JDL
2016-04-09, 06:48 PM
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!
You find a concealed stone paved road leading off into the wilderness
You find the remains of another campsite
You see lights in the distance and hear the sound of music and laughter
A body lays on the ground near a shallow hole with a shovel nearby
A travelling merchant sits by the side of the road next to a lame donkey
You see a barn on fire in the distance
Two men stand next to a wagon with a wheel that’s fallen off
Three boys are daring each other to climb a nearby structure
There is a toll booth ahead
An ornate sword is sticking out of the chest of a stone shaped like a monster
You find the hidden site of a poison maker’s hut
A trail of bones arranged like arrows points into the wilderness
You see a tree marked with druidic symbols
A glowing weapon sits in the centre of a large pond
A meteor crashes to the ground nearby
A sinkhole has opened and revealed the entrance to an ancient ruin
A secluded cabin is filled with undead cats
You hear crying from the bottom of a well
A mound with a stone marker that reads “What’s dead is best left buried”
A half-orc hangs in an iron cage at a crossroads, nearly dead
The road ahead passes through a well known ambush location
A young girl claims a witch has her brother and plans to eat him
A stranger begs you to willingly accept a cursed item
A large tree ahead appears to bear apples made of pure gold
Water spouts from a crack in a large rock, above which is inscribed “Fountain of Youth”
Giant toadstools with windows and chimneys in them form a small village ahead
A man stands in front of a mighty oak, singing it a song of undying love
An ancient tower leans sideways alarmingly, seeming moments from collapsing
An elephant wanders across the road, out of place and seeming quite confused
You see a farmer in his pasture tending his herd of giant hamsters
Two swordsmen, one dressed in red and the other in blue, are engaged in a duel
A young half-elf boy in a green cap runs past, being chased by a flock of chickens
A pillar of light descends from the full moon overhead, touching down nearby
The grass ahead has grown incredibly high, nearly ten feet tall
You spot a trail of gold coins leading off into the wilderness
The entrance to a neatly kept hedge maze incongruously stands here in the wilderness
A waterfall cascades down a cliff, behind which you spot the entrance to a cave
Massive spires of dirt as tall as a man rise from the ground nearby
You see a circle of standing stones at the top of a small hill
A large sign with a skull painted on it stands next to the path ahead
The underbrush is broken as if something large was dragged through here
A pentagram is painted in fresh blood, a candle burning at each point
You can hear a baby crying nearby
The path ahead has been marked with a massive bullseye carved into the ground
Someone has built a flimsy looking fence across your path
You hear a man and woman’s giggling voices from behind a thick bush
A shrine to your deity has been built here by the roadside
A horse lays panting at the side of the road, one leg obviously broken
Wolves can be heard howling nearby
A druid demands you stop and allow him to speak with your animals
A bridge spans a swift river here, the wood old and half rotten
A tinker’s cart is half buried in mud in the middle of a wide river
You see wheel marks where a wagon has recently fallen off the road into a ravine
A man shouts for help from a river ahead as he tries to stay above water
Something underwater glows with shimmering light, outlining a cave entrance
A fisherman shouts as his rod jerks suddenly, then starts fighting to pull in his catch
A mob of angry men appear to be lynching two halflings
A man tells you the road ahead is closed due to flooding and redirects you
A man is buried here up to his neck in the ground
The spectral ghost of a young boy beckons you to follow him
You see a girl in her early teens crying as she digs three graves
Your path appears to travel through an underground tunnel
You smell something rotten nearby
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!
You find a concealed stone paved road leading off into the wilderness
You find the remains of another campsite
You see lights in the distance and hear the sound of music and laughter
A body lays on the ground near a shallow hole with a shovel nearby
A travelling merchant sits by the side of the road next to a lame donkey
You see a barn on fire in the distance
Two men stand next to a wagon with a wheel that’s fallen off
Three boys are daring each other to climb a nearby structure
There is a toll booth ahead
An ornate sword is sticking out of the chest of a stone shaped like a monster
You find the hidden site of a poison maker’s hut
A trail of bones arranged like arrows points into the wilderness
You see a tree marked with druidic symbols
A glowing weapon sits in the centre of a large pond
A meteor crashes to the ground nearby
A sinkhole has opened and revealed the entrance to an ancient ruin
A secluded cabin is filled with undead cats
You hear crying from the bottom of a well
A mound with a stone marker that reads “What’s dead is best left buried”
A half-orc hangs in an iron cage at a crossroads, nearly dead
The road ahead passes through a well known ambush location
A young girl claims a witch has her brother and plans to eat him
A stranger begs you to willingly accept a cursed item
A large tree ahead appears to bear apples made of pure gold
Water spouts from a crack in a large rock, above which is inscribed “Fountain of Youth”
Giant toadstools with windows and chimneys in them form a small village ahead
A man stands in front of a mighty oak, singing it a song of undying love
An ancient tower leans sideways alarmingly, seeming moments from collapsing
An elephant wanders across the road, out of place and seeming quite confused
You see a farmer in his pasture tending his herd of giant hamsters
Two swordsmen, one dressed in red and the other in blue, are engaged in a duel
A young half-elf boy in a green cap runs past, being chased by a flock of chickens
A pillar of light descends from the full moon overhead, touching down nearby
The grass ahead has grown incredibly high, nearly ten feet tall
You spot a trail of gold coins leading off into the wilderness
The entrance to a neatly kept hedge maze incongruously stands here in the wilderness
A waterfall cascades down a cliff, behind which you spot the entrance to a cave
Massive spires of dirt as tall as a man rise from the ground nearby
You see a circle of standing stones at the top of a small hill
A large sign with a skull painted on it stands next to the path ahead
The underbrush is broken as if something large was dragged through here
A pentagram is painted in fresh blood, a candle burning at each point
You can hear a baby crying nearby
The path ahead has been marked with a massive bullseye carved into the ground
Someone has built a flimsy looking fence across your path
You hear a man and woman’s giggling voices from behind a thick bush
A shrine to your deity has been built here by the roadside
A horse lays panting at the side of the road, one leg obviously broken
Wolves can be heard howling nearby
A druid demands you stop and allow him to speak with your animals
A bridge spans a swift river here, the wood old and half rotten
A tinker’s cart is half buried in mud in the middle of a wide river
You see wheel marks where a wagon has recently fallen off the road into a ravine
A man shouts for help from a river ahead as he tries to stay above water
Something underwater glows with shimmering light, outlining a cave entrance
A fisherman shouts as his rod jerks suddenly, then starts fighting to pull in his catch
A mob of angry men appear to be lynching two halflings
A man tells you the road ahead is closed due to flooding and redirects you
A man is buried here up to his neck in the ground
The spectral ghost of a young boy beckons you to follow him
You see a girl in her early teens crying as she digs three graves
Your path appears to travel through an underground tunnel
You smell something rotten nearby