Random Encounter Ideas?

[Hunfar]

Skyrim has random encounters, and they're not all that bad, which include: lady escaped from bandits, tough guy/chic calling you names, mercenary with armor worth looting, suicidal orc, etc. Those are all well and good, but there's always room for more creative ones that didn't have enough time to be implemented, so what would you add to make Skyrim more interesting?

I could only think of a few -__-

1. necromancer summon ritual (three surrounding pentagram, chanting, creature rises from ground)

2. lightning strikes & knocks over tree

3. lone wolf/spriggan/etc approaches but doesn't attack

 

[Mr1cammando]

Something more along the lines of radiant quest. Like, a guy might come up to you and give you a bounty letter, for a hunter asks for help killing animals. Something like that.

 

[Octavia]

I think I got a few ideas;

-Small Imperial/Stormcloak ambushes, they could be waiting on the side of the road for you to walk by, depending on what side you chose.

-What Mr1 said.

-Maybe some kind of scout/spy that won't attack you, but watch you, and will flee if you get too close.

-Like above, but if followed, will lead you into a trap/ambush.

That's all I can think of right now, might have more later though.

 

[Unit7]

personally I just wouldn't mind seeing Stormcloaks and Imperials fight more often. I have come across a small skirmish... but not often. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't finished the civil war while sleeping or blacked it out.

1) Dragon Slayers. With the Dragons returning adventurers are seeking the thrill of hunting down and slaying their own dragons. Some doing it for sport while others are driven to protect their families and villages. Of course everytime you encounter them they would probably say something like "We are off to Mount Anthor to slay a Dragon! Best not get in our way, you'd only end up dead." or you know something that was better. Next time you go to Mount Anthor(or wherever the dragon was) you kill the dragon and you'd see those same slayers...

2) Bandits robbing a caravan. Whether it's Khajiit or not is also random.

3) Imposter Stormcloaks/Imperials. Similar to the Vigilants of Stendar... and that one Thalmor guy.

4) Dragon Cult Reborn. Actually... that should be an actual major quest.
But basically you'd come across various NPCs claiming the Dragons as Gods and that they worship them.

5) A Generic NPC kills another Generic NPC. Actually this one would probably be better as a starter for another big questline. Doing something in each city triggers the murder scene(similar to the one you encounter in Markarth and while doing Blood on Ice) which... leads to some cult. Because you can never have too many cults running about.

You know I am not all that great with thinking of small stuff. Everytime I do I think of something that would lead into something much bigger.

Lets give this another shot.

6) After one of the missions in the Darkbrother Hood you'd see a terrified wedding quest running around skyrim. Who may or may not think that they killed that chick.

7) Falmer. Seriously I remember someone mentioning that the Falmer attacks were happening more frequently on the surface... well I have traveled all over skyrim and I can't say that I have seen them.

8) A character about to commit suicide. They'd be standing on a cliff or wherever and if you manage to talk them down you'd get a speech increase. For those who would rather encourage them... well you get nothing except some small loot.

9) A secret treasure map. Tells you to go to dungeon X only it's a trap.

Ok I got nothing else. lol

 

[Octavia]

Awesome ideas, I'll see if I can put up a few before going to bed. Also aren't there some treasure maps? I swear I picked up a map once, and it led me to a mountainside that had a chest.

-Anti-Dragonborn Group, which would relentlessly hunt you down, no matter where you were. Just like the vigiliants hunt down vampires etc., I personally think this would go well with the Dragon Cult idea.

-Supply caravans, basically just random horse carriages with a lootable chest inside, would probably be guarded by soldiers, or other hired muscle.

-Drug dealers, not the ones that we've always came across, but ones in the middle of a deal with another NPC, and if you confronted them, you would then be able to turn them in to the Jarl for a reward.

-Alongside the ambush idea, maybe they could also have traps, like wooden barricades in the middle of the road, or bear traps in the woods.

-Stalkers, random people that would just follow you along the roads, watching you, maybe like scouts but not part of any major faction, and a bit more creepy.

There's some more potential ideas, hope you guys like em! Forgive any mistakes, I'm kinda tired right now.
Talos guide you.

 

[Unit7]

Awesome ideas, I'll see if I can put up a few before going to bed. Also aren't there some treasure maps? I swear I picked up a map once, and it led me to a mountainside that had a chest.

.

Yeah there are quite a few treasure maps. But the one I suggested was more to just lure you into a trap of some sort.

 

[Octavia]

Yeah there are quite a few treasure maps. But the one I suggested was more to just lure you into a trap of some sort.

Yea, I see what you mean, would be a pretty tempting target for anyone who found it. Still haven't found any of those maps since though, I think it was in January when I last found it.

 

[daedalus93]

Two words: Adoring. Fan.
He just randomly runs up to you and exclaims something like "By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! It's you! You're that Dragonborn fella, been killing all those dragons, aren't you?! I'm your biggest fan!" etc., etc.
Then he follows you around everywhere until he's killed, all the while saying things in amazement any time you do anything at all:
"By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! You absorbed its very soul, just like the legends!"
"You showed those bandits who's boss! You're just as amazing as I've heard!"
"I'll bet you could've killed that bear with your bare hands! Get it? Bare hands?!"
"By Azura! Was that one of those Shouts I've heard about? That was amazing!"
"Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying -- of course you do!"

 

[Mr1cammando]

Two words: Adoring. Fan.
He just randomly runs up to you and exclaims something like "By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! It's you! You're that Dragonborn fella, been killing all those dragons, aren't you?! I'm your biggest fan!" etc., etc.
Then he follows you around everywhere until he's killed, all the while saying things in amazement any time you do anything at all:
"By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! You absorbed its very soul, just like the legends!"
"You showed those bandits who's boss! You're just as amazing as I've heard!"
"I'll bet you could've killed that bear with your bare hands! Get it? Bare hands?!"
"By Azura, was that one of those Shouts I've heard about? That was amazing!"

I HOPE YOU DIE ​

​

Really though, not cool man. Those are repressed memories you just brought up.​

 

[Hunfar]

Two words: Adoring. Fan.
He just randomly runs up to you and exclaims something like "By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! It's you! You're that Dragonborn fella, been killing all those dragons, aren't you?! I'm your biggest fan!" etc., etc.
Then he follows you around everywhere until he's killed, all the while saying things in amazement any time you do anything at all:
"By Azura, by Azura, by Azura! You absorbed its very soul, just like the legends!"
"You showed those bandits who's boss! You're just as amazing as I've heard!"
"I'll bet you could've killed that bear with your bare hands! Get it? Bare hands?!"
"By Azura! Was that one of those Shouts I've heard about? That was amazing!"
"Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying -- of course you do!"

How about he runs up to you, shouts "By Azu--" then gets clubbed by a giant into the distant mountains?

 

[Shouts-At-Dragons]

Being funny, wouldn't it be hilarious to be roaming Skyrim and to find two wolves mating on the side of the road.

But taking this serious, wouldn't it be sort of freaky if you spot some old lady by the river collecting berries and when you went to speak to her, she suddenly turned into a demora?

 

[Hunfar]

But taking this serious, wouldn't it be sort of freaky if you spot some old lady by the river collecting berries and when you went to speak to her, she suddenly turned into a demora?

Sounds like it could be an interesting quest, if it happened more than once you'd already know what to expect.

 

[daedalus93]

But taking this serious, wouldn't it be sort of freaky if you spot some old lady by the river collecting berries and when you went to speak to her, she suddenly turned into a demora?

There's already something kinda like that; forgot her name, but there's this sweet old lady living in a cabin in the woods, but as soon as you go into her basement and read her diary about wanting to become a Hagraven, she starts blasting magicka at you.

 

[Hunfar]

There's already something kinda like that; forgot her name, but there's this sweet old lady living in a cabin in the woods, but as soon as you go into her basement and read her diary about wanting to become a Hagraven, she starts blasting magicka at you.

It's kinda similar, but still different enough to be unique imo. Perhaps she was cursed by one of the Gods and she either retreats, communicates or attacks you. Whichever one leads to a more interesting plot.

 

[The_Madgod]

Anises cabin, near Riverwood. I left Shadowmere there for a while while I used Arvak, and I never realized that she was even a practitioner.