Random Encounters in Thither
Roll for a random encounter whenever you feel it is appropriate; for example, you might decide to stage a random encounter while the characters are traveling toward a location marked on the map of Thither or when they first arrive at a particular landmark.
To determine what the characters encounter, roll a d8 and consult the Random Encounters in Thither table. Several of the random encounters described below are with specific named creatures and therefore aren’t likely to happen more than once unless the characters revisit familiar ground. If you roll on the table, get the same result as on a previous roll, and don’t like the repetition, choose a different encounter that you think would be fun.
Random Encounters in Thither 1-4
1 - Blink Dogs
The characters spot 1d6 + 2 blink dogs 60 feet ahead of them. Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher can see that the dogs are surrounding a crudely dug hole in the ground. The characters must get within 5 feet of the hole to see that it’s a shallow grave containing the body of a dead blink dog laid out on a reed litter. The dogs howl sadly while solemnly placing gifts for their deceased companion to enjoy in its afterlife. If the ceremony is not disturbed, the howling and gift-giving ends 1 minute later, after which the blink dogs fill in the hole with loose dirt, burying the dead dog. The mournful dogs then lope away.
The blink dogs don’t take kindly to interruptions, but characters who approach respectfully can talk to them after the ceremony, assuming they are able to speak the dogs’ language. The blink dogs reveal that their companion was slain while scouting out Loomlurch and the surrounding area. They urge any characters heading for the hag’s lair to be cautious. The blink dogs can reveal the following information about the hag and her lair:
Next to Loomlurch is a goblin market that sells all sorts of candy treats.
The scarecrows planted in Granny Nightshade’s garden scream loudly if they spot intruders.
Granny Nightshade uses clockwork sparrows to communicate with her wicked sisters.
2 - Buttered Campestri
The characters come across a campfire in the forest. A cauldron of water bubbles over the flames, and a frying pan that holds melted butter rests on a nearby rock. A lone campestri sings merrily as it dips its cap into the butter. If questioned, the campestri says its friend, Kro’ah, asked it to rub melted butter into its flesh and has promised it a hot bath before dinner. Kro’ah is gathering firewood but should be back soon! Persuading the campestri to leave the campsite requires a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. After 1d4 + 2 minutes, Kro’ah the goblin (chaotic neutral) returns for his dinner. In addition to an armful of firewood, the goblin has an explorer’s pack.
Although Kro’ah has no regard for the life of campestris and finds them quite delicious, he won’t pick a fight with a group of well-armed adventurers. If the characters leave him alone, he gives them some useful information:
There’s a market at Loomlurch that sells all kinds of candy. (Kro’ah offers each character a stick of candy as proof.) The market is supervised by a goblin with a toffee apple head.
Granny Nightshade puts children to work in her toy shop. The hag has a large key protruding from her back, almost like she’s a big wind-up toy herself.
3 - Centaur
An aged centaur named Winterbow approaches the characters and warns them that this realm is fading; they should return to their own world before Prismeer disappears entirely. Winterbow reveals that the other members of his clan galloped away to safety before the mists enveloped Prismeer, but he was too old to keep up with them. The centaur doesn’t know the cause of the realm’s impending destruction. If the characters seem kind, he tells them to seek out the unicorn at Wayward Pool for answers.
Winterbow’s walking speed is 25 feet, and his vision is limited to a range of 60 feet. He knows the woods of Thither well enough to point characters in the direction of Loomlurch if that’s where they aim to go.
4 - Doomed Dryad
A hostile dryad and seven awakened shrubs emerge from the undergrowth and surround the characters. Any character who has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or higher spots the dryad and the shrubs before they arrive, and all other characters are surprised.
The dryad, Meadowleaf, was bound to an enchanted tree that Granny Nightshade felled and used to make wooden toys. Believing the characters to be mercenaries hired by Granny Nightshade to capture Will of the Feywild and the Getaway Gang, the dryad points an accusing finger toward them and orders the awakened shrubs, “Show these villains the true meaning of revenge!”
A character can use an action to make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check in the hope of ending hostilities. On a successful check, the character convinces Meadowleaf (and, by extension, the shrubs) not to attack on their next turn, giving the characters a brief time in which to counter any false notions the dryad might have about the party’s intentions and allegiances. If the characters make a sound argument in their defense, or if four or more shrubs are killed in the ensuing battle, Meadowleaf calls off the attack.
The dryad is too bitter and angry to apologize for any errors in judgment on her part. Reminding her of the rule of hospitality (see “Rules of Conduct” in chapter 2) is enough to convince her that she should be nicer to travelers passing through the forest, which is the closest thing she has to a home now that her beloved tree is gone.
Deprived of her tree, Meadowleaf is doomed to sink ever deeper into despair. If her encounter with the characters ends peacefully, she urges them to restore Zybilna to power so that other dryads won’t suffer a similar fate. She also gives the characters three sycamore seeds. A creature that eats one of these seeds gains the benefit of a pass without trace spell, which lasts for 1 hour.