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Fri
2017-02-02, 12:47 PM
So do you have some ideas on reasons why your party have to constantly travelling from one place to another as part of the premise?

Since you guys like lists, let's make it a list. Also since you guys like symbolic numbers, let's have 101 of them.

I'll put the most obvious example as starter!

1. The characters are a travelling merchant/circus troupe.
2. The characters are guards in a travelling merchant/circus troupe
3. They got cursed that if they stay in one place for more than 3 days they'll die!

Max_Killjoy
2017-02-02, 01:03 PM
So do you have some ideas on reasons why your party have to constantly travelling from one place to another as part of the premise?

Since you guys like lists, let's make it a list. Also since you guys like symbolic numbers, let's have 101 of them.

I'll put the most obvious example as starter!

1. The characters are a travelling merchant/circus troupe.
2. The characters are guards in a travelling merchant/circus troupe
3. They got cursed that if they stay in one place for more than 3 days they'll die!

4. They're part of an elite but mistrusted order that has special skills to fight supernatural threats, so they're always in demand where there's a problem but the villagers are always eager to see them go once it's been dealt with. (No, I haven't been reading the Witcher wikia, why would you ask that?)

5. They're simply "professional problem solvers" who need to keep moving to where the next "problem" is. (Standard adventurer reason.)

raspberrybadger
2017-02-02, 02:54 PM
6. The PCs are being hunted

7. The PCs distort the local economy and have to keep moving to greener pastures

8. The PCs have a short attention span

9. The PCs are trying to keep ahead of some disaster like a plague, or magic going away, or some such

10. The PCs are the cause of some such disaster, wherever they go

WbtE
2017-02-02, 03:38 PM
11. The PCs are trapped on a train and must go wherever the railroad leads.

InvisibleBison
2017-02-02, 03:42 PM
12. The world is being slowly but steadily destroyed, and the PCs must stay ahead of the edge of the destruction (think a slowly-expanding ring of fire or something).

13. The PCs fell into a bottomless pit.

14. The PCs are looking for something, and everyone who knows where to find it gives them false information.

Thinker
2017-02-02, 04:09 PM
12. The world is being slowly but steadily destroyed, and the PCs must stay ahead of the edge of the destruction (think a slowly-expanding ring of fire or something).


Reminds me of The Nothing from the NeverEnding Story.

Shinn
2017-02-02, 04:42 PM
15/ The PCs are a bunch of travelling bums, or even murderhobos

16/ The PCs are wandering gipsies

17/ It's war ! PCs are heading to the conflict

18/ It's war ! PCs are fleeing the conflict

19/ It's war ! PCs are spies on the enemy's land to worsening the conflict everywhere

20/ The PCs are disguised Outsiders or Aberrations, spying on this world, and it's better to travel so you don't attract attention very long.

Amaril
2017-02-02, 04:53 PM
21: The PCs' village has been destroyed, and they must lead their fellow refugees to safety, protecting them from the dangers of the road along the way. Combine with 9, 12, and/or 18 for context and added flavor.

(I've been playing The Banner Saga. Highly recommend it.)

JHShadon
2017-02-02, 05:02 PM
22. They want to explore the various lands and nations the world has to offer.

WbtE
2017-02-02, 06:15 PM
23. The PCs are searching for something. Something so hard to find that it can only be seen by the eyes of the blind.

24. The PCs are on a pilgrimage.

25. The PCs have been entrusted with carrying an ancient artifact to safe haven. This relic disrupts any land that harbours it for too long.

daniel_ream
2017-02-02, 07:56 PM
The PCs are escorting a missionary cleric on his travels to bring the word of whomever to the pagans.

Hawkstar
2017-02-03, 12:27 PM
There's always the classic. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn6kEsloMdE)

Fri
2017-02-03, 01:22 PM
22. They want to explore the various lands and nations the world has to offer.

Here, the reason why I'd like a more specific reason for the list is, you don't have to keep travelling if you ust want to explore the various land and nations. You could stay in one country for a few years, like what marco polo or ibn batutta did, for example.

wardeng
2017-02-03, 01:40 PM
23. They are pursuing true love or one particular character's love interest
24. They have been accused by a wealthy landowner of a horrible crime and must outrun the news
25. They have accidentally witnessed a crime. Either the person is extremely trustworthy or would exert legal re-action against them, they have no choice but to keep on the move.
26. Lost at sea
27. They are seeking adventure (new foods, new places, new women, new men)
28. Joined the circus!
29. An unpleasant relation keeps following them around
30. The world is a tumultuous and largely unpleasant place with no real stability or guarantees....

2D8HP
2017-02-03, 02:19 PM
Some heavy railroading at first, but how about:

31. The PC's are captains of a mercenary company leaving a despoiled city, upon noticing signs of plague among their men, they fill their saddlebags with provisions and leave in the night.

Fleeing war and disease they enter a peaceful forest in which they can only hear wind, no birdsong or buzzing insects, in the middle they find a well provisioned castle, with no signs at first of any inhabitants. After they have a long rest a wondrous appearing being made of light presents itself, and tells them that it is a fiend and by their murder-hoboing deeds they're already damned.

Before they can react the fiend says,

"A sample of what awaits you!",

and wisks them to the lower planes where they witness the torments there. Then they're returned to the castle, and the Fiend offers a deal;

"If you wish, I will not claim your souls in return for a service."

"I was once a Celestial, and I wish to be reconciled with Celestia."

"Find for me the cure for the world's pain, often called the Grail, so I may bargain with Celestia, and I will relinquish my right to your souls."

"Here are some maps and equipment to begin the search."

"If you refuse my offer?"

"Then I will see you again.... in time.
.
:amused:
What do you do?

Thrudd
2017-02-03, 07:58 PM
Why has nobody listed the most obvious and original reason?
They are treasure hunters.

J-H
2017-02-03, 09:58 PM
One of the two games I'm running has the party as loyal servants of an epic-level thrallherd who's busy besieging the largest and best-defended city on the continent. They're chasing after a possible location of a millenia-old buried artifact far, far away and out of the war zone. Nobody allied has been to the area, so teleportation isn't an option, and they're trying to stay under the radar as long as they can.

They are 3 weeks of travel in so far, totalling around 500 miles.

So,
#32 On a quest for a specific far-away buried treasure

daniel_ream
2017-02-03, 11:44 PM
There's always the classic. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn6kEsloMdE)

They're like The Fugitive, but.

NovenFromTheSun
2017-02-05, 01:03 AM
33. They've been sent to a penal colony and trying to find a way out.