Setting: Any tavern/bar in a fantasy setting.
Encounter:
A visitor arrives at the tavern while the party are in residence . This visitor is not careful about hiding their wealth. They order a round for everyone in the house, and the best room/stabling/food the place has to offer.
The visitor is open, friendly and patently honest. Happy to chat to any who approach and to raise a tankard to their good health. They are dressed well but modestly .
A slight issue occurs over the matter of payment. The visitor wants to pay with a gold coin (more than covers the cost) but it is of a type/design the landlord does not recognise.
Either a party member or patron NPC can confirm that the coin is perfectly good - just very old and rare. Worth far more than a regular gold coin would be!
The landlord is happy, the drinks flow and an excellent night is had by all.
New-Found Wealth:
The visitor is not shy about where the coin came from:
'Luckiest run of cards I ever played! I met this burly fellow who seemed determined to challenge everyone to a game of chance. I'm pretty good with the cards myself so I accepted his offer.
I had the best winning streak of my life! Cleaned the guy out completely. Thought I was a gonner to be honest - people don't usually take that well to a loss that big. Anyhow, he took it well. Got really drunk and passed out.
I cleared out before he woke up. I mean, you get out while you're ahead don't you?'
This happened only yesterday and the visitor is full of the joy of his new-found wealth.
The Twist:
The coins have been removed from an ancient burial mound. An ill fate follows all who possess the coins within the next 12 hours:
- The visitor falls down a flight of stairs in the night.
- The tavern catches fire.
- A rat and weevil infestation afflicts the local provisioner, causing a shortage of food locally.
Wherever the coins are spent, disaster follows.
If a player obtains one, for their every skill roll, the GM makes a secret roll. Even numbers result in a significant skill handicap. Odd numbers have no effect.
Only back-tracking the visitor's route, obtaining and returning the coins to a well-known local barrow will remove the negative effects.
Obtaining the coins won't be hard. Everyone is happy to be rid of them and the run of bad luck that has recently plagued their lives.
Happy Gaming!
-Stolph
P.S.: Check out our Random Encounter Generators!
