Encounter-a-Day

The PCs come a long a man laying in the road. An arrow is sticking out of his neck, and a thick, white goo covers the lower half of his head (including mouth and nose) as well as his shoulders. His hands are stuck to his face, as if he was trying to tear the goo off, and as the PCs come upon him he struggles meekly and then falls limp.

As soon as the PCs try to help him, kobolds pop out and attack. If they’re going to save the man, they need to do it fast. He’s already lost consciousness and he’ll suffocate to death soon. Once they can clear his airways, he’s not out of the woods yet. The arrow has pierced through the side of his neck, narrowly missing his windpipe, but any healing magic would prove ineffective until the arrow is removed. Making matters worse, the arrow is firmly stuck in place by the same gluey substance.

The kobolds have a couple special arrows with pots of the glue on the end, which they use to try and immobilize the PCs. One of the arrows hit the man in the neck, leaving him in his current predicament. If the PCs can save him, he’ll explain that he’s a traveling merchant, and was attacked. He saw some of the kobolds make off with his horse and cart, and the rest hid when they saw the PCs coming.