Friday Encounter: In Their Footsteps

This encounter is best used in or near a settled area. It will work best if the PCs have had some time to build up a reputation, and they should have performed great deeds that have become known to the people, preferably those in the area they are currently in (whether that is a town they use as their home base, or a town they are moving on from after a quest nearby).

Some distance down the road after they leave town, the PCs should be approached by a boy, Milo Oleastor. He is about ten years old, with a dirty face and a rusted old sword (an heirloom of his family from a great-grandfather who fought in a long-bygone war) trailing at his side, too big for him to comfortably carry. Word of the party's deeds has reached his ears, and he was spellbound by the feats of heroism and grand adventures they could accomplish. His family chided him, citing the dangers of life on the roads and insisting that he had better things to worry about, like tending to chores on the family farm - but he had already made up his mind. Looking to live such a life of excitement for himself, he decided to run away from his humble homestead at the outskirts of the town to join the party, hoping that he could become as great a hero as they!

Milo, of course, is no stronger or more capable than a typical child of his age, and has the stats of a commoner. Though he wields a sword, he is notably untrained in it and it is too heavy for him to use effectively, and he blunders with it in combat. Nevertheless, he has been led so far astray by tales of heroism and chivalry that he will not let this stop him. He displays an almost foolhardy level of valor, believing himself capable of taking on any foe, and should the party encounter danger, he will be the first to charge headlong into battle, with no heed to the consequences.

Naturally, Milo's actions will likely make him as much of a danger to himself as any enemy. Many PCs will likely wish to return the boy to his family, or else leave him in another safe location, for his own protection. The real challenge to this will be convincing him to abide by this. He will speak of the PCs with awe and admiration and believes it to be an honor to accompany them, and it will be a great disappointment to be rejected. He will not, however, let that quench his dreams of high adventure - if the PCs attempt to abandon him, he will make it clear that he will become a great hero on his own if he has to. The challenge will be to leave Milo some place safe before he gets himself killed, without letting down his spirits in the process - of course, some parties might wish to keep him around, perhaps providing him with some training to better hold his own, or else counciling him to stay out of trouble.

Optionally, if one wishes to add another complication to this encounter, if the PCs attempt to return Milo to his family home, they might find it burned to the ground in an attack by bandits, orcs, a dragon, or some other threat. Not only will this embolden him with a desire for revenge (and make him all the more likely to risk his life), it will also mean the PCs won't be able to go to the most obvious and accessible option to kep him out of trouble, necessitating they think outside the box.