My party is currently traveling towards another city. They have at least 2 days before they make it. I want to create an encounter where they come upon a small caravan that has been attacked. There are of course dead bodies around the wagons and the wagons have been ransacked. The twist? The surviving members of the caravan are in fact those that ambushed and attacked the caravan in the first place. The party consists of 4 level 8 characters.
The encounter takes place on the plains, so there's not a lot of cover. Just some tall grass. Thinking the original ambush was with attackers under some kind of camouflaged tarp.
What creatures/monsters would you use? How many bad guys?
How would you role play that? Party approaches then get attacked right away? Wait till they dismount and then attack? Draw them in and separate them, they could try and heal the bad guys?
This is almost identical to an encounter my DM did a few months ago. We were level 7 and there were 3 of us. How you roleplay it will depend on what the party does when they see the wagons. He had one bandit lying in the middle of the wagons covered in blood, 2 hiding behind the 2 wagons and 2 more hiding behind rocks in the grass, if I remember correctly. We attempted to scope it out but unfortunately one player failed their stealth check, it did mean the fight wasn't a straight ambush from either party, but it didn't start as well as we would have liked.
If any of your party members spots the 'survivors,' are they dressed or acting in such a manner that it can be figured out that these were the attackers? If they try and deceive your party, is that something that is a spur of the moment decision by some of the ambushers, or is it a planned strategy that they'd all be aware of/one group wouldn't mess up for another group?
I think the party will be cresting a small rise and be able to see a ways down the road that there could be something "coming". Obviously its just the wreckage but they won't know that till they get closer. This would also allow the "survivors" to spot them and to put a plan in motion to attack the party as well.
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My party is currently traveling towards another city. They have at least 2 days before they make it. I want to create an encounter where they come upon a small caravan that has been attacked. There are of course dead bodies around the wagons and the wagons have been ransacked. The twist? The surviving members of the caravan are in fact those that ambushed and attacked the caravan in the first place. The party consists of 4 level 8 characters.
The encounter takes place on the plains, so there's not a lot of cover. Just some tall grass. Thinking the original ambush was with attackers under some kind of camouflaged tarp.
What creatures/monsters would you use? How many bad guys?
How would you role play that? Party approaches then get attacked right away? Wait till they dismount and then attack? Draw them in and separate them, they could try and heal the bad guys?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
This is almost identical to an encounter my DM did a few months ago. We were level 7 and there were 3 of us.
How you roleplay it will depend on what the party does when they see the wagons.
He had one bandit lying in the middle of the wagons covered in blood, 2 hiding behind the 2 wagons and 2 more hiding behind rocks in the grass, if I remember correctly.
We attempted to scope it out but unfortunately one player failed their stealth check, it did mean the fight wasn't a straight ambush from either party, but it didn't start as well as we would have liked.
Hope this helps.
If any of your party members spots the 'survivors,' are they dressed or acting in such a manner that it can be figured out that these were the attackers? If they try and deceive your party, is that something that is a spur of the moment decision by some of the ambushers, or is it a planned strategy that they'd all be aware of/one group wouldn't mess up for another group?
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Good question.
I think the party will be cresting a small rise and be able to see a ways down the road that there could be something "coming". Obviously its just the wreckage but they won't know that till they get closer. This would also allow the "survivors" to spot them and to put a plan in motion to attack the party as well.