Traveling in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition can be challenging to understand, as its primarily different measurements of time and distance are suited f𝕴or a hex-crawl campaign, which not every table prefers. Additionally, DMs are given tables to add in Wilderness Encounters, Coꦅmplications, and even Landmarks. Still, those experiences are mostly quantified as a few dice rolls, and the Encounters are more inconveniences of failing said rolls.
For lack of a better word, traveling from place to place in Fifth Edition feels bland, and a massive contributor to that problem is how empty and lifeless the in-between of Point A and Point B can feel. What the entire experience is missing is just that, an experience, and what better way to give that to a group of players than a chance encounter with a unique character along the same road they're traveling! Are they going to the same place as the party, and what's their business when they arrive? Have they just come from the current destination, and what stories or information are they willing to share?
7 ♐ The Lone Hitchhiker
From horseback, an overburdened passerby spots you, making eye contact and offering a weak smile. They offer you a bit of coin to lighten their load in whatever direction you're heading. By the looks of their dress and the supplies they carry, they seem well-traveled, perhaps indicating an air of wanderlust. Are they to be trusted?
Using an NPC whose sole occupation is traveling and sightseeing allows you to share local myths and folklore about the current environment or kingdom the players pass through. Maybe they know an ideal place to make camp or have a unique way to forecast the next day's weather. Alternatively, this character cou🦩ld become a benevolent spirit, blessing other travelers who have the compassion to offer aid to a person in need, perhaps granting them a swift journey or a lucky find along their route.
6 The ꧙Spectral Camper ꦅ
Night falls, and the party agrees it's time to make camp for the evening. Your current surroundings are foreign, and who knows what lurks within these parts of the world? Strangely, you see the glow of a campfire shining not too far ahead. When you approach, the figure sits alone, cooking a delicious-smelling meal in an old stewpot. They offer you and your friends a seat, but they're not much for conversation, and something seems off about their appearance.
An injection of spookiness and tension can be perfect for what would otherwise be an average Long Rest. Maybe that night, the players' dreams are invaded with images of their hosts' gruesome death, and they awake to find no campsite around them at all. Perhaps even their hit dice are rolled at a disadvantage. Or, for a less negative impact, this could start a small quest for a unique magic item, where the previous campers' untimely demise can be brought to justice in return for a reward.
5 ♏The Peddling Salesman 🙈
Further up along the path, you spot a ramshackle wagon, moving without any aid of a mount. Puffs of black smoke rise from a pipe atop the wagon's cover, and a small figure pops its head out of the front fold, excitedly waving you down. They reveal their wagon to unfold itself into a magnificent market stand display, with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:cl🌄ockwork wonders and other strange inventions. However, every purchase requires signing a waiver, releasing the salesman from any 🔴liability.
In town, players will know exactly where they want to spend their gold. They'll look for an alchemist, a blacksmith, or whatever suits their current adventuring needs. But when traveling, people often don't buy what they need — they buy souvenirs that remind them of where they visited or a landmark they saw, and your fantasy world needn't be any different! Use a peddling salesman to hook them into spending their coin on something they'd never think to ask for or a home brew potion you're dying to see your players drink. The salesman can be oddly convincing, maybe even using a bit of illusion magic to make things appear more desirable.
4 🧜 The Reluctant Highwayman 𓃲
From the bushes springs a man with a handmade mask over their face. Their sword looks dull, but its point is towards you, and 168澳洲幸运5🥂开奖网:they demand payment before letting𒅌 you cross, lest th🍷eir blade crosses your throat. Upon closer 🙈inspection of the situation, you notice that sweat gathers around their brow, and their knees look a bit wobbly. Despite their threat, they seem to be the one in an uncomfortable position.
Combat can easily be slotted into wilderness travel using the various charts provided in the Dungeon Master's Guide. What's missing from those, and what you're expected to provide, is context. But here's a character whose willingness to fight is entirely up to how the players handle the situation. Why is this person forced to rob travelers? Have the taxes from the crown become too high for commoners? Perhaps there's not only a way to avoid this fight, but to redeem this character and turn them towards a better path.
3 The Lost Scholar ꦆ 🐭
In the center of a crossroads, a fancily dressed person scratches their head as their hands fumble with a collection of maps and guides. They're wary of making conversation for fear of robbery or worse, but they're secretly grateful to anyone patient enough to guide them in the direction of the local college. They've come all this way to research a lost burial site of a powerful spell caster and would be happy to hire a few able bodies for the coming venture.
Players seeking information about a plot-related event or creature may require a library or a bookstore in hopes of discovering more pieces to the puzzle. Although the scholar's nose could be sniffing in another direction, maybe they know someone or something that could be helpful. Maybe they themselves are someone of great importance, but prefer to travel on foot from place to place and are a tad scatterbrained. Perhaps they even have a few spells the group's wizard has been seeking, and they're willing to copy them into their spell book free of charge.
2 The Ev🌸eryday Commuter
With a sharpened axe over one shoulder and a satchel of lunch around the other, a local lumberjack walks along the path slightly ahead of you. They whistle a catchy tune that clings to your mind, and upon spotting you, they wish you a good day, making light conversation. They know this road well, but they know a shortcut to where you're going even better (as long as you don't mind getting a bit muddy).
Survival and Nature are two skills regularly used in "travel episodes", but may have limited use anywhere else in the game. Though that may not be true for every table, a friendly NPC local specializing in those two areas is the perfect encounter to give players a chance to use charisma-based checks as a trade-off for the expertise they lack. Maybe this NPC later comes to their aid if the players fall prey to one of the Wilderness Encounters, or it's this NPC they rescue from an attack.
1 The Noble's Caravan
The highway is busier today than expected, and the sound of horns and hooves thunders in the distance. You spot the glint of plate armor, and a colorful array of tabards and standards alerts you that whoever is approaching is of notable status, perhaps even royalty. The guards force you to clear the path and make way for the caravan, and as the noble passes by, they quickly glance at you, displaying a vast amount of wealth just on their outfit alone. Then, a wheel snaps, and the noble's journey takes an unfortunate turn.
If your players love a new "business venture", a stranded noble in dire straits is a perfect social encounter. If the players decide on robbery, challenge them to go above drawing their swords. One player may help repair the wheel while the other distracts the guards; all the while, the rest run their hands through the coffers and take what they can before꧑ sending the nobleman back on their way, none the wiser.