Help with humorous side quest

[DMThac0]

I want to lighten up the mood a touch for one of my games as well as create some wasted time so the larger plot can move along while they do something unrelated. I figured a slight side quest while they're travelling from the forest, to a main road, and eventually the next town, with a bit of comedy and potential lasting impression later on in the game.

Currently I have this:

As the party is travelling they are interrupted by a young man running out of the woods and across the road. Shortly after an older man emerges from the same woods only to toss a net over the boy, capturing him. The party will then hear the older man start talking to the boy explaining that he needs to finish this hunt that they are on. It's a test of the boy's mettle and a way for the boy to combat his fears.

I'm considering having the older man talk to the party and asking their help with the boy. I am caught up on how to go from there though. I have an idea that they help find a suitable foe for the boy or maybe train the boy in various combat scenarios. Unfortunately, I feel that the idea is a bit shallow at the moment and would love to get some further input/ideas from the playground.

How would you guys make this a bit more entertaining?

(3 level 4 players, Moon Druid, Beast Master Ranger, Life Cleric)

[Vogie]

I could see something like this:

As the party is walking down the road, you see, about 120 feet ahead of you, what looks to be a human child emerge from the woods on one side of the road, run across it, and disappear on the other side.

As you reach that point, an older man bursts from the same side, gasping and heaving, calling the child's name as he runs headlong into the party. He asks that you go find his child, as they ran out of their ritual hunt, and needs to finish it so s/he can become an adult. He, the child's Uncle, wields a greataxe, but has no armor.

Use the Skill challenge mechanic to hunt down the child. As it's a tracking quest, each player can only use the survival skill once, and they can't do it on the same round that another player used it. The child is found either way, but:

If the party succeeds 9 checks before 3 fails, they find the child unharmed
If the party fails 3 times before they succeed 9 times, they come across the child being attacked by a Shambling Mound 30 ft away, as the child dodges both the attacks, and moves their speed away from the mound.
.

After the child is found (and the Mound defeated if applicable), the party hears the man admonishing the child about the importance of their "roh-hatz" ceremony and how long they've trained for this day. The child relents, begrudgingly, and they wander back to the ceremonial cave. The man actively seems shifty around the adventurers now, wanting the party to leave them alone.

If the party does follow the pair, they watch as they come to a clearing with a cage with a human prisoner in it. The man releases the prisoner, and says they have a one minute head start. The child begins shifting, slowly and painfully - the party quickly realizes that the pair are Werebears, and this ceremony in the middle of nowhere is for the child to hunt the prisoner to death. Use Werebear stats for the man, and wererat stats for the child, although they are actually just a lower CR werebear (no weapons in human form, a claw attack equal to their bite attack, dealing slashing instead of piercing damage). The child takes 2 rounds to shift, while the man can shift in a single action, if the party attacks.

The child doesn't actually want to hunt the prisoner, is only performing the ceremony at the behest of their uncle. A pair of DC 15 Charisma (persuasion) checks will make them either start shifting back to human form, or aid the party in attacking their uncle.

Lovingly stolen from the tv show Grimm.

[DMThac0]

You know, I don't mind stealing from other media in the least, and now I think I'll have to give this Grimm show a bit of my time.

It's a good idea, it can easily become a call back later for the players when the overall plot arc takes it's necessary twist. Not quite the light-hearted route I was thinking, but definitely something I could make happen. Consider it placed in my list of "things to throw at my players" list!

I'm still open for other ideas if anyone else has something.

[DarkKnightJin]

I could see something like this:

As the party is walking down the road, you see, about 120 feet ahead of you, what looks to be a human child emerge from the woods on one side of the road, run across it, and disappear on the other side.

As you reach that point, an older man bursts from the same side, gasping and heaving, calling the child's name as he runs headlong into the party. He asks that you go find his child, as they ran out of their ritual hunt, and needs to finish it so s/he can become an adult. He, the child's Uncle, wields a greataxe, but has no armor.

Use the Skill challenge mechanic to hunt down the child. As it's a tracking quest, each player can only use the survival skill once, and they can't do it on the same round that another player used it. The child is found either way, but:

If the party succeeds 9 checks before 3 fails, they find the child unharmed
If the party fails 3 times before they succeed 9 times, they come across the child being attacked by a Shambling Mound 30 ft away, as the child dodges both the attacks, and moves their speed away from the mound.
.

After the child is found (and the Mound defeated if applicable), the party hears the man admonishing the child about the importance of their "roh-hatz" ceremony and how long they've trained for this day. The child relents, begrudgingly, and they wander back to the ceremonial cave. The man actively seems shifty around the adventurers now, wanting the party to leave them alone.

If the party does follow the pair, they watch as they come to a clearing with a cage with a human prisoner in it. The man releases the prisoner, and says they have a one minute head start. The child begins shifting, slowly and painfully - the party quickly realizes that the pair are Werebears, and this ceremony in the middle of nowhere is for the child to hunt the prisoner to death. Use Werebear stats for the man, and wererat stats for the child, although they are actually just a lower CR werebear (no weapons in human form, a claw attack equal to their bite attack, dealing slashing instead of piercing damage). The child takes 2 rounds to shift, while the man can shift in a single action, if the party attacks.

The child doesn't actually want to hunt the prisoner, is only performing the ceremony at the behest of their uncle. A pair of DC 15 Charisma (persuasion) checks will make them either start shifting back to human form, or aid the party in attacking their uncle.

Lovingly stolen from the tv show Grimm.

If OP doesn't use this, I'm gonna. Because it's amazing, and could be a nice leadup to another Lycanthrope NPC I want to introduce. A Good Werewolf, with some Shepherd Druid traits, guarding the woods they're encountered in.
Thinking of having him as the brains behind a pack of (Dire) Wolves that warn the wildlife when himan hunters come into the woods, because they're overhunting. But, as strongly as this Werewolf feels, he doesn't want to harm people. So he tries to minimize what they can accomplish.
Considering to have the nearby town give them a quest to figure out of the rumors of a Wolfman are true, and to take care of it, because ot's scaring the prey animals they hunt away.
Classic 2 sides to each story, and neither side is inherently 'wrong' on the matter.
Just to see how they handle thr situation.
Do they go in and try to kill the Werewolf, do they help him convince the townpeople that they're wrong, or do they manage to strike a balance between both sides' desires?

[Laserlight]

We had a one shot in which the party had to write and perform a play to raise money for the leading man's wedding. Which resulted in The Tragickal Comedie of Gnomeo and Juliet. (Spoiler : in a last minute switch at the altar, Juliet marries Rosaline)