By Kevin Ruesch

As the characters travel along an unremarkable and somewhat desolate road, strange events begin to plague and haunt the group. Pursuing the mystery of these events leads the adventurers to an ancient stone circle, a curious and ancient watering hole and the group of unusual woodland creatures that guard this sacred place, the Twice-born!

   This Drop Zone encounter is not designed as another quest for the material wealth of the characters, but as a test of their moral/ethical mettle. Will the party abide by the wishes of the Twice-born and simply leave the area? Will they attempt contact with these unique creatures and kindle a lasting friendship? Or will the group try to eradicate these guardians and plunder the site for all they can scrounge? This encounter is not meant to be a hack-n-slash, but an exercise in diplomacy. However, if the situation does degrade into combat, the Twice-born will give most adventuring parties a surprise or two and perhaps even a run for their money. Hopefully, in the end, the group will gain a new experience and perhaps some new friends and an ally in the Clan of the Twice-born.

What is a Drop Zone encounter?

A Drop Zone encounter is not an adventure in the usual sense, but is designed as a finite, independent area you can drop into most any campaign world. Each encounter is a geographic area that contains specific components, i.e. structures, events, creatures, items, effects, etc. All components are fully detailed along with several variations.
   

What a Drop Zone encounter doesn’t have is a specific plotline, an expected outcome. How your PCs react to the components of the encounter or how the components react to the PCs isn’t preordained. You are provided with numerous options and ideas to pick and choose from, all to help you mold this encounter towards your group’s and your campaign’s unique needs.
   

You can weave each Drop Zone into the storyline of your own home brew campaign or simply use each as a short diversion between adventures. Either way, Drop Zones are a quick and effortless way to spice up the more unremarkable portions of your campaign world.