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Hi all,
I'm prepping for my newest Pathfinder campaign and looking for ideas from the community for some interesting overland travel encounters. My goal is to have 101 short hooks that I can use to replace the standard monster encounters that become so terribly tedious during long journeys. Hopefully these can spawn some interesting side quests as a result!
Here's my current list, but additional ideas are much appreciated!
1. You find a concealed stone paved road leading off into the wilderness
2. You find the remains of another campsite
3. You see lights in the distance and hear the sound of music and laughter
4. A body lays on the ground near a shallow hole with a shovel nearby
5. A travelling merchant sits by the side of the road next to a lame donkey
6. You see a barn on fire in the distance
7. Two men stand next to a wagon with a wheel that’s fallen off
8. Three boys are daring each other to climb a nearby structure
9. There is a toll booth ahead
10. An ornate sword is sticking out of the chest of a stone shaped like a monster
11. You find the hidden site of a poison maker’s hut
12. A trail of bones arranged like arrows points into the wilderness
13. You see a tree marked with druidic symbols
14. A glowing weapon sits in the centre of a large pond
15. A meteor crashes to the ground nearby
16. A sinkhole has opened and revealed the entrance to an ancient ruin
17. A secluded cabin is filled with undead cats
18. You hear crying from the bottom of a well
19. A mound with a stone marker that reads “What’s dead is best left buried”
20. A half-orc hangs in an iron cage at a crossroads, nearly dead
21. The road ahead passes through a well known ambush location
22. A young girl claims a witch has her brother and plans to eat him
23. A stranger begs you to willingly accept a cursed item
24. A large tree ahead appears to bear apples made of pure gold
25. Water spouts from a crack in a large rock, above which is inscribed “Fountain of Youth”
26. Giant toadstools with windows and chimneys in them form a small village ahead
27. A man stands in front of a mighty oak, singing it a song of undying love
28. An ancient tower leans sideways alarmingly, seeming moments from collapsing
29. An elephant wanders across the road, out of place and seeming quite confused
30. You see a farmer in his pasture tending his herd of giant hamsters
31. Two swordsmen, one dressed in red and the other in blue, are engaged in a duel
32. A young half-elf boy in a green cap runs past, being chased by a flock of chickens
33. A pillar of light descends from the full moon overhead, touching down nearby
34. The grass ahead has grown incredibly high, nearly ten feet tall
35. You spot a trail of gold coins leading off into the wilderness
36. The entrance to a neatly kept hedge maze incongruously stands here in the wilderness
37. A waterfall cascades down a cliff, behind which you spot the entrance to a cave
38. Massive spires of dirt as tall as a man rise from the ground nearby
39. You see a circle of standing stones at the top of a small hill
40. A large sign with a skull painted on it stands next to the path ahead
41. The underbrush is broken as if something large was dragged through here
42. A pentagram is painted in fresh blood, a candle burning at each point
43. You can hear a baby crying nearby
44. The path ahead has been marked with a massive bullseye carved into the ground
45. Someone has built a flimsy looking fence across your path
46. You hear a man and woman’s giggling voices from behind a thick bush
47. A shrine to your deity has been built here by the roadside
48. A horse lays panting at the side of the road, one leg obviously broken
49. Wolves can be heard howling nearby
50. A druid demands you stop and allow him to speak with your animals
51. A bridge spans a swift river here, the wood old and half rotten
52. A tinker’s cart is half buried in mud in the middle of a wide river
53. You see wheel marks where a wagon has recently fallen off the road into a ravine
54. A man shouts for help from a river ahead as he tries to stay above water
55. Something underwater glows with shimmering light, outlining a cave entrance
56. A fisherman shouts as his rod jerks suddenly, then starts fighting to pull in his catch
57. A mob of angry men appear to be lynching two halflings
58. A man tells you the road ahead is closed due to flooding and redirects you
59. A man is buried here up to his neck in the ground
60. The spectral ghost of a young boy beckons you to follow him
61. You see a girl in her early teens crying as she digs three graves
62. Your path appears to travel through an underground tunnel
63. You smell something rotten nearby
64. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot him...
65. There is a circle of small stones, ten feet wide. If you make a spot 15 check you notice none of the plants that are used in potions or as material components grow there. The longer you stand there the more chance a baleful magical influence is dispelled, such as lost levels, polymorph, petrifaction, any curse, or hex. The cumulative chance is (10-spell level) per round cumulative. After the first effect is removed it starts to go after things like permanency or the effects of a youth potion. Yes, werewolves can wait out the full moon here.
67. You see a hand nailed to a tree by the side of the road.
68. You come across the remnants of a large bonfire. There is a huge stack of bones to one corner: horse, deer and other large bones you do not recognise straight away. Giant footprints lead away into a large opening path through the brush.
69. A small diverse group has made temporary camp here. They are eager to learn any local information on history, geography or nature. They would be more than happy to exchange information.
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70. You are beginning to suspect that squirrel is following you.
71. You come across ruined foundations in an incongruous area. There is no record of any ruins in that location.
72. While stopped for rest, you hear a voice on the wind, "There's a man standing behind you."
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74. When you passed by this marble pedestal yesterday, there was a statue on it. Now it's gone. A trail of marble fragments leads westward a few feet before petering out.
75. A meteor falls from the sky and crashes right in front of you!
76. As you walk down the trail...you bang your nose on the wall. Only now do you realize that the trail forward is nothing but a painting.
77. You stub your toe on a half-buried oil lamp.
78. A group of foreign soldiers sitting nearby are loudly bragging about their country.
79. A funny-looking man is sitting in the back of a large wagon holding a handmade sign saying "FREE CANDY FOR ALL THE GOOD BOYS AND GIRLS!"
80. Two Clerics are shouting at each other. They appear to be of the same faith...but they're not acting like it.
81. A Wizard is desperately trying to reason with an angry mob.
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83. You hear of this crazy yak that's trying to drain the life essence of every adventurer.
84. There's been an escape from the high security prison - the escapee in question? An anthropomorphic snow leopard with brawler levels. His target? The monastery on top of the hill.
85. The ruler of the region is a tyrant who is commencing his genocide of a particular race in his kingdom, because he believes a prophecy of one born of that race will be his downfall...
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86. The body of a lion rests atop a broken stone table bearing a single stab wound to the heart, a droning buzz sound alerts you to bees entering and exiting the wound in order to reach a hive hidden in the chest.
87. The results of a one-sided battle are evident in the remains of 100 soldiers strewn about the area, with obvious blunt trauma injuries and their weapons and armour battered into uselessness. There are no remains from the opposing force aside from a cracked jawbone of an equine creature.
88. You see a number of foxes run past with burned tails, and look up to notice a plume of black smoke rising from an area of cropland over the hill.
89. You come upon a group of local officials arresting a dangerous criminal. The criminal is accused of murder and arson, but is said to be quite strong. The officials ask if any of the party has new rope that they might bind him securely.
90. As you approach the city, you see that the gate is missing. You notice a trail of human sized footprints leading away, sunken deep into the ground as though the person carried something of great weight.
91. As you walk along the trail you stumble. Glancing down you realize that you stepped into a depression. A closer look reveals that the depression is actually a giant-sized footprint and your standing in the middle of it.
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92. You find a body on the road whose chest cavity has been torn open... frok the inside.
93. This section of road is under the effect of the awkward silence spell.
94. You come across a rabble of orcs attacking some knights who are clearly outnumbered. A group of peasants stand nearby shouting and cheering. Unbeknownsted by the players they have come across an elaborate play (orcs are actors).
95. They come to an Inn where by rights no Inn should be. There is a box outside the front door that reads: 1gp per night per costumer. If the PCs put coins in the slot in the box they hear it rattle down a pipe and the door unlocks. Inside is a well kept inn with no prorieter and boxes next to all the usual goods and services, making the Inn entirely automated.
96. Flail Snail poetry.
97. A dead man on the side of the road lying admist discarded wraps labled "Jerky". Massive footprints lead deeper into the woods.
98. Some escaped prisoners from a POW camp who are desperately scrambling to get back before they are missed by their bumbling captors.
99. Two men, one trying to get the attention of the other, while the other stedfastly ignores him. If asked, the second man believes the first is an illusion.
100. An Orc paladin battling two evil elves who try and convince the party to help in slaying the foul orc.
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101. You hear of this filthy rich, evil aristrocat who wants a fur coat made out of 101 kitsune.
102. You're trying to get the town wizard who lives in a balloon covered house to lend you his spellbook. You knock on his door, asking if he needs you to help him with anything in exchange for the privilege to read his spellbook, when the house lifts off the ground...taking you along with it.
103. Some muscular jock is riling up the locals to form a mob to hunt the monster living in a nearby castle.
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105. A spectacular royal procession is parading down the capitol city's main thoroughfare, singing the praises of a handsome prince you've never heard of, but is evidently just the coolest, nicest, strongest, most accomplished guy ever. Something REALLY WEIRD about that parade leader of his....
106. The city wakes up to discover something in the garden of the grand temple that wasn't there the night before: A spectacular sword jammed straight through an anvil and piercing the boulder beneath it. An inscription promises the throne to whosoever can extricate it. Numerous attempts do to so have already been made by some of the strongest folk around, and it has proved even harder than it looks.
107. A pair of Ratfolk - a tubby, disheveled male Rogue and a shapely, graceful female Wizard - approach the party, asking if they would be interested in a rescue mission. No, not rescue-for-profit - rescue-because-it's-right. They seem sincerely altruistic.
108. An animated broom keeps visiting the town well, filling a bucket with water and returning to the home of the town's resident powerful Sorcerer...over and over. It's been doing this for a couple days now. Nonstop. The Sorcerer himself has been out of town for about as long - and there now is a rivulet of water trickling out his front door....
109. The local diamond mine is wholly owned and operated by a small cadre of eccentric and reclusive Dwarves. Although this has made them each very rich, they continue to live in a humble and poorly-kept compound in the middle of the woods. They've always kept to themselves and have never been known to have visitors...so who's this bubbly, irksomely-sunny human wench they've suddenly taken in?
110. A Balor Necromancer resides atop a lonely mountain, and is remarkably non-disruptive for such a being. Once every year, however, he bids the dead leave their graves and make a pilgrimage to his mountaintop, which they do without fail, only to return with the dawn. Nobody living knows what they do up there, nor why....
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111. After hearing rumors of loud arguments surrounding a cave, you draw near to the place. Apparently a booming male voice is begging the trilling, female voice not to leave. She keeps saying noncommittal stuff. As you draw closer you notice a dragon and a unicorn in the entrance to a cave, having a lovers spat. They are saying things that are important to the current mission. Neither of them radiate good or evil.
112: You see footprints leading away from the road. They become slightly bigger after each increment of distance (GM decides whether it's something like a few hundred yards or every 10 meters) Until after a lot of walking, they become very massive. They come to a sudden stop.
You suddenly realize you grew gigantic.
114. Sometimes criminals are put in metal cages by the side of the road. Some passerbys feed them. Some free them. Some toss stones at them and let them starve. Here's one that was torn open, from the inside!
116. You see a stampede of well armed evil humanoids and hear a blowing horn in the distance. Someone needs your aid!
117. An old man dressed in leathers and furs, bearing a heavily notched greatsword, and sporting diamond teeth hobbles down the road. You'd think him infirm were it not for the three decapitated samurai behind him.
118. Some person wearing numerous holy symbols and reeking of garlic rushes up to you and slaps you with a cure lt. wounds spell. Seeing it not harm the PC in question, he smiles nervously and says "just checking" before rushing off.
119. An NPC who was just exposed to some sort of mindwretchingly horrific insanity soon calms down enough to talk to the PCs. However he adresses each PC by his players name, and refers to other NPCs by nicknames the players use for them, even going so far as to explain key points of the plot and lament that his existance only extends to game sessions.
120. A grumpy catfolk, an insane werewolf, and an overly manly brawler walk into the bar.
121. Somewhere in the distance, you hear the dreadful mooing of the umber cow.
122. 1d6 orcs with greataxes attack! (really, you missed that?)
124. Roll Reflex D15 or be trampled by the kobold stampede!
126. You return to a place you know well to find that a tyrannosaurus has fallen asleep in the middle of the room.
127. Animals for miles around suddenly seek shelter as the shadows of two Kaiju spring up on either side of the party, and it seems that the playera are standing in the middle of their battleground.
128. You come across a pile of dead bards (treat as improved cover).
129. You find a nondescript gold band on the floor...
130. The earth stands up and begins to walk away with the party, their camp, and the ruins they were exploring on its back.
132. One word: Fog.
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133. You find a shadowy figure encased in ice. At first it looks like it might be a tall halfing or similar humanoid. But upon releasing the figure you discover that you have freed a human child of considerable skill and capability. He looks at your clothes and asks where you are from. When you reply he looks confused and says that he's never seen people dressed like you there before.
134. You enter a small port city looking to charter a ship. While passing the gate you are asked by a guard in heavy armor and a white tabard if you have any information on the location of a human form and a Halfling form android.