TEXT: by Various Authors
  Short Encounters for
  Characters of Any Level
  Credits
  Design & Layout: Alan Tucker
  Art: Alan Tucker, and licensed and modified stock art from 
  DepositPhotos.com and DMsGuild Community Resources
  Editing: Linda May and Alan Tucker
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, the dragon ampersand, and 
  all other wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of wizards of the 
  Coast in the USA and other countries.
  This work contains material that is copyright wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used 
  with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  All other original material in this work is copyright ©2019 by MAD Design, Inc., Alan Tucker, Chad M. Lensch, 
  Harm Delva, Ciaran O’Halloran, Elven Tower, Tony Petrecca, Beatriz T. Dias, David McDonough, Matt Vaughan 
  (Dungeon Rollers), George Sager, Duncan Rhodes, Morten Greis, Richard Malena-Webber, Karl Sciberras, and 
  ELF Vesala and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  table of Contents
  Foreword  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   . 2
  Adventure Customs and Shorthand .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   . 2
  About the Authors  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 2
  So, a Displacer Beast Cub and a Pack of Blink Dogs Ran Across Our Path… by Alan Tucker  .  .  .  .3
  So, a Sverfneblin, Chased by a Duergar Posse, Walked into Our Campsite… by Chad M. Lensch  .  .4
  So, a Poacher Walks Into a Lodge… by Harm Delva  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
  So, a Goblin in a Cage Hangs Over the Road… by Ciaran O’Halloran  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .6
  So, an Exotic Merchant and a Crippled Aarakocra Landed on Our Campsite… by Elven Tower .  .  . 7
  So, an Umber Hulk and a Slaad Fly Over the Road… by Tony Petrecca  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  So, a Blind Woman and a Medusa Walk Along the Road… by Beatriz T. Dias  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  So, a Barghest and Its Goblin Prey Are Found on the Road… by David McDonough   .  .  .  . 10
  So, a Child and His Sister Walk Onto the Road… by Matt Vaughan (Dungeon Rollers)  .   .   .   . 11
  So, Two Clans of Goblins Gathered by the Road With a Hag—Then a Bunch of                          
  Bards Showed Up…  by George Sager .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   . 12
  So, a Magic Axe, a Skeleton, and a Crowd of Peasants Block the Road… by Duncan Rhodes  .  .  . 13
  So, a Campfire Appeared Along the Road… by Morten Greis  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   . 14
  So, Some Adventurers With a Locked Chest Step Onto the Road… by Richard Malena-Webber .   . 15
  So, a Tearful Shepherd, Three Pixies, and Flock of Sheep Walk Onto the Road… by Karl Sciberras  .   . 16
  Encounter Modifier Tables by ELF Vesala  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
  it CliCks!
  This version of the product is 
  fully hyperlinked so you can 
  move around and find what 
  you need with ease!
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 2
  adventure Customs 
  and shorthand
  Within the adventure, you will see text 
  that is set apart in a box, like this:
  This text is meant to be read aloud or para-
  phrased to the players.
  Other items will be highlighted in bold, 
  referring to an ability check, saving throw, 
  monster, or item from one of the published 
  D&D materials, such as the Monster Man-
  ual. Text that is bold and blue indicates 
  an active link to another page in this book 
  where you can find more information 
  about a particular NPC, encounter, or oth-
  er reference. The core published books for 
  5th edition are abbreviated as follows:
  PHB = Player’s Handbook
  DMG = Dungeon Master’s Guide
  MM = Monster Manual
  VGtM = Volo’s Guide to Monsters
  XGtE = Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
  MToF = Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
  foreword
  The travel montage… as DMs, we’ve all 
  done it. The players only want to get from 
  point A to point B and skip over “the bor-
  ing parts.”
  But, when things happen in between 
  adventures, on the road, it can make your 
  world seem much more alive and interest-
  ing! So, make travel and camping out be-
  side the road fun and intriguing and even 
  a wee bit dangerous… 
  Following in the footsteps of the amaz-
  ingly popular So, a Cleric and a Vampire 
  Walk Into a Tavern, and the newly released 
  So, a Wizard’s Apprentice and a Demon 
  Walk Into a Magic Shop…, this collection 
  of short encounters takes your party on 
  the road, trekking through the wilderness. 
  Inside, you’ll find imaginative stories from 
  some of the DMsGuild’s best and brightest 
  contributors. You’re sure to find something 
  to liven up that trip to the next adventure!
  I sincerely want to thank the tremen-
  dous community of DMsGuild authors, 
  artists, and other contributors for their 
  amazing support. This creative collective is 
  absolutely top notch and true fans of this 
  hobby we all love.
  —Alan Tucker
  about the authors
  Alan Tucker
  Alan is a contributor and author of a 
  number of bestselling products on the 
  DMs Guild, including Hey, Mister, Can 
  You Help Me? and the highly acclaimed 
  Myriad, City of Tiers. Alan also has 
  several fantasy and science fiction novels 
  to his name. You can find more at www .
  AlanTucker .net.
  Chad M . Lensch
  Chad is a contributor to Villains and 
  Lairs. He is working on other projects to 
  be released soon!
  Harm Delva
  Harm wanted to give something back to the 
  community after years of impressing his 
  players with stuff he mooched off the DMs 
  Guild. This is his first ever contribution.
  Ciaran O’Halloran
  Ciaran is a new contributor to the DMs 
  Guild. He is a DM, Dad, and Drama 
  teacher.
  Elven Tower
  Elven Tower is a powerhouse of RPG con-
  tent creation. The small indie studio has 
  created hundreds of fantasy maps, short 
  adventures, and DM content for three 
  years straight.
  Tony Petrecca
  Tony has been DMing since the last mil-
  lennium. He is the author of several 
  critically acclaimed DMsGuild adven-
  tures. Check out his best sellers Hunted, 
  Journey Through the Center of the 
  Underdark, and Killer Kobolds.
  Beatriz T . Dias
  Mostly an adventure writer, the DMsGuild 
  has several of Beatriz’s works.
  David McDonough
  David is a new contributor on the DMs 
  Guild and author of the adventures The 
  Priest, the Witch, and the Lost Temple 
  and Undermountain: Caverns of the Ma-
  ny-Legged.
  Matt Vaughan (Dungeon Rollers)
  Author of the Treasures of… series, fea-
  turing new magic items for use in all your 
  campaigns. Dungeon Rollers has many 
  new items coming in the coming months.
  George Sager
  George is a contributer to Storm King’s 
  Barrows, has a credit in Kobold Press’ 
  Creature Codex, and DMs a 5e campaign 
  for friends when he isn’t working on one 
  of several other projects on the go. Follow 
  him on Twitter @GeorgeSCanada.
  Duncan Rhodes
  Duncan is the author of several best-sell-
  ing titles on the DMs Guild, most nota-
  bly Esquiel’s Guide to Magic Weapons, 
  which brings 120 new blades, battleax-
  es, and bows to your game (along with a 
  treasure trove of more fun stuff). He also 
  blogs at www .hipstersanddragons .com.
  Morten Greis
  Morten is a new contributor to DMs 
  Guild, blogs at Stemmen fra ådalen and 
  converts Danish adventures to English on 
  DriveThruRPG.
  Richard Malena-Webber
  Richard is a contributor and author of 
  many projects on the DMs Guild, includ-
  ing the Ravnica adventure The Tomb of 
  Svogthos and Rise of the Champions.
  Karl Sciberras
  Karl’s first adventure, All in a Day’s 
  Work, was released to the Guild in late 
  2018. More adventures will follow as he 
  extracts all the stories that are rattling 
  around in his head.
  ELF Vesala
  ELF is a random generator aficionado 
  blogging at https://randomcreation .
  net/. His favorite die is d10.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 3
  so, a displaCer beast 
  Cub and a paCk of 
  blink dogs ran 
  aCross our path…
  by Alan Tucker
  suggested party level: any
  Traveling through this forest has been 
  pleasant for the most part, but you sense 
  something in the air this evening you can 
  only describe as anticipation or tenseness.
  While keeping your eyes peeled for a place 
  to make camp, you hear a plaintive, animal 
  cry just before a tiny, dark-furred creature 
  bounds from the brush into your path. 
  Tentacles wave with nervous energy from 
  its shoulders.
  A moment later the air behind the little 
  newcomer shimmers and another, larger 
  creature, with canine features and long, 
  pointed ears, pops into existence. The dog 
  bears its teeth and growls at the smaller, 
  seemingly helpless beast.
  The tiny creature is a displacer beast (MM 
  page 81) cub (which experienced players 
  will likely recognize) and the menacing 
  canine is a blink dog (MM page 318). The 
  players have stumbled onto an ancient 
  conflict and must make a split-second 
  decision: help one creature or the other, or 
  do nothing and see what transpires.
  While the displacer beast is only a new-
  born, and many players’ first thoughts 
  might be to keep it as a pet, the creatures 
  are inherently lawful evil. The blink dog, 
  on the other hand, is lawful good. Your 
  party’s general disposition along the good 
  or evil spectrum may come into serious 
  question depending on what comes next.
  If the players do nothing, or aid the 
  blink dog, the cub’s parent(s) or pride will 
  emerge from the forest, possibly already 
  bloodied from combat before. The DM can 
  determine an appropriate amount of ad-
  versaries to challenge their party.
  If the party decides to help the cub, a 
  pack of several blink dogs will arrive to 
  join the fray. Again, it is left up to the DM 
  to decide how difficult they wish the en-
  counter to be by adjusting the number of 
  dogs in the pack or by adding additional 
  fey as suggested in the Alternatives sec-
  tion below.
  displaCer beast Cub
  Tiny monstrosity, lawful evil
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 5 (2d4)
  Speed 20 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   6 (-2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  4 (-3) 
  8 (-1) 
  7 (-2)
  Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
  Avoidance. If the displacer beast is subjected to an effect 
  that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half 
  damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds, and only 
  half damage if it fails.
  Displacement. The displacer beast projects a magical 
  illusion that makes it appear to be standing near its actual 
  location, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. 
  If it is hit by an attack, this effect is disrupted until the end of 
  its next turn.
  actionS
  Multiattack. The displacer beast makes two attacks with its 
  tentacles.
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 1 (1d4 - 2) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) 
  piercing damage.
  alternatives:
  This encounter offers many possibilities 
  for further adventure. The blink dogs 
  could be part of a Seelie Court (good fey) 
  hunting party that has crossed into the 
  Material Plane for a bit of sport. If the 
  party has harmed or killed one or more 
  of the dogs in order to protect the young 
  displacer beast, the fey could become 
  quite cross with the adventurers, leading 
  to some interesting conundrums for the 
  players— especially if their characters are 
  of good alignment.
  The displacer beasts could be from a 
  breeding program run by a group of evil 
  fey (Unseelie Court) who have plans to 
  cause trouble in the Material Plane in the 
  near future.
  about the author
  Alan is a contributor and author of a 
  number of bestselling products on the 
  DMs Guild, including Hey, Mister, Can 
  You Help Me? and the highly acclaimed 
  Myriad, City of Tiers. Alan also has 
  several fantasy and science fiction novels 
  to his name. You can find more at www .
  AlanTucker .net.
  This encounter originally appeared under 
  the title of “Wild Kingdom” in, Can We Keep 
  Him?, another free collection of encounters 
  with the central theme of party pets.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 4
  She promptly sits up, looks at you with 
  terror-filled eyes, and shrieks, “Please help 
  me! They are going to kill me!” As if on cue, 
  you feel a slight tremor in the ground.
  gutta’s desperate deal
  Gutta could not escape the posse. Her 
  strategy for evasion was to head to the 
  surface, where the sun would be unpleas-
  ant for the duergar. After she meets the 
  party, the desperate gnome pleads with 
  them for help. She lies to the party at first, 
  telling them the reason her pursuers are 
  chasing her is because they hate gnomes, 
  and they already killed two of her friends. 
  If the party succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Insight), Charisma (Intimidation), or 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check, they 
  see through Gutta’s story. If caught, Gutta 
  confesses she has stolen a gem and ap-
  peals to the party’s conscience. Without 
  the help of the party, she will be murdered 
  by the noble’s henchmen. As a last resort, 
  Gutta offers the gem as incentive for the 
  party to help her.  
  If Gutta successfully lies to the party, 
  she will continue that lie through the en-
  counter, or until her lie is discovered.
  the posse’s arrival
  After the party has had a few minutes to 
  talk with Gutta, read or paraphrase the 
  following:
  The tremors begin again, but grow in inten-
  sity. Just when it feels as though the trem-
  ors are under your feet, they stop. A second 
  later, the earth around you explodes!
  As the dust settles, a hollow, metallic 
  guffawing is heard over a deep, resonant 
  breathing. Before you loom two huge, heav-
  ily armored beasts, with razor sharp beaks, 
  powerful front legs and thick claws. They 
  aggressively paw at the ground, and turn 
  their attention towards you. Each sports 
  a rider on their back, seated in a complex 
  harness made up of hardened leather 
  straps, reinforced by chains and metal 
  collars around their legs, arms, and necks. 
  On the back of the harness is a saddle 
  so, a sverfneblin, 
  Chased by a duergar 
  posse, walked into 
  our Campsite…
  by Chad M . Lensch
  suggested party level: 8-10
  Can be adapted to: 5-20
  overview
  Two duergar (MM p122), each riding a 
  bulette (MM p34), are chasing down Gutta 
  Perchapulp, a deep gnome (MM p164). She 
  possesses a valuable black sapphire she 
  stole from a powerful duergar warlord, and is 
  trying to find a hiding place on the surface. 
  A duergar posse hunts down the thief, de-
  mands the gem back, and insists the gnome 
  will be killed for retribution. This encounter 
  may happen while traveling on the road, ex-
  ploring underground, or at a campsite.
  setup
  Off and on, through the main adventure, 
  have the party make a DC 15 Wisdom (Per-
  ception) check. If it is successful, describe 
  quiet, low-pitched reverberations shaking 
  the ground for a minute or two, and de-
  creasing in intensity before going still. This 
  cycle may happen as many times as the DM 
  wishes to create an enigma and build up 
  the encounter. These rumbling noises are 
  actually the bulettes traveling underground 
  chasing Gutta, and can be heard over the 
  course of an hour, or even a day. 
  the hook
  When the DM is ready to initiate the en-
  counter, read or paraphrase the following:
  Suddenly, a gray-skinned gnome bursts 
  from foliage near you, breathing heavily 
  and looking over her shoulder. The dis-
  tracted gnome trips and falls, cursing and 
  crashing to the ground in an undignified 
  flailing of arms and legs.
  with a conical iron housing that resembles 
  a rounded fin. You watch as the leader 
  unclips from his harness, and pulls himself 
  from underneath the protective shield.
  The laughing stops, its metallic echoes 
  fading as he speaks, “You can try all you 
  want, but you cannot escape, you repulsive 
  little worm! Give us the gem, now!”
  The posse was hired to retrieve the black 
  sapphire, and if possible, bring the thief’s 
  head back for extra money (an addition-
  al 50% of the gem’s worth). They are not 
  against talking with the party to get the 
  gem without a fight. (“We have no quarrel 
  with you; hand the gnome over to us and 
  we can all go on our way.”) However, the 
  duergar are not easily swayed from execut-
  ing their contract on Gutta, and are quite 
  willing to fight. The players must succeed 
  a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion, Intimi-
  dation, or Deception) check, and have an 
  exceptional description of the argument/
  behavior/lie in order to change the gray 
  dwarves’ minds. 
  mount and rider
  The bulette and its duergar rider wear spe-
  cial harnesses that attach to each other, 
  and allow the riders to stay on the ani-
  mals as they burrow. The harness may be 
  targeted by the players, and has an AC 15 
  and 20 hp. If it is destroyed, the duergar 
  may no longer burrow underground with 
  the bulette.
  Combat strategies
  The posse attempts to keep Gutta from es-
  caping whenever possible. If she does run, 
  the posse disengages from the party to 
  give chase. The posse easily follows Gutta 
  due to the bulettes’ tremorsense. 
  The posse burrows into the ground and 
  attempts to surround or flank its enemy. 
  If it is advantageous for the duergar, they 
  may dismount to engage the party while 
  the bulettes flank them. 
  If the gem and the body (or head) of 
  Gutta is obtained, the posse attempts to 
  burrow underground and leave.  
  sCaling suggestions
  Use the following chart to adapt the diffi-
  culty of the encounter:
   
  Party 
  # of 
  # of 
  Gem Worth
   
  Level 
  Duergar 
  Bulletes 
  (in gp)
   
  5 
  1 
  1 
  1,000
   
  6-7 
  2 
  1 
  2,000
   
  8-10 
  2 
  2 
  3,000
   
  11-12 
  3 
  3 
  5,000
   
  13-16 
  4 
  4 
  8,000
   
  17-18 
  6 
  6 
  12,000
   
  19-20 
  8 
  8 
  16,000
  Feel free to change the DCs in the en-
  counter to increase challenge 
  higher level parties.
  about the author
  Chad is a contributor to 
  Villains and Lairs. He is 
  working on other projects 
  to be released soon!
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 5
  so, a poaCher walks 
  into a lodge…
  by Harm Delva
  suggested party level: 4-6
  A cold wind blows and the sky turns to 
  an ominous darkness. Before you know it 
  you find yourselves in a fierce, torrential 
  downpour. In the distance, just off the side 
  of the road, you can just barely see what 
  appears to be a house. A faint orange light 
  glows from its windows.
  The house is a lodge built to give travel-
  ing traders shelter for the night. There’s 
  a small stable right next to it which cur-
  rently houses a single mule. The hearth in 
  the center of the room is almost burnt out. 
  The lodge itself is currently empty, the only 
  other notable thing in the room is a stack 
  of firewood in a corner next to the door. 
  the hunter
  The mule’s owner walks into the lodge 
  shortly after the players do… 
  You’re just acquainting yourselves with the 
  interior when the door swings open and a 
  small, drenched, cloaked individual walks 
  inside. He takes off his hood, revealing a 
  distinctly gnomish heritage. He has a few 
  rabbits strapped to his comically large 
  backpack. Seemingly startled by your pres-
  ence, it takes a moment before he closes 
  the door and introduces himself. 
  The gnome is called Badger and he’s a 
  local ranger. This is true in the sense that 
  he lives in these woods, but he omits the 
  fact that he hunts rare animals to sell to 
  his wealthy contacts. He just got back 
  from successfully stealing a basilisk’s egg 
  but the weather caught him off guard. If 
  the players ask what he was doing out-
  side, he points to the rabbits strapped to 
  his backpack and says he was hunting 
  dinner. Should the characters continue 
  questioning him about his whereabouts, 
  or his backpack, let them make a Wisdom 
  (Insight) check, contested by a Charisma 
  (Deception) check by Badger. He isn’t a 
  very good liar and has no bonuses to his 
  Deception skill.
  While he’s waiting for the storm to blow 
  over, Badger does his best to befriend the 
  party. He gladly shares his food, gives 
  them useful survival advice, helps them 
  navigate the woods, etc. He’ll also try to 
  learn which direction the party’s headed, 
  so he can go the other way in the morning. 
  He’s genuinely happy to have company 
  this night, however, and will share rumors 
  or trade stories if the players are interest-
  ed. You can use these stories to guide the 
  characters in a certain direction for fur-
  ther adventures. Have they been fighting 
  giants? He may have seen some large foot-
  prints recently. Looking for some special 
  herbs? He lives in these woods, maybe he 
  can help. Or you can use some of these:
  • He came across a couple of mutilated 
  goblin corpses near the waterfall north 
  of the lodge. 
  • He got caught by an owlbear once with 
  his pants literally around his ankles. 
  • He’s heard tales of a deer with antlers 
  twice the size of a gnome. 
  • He found a coin purse in a hollow tree 
  by the road. He only noticed it because 
  a squirrel threw a copper coin at him.
  the prey
  Before turning in for the night, Badger 
  excuses himself to check on his mule in 
  the stable. There’s an unpleasant surprise, 
  however, waiting for him: a mated pair of 
  basilisks (MM p24) are lying in ambush to 
  retrieve their offspring.
  Badger dons his cloak, takes a deep breath, 
  and heads outside, braving the elements. 
  Shortly afterward, you hear a muffled voice 
  from beyond the lodge walls, “Berta? What 
  happened to—”
  If the players investigate they find Badger 
  eye-to-eye with two basilisks. Badger has 
  the stats of an archer (VGtM p210) but 
  with a movement speed of 25 ft. He was 
  met with a double dose of the basilisks’ 
  Petrifying Gaze and his mule, Berta, 
  suffered the same fate. Unable to move the 
  egg to their lair, since it’s in Badger’s petri-
  fied backpack, the basilisks will live in the 
  stables until it hatches—or until someone 
  forces them out.
  Other than the basilisk egg, Badger has 
  the following items in his backpack:
  • An ornate but functional ivory dagger 
  worth 20 gp
  • A rabbit’s paw that did not bring good 
  luck on this day
  • A handful of luminescent, dried mush-
  rooms
  • 10 food rations
  • A bear trap
  • Skillfully removed, but untreated, wolf 
  hides
  about the author
  Harm wanted to give something back to 
  the community after years of impressing 
  his players with stuff he mooched off the 
  DMs Guild. This is his first ever contribu-
  tion.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 6
  so, a goblin in a 
  Cage hangs over 
  the road…
  by Ciaran O’Halloran
  suggested party level: any
  It is late in the day and your travel has been 
  hard. You will be lucky to reach safe haven 
  in the two or three hours left of daylight. 
  Fortunately, the road ahead cuts straight 
  through the forest that surrounds it.
  Suspended about 12 feet above the road is 
  what looks like a large rusty bird cage, gen-
  tly swinging in circles. As you come closer, 
  you see a small humanoid form slumped 
  inside like a bundle of rags.
  If the party examines the area around the 
  cage, read the following:
  Surrounded by tree trunks is a sturdy 
  wooden post. Attached is a 10 foot bar that 
  emerges through the branches to make a 
  crude gibbet. The cage hangs from an iron 
  hook fastened to the bar. 
  As you approach, there is sudden motion 
  from the rags and two grimy, green hands 
  reach out. A head emerges and a spindle 
  nose pokes through. Slender fingers curl 
  around the cage bars. Looking up you see 
  the yellow glint of hungry eyes as the crea-
  ture searches for your attention—
  “Thir— thirsty. Please….”
  The goblin hangs his pink tongue from his 
  mouth in desperation.
  The creature is Exarsht, a goblin who took 
  up with a fearsome gang of bugbear (MM 
  p33) bandits. They have set up a lair in an 
  abandoned mill half a mile into the woods 
  and intend to use this spot to ambush 
  unwary travelers. They forced Exarsht to 
  lay traps around their new hideaway, but 
  when they caught him stealing from them, 
  they hung him up in the gibbet as punish-
  ment, intending to leave him to starve and 
  to mark their new territory. 
  Exarsht is angry at his ex-compatriots, 
  but was very happy when he was with 
  them. He looked with admiration at their 
  vicious ways and wants to regain their 
  favor. He knows that if the party are aware 
  of the strength of the gang they may be 
  reluctant to fight them. Exarsht does his 
  best to portray the bugbears as a harmless 
  religious order who could provide the party 
  with healing and a safe resting place. If the 
  party stop to engage with him, he sees an 
  opportunity to talk his way to freedom. He 
  tries to tempt them into going to the old 
  mill and paints himself as indispensable 
  for his knowledge of the forest and the lo-
  cation of traps he has set. If they find the 
  gang, Exarsht intends to betray them and 
  prove his worth to his old captors.
  Exarsht may give some of the following 
  responses to the PC’s questioning:
  Who are you?
  “Exarsht. Exarsht trap-layer!”
  Who put you here?
  “Bo-bar. Bo-bar gang.”
  (Bo-bar is not the name of the order’s 
  leader, but refers to the bugbear.)
  Who is Bo-bar?
  “People. Bo-bar lead holy gang. Holy gang.”
  (The bugbears clothes are indeed tat-
  tered and full of holes)
  Why did they put you here?
  “Bo-bar punish Exarsht. Bo-bar send 
  Exarsht away! Exarsht foolish. Exarsht 
  take food!”
  (Exarsht was sent away for stealing food)
  Who is the gang? What does the gang do?
  “Bo-bar like prey. Gang like to prey all 
  day. You prey too! Gang like prey like you!”
  (The gang intend to prey on travelers 
  they intend to ambush)
  Where are they?
  “Gang have new place. Make rest place. 
  By water. With bed. You go to them! They 
  happy to see you! You big! They like you! 
  You pray!”
  (The Bugbears will indeed be happy to 
  see the treasure-laden group)
  What were you doing with them?
  “Exarsht trap maker. Exarsht put traps 
  around hiding place. Exarsht know all 
  traps. Then gang punish Exarsht. Send 
  me away. Exarsht too wicked for them. 
  They punish him. They look after gang, 
  not Exarsht.”
  (Exarsht hopes to give the characters 
  the idea that it is his wickedness the gang 
  punished, to imply the goblin is not their 
  natural ally)
  What do the gang want?
  “They look for travelers. They want them 
  to prey. They bring them to their hideout.”
  If the PC’s don’t themselves, Exarsht 
  makes a suggestion:
  “Exarsht take you to hideaway! Exarsht 
  know all trap places, he show you! Set him 
  free, he take you to Bobar.”
  Insight (Wisdom) checks reveal that the 
  goblin is indeed telling the truth. A partic-
  ularly high check or magic may reveal that 
  he is withholding something.
  Exarsht can lead the characters along 
  the game trail that leads to the new hide-
  out. Along the way he shows them where 
  he has created a pit trap and laid a trip 
  wire. If they are with Exarsht they easily 
  walk around the danger. If not, they need 
  to make a Perception (Wisdom) check— 
  adjust the difficulty to reflect the strength 
  of the party— the roll should be difficult 
  but not impossible.
  As they approach the old mill, Exarsht 
  begins to sing. He tells the party that this 
  is a prayer song to let the gang know that 
  friends approach. He insists the party join 
  in. Make the players chant the following:
    “Pray. Pray. All we do is pray.
    All day. Pray. 
    We like pray.
    But we don’t like
    Goblins.”
  The players may be suspicious at the 
  authenticity of the song. If the players join 
  in, the bugbears will have time to position 
  themselves. They attack before the charac-
  ter can finish the last line. 
  Two of the bugbears stay behind the 
  cover of the ruined walls and use cross-
  bows, while two stalk the party through 
  the woods, attempting to cut off their 
  escape route. The other two stay close to 
  the mill, using partial cover and delaying 
  their action to try to goad the party closer 
  and over the pit traps, where they intend 
  to engage survivors in melee. They use the 
  reach of their spears to attack party mem-
  bers who have fallen into a pit.
  The party could gain advantage if they 
  realize something is wrong and scout 
  ahead for themselves. In this case, Exar-
  sht continues to ingratiate himself with 
  them but will warn the bugbears of their 
  approach at the last minute. As soon as 
  the combat turns against the bugbears, 
  Exarsht flees into the forest.
  If the party flee back the way they came, 
  the bugbears give chase. The party risks 
  triggering the traps unless they slow to 
  search— in which case they risk the bug-
  bears catching up.
  If the party overcome the bugbears and 
  search the mill, they find two barrels load-
  ed with provisions, three unusable suits 
  of leather armor, riddled with holes from 
  crossbow bolts, and a padlocked chest. 
  The padlock can be opened by a character 
  proficient in thieves tools who makes a 
  DC 12 (Dexterity) check. Inside is a bag 
  of 128 gp and 380 sp, as well as a silver 
  inlaid hand mirror worth 75 gp and a po-
  tion of gaseous form (DMG p187). Lying 
  discarded underneath a small hammock is 
  an antique book written in common. It is 
  titled, Ancient Tome of Puns and Wordplay 
  and is worth 120 gp to a collector.
  Include a number of bugbears and bug-
  bear chief(s) (MM p33) to be a significant 
  challenge for your party. For a party of 5th 
  level, 4-5 bugbears, led by a single bug-
  bear chief should present a reasonable 
  difficulty. 
  Exarsht uses stats for a normal goblin 
  (MM p166) but has two levels of exhaus-
  tion.
  about the author
  Ciaran is a new contributor to the DMs 
  Guild. He is a DM, Dad, and Drama 
  teacher.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 7
  so, an exotiC merChant 
  and a Crippled 
  aarakoCra landed on 
  our Campsite…
  by Elven Tower
  suggested party level: any
  baCkground
  Farid is an exotic goods merchant who 
  owns a flying home that floats thanks to a 
  hot air balloon. He travels from settlement 
  to settlement and buys and sells all kinds 
  of goods. Henna is the name of his floating 
  home/ship. The hot air comes from a mag-
  ic rod that produces fire on command.
  Farid seldom has any problems when 
  traveling but he recently caught the atten-
  tion of a group of four aarakocra bandits 
  who followed Farid for a few hours and 
  then decided to attack, trying their best 
  to capture Henna in hopes of gaining the 
  command words for the magic rod. Farid 
  managed to grab the fire rod and turn it 
  against the aarakocra, successfully driving 
  three of them from his home.
  Garkaa, one of the aarakocra, suffered 
  serious wounds in his left wing and could 
  not fly away. Farid did not have the heart 
  to throw him off the flying ship and let him 
  stay, for now. Unfortunately, the bandits 
  damaged the balloon’s upper fabric and 
  it is leaking. Farid needs a few hours to 
  fix the balloon but he first has to land his 
  flying home as softly as possible, as it is 
  losing altitude fast.
  setup
  This encounter happens on the road 
  whenever the party is resting or camping 
  during the day.
  As you unwind during your well-deserved 
  resting time, a strange shape appears in 
  the sky over a low hill. At first, it appears to 
  be a hot air balloon, but the structure be-
  low is too big to be a basket. The structure 
  below is like a miniature home. “Henna 
  Shop” is printed in large blue letters on the 
  house’s façade.
  The balloon is quite big but its shape 
  changes with the wind. Something is not 
  right. The malformed balloon can only 
  mean it lacks air. It is coming towards you, 
  and it is falling fast!
  The floating home approaches with a high-
  pitched whistling sound. All characters 
  are aware of it. All creatures in the camp 
  must make a successful DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw, taking 12 (4d6) bludgeoning 
  damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. If a character 
  rolls a natural 1, they take double damage 
  and are trapped under the floating home.
  duel of lies
  After crash-landing, Garkaa sees a chance 
  to profit from the situation. He jumps down 
  and explains to the PCs that the “evil mer-
  chant” used fire magic to burn his wings a 
  few days ago to keep him as a slave. Farid 
  jumps down, angry and red, and claims 
  that the aarakocra and his “lackeys” as-
  saulted his home/shop in mid-air.
  Garkaa can be very convincing and will 
  play the part of the poor victim in order 
  to convince characters of his enslavement 
  by a cruel master (have characters roll a 
  contested Charisma (Persuasion) check 
  to see if they are convinced or not). Farid, 
  on the other hand, is angry, frustrated, 
  and impulsive with his words and actions. 
  A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) 
  check can be used to determine which is 
  lying. Each wants the PCs to help them ar-
  rest the other and bring them to justice in 
  the nearest city.
  available evidenCe
  The PCs will probably look for evidence to 
  disprove any of their claims.
  • A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Med-
  icine) check reveals that Garkaa’s 
  wounds are not days old but rather 
  recent; a few hours at most.
  • If a character climbs to the top of the 
  deflated air balloon, a successful DC 
  14 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  reveals that the balloon’s fabric was 
  torn by claws.
  • If a character enters the home/shop, a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (In-
  vestigation) check reveals that there 
  are no facilities to hold slaves in the 
  house, nor are there any handcuffs or 
  similar restraining devices.
  • A passive Perception score of 12 or 
  higher or a successful DC 12 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check allows any charac-
  ter to notice a map of the local area with 
  the ship’s itinerary for the next month.
  • If a character examines the floating 
  home’s deck, a successful DC 16 
  Wisdom (Survival) check reveals faint 
  footprints of at least three different 
  aarakocra creatures, several burn 
  marks on the deck’s handholds, and 
  what could have been burnt feathers.
  If any of the PCs makes a claim that these 
  discoveries disprove his version of the sto-
  ry, Garkaa will attempt to justify and in-
  corporate those facts into a newly revised 
  version of it. Garkaa is a good liar and it 
  might still be difficult to tell whether he is 
  for real or not.
  The DM is encouraged to let this situation 
  play out for as long as players are interest-
  ed. The characters could go either way and 
  help any of them, even making a terrible 
  mistake. If you would rather use a skill 
  check, a successful DC 20 Wisdom (In-
  sight) check reveals that Garkaa is acting.
  ConClusion
  If the PCs decide to help Farid and arrest 
  Garkaa, he thanks them and gifts them 
  with 10 gp each. He then retires to his fly-
  ing home as he has a lot of repairs to do.
  If the PCs decide to help Garkaa and 
  arrest Farid, the merchant loses his mind 
  and becomes aggressive. He is just a peas-
  ant and cannot resist the adventurers, 
  though. If the PCs leave with Farid, the 
  aarakocra loots the place that night with 
  his allies. If the PCs appear interested in 
  the flying home, Garkaa takes whatever he 
  can and leaves on foot.
  about the author
  Elven Tower is a powerhouse of RPG con-
  tent creation. The small indie studio has 
  created hundreds of fantasy maps, short 
  adventures, and DM content for three 
  years straight.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 8
  so, an umber hulk 
  and a slaad fly 
  over the road…
  by Tony Petrecca
  suggested party level: 6-10
  fire in the sky
  During an evening’s travel upon a forested 
  road, read or paraphrase the following:
  Something burns from east to west across 
  the sky. Something large, something wood-
  en, something on fire and falling fast. A 
  ship’s hull? Maybe. Consumed by flame, it 
  thunders overhead, losing altitude fast, as 
  the smell of smoke fills the air. Towards the 
  horizon it burns, lower, at the treetops of 
  the forest, lower… and then it hits ground 
  with a flash beyond the trees. A moment 
  later, a shock, like a rumbling thunder 
  strike, can be heard. 
  Suddenly, out of the darkness, something 
  massive hurls from the sky—slowing at the 
  last minute, tumbling to a thunderous one 
  knee landing. The strangest sight—a huge, 
  beetle-like humanoid, with monstrous 
  mandibles and four eyes, hunches close to 
  the ground. Holding one hand out, palm up 
  to silence onlookers, it places a telescopic 
  monocle on one of its eyes and examines 
  the ground with what might be a sniff. 
  This exceptional umber hulk (MM p292), 
  who’s just done the super hero landing, 
  is Braak’L-Tikliktic, better known as the 
  Hunter, a neogi servant who travels from 
  world to world gathering valuable, often 
  unique slaves for its neogi master. Typically, 
  neogi keep their servants close at hand, but 
  because of its remarkable strength, skills 
  and self-motivation, the Hunter has been 
  granted significant autonomy, and impres-
  sive equipment, to carry out its duties. 
  The Hunter’s spelljamming vessel was 
  attacked while transporting an incredibly 
  valuable recent catch. During the attack, 
  the cargo bay was shaken open, and any 
  cargo that wasn’t secured fell from the sky. 
  The Hunter’s iron flask (DMG p178) was 
  one such item, and when it hit the ground 
  the stopper came loose, releasing master’s 
  latest prize, a gray slaad (MM p277). The 
  Hunter leapt from the burning vessel as it 
  hurtled toward the ground, intent on re-
  trieving the flask and its priceless contents. 
  As it inspects the ground, the Hunter 
  will ignore, wave off, or shush any at-
  tempts to communicate with it. Eventu-
  ally it will turn its attention to the PCs in 
  order to examine each of them, looming 
  about each while leering with its monocle 
  of seeing (a monocle that functions iden-
  tically to a gem of seeing (DMG p172)). 
  Once it is satisfied that none of the people 
  present are its slaad quarry in disguise, 
  the Hunter will turn its attention back to 
  the ground, listening and sniffing, and 
  eventually move off to the east away from 
  the crash site, having seemingly picked 
  up some imperceptible trail. The Hunter 
  has determined the most likely direction of 
  where the iron flask may have landed and 
  is heading that way to search. 
  Should it be attacked at any point, it will 
  visibly sigh in annoyance, roll its eyes, and 
  burrow into the ground to escape the has-
  sle and interruption of a fight. If the PCs 
  attempt to follow it, will attempt to shoo 
  them off and, should its efforts fail, it will 
  burrow to get away. 
  the Crash site
  The craft crash landed roughly two miles 
  west of the PCs. Finding the site isn’t dif-
  ficult. As the PCs near the crash site, read 
  or paraphrase the following:
  A 100-foot-long, smoldering scar mars the 
  landscape—clearly caused by the impact of 
  the falling object. Trees are felled, underbrush 
  charred, and debris scattered about along the 
  crash site. Mulling about, seemingly search-
  ing for something in the debris, are four large, 
  stocky, hippopotamus-headed humanoids.
  These four giff (MToF p204) were teleport-
  ed down from their triumphant spelljam-
  mer by their client, the Archmage Ac-
  certep. Unbeknownst to both the Hunter 
  and his neogi master, the slaad was an 
  asset of the archmage, who had planned 
  to use it as part of his twisted magical 
  experiments. When Accertep realized his 
  slaad was stolen, the archmage commis-
  sioned a Giff spelljammer to pursue and 
  recapture the beast. Having successfully 
  destroyed the Hunter’s vessel, the Giff now 
  search the crash site, hoping to find the 
  iron flask. Should they become aware of 
  approaching PCs, their commander, Left-
  enant Biggatall, shall give a stern “Har-
  rumph. I say, who goes there?!” 
  The leftenant, a pompous, humorless 
  fellow, is wary and inquisitive, but not 
  immediately hostile. Should the PCs pres-
  ent themselves as witnesses to the crash, 
  he will demand a full retelling of what they 
  witnessed. Any mention of an Umber Hulk 
  will clearly peak his interest as he presses 
  for more information. 
  “Where did you last see the Hunter? What 
  was it doing? You let it go?!? Which direc-
  tion? Harrumph!”
  Once he’s extracted information pertaining 
  to the whereabouts of the Hunter he ends 
  the conversation with an abrupt “We’re 
  done here,” a code phrase for Accertep, 
  who’s been scrying upon Biggatall the 
  entire time, to teleport them back aboard 
  their vessel. Once uttered, the five giff 
  shimmer out of existence. Should the PCs 
  become hostile at any point, the giff, who 
  enjoy a good fight, will defend themselves 
  with vigor, but Accertep will teleport them 
  away after one round of combat, much to 
  Biggatall’s chagrin. 
  Should the PCs investigate the crash site 
  further they will discover that virtually 
  everything of value was destroyed in the 
  crash, though the contents of a chest con-
  taining 1500 gp worth of coin and gems is 
  scattered about. For every 10 minutes of 
  time spent searching the debris field allow 
  a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to 
  produce coins or gems worth 2d10 x 10 
  gp until, potentially, all is found. It is left 
  to the DM’s discretion if any local fauna 
  might interrupt said search.
  the slaad and the standoff
  Soon after the PCs finish investigating the 
  crash site and return to the road, read or 
  paraphrase the following:
  A human girl, with tattered clothes and 
  disheveled blonde hair, stumbles upon 
  the road, cruel shackles upon her ankles. 
  “Please, please, you must help me! Don’t 
  let it take me! Don’t let the slaver take me. 
  Please! Help me!”
  This little girl is actually Skrelnik, the 
  gray slaad who’s wanted by the giff and 
  the Hunter. The iron flask hit the ground 
  roughly one mile east of the PCs, and 
  Skrelnik burst out and immediately fled. 
  Knowing the plane shifting ability of the 
  slaad, the Hunter took an extra precaution 
  and attached a pair of dimensional shack-
  les to the slaad before imprisoning it in the 
  flask. The shackles are intact and function-
  al, preventing the slaad from plane shifting, 
  and cutting its movement speed in half.
  Skrelnik has polymorphed into the form of 
  this little girl to elicit sympathy from any folk 
  it might encounter. Through feigned sobs 
  it introduces itself as Alana and explains 
  that it was kidnapped by an umber hulk, 
  shackled and imprisoned, to be sold into 
  slavery. While the tale of captivity is entirely 
  true, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) 
  check reveals that something about the 
  girl’s behavior seems a bit off. Of course, as 
  the horror of the situation is explained, and 
  before the slaad’s true nature is exposed, 
  the Hunter appears, burrowing out of the 
  ground, to confront its quarry. When that 
  occurs, read or paraphrase the following:
  The ground surges nearby, and the umber 
  hulk bursts up from below, fifteen feet away.
  “Step away from that agent of chaos,” the 
  umber hulk states, speaking common quite 
  clearly. “It is not what it appears to be.”
  The little girl hisses—a frightening sound 
  from such a frail waif—as the umber hulk 
  pulls a flask from its belt, removes the 
  stopper, and exclaims “You’re mine!”.
  “You’re mine,” is the command phrase for 
  Continued next page…
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 9
  so, a blind woman 
  and a medusa walk 
  along the road…
  by Beatriz T . Dias
  suggested party level: 5-6
  meeting the Couple
  Walking along the road the party finds 
  two figures walking the opposite direction, 
  they are both wearing hoods and trying to 
  look inconspicuous. One of them is Lara, 
  a blind woman (acolyte MM p342) and the 
  other is Niraya, a medusa (MM p214). Lara 
  once got lost and ended up in Niraya’s lair, 
  a medusa known in the region for petrify-
  ing anyone who dared to come close to her. 
  But due to the fact that Lara is blind, that 
  didn’t happen. Instead the two of them got 
  close and ended up falling in love. How-
  ever, a group of bounty hunters decided 
  it was time to kill the medusa. When the 
  women found out they ran away, trying to 
  find somewhere else to live.
  Lara will be friendly if approached and 
  has no problems revealing that she can’t 
  see. Niraya will be standoffish and pro-
  tective of Lara. Besides the hood, Niraya 
  has a large scarf that she will use to try 
  and avoid looking someone in the eye, by 
  covering her face and looking through the 
  fibers of the scarf.
  A DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  will reveal that under the ragged cloak, 
  Niraya is wearing a very expensive green 
  dress. And a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check is enough to notice that Niraya is a 
  medusa.
  If the party discovers that Niraya is a 
  medusa, she will warn them to back off 
  and forget about them, or she will have no 
  problem defending herself and her lover. 
  Lara will be more diplomatic, claiming 
  that Niraya wouldn’t hurt anyone that 
  didn’t deserve it, which is true. If the party 
  seems friendly, Lara will also inform them 
  that hunters are chasing the couple, want-
  ing to kill Niraya.
  bounty hunters arrive
  Not long after the party passes by the two 
  women, a group of 4 veterans (MM p350) 
  will also come from the same direction as 
  the couple. They are the bounty hunters 
  wanting to kill Niraya. They believe she is 
  a dangerous monster that needs to be put 
  down and were promised a reward of 3,000 
  gp for the medusa’s head. One of them, 
  Thym, is willing to give his share of the re-
  ward (600 gp) to the party if they help with 
  the final battle. Thym is willing to forgo 
  his reward because the medusa killed his 
  father and he only wants is justice.
  Niraya will have no recollection of the 
  bounty hunter’s father since she has killed 
  many people in her lifetime, but in her 
  opinion, she only killed in self defense.
  The party can help the two women fight 
  off the bounty hunters, help the bounty 
  hunters kill Niraya, or try and take the full 
  bounty by themselves. In case of the later 
  they will need to learn who gave the boun-
  ty from one of the bounty hunters. A suc-
  cessful DC 17 Charisma (Intimidation) 
  or (Persuasion) check will be enough to 
  get the information. This can be a guard 
  captain, or a noble, from any nearby town 
  or city. The DM can choose what location 
  suits the campaign best.
  rewards and ConsequenCes
  If the party helps the bounty hunters, they 
  get 600 gp and 1,500 XP, equally divided 
  amongst the party members.
  If the party helps the two women, they 
  get 3,000 XP, equally divided amongst the 
  party members, and the gratitude of Lara 
  and Niraya.
  about the author
  Mostly an adventure writer, the DMsGuild 
  has several of Beatriz’s works.
  the iron flask, but the fall dented the flask, 
  damaging it noticeably and reducing the 
  Wisdom DC to resist being trapped from a 
  17 to a DC 10. Having been previously im-
  prisoned by this iron flask, the slaad has 
  advantage on its save vs the flask’s trap, 
  and (for story purposes) automatically suc-
  ceeds on this first saving throw. And this 
  is, of course, when the giff show up. Tele-
  porting in behind the PCs, the Leftenant 
  exclaims “We’ll be taking this beast, Hunt-
  er. Leave now or suffer the consequences.”
  What happens next is largely dependent 
  upon the PCs’ reactions. If they attempt 
  to parlay, all sides will engage in the dis-
  cussion. Both the giff and the Hunter will 
  reveal Skrelnik’s true nature as a beast of 
  pure chaos. Meanwhile, Skrelnik points out 
  accurately that both parties are kidnappers 
  and slavers and demands that the Hunt-
  er release it from its shackles. If the PCs 
  choose a side and combat ensues, Skrelnik 
  will take to the air with a fly spell, snarking 
  “I can’t believe this obvious little girl dis-
  guise worked,” and toss a couple fireballs 
  into the fray, before attempting to flee. 
  aftermath
  If Skrelnik escapes it is quite possible that 
  a shackled Slaad remains on the loose, 
  spreading as much chaos as it can on this 
  plane until it is able to break the shackles 
  and plane shift back to Limbo. Should The 
  Hunter survive, it will continue to pursue 
  its quarry. Accertep, meanwhile, cuts his 
  losses and moves on to other test subjects 
  for his experimentations.
  about the author
  Tony has been DMing since the last mil-
  lennium. He is the author of several 
  critically acclaimed DMsGuild adven-
  tures. Check out his best sellers Hunted, 
  Journey Through the Center of the 
  Underdark, and Killer Kobolds.
  the hunter
  Large monstrosity (umber hulk), neutral evil
  Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
  Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. 
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA
   22 (+6) 
  16 (+3) 
  18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0)
  Skills Animal Handling +6, Perception +6, Survival +6
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive 
  Perception 12
  Languages common, umber hulk
  Challenge 7 (2900 XP)
  Confusing Gaze. When a creature starts its turn within 30 feet 
  of the umber hulk and is able to see the umber hulk’s eyes, the 
  umber hulk can magically force it to make a DC 15 Charisma 
  saving throw, unless the umber hulk is incapacitated.
  On a failed saving throw, the creature can’t take reactions 
  until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine 
  what it does during that turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does 
  nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action but uses all 
  its movement to move in a random direction. On a 7 or 8, the 
  creature makes one melee attack against a random creature, 
  or it does nothing if no creature is within reach.
  Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the 
  saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it 
  can’t see the umber hulk until the start of its next turn, when 
  it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the umber 
  hulk in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
  Tunneler. The umber hulk can burrow through solid rock at 
  half its burrowing speed and leaves a 5 foot-wide, 8-foot-high 
  tunnel in its wake.
  actionS
  Multiattack. The umber hulk makes three attacks: two with its 
  claws and one with its mandibles.
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage.
  Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) slashing damage.
  Equipment. Iron Flask, Iron Bands of Bilarro, Monocle of 
  Seeing, Ring of Feather Falling
  So, an Umber Hulk…continued from previous page…
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 10
  so, a barghest and 
  its goblin prey are 
  found on the road…
  by David McDonough
  suggested party level: 4-5
  A quiet road meanders in the midst of a 
  forest, a large rocky hillside on one side and 
  thickets of trees on the other. As you turn 
  around a corner, you see two small shapes 
  tied to a large tree. They writhe against their 
  bindings. As the clouds part overhead, the 
  sun reveals the green skin, large bulbous 
  noses and sharp teeth of goblins. Pieces 
  of rope from what might have been a third 
  captive lie on the ground. 
  The goblins are muttering to themselves, 
  their eyes wide with fear, their skin drip-
  ping with sweat from the exertion of trying 
  to escape their predicament. 
  baCkground
  The two goblins (MM p166) are named 
  Brax and Kraz; they are the remnants of 
  the Broken Teeth clan that had made their 
  home in the nearby hill. The tribe was dec-
  imated with the arrival of a barghest (VGtM 
  p123)— a fiend born from goblin parents 
  that appears as a goblin but is soon able 
  to shapechange into its true form, which 
  resembles a large fiendish canine.
  Barghests have their origins as a curse 
  from the General of Gehenna, who was be-
  trayed by the master of the goblinoid gods, 
  Maglubiyet. The barghest is born to devour 
  the bodies and souls of goblins— seven-
  teen to be exact, in memory of the seven-
  teen oaths that Maglubiyet had broken to 
  the General, before the barghest returns to 
  join the yugoloth hordes under the Gener-
  al’s command in Gehenna.
  This barghest had secretly begun its kill-
  ings of individual Broken Teeth goblins, all 
  the while hiding its true fiendish nature. It 
  had chosen its victims selectively, aiming 
  to devour the more prominent members of 
  the clan, including the top goblin warriors, 
  bugbear enforcers, and even the hobgob-
  lin advisor to the chief. It had devoured 
  fourteen goblinoids before feasting on the 
  goblin chief Raznak, doing so in full view 
  of what remained of the clan, all of whom 
  promptly fled. 
  The barghest has captured three of the 
  goblins who fled from the goblin lair; one 
  of the goblins had loosened its bonds 
  enough to escape. That goblin is Kazlak, 
  son of the goblin chief, who the barghest 
  has since recaptured. The creature is now 
  returning with Kazlak’s unconscious body 
  when the characters run into this particu-
  lar encounter.
  on the road
  Brax and Kraz are speaking quietly in 
  Goblin. Characters who are proficient in 
  that language and succeed on a DC 14 
  Wisdom (Perception) check will hear them 
  commenting with some urgency about the 
  “Beast,” and how they need to escape lest 
  they lose their chance to serve Maglubiyet 
  in Acheron. The goblins notice the charac-
  ters, unless all the characters succeed on a 
  DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
  Both goblins are working furiously to try 
  to escape, but can’t unless the characters 
  offer them aid. Characters who succeed on 
  a DC 15 Dexterity check can untie or cut 
  the bindings with a dagger or any slashing 
  weapon. The bindings can also be ripped 
  apart by those who succeed on a DC 20 
  Strength check. 
  If Brax and Kraz notice the characters, 
  they will beg for help in Common. Both 
  goblins are in a state of panic, as they 
  expect the barghest to return at any mo-
  ment. They are pathetic figures, blubber-
  ing and crying for the characters to help 
  them escape the Beast. They also prom-
  ise to change their ways and to never kill 
  or hurt any humanoids after this point. 
  Characters who succeed on a DC 15 Wis-
  dom (Insight) check will know that the 
  goblins are lying.
  the beast arrives
  Before the goblins are freed, the barghest 
  will return, dragging the unconscious form 
  of Kazlak. Characters who succeed on a 
  DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check— or 
  who have a passive Perception of 18 or 
  higher— will hear rustling in the trees. If 
  anyone hears this sound, Brax and Krax 
  will notice a change in the demeanor of the 
  character(s), and will start yelling that the 
  Beast is coming.
  Read or paraphrase the following:
  A goblin’s high-pitched voice emerges from 
  the woods, saying in Common: “Fifteen 
  have been taken. Two are still owed to the 
  General. Kazlak here has been spoken for. 
  Time for you to decide which one of you is 
  worthy to join him.”
  A goblin emerges from the thick woods 
  near the road. It’s a small goblin, a runt 
  even compared to its small kin, with ill-fit-
  ting clothes that doesn’t look like they even 
  belong to him. Yet it is dragging an uncon-
  scious goblin by the hand with little strain, 
  and throws the body on the road with the 
  flick of its wrist.
  “Looks like we have visitors,” the goblin 
  says, its eyes glinting dangerous. “This 
  matter does not concern you. The General 
  is owed two more goblin souls. Leave, and 
  you won’t be harmed.”
  The barghest will not harm any characters 
  who leave, as it is fixated on devouring the 
  souls of two more goblins and returning 
  to Gehenna. If the characters leave, the 
  barghest will eventually transform into its 
  true canine shape, and let the two trapped 
  goblins try to prove that they are not wor-
  thy of being devoured, before killing both 
  and picking one to consume its soul. 
  The barghest will laugh at characters 
  who insist on helping the goblins, remind-
  ing them that goblins are vicious creatures 
  that would not think twice of torturing and 
  eating them if given the chance. The fiend 
  will also point to a pouch being carried by 
  Brax. If the characters open that pouch, 
  they will see several human and elf ears 
  and noses inside it. 
  If the characters still look hesitant, the 
  barghest will offer them a choice: they can 
  pick one goblin, either Brax or Kraz, to 
  escape with them. The goblins will then 
  start begging the characters to pick one 
  of them to escape. If the characters re-
  fuse the barghest’s offer, the creature will 
  transform into a large fiendish canine and 
  attack the party. If the creature is reduced 
  to 20 hit points, it will cast dimension door 
  to escape. 
  Characters who leave the encounter with-
  out fighting the barghest, either alone or 
  with one of the goblins in tow, and who 
  succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check will hear the screams of goblins being 
  eaten. These are the final goblin souls the 
  barghest needs to consume to fulfill its mis-
  sion. It then disappears back to Gehenna.
  aftermath
  If the barghest successfully escapes after a 
  fight, it will take time to rest and temporar-
  ily forgo its hunt for goblins in order to take 
  revenge on the party. An encounter with the 
  barghest can occur a day or two later when 
  the characters are least expecting it. 
  If one goblin escaped with the charac-
  ters, or if they protected all the goblins 
  from the barghest, the goblin(s) will pro-
  fusely thank the characters and will leave 
  to try to find their remaining kin from the 
  Broken Teeth clan. But, at the character’s 
  next long rest, several goblins— including 
  any of those who survived this encounter 
  with the barghest— will try to waylay the 
  characters during their rest. If the charac-
  ters try to ask any goblins that they recog-
  nize from this encounter why they’d attack 
  them after being rescued, the goblin will 
  merely shrug and say: “It’s in our nature.” 
  Characters can also try to find the loca-
  tion of the goblin lair, which will still have 
  some of the goblin chief’s treasures, goblin 
  prisoners who have been left in their cells, 
  and other possible avenues for further ad-
  venturing opportunities. 
  about the author
  David is a new contributor on the DMs 
  Guild and author of the adventures The 
  Priest, the Witch, and the Lost Temple 
  and Undermountain: Caverns of the Ma-
  ny-Legged.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 11
  so, a Child and his 
  sister walk onto 
  the road…
  by matt vaughan (Dungeon Rollers)
  suggested party level: 2-4
  “Mummy! MUUUUMMMY!”. A small human 
  boy, no more than 6 years old, walks into 
  the road. Dragged behind him is an even 
  younger girl, obviously his sister. Both are 
  covered in mud with tears streaming down 
  their face. “I want my MUUUMMY!”
  Upon seeing you the boy stops screaming 
  and looks up. “P-p-p-please…h-h-help us.  
  M-mummy was taken by some…fings.” He 
  sniffs up the previous contents of his nose. 
  “We was out in the woods picking some 
  berries. Me and my little sister Ana were 
  playing when we heard mummy scream 
  and she was dragged away by something 
  big! Please help her. PLEEEAAASE!”
  The boys says his name is Nathaniel; in 
  truth, he is an orc who has been polymor-
  phed into a human child and is attempting 
  to trick the party. He claims his mother 
  “Amelia” has been dragged off by some “big 
  scary creatures, with fangs and red eyes.” 
  He is accompanied by a smaller poly-
  morphed orc, who appears to be a young 
  human girl around 3 years of age named 
  Ana. She will not speak. Characters with 
  truesight can see the true form of both 
  Nathaniel and Ana. Characters who suc-
  ceed on a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check 
  will suspect that Nathaniel is not telling 
  the truth, though he may come across as 
  simply confused.
  This whole ploy is in fact a trap. The 
  orcs are led by a priestess, named Vanegri 
  Deathspeaker, who channels the powers of 
  Mrykul through her necromancy. She is in 
  need of a blood sacrifice in order to resur-
  rect the previous tribal leader: Goludirk 
  the Bloody Fury. 
  “Nathaniel” and “Ana” can take the party 
  back to where Amelia was allegedly taken. 
  They will do their best to join the party, 
  including following from some distance 
  away, in order to take part in the trap, 
  unless physically or magically prevented 
  from doing so. They will remain in their 
  polymorphed shapes until they are either 
  reunited with Vanegri (see “Encounter”) or 
  the necromancer is defeated.
  following the orCs
  The scene of Amelia’s capture is obvious 
  as you approach. Ripped beige cloth from 
  her dress lays pressed into the wet mud. 
  Clumps of the ground are ripped up, in-
  termingled with still-wet blood from where 
  the scared woman clawed at the floor as 
  the creatures dragged her away. Large 
  tracks clearly lead away from the area.
  Tracking the orcs is simple; the party will 
  find no challenge in following them to their 
  lair: a large forgotten barrow. The barrow 
  is surrounded by thick woods, filled with 
  bird noises, the scuttling of creatures 
  through the undergrowth and the howl of 
  the wind through the air. 
  While tracking the orcs, the party will 
  attempt the five challenges below during 
  the hour it takes to track the creatures. In 
  so doing, they will learn some clues into 
  what is really going on. At the same time, 
  they will gain benefits or drawbacks in the 
  final encounter based on the number of 
  successes— this represents the knowledge 
  they have acquired during their pursuit.
  • Check 1: Prints in the Mud. DC 12 
  Wisdom (Survival). Pass shows that the 
  creatures are humanoids, but larger.
  • Check 2: Cloth in the Trees. DC 14 
  Wisdom (Perception). Pass shows that 
  the captors are wearing tribal clothing, 
  common among the warring races. 
  • Check 3: Scent on the Air. DC 16 In-
  telligence (Nature). Rotting flesh, but 
  no signs of animal carcasses.
  • Check 4: Symbols on the Trees. DC 
  14 Intelligence (Arcana). These are 
  symbols of necromancy.
  • Check 5: Bones on the Ground. DC 14 
  Wisdom (Survival). Many of the bones 
  are from humans, dug up by the beasts 
  in the woods. This may have been an 
  area of great respect in a past age.
  Note: A severely poor roll during this track-
  ing section could result in a random en-
  counter. Wolves, bears, giant spiders, bears, 
  ogres and even ankhegs are known to 
  reside in the local area.
  enCounter
  Your tracking leads you to a barrow in the 
  middle of a small opening in the dense woods. 
  A worn path, recently used, leads up to a 
  stone that has been forced aside. An entrance 
  to the burial chamber lies underneath.
  The smell of rotting flesh and excrement 
  hits you as you enter through the small 
  opening. Mold grows on the walls, and the 
  dim light of candles flickers before you.
  “Ah, my sacrifices arrive,” the throaty 
  speech from the orc priestess before you 
  seems to fill the air. “Not what you expect-
  ed? So noble, so brave— so nearly dead.”
  If accompanied by Nathaniel and Ana:
  As you look on, Nathaniel and Ana start to 
  change, their bodies growing in stature and 
  their skin turning a dark green hue. Beside 
  the priestess stands a huge orog marked 
  with bloody warpaint. You realize there is no 
  Amelia, no one was taken, and this is a trap.
  Otherwise read:
  A huge orog stands beside the orcish 
  priestess in front of you, flanked by blood-
  daubed orcs. You realize there is no Amelia, 
  no one was taken, and this is a trap.
  The trap has been set, and the following 
  creatures are in the barrow depths:
  Vanegri (stats) Orc Priestess of Myrkul
  1x orog (MM p247)
  2x orcs (MM p246) (optional for higher 
  level parties)
  Nathaniel and Ana, if accompanying you, 
  have their enchantments undone by Vane-
  gri, revealing 2 additional orcs.
  Vanegri Deathspeaker is an orc priestess 
  who has learned that the path of Myrkul, 
  god of death, can help bring back the most 
  fabled warriors of the tribe. In the barrow 
  are the bones of Goludirk the Bloody Fury, 
  leader of the Stone Chewer tribe seven 
  generations past. Vanegri is attempting to 
  resurrect him, using the party as the sac-
  rifice in the ritual. She stands over a stone 
  altar covered in bloody runes.
  During the encounter, the orog will at-
  tempt to grapple the character closest to 
  him, and drag them towards Vanegri to 
  begin the ritual. If a character is brought 
  into contact with the altar they must 
  succeed a DC 18 Strength saving throw 
  or be stunned, and placed prone on the 
  altar. At this point Vanegri will attempt 
  the ritual, this will take 3 rounds and if 
  successful Goludirk will be resurrected 
  and the character reduced to 0 hit points. 
  A character can attempt to free the sacri-
  fice by succeeding on a DC 18 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to pull them free; this is 
  made at disadvantage if the orog is adja-
  cent to the altar.
  Vanegri will stay by the altar, commanding 
  her troops and using her ranged spells freely 
  to attack the party. The orcs will charge for-
  ward, engaging in combat as fast as possible.
  benefits/drawbaCks
  • 1 Success: Too much noise! The Orcs 
  and Vanegri all start in ¾ cover and 
  will launch spears at the party as they 
  enter the room. This occurs at Initia-
  tive 30 and does not count as their 
  turn in this combat.
  • 2 Successes: Prepared. All enemies 
  have advantage on all attacks in the 
  first round of combat.
  • 3 Successes: No effect
  • 4 Successes: Well Trained. Each party 
  member’s AC is increased by 2 for the 
  duration of the combat.
  • 5 Successes: Unnaturally Skilled! 
  Each party member has advantage in 
  the first round of combat, and their 
  AC is increased by 2 for the duration 
  of the combat.
  resolution
  The characters are free to search the bar-
  Continued page 14…
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 12
  so, two Clans of 
  goblins gathered 
  by the road with a 
  hag—then a bunCh 
  of bards showed up… 
  by George Sager
  suggested party level: any
  The evening chill has set in, balancing out 
  the heat of your cookfire. A perfect night 
  for telling tall tales. You begin a joke, but a 
  staccato drum rhythm splits the air, swal-
  lowing the punchline. You silently abandon 
  camp and creep back toward the King’s 
  Road, crouching low to crest the hill with-
  out being seen by whoever is making the 
  increasing racket. 
  You blink in disbelief. The clearing below 
  is overrun with goblins. Two hordes are 
  gathered, facing each other, screeching and 
  banging weapons together. Nearby, a huge 
  pile of wood is just starting to burn beneath 
  an even larger spit with some unlucky 
  struggling creature tied ready to cook. You 
  could probably just keep on moving unseen, 
  but what will happen if all of these deadly 
  creatures are left so close to civilization?
  The two clans actually intend no harm this 
  evening, except to their rivals’ honor. The 
  party has stumbled upon a sacred seasonal 
  ritual that they take very seriously: a dance 
  off. They are engaging in traditional trash 
  talk, hurling insults, boasts, and threats 
  at each other in Goblin. Include enough 
  goblins to pose a threat to the party, partic-
  ularly if both groups were to turn on them.
  The action is all happening in a large 
  clearing at the bottom of the hill, between 
  the road and the woods beyond. Anyone 
  who approaches risks being spotted. If the 
  clans are attacked or harassed they tem-
  porarily put aside their animosity to wipe 
  out the interlopers. 
  The bonfire blaze grows, throwing more 
  light into the clearing, and imposing dis-
  advantage on the goblins trying to see any-
  thing out in the darkness.
  From the top of the hill the party can try to 
  observe the gathering below, making Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks, and noticing more or 
  less depending on how high they roll.
  • DC 10: Though some time has passed, 
  neither group has gotten noticeably 
  closer to the other.
  • DC 14: You can make out individual 
  shouts in Goblin from the din. “Prepare 
  for agony, ass-pigs!” “Your prayers of 
  mercy will be mocked vigorously by us!”
  • DC 16: Each group of goblins has their 
  own distinct markings and dress. Sev-
  eral are gesturing toward the full moon.
  • DC 18: The bound animal is large and 
  clearly alive, but not humanoid, just 
  some beast.
  • DC 20: You see a decrepit, sinister-look-
  ing old lady smiling from the edge of the 
  wood, firelight shining in her eyes. 
  If the party manages to sneak part way 
  downhill decrease the difficulties by 2, but 
  the goblins no longer have disadvantage 
  on rolls to notice the party. At the bottom 
  of the hill decrease the DCs by 4, and the 
  goblins now have advantage on their Per-
  ception checks.
  If a party member gets noticed, the gob-
  lins do not immediately attack. Those that 
  noticed nudge a few comrades who turn 
  quiet and stare menacingly as the majority 
  of their clansfolk rage on.
  Ask your players what their characters are 
  doing and how long they plan to observe.
  After several minutes the hag, Gran-
  ny Pestilence, steps from the edge of the 
  woods into the firelight. The goblins on 
  both sides are whipped into a greater fren-
  zy. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Na-
  ture or Arcana) check reveals that Gran-
  ny is likely a night hag. 
  If the players try to engage Granny Pes-
  tilence in Common, she grins at them. 
  A successful DC 13 Charisma (Persua-
  sion), or DC 16 Strength (Intimidation) 
  check gets her to call out an answer, if not 
  a helpful one. “Just you stay right there 
  dearies. It won’t be long now.”
  Soon, several nicely-dressed musicians 
  (bards) arrive, and fearlessly stand near 
  Granny. The goblins from both sides toss 
  coins and treasures into the space between 
  the clans, and at the feet of the musicians. 
  When the musicians begin to play the shout-
  ing dies down and the dance off begins.
  The rules of the contest are unclear. 
  Generally, goblins enter the middle area 
  and dance. Granny Pestilence watches, 
  declaring after each dance a seeming-
  ly arbitrary amount of points for one of 
  the clans. Even after watching for a few 
  rounds it takes a successful DC 14 Wis-
  dom (Insight) check to figure out the sub-
  tle cues that guide the proceedings. 
  Silence falls if anyone intervenes. If a 
  party member asks to join in, a successful 
  DC 14 Wisdom (Persuasion) check (made 
  with advantage if they were successful in 
  figuring out the contest cues) makes Gran-
  ny bid them to try it, at their own risk. 
  Otherwise she may halt the festivities and 
  goad them into participating. “There are 
  no spectators on this night, only partici-
  pants, and fools for the feast!”
  A successful DC 12 Charisma (Perfor-
  mance), or DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) 
  check results in wild laughing and cheer-
  ing from both sides, and some acceptance 
  granted to the party. Failure is met with 
  utter silence. They may try again with the 
  difficulty increased by 3. Another failure 
  means that party member’s banishment 
  on pain of death.
  Once accepted, party members can join 
  the dancing (in fact each member is en-
  couraged to), receiving cheers and boos in 
  roughly equal measure. 
  The dancing lasts most of the night, 
  eventually shedding any pretense of turn 
  taking, and ending with the winning clan 
  erupting in victory, mostly forgetting to 
  pick up their winnings. Granny Pesti-
  lence even busts a move when the mood 
  strikes her. No spectators after all. Anyone 
  accepted by the clan can join in the wild 
  post-dance barbecue with the musicians. 
  At dawn the revelry ends, and the field is 
  cleared unceremoniously.
  adjustments
  Neither clan needs to be goblins. The 
  general idea is that each is a group of sen-
  tient, but wild creatures, not speaking in 
  Common, and gathered in numbers that 
  would be deadly to any party of adventur-
  ers. Each clan member uses their regular 
  statblock, with the addition of between +1 
  and +5 in Performance. Some other poten-
  tial clan creatures could be: bullywugs, cy-
  clops, dryads, gnolls, hobgoblins, kobolds, 
  lizardfolk, ogres, or even slaadi.
  about the author
  George is a contributer to Storm King’s 
  Barrows, has a credit in Kobold Press’ 
  Creature Codex, and DMs a 5e campaign 
  for friends when he isn’t working on one 
  of several other projects on the go. Follow 
  him on Twitter @GeorgeSCanada.
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 13
  so, a magiC axe, 
  a skeleton, and a 
  Crowd of peasants 
  bloCk the road…
  by Duncan Rhodes
  suggested party level: 2-4
  overview
  On the road to Oakhelm, a magic axe stands 
  at the center of a local power struggle, and 
  could be the catalyst for a new quest. 
  “Forget it, it won’t budge,” spits the brawny 
  huntsman. Grudgingly, he releases the 
  handle and wipes his brow. The veins 
  around his temples bulge from his failed 
  attempt and the huge greataxe remains 
  steadfastly embedded in the tree trunk, 
  its gleaming blade reflecting the sunlight 
  as sharply as a polished mirror. Clasping 
  the very end of the axe shaft is a fleshless 
  hand, connected to a brown, weathered 
  skeleton with its head bowed and its legs 
  half-buried in moss and weeds. A gaggle of 
  citizens from the nearby village of Oakhelm 
  are gathered around the trunk, muttering 
  between themselves.
  If the adventurers inquire as to what’s going 
  on, any of the villagers will gladly tell them. A 
  confident youth of seventeen summers, Wil-
  lem (halfling, commoner (MM p345), proves 
  particularly chatty, relishing the chance to 
  share this local piece of lore and legend.
  “This here is the axe of the mighty warrior 
  Gwenluin! She was the finest fighter of our 
  village, a paladin of Ilmater, and protector 
  of these lands you walk in. She was tricked 
  into coming to this crossroads by a devi-
  ous witch, who had fallen in love with her 
  husband. The witch surprised Gwenluin in 
  the dead of night, stabbing her with a knife 
  laced with deadly poison. Before Gwenlu-
  in breathed her final breath, she uttered 
  a prayer to Ilmater and besought him to 
  keep her weapon safe until a warrior with a 
  pure heart should claim it and avenge her 
  death. With that she sunk her axe into the 
  trunk right here. That was 25 years ago to 
  this day! Ever since, the people of Oakhelm 
  gather here on this date to try to claim the 
  weapon as their own.”
  If the characters ask what happened to 
  the husband, Willem will say that, having 
  killed Gwenluin, the witch abducted him 
  and took him to her lair, deep in the forest.
  After the huntsman stands down, next in 
  line to try their hand at removing the axe 
  is a butch young woman with broad shoul-
  ders, wearing a chain shirt with a long-
  sword sheathed at her side. Her name is 
  Reilyn Rosefire (lawful good, human guard 
  (MM p347) with 16 Strength and Athletics 
  +5).Those that succeed on a DC 15 In-
  telligence (Religion) check notice that a 
  symbol of two hands bound with red cord 
  on the woman’s doublet is the sign of the 
  god Ilmater. Young Reilyn is training to 
  become a paladin in his service, following 
  the steps of her hero Gwenluin. 
  Before the young woman has time to step up 
  to the axe, there’s a clamor of hooves on the 
  dirt road and five horses thunder to a halt 
  just a few yards from the crowd. A handsome 
  young man dismounts agilely from his stal-
  lion and—pushing several villagers out of his 
  way—he marches straight towards the axe. 
  His retinue of thuggish-looking companions 
  follow closely behind.
  “People of Oakhelm I call you to bear wit-
  ness to my feat. The high priest of Oakhelm 
  declared that whoever frees this axe should 
  become the rightful protector of our town 
  and its lands. According to their visions, I, 
  Arter Wolfenheim, will do so before my 21st 
  year. Those that swear loyalty to me will 
  prosper under my rule!”
  Arter Wolfenheim and his retinue are hu-
  man thugs (MM p350) equipped with chain 
  shirts (AC 13), longswords, and short 
  bows. Arter himself is stronger and more 
  charismatic than the rest of his band, 
  with 16 Strength and 12 Charisma. He 
  has Athletics +6 and Intimidation +4. His 
  alignment is neutral. The dream of which 
  he speaks prophesied a young champion, 
  but it did not in fact specify that it would 
  be him who drew the axe from the tree.
  freeing the axe
  Freeing the axe requires a successful DC 25 
  Strength (Athletics) check. Certain con-
  ditions increase or decrease your chance of 
  success. If you are of good alignment you 
  gain a +2 bonus to your roll (+3 if you are 
  lawful good), if you are female you gain a 
  +2 bonus, and if you are a true follower of 
  Ilmater (Arter isn’t) you gain a further +2 
  bonus. If you are attempting to remove the 
  axe on any day other than the anniversary 
  of Gwenluin’s death you suffer a -5 modifier.
  Second attempts: If you fail on your first 
  attempt you can make two more attempts, 
  both at disadvantage, provided you rest 1 
  minute between attempts. After three fail-
  ures, you must complete a long rest before 
  trying again.
  gwenluin’s axe
  Gwenluin’s axe is an Axe of Cleaving (as de-
  tailed in Esquiel’s Guide to Magic Weapons), 
  which has gained sentience since Gwenlu-
  in’s spirit inhabited it, upon her death.
  Axe of Cleaving
  greataxe, very rare (requires attunement)
  This huge double-headed axe has a haft 
  over five feet long, and a wickedly sharp 
  blade. When swung with full force it 
  cleaves through opponents’ armor with 
  ease, slicing chain, plate and shields like 
  melons, its deadly momentum often carry-
  ing it towards a second target.
  When you attack with this magic weapon, 
  you score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
  Additionally, when you hit a creature 
  with this axe, you may choose another 
  creature within 5 feet of your original tar-
  get and within your reach. If the original 
  attack roll would hit the second creature 
  they take damage equal to half the amount 
  dealt to the original target.
  Sentience . The axe is a lawful good weap-
  on with an Intelligence of 10, a Wisdom of 
  12 and a Charisma of 14. It has hearing 
  and normal vision out to a range of 30 feet.
  The weapon communicates telepathically 
  with its wielder.
  Personality . Gwenluin’s ghost is de-
  termined to avenge herself of her ignoble 
  death, and will pressure the weapon’s 
  owner to hunt down the witch that killed 
  her. If the witch is killed, Gwenluin’s 
  ghost is laid to rest and the axe becomes a 
  non-sentient axe of cleaving. If the weapon 
  owner refuses the quest, Gwenluin’s per-
  sonality obstructs their ability to wield the 
  axe, giving them disadvantage on attack 
  rolls made with the weapon.
  possible sCenarios
  Arter is keen to free the axe and use this 
  event as a sign he is destined to rule 
  Oakhelm and the surrounding lands, 
  which are currently run by alderman Joe-
  nas Brackenbelt. Brackenbelt is a childless 
  and frail old man, who is just in his ruling, 
  but considered weak by those such as Arter 
  who oppose him. Not only will Arter insist 
  on trying his hand first at freeing the axe 
  (he will then make a second and third at-
  tempt, before giving up), he will oppose and 
  obstruct others from trying if he thinks he 
  can get away with it. Especially any outsid-
  ers “who have no business in these lands”. 
  If someone succeeds in freeing the axe, 
  Continued page 14…
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 14
  so, a Campfire 
  appeared along the 
  road…
  by Morten Greis
  suggested party level: 2-4
  You have been traveling for most of a day 
  along quiet dirt roads. You have seen few 
  other travelers, and most were local peas-
  ants traveling from one village to another. 
  In the distant horizon the sun is setting ob-
  scured by heavy gray clouds. Rain has fallen 
  time and time again during the day, and 
  trees and grasses around you are still wet. 
  As darkness begins to set there is no 
  village or roadside inn in sight, however, 
  there are the dancing lights of a campfire 
  ahead you. Somehow, somebody succeed-
  ed in lighting a fire even though every-
  thing around you is soaked.
  As the PCs approach:
  You see an empty camp with a lively camp-
  fire. Bedding is laid out around the fire, 
  and it seems almost as if the camp has just 
  been set, but no one is in sight.
  Then you hear a voice call out. “Greetings 
  weary travelers! Come, sit and sleep at my 
  campfire. My warmth and light is yours for 
  tonight.”
  baCkground
  The campfire is a fire elemental (MM 
  p125) that has learned to camouflage itself 
  as a simple fire. It can take the shape of a 
  small bonfire or campfire, but what might 
  reveal it is that it does not consume the 
  wood in the fire. It has, however, learned 
  to use charcoal and burned wood as the 
  basis of its fake campfire to enhance its 
  camouflage.
  The campfire calls itself Baalogbrand, 
  and it is friendly to humanoids. It has 
  learned that they appreciate fire, heat and 
  light—especially on a cold, wet night—and 
  it now sells its services as a campfire. 
  Baalogbrand will speak through a dis-
  embodied voice and likes to make peo-
  ple think that the campfire is the will of 
  invisible fae.
  payment in stories
  Baalogbrand likes company and also takes 
  its payment in stories. Anyone sleeping in 
  the camp can entertain Baalogbrand with 
  a story. Have each player tell a brief story 
  about their character’s exploits. If a char-
  acter refuses to do so, then Baalogbrand 
  will cease to be a campfire for the company 
  and will leave.
  Baalogbrand will remain alert through-
  out the night and warn, if hostile creatures 
  approach. If befriended, Baalogbrand may 
  even assist the travelers, if they are at-
  tacked during the night. It may come as a 
  surprise for both the PCs and their assail-
  ants, when the fire suddenly rises up as 
  an elemental.
  payment in gold
  Baalogbrand prefers to keep its true form 
  hidden during the night, and then reveal 
  itself in the morning. When the sun ris-
  es, Baalogbrand awakens the travelers 
  by calling out and asking them to leave a 
  payment of 4 gold each (a successful DC 
  15 Charisma (Persuasion) check may 
  reduce it to 2 gold each). If Baalogbrand is 
  not paid, then it will angrily leave, cursing 
  the PCs: until they leave their payment in 
  front of a fire, they will be unable to light 
  any non-magical fire.
  about the author
  Morten is a new contributor to DMs 
  Guild, blogs at Stemmen fra ådalen and 
  converts Danish adventures to English on 
  DriveThruRPG.
  Arter will claim that he loosened the axe 
  from the tree. He will try to intimidate them 
  into giving it over to him, and is willing to 
  resort to force. The crowd of commoners 
  are scared of Arter and easily swayed by his 
  words, although the huntsman (thug (MM 
  p350), armed with a handaxe and shorts-
  word) is willing to stick up for what he feels 
  is right. Both the crowd and the huntsman 
  are more likely to stand up for Reilyn than 
  for adventurers passing through. 
  Reilyn is keen to free the axe as Gwenlu-
  in is a personal hero to her, and she wants 
  to continue her work as a paladin and 
  protector of Oakhelm. If the characters 
  help Reilyn free the axe (and keep it from 
  Arter), she will invite them to her home to 
  eat and rest. Upon understanding the will 
  of Gwenluin, she will invite them to help 
  her on her quest to kill the witch. 
  avenging gwenluin
  If the heroes free the axe for themselves, 
  or for Reilyn, they are likely to take up the 
  side quest of avenging Gwenluin and laying 
  her ghost to rest. The witch in question is 
  a green hag (MM p177) called Lady Gar-
  gle. After murdering the paladin, she kid-
  napped her half-orc husband and lives with 
  him in a warren of caves where the forest 
  is darkest and foulest. By appearing as a 
  beautiful, but depraved, young woman, the 
  hag has seduced the half-orc into loving 
  her, and he is willing to defend her with 
  his life. Lady Gargle is cunning and knowl-
  edgeable in poisons, and you can further 
  adjust the difficulty of the quest by popu-
  lating her lair with deadly pets who attack 
  on her command. Or you could create any 
  other side quest of your own invention, with 
  Gwenluin’s ghost as the catalyst.
  about the author
  Duncan is the author of several best-sell-
  ing titles on the DMs Guild, most nota-
  bly Esquiel’s Guide to Magic Weapons, 
  which brings 120 new blades, battleax-
  es, and bows to your game (along with a 
  treasure trove of more fun stuff). He also 
  blogs at www .hipstersanddragons .com.
  row after the encounter, discovering:
  • A spellbook on Vanegri, this contains 
  a scroll of resurrection and a scroll of 
  speak with dead.
  • A selection of coins totaling 48 sp
  • 1d8 bronze or silver offerings, worth 
  20 gp each 
  If still alive, Vanegri will plead to be able 
  to return to her tribe and promises not to 
  continue necromancy (a successful DC 16 
  Wisdom (Insight) check proves this to be 
  a lie). If Ana and Nathaniel are not part of 
  the encounter in the barrows, Vanegri’s 
  defeat will result in them returning to their 
  normal selves. They will flee the area.
  vanegri deathspeaker
  Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
  Hit Points 51 (6d8 + 24)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   16 (+3)  14 (+2)  18 (+4)  13 (+1)  
  9 (-1)  
  8 (+1)
  Skills Intimidation +3, Religion +1
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Orc
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, Vanegri can move up to its 
  speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
  Gruumsh’s Fury. Vanegri deals an extra 4 (1d8) damage when 
  she hits with a weapon attack (included in the attack).
  Spellcasting. Vanegri is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting 
  ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell 
  attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at-will): chill touch, prestidigitation, ray of frost
  1st level (4 slots): burning hands, fog cloud
  2nd level (2 slots): ray of enfeeblement, suggestion
  actionS
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 3 plus 1d8) 
  piercing damage, or 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage if used with 
  two hands to make a melee attack.
  about the author
  Author of the Treasures of… series, fea-
  turing new magic items for use in all your 
  campaigns. Dungeon Rollers has many 
  new items coming in the coming months.
  So, a Child…continued from page 11…
  So, a Magic Axe…continued from page 13…
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 15
  so, some 
  adventurers with 
  a loCked Chest step 
  onto the road...
  by Richard Malena-Webber
  suggested party level: 4-7 
  the Common good
  As the sunlit path ahead stretches out be-
  fore you, a small dust cloud appears just at 
  the edge of the horizon. After a few minutes, 
  you see a small group traveling towards you. 
  Three of the adventurers are on horseback, 
  while a huge, smiling goliath drives a large 
  wagon filled with supplies. Among the goods 
  strapped in the wagon bed is a large, iron-
  bound chest. From within, you can hear a 
  steady pounding noise. The adventurers give 
  a friendly wave as you approach, and a tall 
  elf calls out “Well met, travelers! Any news 
  about the path ahead?” 
  The adventuring party is known as the 
  Common Good. Their leader, an elven 
  woman named Sheylen, laughs as she 
  explains the title. “With a name like that, 
  people always know we’re willing to help 
  ease their troubles, no matter where we 
  travel. And, if at times we decide to keep 
  a little extra gold for ourselves, well it all 
  goes to serve the Common Good!” 
  The Common Good is a rowdy troupe, 
  and Sheylen’s friends seem ready to joke 
  along with the PCs as if they were sharing 
  a pint in the local tavern. A quick ap-
  praisal reveals that Sheylen is some kind 
  of priestess, while her two human com-
  panions, Alath and Vezir, a ranger and a 
  rogue, are carrying thin blades and bows. 
  The goliath, Kalmar, wears a loose collec-
  tion of animal hides and a massive battle-
  axe rests on the wagon bench next to him. 
  Sheylen is more than willing to share 
  news about the road ahead and can give 
  useful knowledge about wherever the PCs 
  are bound. 
  As the PCs interact with the Common 
  Good, they may make skill checks to learn 
  more about the adventurers.
  • With a successful DC 13 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check, the PCs are able 
  to determine that something within 
  the iron-bound chest is knocking in a 
  regular pattern. 
  • With a successful DC 14 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check, the PCs notice that 
  Kalmar is acting in a strange way. He 
  is polite and soft-spoken, and when he 
  speaks with the other members of the 
  Common Good, he does so in a ten-
  tative manner, as if Kalmar isn’t used 
  to making jokes with the rest of the 
  adventurers.
  • With a successful DC 14 Strength 
  or Intelligence check, the PCs can 
  roughly gauge the power of the Com-
  mon Good, and sees that they are 
  almost a match for the PCs. 
  The Common Good freezes up immediately 
  if anyone inquires about the iron-bound 
  chest or the pounding within. Sheylen says 
  that “we trapped a demon and are taking it 
  to where it can be safely banished,” which 
  is revealed as a lie to anyone who succeeds 
  at a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. If 
  confronted, the members of the Common 
  Good refuse to change their story. 
  If the PCs move toward the iron-bound 
  chest, read or paraphrase the following. 
  The barbarian’s eyes grow wide as he 
  stands up and shakily wields the battleaxe. 
  Before anyone can move, Sheylen shouts 
  “Kalmar! We need to stay calm. Why don’t 
  you take that axe and cut us some fire-
  wood for tonight’s camp. Now.” The goliath 
  frowns, but takes his axe and starts head-
  ing away from the path. 
  Once Kalmar has stepped away. Sheylen 
  approaches the PCs for a whispered con-
  versation. “Okay, I know how this is going 
  to sound, but we’ve all agreed that it’s for 
  the best. The goliath? That isn’t Kalmar.” 
  She points over at the iron-bound chest. 
  “That is.”
  Sheylen explains that they hired Kalmar 
  as extra muscle a few months ago, but the 
  angry brute brought them nothing but 
  grief and a mountain of fines and property 
  damage. The barbarian regularly attacked 
  members of the clergy, bristled at authority, 
  and started brawls in their favorite bars. 
  He even stole from the adventurers during 
  their quests. So, when Kalmar’s demeanor 
  abruptly changed two days ago, Alath and 
  Vezir did some digging. They learned that 
  they’d passed a colony of doppelgangers on 
  their travels, and wondered if their unwel-
  come comrade may have been replaced. 
  Meanwhile, the new Kalmar helped the 
  company with chores, listened to their prob-
  lems, and made their journeys more friend-
  ly and comfortable. Since the pounding 
  sound started from the iron-bound chest, 
  the Common Good made a pact to ignore it 
  and continue on their way. The party clearly 
  supports the doppelganger, and have made 
  plans to set the angry goliath free with 
  enough supplies to make it back to town. 
  ConClusion
  Once they have the full story, the PCs can 
  decide how to proceed.
  If the PCs wish to allow the Common Good 
  to continue on their way, Sheylen calls out 
  to Kalmar the Doppelganger, who returns to 
  drive his wagon. With only a hasty goodbye, 
  the adventurers ride away with the captive 
  goliath.
  If the PCs wish 
  to free Kalmar the 
  Barbarian, Sheylen 
  sighs in frustration, 
  but agrees. She 
  only asks the PCs 
  to allow her to ex-
  plain the situation 
  to the captive goli-
  ath. Sheylen claims 
  that all three of 
  them were fooled by 
  the doppelganger, 
  who told them that 
  an angry demon 
  had been trapped 
  in the chest during 
  the night. She apol-
  ogizes, but says she 
  truly believed they 
  should stay away until they found a priest 
  who could perform a banishment. Kalmar 
  swears at Sheylen and shouts insults at 
  Alath and Vezir and kicks up a storm of 
  stones and dirt, but the goliath somehow 
  believes the lie because, deep down, Kalmar 
  is terrified of demons. The doppelganger 
  vanishes into the surrounding hills, never 
  to be seen again. 
  If the PCs wish to attack the Common 
  Good, the adventurers fight back, though 
  they attempt to flee if brought below half 
  their hit points. The doppelganger returns 
  from the woods, drops an armload of fire-
  wood, and immediately begins to protect 
  his newfound companions.
  Use the following NPCs from the Monster 
  Manual for a 4th level encounter:
  Sheylen: cult fanatic (MM p345)
  Alath: spy (MM p349)
  Vezir: scout (MM p349)
  Doppelganger: berserker (MM p343)
  about the author
  Richard is a contributor and author of 
  many projects on the DMs Guild, includ-
  ing the Ravnica adventure The Tomb of 
  Svogthos and Rise of the Champions. 
  Encounter inspired by:
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 16
  so, a tearful 
  shepherd, three 
  pixies, and floCk of 
  sheep walk onto 
  the road…
  by Karl Sciberras
  suggested party level: any 
  …Or more accurately the pixies fly over 
  the road, the young shepherd pulls him-
  self along about two meters off the ground 
  by grabbing onto anything he can reach 
  and the sheep, being too dull to really 
  understand the concept of moving in three 
  dimensions, bob haphazardly throughout 
  the area, occasionally bumping into the 
  characters, trees, and each other.
  naughty sheep
  Earlier in the day the sheep angered the 
  pixies by eating and trampling a toadstool 
  ring, their favorite entrance to the Feywild. 
  The pixies took revenge on the sheep and 
  the hapless shepherd by casting a levitate 
  spell on the lot of them. But the little fey 
  are not done yet: they demanded the shep-
  herd take them back to his home so they 
  can trample on it and “make things fair.”
  nervous shepherd
  Upon seeing the characters, the shepherd 
  (Albie Gill, commoner, MM p345), will call 
  out franticly, expecting them to help re-
  solve the predicament. The young boy is 
  desperate for help and continuously blub-
  bering about how “he didn’t do anything,” 
  “he needs help,” and “his family will starve 
  without his sheep.” Due to his emotional 
  state and the fact that he didn’t actually 
  see what happened, Albie is of little actual 
  help in clearing up or clarifying the situa-
  tion. From Albie’s point of view everything 
  was going well when he and the sheep 
  began to float and the angry pixie clique 
  threatened to do much worse unless their 
  demands were met.
  angry pixies
  The pixies (Colivren, Eerith, and Aer-
  wolph) (MM p253), on the other hand, will 
  very clearly explain the situation from 
  their point of view. The pixies expect the 
  characters to side with them out of fair-
  ness, because the sheep were the boy’s 
  charges. During the conversation the DM 
  should portray the individual personalities 
  so that the players are able to formulate 
  arguments.
  hungry sheep
  The sheep just want to eat.
  dealing with the pixies
  At least two of the pixies will need to be 
  persuaded separately to drop the vendetta 
  and each pixie is influenced by a different 
  factor, detailed below in the Personalities 
  section.
  A successful DC 16 Charisma (Persua-
  sion) check will convince a pixie to accept 
  a different consequence for the destruc-
  tion of their faerie ring. The nature of the 
  change is up to the DM. Keep in mind fey 
  logic is alien to mortals. The check is made 
  at disadvantage if the characters attempt 
  to argue that no punishment is required. 
  A successful DC 14 Charisma (Intim-
  idation) check on each of the pixies is 
  enough to cow them. The pixies will be 
  unhappy and hostile but will not engage in 
  combat unless provoked.
  pixie personalities
  Colivren 
  Colivren is a stickler for the rules. By fey 
  convention an action of equal import is 
  required to balance the scales. A well-rea-
  soned argument grants advantage on the 
  Persuasion check with Colivren.
  Aerwolph
  Aerwolph is impetuous and really just 
  wants to bash something because it is fun. 
  Any solution that involves her destroying 
  something of Albie’s grants advantage on 
  the Persuasion check.
  Eerith
  Eerith wants to prove himself competent 
  to the other two members of his clique. He 
  tends to be quiet except when 
  acting to support the other 
  two pixies. If Colivren is al-
  ready convinced to support 
  the characters, or if the char-
  acters press Eerith to make 
  a decision, the Persuasion 
  check is made with advantage.
  developments
  While the conversation is 
  going on sheep will begin to 
  drift away. Albie’s emotional 
  state and the levitation spell 
  prevent him from gathering 
  his flock.
  A level-appropriate preda-
  tor, such as a mountain lion 
  (either lion, MM p331 or pan-
  ther, MM p333) or a peryton 
  (MM p251), could appear, 
  capitalizing on the limited 
  mobility of the herd. 
  Should the pixie clique 
  become impatient with the 
  party, they summon other pix-
  ies who begin playing pranks 
  on characters not involved in 
  the discussions and otherwise 
  being nuisances that need to be dealt with.
  ConClusions
  This encounter is not intended as a com-
  bat encounter. Let the players have fun 
  with the situation and reward creativi-
  ty. Pixies are tricky, excitable, and easily 
  bored. These pixies know they are phys-
  ically outmatched but are incensed and 
  will hold their ground on principle until 
  attacked with magic, mundane weapons, 
  or sufficiently persuaded or intimidated. 
  Killing or harming the pixies could have 
  unexpected consequences:
  • Raising the ire of a more powerful fey 
  being.
  • Being identified as troublemakers by 
  the mortal ruler of the area who is 
  concerned that the characters have 
  upset the fey.
  • Leading the pixies to the Albie’s home 
  will cause hardship for the family and 
  could raise friction between the mor-
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  tals and fey in the area. The villagers 
  will find out that it was the characters 
  who led the fey to the village.
  • Losing too many sheep during the en-
  counter could also result in hardship 
  for Albie’s family.
  about the author
  Karl’s first adventure, All in a Day’s 
  Work, was released to the Guild in late 
  2018. More adventures will follow as he 
  extracts all the stories that are rattling 
  around in his head.
  
  Encounters Along a Road or Campsite  |  Page 17
  enCounter modifiers
  by ELF Vesala
  The classic random encounter is a confron-
  tation with creatures that are automatically 
  hostile and attack the adventurers. The mod-
  ifiers below can add variation to these kinds 
  of engagements with intelligent monsters. 
  It is not recommended to roll on every sin-
  gle table below before the encounter. Rather, 
  choose one of the tables as a starting point 
  and pick or randomize a modifier from there. 
  That should be enough to make an encoun-
  ter more unpredictable. Use any additional 
  tables only when it feels appropriate. 
  organization
  The way creatures have organized them-
  selves can have a major impact on the 
  outcome of the encounter. 
   d6 
  Organization
   
  1 
  Escapees: A disorganized array moving fast, perhaps 
  escaping a more powerful creature or a natural 
  disaster. The group is far from stealthy and can be 
  easy to avoid or surprise. 
   
  2 
  Scattered: The creatures are not in immediate 
  contact with each other. Maybe they have lost their 
  way or are spread out, searching for something? 
   
  3 
  Guardians: A group protecting someone weaker 
  and more vulnerable than themselves, perhaps their 
  young or an elderly dignitary. They are willing to 
  take risks to protect their ward. 
   
  4 
  Rivals: A divided group competing with each other, 
  perhaps playfully, or perhaps in a deadly serious 
  contest to win someone’s favor. 
   
  5 
  Patrol: An organized team scouting the 
  environment, ready for trouble and capable of 
  calling in reinforcements. 
   
  6 
  Retinue: A group consisting of individuals with 
  varying roles, typically in the service of a high-
  ranking leader. (See the Roles table for inspiration.) 
  roles
  The function the creatures serve can affect 
  their tactics and equipment. 
   d6 
  Role
   
  1 
  Weakling:  The group consists mainly of young, 
  infirm, or otherwise weakened variations of the 
  standard specimen. 
   
  2 
  Grunt:  Standard specimens of their type. 
   
  3 
  Scout:  Faster moving and lightly equipped variation. 
   
  4 
  Elite:  More heavily armored specimen with stronger 
  than standard attacks. 
   
  5 
  Mystic:  The creatures have with them an individual 
  with mystic powers, be they magical, miraculous or 
  psionic. 
   
  6 
  Leader:  The creatures accompany a high-ranking 
  individual with a special weapon, such as a magic 
  item or even an artifact. The leader may also have 
  valuable information or be worth a ransom. 
  approaCh
  Intelligent creatures can choose different 
  approaches for dealing with the intruding 
  adventurers. Roll with disadvantage for 
  low intelligence creatures and with advan-
  tage for highly intelligent individuals. 
   2d10 
  Approach
   
  2 
  Inattentive: The creature is oblivious to its environs, 
  fully concentrated on its current task. 
   
  3 
  Occupied:  The creature is already busy dealing with 
  something else. 
   
  4 
  Observing:  The creature is aware of the adventurers 
  but wants to find out more about them before 
  making its move. 
   
  5 
  Intimidation:  The creature tries to avoid direct 
  confrontation by scaring the adventurers away.
   
  6 
  Entrapment:  The creature tries to lure the 
  adventurers into an unadvantageous position 
  before attacking. 
   
  7 
  Ruse:  The creature attempts to trick the adventurers 
  by giving them a wrong idea about its plans and 
  tactics. 
   
  8 
  Attack from Cover:  The creature aims to stay in a 
  well-protected position and attack safely from there. 
   
  9 
  Ambush:  The creature waits in hiding until the 
  perfect moment to launch a full-scale attack. 
   10 
  Sneak Attack:  The creature starts combat with a 
  surprise attack for example from behind, above or 
  underneath, as appropriate. 
   11 
  Direct Attack:  The creature attacks the adventurers 
  directly. 
   12 
  Capture:  The creature is interested in just one of the 
  adventurers. As soon as it manages to capture its 
  victim, it flees. 
   13 
  Thievery:  The creature wants to steal something. 
  When it has managed to grab what it wants, it flees. 
   14 
  Bribe Collection:  The creature is willing to let the 
  adventurers go without a fight if they agree to pay a 
  bribe. 
   15 
  Deception:  The creature acts friendly, but is ready 
  to betray the adventurers when an opportunity 
  presents itself. 
   16 
  Trade:  The creature wants something from the 
  adventurers and is willing to trade it with some 
  trinket or equipment it has. 
   17 
  Negotiation:  The creature needs an item or 
  information it believes the adventurers may be able to 
  provide. It is willing to negotiate the terms involved. 
   18 
  Information:  The creature desperately needs 
  to know something. If the adventurers are 
  willing to satisfy its curiosity, there is no need for 
  confrontation. 
   19 
  Interaction:  The creature is bored and just wants 
  some entertainment. Perhaps listening to a tale, 
  participating in a riddle contest or playing a game. 
   20 
  Alliance:  The creature faces an undertaking it is not 
  able to handle without help. It is willing to side with 
  the adventurers to get their help. 
  taCtiCs
  Most intelligent monsters are able to uti-
  lize more tactical approaches than just 
  charging head-on. 
   d8 
  Tactics
   
  1 
  Guerrilla Tactics:  The creatures observe the 
  adventurers, making quick and dirty attacks when 
  they are at an advantageous position. 
   
  2 
  Sabotage:  The creatures initially target the 
  adventurers’ equipment and other assets to set 
  them to a disadvantage in actual combat, which 
  soon follows. 
   
  3 
  Ranged Combat:  The creatures remain at a distance, 
  attacking with ranged weapons as applicable. (If they 
  have no ranged attacks, choose another option.)
   
  4 
  War of Attrition: A tactic to wear down the 
  adventurers over a longer period of time, initially 
  causing only minor damage but giving them no 
  opportunity to recover. 
   
  5 
  Flanking: The creatures do not face the adventurers 
  directly but prefer to strike from the sidelines or 
  behind. A strong creature can act as a decoy to draw 
  the adventurers’ attention to itself. 
   
  6 
  Divide and Conquer: The creatures aim to separate 
  the adventurers from each other and deal with 
  them one at a time. 
   
  7 
  Hit and Run: The creatures make a single charge and 
  then quickly retreat into safety to re-evaluate the 
  situation. 
   
  8 
  Attacks in Waves: The creatures take turns to attack 
  to be able to recover between attacks. 
  foreshadowing powerful 
  Creatures
  While it’s fine to encounter run-of-the-
  mill monsters directly, you can get more 
  mileage from powerful creatures by using 
  foreshadowing. Initially, you can give the 
  players just a hint about the creature’s 
  existence, and after that show them more 
  and more evidence of the creature’s power. 
  That will make the final encounter much 
  more significant—and with luck, make the 
  players fear what lies ahead. 
  The following table contains increasing-
  ly powerful ways to hint about a creature 
  and its power. If you want to randomize 
  the stages of the foreshadowing process, 
  make the initial roll using a d4, and with 
  additional encounters, proceed to use d6, 
  d8 and finally d10. 
   d4... d10 Foreshadowing
   
  1 
  Lore: The adventurers learn about an old legend or 
  prophecy hinting at the existence of the creature. 
   
  2 
  Rumor: A recent rumor claims to give insight about 
  the alleged activities of the creature. The rumor does 
  not necessarily have to be true. 
   
  3 
  Premonition: One of the adventurers has a dream 
  or a vision about the creature. At least initially this 
  does not need to be anything concrete - an uneasy 
  feeling or a symbolic image can be more efficient. 
   
  4 
  Eyewitness: The adventurers meet someone who 
  claims to have seen the creature from afar with their 
  own eyes. 
   
  5 
  Traces: Indirect evidence of the creature’s 
  existence—for example destruction it has caused in 
  the past, perhaps years ago. 
   
  6 
  Tracks: Footprints or other evidence about the 
  creatures past presence in the area. 
   
  7 
  Spoor: A fresh scent, broken foliage, disturbance in 
  magical energies or other evidence of the creatures 
  recent presence. 
   
  8 
  Sighting: The creature can be seen in the distance, 
  probably too far away to reach. Apparently it is not 
  aware of the adventurers. 
   
  9 
  Lair: The adventurers find the den or home base of 
  the creature. They may not be able to enter, and the 
  creature seems not to be present. 
   10 
  Close Encounter: The adventurers finally encounter 
  the creature eye to eye. 
  about the author
  ELF is a random generator aficionado 
  blogging at https://randomcreation .
  net/. His favorite die is d10. 
  So, a DiSplacer BeaSt cuB anD a pack of Blink DogS 
  ran acroSS our path…
  So, a SverfneBlin, chaSeD By a Duergar poSSe, 
  WalkeD into our campSite…
  So, a poacher WalkS into a loDge…
  So, a goBlin in a cage hangS over the roaD…
  So, an exotic merchant anD a crippleD aarakocra 
  lanDeD on our campSite…
  So, an umBer hulk anD a SlaaD fly over the roaD…
  So, a BlinD Woman anD a meDuSa Walk along the 
  roaD…
  So, a BargheSt anD itS goBlin prey are founD on the 
  roaD…
  So, a chilD anD hiS SiSter Walk onto the roaD…
  So, tWo clanS of goBlinS gathereD By the roaD With 
  a hag—then a Bunch of BarDS ShoWeD up…
  So, a magic axe, a Skeleton, anD a croWD of 
  peaSantS Block the roaD…
  So, a campfire appeareD along the roaD…
  So, Some aDventurerS With a lockeD cheSt Step 
  onto the roaD
  So, a tearful ShepherD, three pixieS, anD flock of 
  Sheep Walk onto the roaD
  encounter moDifier taBleS
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Community Created/Community Created/So, a Blind Woman and a Medusa Walk Along the Road (Interactive).pdf