Dragon Magazine September 2000 (by Dawn Ibach)
Your characters may be crossing a river or maneuvering a raft or small craft on the river. Not every day will be uneventful and you may be looking for something else than another monster encounter.
Well, here is a list of 100 encounter suggestions where you can spin off your own side treks.
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01 Barge with cargo and guards
02 Barge with crew and no cargo
03 Barge with pirates
04 Barge abandoned
05 Barge wrecked
06 Sailing ship with cargo
07 Sailing ship with passengers
08 Sailing ship partially sunk
o9 Rowboat with fisherman
10 Rowboat with adventurers
11 Rowboat with smugglers
12 Rowboat overturned
13 Rowboat hidden in bushes
14 Raft, crude
15 Raft, with rudder and poles
16 Ferry, humanoid laborers
17 Ferry, aquatic creature laborer(s)
18 Ferry, abandoned
19 Children, picking reeds for baskets
20 Ford of shallow water
21 Ford of sand
22 Ford of rocks
23 Bridge, stone
24 Bridge, wooden
25 Bridge, rope
26 Bridge, unsafe
27 Animal trapped on floating tree
28 Animal trapped on island
29 Fisherman on bank
30 Fisherman in water, with net or spear
31 Frog or crayfish hunter(s)
32 Clam digger(s)
33 Bather(s)
34 Swimmer(s)
35 Women washing clothes
36 Corpse
37 Water fowl
38 Beaver dam
39 Fresh water dolphins
40 Wild animal or creature drinking
41 Wild animal or creature crossing
42 Wild animal or creature fishing
43 Herdsman with animals, drinking
44 Herdsman with animals, crossing
45 Women and children, picking berries
46 Travelers collecting water
47 Travelers watering mounts
48 Refuse, organic
49 School of fish
50 Turtles on log
51 Animal or monster tracks on bank
52 Monster fishing
53 Monster drinking
54 Rapids
55 Sandbar
56 Boulder(s)
57 Sharpened poles under water
58 Frenzied fish
59 Spawning fish
60 Raspberry bushes
61 Fisherman, sleeping
62 Tree swing over river
63 Rope pulley and carriage
64 Shallow bank
6 5 Eroded banks
66 Hunting party
67 Hunting hounds and master, drinking
68 Sylvan race, bathing or fishing
69 Travelers building raft
70 Travelers in magical boat
71 Druid picking up litter
72 Runaway or stowaway
73 Bridge, destroyed
74 Logs or log jam
75 Barrels, full or empty
76 Camp with fish cooking on bank
77 Logger cabin or camp on bank
78 Rope or chain across river
79 Toll collector, false or legitimate
80 River section choked with plants
81 Fallen tree blocking river
82 Huge corpse blocking river
83 Crumbled cliff face blocking river
84 Playful giant otter or beaver
85 Treant stuck on small island
86 Floating fish and turtles, dead
87 Sunken village on banks
88 Swollen section of river
89 Fog go Fireflies
91 Pier, fishing or boat
92 Banks hidden by tall reeds
93 Hot springs, water steams
94 Muddy water
95 Playful creatures throw nuts or pine cones at passersby
96 Carnivorous lily pads
97 Small cliff with partially submerged cave filled with bats
98 Two ships or boats in combat
99 Ship with flag of noble house
100 Ship with flag of royal house and escort