These regions represent the lands outside major cities and large towns, encompassing rural homesteads and small villages. While more populated than the surrounding forests, these farms can be vast in scale, with settlements hard to come by, and their inhabitants wary of strangers. The people here are not merchants or warriors, for the most part. They are simple folk trying to live their lives, growing crops and caring for livestock. To pass away the hard days of labour, festivities and local gatherings are common, and an adventuring party may be beset with requests from inquisitive villagers and troubled farmers. # Weather | 1d10 | Result | | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Heavy raindrops plopping into puddles and streams; lovely weather for ducks | | 2 | Breezy days carrying scents of crops and chimney smoke, and the bracing smells of mud, animals, and slurry | | 3 | Brisk morning breezes that mellow out as the sun rises and warms the land | | 4 | Cool nights, where the sparks of chimney smoke make the party envious of the warmth of a hearth | | 5 | Fluffy clouds floating high in the sky, their forms interpretive and always shifting | | 6 | Calm and still days, where the sounds of animals, labourers, and busy village folk echo pleasantly from all sides | | 7 | A spell of sunny days, where farmers lament the lack of rain to nourish their crops | | 8 | A spell of rainy weather, where farmers grumble about the lack of sunshine for their crops | | 9 | Fog clinging to the ground at dawn, reducing visibility and coating crops in morning dew | | 10 | Wet days following rainy nights, where mud squelches underfoot and the threat of downpours hangs in the air | ^5dcfdf ## Flora and Fauna | 1d10 | Flora and Fauna | | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Ducks and flocks of ducklings paddling merrily through rivers and streams, while drakes sit on the banks | | 2 | Cats prowling amongst the grasses, hunting field mice and rats that threaten to devour crops and food stores | | 3 | Mastiffs protecting farm boundaries from intruders, or used as mounts by Halflings to dash between fields | | 4 | Paddocks of unusual mounts; Hippogriffs, Axe Beaks, Wyverns, Griffons, and Pegasi to name a few | | 5 | Slow and methodical cows, grazing in groups, the occasional moo directed at others in the herd | | 6 | Snuffling pigs, eager to roll around in the mud, and clambering over each other when a farmer lays out their feed | | 7 | A murder of Blood Hawks spying the countryside below for easy targets, be they farm animals or humanoids | | 8 | Treants fighting against the encroaching farms, protecting their woodland borders from deforestation | | 9 | Pesky moles poking their heads above ground, creating unstable ground through their tunnelling | | 10 | Flocks of geese flying high overhead in V formations, migrating to appropriate climes depending on the season | ^f8e326 ## Local Inhabitants | 1d9 | Local Inhabitants | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Halfling warrens built into and under the hills, leaving every inch of owned land available for crops | | 2 | Shepherds tending their flock, using sheepdogs to corral unruly animals as they cross from pens to grazing fields | | 3 | Poor farmers barely subsisting on their meagre harvest while hoping the seasons will be kind | | 4 | Wandering salespeople, going farm to farm selling curios that they promise will improve farmers' lives | | 5 | Distrustful villagers, unhappy with outsiders upsetting their quiet lives with tales of big cities and open roads | | 6 | Religious folk who rely on the whims of the gods and are eager to keep them pleased | | 7 | Wealthy farm owners who hire many farm hands to attend their thriving crops or livestock | | 8 | Seasonal workers of various backgrounds and species, moving from farm to farm depending on the harvest | | 9 | Families happy to accommodate travellers in exchange for help, specialised skills, and education for their children | ^e555c6 ## Points of Interest | 1d9 | Points of Interest | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1 | A view from on high of the landscape below, with farms of varying colours cleanly divided by hedging | | 2 | Unpleasant smells plaguing the landscape as slurry is spread to fertilise the soil | | 3 | Pitifully small farms jostling for space in one large field, the result of the land being divided over generations | | 4 | Local fairs organised by rural communities to mark the passing of the year, and build friendships | | 5 | Farms teeming with local fieldhands and itinerant workers, a glorious co-operation of culture and species | | 6 | Roads chock-a-block with wagons, all heading in the same direction: the lucrative farmer's market | | 7 | Communities buzzing with activity and excitement, as the fruits of their labour are finally harvested | | 8 | Myconids tending their own farms of fungus, an odd sight to see above ground | | 9 | Poor harvests caused by unseasonal weather pushing farmers to seek the help from a Druid to restore their crop | ^a95628 ## Possible Journeys | 1d9 | Possible Journeys | | --- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Convincing a rampaging Ogre to help on a farm rather than rob from it, working for food instead of stealing it | | 2 | A pack of Gnolls has been sighted in the area, and the helpless villagers must be trained to protect their farms | | 3 | Stopping a chaotic Air Elemental who is stripping away the topsoil, exposing bare rock and tearing up crops | | 4 | A hungry Oni claws on the doors of a farmstead every night, terrifying the children, and must be chased off | | 5 | A Nightmare has been summoned by a stud farmer to unnaturally infuse their horses with fiendish powers | | 6 | Tensions between expanding farms and the protective fae of the forest are rising. A peace treaty must be brokered | | 7 | A hedonistic Satyr is attempting to lure the farm hands into a decadent stupor, and must be driven off | | 8 | A local school, starved of teachers, asks the party to give a lecture on their adventures and the wider world | | 9 | A wandering Ettercap shepherds its cluster of spiderlings through towns and villages on its way to a new home | ^37e9fb # A Chance Meeting Player Desc: [[A Chance Meeting]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#A Chance Meeting]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Result | | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1 | **Minotaur Farmers:** A family of Minotaurs works their farm as the party draws near, inviting the newcomers to join their family for lunch. The mother explains the farm has been in her family for generations, and they hope to continue the tradition as long as they can. The children are polite and curious, asking many questions about the party’s adventures. | | 2 | **Local Produce:** A group of Humans lounge in a produce stand near a busy road. They politely ask the party not to linger, but they are happy to strike a fair deal for their goods while they dispense folksy wisdom and espouse the importance of traditional values. Bemusement fills their faces whenever anyone discusses the world beyond this region. | | 3 | **Desperate Alchemist:** A travelling alchemist is having a difficult time selling her wares. The locals don’t have much use for anything beyond elixirs for helping crops grow and tinctures to heal wounds, leaving her with a bunch of ‘boutique’ oils and potions that will spoil soon. She’s willing to offer them at a great discount... but is this sale too good to be true? | | 4 | **Mistaken Identity:** The party is treated with overwhelming hospitality by the locals, but it seems a little forced and desperate. There is a local bandit king that has promised to punish the farmers if they can’t meet their tithe quotas and the locals mistake the party as enforcers. The party may wish to bask in this misunderstanding, though the locals are truly terrified. | | 5 | **It’s a Steal:** A bedraggled man approaches and pleads with the party to buy his family’s heirloom necklace. The necklace is extremely valuable and if pressed, he readily admits to having stolen it, pleading again for them to take it off of his hands at any price. The necklace is actually cursed. | | 6 | **Blessed News:** Two jovial young women in simple dress offer the blessings of their goddess upon the party. They offer information about the area, compliment the party on their skills, and emphatically extol the virtues of their deity. Regardless of the party’s interest, the women offer informative pamphlets and assure them that all are welcome to worship. | | 7 | **Class Act:** Passing through a cluster of farmhouses, a Halfling school teacher calls out to the party. They insist the party stay for an interview with their students, informing them of life outside the village, and to warn them of the dangers lurking just outside the farmlands. | | 8 | **Cottage Industry:** A kindly Elf calls out to the party, lamenting their lack of fashionable headwear. She ushers them into her busy home, where a team of workers craft a multitude of hats. Speaking with each member of the party, she creates unique hats for each of them, banking on the free advertisement a group of adventurers would provide. | | 9 | **The Tax Collector:** A local tax collector greets the party as he approaches them. Assuming they aren’t local, he asks them to accompany him on his rounds as the locals are quite adverse to paying him. He offers them a reasonable fee for their services, neglecting to mention the tax increase that the lord of the land has imposed this year. | | 10 | **The Entertainer:** The party encounters a travelling entertainer who is approaching a village. She pays her room and board in trade by playing her lute and singing for the locals. Unfortunately, she’s had a good run with songs critical of the current rulers, unaware she is about to sing for a village that is very pro-regime. | ^925a6e # Hidden Reserves Player Desc: [[Hidden Reserves]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Hidden Reserves]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Result | | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Beneath the Wreckage:** A small farmhouse sags in mouldy shambles, damaged by storms years ago. The surrounding fields lie fallow, and there are no signs of life. Beneath the wreckage and debris lie the intact doors to a root cellar. Its stocks aren’t prolific or perfectly preserved, but some of the stashed bottles of moonshine may be salvageable. | | 2 | **Squirrelled Away:** A glint of light alerts the party to a squirrel darting across their path. It leaps into a nearby tree, disappearing within. Minutes later, the squirrel leaves again, creeping into a nearby field. Inspecting the hollow in the tree reveals the squirrel’s nest. Though filthy, it’s replete with small trinkets presumably pilfered from the nearby farms. | | 3 | **Exotic Cuisine:** The party comes across a local rancher that is only too happy to sell them new provisions. While they have heard this pitch before, they do feel rather hungry. Unfortunately, his ‘livestock’ is made up of giant domesticated spiders. If the party can stomach them, they are quite tasty and filling when properly prepared. | | 4 | **The Wellspring:** The party arrives in a town that has a public well from which water may be drawn. When a bucket is lowered and water retrieved, they discover that a valuable ring has come up with it, along with the remnants of the hand that held it. Unfortunately, none of the townsfolk are eager to offer any information about either the ring or the hand. | | 5 | **Golem Revolution:** The party finds a wealthy plantation worked entirely by **Stone Golems**. The dwarven owners explain how the golems require neither rest nor food, thereby not only providing food for their village but wealth for their family in particular. The party can incite the golems to revolt, though the village will face a significant food shortage next season. | | 6 | **Windswept Farmstead:** A semi-collapsed farmhouse stands alone, its fence ripped from the ground and strewn haphazardly around it. Inside, farming implements and stored dry goods are recoverable along with a tiny pair of silver shoes, which have the same properties as a pair of *Boots of Speed*. | | 7 | **Fertile Game:** Even a cursory look at the untilled areas around the farm reveals a variety of wildlife suitable as game. Hares, squirrels, and deer are abundant. Setting traps in this area catches enough game to feed the party without the need for a Wisdom check, and a Wisdom ([[00-Balance Of Powers/3-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Survival\|Survival]]) check nets double the usual total. | | 8 | **The Cache:** Many years ago, this farmland was a pivotal fallback position for an army. Many weapons and provisions were stored here, and while most have either been eaten or long rusted away, the arms and armour remain. Hidden in the barns or buried in shallow pits there are a few pieces of valuable gear amongst them. | | 9 | **Ashy Grove:** The party happens upon the remains of a burnt orchard, with scorched trees that have been turned a variety of strange colours. An Intelligence ([[00-Balance Of Powers/3-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Arcana\|Arcana]]) check will reveal that the orchard was destroyed by a powerful spell. Some scorched fruits still grow on several of the trees. Despite their outward appearance, they taste wonderful. | | 10 | **One Bandit’s Trash:** A carriage sits still in the road, provisions piled up in the back. At the front, the fresh corpse of a Human is keeled over, an empty coin purse discarded on the ground. All the signs of a highwayman attack are clear, but they were only interested in the money. The provisions, and the **Horses** that pulled them, are free for the taking. | ^ffd849 # A Bump in the Road Player Desc: [[A Bump in the Road]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#A Bump in the Road]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Result | | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Court of Crows:** A massive cornfield populated by a conspicuous number of crows fills the valley, occupying the only sensible route forward. At its centre, the party discovers a sapient scarecrow, the field’s self-proclaimed king, with hundreds of crow courtiers. The [[Guide]] must make a Charisma ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Persuasion\|Persuasion]]) check to convince the xenophobic creatures not to drive the party out forcefully. | | 2 | **Waterspout:** Water sprays violently from a stone well near the roadside, flooding the entire area. A raging **Water Elemental** is bound within the well, nonplussed at its inability to escape. The [[Guide]] must make an Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Arcana\|Arcana]]) check to soothe the enraged creature or release it to its home plane, mitigating the obstacle’s intensity before it harries the party too severely. | | 3 | **Storm Waters:** The party arrives in a small village in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm. Deciding to wait out the weather in an inn, a dam breaks during the night and the entire town is flooded. Trudging through the waters requires a Constitution ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]]) check, but the party may wish to stay and help the flooded farmers. | | 4 | **Riddle Me This:** The party meets a farmer who pesters the party until they stop and have a drink with him. He offers [[Guide]] several riddles, requiring an Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Investigation\|Investigation]]) check. While playing, it’s soon obvious that this is more than just a good-natured game and that this is no ordinary farmer, but a **Satyr** in disguise! | | 5 | **Blockhead Blockade:** Two Halfling caravans block a crossroads, their leaders ferociously arguing over whose family the road belongs to and which caravan has right of way. This is an ancient blood feud. The [[Guide]] must succeed on either a Charisma check of their choice to ease tensions or succeed on an Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Culture\|Culture]]) check to determine the true owner. | | 6 | **Bramble Wood:** The road winds through a thicket of trees that is choked with brambles. The [[Guide]] must succeed on a Strength ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]]) check to move aside the weeds and clear a path. | | 7 | **Stampede!:** The party is walking down a path between farms when the cattle on one side are disrupted by a wolf that has entered the farm. Panicked, the cattle stampede, easily breaking through the wooden fence and threatening the party. Dexterity Saving Throws are necessary for the party to leap out of the way of crushing hooves. | | 8 | **Broken Wagon:** A broken wagon lies in the centre of the road, blocking the passage of all but foot traffic. Characters with horses or wagons need to remove the broken wagon first, which can be accomplished via a Strength check or by repairing the wagon with the appropriate tools. | | 9 | **Silent Treatment:** The hungry party happens upon a farming village where absolutely nobody is willing to look at them, much less talk to them, or acknowledge their presence in any way. If the [[Guide]] succeeds at an Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Religion\|Religion]]) check, they deduce this behaviour is connected to an old superstition regarding strangers. If they return the following day, everyone’s very friendly, being no longer unknown to the village. | | 10 | **Toll Booth:** An oppressive baron of the area has imposed a toll for the roads ahead, which the militia under his thumb is keen to collect. The toll is 5 gp per head to pay, but a successful Charisma ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Deception\|Deception]]) check from the [[Guide]] can trick the militia into thinking the party has already paid the toll to another guard on the road. | ^148b24 # Needing Assistance Player Desc: [[Needing Assistance]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Needing Assistance]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Swords to Ploughshares:** A contingent of elderly veterans have banded together to work a farm amidst the battlefield they fought each other upon decades prior. Blood no longer waters the fields, nor does rain, but if the party helps them carry water from a distant creek with a group Strength ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]]) check, this year’s harvest might get them through the winter. | | 2 | **Today an Ox, Tomorrow a Family:** A field lies half-furrowed, the plough on its side mid-row, still yoked to a dead ox. The farmer’s family gathers nearby, worrying how they will finish the work without missing the impending season. The party can help finish ploughing the field with a group Constitution ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]] or [[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check. | | 3 | **Danse Macabre:** The party comes upon an isolated village in the midst of a festival. Everyone is cheering, singing, and dancing, yet looking closer reveals that no one in the village is happy. They are being magically forced to perform the festival in retribution for some trivial slight against the woodland fae. A group Charisma ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Performance\|Performance]]) check can appease the casters, relieving the village of their dancing duties. | | 4 | **Unnatural Growth:** A strange plant has infested a worried farmer's fields and it is taking over like an ornery weed. Worse, the plant is spreading into other farms, causing friction amongst the farmers. A group Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check can cut the plant strategically before it spreads, but this dissection indicates that the unnatural plant is not of this plane. | | 5 | **Chasing Chickens:** A Gnome farmer requests help repairing their broken henhouse and recapturing their scattered chickens. A successful group Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Animal Handling\|Animal Handling]]) check recovers the chickens with ease while a successful group test with Carpenter's Tools fixes the coop for an extra reward. The Gnome offers them thanks with a warm bed for the night, a roast chicken dinner, and a dozen eggs for their help (treat as 1 Supply Die per PC). | | 6 | **Wolf in the Henhouse:** A suspicious father requests the party watch his daughter who he believes has welcomed unwanted visitors into her bedroom, noting tracks outside her window. Characters speaking to the daughter and succeeding on a Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Insight\|Insight]]) check or examining the tracks and succeeding on an Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check discern she is a **Werewolf** and has been sneaking out for her family’s safety. She offers a silver necklace for the party’s silence. | | 7 | **Out of the Bag:** A cat demands the party’s attention before speaking, revealing herself to be a cursed villager who had an affair with a farmer, only to be caught by his wife and transformed to hunt mice on their farm. She has slowly gathered all the components to reverse the curse, but due to her lack of opposable thumbs, needs the party to perform the ritual with a Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Arcana\|Arcana]]) check. | | 8 | **Entitled Goose:** A particularly aggressive goose is pestering a farmer, stealing small, but vital items, such as keys, purses, and tools. Exasperated, they ask for help, requiring a group Strength or Dexterity ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Animal Handling\|Animal Handling]]) check to chase, wrangle, or outmanoeuvre this pesky poultry, ending its reign of terror. | | 9 | **Stuck Helper:** A farmer screams at the party for help as a **Clay Golem** stands in the middle of the field doing nothing, no matter what orders it is given. As it turns out, the golem has sunk into a muddy hole and doesn’t know how to get out. A group Strength ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]]) check is necessary to pull it free. | | 10 | **Quick Save:** After a bad thaw, several farms need assistance as a nearby river is overflowing. The party can help each farm by making a group Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check to determine the best way to build barriers to channel the water where it needs to go. A separate group Constitution ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Athletics\|Athletics]]) check is necessary to build the structures. | ^0cca1a # Danger Afoot Player Desc: [[Danger Afoot]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Danger Afoot]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1 | **Outlaws:** A group of **Bandit**s are stealing crops as the party passes by. These bandits believe that the local lord is treating their peasants poorly and have been declared outlaws. Unfortunately, they tend to behave as such and a well-equipped party makes for a tempting distraction. Bandits surround the party as their leader demands their money, to pass onto the poor. | | 2 | **Pillagers:** Soldiers from a travelling army invade the village and demand food, board, and supplies. These **Thugs** are pretty aggressive and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Should a character react or even simply give them a dirty look, the soldiers decide to make an example out of them. Fortunately, the soldiers don’t realise that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. | | 3 | **One Way or Another:** A well-fortified village is under siege by bandits and they appeal to the party for aid. These bandits seem to understand the village’s defences very well and are bleeding them dry. Turns out the ‘bandits’ are irate workers that built the wall for the village, only to be denied their full payment. | | 4 | **Strange Tribute:** The countryside is plagued by a Wizard in the hills. They implore the party to destroy him, offering a secret entrance into his fort. Unfortunately, the country folk are actually in league with the wizard, sending him well-equipped victims to trap and pilfer. Some goods are sold on the market, while others he keeps for himself. | | 5 | **Bountiful Starvation:** A village with a wealth of flourishing crops is somehow full of starving villagers. They inform the party they do not own their land and are forced to send all of their food to the nobles, leaving only small gardens for themselves. Unfortunately, the guards have recently decided small gardens take too much time away from their real work and banned them, tearing these precious plots to shreds. | | 6 | **Plague on Their Houses:** A farming village is overrun with wild animals and plantlife, choking the crops. The farmers are ill with a mysterious necrosis only affecting humanoids. Investigation reveals a circle of **Druids** are reclaiming the land for the local animals and, of course, their circle. | | 7 | **River Uprising:** The watchman of a village and his villagers beg the party for assistance in dealing with the ongoing raids they have endured from a band of **Lizardfolk**. They fail to mention that the Lizardfolk are angry at them for partially redirecting a nearby river to irrigate their fields, leaving the Lizardfolk’s downriver village a mudhole. | | 8 | **Lottery Day:** The party finds a village in the midst of a local celebration. Everyone seems to be in a fantastic mood, except the ‘winner’ of a recent contest who looks miserable. The locals dissemble about what’s really going on, but the winner will be sacrificed to ensure a good harvest. If the party wishes to intervene, the farmers are all effectively **Cultists**. | | 9 | **Village of Spores:** The party encounters a small Dwarf village, seemingly abandoned in great haste. Tools lie where they were dropped, and meals stand unfinished. Stricken villagers are found milling about the fields, covered in bulbous mushroom growths, victims of a magical fungal bloom triggered by working the soil. At first docile and insensate, the villagers react with mindless violence upon sighting the party. | | 10 | **Protectors of the Realm:** A band of **Knights** on horseback trot towards the party, believing them to be the group of bandits they were warned would be coming down this road. Though clearly strong, these knights don’t seem too smart and are convinced the party are villains. Winning a contested Charisma ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Persuasion\|Persuasion]]) against their Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Insight\|Insight]]) at Disadvantage will convince them otherwise. | ^acfbb3 # Natural Wonders Player Desc: [[Natural Wonders]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Natural Wonders]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Amber Waves of Grain:** From a low hilltop, the party spies vast fields of grain rippling like water as the wind blows through the shallow valley. The farmer and their homes are nowhere to be seen, creating the illusion of a golden ocean stretching near to the horizon, catching the majesty of the setting sun in glimmering waves. | | 2 | **Getting Comfortable:** The ground ahead rumbles and splits, then rises above the surrounding land as a vaguely humanoid giant pulls itself out of the earth. Large enough that several farms remain fully intact on its back, it stretches and yawns before plodding off, only to lie down again between two nearby hills, relocating the farms with minimal harm. | | 3 | **Flying Fish:** A strange creature native to this countryside are flying fish that ‘swim’ through grains and grasses, occasionally flying through the air as they feed. They are natural pests to the locals, who often go ‘fishing’ to thin the schools that plague their fields. Unfortunately, the party may discover that similarly adapted sharks also plague the fields. | | 4 | **Magic Lens:** For as long as anyone can remember, the sky above the countryside has been<br><br>enchanted. It has no effect on those below, but on clear nights it changes the colours of the stars,<br><br>providing those viewing it with a brilliant multicoloured display. An Intelligence (Navigator’s<br><br>Tools) check indicates that there’s a pattern to the colours that suggests a map. | | 5 | **Truffle Hunters:** A forested commune is a welcome spot for culinary-minded visitors, boasting fine cuisine and honey mead. The friendly proprietors are a **Werebear** and **Wereboar** couple who, along with their large family, excel at beekeeping and truffle hunting. | | 6 | **Mystic Orchard:** Delightful scents beckon from the fruits of an ancient orchard, their knotted trees winding skyward and creating verdant archways. The fruit from this orchard is believed to have provided prophecies, started wars, and opened the minds of ancient people. Will the characters take a bite? | | 7 | **Bulette Train:** A thriving farm boasts beautifully ploughed fields replete with bountiful crops, the result of an ingenious and brave farmer’s new technique. Trained **Bulettes** plough through the soil, breaking up stones and mixing the earth to ensure fertile ground. Seeing them swim through the land in perfect formation is a sight to behold, though their deadly nature may leave some fearful of a nasty bite. | | 8 | **Faerie Fields:** The grain stalks of these fields are multi-coloured and the party can see swirling patterns from high points on the ground. While an interesting sight, the grain itself is normal. Long ago, the farmers helped a fey lord who enchanted their fields as a gift. Their grain grows full every season and the ground is always fertile. | | 9 | **Terrible Punishment:** The fields of this village are “protected” by scarecrows that are actually criminals. The party sees prisoners tied to a field post as a human scarecrow to keep the crows away. Each post is enchanted to deliver a slight shock whenever birds draw near to induce the prisoner to scream and scare them away, an awful sound to accompany an awful sight. | | 10 | **Domestic Sprinkler:** A small, dark cloud hovers low above a farmhouse, wrapped in chains that leash it to the ground. The farmer can be seen dragging the cloud across his fields, tugging on the chain to squeeze the water out like a sponge. A Wisdom (Nature) check can reveal the cloud as a **Water Elemental** and **Air Elemental** entwined together and somehow tamed. | ^8ec860 # Monster Hunt Player Desc: [[Monster Hunt]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Monster Hunt]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Strange Tracks:** The Outrider finds strange tracks leading up to a farmhouse. The farmer has been replaced by **a Doppelganger** who plans to gorge himself on the farmhouse supplies before moving to the next house. Fortunately, it has only imprisoned the family rather than killed them, but if the party doesn’t act it will do so before moving on. | | 2 | **Diabolic Contract:** A Halfling farmer has been having incredible luck growing crops during a bad season. Unfortunately, it’s because he made a pact with a devil. During the night, **Hellhound**s are unleashed to roam free. It is up to the party to protect the town from these hellish creatures and root out the source. | | 3 | **Footprints:** Someone’s been stealing livestock and the farmers believe it to be the work of a nearby Giant. They’ve hired the party to find the giant and either destroy it or otherwise convince it to leave the farms alone. Unfortunately, a Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Survival\|Survival]]) check indicates that these are not giant footprints, but an unnaturally huge **Ettin**. | | 4 | **Not Our Problem?:** While camping, one of the party notices a **Gorgon** some distance away. The creature poses no threat to the party, but it appears to be heading towards a farm with a family that was friendly to the party. Unless the party is roused and follows the Gorgon, it will likely kill the family. | | 5 | **Eggstra Harvest:** Excited farmers report a massive speckled egg among their hens’ nests. A successful Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check reveals this is not an extra special chicken egg, but a **Cockatrice** egg about to hatch. | | 6 | **Sprite Stronghold:** Ominous chittering carried by the wind spooks local farmers who point to their rusted tools as evidence of a curse. Following the path of verdigris sludge leads to a **Rust Monster** ranch tended by **Sprites**. None of them appreciate company, though they are happy to liberate the party of any iron they carry. | | 7 | **Nobody’s Picnic:** The party is invited by some farmers to join a local drinking festival. Because many different types of wine and liquors will be on hand, weapons are to be checked to avoid accidents. Unfortunately, this means no one is armed with anything more than daggers when a furious swarm of **Ankhegs** erupts from the ground to stop all the noise from the drunken carousing. | | 8 | **Storm Born:** Farmers claim that one of the fields they left fallow this season has been haunted since a massive storm and now a terrible spirit resides within it, attacking any that dare trespass upon it. They would be extremely grateful to any willing to exorcise the field, offering supplies for seasons to come. The field isn’t haunted however — the storm’s lighting awoke a **Shambling Mound**. | | 9 | **What’s Cooking?**: The sour scent of burning crops brings the party to a deep sinkhole between fields. Out of this fissure in the earth comes a long, winding line of jaunty **Magmins**. Their migratory path brings them across fields of valuable wheat surrounding a small market town. If their destructive course is not stopped or deflected, the year’s harvest will be destroyed by their trailing flames. | | 10 | **Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing:** A sheep farmer requests aid from the passing party, claiming something is killing his sheep every few nights. Staking out the farm at night or a successful Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Nature\|Nature]]) check will reveal one of the sheep is actually a **Mimic**. As thanks for disposing of the culprit, the farmer will reward them with modest payment. | ^7d2a67 # A Place to Rest Player Desc: [[A Place to Rest]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#A Place to Rest]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Green Inn:** The party is welcomed by the Halfling proprietor of a warm and welcoming country inn. The halfling is a Druid and vegan. His dishes are as unique as they are tasty; there is no one for miles around who can cook vegetable dishes like he can. He also brews a delicious and very satisfying beverage that he calls a ‘root beer’. | | 2 | **A Proposition:** A farmer approaches the party with a proposition. She offers free room and board if they spend the night in her barn and discover what is eating the livestock at night. It turns out to be a pack of **Giant Hyenas**, as the party are woken by the cackling of the creatures and their slavering jaws. | | 3 | **Not Quite Abandoned:** The party finds the ruins of an old outpost on a hill amongst the farms, an ideal place to spend the night. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems. As the party makes camp, a Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Perception\|Perception]]) check spots almost imperceptible markings on the walls. This outpost belongs to something intelligent that is slipping past the farmers unseen. | | 4 | **Battle of the Bards:** The party comes across a roadside inn with a friendly Half-Orc proprietor. She offers them free room and board if they can regale her other patrons with tales of their travels. Should the party agree, the regular tavern bard soon arrives and challenges them to a singing duel. | | 5 | **Kiss Goodnight:** A tavern is brimming with jovial but strangely dead eyed guests. The handsome proprietor (a disguised **Incubus**) welcomes the party in, assuring them that once they settle in, they will never want to leave. | | 6 | **Counting Sheep:** A sheep shed appears to be a cosy, if noisy, place to bunk down for the night. The nearby farmstead shimmers in the dark, as if not truly on the material or ethereal plane. The **Night Hag** living there is eager to have overnight guests. | | 7 | **Any Port in a Storm:** A thunderous downpour sends the party hurrying for shelter. Sighting lamplight and following raucous voices, they find, under a low hill, a bar crammed with **Kobolds**. The merry clientele are welcoming, offering a peculiar metallic-tasting ale (potable on a successful Constitution check) and rest for the night. Of course, party members may find certain belongings missing in the morning… | | 8 | **Smoky Lodgings:** An old abandoned barn, clearly once used as a smokehouse judging by the aroma, offers the only shelter for miles. The main area of the barn has a hayloft, where a large flattened patch amidst the hay indicates that something very big has slept here regularly. Whatever it was, it does not seem to have been here recently. | | 9 | **Oak Inn:** Out on the edge of a vast farmland the party discovers an oak tree so massive, a family of Halflings have carved a small hostel within it. While it is cramped for bigger folk, their scrumptious meals more than make up for the inconvenience. Their hosts confess they are still worried about a **Blood Hawk** roost they drove out in order to start the inn. | | 10 | **Hitchhike:** A Centaur is pulling a carriage of hay bales and offers the party a ride in the back. The well-travelled road is smooth and their destination is far enough for the party to have a pleasant nap on the hay. Though these roads are often peaceful, they are notorious for the occasional stick-up from bands of highwaymen. | ^edb395 # Old Memories Player Desc: [[Old Memories]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Old Memories]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Ruined Estate:** A crumbling castle looks over the countryside. This village was once very important, but over time its status was reduced to the point where the local nobles moved elsewhere. No villager dared claim the castle, so it has been crumbling on a nearby hill ever since, occasionally being occupied by bandits or monsters. | | 2 | **The Red Weed:** A strange weed affects the local farms. It randomly sprouts and, when it does, it quickly overruns the fields, destroying the crops. Despite its ruinous nature, the weed isn’t particularly troublesome and a good day or two of weeding eliminates it. Locals speculate that it may have been a food source for a forgotten monster. | | 3 | **Echoes in the Land:** The party comes into possession of an ancient map of an old city with hidden treasures. When they arrive at the site, they discover a village and farms that follows the old city streets, though none of the locals realise, making it an awkward prospect to dig up their land! | | 4 | **Hold the Wall!:** A group of militia are going through their drills before standing guard along the remnants of a ruined wall that lines one side of a valley. While there hasn’t been a threat from the other side in over a century, the militia still dutifully perform their duties, shooting the occasional rabbit or pheasant, and its leaders have old titles and honours gifted during a half-forgotten war. | | 5 | **Petrified Woods:** A forest of stone Treant statues stand in combat formation. A reminder of an ancient war with a Medusa? Digging up the earth reveals the Treants still have living roots and could possibly be revived. If they still believe themselves to be at war however, doing so could be dangerous. | | 6 | **Vanished Village:** An empty village on a river is perfectly preserved, as if everyone simultaneously vanished. Anyone spending the night in the village reports dreams of drowning and hears faint singing, accompanied by distant screams for several days. | | 7 | **Dutiful to the End:** The party encounters a flooded plain that was once covered centuries ago by fertile farmland. Under the placid water a dozen **Clay Golems** still carry out their daily tasks, reaping non-existent wheat and milking long-departed stock. Whatever powerful source of magic maintains the automatons still exists, somewhere beneath the water. | | 8 | **The Old Ones’ Clock:** All the farms within a day’s journey use an old series of menhir rings covered with various astrological symbols to accurately predict the coming weather. Those that earn their trust will be shown the ‘real’ clock – an ancient tarnished device beneath the menhirs with far more disturbing sigils, which they claim warns when dangerous alignments between the planes will occur. | | 9 | **Galloping Fields:** A series of small tremors routinely shake an otherwise quiet area of farmland, causing minor damage. After returning from an adventure at exactly the right angle over the surrounding hills at twilight, the party perceives that the entire farm was laid out long ago in the shape of a herd of running horses, the careful labour of a century or more. | | 10 | **Wishing Tree:** A withered tree stands alone amidst a valley of crops. Though barren of leaves, an abundance of ribbons and trinkets hang in their place. Upon closer inspection, these gifts are inscribed with wishes and prayers in all kinds of languages, weather-worn but still firmly attached. Any sign of the deity this tree was used to worship is long gone, but the sentiment remains. | ^6bb49f # A Dark Place Player Desc: [[A Dark Place]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#A Dark Place]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Grim Procession:** A procession of forlorn farmfolk, eyes downcast and unwilling to speak, trudge toward their farmhouses in the distance. Defeat and perhaps something darker hangs over them like a pall. A mile further, the party finds iron manacles bolted to a granite plinth, both spattered with still-wet blood and surrounded by dozens of fist-sized stones. | | 2 | **Scorched Earth and Salted Fields:** Smoke rises from a smouldering farm, its buildings razed and the fields salted. While the lack of corpses at first seems fortunate, the party quickly finds evidence that the farm was destroyed at the hands of at least a hundred creatures, and the lack of bodies can mean only one thing. | | 3 | **The Hole:** The country folk are all friendly and approachable, especially when encountered in the local tavern. A Wisdom ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/Survival\|Survival]]) check reveals that there is one spot of good soil that no farmer will till, and if questioned they only respond that ‘the hole is there.’ It’s obvious that no one knows exactly what is in the hole, but they are all terrified by it. | | 4 | **Infernal Unicorns:** A local community is being slowly abandoned, as outlying farms are slowly being slaughtered by piercing adversaries. It soon becomes apparent that these are **Unicorn** attacks, but why would lawful good creatures do this? The answer may lie in the twisted woods they call home, woods that slowly encroach back onto the ‘cleared’ farmlands. | | 5 | **Blood Fruit:** A downtrodden village offers ‘blood apples’ for sale, noting they only grow on a hanging tree. The village, positioned at a waypoint between several outlying communities, is where the local nobles perform all their executions. The grove of hanging trees thrives on the blood that drips down from the poor souls left to rot among their branches. | | 6 | **Sheep Slaughter:** Ravaged and gutted sheep lie rotting for miles across the fields. Reaching the centre of the slaughter, “beware of wolves” is written on a sign in blood. As the party move on, the sun begins to set, and the howling begins. | | 7 | **The Whisper Tree:** There is an old tree in the woods that no local will go near, as it is reputed to be haunted. An old **Ghost** is anchored to the tree and can’t rest until a wrong is righted. Should the party investigate the tree, the ghost curses them until they make the descendents pay for their forebears’ crime. | | 8 | **Sanctuary:** On the night of the full moon, the farmers and villagers gather in their country temple to pray all night long. They claim that anyone that doesn’t pray inside with them is in danger. The party is free to join or ignore their pleas, but there is a good reason; a pack of **Wereboars** roam at night and the creatures are warded off by the temple’s holy ground. | | 9 | **The Deluge:** The party encounters a drenched village whose surrounding fields have been destroyed by a seemingly endless downpour. Once they ply the morose and sodden farmers with enough of the local rotgut to finally get their tongues wagging, they tearfully whisper that they prayed for rain to the wrong god. | | 10 | **Reaper’s Harvest:** On the not-so-distant horizon, skeletons walk through barren fields of tilled soil with a silent and stoic purpose. Though devoid of crops, they swing scythes toward the earth as if harvesting something unseen. With each wide cleave, faint sounds of tearing flesh are carried by the cold wind that chills the party to the bone. | ^099772 # Deadly Fight Player Desc: [[Deadly Fight]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Deadly Fight]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Cult:** Due to a poor crop the previous year, farmers are cutting down part of the forest for more fertile soil. This has upset a local druidic cult, who’ve decided to wipe out the farmers in response. Led by a **Druid**, these **Cultists** attack the nearest farm just as the party is passing by. | | 2 | **Hunters:** Whether staying at an inn or a farmhouse, the party is joined by another guest, an exhausted **Scout** who escaped an underground prison. Unfortunately, her captors won’t allow her to escape and have sent **Driders** in the night to reclaim her. The party finds themselves under siege as the driders have orders not to leave any witnesses alive. | | 3 | **Not Quite Eagles:** Local ranchers ask the party to help them deal with a giant eagle problem. The eagles are swooping down during the night and snatching cattle. If the party agrees, they discover that the ranchers are mistaken; the culprits aren’t giant eagles but **Wyverns**! Worse, they are pets of a **Stone Giant** who comes after anyone that harms them. | | 4 | **Look What I Found!:** While spending the night at an inn, the party meets a farmer who dug up a strange object while ploughing. This proves to be a curse, as **Wights** rise from the local cemetery to reclaim the object. The inn finds itself under siege as they attempt to kill anyone who’s even seen the object. | | 5 | **Fertiliser Fight:** A long-standing feud between two farmsteads has become dangerous to everyone. One farmstead has cultivated magical fertiliser with the unfortunate byproduct of creating **Shambling Mounds**. The other has captured a pair of **Blue Dragon Wyrmlings** for protection and lets them roam unimpeded. | | 6 | **Walk Behind the Rows:** Several young farmers eagerly invite the party to participate in their harvest celebration. The “celebration” is a sacrifice to a **Otyugh** who the farmers believe keeps them safe from outside influences. | | 7 | **Stalked by Scarecrows:** The party notices a field with far more scarecrows (use the **Flesh Golem** entry) than necessary. The party are unwittingly herded into a darkened farmhouse where they notice the bodies of the previous occupants, their mouths stuffed with straw. During this discovery, scarecrows stare through each window, ready to attack. | | 8 | **Extra Crispy:** Farmers have been waking up to their guard dogs, sheep, cows, and horses having all been ripped apart, gorged upon, or burnt to a char late at night – though their goats are never touched and no one has ever heard a thing. They beg for the party’s help in stopping whatever fiend is responsible; a wickedly clever **Chimera** with a magic ring that lets it cast *Silence* once a day. | | 9 | **The Blight Eternal:** Farmers the party are friends with come to them, terrified, claiming an ancient evil has once again returned to menace their people. The party finds an entire village obeying the whims of a young girl with glowing green eyes, who immediately demands their obedience, threatening terrible retribution if they defy her — she is the *dominated* emissary of a vicious **Spirit Naga**. | | 10 | **The Rusted Knight:** A lost Knight stumbles toward the party, his full plate so rusted so that any crest is undistinguishable. Grumbling incoherently, he seems to be overcome with madness. Cursed to never rest, he recovers 8d8 hit points shortly after ‘death’. A successful Intelligence ([[03-Mechanics/6-Ability Scores/History\|History]]) check recalls rumours of this curse, and a *Remove Curse* spell will grant him peace. | ^e2111d # Fateful Encounters Player Desc: [[Fateful Encounter]] DM Details: [[Encounter Types#Fateful Encounter]] ***Remember to note [[Journey Rewards]] while this is fresh in your mind!*** | 1d10 | Event | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **The Breeder:** The party meets a Halfling rancher who’s used a combination of selective breeding and magic to exclusively raise giant animals. He’s happy to reprovision the party with whatever they need especially if they can gather rare herbs for him that happen to be in the areas that they plan to travel. | | 2 | **Problem Mounts:** A Wood Elf known as a renowned breeder is raising Hippogriffs as mounts for nobility. Despite living a rustic life, she knows a lot about the intrigue and machinations of regional politics. She is also willing to sell Hippogriff mounts to the party at a reduced price, with the caveat that these Hippogriffs are bad tempered, and loathe to take training. | | 3 | The Statue: There is a statue in the centre of the village. It seems out of place in the otherwise rustic setting and no one seems to know anything about it. No sooner does the party approach the statue than it animates, offering them cryptic useful clues before offering them a magicitem. It then returns to stone having delivered its peculiar gift. | | 4 | **I’m Retired Now:** The party meets a Elf who is a former resident of the nearest major city, but they’ve long since retired and made amends for any wrong-doing. He now prefers the simple life of a village blacksmith, but he’s more than willing to share any secrets or useful information he has for a drink and good company. | | 5 | **Barn Raising:** The party is invited to a barn raising overseen by an exceedingly beautiful couple. The couple are **Vampires** who have “farmed” the local population for centuries. They are happy to provide knowledge or succour, for a price of course. | | 6 | **Cattle Colony:** Herds of **Cats** welcome the party to a massive barn filled with **Panthers** in large stalls. The felines are overseen by a **Minotaur** researcher determining how best to teach assorted felines to navigate mazes. She is happy to offer maps, knowledge, or even feline mounts to anyone who proves capable. | | 7 | **The Property Bubble:** Perambulating about in his own personal sphere of water, a **Merfolk** estate agent is looking for land suitable for his irrigation schemes. He is eager to pay those willing to assist in clearing the land of uncooperative farmers. If the party resists him, or his plans are irreparably derailed, there is always the option of flooding the desired area. | | 8 | **Runs Like Thunder:** Some villagers ask the party to act as their go-between to an individual they admire, but also admit they fear – a Ranger famous for her hot temper. The farmers neglect to mention the ranger is a Centaur who wears beautifully engraved wooden plate armour and that she is angry because they broke their agreement to not expand their fields into the local woodland. | | 9 | **The Rain Maker:** The party meets a man that all the local villages are in absolute awe of, treating him with a nervous reverence. For the right fee, he is said to be able to bring much needed rain. Rumour also whispers that he can redirect the rain from rival villages to yours for an even higher fee. No one knows how he accomplishes this wondrous act. | | 10 | **Extended Warranty:** An odd looking Gnome pops up from seemingly nowhere, asking the party if they have been in any vehicular accidents lately. He implies they can earn large sums of gold if they report any collisions after signing for his insurance, hiding the fact he is actually an **Imp** in disguise who makes countless contracts imbued with curses. | ^44a059