Travel Encounter: The Tower Cannon

Continuing with our new series of Traveling Encounters blog posts…

Here is our next edition:

The Observatory by The Forge Studios
The Observatory by The Forge Studios

Out of This World, Wary Ally, Quest Giver

A traveler from another world crashed here and is attempting to contact his home world or star organization.

Setup: The PCs spot a very strange wizard’s tower. It seems to have an impossible metal dome and giant cannon.

Potential Plot Points:

  • If the PCs approach armed they are warned off with a loud alarm, then a shout to keep away.
  • But the resident, Franklyn, wants help so any reasonable parley will allow the PCs to talk to him through a window.
  • He is cautious because some items were stolen from the shed. If the PCs continue to approach without permission, he shoots an energy blast from a window.
  • Franklyn won’t reveal his true background unless the PCs help him significantly (see follow-up ideas), but he will do what he can to help them: let them rest in the shed, heal minor wounds, etc.

Vary the Challenge: Several people/aliens have crash landed, potentially with special powers.

Possible Twist: Franklyn is a fugative. Later someone may come to investigate them for aiding him.

Follow-up Adventure Ideas:

  • Help him recover the stolen equipment.
  • Gather rare minerals he needs to repair other equipment.

Switch Genres:

Science Fiction: A disgraced inter-stellar war hero, Franklyn decided to be a hermit on a low-tech world. The PCs must convince him to help their quest.