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 4-8
1 - Grandfather Tree
The characters happen upon the following scene:
A gigantic, gnarled oak comes into view. Unlike other oaks in the forest, this tree looks unhealthy and has golden brown leaves. A thick carpet of dead leaves surrounds it, and three rusty sickles lie among the leaves. Standing next to each of these weapons is a bleating goat.
Eight tiny houses made of woven twigs are nestled among the boughs of the tree. Squirrels dart nervously around these wee domiciles.
The tree is dying due to the presence of the evil hag: it has simply given up the will to live. The tree is home to twenty-four pixies, all of which are invisible when the characters first arrive. The pixies share their twig houses with three families of squirrels. Less than an hour ago, three redcaps emerged from the woods and started throwing rocks at the pixie houses, trying to destroy them out of spite. The pixies retaliated by polymorphing the redcaps into goats. When the polymorph spells wear off in about 10 minutes, the pixies plan to polymorph the redcaps again unless they leave immediately. The pixies are unaccustomed to dealing with redcaps and don’t know what else to do.
If the characters approach the tree and do not appear threatening, three pixies named Amaryllis, Calluna, and Zinnia become visible and warn the characters not to slay the goats, lest they transform back into redcaps. The pixies are nonviolent and would appreciate the characters’ help. One thing the characters can do is gather up the redcaps’ sickles (which they dropped when they started throwing rocks at the tree). The seizure of these weapons causes the goats to attack.
If they are deprived of their weapons and returned to their normal forms, the redcaps stomp their iron boots and demand that their sickles be returned to them. If the characters refuse to do so, the redcaps scream in fury and swear profusely before stomping away. Without their sickles, these redcaps are all bluster. If their weapons are returned to them, the redcaps attack the characters, hoping to soak their hats in the characters’ blood. If the characters seem unable to deal with the redcaps on their own, the pixies use their magic to assist.
Once the redcaps are no longer a threat, the pixies share the following information with the characters:
The redcaps started appearing when Granny Nightshade took over the forest. Like their creator, the redcaps appear to have no redeeming qualities.
The hag grows the redcaps in a garden near her lair, which is inside a fallen tree that spans a ravine. (The pixies can’t agree on the distance or direction to the hag’s lair.)
The grandfather oak upon which the pixies built their village is sickened by the hag’s presence. Ridding Thither of Granny Nightshade might be the only way to return the tree to good health.
Development. If the characters pass this way again after defeating the hag, they find the old tree’s branches covered in fresh green buds—a sign that the grandfather oak is healing.
2 - Jabberwock’s Trail
The characters come across a trail of monstrous claw prints on the forest floor. Whatever creature left the trail was clearly enormous, as each print spans three feet from heel to toe. A character who examines the prints and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies them as belonging to some kind of dragon-like creature. After a few miles, the trail disappears abruptly. A character who examines the prints at the end of the trail can tell that they’re unusually deep and can, with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, conclude that the creature launched itself into the air at this point, suggesting that it can fly.
3 - Owlbear and Chariot
The characters encounter a domesticated owlbear yoked to a dilapidated elven chariot. It ran off into the woods after its rider, an elf, was snatched from the chariot by the jabberwock that frequents Zybilna’s palace (see chapter 5). The owlbear’s harness boss is engraved with a branch of the tree for which she is named: Juniper. The chariot is big enough to hold two Medium characters and their gear.
Any character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check can calm Juniper and use her as a steed. The owlbear must be fed at least 8 pounds of meat every day to keep her docile. If she goes just one day without a proper meal, Juniper turns on her new owners and tries to eat them.
4 - Pixies
Three pixies sit around a tiny table, sipping tea and nibbling cakes. A 6-inch-long wedge made of wood lies on the ground nearby. The pixies found this piece of wood (a doorstop) on one of their recent forays into the Material Plane and are arguing about what it could be. Spiderlily thinks it’s a slice of cake made for a treant, Cowslip thinks it’s an exercise bench for mice, and Maypole is convinced it’s a troll’s toothpick.
The pixies entreat the characters to settle their dispute. They are profoundly disappointed to learn of the doorstop’s mundane purpose and giggle with delight if they are treated to a convincing lie. Either way, they give a reed whistle to the character who impressed them the most. Once before the end of this adventure, that character can blow the whistle to summon the three pixies. This effect functions as a conjure woodland beings spell that summons only the three pixies and doesn’t require concentration. The pixies fly away when the spell ends after 1 hour.