathered shrine to a deity. He is little more than a faithful custodian, but braves the dangers of the road once a week (or every few days) to clean and care for what remains of the shrine as best he can. What is his story? Perhaps the deity in question spared his life, or perhaps he is a failed cleric, no longer possessing spells, but remaining faithful.
2. A group of travelling musicians are lying around a campfire, trading stories and tall tales, singing songs, and betting each other to perform feats of skill. The PCs will be offered drink and food if they join the group for the day.
3. A traveller asks the PCs for information. She was born with purple, dimly glowing eyes. This has made it hard for her to find a home, as most villagers are distrustful, and beleive that it is the effect of the shadowfell (or other dark magic). She seeks a way to 'cure' this 'affliction'.
I like to throw in some roleplaying in between encounters. Here's what I use to bridge to points a lot:
On your way back from your latest adventure, you spot a merchant caravan. They offer you a ride and fair compensation if you will protect them from bandits as they pass through particularly dangerous territory.
Upon ariving back in town and resting up a bit, you meet out in the street and see another group of adventurers led by a bard in the center of the town market. The other adventurers are promising fame and glory to those who would help them avenge the death of a friend.
You've rode out from the last town 3 days ago, looking for bigger and better things. You see some deer off to the side of the road, and decide that a little food wouldn't be a bad idea. As you track the deer, you step into a clearing and find an entire eladrin city that isn't on any map. The Eladrin say that they came here in a Worldfall and are looking for a portal back home. It's up to you to help them.
On your way to your destination, you accidentally pass through a portal to _____________
While traveling, you spot a group of knights who are looking for a murderer who escaped from the prison in a nearby town. Something about them makes you suspicious. Could they be the enforcers of a tyranical king, or executioners on a witch hunt? Or maybe the murderer they're hunting is innocent. Or maybe even, they want to use you as bait to draw out a murderer...
Ferry crossing - palyers have to negotiate crossing with grumpy ferryman.
A tax collector demands the players immediately hand over a tenth of all their gold and valuables.
Wandering hermit/religious person - might say something - might be engaged in an act of worship
Aggressive beggar - follows players for a mile demanding money. A real pain, but harmless.
A hunt/royal retinue cross the players' path. The players are expected to wait until they pass.
A bailiff/gameskeeper/druid accuses the players of illegally poaching from a royal reserve. Players have to convince him otherwise. Maybe they saw him earlier
Recruiting sargeant - attempts to pressgang the players into joining the navy or King's Army. Do not accept a drink for this man - it contains the King's Shilling - once you touch it, you are drafted.
-Crazy Holy Man: A man wearing only a loincloth and wielding a maul demands the players shed their worldly possessions lest they be consumed by their sin and thus consumed by oblivion.
-A Cursed Blade: A Blade lay point down in the road. It is surrounded by dead bodies.
-A Rickety Bridge: There are hundreds of possibilities involving a rickety bridge. Most involve a big fall.
-A Big Boulder: A Big boulder blocks the parties path. A man sitting on top shouts at the party telling them they are probably just as weak as everyone else. Unless they can fell a tree in one swing he will not move his rock.
-Chance: A Deck lay in the parties path. A deck of many cards depicting many things.
-Villains!: "Stop you foul villains!" shouts a paladin in rusted armor. His eyes are bloodshot and he seems unbalanced.
-You know you want to: The party suddenly come upon a barren wasteland. In the center lay a box covered in charms and prayer slips. A voice calmly asks them to let it out. They do not want to let it out...
-That's...odd: The party come upon a pool of water. A very detailed statue of a medusa appears to be staring at the surface of the water. Every fish in the pool is an animated statue.
-It can't really get worse: "You feel a sharp pain on your head. The air begins to smell very bad, very quickly" It's raining...fire
-AHHHHH!: A Dwarf runs up to the party. He is engulfed in flames.
-Personality Quirk: Use Cannibalism as an NPC's Personality quirk.
-Foot Race: The party suddenly sees an admantine longsword laying in the mud. So does the patrol of lowly guardsmen coming the other way.
-Darn! I missed!: An arrow whirls through the air and hits a tree by the players' heads. A hail of one thousand arrows soon follow.
-We should leave....:The party enters a tavern. Everyone lay dead except the chuckling bartender.
-Bad Service: The party sleeps at an inn. They wake up in what appears to be a basement.
-Its weight is gold: A pure gold goose flies through the air.
-How we gonna get that!: The party comes upon a pure diamond tree. In the center of a lake of acid.
-Spitting image: The party come upon a group of familiar faces: Their own.
Many option already posted around here someplace.
101 Adventure Hooks
forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1184...
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1001 Strange/Humorous Adventure Plots
thanks for all that have posted i will use some of this for sure. if you come up with more please post them. Once again thanks.