D&D 5E Noncombat Encounter - Desert

Noncombat Encounters include creature groups, hazards and lone npcs. Maybe a lost lizardfolk, a forest fire or a talkative druid
The desert conjures images of sun-blasted wastes, stark canyons and sandy ridges. Encounters may take place at a well-guarded oasis, a lonely mesa, among half buried ruins or in the bed of a dried up river.

tools for - dnd5e encounters noncombat desert

terrain: sources:

noncombat

1 Scout

Moriga Oathwater is a limping male dwarf scout with ornate jewelry. He believes an unlucky crime boss is a foe and has a gift for a character
At a slope of dry moss. There is a patch of ivy-covered tumbleweed with a newly-built wooden bench (nearby is the fresh corpse of a meerkat)
They are searching for water

noncombat

1 Thug

Elyel Arnuanna is a serene kobold thug covered in old scars. They believe in a philosophy of constant change and are currently playing a board game
At an area of grassy dunes and a tiny waterhole (near an overgrown park)
They are digging up something
Possibly... they have a suit of Glamored Studded Leather

noncombat

1 Poisonous Snake

They are a familiar scouting the area for a more powerful creature
At a mound of debris (it is sunny)
They are dehydrated

noncombat

1 Berserker named Skamos (tiefling)

They ask your help in performing a simple ritual
At an area of soft deep sand (which is cursed ground)
They are exploring a ruin
Possibly... they have a Decanter of Endless Water

noncombat

1 Scorpion

They are a familiar spying on another creature
At a shrine to a power of honour by a ruined stone wall (there are a few tall spiked cacti)
They are marked by a death diety

noncombat

1 Scorpion

They are a familiar scouting the area for a more powerful creature
At a ferry over a sluggish river (close to a steep hill)
They are sheltering from a sand storm
Possibly... they have a map of a trapped tomb and answer to a puzzle at the entrance

noncombat

1 Commoner

Logazgrum Goldgate is an artistic lizardfolk commoner with a walking cane. They are feuding with a neighbour over something petty and are currently whistling a song about beetles
At a squat small monument by a tomb (there is an acrid smell covering the area)
They are eating

noncombattemple

1 Priest named Milo Littlefoot (halfling)

They are local and invite you for a meal
At a rock-strewn slope (it has a programmed illusion)
They are stealing a wagon

noncombat

1 Scout

Linore is a boisterous gnome scout with a gilded totem. They are always quoting wisdom of the elders and are currently arguing with Ming Salthern, a crippled paladin
At an area of crops (nearby is a patch of red berries)
They are dehydrated
Possibly... they have a Ring of Jumping

noncombat

1 Cult Fanatic

Aria is an enigmatic kobold cult fanatic with scarred hands. She is secretive around others and seeks to defend the base of powerful adventurers until they return. It is a cave entrance
At a grove of fruit trees (the area is cursed ground)
They are are searching for food or sustenance