Random Encounters 1

Animal Normal

1. Boar: Each member of the party should make a spot check at DC16. Success indicates that the party member sees a wild boar rooting at the base of a grove of trees nearby. If the party disturbs the boar in any way, it will attack.
   Boar: CR 2; medium size animal; HD 3d8+9 (22 hp); init +0; Spd 40 ft; AC 16 (+6 natural); Atk Gore +4 melee; Dam 1d8+3; SA: Ferocity (fights while disabled or dying); SQ: Scent; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Wil +2; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4. Skills: Listen +7, Spot +5 Feats: none.
2. Stag: The trail reaches a sudden rise, cutting sharply to the right to make a slow ascent up the contour. At the top of the rise you can hear something moving quietly in the grass, but it is beyond your line of sight. It can’t have missed the sound of your approach. Once the party crests the rise, read the following: A magnificent stag bounds away toward the woods, flashing its white tail.
3. Annoying Nuthatches: As the party is passing a meadow, several of the nuthatches that were pecking in the field fly up and wheel around in a small flock. For some reason they come to rest on the party. Each of you has at least three of the small birds perching on you, twittering and flapping.
4. Brown Bear. There is a bear fishing in a stream near the trail. If the party does not move on quickly, it will attack.
   Bear, Brown: CR 4; large size; HD 6d8+24 (51 hp); init +1 (Dex); Spd 40 ft; AC 15 (-1 size, +1 dex, +5 natural); Atk 2 claws +11 melee (1d8+8), bite +6 melee (2d8+4); SA: Improved Grab; SQ: Scent; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 27, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills: Listen +4, Spot +7, Swim +14 Feats: none.

Events

1. Transport Problem. The party’s mode of transportation breaks down in some way. A horse or mule goes lame or throws a shoe, a wagon wheel breaks, etc.
2. Sick. One of the party gets sick in some way that may require camping out for a while.
3. Bad smell. The party smells a rank odor. If they explore, they will find a dead horse, dead goat or sheep, or a stagnant pool of water that generates the smell.

Human Normal

1. Commoner (Medieval historic): Two skinny and grimy men dressed in threadbare hooded tunics and leather shoes come up out of a nearby ravine (where there is a deep stream). One of the men is carrying a covered basket. These men are Forky and Bildriss (Com1 hp3). They are equipped with clubs and slings. The covered basket contains eels and some crayfish. They will offer to sell the entire basket for 6 sps (enough for a good dinner). They can be bargained down to 3 sps for the basket. They live in a small thorp of five cottages, about a mile away.
2. Commoner (Medieval Historic): Each person in the party needs to make a spot check at DC 10. Success allows the character to see a furtive figure slinking around in a grove of trees near the track. The figure is actually Andis Macracken, a peasant (Com1, hp 3) who is checking his rabbit snares. He has caught one rabbit.
3. Astrologer (Medieval Fantasy or Historic). A disconsolate fellow in green and yellow robes and a cylindrical felt hat is sitting beside the trail on a large rock. He has a long beard and a sash of red cloth worn about the waist for a belt. This is Doctor Moldavia, an astrologer of some skill. His predictions are often correct, and they indicate that he is in great personal danger from all directions – the reason why he has sat motionless upon a rock for the last three hours. Sensing that the party is a source of protection, he will tag along with them.
   Doctor Moldavia, male human Exp3: CR 2; Size M (5 ft., 3 in. tall); HD 3d6; hp 15; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +3 (+2 Base, +1 Str) melee, or +3 (+2 Base, +1 Dex) ranged; SV Fort +1 (+1 Base), Ref +2 (+1 Base, +1 Dex), Will +4 (+3 Base, +1 Wis); AL N; Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 8.
   Languages Spoken: Aquan, Common, Draconic.
   Skills and feats: Appraise +4 (+2 Rank, +2 Int), Balance +4 (+3 Rank, +1 Dex), Gather information +1 (+2 Rank, -1 Cha), Heal +3 (+2 Rank, +1 Wis), Hide +1 (+1 Dex), Intimidate +1 (+2 Rank, -1 Cha), Knowledge (arcana) +9 (+5 Rank, +2 Int, +2 Focus), Listen +1 (+1 Wis), Move silently +1 (+1 Dex), Profession (astrologer) +4 (+3 Rank, +1 Wis), Search +5 (+3 Rank, +2 Int), Sense motive +2 (+1 Rank, +1 Wis), Spot +1 (+1 Wis), Use magic device +1.5 (+2.5 Rank, -1 Cha), Use rope +4 (+3 Rank, +1 Dex), Wilderness lore +5 (+2 Rank, +1 Wis, +2 Focus); Point blank shot, Skill focus (knowledge (arcana)), Skill focus (wilderness lore).
   Possessions: +1 magic dagger, robes, hat, belt pouch with potion of cure moderate wounds, 250 gps.
4. Farting Peasant Woman (Medieval Historic). A motherly-looking peasant woman in long skirts, a white linen blouse and a red vest is walking down the road, sniffing suspiciously. She smiles at the party and strikes up a conversation: "Now, then, where would you youngsters be bound?" She joins up with the party, and discloses that she was on her way to visit old witch woman Cartwright to get a cure "for the farts." "Bless me, yes," she continues, "ever since last week I’ve been farting like a rhinoceros. Like a crack of thunder it is, and it keeps me up of nights." She continues to demonstrate and to converse until the party can find some way to get rid of her. Her name is Dame Ginifred.
5. Peasant Woman. The trail is blocked by a very slow-moving old peasant woman. She is bent under a heavy sack of potatoes, and is smoking a long-stemmed pipe as she shuffles along, mumbling to herself about "god-cursed stupid pixies" (she blames pixies for stealing her youth, which is unjust and untrue).
6. Peasant Argument. Two peasants (each Com2, 6 hps) are squared off near the trail, each with his quarterstaff in hand. These men are Woodlouse and Third, and their argument about whether leprechauns grant three or five wishes has just come to blows. If the party stays to watch the fight without intervening, Third will knock out Woodlouse, mop his brow, then put Woodlouse over his shoulders and head back to the small village where they live.
7. Leper (Medieval Historic). A figure shrouded in white robes is coming down the trail, ringing a bell and chanting "Beware, Leper. Beware, Leper." This is Thainey the Leper. Any person coming within ten feet of him may indeed contract leprosy if they fail a Fortitude save at DC10. The incubation period is 1d4 days, and the damage is 1d4 Cha, plus continued contagiousness to others.
8. Stuck Wagon. A peasant wagon loaded high with turnips has gotten stuck in a ditch. The farmer, who appears to be drunk as a lord, is standing on top of the turnips yelling at the sky. He is shouting, "I’ve been almost chaste as a paladin for all my life! I haven’t stolen much, and I never drink or lie! It isn’t fair for you to afflict me like this, it’s a mistake! I demand that you fix it for me!" When he sees the party he will be convinced that they have been sent by the gods to help him. His name is Farmer William of Graycandle Farm.

Location

1. Pond. Fairly near the trail there is a pleasant looking pond with flowering water lilies in the water and cattails along the banks. It looks like a peaceful place to sit and rest for a while. Sleeping at the pond gives an additional 1hp per night of healing.
2. Abandoned Farm. Just within sight of the trail there is a small hovel made of sod. A rude enclosure next to the hut seems to have been made to keep pigs, but the place looks abandoned.