The Gamecraft 25: On the Road

Last week, one of Stuffer Shack’s premier writers, Dixon Trimline, asked for a list of encounters that take place On the Road.  I was instantly inspired – recalling several of my most memorable gaming sessions that featured interesting events taking place while the heroes were en route between locations.  So, without further ado, here’s this week’s Gamecraft 25.

1. The heroes pass through a (seemingly) abandoned village of no more than a dozen or so buildings.  There is no sign of destruction or carnage, other than that of a smashed crypt door in a nearby cemetery.
2. A horse with a slumped-over rider races toward the heroes.   The rider is mortally wounded and dies in the heroes’ presence, uttering the cryptic words, “…the, bridge…”  Were his final words a warning, clue, or something else entirely?
3. Just off the side of the road, folded neatly on a large, flat rock, is a set of fancy clothes.
4. Up ahead and out of sight, the heroes hear a titanic explosion.  Around the bend they find a heavily scorched patch of road and small fires burning nearby.  In the middle of the apparent blast zone is a small, undamaged item.
5. At a crossroads, there is a strange, young woman who dances atop a large circular stone.  Rumors say that she never leaves the stone’s surface, but that an offering which pleases her will grant the gift-giver the answer to one question.
6. The heroes come across a bridge that is missing the road-deck, and must cross the expanse using only the remaining bridge framework.
7. The heroes are approached by a group of well-armed children traveling along a seldom used road, one known as an extremely dangerous trek.  They seem unconcerned about the danger – almost nonchalant.
8. The heroes’ mounts suddenly start choking, and die.  Foamy blood oozes from the animals’ orifices as the group is left without transportation.
9. The group encounters a spectral caravan of religious pilgrims.  The apparitions seem unaware of the living, but if followed, observers will watch a horrific scene play out as the ghostly caravan seems to be attacked and destroyed by unknown assailants before vanishing altogether.
10. The heroes happen across a statue dedicated to a god they know as evil.  However, the shrine and statue depict what appears to be a benevolent deity.  Stranger still, it appears as though offerings have been left recently.
11. An associate of the heroes is found hung from a tree near the road – a warning to the party has been pinned to the person’s chest with a dagger.
12. The corpse of a mundane animal (one that isn’t native to the region) is found along the road (perhaps a walrus along a desert trail or a boa constrictor high in a mountain pass).
13. The heroes are forbidden the use of a bridge by a religious sect that claims the avatar of their god will soon appear upon the bridge.
14. A pair of oxen pulls an ornate cart without any signs of driver or passengers.  The oxen are adorned with strange brands that look more like arcane sigils and runes than typical brandings.
15. A low wall made from stacked stones crosses the road and extends as far as anyone can see in either direction.  The trail passes through an unlocked, but closed, iron gate.
16. Near sunset, the heroes happen upon an encampment of other travelers stopping for the night.  There is a festive atmosphere in the camp.  The heroes share wine, women, and song with the strangers.  When they awake, the travelers are gone, as if they had never been there (no trash, pits, burned out campfires, etc.).
17. As the heroes near a village, they see what appears to be most of the town’s residents in the local cemetery on a nearby hill.  They’re probably just attending a funeral, right?
18. The heroes pass a roadside attraction, perhaps it’s the World’s Smallest Dragon (a captured kobold) or maybe a preserved medusa head (human head with sewn-on snakes).
19. An elderly couple tends their garden near the side of the road.  Without warning, they are set upon by an exceptionally powerful foe (perhaps a demon).  Before the heroes can react, the couple quickly dispatches the enemy and returns to their work.
20. As the heroes cross the border between peaceful kingdoms, they pass a watchtower under construction.  Upon closer examination, they realize the workers are all skeletons and zombies going about their tasks without any sort of control or supervision.
21. The heroes happen upon an ornate bridge of incredible craftsmanship.  The bridge spans a grassy meadow that appears as though it would be easy enough to cross on foot.
22. The road winds along the banks of a lake.  Up ahead, the heroes spot what appears to be various crates and other pieces of cargo washed up upon the shore.
23. The heroes encounter a group of gypsy-like travelers along the road who run a mobile brothel from their wagons and cater to a very “diverse” crowd.
24. Recent storms have made a mess of the road.  Fallen trees, mudslides, and washed out bridges impede the heroes’ progress.
25. A small unit of soldiers is traveling along the same road as the heroes.  Several of them are wounded and they have some sort of creature imprisoned in a cage.  They refuse to discuss anything with “civilians.”

That’s it for this week’s 25, I hope you guys find it useful.

Until next time…