Description: While traveling along a well-trodden road through rolling hills and scenic countryside, the adventurers come across an unusual sight. A group of eight gnomes is struggling to move a large, sturdy boat using a series of logs to roll it along the path. The gnomes, dressed in colorful, mismatched clothing, appear cheerful yet clearly in need of assistance.
Event: As the party approaches, the gnomes stop their laborious task and eagerly wave, calling out in high-pitched, friendly voices. They introduce themselves as a family of tinkerers and sailors who, having recently invented a new type of sail, decided to take their boat to the nearest sea to test it.
Challenge:
Helping the Gnomes: The gnomes are struggling to move the boat efficiently and could use some help. The party can assist by providing physical labor, offering creative solutions, or using spells to make the task easier.
- Strength Challenge: Characters can make a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to help push the boat.
- Magic Assistance: Characters can use spells like Tensor’s Floating Disk or Levitate to assist in moving the boat more easily.
Navigational Aid: The gnomes ask for directions to the nearest sea, as they are somewhat lost and unfamiliar with the area. The party can make a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check or use a map to guide them.
Gnome Personalities:
Here are some of the gnome NPCs that are leading the expedition:
- Fizzwidget, the Leader: A middle-aged gnome with a bushy beard and twinkling eyes, always full of enthusiasm and grand ideas.
- Tinkertop, the Inventor: A bespectacled gnome who constantly fiddles with small mechanical devices and has a tool belt brimming with gadgets.
- Poppy, the Navigator: A young, optimistic gnome carrying a large, outdated map and a compass.
Interaction:
Friendly Approach: If the party is helpful and friendly, the gnomes express their gratitude profusely. They might offer small trinkets they’ve invented or provide information about interesting locations they’ve passed.
Unfriendly Approach: If the party is dismissive or hostile, the gnomes become wary and defensive. They might attempt to hide their belongings or seek help elsewhere.
Rewards:
- Gnomish Gadgets: If the party helps the gnomes, they might receive small, useful items such as:
- A mechanical bird that can mimic simple sounds.
- A vial of glowing paint that can illuminate a 10-foot area for 1 hour.
Aftermath:
The gnomes, now properly directed and assisted, continue their journey towards the sea, waving goodbye and promising to remember the adventurers’ kindness. As the party returns from their current adventure, they will hear tales in the local inns of the gnomes and their boat. Unfortunately, they seem to have misunderstood the party’s directions and are not on the swiftest path to the sea.
The party might encounter the gnomes again in the future, perhaps in a coastal town, where the gnomes might provide further assistance or hear tale of a tragic gnomish boating incident far off to the north.
Dungeon Mastery 
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