So you took to the road in the Borderlands (Encounter Table)

So you took to the road in the Borderlands...

This is a dangerous thing to do, and we're playing Maze Rats, so make a Danger Roll! 
If there's any reason for you gaining advantage or adding a stat bonus, argue for it now.
Whether or not you succeed, an encounter will be had. The result of your danger roll just decides how well your encounter will go. 

Pilgrims arriving in Rome for the first Jubilee in 1300, from Giovanni Sercambi’s “Chronicles,” around 1400.
Credit...Archivio di Stato, Lucca

After the Danger Roll has been rolled, the GM also rolls 2d6, basing the encounter table on this blogpost by Papers and Pencils, adding, consequently a dragon and a wizard (or in this case, witch) to the module. Also, not wanting to throw away a roll if the danger roll was successful, I have two entries on each encounter. One if you are in danger and one if you are not in danger.

On the Road

2. Dragon: Baby Chaos Dragon, will grow as chaos grows in the region. Hungry, new and curious/inquisitive. Will ask for a name, since nobody has given it one yet. 


In danger: It is hungry. You look tasty.


Not in danger: It’s curious about this world and will ask you many questions until it is satisfied. (make a procedure?)


3. Weird Stuff: 8 Skeletons in dirt covered monks robes carrying a closed litter/palanquin containing recently found and excavated bones of the ancient dragon. If they get away with their quarry, increase the influence of chaos in the region. 


In danger: They will defend their treasure with violence, seeing you as a threat. 


Not in danger: They ignore you.


4. Weird Stuff: 3 Bees, the size of a loaf of bread each are buzzing around.


In danger: They are aggressive and assume bad intent on any that approach.


Not in danger: They are playing, roughhousing like little puppies.

5. Weird Sense of Place: 3 Acolytes of Saint Christopher’s Road Guardians come by and check up on you.


In danger: They suspect you of being in league with the forces of Chaos and will find reasons to support their claim. They try to take you captive for interrogation. One of their number has recently been lost to a wicked witch who was disguised just like a normal old lady. In wanting to help, they had been duped and he had been lost.


Not in danger: They ask about your travels and any supernatural things you have seen. If nothing untoward has happened in this conversation they will bless you before they part ways with you.
 (gaining advantage on travel checks for the rest of the day)

6. Sense of Place: 6 Bandits on the road, looking for easy money.


In danger: They try to ambush you and take your valuables. They are not out to kill, but will if threatened.


Not in danger: They are ambushing a trader, promising to do nothing to you if you just look the other way and let them be.


7. Recurring Characters: Gros Jean has a manacled prisoner on a chain and is sitting down with a pensive smile brainstorming on an apt punishment for the oath the prisoner broke.


In danger: He comes up with an idea, but to do that he will need some human skulls. Yours will do.


Not in danger: He asks for advice, saying that this farmer had promised his first born child to the Witch Magobia in exchange for the elixir that saved her life during pregnancy. But now the child has ‘miraculously disappeared’ and the witch's benevolence has been taken advantage of.


8. Sense of Place: 2 traders and a pushcart. They are armed up and will defend their wares (all different kinds of tools and implements: see Tool Items in Maze Rats, p.7) with lethal force. At least, that’s their intention.


In danger: They will assume you are robbers and they aim crossbows at you, asking your stuff as reparations for the stuff they have already lost ‘to you guys’ today.


Not in danger: Will ask where you are going and suggest you join them on the road if you are going the same way (50% chance).


9. Weird Sense of Place: 12 Gaul at the edge of the woods. 4 are armed with short spears and mounted on boars, four are not, holding sickles and knives, four are children holding baskets filled with whatever they are gathering.


In danger: They will yell in their own language “we are seen!” and charge, fearful of their hidden life becoming known.


Not in danger: They look at you pensively, hold their fingers to their lips (shht!) and retreat into the forest’s shadow.


10. Weird Stuff: A broken cart with strange little men clambering and hopping about it. There is the sound of construction.


In danger: It are 7 kobolds, having some fun destroying the cart after they have already destroyed all its contents. If they notice you they will find it more fun to mess with you!


Not in danger: It are 5 gnomes, having fun repairing a broken thing. If you protect them while they are doing it, you may even have it afterwards. The cart is way too big for them anyway. (if the danger roll was a critical success it’s now a magical cart!)


11. Weird Stuff: 3 creatures of the fairy realm stand on the road, awaiting you. It’s a princess and two body guards. The are all of an unnatural, awe-inspiring beauty.


In danger: The princess is looking for a mate but could not find any to her liking in the entire realm of fairy. (or so she claims) You must now all have tea with her so she can decide if you are worthy or not. (write procedure: Tea-time with an elven princess)


After this encounter, replace this encounter with a follow up, where the results of their actions will have born fruit, one way or another. (for example, after some time, say, a honeymoon period, the spouse returns, with added elfin gear, to aid their erstwhile companions.

Not in danger: The stars have foretold of your coming. This land faces a great danger. Take this gift. It will aid you, if you are worthy. It’s a Ring of the Woodpecker. If you hit it against a wooden surface, it will cause it to make a really loud pecking noise, paralyzing all those who did not expect to hear it for a turn. (can be used once a scene). 


After this encounter, replace this encounter with a follow up, judging wether or not you have used it correctly, and either increasing its powers/abilities or taking them away.


12. Magic User: The Witch Magobia is carrying a baby, feeding it a bottle of something that does not look like milk. It looks gray, like milk mixed with ash. She has her cat with her.


In danger: She urges you to go away and leave her be. If you do not her cat will grow the size of a donkey and hiss at you, trying to intimidate you. If you do not heed that and defeat the cat, she will attempt to curse you all and flee. She has the words CURSED/CURSING, EMBER and PULSE. Roll a DANGER ROLL+WIL to see if you are affected. 

Not in danger: She will invite you to join her and offer a job. She needs to go to a dangerous place and needs you to protect this child until she returns. Evil knights want to come and take it away from her, her own baby! (this is, of course, a lie. It is not her baby, and the knights are not evil per se.) She will lead them to her cottage in the woods and tell them where the food for the baby is held. If the job is rejected, she will attempt to curse them. She has the words CURSED/CURSING, EMBER and PULSE. Roll a DANGER ROLL+WIL to see if you are affected.