Varisia to Kalsgard Caravan Encounters - Rencontres Aléatoires
The legends and terrors of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings take shape in this month’s entry into the Pathfinder Bestiary. Born from the icy plains and taiga of the deadly northlands, these creatures can make excellent optional encounters as the PCs travel toward Kalsgard in this month’s adventure, “Night of Frozen Shadows.”
Caravan Encounters
As the caravan travels through the dangerous lands of northern Varisia and into the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, there is a 15% chance of an encounter each day. Encounters indicated with an asterisk (*) have a 50% chance of occurring at night while the caravan is camped. All other encounters occur while the caravan is on the move. No encounters occur if the caravan camps at a settlement. If an encounter occurs, roll on the Varisia to Kalsgard Caravan Encounters table to see what the PCs will face. Note that all of the following encounters are caravan encounters and use the caravan combat rules found in the Jade Regent Player’s Guide.
| d% | Roll Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–15 | Flooded bridge |
| 16–40 | Stranded travelers |
| 41–50 | Fog raid |
| 51–65 | Forest drakes* |
| 66–90 | Trolls* |
| 91–100 | Woolly rhino stampede |
Flooded Bridge: While maps clearly show a bridge here, all that’s visible now is a raging river and a few wooden posts. There’s no better ford within a week’s travel, so if the caravan doesn’t want to turn back, it must try to cross here. Crossing the river requires three DC 16 Security checks. A failed check causes the caravan to lose 1d6 miles of travel from its daily total for every point the check is below the DC. If a check is failed by 5 or more, the caravan also takes 3d6 hit points of damage and loses 1 randomly determined unit of cargo before making it across.
Fog Raid (CR 4): An extremely heavy fog rolls in as evening sets, reducing visibility below 50 feet and making the night time camp much darker than usual. A local group of brigands, familiar with the regional evening fog, uses this opportunity to attempt to sneak into camp and steal cargo. The caravan must make a DC 19 Security check to notice the thieves before they enter the camp. If the check fails by 5 or more, the thieves steal 1d6 random units of cargo and sneak back into the night undiscovered. If the check fails by 4 or less, the thieves acquire a single random unit of cargo before being spotted and attempting to flee, giving the caravan only a single round of combat to defeat them (AC 15; hp 30; Attack +6; Damage 3d4+6). If the Security check is successful, the thieves are discovered before they acquire any cargo, and the caravan loses nothing unless it is defeated in the ensuing fight. The thieves attempt to f lee as soon as they lose half their hit points.
Forest Drakes* (CR 4): A small rampage of forest drakes swoops in to attack the caravan (AC 17; hp 40; Attack +8; Damage 4d6+2). Because the drakes can attack from the sky, the caravan must succeed at a DC 15 Security check to notice this ambush in time to react. If this check fails, the caravan takes a –2 penalty to its Armor Class and on attack rolls for the first round of combat. Since the drakes can create an acid mist and boost their speed, escaping combat with the forest drakes requires two DC 17 Stability checks if the caravan opts to flee.
Stranded Travelers: A group of f ive travelers huddles in a camp. Their pack train (a less hardy version of a caravan with only beasts of burden, and no wagons) has lost too many animals to continue forward, and the travelers do not wish to turn back. If your caravan agrees to carry them to the next major settlement, they will each pay the caravan 100 gp. The travelers can only take the role of passengers.
Trolls* (CR 5): A pack of trolls attacks the caravan (AC 18; hp 55; Attack +10; Damage 4d8). The trolls regenerate 5 hit points per round unless caravan members make some effort to attack with acid or fire (expending one provision to fight with alchemist’s fire or torches, spellcasters expending their highest-level spell slot for arcane attacks, heroes using f laming weapons, etc.). The caravan must make a DC 15 Resolve check each round members attempt to damage the trolls with acid or fire. On a successful check, all the caravan’s damage is treated as acid or fire; on a failed check, only half the damage dealt counts as acid or fire. The trolls fight until they are reduced to 15 or fewer hit points they can’t regenerate, then f lee. The caravan can make one additional attack on the round the trolls use to retreat.
Woolly Rhinos (CR 6): A stampede of wild woolly rhinos thunders across the path of the caravan. This event is treated as a combat with the rhinos (AC 19; hp 70; Attack +12; Damage 4d10). On the first round of combat, the woolly rhinos deal double damage on a successful attack. The stampede only lasts 5 rounds, at which point the rhinos charge off even if they are not defeated. For every 10 hit points of damage dealt to the woolly rhinos, one is killed and can be salvaged for 1 cargo unit of food (10 provisions).